The Hour Has Come
The “disciple whom Jesus loved,” known as John, either John the brother of Zebedee (the Apostle), or John the Elder, was writing his recollections of his experiences with Jesus so that those who hear or read would believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and would find eternal life in His name (cf. John 20:31). He began by speaking of the Word of God, the Creator, the life and light of men, who took on flesh and dwelt among us as Jesus of Nazareth (John 1:1-18). He then described the calling of the first disciples, Jesus’ first sign at the wedding in Cana, the events which took place while Jesus was present at the Passover in Jerusalem, and Jesus’ return to Galilee via Samaria (John 1:19-4:54). John the Evangelist then set forth Jesus’ healing of a lame man at Bethesda and the storm of controversy it engendered, Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand, and His challenging description of Himself as the Bread of Life (John 5:1-6:71). John the Evangelist then described a long series of engagements and instructions of Jesus around Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles, featuring the healing of the blind man and Jesus’ teachings as the Light of the world and the Good Shepherd (John 7:1-10:21). Jesus would echo similar teachings and again identify Himself with God while teaching during the Feast of the Dedication, or Hanukkah (John 10:22-42). Jesus would raise His friend Lazarus from the dead, a notable sign proclaimed throughout Jerusalem and Judea, and the basis on which the religious authorities looked for an opportunity to have Jesus killed (John 11:1-57).
John the Evangelist then related the story he had anticipated in John 11:2: six days before the Passover, while Jesus was a guest in the house of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive oil and wiped His feet with her hair (John 12:1-3). In John’s telling of the story, Judas Iscariot was scandalized by the experience, asking why the oil was not sold for three hundred denarii and the proceeds given to the poor; a denarius was about a day’s wage for a laborer, so we can understand the expense of the gift in terms of about ten months of a living wage (John 12:4-5).
John the Evangelist took the opportunity to explain Judas Iscariot was not concerned for the poor; instead, he was the treasurer and was embezzling funds, and thus looking for more funds to embezzle (John 12:5-6). John the Evangelist really has it out for Judas Iscariot; we can almost feel the visceral emotional response registered in his commentary. Such represents the sting of the betrayal; none of these things were apparent at the time to anyone but Jesus, since in John 13:21-29 the disciples were perplexed when Jesus indicated one of them would betray Him, and thought Jesus was telling Judas to go give something to the poor when He told him to do quickly what he was about to do. Thus the disciples did not automatically recognize Judas Iscariot would be the betrayer in their midst. In his narration John the Evangelist went out his way to point out Judas Iscariot’s nature and perfidy.
Therefore we must be careful lest we make this kind of experience and moment more about Judas Iscariot than it deserves. Sure, Judas Iscariot has ulterior motives for his questioning of Jesus; yet in the parallel Gospel accounts of Matthew 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3-9, the disciples as a whole ask the same question as Judas Iscariot. Thus Judas was not asking just on his own initiative; he gave voice to the concern of all the disciples.
Jesus told them to leave her alone, for she was anointing Him for the day of His burial; they would always have the poor, but they would not always have Jesus around (John 12:7-8). Matthew and Mark’s accounts suggest a similar tenor but also want to emphasize how Mary’s deed would be remembered and proclaimed as part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as we are demonstrating and displaying right now. In this way Jesus foretold of His imminent death and departure from the disciples.
Unfortunately, Jesus’ statement about the poor has been distorted and used as a blunt instrument to condemn the poor: the poor will always be around, so why bother doing much to alleviate their condition? And yet Jesus’ statement intended the opposite of this commonly drawn inference; He was quoting from Deuteronomy 15:11, and certainly intended its conclusion:
There will never cease to be some poor people in the land; therefore, I am commanding you to make sure you open your hand to your fellow Israelites who are needy and poor in your land.
Jesus was therefore not commending a lack of concern about the poor. Instead, Jesus wanted to remind the disciples how monomaniacal focus on one aspect of the mission can lead to a distortion of the mission. Yes, there will always be the poor; there will be opportunities to help the poor, and they should be helped. But they would not always have Jesus; it thus was not wrong for Mary to use the oil in her love, service, and dedication to the Lord Jesus.
John the Evangelist then ominously reported how the chief priests planned to kill not only Jesus but also Lazarus since so many were coming to see him and believing in Jesus (John 12:9-11). Lazarus will again be mentioned in John 12:17 in reference to when Jesus resuscitated him from the dead, but otherwise will never be mentioned again in the Scriptures. Since the chief priests proved successful in having Jesus put to death, we would not be wrong to presume they had Lazarus killed as well.
The next day Jesus entered Jerusalem according to the traditions we now know as Palm Sunday: Israelites took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Jesus, crying out hosannas to the king of Israel (John 12:12-13). Jesus found a young donkey on which to sit to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9; John the Evangelist commented on how the disciples did not understand as much then, but would later (John 12:14-16). Testimony about Jesus resuscitating Lazarus was made, and crowds went out to meet him; the Pharisees lamented to one another how they could do nothing since the world was running after Jesus (John 12:17-19).
