31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” 33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die (John 12:31–33, NKJV).
The purpose for which He came into the world was about to be fulfilled (John 12:27). Soon, Jesus would be crucified. His obedient death would glorify His Father (John 12:28; Heb. 5:8-9). Some thought they heard thunder or an angel when the Father spoke approvingly to Jesus from heaven (John 12:28-30). Note some crucial things accomplished by Christ’s death on the cross. (1) Christ’s death judged the world. The world judged Jesus worthy of death, yet His death would judge the world guilty of sinful injustice in need of salvation (Luke 23:39-41; Matt. 27:54; Acts 2:22-23). (2) Christ’s death cast out Satan. The devil lost his grip on holding men and women captive in sin when God accepted the death of Jesus as an offering for sin (1 Cor. 15:56-57; Heb. 10:10). By His death, Jesus destroyed the power of sin used by the devil to destroy souls (1 John 3:8). (3) The crucified Christ would draw sinners to salvation. The Son of Man was lifted onto an instrument of execution to die for all who are dead in sin so that we can live in Him (John 3:14-16; Heb. 2:9; 1 Pet. 2:24). Jesus glorified the Father by obeying His will and dying on the cross. The gospel calls us to honor and glorify Jesus by hearing, receiving, and following His word (Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 3:17; Luke 6:46).