John 12

1 Jesus therefore, six days before the passover, came to Bethany, where was the dead [man] Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from among [the] dead.

2 There therefore they made him a supper, and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those at table with him.

3 Mary therefore, having taken a pound of ointment of pure nard of great price, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

4 One of his disciples therefore, Judas [son] of Simon, Iscariote, who was about to deliver him up, says,

5 Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?

6 But he said this, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and had the bag, and carried what was put into [it].

7 Jesus therefore said, Suffer her to have kept this for the day of my preparation for burial;

8 for ye have the poor always with you, but me ye have not always.

9 A great crowd therefore of the Jews knew that he was there; and they came, not because of Jesus only, but also that they might see Lazarus whom he raised from among [the] dead.

10 But the chief priests took counsel that they might kill Lazarus also,

11 because many of the Jews went away on his account and believed on Jesus.

12 On the morrow a great crowd who came to the feast, having heard that Jesus is coming into Jerusalem,

13 took branches of palms and went out to meet him, and cried, Hosanna, blessed [is] he that comes in the name of [the] Lord, the King of Israel.

14 And Jesus, having found a young ass, sat upon it; as it is written,

15 Fear not, daughter of Zion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.

16 [Now] his disciples knew not these things at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things to him.

17 The crowd therefore that was with him bore witness because he had called Lazarus out of the tomb, and raised him from among [the] dead.

18 Therefore also the crowd met him because they had heard that he had done this sign.

19 The Pharisees therefore said to one another, Ye see that ye profit nothing: behold, the world is gone after him.

20 And there were certain Greeks among those who came up that they might worship in the feast;

21 these therefore came to Philip, who was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and they asked him saying, Sir, we desire to see Jesus.

22 Philip comes and tells Andrew, [and again] Andrew comes and Philip, and they tell Jesus.

23 But Jesus answered them saying, The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified.

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, it abides alone; but if it die, it bears much fruit.

25 He that loves his life shall lose it, and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal.

26 If any one serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there also shall be *my* servant. [And] if any one serve me, him shall the Father honour.

27 Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. But on account of this have I come to this hour.

28 Father, glorify thy name. There came therefore a voice out of heaven, I both have glorified and will glorify [it] again.

29 The crowd therefore, which stood [there] and heard [it], said that it had thundered. Others said, An angel has spoken to him.

30 Jesus answered and said, Not on my account has this voice come, but on yours.

31 Now is [the] judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out:

32 and I, if I be lifted up out of the earth, will draw all to me.

33 But this he said signifying by what death he was about to die.

34 The crowd answered him, We have heard out of the law that the Christ abides for ever; and how sayest thou that the Son of man must be lifted up? Who *is* this, the Son of man?

35 Jesus therefore said to them, Yet a little while is the light amongst you. Walk while ye have the light, that darkness may not overtake you. And he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.

36 While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may become sons of light. Jesus said these things, and going away hid himself from them.

37 But though he had done so many signs before them, they believed not on him,

38 that the word of the prophet Esaias which he said might be fulfilled, Lord, who has believed our report? and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

39 On this account they could not believe, because Esaias said again,

40 He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, that they may not see with their eyes, and understand with their heart and be converted, and I should heal them.

41 These things said Esaias because he saw his glory and spoke of him.

42 Although indeed from among the rulers also many believed on him, but on account of the Pharisees did not confess [him], that they might not be put out of the synagogue:

43 for they loved glory from men rather than glory from God.

44 But Jesus cried and said, He that believes on me, believes not on me, but on him that sent me;

45 and he that beholds me, beholds him that sent me.

46 I am come into the world [as] light, that every one that believes on me may not abide in darkness;

47 and if any one hear my words and do not keep [them], I judge him not, for I am not come that I might judge the world, but that I might save the world.

48 He that rejects me and does not receive my words, has him who judges him: the word which I have spoken, that shall judge him in the last day.

49 For I have not spoken from myself, but the Father who sent me has himself given me commandment what I should say and what I should speak;

50 and I know that his commandment is life eternal. What therefore I speak, as the Father has said to me, so I speak.

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or 'liquid;' a word difficult of interpretation, but most likely 'pure:' see Note, Mark 14.3.
• [b]. i.e. it was now the time: see ch. 19.40. The word is used in Gen. 50.2 (LXX) for embalmment in Hebrew.
• [c]. Lit. 'is.'
• [d]. Eis: see Note, 2Tim. 1.12.
• [e]. See Ps. 118.26.
• [f]. See Zech. 9.9.
• [g]. Or 'that.'
• [h]. Proskuneo: see Matt. 4.10.
• [i]. The sense is 'overtake so as to seize upon,' as Mark 9.18, 1Thess. 5.4.
• [j]. See Isa. 53.1.
• [k]. See Isa. 6.9-10.
• [l]. Lit. 'the glory of men ... the glory of God.'
• [m]. As ch. 6.40.
• [n]. Eis: see ver. 11.