Lifted up (John 12:20-34)
“Sir, We Would Like to See Jesus”
John 12:20–34
In John 12, some Greek visitors approach the disciples with a simple request: “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” It’s a small moment in the text, but it carries immense weight. Up to this point, most of Jesus’ ministry had been among his own people, but here outsiders—Gentiles—are seeking him. This is a turning point in Johns Gospel.
John often highlights how those who were once excluded—outsiders, the marginalized, the ones left out of temple life—are welcomed into fellowship with Jesus. Now even the Greeks are knocking at the door, and the disciples don’t quite know what to do. They couldn’t imagine that God’s plan of salvation was big enough to include everyone.
But as Revelation 7:9–10 pictures it, God is forming a new people—“a great multitude…from every nation, tribe, people, and language,” gathered together in worship before the Lamb. The gospel is not about exclusion or conquest. Unlike Rome’s power, which unifies by force, the gospel of Jesus unifies by love.
When Jesus hears of the Greeks seeking him, he responds with a parable about seeds: “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (Jn 12:24). Inclusion, unity, fruitfulness—these come through death and sacrifice. For Jesus, to be “glorified” was to be lifted up on the cross, and through that act, he would draw all people to himself. This is the heart of discipleship as well. Following Jesus means walking the path of the cross, learning to die to self so that new life can take root in others. The way God reconciles the world is not through domination but through the cross.
John’s community needed to hear this. They were discouraged, facing opposition and persecution. Some wondered if following Jesus was worth it, if their suffering had any meaning. John responds by giving them a meditation on the cross. The cross, he reminds them, is not meaningless pain. It is the place where God reveals who he truly is.
The early church read and retold this story again and again because it kept them centered. Salvation doesn’t come by defeating our enemies but by Christ’s body broken and poured out for others. That was, and still is, the Christian way.
Throughout history, the church has used different language to describe what the cross accomplishes—Christus Victor (defeating evil powers), moral influence (shaping our discipleship), sacrificial love (atoning for sin), and more. John doesn’t limit the cross to just one of these. Instead, he weaves them together. For those who were afraid of rulers, for those struggling with suffering, for those unsure of how to live—the cross spoke to each concern.
And it still speaks to disciples today. The cross reveals God’s judgment—not as violent retribution, but as the exposure of what is not of God. The crucifixion made it clear that corrupt religious and political leaders were not aligned with God, for God does not kill the innocent—he suffers with and for them. In our own time, the cross still judges hatred, violence, injustice, and indifference.
But the cross also comforts. For those suffering oppression, loss, or fear, the cross reminds us that God is with us, even in pain. For those discouraged by the brokenness of the world, the cross assures us that God’s love is stronger than death.
So when outsiders some to us and say: “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” And we portray him most clearly when he is lifted up—not in worldly power, but in the self-giving love of the cross.
Discussion Questions
How do you personally wrestle with Jesus’ teaching that life comes through death, fruit through sacrifice?
Which image of the cross (victory, sacrifice, influence, or reconciliation) speaks to you most right now, and why?
How does the cross challenge the way you think about power, justice, and love in today’s world?