John 12:23 & 13:31 (continued)
In the first part of this study, we examined the saying in 12:23 in its literary context—the chapter 12 Discourse of vv. 20-36. In particular, a detailed analysis of the first two Discourse-units (vv. 23-26 & 27-30) was presented. Now we turn to the third (and final) Discourse-unit (vv. 31-36).
The initial saying by Jesus contains two main statements, in verse 31 and 32, respectively. The first statement itself has two related announcements, each beginning with the temporal particle nu=n (“Now…”):
- “Now [nu=n] is (the) judgment of this world”
- “Now [nu=n] the chief [a&rxwn] of this world will be cast out”
The saying in the second Discourse-unit (v. 27) also begins with the particle nu=n. This parallelism ties the moment of (eschatological) judgment with the onset of Jesus’ Passion (cf. the discussion on vv. 27-30 in the first part of this study). That is to say, it is with the suffering and death of Jesus that the judgment announced here in v. 31 takes place. Among early Christians, and as reflected in the Gospel Tradition, the Passion of Christ was understood in eschatological terms; but, within the Gospel of John, this has been filtered through the distinctive Johannine eschatology. The Johannine eschatology is rooted in its Christology, and is especially distinguished by its ‘realized’ aspect. End-time events, such as the resurrection and the Last Judgment, are realized already in the present moment, as human beings are confronted with the message of who Jesus is (the Son sent from heaven) and what he has done (the mission for which he was sent). The Son’s mission culminates with Jesus’ death.
The first declaration in v. 31 is a straightforward announcement of the end-time Judgment: “Now is (the) judgment [kri/si$] of this world”. The expression “this world”, utilizing the demonstrative pronoun, is part of the Johannine theological vocabulary—and, in particular, the important theological use of the noun ko/smo$ (“world-order, world”). The expression is not limited to the Johannine writings, as Paul also uses it (and in a similar manner) on a number of occasions—1 Cor 3:19; 5:10; 7:31; 2 Cor 4:4; Rom 12:2; cf. also Eph 2:2. It brings out the negative aspects of the term “world”, emphasizing the wicked/sinful tendencies of human beings (on earth), especially during the end-time period of distress. The expression “this age [ai)w/n]” is virtually synonymous with “this world” in the Pauline writings (1 Cor 1:20; 2:6, 8; 3:18; also Eph 1:21); the usage is traditional, with a decidedly eschatological emphasis, contrasting the current Age, which is coming to an end (1 Cor 2:6; 7:31; cp. 1 Jn 2:17), with the Age to Come.
The negative significance of the word ko/smo$ is even more prominent in the Johannine writings, as we have discussed previously, on a number of occasions. The judgment of the world, at the end-time, is a fundamental tenet of Jewish and early Christian belief (e.g., Acts 17:31; Rom 3:6), etc; but, again, this theme has special theological (and Christological) significance in the Gospel of John. In early Christian thought, the exalted Jesus will play a central role in the Judgment—ushering it in and overseeing it (as God the Father’s representative). Yet, in Johannine thought, the moment of the Judgment has shifted—from the future to the present—and it is realized in the present (cf. above) based on whether or not a person trusts in Jesus as the Son of God. A trust in the purpose of the Son’s mission—and, specifically, of his sacrificial death—is integral to this faith.
The key references dealing with the judgment of the world in the Gospel are: 3:19, 9:39, here in 12:31, and 16:8, 11. In 9:39, Jesus declares that he came into the world for the purpose of judgment (“unto/for judgment [ei)$ kri/ma]”), even though elsewhere he specifically states that he did not come to judge the world (12:47; cf. 8:15f). This apparent contradiction can be explained by Jesus’ words in 12:48, which also relate to the statement in 3:19. It is a person’s failure/refusal to trust in Jesus that ultimately functions as the judge for that person, and brings the judgment.
