27 “Now My soul has become dismayed; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him.” 30 Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sake. 31 Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” 33 But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was about to die. 34 The crowd then answered Him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how do You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. 36 While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.”
These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them. 37 But though He had done so many signs before them, they still were not believing in Him, 38 so that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, 40 “He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and return and I heal them.” 41 These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke about Him. 42 Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory of men rather than the glory of God.
44 And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45 And he who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. 46 I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. 47 And if anyone hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me and does not receive My words, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him on the last day. 49 For I did not speak from Myself, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.” John 12: 27-50 LSB
John 12: 27-50
V. 27 Now My soul has become dismayed - The past chapters have given much insight into the heart of our Lord, and we have seen early on a sense of community even within the members of the Godhead, but also here in Christ's humanity we have seen Him hurt with those who hurt. He felt the pain of Martha and Mary over their brother, as well as His own sorrow for His friend Lazarus. Men try to relate to God in the dumbest of fashions, making gods that are just like sinful man, but where the divine has entered our realm, taken up a body, knit itself together with humanity, He has remained pure and sincere in every experience. Christ felt sorrow, felt grief, felt the ever looming reality of the cross which shadowed the manger.
Spurgeon - There was a conflict in the Saviour’s heart, — the weakness of his true manhood — striving with the strength of his infinite affection to his people, and also to his Father. We must never forget that He “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” If it had been no pain to him to die as the Substitute for sinners, there would have been no atoning sacrifice in his death; and if no dread had overtaken him at the thought of death, it would have proved that he did not die as we do; and, therefore, he would not have been able to take our place as he did. Notice how the Saviour speaks of the struggle that was going on in his soul. “What shall I say?” Do you ever have to ask that question when you are trying to pray? If so, do not be astonished, for even your Lord and Master said the same. “What shall I say?” — as if he paused to consider what form his prayer should take, — “shall I say, Father save me from this hour? No; but I will say, For this cause came I unto this hour.”.....Nature suggests the cry, “Father, save me from this hour.” Grace comes behind the flesh, being a little slower to speak; but it corrects the errors of the flesh, and says, “For this cause came I unto this hour.”......This seems to be a sort of rehearsal of the dread scene soon to be enacted in Gethsemane. At the sight of these Greeks, our Saviour seems to have been led specially to think, as we have already said, of that death by which they, and multitudes like them were to be redeemed. Thinking of it, he enters so fully into it, by a sort of foretaste, that he feels something of the same shiver and throe of anguish which came upon him in Gethsemane. He seems to say here, “Father, save me from this hour,” just as he said there, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” Yet he says here, “But for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name,” — just as he afterwards said in the garden, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” - C. H. Spurgeon from PA
41 And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Luke 22: 41-44
V. 28 "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again" - He promised His Son as far back as Genesis, and here He is, the Seed of the woman, but He has also promised Him as the atonement for sin. The eternal God has identified Himself as Holy, and that means set apart, not just from His creation as being above all, but also without sin, eternally opposed to it. This He demonstrates to the glory of His own name, His honor, in the destruction of the whole world at the flood. He is also merciful, in that 8 people of the whole of mankind, at that time, are spared.
Lowell Johnson - How did Jesus glorify the Father through His death on the cross?
1. The cross demonstrates the Father's holiness because it shows that sin is contrary to His holy character.
2. The cross demonstrates the Father's justice because it shows the Father's just character demands that sin be paid for.
3. The cross demonstrates the Father's wrath because it pleased the Lord to bruise His Son – Isa. 53:10
4. The cross demonstrates the Father's love because He was willing to give His Son to die on our behalf.
5. The cross demonstrates the Father's mercy because on the cross His son bore our griefs and sorrows so we would not perish.
6. The cross demonstrates the Father's amazing grace because as many as receive Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God.
7. The cross glorifies the Father because it will resound in His eternal praise. - PA
1Of David. I give You thanks with all my heart; before the gods I sing Your praises. 2I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your loving devotion and Your faithfulness; You have exalted Your name and Your word above all else. 3On the day I called, You answered me; You emboldened me and strengthened my soul.… Psalm 138: 1-3
Kruse says "God was glorified in the hour of Jesus’ death because then the grace of God was most clearly seen. The glory of God is his character, full of grace, and he is glorified when his character is revealed (cf. Exod. 34:5–8). (BORROW The Gospel According to John) - PA
V. 29-30 This voice has not come for My sake - This is the second public hearing of the Father's voice from heaven. The first instance was at His baptism, the start of His ministry, the Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove and the Father spoke from heaven saying, "this is My beloved Son" introducing the Landowner's Son, for the prophets had already come with the message to repent. Some of the disciples will hear this voice again. It is interesting the different takes that the crowd has on this, and thinking back to Moses, the people didn't want to hear God's voice back then.
