How Jesus Won Intellectuals

He didn't need a website, TV commercials, billboards, or Twitter. They came ASKING for Him! No marketing effort brought them halfway across the Mediterranean. His life did it! "Sir, we want to see Jesus." (John 12:21,CEB) That Sunday Morning, it seemed Isreal's whole population had turned out! Jesus was escorted donkeyback, like a triumphant new monarch amid waving palms and a million shouted "Hallelujahs!" These Greeks were classically educated. Epictetus was the rage back home. He taught a new philosophy of humble self-knowledge including that people should not lie to themselves. In five days, Pilate would spout Epictetus in Jesus’ life-and-death examination: “What is Truth?” The Greeks weren’t in the temple’s foreigners court because they were interested in Judaism. They’d heard of a humble intellectual about to be made King! His life matched their fascination. With the cross looming over Him, Jesus came right out of the Temple to meet these strangers. To Him, they were the first of an immense Gentile harvest to come. Striding into the court to meet them “where they were” spiritually, Jesus thrilled with the universal appeal of His coming sacrifice! “The hour has now come for the Son of Man to receive great glory,” He exclaimed! (John 12:23,GNT) For His Greek guests, Jesus expanded on their strain of humility philosophy illustrating it with agriculture and forecasting His imminent execution. “For sure, I tell you, unless a seed falls into the ground and dies…if it dies, it will give much grain… If anyone wants to serve Me, he must follow Me…[and] will be there also. If anyone serves Me, My Father will honor him.” (John 12:24-26,NLV) 1.He entered into their train of thought. 2.He capitalized on their personal attraction to Him as a thinker. 3.Then, He gave them the whole Gospel: Justification (Christ would die like a planted seed), Sanctification (They must follow in self-sacrifice, too), Glorification (God the Father will honor Christ’s followers). Amazingly, right then Jesus’ approach with intellectuals was confirmed with a supernatural phenomenon occurring only three times in His ministry. Jesus looked into the cloud above them and cried aloud, “’Father, honor Your name!’ Then a voice from heaven came, saying, ‘I have already honored My name. I will honor it again!’ The people heard the voice. Some who stood there said, ‘It was thunder.’ Others said, ‘An angel spoke to Him.’ Jesus said, ‘The voice did not come for Me, but it came to be a help to you.’”(John 12:28-30,NLV) “The inquiring Greeks saw the cloud, heard the Voice, and discerned Christ indeed.” (The Desire of Ages, p. 625) To them He was revealed as the Savior sent from God. How can we beat Christ’s approach?

How did Jesus win intellectuals?

1. He entered into their train of thought.

2. He capitalized on their personal attraction to Him as a thinker.

3. Then, He gave them the whole Gospel in the context of their own philosophy.

Your friend, Dave