PM Home Bible Study Group; May 22, 2013
John 12:12-36
Theme: This passage describes Jesus’ own sense of purpose as He came to Jerusalem to die for our sins.
(Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version; copyright 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
Much of the first twelve chapters of the Gospel of John has had to do with the public ministry of our Lord. Chapters 1-4 have focus on His presentation of Himself to His own Jewish kinsmen; and chapters 5-12 concern the way His own people rejected Him. John 1:11 tells us that “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” We’re drawing near the end of that public ministry—and to the conflicts He experienced from those who didn’t accept Him.
But as the next verses, John 1:12-13, go on to tell us, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become Children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Because of what He is described in this evening’s passage as coming into the city of Jerusalem to do, He can be the Savior of all who do believe on Him—not only from among the Jewish people, but even among the Gentile world.
This evening’s passage describes, in a sense, the pivotal moment of human history. As He says in verse 23, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified”; and as He says in verse 27, “for this purpose I came to this hour.” The salvation of our souls hinges upon what it was that He came in this chapter to do.
I. THE ENTRY INTO THE CITY (vv. 12-15).
A. Our Lord had done many signs before His people (see 12:27; 20:30). One of the most remarkable of them all was the raising of His friend Lazarus publically from the dead. The Lord raised Lazarus on Sunday before the Passover; and on the same day, enjoyed a feast that was held in His honor. Many had come to believe on Him as a result (11:45) and were drawn to come and see Him (12:9). But for this reason—that is, because of the way the people were drawn to Him—the religious leaders plotted not only to kill Him but also kill the man He raised (12:10-11). The next day would be Monday—just five days before He would be crucified. And it was on this day that we read of the events of this evening’s passage. John tells us; “The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: ‘Hosanna! “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” The King of Israel!'” (vv. 12-13). In saying this, the people were declaring Jesus to be the long awaited Savior. “Hosanna” is an exclamation that means, “Save us!”; and is the transliteration of the opening cry in Psalm 118:25-26; “Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.” It was with this very cry that the people were greeting the Lord Jesus.
B. Psalm 118 was not the only Old Testament passage being fulfilled before the eyes of the people as our Lord’s entered the city. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus had told His disciples to go before Him into the city; where they would find a donkey tied, and a colt with her (Matthew 21:2). They brought these to Him at His command. And so, John goes on to tell us, “Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: ‘Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt'” (vv. 14-15). This was the fulfillment of the prophecy given in Zechariah 9:9—“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.” In that Old Testament Prophecy, the people were told that their Messiah would come into Jerusalem as their King; but that He would not come as as the mighty conquering kings of other times had come. Unlike those other ‘mighty conquerors’, their King would come to them as one who is “just”—not to conquer their enemies, but to save their souls. His coming would not be on a mighty white stallion, but in a humble and meek manner—that is, on the colt of a donkey. As the other Gospel writers tell us, the people greeted their humble Savior with great celebration—spreading their clothes on the road before Him, and cutting down palm branches to lay before Him.
II. THE RESPONSES OF THE ONLOOKERS (vv. 16-22).
A. Note first the response of His disciples to this. John tells us, “His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him” (v. 16). Luke 18:34 tells us that the significance of some of the things He had done was hidden from them at first. But He would make the promise to them later that the Holy Spirit would teach them these things and bring them accurately to their remembrance (John 14:26), so they could understand them after He rose and could declare them in the proclamation of the Gospel. We ourselves can’t understand the significance of Jesus’ actions apart from the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
B. Then note the response of the crowd. John goes on to say, “Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign” (vv. 17-18). And along with this, note the response of the Pharisees; “The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, ‘You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!'” (v. 19). All their efforts to turn the people away from Him were failing. Yet, how tragic it would be that—in just a few days—the Jewish people who were now cheering Him would turn away from Him and cry out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!” (John 19:15).
C. But finally, note the response of the Gentiles who were there. John tell us; “Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus'” (vv. 20-21). Some have suggested that they came to Philip because he was a man from a region nearby the Gentile world; and that he may have seemed more approachable to them. But, as John tells us, “Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus” (v. 22). How frustrating it must have been to the Jewish leaders that, not only were many of their own people turning to Him, but even the despised Gentiles were now being drawn near because of Him! But what a picture this is of what Paul wrote about in Romans 11:11 regarding God’s purposes for the Jewish people, when he said, “But through their fall, to provoke them to jealously, salvation has come to the Gentiles.” As Paul wrote, “God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all” (Romans 11:32).
