The Hour is Come   

[1] When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. [10] So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, [11] because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. [12] The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. [13] So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" [14] And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, [15] "Fear not, daughter of Zion;behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!" [16] His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. [17] The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. [18] The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. [19] So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him." [20] Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. [21] So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." [22] Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. [23] And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. [24] Truly, truly, 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. [25] Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. [26] If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. (ESV)   

There is an intriguing statement in this passage that is made by the Pharisees, "Look, the world has gone after him." I do not know if this bears any prophetic significance. It probably does not. However, Jesus now come to HIS HOUR. The hour when he as the spotless lamb of heaven will offer himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.

While all may not actually come to him, Jesus will make himself available to everyone. He will be lifted up on the cross and men will be drawn to him. While the cross is about man's redemption and salvation from the slavery of sin and the hold of Satan, it is more about God's love for man and the willingness for the Son to be absent from the glory of all that he had known to execute the fulness of that love.

This Hour for Jesus will be filled with the horror of all that the cross brings to bear. He in this hour will be spit on, mocked, brutally beaten, his scalp pierced with long and painful thorns, his wrists and feet pierced with long Roman stakes and finally, hung up on the cross fighting for each breath.

Yet in the midst of this brutality, surrounded by the stench of sin and death, one can smell the fragrance of Heaven's redemption and love as the power of all that had entered into the world because of the the fall grows weaker, overcome by this divine and unconditional love.

As the blood of the spotless lamb of God falls to the ground he says his final words and breathes his last breath. The hour is now complete. It is finished. The Law has been fulfilled as the veil of the temple is rent in two and death and hell's keys will soon be secure in the hands of the one who is the fulness of life.

The hour, while bleak in the eyes of man, is glorious in the eyes of the Father. For his Son, His only begotten Son, has made ALL THINGS NEW.

Now, as the Pharisees have said about him in this passage the whole world can come to Jesus.