Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself

 "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.  Father, glorify Your name."  Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again."  Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered.  Others said, "An angel has spoken to Him."  Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.  Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.  And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."  This He said, signifying by what death He would die.  The people answered Him, "We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'?  Who is this Son of Man?"  Then Jesus said to them, "A little while longer the light is with you.  Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.  While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."  These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.

- John 12:27-36a

Yesterday we read that there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the Passover feast.  Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."  Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.  But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.  Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.  He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also.  If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor."

"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.  Father, glorify Your name."  Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again."  Jesus' words illustrate both His human and the divine natures.  As a human being, Jesus says that His soul is troubled, as He knows what is coming.  But according to His divine nature, His will is subservient to the purposes of the Father.  The Father's name, my study bible says, is an extension of His Person.  The Son's death completes the purpose of the Father and shows His love for all, thereby glorifying Him.  Christ accepts for the Father to lead Him to the Cross.  God the Father's response refers to the signs already performed by Christ and to the death and Resurrection to come.

Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered.  Others said, "An angel has spoken to Him."  Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake."  My study bible comments here that although the Father spoke clearly, some people heard indistinct sounds like thunder because they lacked faith.  Those with a little faith heard the words but did not know the source, thinking that it was an angel.  The disciples knew that the Father Himself had spoken, as Jesus addresses them by saying the voice came "for your sake."

"Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.  And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."  This He said, signifying by what death He would die.   Lifted up is Christ's reference to the Cross (see also 3:14-15; 8:28).  He says that His death will not only bring salvation to all peoples, but unmistakably that it will render judgment on this world -- destroying the power of the ruler of this world, Satan.

The people answered Him, "We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'?  Who is this Son of Man?"  Then Jesus said to them, "A little while longer the light is with you.  Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.  While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."  These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.  The light refers to Christ, and this reflects a repeated theme in John's Gospel (1:4-9; 8:12).  My study bible says that Christ's teaching here has several facets of meaning.  First, that He will be shortly completing His public ministry.  Moreover, our lives are very limited; we have a short time to repent and believe in Christ before death.  Finally, the second coming of Christ is only a little while when compared to eternity. 

As we come closer to the Crucifixion, the time of choice becomes more stark, more clear.  Jesus now brings up Judgment:  "the judgment of this world," as He puts it.   As Jesus is lifted up on the Cross, the Crucifixion somehow asks us to make a decision.  Moreover the judgment is against "the ruler of this world," the one who would truly desire to bring about the death of Christ and in so doing feel that somehow His message of spiritual liberation would be lost.  The Cross becomes not only the symbol of salvation, but the means whereby we are set free from the this "strong man" who would keep us captive (Matthew 12:29-30).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught, "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also.  If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor."  It's a question of what we put first, and what we are willing to choose when faced with the dilemma of following Him or allowing something to which we cling to stop us from going where He asks us to go.  Jesus, as any human being, loves His life in this world.  But as Son, He goes where He must go and does what He must do to lead the way.  In this sense He is "lifted up" for us, in order to gather all to Him, and to cast out in judgment the ruler of this world.  How is this important for you today?  Are there things you need to "cast out" in order to better follow Christ?  Is there something you need to face?  These choices, as also exemplified in the Cross, are not simple and easy.  We come up against hard choices, relationships we cherish, personal habits we take pleasure or pride in, customs we're told are essential, and we need to be willing to find His way, a different way, a future that we don't yet know as we follow Him further along down that road.  Often that future is on the other side of the Cross.  What does this mean for you?  How will you be set free from the strong man of this world for a better Leader?