John 12

1 Therefore Jesus before six days of pask came to Bethany, where Lazarus had been dead [where Lazarus was dead], whom Jesus raised.

2 And they made to him a supper there, and Martha ministered to him; and Lazarus was one of the men that sat at the meat with him.

3 Therefore Mary took a pound of ointment of true nard precious [Therefore Mary took a pound of ointment spikenard, or true nard, precious], and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hairs; and the house was full-filled with the savour of the ointment.

4 Therefore Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, that was to betray him, said,

5 Why is not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to poor men [and given to needy men]?

6 But he said this thing, not for it pertained to him of needy men, but for he was a thief, and had the purses, and bare those things that were sent.

7 Therefore Jesus said, Suffer ye her, that into the day of my burying she keep that;

8 for ye shall evermore have poor men with you, but ye shall not evermore have me. [+forsooth ye shall ever have poor with you, soothly ye shall not ever have me.]

9 Therefore much people of the Jews knew, that Jesus was there; and they came, not only for Jesus, but to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from death [whom he raised from dead].

10 But the princes of priests thought [for] to slay Lazarus,

11 for many of the Jews went away for him [for many of the Jews for him went away], and believed in Jesus.

12 But on the morrow much people, that came together to the feast day, when they had heard, that Jesus came to Jerusalem [when they had heard, for Jesus cometh to Jerusalem],

13 took branches of palms, and came forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna, blessed is the king of Israel, that cometh in the name of the Lord.

14 And Jesus found a young ass, and sat on [upon] him, as it is written,

15 The daughter of Sion, do not thou dread; lo! thy king cometh, sitting on an ass's foal. [Daughter of Sion, do not thou dread; lo! thy king cometh, sitting on the colt of a she ass.]

16 His disciples knew not first these things, but when Jesus was glorified, then they had mind [then they recorded, or had mind], that these things were written of him, and these things they did to him.

17 Therefore the people bare witnessing, that was with him, when he called Lazarus from the grave, and raised him from death [from dead].

18 And therefore the people came, and met with him, for they heard that he had done this sign.

19 Therefore the Pharisees said to themselves, Ye see, that we profit nothing; lo! all the world hath gone after him [lo! all the world went after him].

20 And there were some heathen men, of them that had come up to worship in the feast day.

21 And these came to Philip, that was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and prayed him, and said, Sire, we will see Jesus [and prayed him, saying, Sire, we would see Jesus].

22 Philip cometh, and saith to Andrew; and again Andrew and Philip said to Jesus.

23 And Jesus answered to them, and said [saying], The hour cometh, that man's Son be clarified.

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, but a corn of wheat fall into the earth, and be dead, it dwelleth alone; but if it be dead, it bringeth [forth] much fruit.

25 He that loveth his life, shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world, keepeth it into everlasting life.

26 If any man serve me, follow he me; and where I am, there my minister shall be [there and my minister, or servant, shall be]. If any man serve me, my Father shall honour him [my Father shall worship him].

27 Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour; but therefore [but for that thing] I came into this hour;

28 Father, clarify thy name. And a voice came from heaven, and said [saying], And I have clarified, and again I shall clarify.

29 Therefore the people that stood, and heard, said, that thunder was made; other men said, an angel spake to him.

30 Jesus answered, and said, This voice came not for me, but for you.

31 Now is the doom of the world, now the prince of this world shall be cast out.

32 And if I shall be enhanced from the earth, I shall draw all things to myself.

33 And he said this thing [Soothly this thing he said], signifying by what death he was to die.

34 And the people answered to him, We have heard of the law, that Christ dwelleth without end [for Christ dwelleth into without end]; and how sayest thou, It behooveth man's Son to be areared? Who is this man's Son?

35 And then Jesus saith to them, Yet a little light is in you; walk ye, the while ye have light, that darkness catch you not [that darknesses catch not you]; he that wandereth in darknesses, knoweth not whither he goeth.

36 While ye have light, believe ye in the light, that ye be the children of light. Jesus spake these things, and went, and hid him(self) from them.

37 And when he had done so many miracles before them [Soothly when he had done so many signs, or miracles, before them], they believed not in him;

38 that the word of Esaias, the prophet, should be fulfilled, which he said, Lord, who hath believed to our hearing, and to whom is the arm of the Lord showed?

39 Therefore they might not believe, for again Esaias said,

40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hath made hard the heart of them [and he hath endured, or made hard, the heart of them], that they see not with eyes, and understand [not] with heart; and that they be converted, and I heal them.

41 Esaias said these things, when he saw the glory of him, and spake of him.

42 Nevertheless of the princes many believed in him, but for the Pharisees they acknowledged not, that they should not be put out of the synagogue;

43 for they loved the glory of men, more than the glory of God.

44 And Jesus cried, and said, He that believeth in me, believeth not in me, but in him that sent me.

45 He that seeth me, seeth him that sent me.

46 I light came into the world, that each that believeth in me, dwell not in darknesses.

47 And if any man heareth my words, and keepeth them not, I deem him not [And if any man shall hear my words, and shall not keep, I deem not him]; for I came not, that I deem the world, but that I make the world safe.

48 He that despiseth me, and taketh not my words, hath him that shall judge him; that word that I have spoken, [that] shall deem him in the last day [the word that I have spoken, that shall deem him in the last day].

49 For I have not spoken of myself, but that Father that sent me, [he] gave to me a commandment, what I shall say, and what I shall speak.

50 And I know, that his commandment is everlasting life; therefore those things that I speak, as the Father 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.