John 12:27-30
27 “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.
28 Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”
29 Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.”
30 Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.
“Father, Glorify Your Name”
In verse 27, Jesus said His “soul is troubled”. God in the flesh said that He was distressed. But…in Matthew 6:25, Jesus told us not to worry about anything in our lives. In Philippians 4:6, Paul tells us to “be anxious for nothing”. So…is Jesus’ troubled soul a contradiction to what He teaches us in His Word? Not at all. In fact, it is helpful to know that Jesus had these feelings. He was human even though He was God. We are human beings, and we all have emotional responses to disturbing or distressing situations just as we do to happy or joyous situations. But how do we handle our emotions? That is the key. Do we allow our emotions to cloud our judgment? Do we allow our emotions to hinder our work for the Lord? Did Jesus allow His “troubled” soul to keep Him from His purpose? No, He did not. Here is what Jesus said in verse 27, paraphrased: “Now I am distressed in My soul, but what should I say? Should I ask My Father to save Me from what is about to happen to Me? I can’t do that, because this is My purpose for being here. So, because this is My purpose, I say, ‘Father, glorify Your name.’” Jesus’ only purpose was to glorify God through whatever was happening to Him. Whether He was troubled or not… whether He was in pain or not…whether He was stressed out or not… it was all about glorifying God.
It is perfectly normal for us to be troubled, in pain, or stressed out at times, just like our Savior was. But if we can stop and remember the attitude that Jesus had, and say to ourselves, “Let God be glorified through this”, maybe we will have a little bit of an easier time bearing whatever it is.
Let’s fast forward to the night of Jesus’ arrest, when He was praying in the garden. We see Jesus ask God to “let this cup pass from” Him. Jesus was saying, paraphrasing, “Father, if there is any other way to accomplish Your will, I don’t want to go through this.” Did Jesus do wrong by saying this to God? No! He did not, because He also said, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39) Then, in Matthew 26:42, Jesus says, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” Jesus knew this was the only way for God to be glorified through Him. It was the only way to save humankind.
After Jesus said, “Father, glorify Your name”, a voice came from heaven saying, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” What did God mean by this statement? God meant that He was glorified by Jesus’ sinless life and all that He had accomplished while on earth, but that He would be glorified again when Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross for the sins of all humankind. That would be the ultimate glorification.
But listen to verse 28. The people standing around heard what they thought was thunder, and others heard what they thought was an angel speaking to Jesus. It makes perfect sense that they heard thunder, because God’s voice is thunder. In Exodus 19:19, when God spoke at Mt. Sinai, it said this: “And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.” The word “voice” in that verse is translated as “thunder”. In fact, the ESV uses the word “thunder” instead of “voice”. “And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder.” (Exodus 19:19 ESV)
Then in verse 30, Jesus says, paraphrasing, “This voice did not come on account of Me, but for Your sake.” Jesus knows who He is, and what His purpose is. He didn’t need God to do that for Him. But the people needed to sit up and take notice. Whether they heard thunder or thought it was an angel of God, it was obvious that God was giving His Son His stamp of approval, just as He did at His baptism. God was saying, “This is my Son who is glorifying Me, and He is about to glorify Me again by dying for all of you. Pay attention to Him.” Are we paying enough attention to Jesus in our lives today? Are we letting our emotions guide us, or are we letting Jesus guide us? Are we allowing our emotions to hinder our purpose of glorifying God? I pray that in my worst moments, I can say, “Father, glorify Your name through this moment.” But I am so weak, though. Lord, help me.
God’s Plan of Salvation
Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible.
We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17)
Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16)
Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32)
Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19)
Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)
Then, we must remain faithful until death or until Jesus returns, whichever comes first. (Rev. 2:10)
God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out.
I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!
