John 12

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Mary Anoints Jesus

1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, the hometown of Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. ¹

2 So they hosted a dinner for Jesus there. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with Him.

3 Then Mary took about a pint ^[a] of expensive perfume, made of pure nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was going to betray Him, asked,

5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii ^[b] and the money given to the poor?”

6 Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to take from what was put into it.

7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “She has kept this perfume in preparation for the day of My burial.

8 The poor you will always have with you, ^[c] but you will not always have Me.”

The Plot to Kill Lazarus

9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews learned that Jesus was there. And they came not only because of Him, but also to see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.

10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well,

11 for on account of him many of the Jews were deserting them and believing in Jesus.

The Triumphal Entry

12 The next day the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ²

13 They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting:

14 Finding a young donkey, Jesus sat on it, as it is written:

15 “Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion.

16 At first His disciples did not understand these things, but after Jesus was glorified they remembered what had been done to Him, and they realized that these very things had also been written about Him.

17 Meanwhile, many people who had been with Jesus when He called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify.

18 That is also why the crowd went out to meet Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign.

19 Then the Pharisees said to one another, “You can see that this is doing you no good. Look how the whole world has gone after Him!”

Jesus Predicts His Death

20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the feast.

21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested of him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”

22 Philip relayed this appeal to Andrew, and both of them went and told Jesus.

23 But Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

24 Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.

25 Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

26 If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be as well. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

27 Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? No, it is for this purpose that I have come to this hour.

28 Father, glorify Your name!”

29 The crowd standing there heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said that an angel had spoken to Him.

30 In response, Jesus said, “This voice was not for My benefit, but yours.

31 Now judgment is upon this world; now the prince of this world will be cast out.

32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw everyone to Myself.”

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

34 The crowd replied, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever. So how can You say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”

35 Then Jesus told them, “For a little while longer, the Light will be among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.

36 While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of light.”

Belief and Unbelief

37 Although Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still did not believe in Him.

38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:

39 For this reason they were unable to believe. For again, Isaiah says:

40 “He has blinded their eyes

41 Isaiah said these things because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about Him.

42 Nevertheless, many of the leaders believed in Him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue.

43 For they loved praise from men more than praise from God.

44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in Me does not believe in Me alone, but in the One who sent Me.

45 And whoever sees Me sees the One who sent Me.

46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness.

47 As for anyone who hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

48 There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not receive My words: The word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

49 I have not spoken on My own, but the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it.

50 And I know that His command leads to eternal life. So I speak exactly what the Father has told Me to say.”

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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.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)