John 12:16

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of him and that they had done these things unto him.

John 12:16 Meaning and Commentary

John 12:16

These things understood not his disciples at the first,
&c.] Or "at that time", as the Syriac and Persic versions render it; or "on that day", as the Ethiopic version; they did not then know the sense of that prophecy, nor that the things which were now doing were a fulfilling of it:

but when Jesus was glorified;
was raised front the dead, and ascended to heaven, and was set down at the right hand of God, crowned with glory and honour; and when having received the promise of the Father, the Holy Ghost, and his gifts, he poured them forth in a very plenteous and extraordinary manner upon them; whereby their minds were greatly illuminated, and they had a very distinct knowledge of the Scriptures of the Old Testament; and saw clearly how they severally had their accomplishment in Christ:

then remembered they that these things were written of him;
in the prophecies of the Old Testament;

and [that] they had done these things unto him;
both the disciples and the multitude, or that these things were done to him; such as bringing the ass to him, laying their clothes on it, and setting him upon it, attending him with shoutings and hosannas to the city of Jerusalem

John 12:16 In-Context

14 And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat upon it, as it is written,

15 Fear not, daughter of Sion; behold, thy King comes, sitting on an ass’s colt.

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of him and that they had done these things unto him.

17 The multitude, therefore, that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave and raised him from the dead, bore witness.

18 For this cause the multitude also met him, for they had heard that he had done this sign.