Recap of 9/2/12 (John 12:20-27):

1.  John 12:20-50 records the end of Jesus’ public ministry.  This is the last teaching He will conduct among the masses.  Chapters 13-17 deal with Jesus’ teaching for His disciples called the “Upper Room Discourse,” and chapters 18 to the end of the book deal with the crucifixion, the resurrection and the post-resurrection appearances to His disciples.

2.  As if to illustrate the hyperbolic statement of vs. 19 about the whole world going after Jesus, John mentions some Greeks who desired an audience with Jesus.  These Greek were probably “God-fearers,” those who liked the morality and monotheism of the Jews but did not go all the way to conversion to Judaism. 

3.  Jesus realizes that His “hour” has arrived, the hour of His passion, His rejection, scourging, crucifixion and resurrection.  His death was a necessity if there was to be a harvest of salvation.  He would willingly sacrifice His life (as our substitute) to secure eternal life for those who trusted Him. He gave His life so that others might gain real life. 

4.  His sacrifice also would provide a pattern for His disciples to follow of living sacrificially, placing others above themselves

5.  The thought of His coming travail troubles Him, as later it would in the Garden of Gethsemane before His arrest. Jesus is not concerned only for the physical pain He would endure.  His agony is the thought of becoming sin. He the Perfect, sinless Son of God would have to become sin so that we could be redeemed (2 Corinthians 5:19-21)