John 12

Jesus Is Anointed at Bethany

1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

2 So they made him a dinner there, and Martha was serving, but Lazarus was one of the ones reclining at table with him.

3 Then Mary took a pound of ointment of very valuable genuine nard [and] anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.

4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was going to betray him) said,

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

6 (Now he said this not because {he was concerned} about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, he used to steal what was put into [it].)

7 So Jesus said, "Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my preparation for burial.

8 For you have the poor with you always, but you do not always have me."

The Decision to Kill Lazarus

9 Now a large crowd of Jews found out that he was there, and they came, not only because of Jesus, but so that they could see Lazarus also, whom he raised from the dead.

10 So the chief priests decided that they would kill Lazarus also,

11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going and believing in Jesus.

The Triumphal Entry

12 On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, [when they] heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

13 took the branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, and began crying out, "Hosanna! Blessed [is] the one who comes in the name of the Lord, even the king of Israel!"

14 So Jesus found a young donkey [and] sat on it, just as it is written,

15 "Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion! Behold, your king is coming, seated on the foal of a donkey!"

16 (His disciples did not understand these [things] at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these [things] had been written about him and they did these [things] to him.)

17 So the crowd who was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead were continuing to testify.

18 Because of this also the crowd went to meet him, for they had heard [that] he had performed this sign.

19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are accomplishing nothing! Behold, the world has gone after him."

Greeks Seeking Jesus

20 Now some Greeks were among those who had gone up in order to worship at the feast.

21 So these approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and began asking him saying, "Sir, we want to see Jesus."

22 Philip went and told Andrew. Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.

23 And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man will be glorified.

24 Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth [and] dies, it remains [by] itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.

25 The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world preserves it for eternal life.

26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me, and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Jesus Predicts His Death

27 "Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, deliver me from this hour'? But for this [reason] I have come to this hour!

28 Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have both glorified [it], and I will glorify [it] again."

29 Now the crowd that stood [there] and heard [it] said {it had thundered}. Others were saying, "An angel has spoken to him!"

30 Jesus answered and said, "This voice has not happened for my sake, but [for] your sake.

31 Now is the judgment of this world! Now the ruler of this world will be thrown out!

32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all [people] to myself."

33 (Now he said this to indicate by what sort of death he was going to die.)

34 Then the crowd replied to him, "We have heard from the law that the Christ remains {forever}! And how do you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?"

35 So Jesus said to them, "Yet a little time the light is with you! Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness does not overtake you! And the one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.

36 While you have the light, believe in the light, in order that you may become sons of light." Jesus said these [things], and [then] he went away [and] was hidden from them.

The People Still Refuse to Believe

37 But as many signs [as] he had performed before them, they did not believe in him,

38 in order that the word of the prophet Isaiah would be fulfilled, who said, "Lord, who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"

39 For this [reason] they were not able to believe, because again Isaiah said,

40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they see with [their] eyes and understand with [their] hearts and turn, and I heal them."

41 Isaiah said these [things] because he saw his glory, and he spoke about him.

42 Yet despite that, even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess [it], so that they would not be expelled from the synagogue.

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

Jesus’ Final Public Appeal

44 But Jesus cried out and said, "The one who believes in me does not believe in me, but in the one who sent me,

45 and the one who sees me sees the one who sent me.

46 I have come [as] a light into the world, in order that everyone who believes in me will not remain in the darkness.

47 And if anyone hears my words and does not observe [them], I will not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

48 The one who rejects me and does not accept my words has one who judges him; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

49 For I have not spoken from myself, but the Father himself who sent me {has commanded me} what I should say and what I should speak.

50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So [the things] that I say, just as the Father said to me, thus I 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. The Greek term refers to a Roman pound, 327.45 grams (approximately 12 ounces)
• [b]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("took") has been translated as a finite verb
• [c]. Literally "because of what"
• [d]. Literally "it was a concern to him"
• [e]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [f]. Some manuscripts have "the large crowd"
• [g]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("heard") which is understood as temporal
• [h]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("found") has been translated as a finite verb
• [i]. A quotation from Zech 9:9
• [j]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("falls") has been translated as a finite verb
• [k]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [l]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [m]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [n]. Literally "thunder had happened"
• [o]. Literally "for the age"; probably an allusion to Ps 89:35-37 (in common usage "law" could refer to the entire Old Testament)
• [p]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("went away") has been translated as a finite verb
• [q]. *Literally "the"; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
• [r]. *Literally "the"; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
• [s]. A quotation from Isa 6:10
• [t]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [u]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [v]. Literally "has given me commandment"