John Calvin Commentary John 12:32

"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself." — John 12:32 (ASV)

If I be lifted up. Next follows the method by which the judgment will be conducted: namely, Christ, being lifted up on the cross, will gather all men to himself, so that he may raise them from earth to heaven. The Evangelist says that Christ pointed out the manner of his death; therefore, the meaning undoubtedly is that the cross will be, as it were, a chariot by which he will raise all men, along with himself, to his Father. It might have been thought that at that time he was carried away from the earth, so that he no longer had any interests in common with men; but he declares that he will go in a very different manner, so as to draw upwards to himself those who were fixed on the earth. Now, although he alludes to the form of his death, he generally means that his death will not be a division to separate him from men, but that it will be an additional means of drawing earth upwards towards heaven.

I will draw all men to myself. The word all, which he employs, must be understood to refer to the children of God, who belong to his flock. Yet I agree with Chrysostom, who says that Christ used the universal term, all, because the Church was to be gathered equally from among Gentiles and Jews, according to that saying:

There shall be one shepherd, and one sheepfold,
(John 10:16).

The old Latin translation has, I will draw all things to me; and Augustine maintains that we should read it in that manner; but the agreement of all the Greek manuscripts should have greater weight with us.