he
request of the Greeks that they might be introduced to Jesus.

These Greeks were "of those that came up to worship at the feast." They
were proselytes, Greeks by birth, Jews by religion. They suggest the
importance for Christianity of the leavening process which Judaism was
accomplishing throughout the world. They may not have come from any
remoter country than Galilee, but from traditions and customs separate
as the poles from the Jewish customs and thoughts. From their heathen
surroundings they came to Jerusalem, possibly for the first time, with
wondering anticipations of the blessedness of those who dwelt in God's
house, and feeling their thirst for the living God burning within them
as their eyes lighted on the pinnacles of the Temple, and as at last
their feet stood within its precincts. But up through all these desires
grew one that overshadowed them, and, through all the petitions which a
year or many years of sin and difficulty had made familiar to their
lips, this petition made its way: "Sir, we would see Jesus."

This petition they address to Philip, not only because he had a Greek
name, and therefore presumably belonged to a family in which Greek was
spoken and Greek connections cultivated, but because, as St. John
reminds us, he was "of Bethsaida of Galilee," and might be expected to
understand and speak Greek, if, indeed, he was not already known to
these strangers in Jerusalem. And by their request they obviously did
not mean that Philip should set them in a place of vantage from which
they might have a good view of Jesus as He passed by, for this they
could well have accomplished without Philip's friendly intervention. But
they wished to question and make Him out, to see for themselves whether
there were in Jesus what even in Judaism they felt to be
lacking--whether He at last might not satisfy the longings of their
Divinely awakened spirits. Possibly they may even have wished to
ascertain His purposes regarding the outlying nations, how the Messianic
reign was to affect them. Possibly they may even have thought of
offering Him an asylum where He might find shelter from the hostility of
His own people.

Evidently Philip considered that this request was critical. The
Apostles had been charged not to enter into any Gentile city, and they
might naturally suppose that Jesus would be reluctant to be interviewed
by Greeks. But before dismissing the request, he lays it before Andrew
his friend, who also b