If He had come for some other purpose than Redemption from sin, it would not be the crucifix but a picture of Christ on the Mount as the Teacher that would be held in honor. If the Cross was not eventually to be a glory and a triumph, men would have drawn a veil over that ignominious hour to which He was pointing. If He had died in a bed, He might have been honored, but never as a Savior. The Cross alone could show that God is all holy, and therefore hates sin; the Cross also showed that God is all love and therefore dies for sinners, as if He were guilty.

At this point the crowd asked Him a queer question:

We have been told, out of the law,
That Christ is to remain undisturbed for ever;
What dost thou mean by saying that the Son of Man Must be lifted up? What Son of Man is this?
JOHN 12:34

It was strange that they who were acquainted with the Old Testament should have been scandalized by the fact that their Messias must die, for certainly they had read that in Isaias; they had also read in Daniel that the Son of Man was to be violently cut off. Their objection was that Christ, when He came, would be One Who would endure eternally; how therefore could He die? It was very clear to them that being lifted up meant dying on the Cross; it was also clear that He claimed to be the Christ or the Messias. But that on which they stumbled was His death. They could not reconcile a glorious Messias with a suffering One, as Peter could not reconcile a Divine Christ with a crucified Christ. They were right in saying that the Messias would be eternal, for Gabriel announced to the Blessed Mother that He would reign over the House of Jacob “forever.” But on the other hand, throughout the Old Testament ran the idea that He was to be a sacrifice for sin and a Lamb led to the slaughter.

Our Lord met their taunt by drawing aside the veil of His Divinity and reminding them to avail themselves of His ransom. Some teachers might kindle lights in souls; others might be flickering candles; but everyone has caught illumination from Him, as He called Himself again the Light of the World. This Light would not be among them much longer. There is only one sun to light a world; if they put out the unique Light of the World, then
darkness would overwhelm them. Spiritual blindness is worse than physical blindness. As the light of reason is the perfection of the light of the senses, so He called Himself the Light by which reason itself is illumined and perfected. Those who would walk in faith with Him, He called children of light.

The light is among you still, But only for a short time.
Finish your journey while you still have the light, For fear darkness should overtake you;
He who journeys in darkness
Cannot tell which way he is going
While you still have the light, Have faith in the light,
That so you may become children of the light.
JOHN 12:35, 36

The reason Our Lord did not spend more time in correcting their stumbling at His sacrifice was because they had already stumbled at the prophecies of the Old Testament, at His miracles, and their obedience to His Word. For the moment, He took their eyes off Calvary and bade them look into their own consciences. With pity and tenderness, He invited them to avail themselves of His Light while He walked among them. This was His last and farewell utterance to the public, namely, the warning about going into darkness and the invitation to accept not a truth but the Truth.

So much Jesus told them And then went away
And was lost to their view.
JOHN 12:36
On that Tuesday evening of Holy Week He left the temple. The following day:
All the people waited for Him
At early morning in the Temple.
LUKE 21:38

but He did not appear. The sun was going into eclipse; it was as night. The Hour was nigh.
– from Life of Christ (1958)