His Hour has Come!

By Dan & Brenda Cathcart

The video version of this teaching is available at: https://youtu.be/0g-JNpWcE4Q

The scripture reading for this teaching is John 12:20-41

Yeshua had left the Temple and retired to the Mount of Olives where he spent the remainder of the day teaching his followers and disciples.  It was two days before the Passover and the city was crowded with pilgrims from throughout the land coming for the festival. Jerusalem had a permanent population of around six hundred thousand at that time. Josephus records that nearly two and a half million people came to Jerusalem for the Passover.

Matthew 26:1-5 NKJV 1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, 2 "You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified." 3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. 5 But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people."

Events were rapidly coming to a head.  Yeshua knew that His time remaining with His disciples was short, however there was still some important work to accomplish.  The Chief Priests and some of the corrupt Scribes and Pharisees were determined to arrest and kill Yeshua.  They did not want to have Him killed on the Passover, and they didn’t want to arrest Him at the Temple or in the presence of large crowds which followed Yeshua constantly. 

For the last several days, since His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and His clearing out of the merchants and moneychangers from the Temple courtyards, Yeshua had spent His time with the people bringing the message of repentance and the kingdom of God.  The chief priests were clearly afraid that if they attempted to arrest Yeshua during the festival, there would be an all-out riot.  They needed to find a way to arrest Him privately, away from the crowds of followers and admirers at the Temple.

The people were enamored with the teachings of the Master Yeshua and hung on every word.

Luke 19:47-48 NKJV 47 And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, 48 and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

Yeshua continued to come to the Temple daily and even some Gentiles came to learn at the feet of Yeshua.

John 12:20-21 NKJV 20 Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. 21 Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."

As Yeshua’s reputation grew, word of His teachings and the kingdom of God reached the Gentiles of the region.  When this group of Gentiles approached Philip, seeking an audience with Yeshua, Philip then relayed their request to Andrew, the brother of Peter.

John 12:22 NKJV 22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.

Yeshua did not reply directly but answered with an announcement that His hour had now arrived.

John 12:23 NKJV 23 But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.

Many times, throughout His ministry, Yeshua had said that “His hour had not yet come.”  But now it is different, this time “the hour has come!”  Many Gentiles were now coming to Him seeking the kingdom of God.  This may have also been a foreshadow of things to come in the apostolic era just around the corner.

After receiving the company of Gentiles, Yeshua begins to once again teach His disciples and followers with a series of parables, all of which speak of the necessity of His death and glorification.  He began with the Parable of the Seed that dies.

John 12:24 NKJV 24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

This parable uses a common Rabbinic metaphor to illustrate resurrection from the dead.  The apostle Paul later used the same illustration to make a similar point.

1 Corinthians 15:34-38 NKJV 34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. 35 But someone will say, "How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?" 36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. 37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain--perhaps wheat or some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.

Yeshua was comparing Himself to the kernel of wheat which had to die in order to bring new life and bear much fruit. First Fruits of Zion in their work The Chronicles of the Messiah expand and explain this parable by comparing it to similar parables found in the synoptic Gospels in this way.

The hour of the Son of Man can be compared to the seed sown in the soil.  If it fell on hard ground in remained and did not bear fruit, but if it fell on loose soil, it went down into the ground and died, sprouting forth, and bearing fruit. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.[1]

Yeshua often told His disciple that the one who loses one’s life would save it.  Yeshua states this principle again but in terms of loving one’s life.

John 12:25-26 NKJV 25 "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

Obviously, this statement by Yeshua was not intended to be taken literally.  The metaphor is intended to illustrate that one who loves God more then one loves his own life will receive eternal life.  Perhaps this was a prophetic warning to His disciples who would face unimaginable persecution in the years to come.  John, in Revelation speaks of this point.

Revelation 12:11 NIV 11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

Yeshua was telling His disciples that to follow Him and be a disciple and to serve Him, means willingly following Him even to the point of martyrdom!  Serving Him means to take up His yoke of discipleship. Yeshua spoke of this in terms of taking up one’s cross.

Matthew 16:24 NKJV 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Yeshua did not have a death wish, but He clearly understood the necessity of His death to accomplish His mission and the purpose for which He was sent.

John 12:27 NKJV 27 "Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose, I came to this hour.

Just as He was teaching His disciples to follow Him, Yeshua rejected the temptation to put His own life above the will of God.  He addresses the Father in a public prayer.

John 12:28-30 NKJV 28 "Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again." 29 Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to Him." 30 Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.

This is the third time a voice from heaven responds to Yeshua and confirms His mission and purpose.  And once again there are other witnesses who hear the voice! Many heard and did not understand it and dismissed it as thunder while others said that an angel had spoken.  As we learned in a previous teaching, the Hebrew term for a voice from heaven is Bat Kol, which literally translates as “daughter of the voice” and indicates an echo.  Yeshua explains that this echoing in the thunder is not for His sake, but for the sake of those gathered around Him.  They heard God speak directly!

In addition to glorifying the Son of Man and sanctifying the name of the Father, Yeshua’s next statement announces the impending demise of Satan.

John 12:31 NKJV 31 "Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.

Satan is, or more accurately was, the ruler of this world.  It is through the atoning work of Messiah Yeshua that the hour of his demise had arrived. It is by Messiah’s death that Satan is rendered powerless!

Hebrews 2:14 NKJV 14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

With the demise of Satan and his dominion over the earth, Yeshua states that if He be lifted up above the earth, all will be drawn to Him.

John 12:32 NKJV 32 "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."

Yeshua being lifted up above the earth refers to His glorification and calls to mind the words of Isaiah 52:13 where he says that “My servant will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.” Yeshua’s words also bring to mind a previous conversation that Yeshua had with Nicodemus.

