Gospel: Jesus is to be Glorified
Nota Bene:
**Resumption of Gospel reflections after taking a wellness break**
Today's Gospel reading continues the reflection of St John's narrative from the past weeks. Chapter 12 of the theological Gospel is a preparation for the beginning of the recalling of Jesus' passion to follow at the beginning of the Holy Week. Jesus has just raised St Lazarus from the dead (an important sign contained in St John's Gospel), an event which inspired many people to believe in Jesus. This event also marks the turning point of Jesus' conflict with the Jewish authorities. St John's Gospel tells us the Sanhedrin met after this event and made plans to kill Jesus. Further into the 12th Chapter of the same Gospel, Jesus is anointed at Bethany and enters Jerusalem in triumph. We again see evidence of the significance of the raising of St Lazarus to this trimphant entry; St John reports that the crowds also gathered to see Lazarus.
Following his glorious entrance to Jerusalem, Jesus predicted his passion, death, and Resurrection, and prepared his disciples to believe in the salvation that his death would accomplish. Using the metaphor of the grain of wheat, the Lord presented the idea that his dying would be beneficial to many. He also taught that those who would be his disciples must follow his example of sacrifice. This theme will be repeated in St John's account of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples as an example of how they must serve one another.
The final section of today's Gospel might be read as St John's parallel to the agony in the garden. Unlike the three Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of St John does not record Jesus' anguished prayer in the garden of Gethsemane before his arrest. Although comparable words are found in today's reading, Jesus gives a confident response to the question he raises when asking God to save him from his impending death. After announcing his conviction that it is for this purpose that he came, a voice from Heaven speaks as if in aswer to Jesus' prayer. This voice, like the one heard at Jesus' baptism and at Jesus' Transfiguration (events reported in the Synoptic Gospels and not in the Gospel of St John) affirms that God welcomes the sacrifice that Jesus will make on behalf of others by fearing for his life and asking to be saved like a normal human being. In St John's account, Jesus teaches that this voice was sent for the sake of those who will subsequently believe in him.
In today's reading, we also hear Jesus speak about the cosmic framework against which we are to understand his passion, death, and Resurrection. Through this willful sacrificial offering, Jesus conquered Satan's pride, the ruler of this materialistic world. In this way, the world is already judged, but the judgment is not an act of condemnation. Instead, through the mystery of this sacred Messianic role, the path to salvation was known through him, in him, and by him.
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