John 12:20-33

²⁰Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. ²¹They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." ²²Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. ²³Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, My servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves Me. ²⁷"Now My heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify Your name!" ²⁹Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to Him. ³⁰Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not Mine. ³¹Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. ³²But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." ³³He said this to show the kind of death He was going to die.

John sets a new context. Some Greeks were among those who came to worship at the Feast. We don’t know if they were Jew or Gentile Greeks. But the point is that they came from beyond the sea and filed in with a crowd going to worship. Wanting to see Jesus, they found Philip. Why Philip? Why does John go to the trouble to point out that Philip was from Bethsaida in Galilee? This detail had been noted in chapter 1 of John’s gospel. Perhaps Philip looked like a foreigner, and so the Greeks felt comfortable talking to him. Perhaps they were filled with reverence before Jesus, so they modestly made His disciple aware of their desire. And notice in v22 that Philip goes to tell Andrew. Then the two of them together go to Jesus with the news. What’s the reason for that? Whatever the reason, we ought to strive to be the ones people seek out to inquire of Jesus. They ought to see in us something that makes them think we know the answer to their question. We ought to look like we can show people Jesus.

Look at v21. This verse is written on many a pulpit in the churches around the world. “We want to see Jesus.” That’s the job of a preacher – to show the people Jesus. And this verse reminds a pastor before and as he preaches of his role. Do you want to see Jesus? Do you want to show people Jesus? We are lights reflecting the True Light.

Throughout John’s gospel, Jesus has provided many hints and foretastes that the gospel would ultimately spread to the Gentiles (John 4), and He has also made it clear that the hour of His death and following glorification, together with the in-gathering of the Gentiles that should follow, had not yet arrived (John 2:4; 7:6,8,30; 8:20). But now, in v23, the hour has come for glory. One commentator described Jesus in v23 as tenacious. He’s ready and willing. Now is the time to tell these foreigners that His death is close at hand; but just as a grain of wheat, when it dies and is buried, springs forth with much fruit – so His death would be fruitful to produce eternal life (v24). Jesus compares His death with sowing – and remember from previous discussions (John 4), sowing is hard. But the sower and reaper rejoice together, as anyone who shared His death, anyone who “died with Christ” (Colossians 3:1-4; Galatians 2:19-20; Romans 6:5-6), would also reap the fruit of eternal life – even these Greeks from across the sea!

In this way, suffering is sowing, and reaping and rejoicing are guaranteed. In order to gain eternal life, one must hate his life in this world and serve Christ, as God the Father will honor the servant of Christ (v25-26). What does it mean to hate life? To love life? Let’s point out that to love this life is not in itself wrong, provided that we only pass through it as pilgrims, keeping our eyes always fixed on home. The true limit of loving life is continuing in it as long as God would have us stay and being willing to offer it as a sacrifice and being prepared to leave it as soon as He decides to take us out of this life. Whoever carries his attachment to the present life beyond this limit, destroys his life; that is, he consigns it to everlasting ruin. For the word translated in the NIV “lose” does not entail the loss of something valuable, but rather devoting it to destruction.

As tenacious as Jesus is regarding His mission, He is nevertheless troubled in His heart (v27). This seems at first glance to depart from the expected flow of His discourse. But it is perfectly harmonious with the message, and we see the divinity and humanity of Jesus quite clearly in this passage. Looking forward to John 14:1-2, He tells the disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” There He is speaking of the trouble of unbelief; the disciples need not be troubled by unbelief, for they are believers. But here John is revealing to us His contemplation of the work now at hand. The time has come to be forsaken, and the heart of Jesus is troubled over that.

When He says, “What shall I say?” He is revealing both His inexpressibly intense sorrow and His love for His sheep. Shall He avoid the wrath of God and lose His sheep? By no means! He will face the wrath of God, overcoming His troubled heart, for the sake of you and me – His sheep. And He immediately prays that God the Father would be glorified. Notice from v27-28 the four steps of Jesus: First, there is the complaint of His troubled heart. Second, Jesus displays the need for a remedy and, that He not be overwhelmed by this trouble, asks Himself what He ought to do. Third, Jesus goes to the Father, recalling the wish He knows to be inconsistent with His calling and choosing before God to suffer anything other than failing to complete the task the Father has given Him. Fourth, Jesus forgets His trouble and presses on, satisfied with God’s glory alone.

Another theme that John has emphasized throughout his gospel is also brought up in this summarizing chapter – and that is, the reliable testimony to the Son of Man, Jesus Christ. Just as the Father spoke audibly from heaven to authenticate the ministry of Jesus at His baptism (Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22), and also at His transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13, Mark 9:2-13, Luke 9:28-36); so now He speaks audibly again, and confirms that He will glorify His name through the ministry of Jesus. It is as if He had said, “I will finish what I have begun.” Of course (as we know now), the way in which Jesus would glorify the Father’s name would be unimaginably difficult for Jesus, who took upon Himself our sins, and willingly accepted for them the just wrath of God, so that we might be saved – and for this cause, Jesus was deeply distressed, as He was in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46). But nevertheless, He was resolutely determined to continue in His appointed path. Jesus offers the greatest example we could have to embrace suffering for the glorious name of God!

But ultimately, this audible testimony from the Father was not for Jesus’ sake – not to make Him ready for so great a sacrifice, as He already knew what He had to do, and was determined to do it; it was for the sake of the listeners, so that they might believe, and be saved. God speaks plainly enough in the Gospel, in which is also displayed the power and energy of the Spirit, which ought to shake heaven and earth; but many are unaffected by the word of God, as if it only proceeded from a mortal man, and others consider it to be loud and even barbaric, as if it were mere thunder. But in order to be saved, they must believe in Jesus, having faith that comes from the word of Christ. Ever since the Fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden, mankind had been deserving of wrath. But through what Jesus was about to do, men from all over the world would be delivered from Satan’s power. Thus Jesus declares in v31, “Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.” The word “judgment” might better describe conformation and restoration to proper order from the state of confusion and deformity caused by the devil’s government. Calvin says, “When Satan has been cast out, therefore, the world is brought back from its revolt, and placed under obedience to the government of God. How was Satan cast out by the death of Christ, since he does not cease to make war continually? This casting out must not be limited to any short period of time, but is a description of that remarkable effect of the death of Christ which is daily manifested.”

The means to this end of “judgment,” or restoration, was the lifting up of Jesus Christ, as His death and resurrection (and exaltation) would successfully propitiate God’s wrath and enable Him to draw His people to Himself – all kinds of men from all over the world. The word “men” is not in the Greek text. The phrase indicates drawing all kinds, or even all things, to Himself. We might perceive this pronouncement as His having all things put under His feet (Ephesians 1:22).