John 12:34 - Jesus Predicts His Death

The crowd replied
The crowd's response indicates a collective reaction to Jesus' previous statements. This crowd likely consisted of Jewish people who were familiar with the teachings of the Law and the Prophets. Their reply shows a misunderstanding or confusion about Jesus' identity and mission, reflecting the common expectations of the Messiah at the time.

“We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever.
The crowd refers to the Law, which in this context includes the entire Hebrew Scriptures, not just the Pentateuch. They likely reference passages such as Psalm 89:36-37 and Daniel 7:14, which speak of an everlasting kingdom. The Jewish expectation was that the Messiah would establish a permanent, earthly reign, which contrasts with Jesus' teachings about His death and resurrection.

So how can You say that the Son of Man must be lifted up?
The term "lifted up" is a reference to Jesus' crucifixion, as seen in John 3:14 and John 8:28. The crowd struggles to reconcile the idea of a suffering Messiah with their understanding of a triumphant, eternal ruler. The title "Son of Man" is significant, as it is a messianic title from Daniel 7:13-14, which Jesus frequently used for Himself, emphasizing both His humanity and divine authority.

Who is this Son of Man?”
This question reveals the crowd's confusion and lack of understanding about Jesus' identity. Despite Jesus' teachings and miracles, many struggled to see Him as the fulfillment of messianic prophecies. The question also highlights the tension between Jesus' revelation of Himself and the prevailing messianic expectations. This moment invites readers to consider the true nature of Jesus' mission and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies in ways that were unexpected by many of His contemporaries.

Persons / Places / Events

1. The Crowd
A group of people present during Jesus' teaching, likely consisting of Jews familiar with the Scriptures and the prophecies concerning the Messiah.

2. The Law
Refers to the Jewish Scriptures, particularly the Torah and the prophetic writings, which the crowd references in their understanding of the Messiah's eternal reign.

3. The Christ
The anointed one, the Messiah, whom the Jews expected to establish an everlasting kingdom.

4. The Son of Man
A title Jesus frequently used for Himself, emphasizing both His humanity and His divine authority, drawing from Daniel 7:13-14.

5. Being Lifted Up
A reference to Jesus' crucifixion, which the crowd misunderstands as contradictory to their expectation of an eternal Messiah.

Teaching Points

Understanding Messianic Prophecies
The crowd's confusion highlights the importance of understanding the full scope of Messianic prophecies, which include both suffering and glory.

The Dual Nature of Christ's Mission
Jesus' mission involved both His sacrificial death and His eternal reign, which are not mutually exclusive but complementary.

The Importance of Spiritual Insight
The crowd's misunderstanding underscores the need for spiritual insight, which comes through the Holy Spirit, to grasp the full meaning of Jesus' words.

Faith in God's Plan
Trusting in God's plan requires faith, especially when His ways and timing differ from our expectations.

The Role of Scripture in Understanding Jesus
Regular study and meditation on Scripture are crucial for a deeper understanding of Jesus' identity and mission.

(34) we have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever.. . . . .--The term "law" refers to the whole of the Old Testament Scripture, as we have seen in John 10:34. (Comp. Note there.) They may have referred to such passages as Psalm 89:36; Psalm 110:4; Isaiah 9:6; Daniel 7:13-14. This remark is an instance of the knowledge of Rabbinic theology which interpreted such passages of a temporal Messianic reign. They had witnessed His triumphal entry into the royal city, and had joined in the acclamations which hailed Him as their King. They expected Him to free them from Roman bondage, and to rule over them in an earthly paradise to which there should be no end. The Christ they thought was to abide for ever.

How sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up?--His words have conveyed to them the idea of His death, and we find "lifted up" used not unfrequently in the Rabbinical writings in this sense; but they do not understand more than this. It contradicts all their visions of a Messianic reign. The Son of man to be lifted up! What meant, then, such words as these--"And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed" (Daniel 7:14)? They cannot reconcile these things, and they ask Him to explain them. . . .

