34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.
John 12:31-33 (ESV)
Confused crowd
The crowd seems to understand Jesus is saying He will die. And, it seems they understood when He told them earlier in verse 23 that He is the Son of Man. They associated the title Son of Man with the title Messiah. They knew from the law (Psa 89:4, Psa 110:4, Isa 9:7, Eze 37:25) that the Messiah would reign forever. That excited them and gave them (false) hope of freedom from the Romans. So they were confused (and didn’t want to believe) the Messiah would die. They just didn’t understand.
Walk in the Light
Jesus doesn’t answer their question. He had already addressed this and knew they couldn’t/wouldn’t understand. Rather, in this last teaching in His public ministry, He exhorts them to follow Him. “Walking is a metaphor for living. Jesus meant that they should live in His light, the light of His presence and self-revelation. If they would do that, the darkness would not overpower them (cf. Isa. 50:10).” (planobiblechapel.org)
John later tells his readers to “walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light” (1 John 1:5-7) Paul, echoes this by instructing the Collosian church (and us) to, “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” (Coll 1:10).
End of public ministry
The hour glass is down to it’s last grains of sand. Jesus now retreats from the crowds to focus His final days of ministry to His disciples. He, in essence, fulfilled the prophecy He just spoke to the crowd, for they would no longer have access to Him. They are left with His teaching and the question, “Would they believe and follow?”
<- Reflection ->
- How about you? Will you believe and follow Jesus? Will you choose to walk in the light?
- Fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord, are you choosing to continue walking in the light? Are you seeking to please Him in every way and bear fruit fitting the Gospel?
