27 'Now hath my soul been troubled, and what? shall I say—Father, save me from this hour?—but because of this I came to this hour; 28 Father, glorify Thy name.' There came, therefore, a voice out of the heaven, 'I both glorified, and again I will glorify 'it';' 29 the multitude, therefore, having stood and heard, were saying that there hath been thunder; others said, 'A messenger hath spoken to him.' 30 Jesus answered and said, 'Not because of me hath this voice come, but because of you; 31 now is a judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast forth; 32 and I, if I may be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself.' 33 And this he said signifying by what death he was about to die; 34 the multitude answered him, 'We heard out of the law that the Christ doth remain—to the age; and how dost thou say, That it behoveth the Son of Man to be lifted up? who is this—the Son of Man?' 35 Jesus, therefore, said to them, 'Yet a little time is the light with you; walk while ye have the light, that darkness may not overtake you; and he who is walking in the darkness hath not known where he goeth; 36 while ye have the light, believe in the light, that sons of light ye may become.' These things spake Jesus, and having gone away, he was hid from them,
37 yet he having done so many signs before them, they were not believing in him, 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he said, 'Lord, who gave credence to our report? and the arm of the Lord—to whom was it revealed?' 39 Because of this they were not able to believe, that again Isaiah said, 40 'He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, that they might not see with the eyes, and understand with the heart, and turn back, and I might heal them;' 41 these things said Isaiah, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.
42 Still, however, also out of the rulers did many believe in him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing, that they might not be put out of the synagogue, 43 for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God.
44 And Jesus cried and said, 'He who is believing in me, doth not believe in me, but in Him who sent me; 45 and he who is beholding me, doth behold Him who sent me; 46 I a light to the world have come, that every one who is believing in me—in the darkness may not remain; 47 and if any one may hear my sayings, and not believe, I—I do not judge him, for I came not that I might judge the world, but that I might save the world. 48 'He who is rejecting me, and not receiving my sayings, hath one who is judging him, the word that I spake, that will judge him in the last day, 49 because I spake not from myself, but the Father who sent me, He did give me a command, what I may say, and what I may speak, 50 and I have known that His command is life age-during; what, therefore, I speak, according as the Father hath said to me, so I speak.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 12:27-50
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.
Commentary on John 12:37-43
(Read John 12:37-43)
Observe the method of conversion implied here. Sinners are brought to see the reality of Divine things, and to have some knowledge of them. To be converted, and truly turned from sin to Christ, as their Happiness and Portion. God will heal them, will justify and sanctify them; will pardon their sins, which are as bleeding wounds, and mortify their corruptions, which are as lurking diseases. See the power of the world in smothering convictions, from regard to the applause or censure of men. Love of the praise of men, as a by-end in that which is good, will make a man a hypocrite when religion is in fashion, and credit is to be got by it; and love of the praise of men, as a base principle in that which is evil, will make a man an apostate, when religion is in disgrace, and credit is to be lost for it.
Commentary on John 12:44-50
(Read John 12:44-50)
Our Lord publicly proclaimed, that every one who believed on him, as his true disciple, did not believe on him only, but on the Father who sent him. Beholding in Jesus the glory of the Father, we learn to obey, love, and trust in him. By daily looking to Him, who came a Light into the world, we are more and more freed from the darkness of ignorance, error, sin, and misery; we learn that the command of God our Saviour is everlasting life. But the same word will seal the condemnation of all who despise it, or neglect it.