Verse 34. - The audience of Jesus on this occasion has swollen into a vast group. The few Greeks, with Philip and Andrew, the other disciples, the smaller circle of sympathetic listeners, the disturbed and feverish crowd, are all about him, as he claims by death itself to judge the world, to win all men, and east out the spirit and prince of the world from his usurped throne. The multitude then answered him, We heard - received information by public teaching - out of the Law that the Christ abideth forever. Numerous passages may have been reasonably in their minds - Psalm 110; Isaiah 9; Ezekiel 37:25; Daniel 7:13, 14 - in which the glories of an everlasting kingdom were predicted. In ver. 23 the Lord had in their hearing spoken of himself as "Son of man." Meyer, by giving the dominant sense of glorification to the ὑψώθω, thinks that the people must be contrasting, in pert criticism, the lowly "Son of man" before them with the "Son of man" of Daniel's vision. But it would be far more probable that the people accepted Christ's intimation of the manner of his death, and hence felt the incongruity of such a Son of man - One who dies, and therefore lives again - with the glowing pictures of Daniel or the 'Book of Henoch.' "The Christ abideth forever." And how sayest thou that the Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man? They did not identify "the Son of man" with the Messiah. They probably supposed two manifestations. They may have doubted, as John the Baptist did, whether Jesus had fulfilled the whole conception of the ἐρχόμενος. It was once more a vague, dull inquiry, "Who art thou?" We are still in doubt who thou art, and how thou canst claim to be the Christ of our prophecies. To be our Christ, and die, is a contradiction in terms. Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

The
ὁ (ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

crowd
ὄχλος (ochlos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3793: From a derivative of echo; a throng; by implication, the rabble; by extension, a class of people; figuratively, a riot.

replied,
Ἀπεκρίθη (Apekrithē)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 611: From apo and krino; to conclude for oneself, i.e. to respond; by Hebraism to begin to speak.

“We
Ἡμεῖς (Hēmeis)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

have heard
ἠκούσαμεν (ēkousamen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

from
ἐκ (ek)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

the
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Law
νόμου (nomou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3551: From a primary nemo; law, genitive case, specially, (including the volume); also of the Gospel), or figuratively.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

the
ὁ (ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Christ
Χριστὸς (Christos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.

will remain
μένει (menei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3306: To remain, abide, stay, wait; with acc: I wait for, await. A primary verb; to stay.

forever.
αἰῶνα (aiōna)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 165: From the same as aei; properly, an age; by extension, perpetuity; by implication, the world; specially a Messianic period.

[So]
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

how
πῶς (pōs)
Adverb
Strong's 4459: Adverb from the base of pou; an interrogative particle of manner; in what way?; also as exclamation, how much!

{can} you
σὺ (sy)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

say
λέγεις (legeis)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Son
Υἱὸν (Huion)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.

of Man
ἀνθρώπου (anthrōpou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 444: A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being.

must
δεῖ (dei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1163: Third person singular active present of deo; also deon deh-on'; neuter active participle of the same; both used impersonally; it is Necessary.

be lifted up?
ὑψωθῆναι (hypsōthēnai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Passive
Strong's 5312: (a) I raise on high, lift up, (b) I exalt, set on high. From hupsos; to elevate.

Who
τίς (tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

this
οὗτος (houtos)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

Son
Υἱὸς (Huios)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.

of Man??
ἀνθρώπου (anthrōpou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 444: A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being.

Links

John 12:34 NIV
John 12:34 NLT
John 12:34 ESV
John 12:34 NASB
John 12:34 KJVJohn 12:34 BibleApps.com
John 12:34 Biblia Paralela
John 12:34 Chinese Bible
John 12:34 French Bible
John 12:34 Catholic BibleNT Gospels: John 12:34 The multitude answered him We have heard (Jhn Jo Jn)