12:27 Anticipation of the death that had to precede the glory troubled Jesus deeply (Gr. tataraktai, cf. 11:33; 14:1; Mark 14:32-42). It troubled Him because His death would involve separation from His Father and bearing God's wrath for the sins of the world.
The sentence following, "What shall I say?"could be a question (NASB, NIV) or a prayer. The Greek text permits either translation. In either case the meaning is almost the same. If Jesus meant it as a question, He resolved the difficulty at once.417If He meant it as a prayer, it is the expression of His agony (cf. Mark 14:36). Immediately Jesus voiced His continuing commitment to His Father's will. We see here the conflict that Jesus felt between His desire to avoid the Cross and His desire to obey the Father completely.
"Jesus instructed His disciples on the cost of commitment to the Father's will by disclosing His emotions."418
John did not record Jesus' struggle with God's will in Gethsemane, as the Synoptics did (Matt. 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42). He narrated that struggle on this occasion instead.
12:28-29 More than deliverance from the hour of the Cross Jesus wanted God's glory (cf. 7:18; 8:29, 50; Matt. 26:39).
"The whole of his life's dedication is concentrated in this statement."419
"In the hour of suffering and surrender, there are only two prayers we can pray, either Father, same me!' or Father, glorify Thy name!'"420
The Father answered Jesus' petition from heaven audibly. The Gospels record three instances of God doing this. The other two were at Jesus' baptism (Matt. 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:21-22) and transfiguration (Matt. 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35). The Synoptics record those events, and only John recorded this one. In all cases the purpose of the voice was to authenticate Jesus as God's Son in a dramatic way. However it was a veiled revelation as were all of God's revelations about Jesus. The people present could not understand the words clearly, though Jesus could (cf. Acts 9:7; 22:9). God had already glorified Himself through the Incarnation and Jesus' ministry. He would glorify Himself through Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension.
12:30 Jesus explained that the heavenly voice had sounded for the people's benefit more than for His. In that the voice assured Jesus, who was to die for their sins, it was for their sake. They probably did not appreciate that it was a confirmation of Jesus until after the Resurrection. The more spiritually sensitive among them must have sensed that it signalled something important. Jesus proceeded to explain the implications of what God had said in the next two verses.
12:31-32 Jesus' passion would constitute a judgment on the world. The Jews thought they were judging Jesus when they decided to believe or disbelieve on Him. Really their decisions brought divine judgment on themselves. By crucifying Jesus they were condemning themselves. Jesus was not saying that this would be the last judgment on the world. He meant that because of humankind's rejection of Him God was about to pass judgment on the world for rejecting His Son (cf. Acts 17:30-31).
Jesus' passion would also result in the casting out of the ruler of this world. This is a title for Satan (14:30; 16:11; cf. Matt. 4:8-9; Luke 4:6-7; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; 6:12). The death of Jesus might appear to be a victory for Satan, but really it signalled his doom. The Cross defeated Satan. He only functions as he does now because it is God's will for Him to do so. His eternal destruction is sure even though it is still future (Rev. 20:10). God will cast him out of His presence and out of the earth into the lake of fire forever (cf. Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:30).
Jesus' passion would involve His enemies lifting Him up on a cross but also His exaltation to God's presence. The Cross would bring people to faith in Him, and His exaltation would involve others coming into God's presence around Him. Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension would draw all people without distinction, not all without exception, to Himself.
"Jesus is not affirming that the whole world will be saved; he is affirming that all who are saved are saved in this way. And he is speaking of a universal rather than a narrowly nationalistic religion."421
All these things would happen "now,"not in the eschatological future. They are all the immediate consequences of Jesus' work on the cross.
12:33 John explained that Jesus was speaking of His death by crucifixion so his readers would not think only of His exaltation to heaven.
12:34 Jesus' prediction of His death puzzled His listeners. They were probably thinking of the passages in the Old Testament that spoke of Messiah and or His kingdom enduring forever (e.g., 2 Sam. 7:12-13, 16; Ps. 89:26-29, 35-37; Dan. 7:13-14). Jesus had been speaking of His dying. How could Jesus be the Messiah and die? What kind of Son of Man was Jesus talking about?
"We should not overlook the fact that this is the last mention of the crowd in Jesus' ministry. To the end they remain confused and perplexed, totally unable to appreciate the magnitude of the gift offered to them and the significance of the Person who offers it."422
12:35-36a Jesus did not answer their question. He already had done so when He explained that He and the Father were One (cf. 5:18). The paradox of His dying and living forever would become clear with His resurrection.
Instead of answering, Jesus urged His hearers to walk in the light as long as they had it. If they would do that, the darkness would not overpower them when the light departed (cf. Isa. 50:10). If they did not do that, they would be lost. They needed to believe in Him then, before the Cross. After the Cross, when the Light was no longer present with them, it would be harder for them to believe. If they believed, they would become sons of light, namely people who display the ethical qualities of light (cf. Eph. 5:8; 1 Thess. 5:5).
"The Semitic idiom sons of' describes men who possess the characteristics of what is said to be their father'. In our idiom, we should probably say men of light', cf. our expression a man of integrity'."423
12:36b Jesus had just told His hearers that the Light would not be with them much longer. He withdrew from them again giving them a foretaste of what He had just predicted (cf. 8:59; 11:54). His departure should have motivated them to believe on Him.
