John 12:20

John 12:20. And there were some Greeks from among them that came up to worship at the feast. A third illustration of the homage paid to Jesus. The account is given by John alone, and the time is left by him indeterminate. From John 12:36 we may perhaps infer that it was considerably later in the week than the event last recorded; but the want of any definite statement on the point, and the fact that the issue of the request is not recorded, show that the Evangelist occupies himself only with the idea of the scene. The persons spoken of are Greeks (not Greek-speaking Jews), therefore Gentile by birth, probably proselytes, certainly (as appears by ‘from among' not ‘among') sharers in the faith and purposes of the other pilgrims at the feast. They are part of those referred to in chap. John 7:35 and John 10:16. Still more, they are the earnest and first-fruits of that ‘world' which the Pharisees have just spoken of as ‘going after' Jesus.