“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” John 12:23

God’s will and God’s timing are two different things. Spiritually led Christians seek God’s will in everything. As important is seeking God’s timing. In this scripture we sense Jesus is aware of both the Father’s will and the Father’s timing.

The context of this scripture is the last Passover for Jesus. Intentionally, He has come to Jerusalem, knowing it was the Father’s will that He die for the sins of mankind. During these final days, several responses to Jesus’ presence are overlooked by people but noted by Jesus verifying the hour He was facing. Notice the change of demeanor in Jesus . Jesus responds, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.” (John 12:23) Notice the reactions of people that verify for Jesus, His time has come.

Notice there is a great diversity in the response to Jesus. The Pharisees feared the whole world was following Jesus. (John 12:19) In their eyes, this meant they were not following them. In the name of religion, the religious leaders failed to see how wrong religion is when it fails to identify where God is at work. At the same time, Gentiles who would be considered interested but outside “the faith,” are seeking to meet Jesus personally. What the Pharisees feared, others revered. Both responses were clear fulfillment of scripture Jesus recognized.

Jesus’ response is to acknowledge, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” (John 12:23) Instead of identifying a problem, Jesus identifies a purpose. His dying will be like a seed that is planted in the ground to become a great plant. His dying is for the purpose of creating life, not ending it. Though troubled at the price being required of Him, Jesus desires to glorify the Father with obedience to purpose.

Man’s response is to believe and follow. “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:25) If we choose to serve Jesus, we must follow Him in His spirit of surrender and focus on glorifying the Father as our ultimate purpose.

God’s response is to affirm such dedication. The Father responds to Jesus in his commitment, with, “I have glorified it (My name) and will glorify it again.” (John 12:28) The desire of all men is to be approved of God. The judgment is that being approved of God, is determined by believing that Jesus is the perfect expression of God’s will and God’s timing. While judgment may seem distant, judgment is now, even as each decide if Jesus is to be feared or followed. If followed, the price required in this life is insignificant to knowing the affirmation, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

So we see the sensitivity of God’s will and God’s timing in verse 36, “While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become ‘sons of light.’” To miss the opportunity Jesus offers is to miss what God’s will really is.

Dr. John Temple is chaplain of the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office. From the Shepherd’s Heart is published Fridays in The Meridian Star.