17 So the crowd that had been with Jesus when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify. 18 It was also because they heard that He had performed this sign that the crowd went to meet Him. 19 The Pharisees then said to one another, “You see, you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”
20 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves Me must follow Me, and where I am, there will My servant be also. Whoever serves Me, the Father will honor.
27 “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say — ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.” 33 He said this to indicate the kind of death He was to die. 34 The crowd answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 Jesus said to them, “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light” John 12:17-36.
Once again we see the Pharisees struggling mightily with Jesus’ growing popularity, so much so that they believe “the world has gone after Him”
(Verse 19)! And their distorted fears actually come to fruition when a bunch of Greeks came to worship and see Jesus. Philip and Andrew are the two disciples who handle the Greeks, most likely because the two are from Bethsaida, a predominantly Gentile territory. But it is Jesus’ reaction to the presence of the Greeks that is so revealing. Jesus’ immediate reaction is: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (Verse 23). The arrival of the Greeks signals to Jesus that His work among the Jews is coming to a conclusion, His work is completed, and now the entire world has the seed planted by Jesus. His work as the Son of God on earth will now be glorified by His death and resurrection and ascension to His Father in heaven. His work here on earth will come to fruition by His glorification and the seed planted in the Jews and the Greeks will bear fruit in time.
Jesus then speaks of His death, which is troubling to Him (see Verse 27), and He speaks of His followers following the master to death. “24 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves Me must follow Me, and where I am, there will My servant be also. Whoever serves Me, the Father will honor” John 12:24-26. Notice that the people hear the voice of an angel, clearly a voice intended for the people to see the closeness of the father and the Son.
Now begin the final words of Jesus’ public ministry, for Jesus has shown the Father to those who “believe in the light” and thereby judge themselves by rejecting Him whom the Father has sent to be lifted up on the Cross.
The Greeks who came to see Jesus representing the Gentile world are satisfied by Jesus’ very own remarks: “32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself” John 12:32. All of Jesus’ remarks puzzle His hearers because they are still expecting a political Kings to come and liberate them from the Rome. They react in confusion: “34 The crowd answered Him, ‘We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man’” John 12:34? Jesus reacts with words that He continues to speak to you and me this very moment: “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you” John 12:35. Time is fleeting. Believe while you still can, because “If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light” John 12:35-36.
Dear friends, years ago when I was studying theology in Boston, at the end of every exam I would write the tiny phrase: tempus fugit! Time is fleeing and I don’t have enough of it to complete the exam! It never mattered, of course. Nor does it matter in our lives. We must follow Jesus while we have the time. He came so that we would become Children of God, children of the Light. Do all you can do today to be His child.
Oh dear Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner. For I love You despite my sin, and I wish to follow You and be Your child forever. May I have Your sufficient grace today to be a child of Your Light! In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
From the Bible:
“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”
John 8:12.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”
John 1:5.
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” Psalm 119:105.
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven”
Matthew 5:16.
“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” 2 Corinthians 4:6.
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