The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abides forever: and how say you,
The Son of man must be lifted up?
who is this Son of man?
All Commentaries on John 12:34 Go To John 12
Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
The people answered Him, We have heard out of the Law, that Christ abideth ever, and how sayest Thou, the Son of Man must be lifted up? The Jews understood that Christ spake of His death on the Cross. How then does He say that He would die, when the Law says that He would not die? S. Augustine says, "They understood Him to mean the very thing which they were contemplating. It was not inspired Wisdom of Solomon , but the sting of their conscience which disclosed to them the meaning of these obscure words."
Out of the Law. By the Law is meant the whole of the Old Testament. They understood this from the following passages, Micah , v2; Psalm 110:14, Psalm 90:30, Psalm 90:38, Psalm 72:5; Isaiah 9:7, Isaiah 40:8; Ezekiel 37:27; Daniel 9:26. But these passages speak of the kingdom of Christ after His ascension. This kingdom will be eternal. But Christ elsewhere foretold His death. See Isaiah 53:3; Psalm 22:12, Psalm 22:17; Daniel 9:26; Jeremiah 11:19.
Who is this Son of Man? Meaning thereby, "If Thou art that Son of Prayer of Manasseh , as Thou art wont to call Thyself, how dost Thou wish to be regarded as the Christ? For Christ according to the Scriptures, as has just been said, is eternal, and cannot die. Whereas Thou sayest, on the contrary, that the Son of Man must die and be raised up on the Cross. If there be any other Son of Prayer of Manasseh , tell us plainly who he is.". So Toletus and Jansen. Maldonatus somewhat differently; he thinks that the Jews insulted Christ as if they had refuted His claims, and taunted Him, as a conqueror would taunt a king whom he had taken captive. As the Jews afterwards said (tauntingly) to Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
