John 12 · a question people ask
The multitude says, "We have heard out of the law that the Christ remains forever" (12:34). Which passage did they mean?
They name no passage, John's Gospel doesn't say which they meant, and these notes don't supply one. What the chapter gives is the rest of what they said, "How do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?" (12:34), and what Jesus said next: "Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness doesn’t overtake you" (12:35). Jesus doesn't name a passage in his answer either.
The verses
“The multitude answered him, “We have heard out of the law that the Christ remains forever. How do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” Jesus therefore said to them, “Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness doesn’t overtake you. He who walks in the darkness doesn’t know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become children of light.” Jesus said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them.”