Question:
Can you explain the meaning of John 12:32? Will there come a time when all people will be drawn to Him? It seems that Christ has been lifted up, and He states that He will draw all people to Himself. However, we know that not all people have been drawn to Him yet.
Answer:
How do we know that all men have not been drawn to Him? The text does not imply that everyone would accept Him or become Christians, but it does suggest that there is an attractive power in the Lord Jesus Christ that has the potential to turn the hearts of men toward Him. For all we know, every soul that has ever heard of Him has felt a longing for Him. However, the sins of the world have suppressed that longing, allowing Christ to pass by as men harden their hearts against Him.
The very fact of His death, His being lifted up upon the cross, has drawn the attention of the world to the Lord Jesus. Furthermore, God draws men to Him. Even those who have never heard His name at all have been moved and affected by Him. As we read in John 1:9, “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” Not a single soul in this world lacks enough light to guide them to God, provided they choose to follow it. Yet, it is within their power, and the power of everyone, to extinguish the candle that God lights and to harden their hearts against the appeals of His Spirit.
