27-28 “Right now I am shaken. And what am I going to say? ‘Father, get me out of this’? No, this is why I came in the first place. I’ll say, ‘Father, put your glory on display.’”

A voice came out of the sky: “I have glorified it, and I’ll glorify it again.”

29 The listening crowd said, “Thunder!”

Others said, “An angel spoke to him!”

30-33 Jesus said, “The voice didn’t come for me but for you. At this moment the world is in crisis. Now Satan, the ruler of this world, will be thrown out. And I, as I am lifted up from the earth, will attract everyone to me and gather them around me.” He put it this way to show how he was going to be put to death.

34 Voices from the crowd answered, “We heard from God’s Law that the Messiah lasts forever. How can it be necessary, as you put it, that the Son of Man ‘be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”

35-36 Jesus said, “For a brief time still, the light is among you. Walk by the light you have so darkness doesn’t destroy you. If you walk in darkness, you don’t know where you’re going. As you have the light, believe in the light. Then the light will be within you, and shining through your lives. You’ll be children of light.”

Their Eyes Are Blinded

36-40 Jesus said all this, and then went into hiding. All these God-signs he had given them and they still didn’t get it, still wouldn’t trust him. This proved that the prophet Isaiah was right:

God, who believed what we preached?
Who recognized God’s arm, outstretched and ready to act?

First they wouldn’t believe, then they couldn’t—again, just as Isaiah said:

Their eyes are blinded,
    their hearts are hardened,
So that they wouldn’t see with their eyes
    and perceive with their hearts,
And turn to me, God,
    so I could heal them.

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27 “Now my soul is troubled,(A) and what shall I say? ‘Father,(B) save me from this hour’?(C) No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven,(D) “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

30 Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit,(E) not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world;(F) now the prince of this world(G) will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up[a] from the earth,(H) will draw all people to myself.”(I) 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.(J)

34 The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law(K) that the Messiah will remain forever,(L) so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man(M) must be lifted up’?(N) Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”

35 Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light(O) just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light,(P) before darkness overtakes you.(Q) Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. 36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.”(R) When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.(S)

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Footnotes

  1. John 12:32 The Greek for lifted up also means exalted.