John 12:20

My Notes

What Does John 12:20 Mean?

"And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast." GREEKS — Gentiles — come to Jerusalem for the feast and seek Jesus. The arrival of Greek God-seekers at the Jewish Passover signals the EXPANSION of Jesus' mission beyond Israel. The Greeks represent the wider world — the Gentile nations that will ultimately receive the gospel. Their arrival triggers Jesus' declaration about the 'hour' (verse 23 — 'the hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified').

The phrase "certain Greeks" (Hellēnes tines — some Greeks/Gentiles) identifies the seekers as NON-JEWISH: these aren't Hellenistic Jews (Jews who spoke Greek). They're GREEKS — Gentiles, pagans, people from outside the covenant. Their presence at the feast means they're GOD-FEARERS — Gentiles attracted to Jewish worship but not fully converted. They've come to Jerusalem to worship the God of Israel.

The "came up to worship at the feast" (tōn anabainontōn hina proskynēsōsin en tē heortē — of those going up in order to worship at the feast) means their visit is WORSHIPFUL: the Greeks aren't tourists. They're WORSHIPERS. They came UP (anabainontōn — ascending to Jerusalem, the standard term for pilgrimage) with the PURPOSE of worship. The Gentile world is ascending to Jerusalem to seek the God of Israel — and they will find Jesus.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What unexpected seekers from outside your circle are signaling expansion?
• 2.What does Gentiles arriving to worship trigger in Jesus' timeline — and what does that teach about expansion requiring sacrifice?
• 3.How does the Greeks' arrival being WORSHIP-MOTIVATED describe genuine seeking?
• 4.What 'grain of wheat' must fall and die so that the fruit extends beyond your current circle?

Devotional

Greeks came to worship at the feast. GENTILES — ascending to Jerusalem, seeking God, joining the Passover crowd. And they ask to SEE JESUS (verse 21). The wider world has arrived. The Gentile nations are at the door. The mission that started with Israel is about to extend to everyone.

The 'certain Greeks' signals the EXPANSION: throughout John's Gospel, Jesus' ministry has been primarily to ISRAEL. Now GREEKS appear — Gentiles, outsiders, representatives of the non-Jewish world. Their arrival is the signal that the ministry's scope is about to change. The gospel that was FOR Israel will now go THROUGH Israel to everyone. The Greeks at the feast are the first drops of the Gentile flood.

The 'came up to worship' makes the Greeks GENUINE SEEKERS: they're not merchants or diplomats at the feast. They're WORSHIPERS — people who ascended to Jerusalem for the specific purpose of worshiping God. The pilgrimage is INTENTIONAL. The worship is the GOAL. The Greeks represent the Gentile world that genuinely SEEKS God — not the hostile pagan world but the seeking pagan world. The world that's hungry for what Israel has.

The Greeks' arrival triggers Jesus' HOUR-DECLARATION (verse 23): the moment the Gentiles arrive seeking Him, Jesus says 'the hour is come.' The connection is explicit — the Gentile seeking triggers the glorification timeline. The cross (which Jesus will describe as glorification) becomes necessary BECAUSE the mission is expanding beyond Israel. The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die (verse 24) so that it can produce MUCH FRUIT — fruit that includes Greeks, Gentiles, the whole world.

What 'Greeks' — what unexpected seekers from outside your circle — are signaling that your mission is about to expand?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture