John 12:16

16 And these things his disciples did not know at the first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were having been written about him, and these things they did to 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 having found a young ass did sit upon it, according as it is written,
15 `Fear not, daughter of Sion, lo, thy king doth come, sitting on an ass' colt.'
16 And these things his disciples did not know at the first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were having been written about him, and these things they did to him.
17 The multitude, therefore, who are with him, were testifying that he called Lazarus out of the tomb, and did raise him out of the dead;
18 because of this also did the multitude meet him, because they heard of his having done this sign,
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.