The Hour has Come

John 12:20-36.

Jesus is now closing in on the end of His ministry on Earth.

John 12 is significant in several way.

With the Greek speaking Jews from outside of Israel now wanting an audience with The Messiah- Jesus now declares that- “The hour has come for Him to be Glorified...”

The text focuses on Jesus’ teaching the Disciples on such things as:

The need for His sacrificial death

The Power of Faith

And the importance of Following Him in spite of the prevailing darkness of the world.

From this we can gain insight as well:

God’s Timing is perfect, and often beyond our immediate comprehension

Christ’s willing submission to God the Fathers will, should be a constant reminder and example for believers today of how to remain strong in Faith in the middle of the trials and troubles of life.

We must recognize that to submit to Gods timing should reveal and cause us to hold precious the sacred moments of life and always be ready to respond to Gods call on their lives.

While also realizing that calling will be different for every believer.

As Gods church, the active Body of Christ, today, we need to always be lifting our voices in worship, live as witnesses for Christ and speak boldly about the reasons for our faith.

The connecting points of Chapter 12 is the overall theme that:

This is the definitive example of Christ as the Sacrificial Lamb.

“His Hour...” is not only represented in His suffering and Death.

But also in the continuing of Gods complete plan of salvation for all of humanity.

It also connects to the OT prophets revelations of the coming Messiah,

Confirming, once and for all, that Jesus has fulfilled all of Gods promises to His people.

With that set up, lets look to the text:

John 12:20–26 ESV

Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

The story of the Greeks approaching Philip is a key bridge in the shifting of the emphasis of Jesus’ ministry.

These Greeks were not all natives of Greece, itself.

More likely, they were labeled as such by the Jews and anyone NOT a Jew.

Greek speaking- Non Jews- who lived in the areas around Israel, such as Samaria and the Decapolis or ten Cities.

They were also not necessarily converts to Judaism-

But were admirers of the Jewish traditions and rituals.

An example would be the Roman Centurion in Capernaum, who so respected Judaism, he built a synagogue for the community.

Cornelius, in the Book of Acts, also was noted by Luke to be “Devout, and God-fearing.

Giving to those in need and praying regularly.

Many Gentiles of the time enjoyed the pageantry of the Jewish festivals and participated in them with the Jews.

The Temple even had a walled partition in the courtyard