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 . 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 e 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.
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 ." 29 So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered e ; 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 . 31 " Now judgment is upon this world ; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 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 . 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.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 12:20-36
Commentary on John 12:20-26
(Read John 12:20-26)
In attendance upon holy ordinances, particularly the gospel passover, the great desire of our souls should be to see Jesus; to see him as ours, to keep up communion with him, and derive grace from him. The calling of the Gentiles magnified the Redeemer. A corn of wheat yields no increase unless it is cast into the ground. Thus Christ might have possessed his heavenly glory alone, without becoming man. Or, after he had taken man's nature, he might have entered heaven alone, by his own perfect righteousness, without suffering or death; but then no sinner of the human race could have been saved. The salvation of souls hitherto, and henceforward to the end of time, is owing to the dying of this Corn of wheat. Let us search whether Christ be in us the hope of glory; let us beg him to make us indifferent to the trifling concerns of this life, that we may serve the Lord Jesus with a willing mind, and follow his holy example.
Commentary on John 12:27-33
(Read John 12:27-33)
The sin of our souls was the troubled of Christ's soul, when he undertook to redeem and save us, and to make his soul an offering for our sin. Christ was willing to suffer, yet prayed to be saved from suffering. Prayer against trouble may well agree with patience under it, and submission to the will of God in it. Our Lord Jesus undertook to satisfy God's injured honour, and he did it by humbling himself. The voice of the Father from heaven, which had declared him to be his beloved Son, at his baptism, and when he was transfigured, was heard proclaiming that He had both glorified his name, and would glorify it. Christ, reconciling the world to God by the merit of his death, broke the power of death, and cast out Satan as a destroyer. Christ, bringing the world to God by the doctrine of his cross, broke the power of sin, and cast out Satan as a deceiver. The soul that was at a distance from Christ, is brought to love him and trust him. Jesus was now going to heaven, and he would draw men's hearts to him thither. There is power in the death of Christ to draw souls to him. We have heard from the gospel that which exalts free grace, and we have heard also that which enjoins duty; we must from the heart embrace both, and not separate them.
Commentary on John 12:34-36
(Read John 12:34-36)
The people drew false notions from the Scriptures, because they overlooked the prophecies that spoke of Christ's sufferings and death. Our Lord warned them that the light would not long continue with them, and exhorted them to walk in it, before the darkness overtook them. Those who would walk in the light must believe in it, and follow Christ's directions. But those who have not faith, cannot behold what is set forth in Jesus, lifted up on the cross, and must be strangers to its influence as made known by the Holy Spirit; they find a thousand objections to excuse their unbelief.