Jn. 12:19. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves: Do you see that you are gaining nothing? The whole world is going after Him.
The Pharisees who say "do you see that you are gaining nothing" say this not out of malice, for they were not among those who plotted against the Savior, but they appear well-disposed, only secretly, because they do not dare openly oppose those raging against the Lord. They attempt to calm them by pointing to the consequences of the matter, saying in effect: "What benefit is it to you that you devise so many plots against this Man? No matter how much you scheme, He continues to grow all the more, and His glory increases; for the world, that is, all the people, follows after Him. Therefore, having no success, abandon your plots and do not sin in vain."
Jn. 12:20. Some of the Greeks were among those who came up to worship at the feast.
On account of the beauty of the temple and the miracles reported among the Jews, many even of the Greeks came to worship. They were close to becoming proselytes as well, that is, to accepting Judaism.
Jn. 12:21. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying: Sir! We wish to see Jesus.
When the report about Jesus reached them, they come to Philip and ask him to arrange for them the opportunity to see Jesus.
Jn. 12:22. Philip comes and tells Andrew; and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.
Philip, out of humility and good order, speaks to Andrew as to one superior to himself. Andrew does not take on the report alone, does not decide this by himself, but, taking Philip with him, ventures to report to Jesus (such good order and mutual love prevailed among them).
Jn. 12:23. And Jesus answered them, saying: The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
What then does the Lord say? Since He had commanded the disciples "not to go in the way of the Gentiles" (Matt. 10:5), and now saw that the Gentiles were already coming to Him of their own accord (for the Greeks who wished to see Him were undoubtedly Gentiles), while the Jews were plotting against Him, He says: "The time has finally come to go to suffering, for the hour of the Cross has arrived, that the Son of Man may be glorified."
What is the benefit of not receiving the Gentiles who come to us, and imposing ourselves on the Jews who hate and persecute? Therefore, since the Gentiles are coming to us, the time has now come to be crucified. So I will allow the Jews to complete their schemes and permit them to crucify Me, so that they may afterwards be without any excuse, since I will justly leave them as crucifiers and murderers and turn to the Gentiles, who have already begun to come to My teaching. For it would be very unjust to give nothing to the Gentiles who thirst for the word and salvation, and to give abundantly to the Jews who trample upon what is given to them and plot evil against their Benefactor.
Jn. 12:24. Truly, truly, I say to you: unless a grain of wheat, having fallen into the earth, dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit.
Then, lest the disciples be scandalized that He dies at the very time when even the Gentiles had begun to come, He says: "This very thing, that is, My death, will increase the faith of the Gentiles all the more. For just as a grain of wheat bears much fruit when, having been sown, it dies, so also My death will bear much fruit for the faith of the Gentiles." Therefore, let no one be scandalized, because My death does not hinder the joining of the Gentiles, but by the example of the grain let him be convinced that My falling in My death will multiply the number of believers. For if this is what happens with a grain, how much more will it be with Me. For having died and risen, I shall through the resurrection manifest My power all the more, and then all will believe in Me as God.
Jn. 12:25. He who loves his soul will lose it; and he who hates his soul in this world will keep it unto life eternal.
Since the Lord was near to His sufferings and knew that the disciples would be filled with sorrow, He therefore says: "You ought not to grieve at all over My death. For if you yourselves do not die, there will be no benefit for you." And indeed every person in general who loves the present life and loves his soul, that is, fulfills its improper desires, when he indulges it more than he ought and does not despise death, will lose it. But whoever hates it, that is, does not serve it and does not bow down before it, will preserve it unto eternal life.
Wishing to show how strict an aversion one must have toward the lusts of the soul, he said "whoever hates." We can neither see the face nor hear the voice of those we hate; in the same way we must relate to the irrational desires of the soul, that is, hate them with a perfect hatred.
By the words "he who hates his life in this world" He shows the temporariness of the matter. This commandment seemed murderous and incompatible with the love of life. He softened it by adding "in this world." "I," He says, "do not always command you to hate your life, but 'in this world' of unfaith, turn away from it when it prescribes you 'to do those things which are not fitting'" (Rom. 1:28).
He adds the benefit as well: "He shall keep it unto life eternal"; you will hate it for a time, but will preserve it alive forever for the divine life.
Jn. 12:26. If any man serve Me, let him follow Me;
Wishing to further convince them to despise the present life and to encourage them against death, He says: "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me," that is, let him be ready for death just as I am. For He speaks here of following Him in actual deed.
Jn. 12:26. If where I am, there My servant will be also.
Then He offers consolation as well: "Where I am, there My servant will be also." Where then is Christ? In the heavens. For the heavenly and the earthly are opposed to one another. Whoever loves being on earth will not be in heaven, but whoever shuns earthly things and this world will be on high and in the heavens.
Jn. 12:26. Whoever serves Me, My Father will honor.
He did not say "I will honor him," but — "the Father." By this He shows His kinship with Him. For the true Father will honor him as a servant of His true Son. By this He also shows that He is not an opponent of God. For God and the Father would not honor a servant who opposes Him.
So let us not place love for our soul in preserving it from dangers for the sake of truth and in not wishing to endure evil for the sake of good; but, if we are servants of Christ, let us give it over to dangers for the sake of truth, and without doubt we shall be in the same state in which Christ now is — I do not say in divine dignity, for He is God by Nature, but in that with which human nature can be adorned; for He is God by Nature, while we are gods by adoption and by grace.