After having said that His time had not come (Jn. 7:6,8,30; 8:20), He now says, The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. The occasion for this announcement is significant. Jesus’ earthly ministry was specifically to the people of Israel (Mt. 15:24; Rom. 15:8). But God’s purpose in sending Jesus as Messiah to Israel was so that salvation could be proclaimed to the world. Jesus had known this and hinted at this. In John 3:16 He was sent by the Father into the world, so that “whosoever” believes in Him might have eternal life. In John 10:16 we believe His reference to “other sheep” is a reference to the Gentiles.
Thus, the occasion for this announcement was the coming of “certain Greeks,” asking to see Jesus. Jesus did not say “the hour of My trial.” He said, “the hour … that the Son of Man should be glorified.” It was the Father’s plan to honor His Son by giving Him the nations as an inheritance and by exalting Him to the throne of David in Jerusalem (Psalm 2). But the nations and the one nation of Israel were not an honorable gift for the Son of God. As the Psalmist put it, God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. Everyone one of them has turned aside. They have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one (Ps. 53:2-3).
The sinful world meant there had to be a Savior for that world (Jn. 4:42), a sinless Lamb to take away the sins of that world (Jn. 1:29), and Jesus was that Savior and Lamb. His “glory” had to be preceded by His suffering and humiliation (Phil. 2:5-11). Jesus explained this in 12:24, referring to Himself as the grain of wheat that must die, but if it dies it produces much grain. Jesus’ soul was troubled (12:27), but only because the hour of His glorification had to be preceded by the hour of trial. For there to be a resurrection there had to be a death. This is why Jesus refers to Himself here as “the Son of Man” (12:23), emphasizing His humanity and His death by crucifixion (Heb. 2:14). The Greeks did not have their meeting with Jesus, yet their request was satisfied in an even greater way: in His death Jesus would be lifted up on the cross for all the world to see (12:30-33).
This was a major announcement. It would result in the casting out of the devil, the ruler of this world (12:31), the one whose temptations brought sin into the world (Gen. 3:1ff) and the one with the power of death (Heb. 2:14). His death would not only result in His glory as the Son of God; it would also restore the creation, bringing glory to the Father (12:28). For the sake of those who witnessed Jesus’ conversation with His Father, the Father gave an audible and affirmative answer.
It is interesting, that preceding the request of the Greeks to see Jesus, the Pharisees were saying among themselves, Look, the world has gone after Him (12:19). Their words had deeper meaning than they realized. His death would be for the salvation of all who would believe in Him.
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