John 12:34
The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?
John 12:34 (KJV)
Context
John 12 places Jesus near the end of His earthly ministry, just before His crucifixion. In the preceding verses, Jesus has spoken of being lifted up from the earth, and John notes that He said this to signify the kind of death He would die (John 12:32-33). The crowd’s response in this verse comes from their understanding of the Old Testament Scriptures, which they call “the law.“
Meaning
The people acknowledge that they have heard from the law that Christ abides forever. This expectation was rooted in passages such as Psalm 89:35-37, Isaiah 9:7, and Ezekiel 37:25, which speak of the Messiah’s enduring reign. Their confusion arises because Jesus has just spoken of the Son of Man being lifted up, which they understand as a reference to death. They cannot reconcile the idea of an eternal Messiah with the prospect of His death, so they ask, “Who is this Son of man?“
The title “Son of Man” was Jesus’ preferred way of referring to Himself, emphasizing both His humanity and His identification with humanity. The crowd’s question reveals their partial understanding: they knew the Messiah would abide forever, but they did not grasp that He must first suffer and die before His eternal reign. Their expectation of a conquering, reigning king caused them to stumble at the cross.
Biblical connections
The phrase “lifted up” is used by John specifically to refer to crucifixion, as clarified in John 12:33. Jesus’ response in the following verses does not directly answer their question but urges them to walk in the light while they have it, calling them to believe in the light so they may become children of light (John 12:35-36). This connection shows that the crowd’s question, though posed in confusion, touches on the profound mystery of the incarnation: the eternal Christ is also the Son of Man who must suffer.
Application
Like the crowd, we can hold partial understandings of who Jesus is. We may expect Him to act in ways that fit our preferences, and we can be puzzled when His ways involve suffering or apparent weakness. This verse calls us to trust that Jesus’ path to glory passes through the cross, and that His death was not a failure but the means of our salvation.
Reflection
Jesus, the Son of Man, is the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy and the ultimate sacrifice for sin. He is both fully God and fully human, and His crucifixion is central to His redemptive mission. The crowd’s question invites us to consider our own understanding of Jesus: do we recognize that the eternal Christ is also the suffering Servant who was lifted up for our sake?