III. THE INTERPRETATIONS OF THE KING (vv. 23-32).
A. We’re not left to guess at the significance of these events. Our Lord Himself explained them. It seems that the request of the Greeks to see Him—a picture of the Gentile world being drawn to the Jewish Messiah—caused the Lord to declare to His disciples the significance of the moment. John writes, “But Jesus answered them, saying, ‘The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified'” (v. 23). There had been several times when it had been declared that His hour had not yet come (see John 2:4; 7:6-8; 8:20). But now, at last, it had come. And what hour was it—that is, what significant point in time in the plan of God for Him—that had finally come? It was the hour of His sacrifice as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Jesus went on to explain, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain” (v. 24); and in saying this, He was explaining that He Himself must die in order that we might live. What’s more, those who live in Him would follow His example: “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor” (vv. 25-26). Those who are His—that is, who are given life by His death—will prove their identity by following in His steps.
B. Not only does our Lord explain the significance of these things to His followers, but He also explains the significance of them with respect to the sacred relationship between Himself and the Father’s purposes for Him. Jesus admitted that the prospect of the cross was something that He recoiled from—and particularly the prospect of bearing our sin and having the Father turn away from Him for a time. Jesus said, “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour” (v. 27). Those words must have sounded surprising in the context of all the shouting and celebration of the crowds! But they didn’t understand why it was that He came. Then—in the context of His submission to the Father’s purpose, He prayed, “Father, glorify Your name.” (v. 28). And we’re told of something startling that happened in response to His words. “Then a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘I have both glorified it and will glorify it again'” (v. 28). What a scene that must have been!—Jesus saying, “Father, glorify Your name”, and then a voice immediately thundering from the heavens in answer! This is the third time that the voice of the Father came down from heaven with respect to His Son. The first was at His baptism (Matthew 3:17). The second was when He was glorified before His disciples on the mount of transfiguration (Matthew 17:5). And now, the Father spoke audibly once again—just before His crucifixion.
C. It may be that only the disciples understood those words. It would seem anyway that John did. But the common folk didn’t. We’re told, “Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to Him'” (v. 29). But once again, Jesus gave the explanation. “Jesus answered and said, ‘This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake'” (v. 30). In other words, it was the purpose of the Father that the people hear Him speak to His own Son; and affirm His own purpose—that He would be glorified in the crucifixion of His own beloved Son; and would glorify His own name “again” in the salvation of all who would believe on His sacrifice for us. In His great prayer in John 17, Jesus said, ““Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (John 17:1-5). What glory it will bring the Father when all those He has redeemed through His Son will hold palm branches again in glory and shout, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:10).
D. Jesus explained further, “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out” (v. 31). The devil may have thought that he would gain some kind of victory through the death of God’s Son. But it would instead secure his own judgment. He is now a defeated enemy. His ultimate judgment is now assured. As Revelation 12:10-11 declares; “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” As 1 John 5:5 declares, “Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” Jesus adds further, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (v. 32). He is not here speaking about the proclamation of the gospel—although it is true that the Lord Jesus draws others to Himself by it. Rather, He is speaking of His own crucifixion. As John 3:14-15 puts it, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Truly all men would be drawn to Him—even, as we see earlier in this passage, the Gentiles! He is the central figure of human history—even as, it would seem, the whole unbelieving world labors to deny Him that title.
IV. THE CONFUSION OF THE PEOPLE (vv. 33-36).
A. People today may misinterpret our Lord’s comment about being “lifted up”; but it would appear that the people who heard Him understood at least something of His meaning. John tells us, “This He said, signifying by what death He would die. The people answered Him, ‘We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’?” (vv. 33-34a). They understood that He was speaking of death by crucifixion. But they had thought that He was the Messiah; and they believed that the Messiah would not die. Was He then declaring that He would die? How then could He be the conquering, ever-reigning Messiah that they expected? They were right to expect the Messiah to reign forever of course, but they were wrong in not understanding that He must first die as the Suffering Servant. This caused them to question whether or not He was the one they were expecting. “Who is this Son of Man?” they asked (v. 34b).
B. Jesus’ answer seems cryptic. But perhaps it was because He knew that those who were now praising Him would shortly thereafter curse Him. He seems to have given them only so much of an answer as would spur them on to walk in the truth of who He was if they wanted to, but to keep them in the dark if they didn’t want to. “Then Jesus said to them, ‘A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light'” (vv. 35-36a). It’s remarkable how an encounter with our Lord tests the hearts of men—even today. And with that, we’re told, “These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them” (v. 36b). When He would be next revealed to them in John’s Gospel, it would be as He was tried and beaten and crucified.
* * * * * * * * * *
This, then, was the hour in which the Son of Man was glorified—the pivotal moment of human history. It wasn’t through His being a mighty, conquering military and political leader that this moment was introduced. Rather, it was through His being as a grain of wheat that must first fall to the ground and die before it could produce fruit. It’s not the world’s way to glory; but it is God’s way.
And it is to be our way too as His followers. As Jesus taught in Mark 8:34-38;
“Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:34-38).