Prelude to the Last Passover

Part II

(John 12:20-36)

By Dr. Hal Harless

Foundation Fellowship of Greenville, TX

January 24, 2010

 

I.  Introduction

A.  Please turn to John 12:20. 

While you are turning.... 

            J. S. Bach said, "All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul's refreshment; where this is not remembered there is no real music but only a devilish hub-bub."  He headed his compositions: "J. J." Jesus Juva which means "Jesus help me."  He ended them "S. D. G." Soli Dei gratia which means "To God alone the praise." [1]

            David Brainerd was an American colonial missionary to the Indians who died at the age of twenty-nine.  His diary reveals a young man intensely committed to God.  Brainerd once said to Jonathan Edwards: "I do not go to heaven to be advanced but to give honor to God....  My heaven is to please God and glorify Him, and give all to Him, and to be wholly devoted to His glory."[2]

 

We will see today that the great concern of our Lord as death on the cross loomed before Him was the glory of His Father.

II.  Exposition

A.  Background

1.  Jesus' public ministry is at an end (John 2:1-12:36).

2.  We are in Jerusalem.

3.  We are studying events leading up to the last Passover and the cross.

4.  We have studied four of John's last five main events:

a.  The plot against Jesus (John 11:55-57)

b.  Mary's anointing of Jesus for burial (John 12:1-8)

c.  The conspiracy to kill Lazarus (John 12:9-11)

d.  The triumphal entry (John 12:12-19)

5.  Today we will examine Jesus' eighth discourse where Jesus speaks to Greeks (John 12:20-36).

B.  Exposition: The prelude to the last Passover (John 11:1-12:36a)--The eighth discourse: Jesus speaks to Greeks (John 12:20-36)

1.  The Greeks seek (John 12:20-22).

                ²⁰ Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; ²¹ these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."  ²² Philip came and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus (John 12:20-22).

 

a.  Some god-fearing Greeks went to Jerusalem for the Passover. 

1)  These were probably not Hellenistic Jews.[3] 

2)  These Greeks may have been there for the triumphal entry and the second cleansing of the temple (Matt 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45-46). 

3)  In cleansing the temple, Jesus quoted Isa 56:7 and Jer 7:11 that the house of God should "be called a house of prayer for all of the nations [Goyim]" (Mark 11:17). 

4)  Perhaps that encouraged these Greeks.[4] 

b.  John's Greek readership near Ephesus would be very interested in these men.

c.  These Greeks had come to Philip and were requesting to meet with Jesus. 

1)  Perhaps they were attracted to Philip because he had a Greek name (Philippos, "horse-lover").[5] 

2)  Philip was from Bethsaida of Galilee.

d.  Philip approached Andrew, who also had a Greek name (Andreas, "manly"), and together they approached Jesus about the Greeks request.[6]

2.  Jesus speaks (John 12:23-36).

a.  "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified" (John 12:23-26).

²³ And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  ²⁴ Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.  ²⁵ He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.  ²⁶ If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him (John 12:23-26).

 

1)  Jesus responded that it was time for the Son of Man to be glorified. 

a)  "Them" probably includes the Greeks since there is a crowd present in verse 34. 

b)  Jesus' glorification was to return to His heavenly Father, which involved His death and resurrection. 

c)  The Gk. word translated "glory" means more than just a revelation of divine splendor; its primary meaning is "to influence one’s opinion about another so as to enhance the latter’s reputation."[7] 

i)  In the Lat. Vulg., Jerome chose to translate glorify by the word clareo, which means "to be clear, be bright, be distinct, to be evident, to be famous," not glorifico ("glorify").[8] 

ii)  Wycliffe, following the Vulg., translated, "The our cometh, that mannus sone be clarified" (Wycliffe 1388).[9] 

d)  The cross glorified Jesus Christ because it made crystal clear and evident who He is.

2)  Jesus explained, using a parable about planting seed, that death is necessary to bear fruit. 

a)  "Truly, truly" indicates that this was a solemn pronouncement.[10] 

b)  "Fruit" has been paraphrased, "But its death will produce many new kernels--a plentiful harvest of new lives" (NLT). 

c)  Jesus was speaking primarily of His own impending death. 

d)  However, as we will see, this has implications for discipleship as well.

