Get Ready
When you had a task or responsibility that seemed more than you bargained for, what helped you to carry through with the job? Was it the promise of reward or recognition or compensation, or was it a sense of duty and “keeping your word” to another, or was it wanting to avoid consequences of not doing it?
The Word
12 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.
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.”
36 After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them. 37 Although he had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah:
“Lord, who has believed our message,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39 And so they could not believe, because Isaiah also said,
40 “He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
so that they might not look with their eyes,
and understand with their heart and turn—
and I would heal them.”
41 Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke about him.
42 Nevertheless many, even of the authorities, believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God.
44 Then Jesus cried aloud: “Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness. 47 I do not judge anyone who hears my words and does not keep them, for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my word has a judge; on the last day the word that I have spoken will serve as judge, 49 for I have not spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I speak, therefore, I speak just as the Father has told me.” NRSV
Get into the Word
1. Why would some Greeks want to meet Jesus? How did the disciples handle the request? How does Jesus respond to the disciples? Do you think they understood the point Jesus was trying to make? How do you think they felt at Jesus’ answer?
2. What is Jesus really talking about in verses 23-28? Why does he focus on death? How does he resolve his dilemma?
3. How does the crowd respond to the voice from heaven? What does Jesus say about the voice? What is the crowd’s reaction to Jesus’ statement about being “lifted up?” What did he really mean?
4. How does John interpret the Jew’s continuing unbelief? How is the Jew’s thinking similar to people today? How is it different?
5. How does Jesus describe what happens when a person believes? What does this say about the relationship between Jesus and the Father?
6. What does Jesus say about judgment and belief? How are the two related? What is Jesus’ role in judgment?
Consider
How does your belief affect your vision? How does Jesus provide “light” for your walk of faith? Has the light been stronger or dimmer recently?
Notes . . .
12:20. Greeks — probably “God-fearers,” Greeks who believed in the Jewish God.
12:21. Phillip — one of the few disciples with a Greek name, and Bethsaida was near the Greek area of Palestine.
12:23. hour — after several statements that his time had not yet come [e.g. 2:4, 7:6], Jesus announces that the time for his prophesied death had arrived.
12:25. Love their life — Jesus distinguishes between people who cling to this earthly (and perishable) life and those who understand its transience and ultimate worthlessness.
12:27. Troubled — the other gospels [Matt 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46], put this prayer in the garden before Jesus’s arrest.
This reason — Jesus’s entire ministry has been pointed to his sacrifice on the cross for our sin, Isaiah prophesied: he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors, [53:12].
12:28. Voice — this is the third time God speaks about Jesus [check Matt 3:17 and 17:5]. Ironically, the Jews had asked for a “sign” but they misunderstand the sign God gives them.
12:31. Judgment — the Greek word refers to “separating,” which is underscored by Jesus’ statement that the Devil will be “driven out,” [v. 31].
12:34. the Messiah — the first use of “Anointed One” as a title for the expected king is actually in Daniel [9:25]. Most Jews expected the Messiah to establish an earthly, political kingdom, that would last forever. Jesus’ approaching death confused them even more [check 2 Sam 7:16, Psalm 72:17, Ezek 37:26-28].
12:42. Put out of the synagogue — the Jews feared excommunication, which usually involved a thirty-day sentence excluding the person from the synagogue, the congregation and prohibiting bathing or shaving or allowing any approach closer than “four cubits.” If the person did not repent of the charged blasphemy the sentence would be extended in thirty-day intervals and could be made permanent.
12:43. Human glory — earlier Jesus told the Jews: How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God? [John 5:44].
12:44. Whoever believes — John often describes the past, present and future aspects of salvation. Here Jesus is referring to the present: a believer “sees” now the one who sent Christ and does not have to wait until some future time for such vision. At the same time John knows that our “vision” will become clearer as we grow in faith and that there will be a future time [v. 48] when everything will be totally clear.
Memory Verse
I came not to judge the world, but to save the world, [Jn 12:47]
Next Lesson
19 – Jesus washes the disciples’s feet — John 13
