1510637 Greeks seek Jesus and final appeal – John 12:20-50 April A.D. 29 Jerusalem
And now there were certain Greeks among those that went up to worship at the feast. These, therefore, came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus. And Jesus answered them saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Most certainly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. And he who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there will my servant also be. If any man serves me, the Father will honor him.
“And now my soul is troubled. What shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ But for this cause I came to this time. Father, glorify your name!” There came a voice out of the heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The multitude therefore, who stood by and heard it, said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”
And Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for my sake, but for your sakes. And now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.” But he said this, signifying by what kind of death he should die. And the multitude answered him, “We have heard out of the law that the Christ remains forever. And how do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up?’ Who is this Son of Man?”
And Jesus therefore said to them, “Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness does not overtake you. He who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” And Jesus said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them. But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they did not believe in him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke,
“Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” For this cause they could not believe, for Isaiah said again,
“He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart,
except they should see with their eyes,
and perceive with their heart,
and would turn, and I would heal them.”
Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory, and spoke of him. Nevertheless even of the rulers many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue, for they loved the glory coming from men more than God’s praise.
And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me. And he who sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not live in the darkness. And if a man listens to my sayings, and does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects me, and does not receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke, the same will judge him in the last day. For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. And the things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak.”
