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The Greeks Seek Jesus; the Grain of Wheat

John 12:20–36 · Passion week in Jerusalem

Scripture

John 12:20–36

nd there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: 21The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. 22Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. 23And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 24Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. 27Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. 28Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. 29The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. 30Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. 31Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33This he said, signifying what death he should die. 34The 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? 35Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. 36While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

King James Version · public domain

Joani 12:20–36

dhe ishinë ca Grekër ndër mest t’atyreve që kishinë hipurë për të falurë ndë të-kremtet. 21Këta pra erthnë te Filippi që ishte prej Vithsaidhas’ së Galilesë, edhe i luteshinë, dyke thënë, Zot, duamë të shohëmë Jisunë. 22Filippi vjen e i thotë Andhreut; edhe përsëri Andhreu edhe Filippi i thonë Jisujt. 23Edhe Jisuj u upërgjeq atyre, dyke thënë, Erdhi ora që të lavduronet’ i Bir’ i njeriut. 24Me të-vërtetë, me të-vërtetë po u them juve, Ndë mos rëntë koq’ e grurit ndë dhet e të vdesë, ajo mbetetë e-vetëme; po ndë vdektë, bie shumë pemë. 25Ay që do jetën’ e ti dot’a humbasë; po ay që mërzit jetën’ e ti ndë këtë botë, dot’a ruanjë për jetë të-përjetëshme. 26Ndë më shërben ndonjë, letë më vinjë pas; edhe ku të jem unë, atje dotë jetë edhe shërbëtori im; edhe ndë qoftë se më shërben ndonjë, Ati dot’a nde-ronjë. 27Ndashti shpirti im ësht’ i-trumbulluarë; edhe ç’të them? Atë, shpëto-më nga kjo orë. Po përandaj erdha ndë këtë orë. 28Atë, lavduro emërinë t’ënt. Erdhi pra një zë nga qielli, Edhe e lavdurova, edhe përsëri dot’a lavduronj. 29Gjindja pra që kishte ndënjurë edhe dëgjoj zënë, thoshte, se ubë bumbullimë; të-tjerë thoshinë, se ëngjëll i foli ati. 30Jisuj upërgjeq e tha, ky zë nuk’ ubë për mua, po për ju. 31Ndashti është gjyqi i kësaj bote; ndashti urdhërtari i kësaj bote dotë hidhetë jashtë. 32Edhe unë nd’ungriça lart nga dheu, dot’i heq të-gjithë pas vetëhesë s’ime. - 33(Edhe këtë e thoshte dyke dëftyerë me çfarë vdekjeje dotë vdiste.) 34Gjindja upërgjeq, Neve kemi dëgjuarë nga nomi, se Krishti mbetetë për jetën’ e jetësë; qysh thua pra ti, se i Bir’ i njeriut duhetë të ngrihetë lart? cili është ky Bir’ i njeriut? 35Jisuj pra utha atyre, Edhe pakëzë kohë është drita bashkë me ju. Ecëni gjersa keni dritënë, që të mos u zërë juve errësira; sepse ay që ecën nd’errësirët, nukë di se ku vete. 36Gjersa kini dritënë, t’i besoni dritësë, që të bëneni bij të dritësë - Këto foli Jisuj, edhe iku e ufsheh prej atyreve.

Kristoforidhi, Dhiata e Re Toskërisht 1879 · zotërim publik

In their own words

He Himself was the grain that had to die, and be multiplied; to suffer death through the unbelief of the Jews, and to be multiplied in the faith of many nations.

Blessed Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on the Gospel of John, Tractate 51 (on John 12:24)

The Greeks Seek Jesus and the Grain of Wheat (John 12:20–36)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

Homilies on the Gospel of St. John, Homilies 66–67 (on John 12:20–32). Trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 14. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf114.iv.lxviii.html

On why the coming of the Greeks tells Him "the hour is come":

Since then He was about to allow the disciples to go to the Gentiles after the Crucifixion, and beheld them springing on before, He said, "It is time to proceed to the Cross."

