Scripture to Read: John 12:20–23
Jesus had been doing the ministry He was sent by the Father to do. For three years, He invested in His disciples, and many had come to know Him as their Messiah. The religious leaders wanted Him dead, but He had been able to steer clear of them for the time “because His hour had not yet come” (John 7:30, John 8:20). But we read today, in John 12:20–23, Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; 21 these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip *came and *told Andrew; Andrew and Philip *came and *told Jesus. 23 And Jesus *answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. These Greeks were in Jerusalem, but God’s Word does not explain why—maybe they had heard of all that Jesus had done and they came seeking Him or maybe they were Greeks who had converted to Judaism and were in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover; with all they had heard, they wanted to meet Jesus. Whatever the case, Jesus knew that since the Gentiles were seeking Him, His hour had finally come. Jesus confirmed in John 12:23 that His hour had come to be glorified, not to be glorified by men, but to be glorified through His death on the cross. Though the cross was the most gruesome and humiliating way to die, Jesus knew He would be glorified through this form of death.
Challenge & Application
• What was the turning point for Jesus’ time to have arrived to be glorified through His death on the cross?
• Someone might not understand how Christ was glorified through the cross, so how would you explain it to them?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!