3)  Jesus set forth a paradox: if we hold on tightly to this life, we destroy the very life that we are trying so hard to save.  However, if we disregard this life, we will find that we keep it eternally. 

a)  Jesus uttered this same saying on at least two other occasions (Matt 16:25 [=Mark 8:35=Luke 9:24]; Matt 10:39 [=Luke 17:33]). 

b)  Jim Elliot said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."[11]

4)  For the one who is in love with his or her earthly life death is the loss of everything. 

a)  The Gk. word translated "loves" means "to have a special interest in someone or someth[ing], freq[uently] with focus on close association."[12] 

b)  The Gk. word translated "life" (psychē) is used here in the sense of "life on earth ... the condition of being alive, earthly life."[13] 

c)  The Gk. word translated "loses" is actually much stronger and means "to cause or experience destruction­ ... ruin, destroy."[14]  Some translations of this are:

i)  "Will destroy it" (NTME).

ii)  "The one who loves his life destroys it" (NET).

iii)  "Those who love their lives will destroy them" (GW).  

d)  Paradoxically, this grasping attitude destroys even one's earthly life and robs it of meaning.

5)  Jesus continued the paradox by pointing out that those who hate this earthly life keep it eternally. 

a)  Jesus is not referring to self-hatred or suicidal inclinations.[15] 

b)  The Gk. word translated "hates," "depending on the context, this verb ranges in m[ean][i]ng from 'disfavor' to 'detest'.  The Eng. term 'hate' generally suggests affective connotations that do not always do justice esp[ecially] to some Semitic shame-honor oriented use ... in the sense 'hold in disfavor, be disinclined to, have relatively little regard for'."[16]  Therefore, this has been translated, "Those who care nothing for their life in this world" (NLT). 

c)  The Gk. word translated "will keep" means "to protect by taking careful measures."[17]  In the middle voice, this same verb means "to store up, lay up for oneself."[18]  This has been translated, "The one who hates his life in this world guards it for eternal life" (NET). 

d)  The Gk. word translated "life" (zōē) at the end of the verse means "transcendent life."[19] 

e)  Jesus said the same thing on another occasion:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matt 6:19-21).

 

f)  It has been said, "You cannot take it with you, but you can send it on ahead."[20] 

g)  Randy Alcorn's law of rewards is, "While our faith determines our eternal destination, our behavior determines our eternal rewards."[21] 

h)  This is not a gospel presentation.

i)  Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. 

ii)  Our Lord was speaking about eternal rewards.

6)  Jesus explained that serving Him meant following Him. 

a)  These are present tense verbs indicating habitual action. 

b)  This verse is about discipleship not salvation.  Ironside comments: 

Let me say again--as I have said many a time before, and that at the risk of being misunderstood--no one was ever saved by following Jesus.  It is after we are saved that we begin to follow Him.  He left us an example that we should follow, but we need to know Him as Redeemer.  We need to receive divine life from Him before we can follow Him.[22]

 

c)  Following Him may mean suffering a similar fate. 

d)  Paul promised, "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Tim 3:12). 

e)  Jesus promised that the Father would honor the one who serves Him.

b.  "Father, glorify Your Name" (John 12:27-30).

1)  Jesus' prayer (John 12:27-28)

                ²⁷ "Now My soul has become troubled; 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 out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again" (John 12:27-28).

 

a)  In His humanity, Jesus was troubled by the events that lay before Him. 

i)  The Gk. word translated "troubled" means "to cause inward turmoil, stir up, disturb, unsettle, throw into confusion."[23]  This has been translated, "greatly distressed" (NET). 

ii)  He asked rhetorically whether He should ask the Father to deliver Him from this hour.[24] 

iii)  Then He answered His own question by affirming that He came into the world for that hour.

iv)  Although deeply troubled, Jesus faced the cross because of His love for the Father and for us.

b)  Then Jesus prayed, "Father, glorify Your name."  The name of God is another way of saying God's character.[25] 

c)  God the Father immediately answered, "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." 

i)  This was the third time that God's voice was heard in the gospels (His baptism: Matt 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22; The transfiguration: Matt 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35).[26] 

ii)  Ironside explained:

            When Jesus passed through the cross, God glorified His name by raising Him from the dead.  He has glorified His name by setting His own Son at His right hand in highest heaven.  He will yet glorify His name when He sends Jesus back into this scene to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.[27]

 

d)  God's plan is based on God's glory.[28] 

e)  This is not selfish because:

i)  God really does deserve all the glory.

ii)  Since God is the Creator and Sustainer of all, God's glory is the greatest good.

2)  The crowd's response (John 12:29-30)

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 sakes" (John 12:29-30).

 

a)  The crowd standing by heard this and was confused. 

i)  Some said that it was thunder.

ii)  Some said that it was an angel speaking.

b)  Jesus replied that the voice came to benefit them by strengthening their faith.  However, Jesus needed no such reassurance.

c.  "I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself" (John 12:31-36).

1)  The cross is the judgment of the world and its ruler (John 12:31).

                ³¹ "Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out (John 12:31).

