John 12

1 Jesus, however, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was whom He had raised from the dead.

2 So they gave a dinner there in honour of Jesus, at which Martha waited at table, but Lazarus was one of the guests who were with Him.

3 Availing herself of the opportunity, Mary took a pound weight of pure spikenard, very costly, and poured it over His feet, and wiped His feet with her hair, so that the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

4 Then said Judas (the Iscariot, one of the Twelve--the one who afterwards betrayed Jesus),

5 "Why was not that perfume sold for 300 shillings and the money given to the poor?"

6 The reason he said this was not that he cared for the poor, but that he was a thief, and that being in charge of the money-box, he used to steal what was put into it.

7 But Jesus interposed. "Do not blame her," He said, "allow her to have kept it for the time of my preparation for burial.

8 For the poor you always have with you, but you have not me always."

9 Now it became widely known among the Jews that Jesus was there; but they came not only on His account, but also in order to see Lazarus whom He had brought back to life.

10 The High Priests, however, consulted together to put Lazarus also to death,

11 for because of him many of the Jews left them and became believers in Jesus.

12 The next day a great crowd of those who had come to the Festival, hearing that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

13 took branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, shouting as they went, "God save him! Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord--even on the King of Israel!"

14 And Jesus, having procured a young ass, sat upon it, just as the Scripture says,

15 "Fear not, Daughter of Zion! See, thy King is coming riding on an ass's colt."

16 The meaning of this His disciples did not understand at the time; but after Jesus was glorified they recollected that this was written about Him, and that they had done this to Him.

17 The large number of people, however, who had been present when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and brought him back to life, related what they had witnessed.

18 This was also why the crowd came to meet Him, because they had heard of His having performed that miracle.

19 The result was that the Pharisees said among themselves, "Observe how idle all your efforts are! The world is gone after him!"

20 Now some of those who used to come up to worship at the Festival were Greeks.

21 They came to Philip, of Bethsaida in Galilee, with the request, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."

22 Philip came and told Andrew: Andrew and Philip told Jesus.

23 His answer was, "The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

24 In most solemn truth I tell you that unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains what it was--a single grain; but that if it dies, it yields a rich harvest.

25 He who holds his life dear, is destroying it; and he who makes his life of no account in this world shall keep it to the Life of the Ages.

26 If a man wishes to be my servant, let him follow me; and where I am, there too shall my servant be. If a man wishes to be my servant, the Father will honour him.

27 Now is my soul full of trouble; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. But for this purpose I have come to this hour.

28 Father, glorify Thy name." Thereupon there came a voice from the sky, "I have glorified it and will also glorify it again."

29 The crowd that stood by and heard it, said that there had been thunder. Others said, "An angel spoke to him."

30 "It is not for my sake," said Jesus, "that that voice came, but for your sakes.

31 Now is a judgement of this world: now will the Prince of this world be driven out.

32 And I-- if I am lifted up from the earth--will draw all men to me."

33 He said this to indicate the kind of death He would die.

34 The crowd answered Him, "We have heard out of the Law that the Christ remains for ever. In what sense do you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is that Son of Man?"

35 "Yet a little while," He replied, "the light is among you. Be faithful to the light that you have, for fear darkness should overtake you; for a man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going.

36 In the degree that you have light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light." Jesus said this, and went away and hid Himself from them.

37 But though He had performed such great miracles in their presence, they did not believe in Him--

38 in order that the words of Isaiah the Prophet might be fulfilled, "Lord, who has believed our preaching? And the arm of the Lord--to whom has it been unveiled?"

39 For this reason they were unable to believe--because Isaiah said again,

40 "He has blinded their eyes and made their minds callous, lest they should see with their eyes and perceive with their minds, and should turn, and I should heal them."

41 Isaiah uttered these words because he saw His glory; and he spoke of Him.

42 Nevertheless even from among the Rulers many believed in Him. But because of the Pharisees they did not avow their belief, for fear they should be shut out from the synagogue.

43 For they loved the glory that comes from men rather than the glory that comes from God.

44 But Jesus cried aloud, "He who believes in me, believes not so much in me, as in Him who sent me;

45 and he who sees me sees Him who sent me.

46 I have come like light into the world, in order that no one who believes in me may remain in the dark.

47 And if any one hears my teachings and regards them not, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

48 He who sets me at naught and does not receive my teachings is not left without a judge: the Message which I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

49 Because I have not spoken on my own authority; but the Father who sent me, Himself gave me a command what to say and in what words to speak.

50 And I know that His command is the Life of the Ages. What therefore I speak, I speak just as the Father has bidden me."

