Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

 ²²  Philip came and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus.

 ²³  And Jesus answered them, saying, “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  “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.

 ²⁶  “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me;  and where I am, there My servant will be also;  if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. 

 ²⁷  “Now My soul has become troubled;  and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’?  But for this purpose I came to this hour.”  John 12:20-27. 

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The very first verse identifies the people who initiated this conversation as Greeks, and this identification and whole passage reminds me of 1 Corinthians 1:22-24.

“For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom;  but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”  1 Corinthians 1:22-24.

Jesus came to earth, and even to this hour of suffering and crucifixion, for the purpose of His perfect sacrifice and atonement for the sins of His people through His shed blood on the cross. 

Jesus’ soul was indeed troubled, but He did not give up nor fail.  Jesus was obedient to death and accomplished His mission.  “In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.  Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.  And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,”  Hebrews 5:7-9. 

Jesus came to do God’s will.  “By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins;  but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET.  For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”  Hebrews 10:10-14.

“But for this purpose I came to this hour.”