Question on Scripture; John

[Bowser]

In John 12:31 is : 31 Jesus says,

Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up[a] from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

Later in John 18:32 when Jesus is before Pilot, Pilot says to the Jews who brought Jesus to be executed,

31 Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. 32 This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.

At first I was stumped by these two verses. I didn't understand what they were getting at. But the answer is painfully obvious; Jesus' death was 1. going to be exalted, so much so that it would draw all people to him and 2. death wasn't/isn't the end; Jesus would be risen from the Earth / exalted, clearly implying that he would live again.

 

[rev. Jim]

In the original text of John 12:32 the word "men" or "people" is not actually there. Personally I believe that what Jesus is really drawing to Himself is sin. I believe that Jesus' crucifixion is the same as Moses lifting up the snake in the wilderness, and all who looked upon it were healed.

It is the same with Jesus. When we see Jesus on the cross, we see our sins judged in His body instead of ours, and we are healed.

So to use a visual aid, Jesus draws out our curse of sin in the same way that poison is drawn out of a wound.

 

[Kahiel]

I think you can make all three points from that passage.

"And I if I am lifted up I will draw all to myself"

1. Christ is lifted up as Moses lifted up the bronze snake in the desert (Numbers 21) which Jesus alluded to in John 3:14.

2. Through His atonement for our sins, He draws all of mankind to the cross.

2. Through His atonement, God is lifted up and glorified.

I was a little disappointed to find that all but one of the English translations I checked included men/everyone/people and only a couple noted that it was not in the source documents.

 

[Patriot]

I know I'm a little late to the party but I think the second passage is more simple than you are making it out to be. The Jews were not allowed to execute Jesus under Roman law. If they were allowed to execute or decided to do so in defiance of Roman authority then the death would probably have been stoning, not crucifixion. Because the Jews asked Pilate to execute Jesus, He would be crucified (hence "lifted up") as he had indicated earlier.