John 12

1 Six days before Passover, Jesus arrived in Bethany. Lazarus, whom Jesus had brought back to life, lived there.

2 Dinner was prepared for Jesus in Bethany. Martha served the dinner, and Lazarus was one of the people eating with Jesus.

3 Mary took a bottle of very expensive perfume made from pure nard and poured it on Jesus' feet. Then she dried his feet with her hair. The fragrance of the perfume filled the house.

4 One of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was going to betray him, asked,

5 "Why wasn't this perfume sold for a high price and the money given to the poor?"

6 (Judas didn't say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the moneybag and carried the contributions.)

7 Jesus said to Judas, "Leave her alone! She has done this to prepare me for the day I will be placed in a tomb.

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

9 A large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was in Bethany. So they went there not only to see Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom Jesus had brought back to life.

10 The chief priests planned to kill Lazarus too.

11 Lazarus was the reason why many people were leaving the Jews and believing in Jesus.

12 On the next day the large crowd that had come to the Passover festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.

13 So they took palm branches and went to meet him. They were shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel!"

14 Jesus obtained a donkey and sat on it, as Scripture says:

15 "Don't be afraid, people of Zion! Your king is coming. He is riding on a donkey's colt."

16 At first Jesus' disciples didn't know what these prophecies meant. However, when Jesus was glorified, the disciples remembered that these prophecies had been written about him. The disciples remembered that they had taken part in fulfilling the prophecies.

17 The people who had been with Jesus when he called Lazarus from the tomb and brought him back to life reported what they had seen.

18 Because the crowd heard that Jesus had performed this miracle, they came to meet him.

19 The Pharisees said to each other, "This is getting us nowhere. Look! The whole world is following him!"

20 Some Greeks were among those who came to worship during the Passover festival.

21 They went to Philip (who was from Bethsaida in Galilee) and told him, "Sir, we would like to meet Jesus."

22 Philip told Andrew, and they told Jesus.

23 Jesus replied to them, "The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

24 I can guarantee this truth: A single grain of wheat doesn't produce anything unless it is planted in the ground and dies. If it dies, it will produce a lot of grain.

25 Those who love their lives will destroy them, and those who hate their lives in this world will guard them for everlasting life.

26 Those who serve me must follow me. My servants will be with me wherever I will be. If people serve me, the Father will honor them.

27 "I am too deeply troubled now to know how to express my feelings. Should I say, 'Father, save me from this time [of suffering]'? No! I came for this time of suffering.

28 Father, give glory to your name." A voice from heaven said, "I have given it glory, and I will give it glory again."

29 The crowd standing there heard the voice and said that it had thundered. Others in the crowd said that an angel had talked to him.

30 Jesus replied, "That voice wasn't for my benefit but for yours.

31 "This world is being judged now. The ruler of this world will be thrown out now.

32 When I have been lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people toward me."

33 By saying this, he indicated how he was going to die.

34 The crowd responded to him, "We have heard from the Scriptures that the Messiah will remain here forever. So how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up from the earth'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?"

35 Jesus answered the crowd, "The light will still be with you for a little while. Walk while you have light so that darkness won't defeat you. Those who walk in the dark don't know where they're going.

36 While you have the light, believe in the light so that you will become people whose lives show the light." After Jesus had said this, he was concealed as he left.

37 Although they had seen Jesus perform so many miracles, they wouldn't believe in him.

38 In this way the words of the prophet Isaiah came true: "Lord, who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord's power been revealed?"

39 So the people couldn't believe because, as Isaiah also said,

40 "God blinded them and made them close-minded so that their eyes don't see and their minds don't understand. And they never turn to me for healing!"

41 Isaiah said this because he had seen Jesus' glory and had spoken about him.

42 Many rulers believed in Jesus. However, they wouldn't admit it publicly because the Pharisees would have thrown them out of the synagogue.

43 They were more concerned about what people thought of them than about what God thought of them.

44 Then Jesus said loudly, "Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me.

45 Whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.

46 I am the light that has come into the world so that everyone who believes in me will not live in the dark.

47 If anyone hears my words and doesn't follow them, I don't condemn them. I didn't come to condemn the world but to save the world.

48 Those who reject me by not accepting what I say have a judge appointed for them. The words that I have spoken will judge them on the last day.

49 I have not spoken on my own. Instead, the Father who sent me told me what I should say and how I should say it.

50 I know that what he commands is eternal life. Whatever I say is what the Father 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.