John 12 Commentary

Chapter 12

Christ anointed by Mary. (1-11) He enters Jerusalem. (12-19) Greeks apply to see Jesus. (20-26) A voice from heaven bears testimony to Christ. (27-33) His discourse with the people. (34-36) Unbelief of the Jews. (37-43) Christ's address to them. (44-50)

Verses 1-11 Christ had formerly blamed Martha for being troubled with much serving. But she did not leave off serving, as some, who when found fault with for going too far in one way, peevishly run too far another way; she still served, but within hearing of Christ's gracious words. Mary gave a token of love to Christ, who had given real tokens of his love to her and her family. God's Anointed should be our Anointed. Has God poured on him the oil of gladness above his fellows, let us pour on him the ointment of our best affections. In Judas a foul sin is gilded over with a plausible pretence. We must not think that those do no acceptable service, who do it not in our way. The reigning love of money is heart-theft. The grace of Christ puts kind comments on pious words and actions, makes the best of what is amiss, and the most of what is good. Opportunities are to be improved; and those first and most vigorously, which are likely to be the shortest. To consult to hinder the further effect of the miracle, by putting Lazarus to death, is such wickedness, malice, and folly, as cannot be explained, except by the desperate enmity of the human heart against God. They resolved that the man should die whom the Lord had raised to life. The success of the gospel often makes wicked men so angry, that they speak and act as if they hoped to obtain a victory over the Almighty himself.

Verses 12-19 Christ's riding in triumph to Jerusalem is recorded by all the evangelists. Many excellent things, both in the word and providence of God, disciples do not understand at their first acquaintance with the things of God. The right understanding of spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom, prevents our misapplying the Scriptures which speak of it.

Verses 20-26 In attendance upon holy ordinances, particularly the gospel passover, the great desire of our souls should be to see Jesus; to see him as ours, to keep up communion with him, and derive grace from him. The calling of the Gentiles magnified the Redeemer. A corn of wheat yields no increase unless it is cast into the ground. Thus Christ might have possessed his heavenly glory alone, without becoming man. Or, after he had taken man's nature, he might have entered heaven alone, by his own perfect righteousness, without suffering or death; but then no sinner of the human race could have been saved. The salvation of souls hitherto, and henceforward to the end of time, is owing to the dying of this Corn of wheat. Let us search whether Christ be in us the hope of glory; let us beg him to make us indifferent to the trifling concerns of this life, that we may serve the Lord Jesus with a willing mind, and follow his holy example.

Verses 27-33 The sin of our souls was the troubled of Christ's soul, when he undertook to redeem and save us, and to make his soul an offering for our sin. Christ was willing to suffer, yet prayed to be saved from suffering. Prayer against trouble may well agree with patience under it, and submission to the will of God in it. Our Lord Jesus undertook to satisfy God's injured honour, and he did it by humbling himself. The voice of the Father from heaven, which had declared him to be his beloved Son, at his baptism, and when he was transfigured, was heard proclaiming that He had both glorified his name, and would glorify it. Christ, reconciling the world to God by the merit of his death, broke the power of death, and cast out Satan as a destroyer. Christ, bringing the world to God by the doctrine of his cross, broke the power of sin, and cast out Satan as a deceiver. The soul that was at a distance from Christ, is brought to love him and trust him. Jesus was now going to heaven, and he would draw men's hearts to him thither. There is power in the death of Christ to draw souls to him. We have heard from the gospel that which exalts free grace, and we have heard also that which enjoins duty; we must from the heart embrace both, and not separate them.

Verses 34-36 The people drew false notions from the Scriptures, because they overlooked the prophecies that spoke of Christ's sufferings and death. Our Lord warned them that the light would not long continue with them, and exhorted them to walk in it, before the darkness overtook them. Those who would walk in the light must believe in it, and follow Christ's directions. But those who have not faith, cannot behold what is set forth in Jesus, lifted up on the cross, and must be strangers to its influence as made known by the Holy Spirit; they find a thousand objections to excuse their unbelief.

Verses 37-43 Observe the method of conversion implied here. Sinners are brought to see the reality of Divine things, and to have some knowledge of them. To be converted, and truly turned from sin to Christ, as their Happiness and Portion. God will heal them, will justify and sanctify them; will pardon their sins, which are as bleeding wounds, and mortify their corruptions, which are as lurking diseases. See the power of the world in smothering convictions, from regard to the applause or censure of men. Love of the praise of men, as a by-end in that which is good, will make a man a hypocrite when religion is in fashion, and credit is to be got by it; and love of the praise of men, as a base principle in that which is evil, will make a man an apostate, when religion is in disgrace, and credit is to be lost for it.

Verses 44-50 Our Lord publicly proclaimed, that every one who believed on him, as his true disciple, did not believe on him only, but on the Father who sent him. Beholding in Jesus the glory of the Father, we learn to obey, love, and trust in him. By daily looking to Him, who came a Light into the world, we are more and more freed from the darkness of ignorance, error, sin, and misery; we learn that the command of God our Saviour is everlasting life. But the same word will seal the condemnation of all who despise it, or neglect it.