John 12:27-28
“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus’ human nature recoils from the impending suffering, but he immediately checks this natural fear. He reframes his desperate plea not as a desire to escape, but as a question about how to express the tension between his shrinking humanity and his divine purpose. This isn't a hesitant wish, but a profound wrestling, immediately resolved by his commitment to the Father's glory.
Just moments after a crowd welcomed him like a king, Jesus is overwhelmed by the immense suffering and death that await him. He expresses his profound inner turmoil, questioning how to even pray about the agony he faces. Yet, he immediately checks himself, remembering that this very hour of suffering is the central purpose for which he came into the world.
Jesus, fully God and fully human, faces an unimaginable hour. See how his inner turmoil reveals the reality of his humanity, even as he embraces his divine mission.
Jesus's cry, “Now is my soul troubled,” isn't a sign of weakness, but a profound expression of his humanity. The Greek word for 'troubled' suggests a violent disturbance, like a ship tossed in a storm. This isn't just a fleeting emotion; the text indicates it’s a deep, ongoing agitation.
The Weight of His Humanity
This turmoil arises because Jesus, in his human nature, naturally recoils from suffering and death. He experiences the same dread and aversion to pain that any human would. Yet, this isn't a simple, unresolvable conflict. His human feelings are always governed by his divine purpose and obedience to the Father.
Purpose Over Personal Comfort
He grapples with the temptation to pray for escape: 'Father, save me from this hour?' But this plea is immediately countered by the realization of why he is here. His coming into the world was for this very 'hour' of suffering and sacrifice. His obedience to the Father's will transcends his personal desire for comfort.
Jesus's moment of anguish is not a deviation from his mission, but its very core. Discover how this 'hour' was not an obstacle to overcome, but the reason he came.
The phrase 'for this cause I have come to this hour' is pivotal. It reveals that Jesus’s suffering wasn't an unfortunate accident, but the very reason for his incarnation. His humanity meant he felt the dread, but his divine mission provided the ultimate reason to embrace it.
The 'Why' Behind the Suffering
Commentators emphasize that Jesus’s coming was specifically to enter into this hour of suffering and death. It wasn't a detour; it was the destination. His prayer for deliverance is instantly re-framed by the understanding that fulfilling the Father's will, even through agony, is paramount.
Understand the original words
psychē · Greek Noun
The human life force, emotions, and seat of desires. Here, it refers to the inner experience of human agony and distress in the face of impending suffering and death.
tarassō · Greek Verb
A state of being stirred, agitated, or deeply distressed emotionally. It reflects the intense psychological and spiritual pressure faced when confronting extreme trials or suffering.
hōra · Greek Noun
A definitive point in time ordained by God for the fulfillment of His redemptive plan, particularly regarding the death and exaltation of Jesus.
doxazō · Greek Verb
To make manifest, reveal, or display the true character, majesty, and holiness of God. To glorify God is to bring Him the credit and awe that are His due.
Jesus' profound human struggle in the face of His impending crucifixion reveals the immense weight of His mission and His complete submission to the Father's will.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus' final journey to Jerusalem
Jesus makes His final, triumphal entry into Jerusalem, knowing it will lead to His crucifixion. This is the culmination of His earthly ministry.
c. AD 30
Jesus clears the Temple
Jesus drives out the money changers and merchants from the Temple courts, condemning their commercialization of the holy place.
c. AD 30
Greeks seek to see Jesus
Some Greeks, likely proselytes or God-fearers, approach Philip and Andrew asking to see Jesus, indicating the growing international interest in Him.
c. AD 30
Jesus predicts His death
Jesus speaks of His impending death, comparing it to a grain of wheat falling into the ground and dying to produce much fruit.
c. AD 30
This passage echoes Jesus' human struggle, describing how He offered 'prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears' to the one who could save Him from death, demonstrating the reality of His humanity and His complete reliance on the Father.
Matthew 26:39This passage presents Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane, showing the same internal conflict and submission to the Father's will ('remove this cup from me, yet not as I will, but as you will') that is evident in John 12:27.
John 12:31-33Immediately following this verse, Jesus declares that His impending 'lifting up' will bring judgment and the casting out of the 'prince of this world,' revealing that His suffering, though internally troubling, serves a greater cosmic purpose.
Philippians 2:8This verse highlights Jesus' obedience to the point of death, even death on a cross, which is the ultimate fulfillment of His purpose and the reason He came, directly paralleling His statement in John 12:27 about coming 'for this purpose'.
vincentJohn 12:27: "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour."
My soulSee reff. on John 12:25. The soul, ψυχή, is the seat of the human affections; the spirit (πνεῦμα) of the religious affections.Is troubled (τετάρακται)The perfect tense; has been disturbed and remains troubled. The same verb as in John 11:33. Notice that there it is said. He groaned in the spirit (τῷ πνεύματι). His inward agitation did not arise from…
calvinJohn 12:27-33: "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour."
- Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour; but for this cause came I into this hour. 28. Father, glorify thy name. Then came a voice from heaven, I have both glorified and will glorify it again. 29. Therefore the multitude, who were there, and heard it, said that it thundered. Others said, An angel spoke to him. 30. Jes…
Jesus’ human nature recoils from the impending suffering, but he immediately checks this natural fear. He reframes his desperate plea not as a desire to escape, but as a question about how to express the tension between his shrinking humanity and his divine purpose. This isn't a hesitant wish, but a profound wrestling, immediately resolved by his commitment to the Father's glory.
Just moments after a crowd welcomed him like a king, Jesus is overwhelmed by the immense suffering and death that await him. He expresses his profound inner turmoil, questioning how to even pray about the agony he faces. Yet, he immediately checks himself, remembering that this very hour of suffering is the central purpose for which he came into the world.
Just moments after a crowd welcomed him like a king, Jesus is overwhelmed by the immense suffering and death that await him. He expresses his profound inner turmoil, questioning how to even pray about the agony he faces. Yet, he immediately checks himself, remembering that this very hour of suffering is the central purpose for which he came into the world.
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Glorifying the Father's Name
This profound obedience leads directly to his prayer: 'Father, glorify your name.' His ultimate concern isn't his own comfort, but the demonstration of God’s glory through his sacrificial act. The path to glorifying God, for Jesus, was through embracing the very hour he naturally shrank from.
Voice from heaven
A voice from heaven declares, 'I have both glorified it and will glorify it again,' affirming God's purpose in Jesus' upcoming suffering and death.
c. AD 30
Jesus speaks of judgment and 'lifting up'
Jesus explains that His death will bring judgment to the world and cast out the 'prince of this world,' drawing all people to Himself.
"“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”" — Jesus’ human nature recoils from the impending suffering, but he immediately checks this natural fear. He reframes his desperate plea not as a desire to escape, but as a question about how to express…