 

a)  The first thing that Jesus mentions that the cross will accomplish is the judgment of the world. 

i)  The Gk. word translated "judgment" (krisis) means "judgment that goes against a person, condemnation, and the sentence that follows."[29] 

ii)  The Gk. word translated "world" (kosmos) in John means "the world, and everything that belongs to it, appears as that which is hostile to God, i.e. lost in sin, wholly at odds w[ith] anything divine, ruined and depraved."[30] 

(a)  Speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said:

And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged (John 16:8-11).

 

(b)  Many Christians are not interested in separation from the world, because they do not realize that the world-system is doomed.[31] 

(i)  The world-system has been judged and sentence passed. 

(ii)  The day of execution draws near.

b)  The second thing that the cross will accomplish is the casting out of the ruler of this world. 

i)  "World" is the world-system arranged against God. 

ii)  Jesus mentioned the "ruler of this world" here and in John 14:30; 16:11. 

(a)  Paul refers to "the god of this world" (2 Cor 4:4), and "the prince of the power of the air" (Eph 2:2). 

(b)  Paul explained that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph 6:12). 

(c)  John assures us in his first letter, "We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one" (1 John 4:4). 

(d)  The ruler or god of this evil world-system, the prince of the power of the air, and the evil one are all different titles for Satan.[32] 

iii)  The Gk. word translated "cast" is literally "to throw out" and means "force to leave, drive out, expel."[33] 

(a)  There are three stages to Satan's expulsion.

(i)  First, Satan is cast down to earth during the tribulation, "the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him" (Rev 12:9). 

(ii)  Second, Satan is bound during the millennial kingdom, "And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years" (Rev 20:2). 

(iii)  Finally, Satan will be cast into the lake of fire, "the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever" (Rev 20:10). 

(b)  Satan's doom is sealed; he was defeated at the cross.

2)  Jesus will draw all men to Himself (John 12:32-33).

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 to die (John 12:32-33).

 

a)  The third thing that the cross accomplished is to provide a basis for the forgiveness of all. 

i)  John said, "He is the payment for our sins, and not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:2 GW). 

ii)  The author of Hebrews said, "But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone" (Heb 2:9).

b)  Jesus indicated that he would draw all to Himself. 

i)  Jesus had already said that "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him" (John 6:44). 

ii)  Christ's drawing work is indispensable in salvation. 

iii)  However, neither this passage nor John 6:44 indicates that the drawing is irresistible or limited to only the elect.

c)  John explained that Jesus used this terminology to indicate that He was going to die on a cross, i.e., be lifted up.

3)  Who is this Son of Man (John 12:34-36)?

                ³⁴ The crowd then answered Him, "We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can 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 (John 12:34-36).

 

a)  The crowd was confused that Jesus spoke of being lifted up. 

i)  They expected the Messiah to remain forever. 

(a)  "Law" is a synecdoche for the entire Scriptures.[34] 

(b)  "Son of Man" is, of course, the Messianic title from Dan 7:13.  In the next verse, Daniel said, "His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed" (Dan 7:14). 

ii)  They did not understand that Messiah had to die and be resurrected before He could come into His kingdom.[35] 

iii)  Who is this Son of Man?  He is Jesus Christ!

b)  Jesus knew that the time was short and He encouraged them to make the most of the opportunity while He was with them. 

i)  Jesus had said before, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life" (John 8:12). 

ii)  With so little time remaining, it was more so than ever, "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work" (John 9:4). 

iii)  We must make good use of the opportunities that God gives us. 

(a)  If you are not a believer, accept the truth while you have the opportunity and trust in Jesus Christ. 

(b)  If you are a believer, you may only have a little more time to serve Him. 

(c)  Make the most of the opportunity.[36]

c)  Jesus urged them to believe in Him and so become children of God. 

i)  Thus, we have come full circle to the prologue:

            There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even 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 (John 1:9-13).

 

ii)  After Jesus finished, He left the crowd and hid Himself from them. 

d)  The public ministry was ending; from now on, He will minister to His disciples in private.

II.  Applications

A.  What this says about Jesus Christ ...

1.  The cross glorified Jesus Christ because it made crystal clear and evident who He is.

2.  Jesus faced the cross because of His love for the Father and for us.

3.  In the end, Jesus' great concern was the glory of the Father.

B.  What this says to us ...

1.  Discipleship means following Christ, even in death if need be.

a.  He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."[37]

b.  Do not hold on to the world, it is doomed anyway, and so is its ruler, Satan.

2.  While our faith determines our eternal destination, our behavior determines our eternal rewards."[38]

3.  Let us make good use of the opportunities that God gives us.