One example that Jesus was attracting people from other parts of the world follows. These individuals contrast with the Pharisees.
"This rather curious incident is rather peculiar to John. I say rather curious' because it is unusual that we encounter Greeks in a narrative of events at Jerusalem, because the other Evangelists do not mention the incident, and because the Greeks simply say, Sir, we would like to see Jesus' and then disappear from the narrative. Clearly John regards their coming as significant but he does not treat their presence as important. Jesus recognizes in their coming an indication that the climax of his mission has arrived. Immediately when he hears of them he says, The hour has come,' and goes on to speak of his glorification and of death. In this Gospel we see Jesus as the world's Savior, and evidently John means us to understand that this contact with the Greeks ushered in the climax. The fact that the Greeks had reached the point of wanting to meet Jesus showed that the time had come for him to die for the world. He no longer belongs to Judaism, which in any case has rejected him. But the world, whose Savior he is, awaits him and seeks for him."414
12:20 The New Testament writers frequently referred to any Gentiles who came from the Greek-speaking world as Greeks (cf. 7:35; et al.). We do not know where the Gentiles in this incident came from. They could have lived in one of the predominantly Gentile areas of Palestine such as northeastern Galilee or the Decapolis, or they could have come from farther away (cf. Matt. 2:1-12). These were God-fearing Gentiles who worshipped Yahweh along with the Jews (cf. the Ethiopian eunuch, Acts 8:27). They may or may not have been Jewish proselytes (i.e., full-fledged converts to Judaism). They could participate in synagogue worship and the annual feasts, and they would have worshipped in the temple court of the Gentiles.
12:21-22 It may have been Philip's Gentile name or the fact that he was from Bethsaida in a Gentile area of Galilee, specifically Gaulanitis, that attracted these Gentiles to him. Philip, who was a Jew, appears to have had some hesitation about introducing them to Jesus at first (cf. Matt. 10:5-6; Luke 18:15-16). Andrew favored bringing them to Jesus for an interview (cf. 1:40-42). The important revelation of this verse is that the disciples continued to bring people to Jesus, which continues to be the responsibility of Jesus' disciples.
12:23 Jesus' interview with these Gentiles was the occasion of His revelation that the time for His death, resurrection, and ascension was at hand (cf. v. 27; 13:1; 17:1). Until now, that hour had not been near (cf. 2:4; 4:21, 23; 7:30; 8:20). As mentioned earlier, Jesus' references to His glorification in the fourth Gospel are references to His death, resurrection, and ascension.
The title "Son of Man"was Jesus' favorite title for Himself. It connoted suffering and glorification, and it avoided the misunderstanding that the use of some other messianic titles entailed.
John mentioned nothing more about these Greeks. Evidently he referred to them at all because they represented Gentiles who were expressing interest in Jesus and because their interview was the occasion for Jesus' revelation. Their presence at the announcement of Jesus' impending death hints at the union of Jews and Gentiles in the benefits of that death and in the body of believers after that death.
12:24 Jesus announced another important revelation with His characteristic introductory clause. He described His body as a kernel of wheat that someone sows in the ground. By dying He would produce a great harvest. His death was necessary for that harvest. The illustration also implies the humility of Jesus' death. Jesus' sacrificial death would result in eternal life for many other people.
12:25 Jesus now applied the principle in the illustration for His followers. This was a principle that He had taught them on at least three separate occasions previously (cf. Matt. 10:39; Mark 8:36; Luke 14:26). Obviously it was very important.
Anyone who selfishly lives for himself or herself loses his or her life in the sense that he or she wastes it. Nothing really good comes from it. Conversely anyone who hates his or her life in the sense of disregarding one's own desires to pursue the welfare of another will gain something for that sacrifice. He or she will gain true life for self and blessing for the other person. Jesus contrasted the worthlessness of what one sacrifices now with the value of what one gains by describing the sacrifice as something temporal and the gain as something eternal.
"People whose priorities are right have such an attitude of love for the things of God that all interest in the affairs of this life appear by comparison as hatred."415
Obviously Jesus did not mean that we gain justification by living sacrificial lives. The Bible describes eternal life in some places as a gift (e.g., 3:16; 5:24; 6:40) and in other places as a reward (e.g., Matt. 19:29; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30; Rom. 2:7; 6:22; Gal. 6:8). It is the life of God, but we can experience that life to a greater or lesser degree depending on our obedience to God (cf. 10:10; 17:3).416
On one level Jesus was talking about how eternal life comes to people: through the sacrifice of the Son of Man (v. 24). On another level He was speaking of how to gain the most from life now: by living sacrificially rather than selfishly (v. 25). The general principle is a paradox. Death leads to life.
Over the centuries the church has observed that the blood of Christian martyrs has indeed been the seed of the church. Their literal deaths have led to the salvation of many other people. Even more disciples have discovered that any sacrifice for Jesus yields blessings for others and for them that far exceed the sacrifice.
12:26 For disciples of Jesus, self-sacrifice does not just mean putting others before themselves. It also means putting Jesus first (cf. 10:4). The disciple who wants to serve Jesus must follow Him. He or she must go where Jesus goes and do what He does. True servants stay close to their masters.
Jesus said these words on the way to the Cross and His glorification. Likewise His servants who follow Him could and can count on death, figuratively if not literally, but beyond that they can anticipate glory from the Father (cf. 17:24). The true disciple's life will essentially duplicate the experiences of his or her Lord.
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.
