December 13, 2015  John 12:9 – 26

Download discussion questions:  John 12_9-26 Hosanna
Download “Jesus’ Hour in John”:  John 12_23 Jesus’ Hour

A few weeks ago our discussion suggested that the raising of Lazarus was a “pivotal event” in John’s story of Jesus (“John 12:1-8   The Woman With Perfume”).  This week’s passage, occurring a short time later and in the same town, marks a pivotal saying of Jesus.

Many times before in this Gospel John records Jesus’ anticipation of “My hour” (see the handout “Jesus’ Hour in John” for additional references).  Up to this time in John’s account, Jesus has deferred attention and arrest because His hour “had not yet come” (John 2:4; 7:6-8, 30; 8:20).  His followers had heard this disclaimer many times.  In a turn which might have startled the disciples, now He announces, “The hour has come” (12:23).

What led up to this change?  What was different on this occasion?  How did the surrounding events play a part in the mission the Father had for the Son?

John mentions several groups of people in this passage, and he describes very different connections they have with Jesus.  Our discussion considered each of the groups:

• The large crowd of the Jews (v. 9) wanted to see Lazarus. They had heard stories about this amazing miracle and wanted to see for themselves – not Jesus, but the dead man who was raised.
• The chief priests (v. 10) wanted to put Lazarus to death because he was the “poster child” (my term, not John’s) for Jesus. “Many” (not all) of the large crowd left after seeing Lazarus and believed in Jesus.  Our group considered the growing effect of sinful choices.  The plan to kill “one man” (Jesus) proposed by Caiaphas (11:49-50) now expanded to killing two men.  And what about the “many” who saw Lazarus?  What would the chief priests have to do about them?  Bad choices usually lead to worse choices.
• The large crowd who had come to the feast (v. 12) probably included visitors to the city for Passover. These would be in addition to the local residents in verse 9.  In the celebratory mood of the holiday they began shouting and honoring Jesus with a radical statement from Psalm 118.  Their reaction was radical (even revolutionary) because it associated Jesus with royalty.  Caiaphas’ worst fears, as one of our group mentioned, were coming true.  How long until the Romans moved in to put down this politically incorrect parade?
• John himself recognized the possible political implications when he inserted his own commentary about a king riding a donkey (from the prophecy in Zechariah 9).
• The disciples (v. 16) didn’t understand (a common condition among them, as our group noted). Presumably John, who was, after all, one of those disciples, also was baffled at the time.  Like the others, he began to understand more as they all saw the events unfolding over the next several days.  But the time he wrote his Gospel, John was able to insert this helpful Biblical reference applying Zechariah’s words to the event he had witnessed.
• The people who were with Him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb (v. 17) continued to testify. They had seen the miracle first-hand and probably had not stopped talking about it since.  Now they had a large audience, many from other towns or regions.
• The Pharisees could only talk to one another (v. 19) about their exasperation and their ineffectiveness. One group member suggested they might have also talked with the chief priests (v. 10).  John makes no mention of that in this passage, but we have seen similar cooperative conspiracies before (John 7:32,45; 11:47, 57), and we will see that combination at least one more time, when Jesus is arrested (John 18:3).
• Some Greeks in the crowd (v. 20) wanted to see Jesus. Being Gentiles (maybe Greek by ethnicity, or maybe in the general category of “non-Jews”) and in a very crowded, tumultuous city, they approached one of the disciples.  Philip, as a group member learned, was the only disciple with a Greek or Gentile name.[1]  They may have been more comfortable speaking with him.
• Philip himself consulted with Andrew (v. 22). Maybe he had a concern about the suitability of Gentiles following Jesus.  Was it even appropriate to bring up such a topic to Jesus?  What did Gentiles have to do with a rabbi, or the Messiah, or the King of Israel?
• Andrew and Philip (v. 22) an interesting change in the order of the names) did come and tell Jesus.

Did the Greeks ever get their appointment with Jesus?  We don’t know.  John doesn’t say.  Jesus chose this moment to make the dramatic statement.  His words marked the pivotal point that changed the direction from the triumphal entry to the cross:  “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”

Not only the Greeks, but all the groups in this passage set the stage for His proclamation.  Those who came because of curiosity about signs were believing.  The Jewish religious leaders were finished with threats and wanted decisive action.  The disciples may have been confused, but they continued to follow.  They were a loyal band, committed to His ministry.  Eyewitnesses to the raising of Lazarus continued their testimony of His power to give life.  And even Gentiles were hearing about Him and wanting to know more.  As the Pharisees lamented, “the whole world has gone after Him” (v. 19).  Instead of grumbling they should have been rejoicing to see the fulfilment of God’s covenant promise to Abraham:  “In you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3)

One participant asked if the Greeks were the first non-Jews that Jesus had contact with.  He had spent time with Samaritans, considered at best half-Jews (John 4).  He had healed a Gentile’s daughter (Mark 7:24,ff) in “traditionally pagan territory.”[2]  Jesus had indeed interacted with Gentiles, even in their own territory.  If the contact with the Greeks was the decisive factor, why didn’t these earlier encounters mark the climactic hour?  The approach of the Greeks in John 12 was only one of the threads that God’s providence was bringing together.

Many different lines of God’s providence converged.  His hour had indeed come.  The time or the “season” of His glory – the discourse that John records in the next several chapters, the crucifixion and resurrection and ascension – all these were facets of the glory that He was about to experience.

No wonder the disciples were confused.  Andrew and Philip came with an unusual request, and Jesus didn’t respond directly.  The boisterous crowd, the adulation of palm branches lining His way, the not so subtle talk about a king, and Jesus chose that moment to say it is time for Him to be glorified.  What could that mean but a coronation?  They envisioned a crown of gold, not of thorns.  They had very deeply-ingrained expectations of what the Messiah would be like and how He would fulfill God’s word for His people.  The differences between what they saw in their experience and what they expected resulted in their confusion.

We have our own expectations about how God works and what He does and how He cares for us.  What God does when we face a financial crisis, or when the biopsy is bad news, or when the marriage is not working may be very different from our expectations.  Like the disciples, we should do our best to understand, knowing that God is at work in spite of our shattered dreams.  We can trust that, also like the disciples, things will make much more sense when we see Jesus glorified (v. 16).  The more we see of His glory even now the more likely we are to understand and to be able to trust Him.

[1] Craig S. Keener, ed., The IVP Bible Background Commentary – New Testament (Downers Grove, Illinois:  InterVarsity Press, 1993), 295; This is a very useful resource for background information.

[2] Craig S. Keener, ed., The IVP Bible Background Commentary – New Testament (Downers Grove, Illinois:  InterVarsity Press, 1993), 88;  Another example of this useful reference to answer the question, “Where are Tyre and Sidon?”.