John 12

1 Six days before Pesach, Yeshua came to Beit-Anyah, where El`azar lived, the man Yeshua had raised from the dead;

2 so they gave a dinner there in his honor. Marta served the meal, and El`azar was among those at the table with him.

3 Miryam took a whole pint of pure oil of spikenard, which is very expensive, poured it on Yeshua's feet and wiped his feet with her hair, so that the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

4 But one of the talmidim, Y'hudah from K'riot, the one who was about to betray him, said,

5 "This perfume is worth a year's wages! Why wasn't it sold and the money given to the poor?"

6 Now he said this not out of concern for the poor, but because he was a thief -- he was in charge of the common purse and used to steal from it.

7 Yeshua said, "Leave her alone! She kept this for the day of my burial.

8 You always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."

9 A large crowd of Judeans learned that he was there; and they came not only because of Yeshua, but also so that they could see El`azar, whom he had raised from the dead.

10 The head cohanim then decided to do away with El`azar too,

11 since it was because of him that large numbers of the Judeans were leaving their leaders and putting their trust in Yeshua.

12 The next day, the large crowd that had come for the festival heard that Yeshua was on his way into Yerushalayim.

13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Deliver us!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of ADONAI, the King of Isra'el!"

14 After finding a donkey colt, Yeshua mounted it, just as the Tanakh says --

15 "Daughter of Tziyon, don't be afraid! Look! your King is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt."

16 His talmidim did not understand this at first; but after Yeshua had been glorified, then they remembered that the Tanakh said this about him, and that they had done this for him.

17 The group that had been with him when he called El`azar out of the tomb and raised him from the dead had been telling about it.

18 It was because of this too that the crowd came out to meet him -- they had heard that he had performed this miracle.

19 The P'rushim said to each other, "Look, you're getting nowhere! Why, the whole world has gone after him!"

20 Among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greek-speaking Jews.

21 They approached Philip, the one from Beit-Tzaidah in the Galil, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Yeshua."

22 Philip came and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Yeshua.

23 Yeshua gave them this answer: "The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

24 Yes, indeed! I tell you that unless a grain of wheat that falls to the ground dies, it stays just a grain; but if it dies, it produces a big harvest.

25 He who loves his life loses it, but he who hates his life in this world will keep it safe right on into eternal life!

26 If someone is serving me, let him follow me; wherever I am, my servant will be there too. My Father will honor anyone who serves me.

27 "Now I am in turmoil. What can I say -- `Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason that I have come to this hour. I will say this:

28 `Father, glorify your name!'" At this a bat-kol came out of heaven, "I have glorified it before, and I will glorify it again!"

29 The crowd standing there and hearing it said that it had thundered; others said, "An angel spoke to him."

30 Yeshua answered, "This bat-kol did not come for my sake but for yours.

31 Now is the time for this world to be judged, now the ruler of this world will be expelled.

32 As for me, when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself."

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

34 The crowd answered, "We have learned from the Torah that the Messiah remains forever. How is it that you say the Son of Man has to be `lifted up'? Who is this `Son of Man'?"

35 Yeshua said to them, "The light will be with you only a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, or the dark will overtake you; he who walks in the dark doesn't know where he's going.

36 While you have the light, put your trust in the light, so that you may become people of light." Yeshua said these things, then went off and kept himself hidden from them.

37 Even though he had performed so many miracles in their presence, they still did not put their trust in him,

38 in order that what Yesha`yahu the prophet had said might be fulfilled, "ADONAI, who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of ADONAI been revealed?"

39 The reason they could not believe was -- as Yesha`yahu said elsewhere --

40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they do not see with their eyes, understand with their hearts, and do t'shuvah, so that I could heal them."

41 (Yesha`yahu said these things because he saw the Sh'khinah of Yeshua and spoke about him.)

42 Nevertheless, many of the leaders did trust in him; but because of the P'rushim they did not say so openly, out of fear of being banned from the synagogue;

43 for they loved praise from other people more than praise from God.

44 Yeshua declared publicly, "Those who put their trust in me are trusting not merely in me, but in the One who sent me.

45 Also those who see me see the One who sent me.

46 I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who trusts in me might not remain in the dark.

47 If anyone hears what I am saying and does not observe it, I don't judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

48 Those who reject me and don't accept what I say have a judge -- the word which I have spoken will judge them on the Last Day.

49 For I have not spoken on my own initiative, but the Father who sent me has given me a command, namely, what to say and how to say it.

50 And I know that his command is eternal life. So what I say is simply what the Father has told me to say."

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.