Oct 10, 2021
Scripture Reading: John 12:27-36a
John does not record the scene in Gethsemane when Jesus prayed the night before His crucifixion, but this passage captures the same emotions Jesus had as He faced His work on the cross. Jesus is ever aware that He has come to the earth, taking on human flesh, to do the will of the Father who sent Him.
Here Jesus prays, "Father, glorify your name." God the Father responds with the declaration, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again" (Jn 12:28). We see here the truth that God, Himself, is committed to the glory of God.
In this passage the cross of Christ glorifies God in at least three ways. First, the cross of Christ is the basis of judgment on the world. "Now is the judgment of this world" (Jn 12:31). The death of Jesus is the dividing line between the justified and the condemned.
Second, the cross of Christ is the basis for the judgment of Satan. "Now the ruler of this world will be cast out" (Jn 12:31). The cross is the decisive defeat of the devil. The blood of the lamb stripped Satan of his one condemning weapon, our unforgiven sin.
Third, the cross of Christ is the means of drawing people from every tribe to Himself. "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself" (Jn 12:32). This 'all' is not all individuals without exception, but all people without distinction.