John 12:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."

NIV: Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again."

NASB: Father, glorify Your name.' Then a voice came out of heaven: 'I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.'

CSB: Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."

NLT: Father, bring glory to your name.' Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, 'I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.'

KJV: Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

NKJV: Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”

A group of non-Jewish seekers has come to speak to Jesus (John 12:20–22). His response to them has centered on His impending death, partly using the analogy of a seed which must "die" to attain it's intended purpose (John 12:23–26). He has also stated that what is coming is troubling, to the point He would pray for God to take it away—though Jesus knows it is the entire reason for His incarnation (John 12:27). Jesus' reference to God's glory is one He will echo several times between now and His arrest (John 13:31; 14:13; 17:1).

When Jesus was baptized, a voice from heaven announced God's approval (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22). That was at the very beginning of His public ministry, in the middle of nowhere. Now, a voice is speaking to a crowd in Jerusalem itself. After all Jesus has said and done over the past three years, this overt message ought to be the last piece of proof anyone needs.

The response to this heavenly voice parallels the reactions people often have faced with evidence of the Bible or of God. Some rightly recognize that there's a spiritual component. Others dismiss the obvious by claiming it's something random or meaningless (John 12:29). Ultimately, all those moments where God reveals Himself factor into the judgment that all men are without excuse (Romans 1:18–20; John 12:30–36).

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.