Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.
John 12:31-32 NET
Up to this point in the gospels, Jesus had been looking ahead to his coming crucifixion and preparing his disciples for it. But just before this passage, he changed to the present tense: “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (John 12:23). Within just a few days, Jesus would be betrayed, crucified, buried, and resurrected, just like he had been telling his disciples.
The people in Jerusalem for Passover that year were witnesses to Jesus’ conviction and crucifixion. Most of them had likely heard of his resurrection and the empty tomb. But was that all it was? A death and resurrection?
A Turning Point
In this passage, Jesus tells us that there is much more to it than that. His crucifixion was a turning point in history. Now, he said, is the judgment of this world. A world in rebellion has come to a time of decision. What will we do with Jesus’ sacrifice for us? Will we believe and come into the light (John 12:46)? Or reject him and face God’s judgment (John 12:47-48)?
Jesus’ crucifixion also marked the end of Satan’s rule over this world. Jesus’ death, contrary to outward appearances, signaled his victory over Satan and the forces of evil. While they remain active in the world, they are now a defeated foe (Col. 2:15).
The third aspect of Jesus’ crucifixion that he mentions here is that, when it happens, when Satan is defeated, he will draw all people to himself. This is, at least in part, a response to the Greeks who had wanted to see him (John 12:20-22). It refers to the sheep from another sheepfold (John 10:16). And it relates to the world that God loved so much that he sent Jesus to die for us (John 3:16). Jesus, when he was lifted up, would draw, not just Jews, but all people to himself, both Jews and Gentiles. The whole world. Everybody.
What will you do with his drawing? Will you believe and be saved? Or reject it and face condemnation? The choice is yours.