Steven Cole - But it’s no different today: God has spoken clearly through His Word, giving testimony to Jesus as the only Savior. Yet some explain Christianity in completely naturalistic terms, like those who said that it thundered, while others launch off into mystical spirituality, like those who said that an angel had spoken to Jesus. But both sides miss God’s testimony to His Son. They don’t have spiritual ears to hear spiritual truth, even when God speaks clearly. (Christ Lifted Up ) - PA
18When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sounding of the ram’s horn, and the mountain enveloped in smoke, they trembled and stood at a distance. 19“Speak to us yourself and we will listen,” they said to Moses. “But do not let God speak to us, or we will die.” 20“Do not be afraid,” Moses replied. “For God has come to test you, so that the fear of Him may be before you, to keep you from sinning.”… Exodus 20: 18-20
V. 31 Now judgment is upon this world - The world is fallen in sin, and the deed to this world is in the hand of Lucifer, he is the prince of darkness, of light being cast out of heaven, turning sight to blindness and hearing to deaf. Men do not accept the explanation of their state, they hate the voice of God and prefer the darkness because their deeds are evil. My greatest motivation to be an atheist was to not have to answer to God, to embrace the seeming warmth of a life without moral restitution. "It's my life, it's my life", I raged, as though I had created it. I am now beholding to God not only for being born, but for being born again. He is calling them to repent here, light is here right now, but only for a little while.
Grant Osborne explains Jesus as bringing judgment upon this world because "as the living revealer (the “Word”) of God, he encounters every person at the deepest part of their being and forces them to a decision. That decision determines their destiny. For those who believe, he becomes Savior (Jn 4:42), but for those who reject him, he becomes judge. The world is characterized by rejection and rebellion (Jn 1:10), and so it is judged. This is the great irony: at the Cross, Jew and Gentile united in judging Jesus, while in reality they were being judged by Jesus!" (See The Gospel of John) - PA
…3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.… 2 Corinthians 4: 3-5
V. 32-34 If I am lifted up from the earth - John gives us the meaning, no speculation here. This indicates that Christ is going to die, and the crowd seems to understand this as death or separation as well because their eschatology sees the Messiah coming and reigning forever, not dying, so they question it. Isaiah, the Psalms, Daniel, the temple sacrifices and the ram in the thicket are examples they could draw upon for a clearer picture, but that's not the story they want. It does us no good to take God in part, for that is a different god, and without the whole counsel we are telling a very different story, one based solely upon want and imagination.
22If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is executed, and you hang his body on a tree, 23you must not leave the body on the tree overnight, but you must be sure to bury him that day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. Deuteronomy 21: 22-23
…12And when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.… 2 Samuel 7: 12-14
…6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this. Isaiah 9: 6-7
…13In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. 14And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. Daniel 7: 13-14
V. 35-36 While you have the light - He is again asking them to repent of their unbelief. I think Lordship is the problem in view, and I see it in HD in my day, people demand that God honor their autonomy. We would like to think that we can place demands upon God, "do this and I will believe in You." A stupid game to play when He has said of old, I will send the Seed of the woman, the devil will bruise His heel but He will crust Satan's head, and here He is on His way to the cross as promised. He claims to be the resurrection and the life, and He raises Lazarus. God promised a Messiah from the line of David, and Christ is the perfection of that pedigree. God says what He is going to do and does it hundreds and thousands of years later, and things that men just can't do. It is a story impossible to duplicate, with many writers spread over a vast time, consistent in it's message of redemption and without any competition to it's miracles. Their light is fading, their chance, your chance to see Him, but here He is and they don't want to see Him, they beg for the darkness to overtake them.
7Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice, 8do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness, 9where your fathers tested and tried Me, and for forty years saw My works.… Hebrews 3: 7-9
V. 37-43 They loved the glory of men rather than the glory of God - They clung on to what was dying. The time of men is fading, death and judgment are all they hold, that is all that their smile calls you to, it's the embrace of outer darkness, warm as it may feel right now, it's all but a sack of bones, rot and decay in the end. Remember the blind man's parents, they were afraid of getting kicked out of synagogue. What's your excuse? Will they kick you out of the young Darwinians, say that you worship the spaghetti monster in the sky? For some that's all it takes, just one person who has learned to say something with an err of confidence, and you will fold up at their feet. What if your church quits following Christ and worries more about the comforts of this world the ideologies of the dying? Will you stand up or will you follow along?
V. 44-50 He who believes in Me - This goes back to "I and the Father are One, and if you have seen Me you have seen the Father. This is paramount, you can't refuse Jesus without refusing God.
14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.… Colossians 1: 14-16
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