Those who do not trust in Jesus belong to the world (o( ko/smo$), this world—the current age of sin and wickedness that is fundamentally opposed to God—and they are judged along with the world as a whole. The Son (Jesus) does not belong to this world (8:23; 18:36, etc), nor do those who trust in him, even though they/we may happen to be living in the midst of the world at present (see esp. 15:18-19; 16:33; 17:5-18; 1 Jn 4:4-5, 17; 5:4-5). This principle underlies the teaching by Jesus in 12:25 (see the prior discussion), in its Johannine context.
A central feature of the judgment of “this world” is the judgment of its ruler (or “chief”, a&rxwn), v. 31b. The expression “the chief of this world” occurs twice more in the Johannine Passion narrative, in the great Last Discourse (14:30; 16:11). In 14:30, Jesus announces that “the chief of this world comes [i.e. is coming]”, alluding to the time of darkness and evil that will seem to prevail during his suffering and death (cp. Luke 22:53). However, the apparent dominion of “this world” (and its ruler) during this time is only illusory; the “chief of this world” has no real power over the Son, as is clear from Jesus’ statement “and he holds nothing on me”. Though the expression “the chief of this world” refers principally to the Satan/Devil (“the Evil [one]”, cf. 17:15; 1 Jn 2:13-14; 5:18-19), Jesus’ words apply equally to human rulers such as Pilate (18:36; 19:11). Even before Jesus’ actual death, with the onset of his Passion, the world and its ruler have already been judged. This is expressed by the use of the perfect tense in the climactic statements of 16:11 and 33:
- “the chief of this world has been judged [ke/kritai]” (v. 11)
- “…I have been victorious [neni/khka] (over) the world!” (v. 33)
If the statement(s) in 12:31 reflect the negative side of the Judgment—that is, the judgment upon the wickedness (unbelief) of the world—verse 32 gives us the positive aspect:
“And I, if I should be lifted high [u(ywqw=] out of the earth, I will drag all (people) toward myself.”
This is a fundamental declaration of the Son’s exaltation—a dynamic that begins with his death upon the cross. We have seen how a similar reference to Jesus’ death is central to several of the earlier “son of man” sayings—3:14 [study] and 8:28 [study]. It may be worth citing these again here, for comparison:
The same verb (u(yo/w, “lift/raise high”) is used, referring specifically to Jesus’ death on the cross, as an essential part of his exaltation. It is one of two principal verbs used to express this, the other being doca/zw (“give/show honor”), which was used in the “son of man” saying of 12:23 (the central saying of this Discourse, cf. part 1). In context, the verbs are clearly parallel, and largely synonymous—they both express the idea of the Son’s exaltation, which commences with his suffering and death. The Gospel writer uses doca/zw, for this same purpose, in the explanatory comments of 7:39 and 12:16. Other important references occur in the Discourse/narrative settings of 8:54 and 11:4, but these are prefatory, anticipating the usage in 12:23 and 13:31 (see below).
Jesus’ statement that he, when he is “lifted high”, will “drag all (people)” to himself, refers, in a comprehensive manner, to all those who will trust in him; in the Johannine idiom, this can be expressed in terms of “coming to[ward]” the Son (3:20-21; 5:40; 6:37, etc). The use of the verb e(lku/w (“drag, draw”) here has a deterministic implication, which can be seen more clearly by the parallel in 6:44: “No one is able to come toward me, if the Father, the (One hav)ing sent me, does not drag him (there)”. Believers are “dragged” toward the Son, so as to trust in him. In 6:44, it is the Father who does the dragging, while here in 12:32 it is the Son himself who does it. In any case, the statement refers to believers coming to trust in Jesus; once he has been exalted, then all believers everywhere—all those throughout the world—will eventually trust in him.
Following the saying(s) in vv. 31-32, the response of Jesus’ hearers, reflecting their lack of understanding, comes in vv. 33-34. Because of the importance of these verses in connection with the expression “the son of man”, I am devoting a separate study to them. There, verses 35-36, the exposition by Jesus that concludes the Discourse, will also be discussed.
