John 12:32Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all to Myself," that is, the Gentiles also.

Lest anyone should say, "How will he be cast down if he conquers even You Yourself?" He says, "He will not conquer. How could that be, when I will draw others also to Myself?"

He does not speak of the Resurrection, but of what is greater than the Resurrection: "I will draw all to Myself." If He had said, "I shall rise," it would not yet have been clear that they would believe in Him.

But by saying that they would believe, He declared both things: that He would rise, and that they would believe. For if He remained dead and were merely a man, no one would believe.

"I will draw all to Myself." How, then, does He say that the Father draws? This means that the Father draws when the Son draws.

But I will draw all men to Myself when I am lifted up upon the Cross. For all, even from among the Gentiles, will be drawn to faith in Me. Since they cannot come to Me by themselves, being held by the ruler of this world, I will conquer him, cast him out, and cut the cords of his dominion over men. Then I will draw them even against his will. Elsewhere He called this a plundering. “No one,” He says, “can plunder the goods of the strong man unless he first binds the strong man” (Mk 3:27). When He said, “When I am lifted up,” He indicated by what death He would die, that is, that He would be crucified. For this signifies the height of the Cross.

Since Christ, for our salvation, delivered Himself to the Father as an unblemished sacrifice and bore punishment for us, we have been freed from guilt for sin.

When the beast was removed and the tyrant overthrown, Christ then brings to Himself the race that had been led astray. He calls not only the Jews, but all men, to salvation through faith in Him.

Through the Law there was a particular calling; through Christ there is a universal one. For Christ alone, as God, was able to bestow on us every good thing.

In order to use a more pleasing expression, He says that He will be lifted up instead of saying "crucified." He kept the mystery hidden from His murderers, for they were not worthy to know it.

Only on the Cross do men die with outstretched hands. Therefore it was fitting for the Lord both to endure the Cross and to stretch out His hands, so that with one hand He might draw the ancient people, and with the other those called from the Gentiles, joining both together in Himself. He Himself also declared this, indicating by what death He would redeem all. For He says, “When I am lifted up, I will draw all men to Myself.”

On the Cross He stretched out His hands in order to draw all to Himself, to make all sharers in His victory, and to unite earthly things with heavenly things. He freed them from the bonds of death and placed upon them the yoke of faith.

If I am lifted up on the Cross, then through this faith I will draw to Myself all who have received faith.

And indeed, when Jesus Christ was lifted up on the Cross, He first drew to Himself the thief, then the centurion, and the other guards who were with him. From that time He began this drawing.

"I will draw" those who are under the tyrant’s power, because I will first cast down the tyrant himself.

Elsewhere Jesus Christ called this drawing plundering, saying: "How can anyone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then he will plunder his house" (Mt 12:29).

Although above He said, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him" (Jn 6:44), and here He says, "I will draw all to Myself," there is no contradiction.

Here Jesus Christ attributes to Himself what belongs to God the Father. He shows that all things are common to Them, and thus proves His equality with God the Father.

In all things Christ is also man, the creation of God. Therefore He gathered man into unity in Himself. The Invisible became visible, the Incomprehensible became comprehensible, the Impassible suffered, and the Word became man, uniting all things in Himself. Thus, as the Word of God has primacy in what is above heaven, spiritual, and invisible, so also in what is visible and bodily He has primacy. Taking the first place for Himself and appointing Himself Head of the Church, He will draw all things to Himself at the proper time.

It remains now to say something about the very excellence of this Paschal feast. As, in the sacred tongue, certain things are called the Holy of Holies or the Song of Songs because of their greatness, so this feast may rightly be called the Feast of Feasts.

For from this feast the example of resurrection has been shown to us. The hope of the heavenly fatherland has been opened, and the glory of the highest Kingdom has already been prepared beforehand.

His elect, who had indeed been at rest but were still held in the bonds of Hades, have now been transferred to the delights of Paradise.

What the Lord said before His Passion, He fulfilled in His Resurrection: "And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to Myself."

Now there can be no justification for unbelief. Now the people who reject Jesus pronounce judgment upon themselves.

"Now is the judgment of this world. Now they do not follow Me, being scandalized by the death that awaits Me. But when I am lifted up on the Cross, I will draw to Myself all who have not blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts.

Then all My true followers will reject the devil’s temptations. They will be freed from his ruinous suggestions and deceits, and will triumph over him. Then he, the ruler of this world, will be cast out of My Kingdom."

In place of this fallen ruler of the world, cast out from the world, Christ will reign and receive the Kingdom over the whole world according to His humanity also. According to His Godhead He was always its King.

This will occur when He is lifted up from the earth and enters into His glory. This thought is expressed in the words, "When I am lifted up," and so on.

In the words "I am lifted up," here as elsewhere in Christ’s discourses, there is a twofold meaning; Jn 3:14; Jn 8:28. It means being lifted up on the Cross, and through the Cross being lifted up to heaven in His glory, to His heavenly Father; cf. Jn 7:33; Acts 2:33; Acts 5:31.

The triumph of the Savior is not limited to victory over the dark powers of evil. His activity is broader than this.

The words "I shall be lifted up" signify death on the Cross. Under this image it was set forth earlier, Jn 3:14; Jn 8:28.

But the added phrase "from the earth" would be entirely superfluous and meaningless if Jesus Christ were speaking only of death on the Cross.

Therefore the Savior unites the thought of His death on the Cross with the thought of His heavenly glorification. He will be lifted up by the way of the Cross into eternal glory. The Evangelist explained this in verse 33.

"I will draw all to Myself." Since this drawing is presented here not as the work of men, but as the work of the Savior, it is in vain that some have seen here the faith of men.

Indeed, is there anything more wondrous than the miraculous conversion of the world through the preaching of a crucified God? Yet this miracle has undoubtedly existed for 1,800 years, despite the unheard-of efforts of unbelievers in every age, and it will exist until the end of the universe. Jesus Christ said, “If I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to Myself.” He fulfilled this word, and He will fulfill just as exactly His promise to abide with His Church until the end of the age.