On "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die":

He speaketh of the Cross ... Then since He could not so well persuade them by words, He goeth about to prove this from actual experience, telling them that this is the case with corn; it beareth the more fruit when it hath died.

On the seed as the proof of resurrection:

What sort of excuse then will they have who disbelieve the Resurrection, when the action is practiced each day, in seeds, in plants, and in the case of our own generation?

On "He that loveth his life shall lose it":

Sweet is the present life, and full of much pleasure, yet not to all, but to those who are riveted to it. Since, if any one look to heaven and see the beauteous things there, he will soon despise this life, and make no account of it.

On "Now is my soul troubled" and "Father, glorify thy name":

Father, glorify Thy Name. ... which greatly shows His humanity, and a nature unwilling to die, but clinging to the present life, proving that He was not exempt from human feelings.

On the voice from heaven:

This Voice came not because of Me, but for your sakes.

On "And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me":

And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto Me. That is, "even those of the Gentiles."

St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444)

Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book VIII (on John 12:24–32). Trans. T. Randell, Library of Fathers, 1885. Public domain. Full text: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/cyril_on_john_08_book8.htm

On why He counted His suffering most precious:

He not only foretells His suffering and the nearness of the time, but He also alleges the reason why He counted His suffering most precious, saying that the benefit of His passion would be great; for else He would not have chosen to suffer, for He suffered not unwillingly.

On "Now is my soul troubled":

See I pray you in these words again how the human nature was easily affected by trouble and easily brought over to fear, whereas on the other hand the Divine and ineffable Power is in all respects inflexible and dauntless and intent on the courage which alone is befitting to It.

On the lifting up that is an exaltation:

the Death on the Cross was an exaltation which is ever associated in our thoughts with honour and glory. For on this account too Christ is glorified, forasmuch as the benefits He procured for humanity thereby are many.

On "will draw all men unto me":

when the beast has been removed from our midst, and the tyrant is deposed, then Christ brings unto Himself the race that had strayed away, calling not only Jews but all mankind as well unto salvation through the faith that is in Him.

Theophylact of Ohrid (c. 1055–1107)

Exposition of the Gospel of John (on John 12:25), as preserved in the Catena Aurea on John. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CAJohn.htm

On "he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal":

It were harsh to say that a man should hate his soul; so He adds, in this world: i.e. for a particular time, not for ever. And we shall gain in the end by so doing: shall keep it unto life eternal.

Blessed Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

Tractates on the Gospel of John, Tractates 51–52 (on John 12:24–31). Trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 7. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf107.iii.lii.html

On "Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die":

He Himself was the grain that had to die, and be multiplied; to suffer death through the unbelief of the Jews, and to be multiplied in the faith of many nations.

On loving and hating one's own life:

Surely a profound and strange declaration as to the measure of a man's love for his own life that leads to its destruction, and of his hatred to it that secures its preservation!

On "Now is my soul troubled":

He took us into His own person as our Head, and assumed the feelings of His members; and so it was not by any others He was troubled, but, as was said of Him when He raised Lazarus, He was troubled in Himself.

On "Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the prince of this world be cast out":

Not that one, therefore, which is yet to come in the end, when the living and dead shall be judged, some of them set apart on His right hand, and the others on His left; but that judgment by which the prince of this world shall be cast out.

St. Gregory the Great (c. 540–604)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on John (on John 12:28). Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CAJohn.htm

On the voice that came from heaven:

When God speaks audibly, as He does here, but no visible appearance is seen, He speaks through the medium of a rational creature: i.e. by the voice of an Angel.

St. Bede the Venerable (c. 673–735)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on John (on John 12:24). Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CAJohn.htm

On the grain sown in the field of this world:

He Himself, of the seed of the Patriarchs, was sown in the field of this world, that by dying, He might rise again with increase. He died alone; He rose again with many.

Patristic sources

Read the sources: Chrysostom, Homilies on John 66–67 (CCEL) · Cyril of Alexandria on John, Book 8 (tertullian.org) · Augustine, Tractates on John 51–52 (CCEL) · Catena Aurea on John (isidore.co)