John 13:31
I wish to bring this current study to a close by considering the keystone saying of v. 23 in its relation to the parallel saying in 13:31. First, let us look at these side by side:
The sayings are quite similar, even though their literary context is quite different. The saying in 12:23, as discussed, represents the central saying of the final Discourse of the first half of the Gospel (the Public Ministry Period); the saying in 13:31, on the other hand, marks the beginning of the great Last Discourse (13:31-16:33) that effectively opens the second half of the Gospel (the Passion Narrative). The Last Discourse is introduced by the narrative of 13:1-30, the Johannine version of the Last Supper scene. The theme of Jesus’ exaltation (death, resurrection, departure to heaven) is established at the very beginning of the narrative (v. 1), utilizing the same motif of the “hour” (w%ra) that features in 12:23.
The dividing line between the Last Supper narrative and the Last Discourse is the departure of Judas (v. 30). With Judas no longer present (note the opening words of v. 31), Jesus is able to give the necessary instruction to his circle of close/true disciples (true believers). The “son of man” saying in verse 31 begins this instruction, in which Jesus prepares his disciples for his impending exaltation/departure. In 12:23, he states that “the hour has come” for the Son to be honored (by the Father), indicating that his exaltation is about to take place. Now, here in 13:31, the exaltation has, in fact, taken place, as indicated by the aorist indicative form of the verb doca/zw (e)doca/sqh); this can be understood in terms of Jesus’ Passion having begun. The saying is introduced by same temporal particle (nu=n, “now…”) as the sayings in 12:27, 31 (see above). It makes clear that the Son’s exaltation has now begun.
There is another important parallel with that earlier passage in the wording of vv. 31-32, which seems to echo 12:28—and the Father’s response (from heaven) to the Son’s request:
- Son: “Father, give honor (to) your name”
- Father: “Indeed, I (have) honored (it), and will honor (it) again”
This key principle—that the Father is exalted/honored by the Son’s exaltation—is also expressed here in 13:31-32:
“Now the son of man is given honor, and God is honored in him;
(and) if God is honored in him, (then) He also will honor him in Him, and straightaway will honor him!”
There is a certain textual difficulty in v. 32, as the words in gray (above) are absent from a number of key witnesses (Ë66 a* B C* D L W X P f1 al). While this would normally be a strong indicator that the clause is not original, it is actually easier to explain its deletion (by copyists) rather than its addition. The redundantly repetitive nature of the longer text doubtless would have prompted more than one copyists to delete/omit the offending portion. However, I believe that the longer text is original (and correct), and that it is meant to express the vital principal of reciprocity (as a sign of unity), between Father and Son. Note the chiastic parallelism:
- The Son is given honor
- the Father is honored in him
- the Son will be honored in Him
- The Father will honor him
- The Son is given honor
The two inner clauses express the idea of unity (and reciprocity), through the shared prepositional expression e)n au)tw=| (“in him”). The extreme awkwardness of the second of these clauses (“God will honor him in Him”) is due to the fact that, as a theological point, God the Father is exclusively the actor, the one who “gives honor”.
The themes of unity and reciprocal relationship, between Father and Son, are extensively developed throughout the Last Discourse (and the Discourse-Prayer of chapter 17). Increasingly, the disciples (believers) are included within this dynamic of unity and reciprocity, with the Spirit (cf. the Paraclete sayings) representing the binding power/presence through which the union is realized. Another theme developed throughout chapters 14-17 is that of honor/exaltation, expressed by the verb doca/zw (and noun do/ca); and, again, the honor shown to the Son is extended to believers as well. Though the vocabulary occurs in 14:13; 15:8; 16:14, it features most prominently throughout chapter 17 (vv. 1, 4-5, 10, 22, 24).
The announcement in 13:31f opens the door for Jesus to give all this instruction to his true disciples (believers). His Passion (suffering and death), marks the completion of the incarnate Son’s earthly mission (cf. 19:30). All teaching that will follow for believers will come through the Spirit.
