What is the meaning of John 12:20? Now there were – John links this moment to the flow of events that began “six days before the Passover” (John 12:1) and rolled through the triumphal entry (John 12:12-15). – The adverb “now” signals a divinely timed turn: as Jesus prepares for the cross, new faces appear. God’s redemptive plan steadily widens, just as foretold (Isaiah 49:6). – Earlier occasions hinted at coming Gentile faith—wise men at His birth (Matthew 2:1-12) and the Samaritan villagers (John 4:39-42). This verse shows the momentum has not slowed. some Greeks – These are Gentiles, non-Jews, likely God-fearers similar to Cornelius of Acts 10. – Their presence fulfills Jesus’ own words, “I have other sheep…they will listen to My voice” (John 10:16). – Isaiah promised that “the nations will seek the Root of Jesse” (Isaiah 11:10). Here that seeking begins to take visible form. – Their desire anticipates the missionary explosion of Acts 11:20-21, where Greeks in Antioch respond to the gospel. among those who went up – “Went up” reflects the common language for ascending to Jerusalem, the city set on a hill (Psalm 122:1-4). – By joining the worshipers, these Greeks acknowledge Israel’s God as the true God, fulfilling the call of Deuteronomy 16:16 that all should appear before Him. – Their inclusion pictures Romans 11:17, where wild olive branches are grafted into the cultivated tree. to worship at the feast – The feast is Passover (John 11:55), pointing to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). – These Greeks do not come as tourists but as worshipers. Their hearts echo the centurion’s confession at the cross (Mark 15:39). – Their arrival just before Jesus’ sacrifice underscores 1 Corinthians 5:7: “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” The nations are already gathering around that Lamb. summary John 12:20 shows Gentile seekers stepping onto center stage at precisely the moment Jesus is about to offer Himself as the Passover Lamb. Their appearance fulfills prophetic promises, signals the widening reach of the gospel, and previews the worldwide church that will soon take shape. |
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