What is the meaning of John 12:28? The setting The scene unfolds in Jerusalem just days before the cross (John 12:1, 12). Greeks have just asked to see Jesus, prompting Him to speak of His impending death as the hour when the “Son of Man is glorified” (John 12:23). The crowd, made up of both followers and skeptics, listens as Jesus turns from talking about His own glory to seeking the Father’s. Father, glorify Your name! • Jesus prays aloud: “Father, glorify Your name!” (John 12:28). • This echoes His constant aim: “I seek not My own glory” (John 8:50) and previews His later prayer, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You” (John 17:1). • By asking the Father to glorify His name, Jesus submits to whatever the Father ordains—namely, the cross (Matthew 26:39). • Cross reference: Psalm 115:1, “Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to Your name be the glory,” shows that seeking God’s glory has always marked true faith. Then a voice came from heaven • “Then a voice came from heaven” (John 12:28). • This is the third recorded instance of the Father’s audible voice in Jesus’ ministry, following His baptism (Matthew 3:17) and the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:5). • The public nature of the voice confirms Jesus’ identity and mission before the crowd, just as it did earlier before John the Baptist and select disciples. I have glorified it • The Father’s declaration, “I have glorified it,” points back to everything He has already done through Jesus’ earthly life: – Turning water to wine at Cana, which “revealed His glory” (John 2:11). – Miracles like raising Lazarus, about which Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death; it is for God’s glory” (John 11:4). – Jesus’ sinless obedience that led Him to say, “I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do” (John 17:4). • Each past act of obedience and power displayed the Father’s character—His compassion, truth, and sovereignty. And I will glorify it again • The phrase looks ahead to the climactic glorification of the Father through: – The cross, where Jesus would declare, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him” (John 13:31). – The resurrection and ascension (Acts 2:32–33). – The spread of the gospel after Pentecost (Acts 4:12), fulfilling Jesus’ prediction that His death would draw “all men” to Himself (John 12:32). • Philippians 2:8–11 encapsulates this future glory: the humble obedience of Jesus leads to His exaltation, “to the glory of God the Father.” • The Father’s promise assures that nothing will thwart His plan; the upcoming suffering will only magnify His name more fully. Summary In John 12:28, Jesus openly prays that the Father’s name be honored. The Father answers audibly, affirming past demonstrations of glory through Jesus’ ministry and promising an even greater display through the cross, resurrection, and all that follows. The verse assures believers that God’s purpose is, and always will be, to glorify His name in and through His Son—and, by extension, in all who follow Him. |
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