FINDINGS III By Harry T. Cook

Lent V - 2012    

John 12: 20-33   

Harry T. Cook

The time is now about a week or less from the third Passover in John's narrative cycle (see 12:1). It is the day that, in John's chronicle, Jesus enters Jerusalem just as Mark, Matthew and Luke depicted, riding on an ass. Matthew and John deliberately connect that manner of transportation with Zechariah 9:9. So now Jesus and his following are in Jerusalem where they would be naturally, i.e. to participate in the sacrificial acts of the Passover. He is fresh from events at Bethany among which was the summoning of his friend Lazarus from his tomb. The Pharisees are muttering about how the episode just a short distance southeast of Jerusalem has fixed it so that "the whole world has gone after him." It is a guess that it was the story of Jesus' own resurrection that, in John's scheme, made the "whole world" join up with the late first century C.E. Jesus movement.

Meanwhile, there is much business as Jerusalem is crowded for Passover with Jews from all over -- including, John says, "some Greeks," meaning, one supposes, Greek-speaking Jews of the Diaspora. They are depicted as coming to Philip in his third cameo appearance in this narrative since 1:43 and expressing a desire to see Jesus. It is Philip who, it is said in ch. 1, that Jesus invited to "come and see" where he was staying. Now it is Philip who was saying, "Come and see." The attention span ends abruptly here with Philip going off to consult Andrew and the two of them going to Jesus, supposedly with the Greeks' request.

Typical of this gospel, the simple representation ("There are some Greek types outside who say they want to see you") leads to a non sequitur outburst -- this one composed of vv. 23-28a, which include the Johannine version of Mark 8:35, Matthew 10:39 and Luke 9: 24. More is implied than is actually said straight out in these verses. The ώρα (hour, time or any period fixed by season) has come for his "glorification," i.e. the public opinion to be rendered on his life. Those who are drawn to him will express a high opinion of him, will "magnify" or "glorify him." Those who see him as a threat will deliver a different assessment. Hence, v. 24: a passion prediction set out in more veiled words than say, at Mark 8:31. Hence, also, the challenge to lose life in order to gain or hold on to it (v. 25).

V. 27 is a Gethsemane-like comment: "Now is my ψυχή -- anima, breath, vital principle, essence - "stirred up," from ταράσσω, meaning "perplexed" or "disturbed." I will suggest that it is a positive rather than a negative experience being described here. Jesus' prayer is that his Father' "name" (nature) will be brought to high repute, even as his followers will see him for what and who he is -- a thing John spelled out back in 1:1-4. Then, reminiscent of the baptism narratives at Mark 1:11. Matthew 3:17 and Luke 3:22b, a voice from on high is heard to speak. The implication is that Jesus both hears the voice and understands what it speaks. But all the crowd is said to have heard was a clap of thunder. Yet, Jesus is depicted as saying that the voice spoke for the sake of the crowd gathered at the site.

Remembering that the time of this episode is placed just after the last entry into Jerusalem and not many verses away from John's depiction of the last supper, we may interpret 12: 31-32 as Jesus' public valedictory: "Now is the crisis time (or judgment) of this world . . . Now will the one who holds sway in this world be ousted," as it were, in a coup . . . As for me, when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people (or things) to myself." John felt it necessary to add an editorial note, saying, "He said this to indicate how he was to die."

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In the liturgical round of things, the scene will move back to According to Mark and to its narrative of the entrance to Jerusalem and leading from there to the last week of Jesus' life. It is in a way confusing to move backward and forward in a time line, as we do from today's reading from John, which occurs in the gospel subsequent to the entry scene. It is as confusing to move from one set of documents and their witness to another.

The hope for the homilist and or teacher dealing with this text is to use it for the preparation of the congregation or class for the Holy Week lections. The Johannine language about "glorification" and the "voice from heaven" helps remind careful readers and interpreters that they are dealing with mythology -- very good mythology, to be sure, but mythology nonetheless.