Flashback Episode — Jesus’ One Big Goal: John 12:20-36

As we continue our first chronological year looking at events within Jesus’ life and ministry, we come to events found within the week leading up to the cross. One common trait that all four gospel writers share is that once their narratives of Jesus’ life and ministry reach the week leading up to the cross, each one slows down to include more details and each gospel dedicates a disproportionate amount of space to this final week. This common trait allows us to also slow down and uncover additional insights we might not have otherwise noticed.

While it is easy for us looking back on what happened to look down on the disciples for not understanding what Jesus was trying to teach them leading up to crucifixion weekend, I doubt we would have been much better than the disciples at figuring out Jesus’ goal for His ministry. I suspect that if we think the disciples were slow when we would have understood Jesus if we were in the disciples’ shoes, ask yourself how God is moving in your life right now.

Some of you may have a clear answer for this hypothetical question. However, for most people, it is significantly easier to see how God has moved in your past than recognizing how He is moving in your present. I’m sure all the disciples who made it through crucifixion weekend ultimately realized what Jesus was trying to teach them, but it was only after they passed the events and then looked back on what had happened.

However, while the disciples misunderstood a lot of what Jesus was trying to share with them about crucifixion weekend, the disciples do understand correctly that Jesus’ ministry is coming to a significant point. While our episode’s passage happens early on in crucifixion week while Jesus is teaching in the temple, it gives us a great glimpse of how everyone present could see Jesus’ ministry approaching a climax, but not everyone fully understanding what that climax would be.

Let’s read our passage and then take a few minutes to uncover some amazing details found within Jesus’ teaching. While we have hinted at several of these details in earlier podcasts, our podcast and passage for this episode allow us to look a little more directly at these details and themes.

Our passage comes from the gospel of John, chapter 12, and we will read our passage using the New International Reader’s Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 23, John tells us that:

²³ Jesus replied, “The time has come for the Son of Man to receive glory. ²⁴ What I’m about to tell you is true. Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only one seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵ Anyone who loves their life will lose it. But anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it and have eternal life. ²⁶ Anyone who serves me must follow me. And where I am, my servant will also be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

²⁷ “My soul is troubled. What should I say? ‘Father, keep me from having to go through with this’? No. This is the very reason I have come to this point in my life. ²⁸ Father, bring glory to your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven. It said, “I have brought glory to my name. I will bring glory to it again.” ²⁹ The crowd there heard the voice. Some said it was thunder. Others said an angel had spoken to Jesus.

Let’s stop reading here. While the next few verses are also interesting, I don’t want us to move forward and miss a key detail that John has just shared.

Oftentimes, when thinking of times when Jesus wrestled with the question of whether to go through with the plan of salvation and death on a cross, we think of Jesus’ time in the garden and the prayer He prayed shortly before being betrayed and arrested. Jesus’ time in the garden is one great example where we see Jesus wrestling with the weight of the crucifixion. However, most people don’t catch that in our passage, through what John recorded for us, that Jesus asks a very similar question early on during crucifixion week. Tucked within verse 27, Jesus asks Himself this question and then promptly answers it: “My soul is troubled. What should I say? ‘Father, keep me from having to go through with this’? No. This is the very reason I have come to this point in my life.”

In this reflective thought, is Jesus thinking about ditching His cross? Absolutely not! Jesus firmly answers His own rhetorical question that the cross is the reason Jesus came to this point in His life. However, this detail is only a clue leading towards an amazing truth that I can see clearly within this passage.

When opening our passage, John quotes Jesus saying that the time has come for the Son of Man – which is a name Jesus frequently used to refer to Himself – to receive glory. Several months ago, while reading earlier in John’s gospel, we read that Jesus chose to not accept glory or praise from humans. For those of you who are wondering the reference for this, this detail is found in John, chapter 5, verse 41. Because of what Jesus shared early on in his ministry, and combined with what Jesus shares in our passage for this episode, we must then conclude that Jesus is referring to receiving glory from somewhere that is not human.

It then comes as no surprise when framed this way that seconds later, a non-human voice speaks from heaven talking about glory. However, while we might expect the voice to give glory to Jesus, that isn’t what happened. Instead, God the Father speaks about bringing glory to His name. Jesus had just called out for God to bring glory to His name, and that is what happened. God the Father describes having done this in the past, and He promises to do it again in the future.

However, while the context of our passage focuses us on Jesus foreshadowing His death, and how He must give up His life like a grain of wheat must die to fulfill its purpose, what if Jesus’ mission was greater than simply the cross? What if Jesus’ mission in this world, while including the cross, was instead focused on bringing glory to the name of God and to God the Father?

If we looked at the gospels through the lens of glory being directed to God, would this lens simplify or confuse the rest of the gospels?

While studying and after having this realization and question, I thought I’d look back at some of the miracles and places where the gospel writers talk about the idea of glory. I’m sure it is no surprise for some of you to learn that many of Jesus’ miracles include phrases that prompt us to suspect that these miracles were done primarily because those healed and those present would praise God.

There are even a few cases where it seems like the only reason a miracle happened was because Jesus knew praise would go to God. In places where praise would not be directed towards God, we discover Jesus pulling away, or changing the scene in some way that would allow Him to help while also allowing God to receive the glory.

It definitely seems as though Jesus taught, healed, and helped for the sole purpose of bringing glory to the Father.

However, in His opening words of our passage, Jesus hints at something different: Jesus opened our passage by saying that the time has come for the Son to receive glory. This statement in many ways began the moment that God the Father spoke from Heaven, which gave confirmation to the current point Jesus was in within His ministry, and this time then clearly moves forward towards the cross, the resurrection, and the return to heaven where Jesus was crowed as King.

I am always amazed and impressed that Jesus did not seek glory from God or from others. Instead, He helped others as a way to bring glory to God. In this way, I believe Jesus served as the perfect example for each of us living today. I believe Jesus calls us to focus on serving God, and when given the opportunity to receive glory, we should do everything we can to make sure the glory points upwards to God as well!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally seek God first in your life and intentionally focus on pointing all the glory, praise, and honor to God. Show God you love and value what He has done for you by returning thanks, praise, and worship to Him.

Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself and purposefully look for events and miracles where Jesus opened the way for God to receive glory. From Jesus’ example, discover one great way we too can say thank you to God.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or deviate away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!