John 12:20-26

A. T. Robertson places this passage (John 12:20-50) at this point.  It is unique to John’s gospel and contains several powerful messages.  Let us hear the word!

Jesus on several occasions had said that His hour or time had not come.  He said it to His mother (John 2:4) and His brothers (John 7:6,8).  In Jerusalem He said it to the crowd (both in John 7:30 and 8:20).  But now, for the first time He says, the hour has come.  In the following days Jesus would repeat this thought.

·        Matt. 26:18 when He sent His disciples to secure the room for Passover.

·        John 13:1 at the Passover meal when He washed His disciples feet.

·        John 17:1 when He began His High Priestly prayer after the supper.

·        And Mark 14:35,41 in Gethsemane, when the mob arrived to arrest Him.

Here in John 12 the hour He speaks of is when the Son of Man should be glorified.  In Gethsemane it refers to His death.  He is speaking of the same hour that involves the end of His humiliation (the suffering and death on the cross that He has been trying to prepare His disciples for) that will lead to His exaltation.  There is no glory without the cross!  (More on this tomorrow.)

The event that brought about this realization that His hour had come is remarkable.  There is no other event like it in the gospels.  Certain Greeks … came to Philip … saying, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’  Jesus came as a minister to the circumcision (the Jews, Rom. 15:8).  He was sent only to the lost house of Israel (Matt. 15:24).  

But we know that He had a longing for the Gentiles, and that it was God’s plan that through Israel salvation would come to the Nations.  This was part of the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1-3, in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed).  It was too small a thing that the Messiah would raise up only those of the tribes of Jacob; He was also given as a light to the Gentiles (Isa. 49:6).  

Jesus had conversations with Gentiles, yet even then He could not escape the fact that His priority was Israel.  Of the centurion He says I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel (Matt. 8:10).  To the Syro-Phoenecian woman He acknowledged her faith when she humbled herself to receive the fallen crumbs from the table set for Israel (Mt. 15:27-28).  But now, the request of these Greeks is the indication that the hour has come when, by His death, He will gather the other sheep (Jn. 10:16), the scattered children of God (Jn. 11:49-52).

And by the way, why did they come to Philip?  Because of his Greek name.  And why did Philip go to Andrew? Because Andrew and Philip had a history of bringing people to Jesus (John 1:40-45).  We too should have a passion for the nations!  The hour has come for Christ to be glorified.  He has been to the cross.  He has defeated death.  And now He is being exalted as people from every nation and people are hearing and believing the gospel!