Thus John the Evangelist narrated Jesus’ triumphal entry, and we are to understand the moment as triumphant for Jesus. He is the King of Israel coming to establish the Reign of God in Jerusalem, just as the prophets had foretold. The people were hailing Him as this King of Israel, and eagerly looked forward to Him taking on the throne of His father David. We can imagine Pilate and a contingent of Roman soldiers entering Jerusalem at the same time, very much concerned about the same thing, but for different reasons: they had come to maintain order and violently suppress any such messianic fervor. We do well to consider the profound ironies presented by John the Evangelist in this text and its framing: as he would relate in his Gospel, Jesus would indeed prove to be the King of Israel establishing God’s reign, but not in the way anyone would have expected. Those who were now hailing Him as the Messiah would soon be crying out to crucify Him.
Jesus’ hour had come but was not yet complete. Some Greeks had come to prostrate before God during Passover (John 12:20); they are likely proselytes or God-fearers. They approached Philip and wanted to see Jesus; Philip and Andrew went to Jesus to speak to Him (John 12:22). Jesus’ response provided no indication of whether He actually saw these Greeks or not; it is possible they were nowhere near Him, but it is also possible they have come with Philip and Andrew and heard Jesus’ discourse.
In response to Philip and Andrew, and to all His disciples, in the hearing of the crowd, Jesus set forth His final discourse before the crowds in John 12:23-36, 44-50. Jesus declared His hour had come: the Son of Man would be glorified (John 12:23, 27). A kernel of wheat must fall into the ground and “die” so it might produce much grain; those who love their lives destroy it, but the one who hates his life in this world would gain it (John 12:24-25). Those who would serve Jesus must follow Him; where Jesus was, so would be those who serve Him; those who serve Jesus will be honored by the Father (John 12:26).
In this way Jesus proclaimed His suffering and death and set the expectation of how His disciples would have to suffer and not love their lives even to death. He spoke of death and resurrection as a way of bearing fruit. We should not understand Jesus’ declaration about “hating life” absolutely, as if we should detest and abhor the gift of life God has given us, but in terms of loving less: if we seek after self-preservation, we will lose our lives and salvation; we can only truly gain life in Christ by proving willing to suffer and even die for the cause and purposes of God in Christ in His Kingdom. John the Evangelist will reinforce continually how Jesus expected His disciples to follow in His path, and His path included the agony and suffering of His betrayal, passion, and death.
On account of these things Jesus was distressed, but He understood He could not be delivered from this hour (John 12:27). Jesus asked the Father to glorify His name, and He spoke from heaven glorifying it; some reported they heard thunder, others the voice of an angel (John 12:28-29). Jesus assured the crowds: God’s voice spoke for their benefit, not His, because the time had come for judgment of the world and the ruler of the world, Satan, would be driven out (John 12:30-31). When Jesus would be lifted up, He would draw people to Himself; John the Evangelist bore witness of how Jesus thus spoke of how Jesus would die, but we would also not be wrong to see evocations of Jesus’ resurrection and ascension in being lifted up (John 12:32-33).
The crowd was a bit confused; from many passages, perhaps especially Psalm 89:35-27, the Israelites expected the Christ would remain forever, and so how could Jesus act as if the Son of Man would be lifted up, and who was this Son of Man anyhow (John 12:34)? Jesus did not provide a direct answer; at this point not even His own disciples understood how it would all work out, and so the crowds would definitely not have the capacity for understanding. Instead Jesus urged them to walk in the light while the light remained with them lest the darkness overtake them; they could not know where they are going when walking in darkness; they should believe in the light while the light remained with them to become sons of light (John 12:35-36). Jesus would later shout out how those who believe in Jesus really believe in the Father who sent Jesus, and those who see Jesus see the Father who sent Him (John 12:44-45). Jesus had come as light into the world so those who believe in Him would not dwell in darkness (John 12:46). Jesus was not at that time going to judge those who did not obey Jesus’ words; He had come to save and not judge the world (John 12:47). On the final day, however, the words Jesus had spoken would be the basis of judgment for those who rejected Him (John 12:48). Jesus again reinforced how He did not speak on His own authority, but that of His Father; the Father’s command is eternal life, and so Jesus spoke according to what the Father told Him (John 12:49-50).
After this Jesus hid Himself from the people (John 12:36b); according to John the Evangelist, Jesus thus concluded His ministry among the people; the rest of the Gospel of John will feature Jesus’ discourses with His disciples, His betrayal, suffering, death, and resurrection (John 13:1-21:25). In John 12:37-43 John the Evangelist provided commentary to sum up and conclude Jesus’ ministry as presented in John 1:35-12:50: Jesus bore witness with miraculous signs, yet the people did not believe in Him, which fulfilled the words of Isaiah in Isaiah 6:10, 53:1 (John 12:37-41). And yet many among the various Jewish authorities did believe in Him, but did not confess Him publicly in fear of the Pharisees lest they be put out of the synagogue; John derided such ones as loving the praise of men more than praise from God (John 12:42-43).
Thus John the Evangelist presented his eyewitness testimony regarding Jesus’ ministry among the people in John 1:35-12:50. May we believe in Jesus as the Christ, become sons of light, and prove willing to suffer with Him so we might be glorified in Him!
Ethan R. Longhenry
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