John 12:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.

NIV: "Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.

NASB: Now My soul has become troubled; and what am I to say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.

CSB: "Now my soul is troubled. What should I say—Father, save me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour.

NLT: Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came!

KJV: Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

NKJV: “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.

Jesus is continuing to speak to a group of non-Jewish seekers brought to Him by the disciples (John 12:20–22). His earlier statement compared His impending death to the planting of a seed (John 12:23–26). What might seem like death and destruction is really the process which turns something mundane and immature into something mature and productive. This is a concept also explored by Paul in his letters (1 Corinthians 15:36–42).

This verse provides a fascinating glimpse into the humanity of Jesus Christ. Here He describes Himself the same way He did when approaching Lazarus' grave (John 11:33). It's the same term John chose to depict the turbulence of a pool of water (John 5:7). All of these passages use the Greek root word tarassō, often translated as "troubled," implying an agitation or disturbance. As one fully human, Jesus experienced the same emotions as anyone else (Hebrews 4:15), and in this case that means the anxiety one would expect, given all He knows of what's to come (John 19:1; 19:16).

Jesus also makes an interesting statement about asking God to spare Him from what is coming. There are two ways to interpret this: the first suggests that Jesus is saying, "I should not ask God to spare me." However, that reads too much into the text, which the text does not explicitly say. Jesus does not say anything like "no, I should not." He simply notes that this "hour" (John 12:23) is the purpose for His earthly ministry.

The more reasonable interpretation is that Jesus is saying the same thing He'll pray later in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39; Luke 22:42). Then, with His death hours away, Jesus will make the request His humanity is begging for. At the same time, and without contradiction, He will pray for the will of God the Father to be done. Here, Jesus is saying the same thing, in a somewhat less dramatic form. His statement recorded here is along the lines of saying, "I can pray that…but I know God's will is for this to happen."

John 12:27–43 represents the end of Jesus' public ministry in the gospel of John. After being approached by non-Jewish people who believed in God, Jesus seems agitated as He anticipates His impending death. A voice from heaven affirms His mission, but to most people it simply sounds like noise or thunder. What Jesus means as a reference to crucifixion is misinterpreted by many as a prediction that He'll be exalted: to be ''lifted up.'' The people struggle to understand His message, and Jesus will leave them after warning that their time is short. This confirms Old Testament prophecies and reiterates how far some people will go in order to defy evidence of God.

Jesus is treated to an honorary dinner at the home of Lazarus, whom He has recently raised from death. At this dinner, Lazarus' sister, Mary, anoints Jesus with expensive oil. Jesus then enters Jerusalem to great fanfare, stoking fears that His popularity will attract the anger of the Roman Empire. That anger even inspires a murder plot against Lazarus. After being approached by non-Jewish seekers, Jesus offers a final plea for people to understand His ministry. In effect, these are the last public words spoken by Jesus in the gospel of John.

In the prior chapter, Jesus spectacularly raised Lazarus from death in front of a crowd of witnesses. This inspired local religious leaders to commit to having Him killed. Here, after a celebratory dinner where Jesus is anointed with oil, He will fulfill prophecy by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, celebrated with shouts of ''Hosanna'' and a massive crowd. This leads to a group of curious non-Jews approaching Him. Christ then offers a final plea for belief in Him and His message. After this, His ministry will turn to preparing the disciples for His impending death and resurrection. The next several chapters of the gospel of John are almost entirely made up of his teachings to these men.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.