In previous verses there are two things to note concerning the necessity of Jesus’ death. First, Jn. 12:25 applied to Jesus even as it does to us. These words are recorded in all four Gospels (cf. Mt. 16:25; Mk. 8:35; Lk. 9:24). As we have said before, to have resurrection life there must be a death. In this principle we are, as always, following Christ. His death was necessary.
But second, the Jewish people could not grasp this concerning the Messiah. The title “Son of Man” was a Messianic title known to the Jewish people. Read Daniel 7:13-14 for background on the controversy we see in John 12:34. Daniel recorded that Messiah’s kingdom, the kingdom given to the “Son of Man” by “the Ancient of Days,” was an eternal kingdom. Thus, the Jews are raising the age-old question: how can Messiah be eternal if He must suffer and die? Jesus’ answer, in 12:35-36, is a call to the people to believe in Him, to walk in His light, the light of the One who was and is the Light of the world!
Though Jesus gave them great encouragement, as was usually the case, they did not believe in Him. Even with the powerful signs and the constant debate, they did not believe in Him. Without question, Jesus was not surprised. He had already made it clear that the hour had come for Him, the grain of wheat, to die for the sake of the salvation of many people. He knew from the beginning that He would be rejected and that He would die (review Jn. 1:29; 2:19-22). But it was not just from the beginning of His ministry; He knew this in His youth, when He was engaging the Jews (the religious experts) concerning His Father’s “business” (Lk. 2:41-50).
How could He have known this? It was not because His Father had implanted special knowledge of this truth, other than what could have been found by any student of the Bible at the time. That is what John tells us in 12:38-41.
Consider first that, in v38, John quotes from Isa. 53:1. This is the great Servant Song (Isa. 52:13-53:12.) It clearly predicted Messiah’s death and just as clearly anticipated His resurrection. John realizes that he, and the other Apostles of Christ, reported the message given by Isaiah, even as the people did not receive it in Isaiah’s day. John has revealed the “arm of the Lord,” because he had recorded the signs that would give the strongest encouragement to believe in Christ (John 20:30-31).
There is a dual emphasis in faith First, who has believed our report? The report had gone out, through Christ in His ministry and then through the Apostles. The gospel had been preached. But faith also requires the work of the Spirit, a work of revelation: to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? They had seen the miraculous signs; but had they truly understood their meaning? The answer we are given is that “they did not” (v37) although many did (v42). Consider where you are in Jesus call to believe in Him. (We will continue with this passage in our next post.)
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