John 3:9-15 NKJV 9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" 10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 "Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 "If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

Yeshua’s statement in John 12:32 makes a strong allusion to the prophecy of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53.  Through His suffering and death, He has indeed drawn people from all nations to Him.

The “lifting up” Yeshua spoke of also hints of the resurrection of the Son of Man and corresponds to the words expressed in the Psalms.

Psalms 9:13-14 NKJV 13 Have mercy on me, O LORD! Consider my trouble from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death, 14 That I may tell of all Your praise In the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in Your salvation.

Many of those gathered around Yeshua still did not understand what Yeshua was trying to tell them about His own coming death and resurrection.  When Yeshua spoke of death and martyrdom and being lifted up, they were perplexed and asked Him what He meant.

John 12:34 NKJV 34 The people answered Him, "We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this Son of Man?"

With this question, they were bringing to the forefront the problem with their current understanding of the nature of Messiah.  The scripture that the questioners were referring to indicated that the Messiah would rule forever.

Genesis 49:10 NKJV 10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.

And from the Psalmist:

Psalms 72:17-18 NKJV 17 His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him; All nations shall call Him blessed. 18 Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only does wondrous things!

Could Yeshua remain Messiah if He was not to reign from the throne in Jerusalem forever? All the prophetic promises in the Torah, prophets and writings were flooding from their memory.  What about the promise of universal peace in the Messianic Age?  What about the Torah going forth from Zion? What about the promise that in the Messianic age each man would sit under his own vine and fig tree?  These same objections to Yeshua’s Messiahship are raised to this day by mainstream Judaism. 

Instead of answering these objections directly, Yeshua deflected them and continued to warn them about His imminent departure. He warned them that while it is still light, they should walk in the light because a time of darkness was soon to arrive.

John 12:36 NKJV 36 "While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.

Yeshua concluded His public teaching with this one last prophetic announcement.  His teaching from here on would be private and only to His inner circle of disciples.  Yeshua knew that he had only a short time left to be with them and He was urging those around Him to persevere through the coming darkness.  Yeshua spoke about those who had rejected Him and recalled the words of the prophet Isaiah.

John 12:37-38 NKJV 37 But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: "Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?"

Yeshua’s statement and recall of Isaiah’s prophecy harkens back to the opening of John’s gospel.

John 1:10-11 NKJV 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

The apostles found the general rejection of Yeshua as Messiah troublesome and saw this rejection as a fulfillment of Biblical prophecies about the Messiah.  The religious leaders did not accept Yeshua’s claim of Messiahship.  He did not, at this time take the Throne of David, subjugate the nations and overthrow Rome, gather the remaining exiles home to the land, and usher in the Messianic Era.  He did not fulfill these offices of the Messiah.

The allusions to Isaiah in John’s gospel remind his readers that, even though Yeshua did not, at that time fulfill all the prophecies concerning the Messiah and the nation of Israel, He did fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 53 as well as others.  John’s gospel presents the Jewish rejection of Yeshua of Nazareth as Messiah as a sovereign act of God.

John 12:39-41 NKJV 39 Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: 40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them." 41 These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.

The Gospels and Acts are full of examples of Jews who did become believers both during and shortly after the time of Yeshua.  The Passover was fast approaching, just two days away.  Many thousands of people were descending on Jerusalem for the Feast.  Yeshua spent this time teaching and admonishing His followers about what was about to happen to Him as well as warning them about what they were to expect in the coming months and years. Of all His closest disciples, only John would die a natural death.  the others would face tremendous persecution and tribulation at the hands of their fellow Jews and government authorities.  This same urgent message is for us today as well.

The common belief at the time was that, in addition to the suffering servant Messiah, He would be followed almost immediately by a conquering King Messiah. Yeshua was trying to explain to them that this was not the case. It would be a long time before the light of the Messianic age would once again shine on this world, and we are still waiting for Yeshua’s return.  In the meantime, are we are to be busy going about continuing His work and carrying on the legacy of the disciples.  Are we following in Yeshua’s foot steps and working to further the kingdom of God in our small part of the world preparing the way for His return?  Are we following our Rabbi, the Master Yeshua, and making disciples and passing on His words and message of repentance as He instructed us?

Study Questions:

1. Throughout Yeshua’s ministry He continually stated that His hour had not yet come.  Here, just two days before the Passover, Yeshua now declared that His hour has now arrived.  Yeshua specifically said in John 12:23 that, “The hour has come for the son of man to be glorified.”  In the gospel of John, how is the term “glorify” or “glorification” used and how does it relate to Yeshua’s statement in John 12:23?

2. In John 12:28 a voice from heaven answers Yeshua’s prayer.  What two other times did a voice from heaven speak in Yeshua’s presence with others to witness?  Who else among the apostles also heard a voice from heaven speak to them?  Scripture please.

3. Throughout Yeshua’s earthly ministry we have seen that many people came to believe in Yeshua as Messiah.  This includes many among the prominent Pharisees such as Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin.  Nicodemus may have kept his belief in Yeshua secret and hidden from other members of the Sanhedrin.  There were many other “secret” believers among the rulers who also kept quiet. (John 12:42:43) Is it a good thing or a bad thing to be a secret believer?  Is there a role to be filled by secret believers who choose, for whatever reason, to remain in their synagogue or mosque? What is Yeshua’s instruction regarding this point?

4. Yeshua fulfilled the prophecies regarding the suffering servant but did not at that time fulfill the prophecies concerning the conquering king.  How did Yeshua assure His followers and disciples that He would yet fulfill these prophecies as well?

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[1] FFOZ, The Chronicles of the Messiah. D Thomas Lancaster. Vol. 5 P 1418