John12
New American Standard
1Therefore, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
2So they made Him a dinner there, and Martha was serving; and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him.
3Mary then took a pound of very expensive perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, the one who intended to betray Him, said,
5“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the proceeds given to poor people?”
6Now he said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he kept the money box, he used to steal from what was put into it.
7Therefore Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial.
8For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.”
9The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not on account of Jesus only, but so that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead.
10But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also,
11because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus.
12On the next day, when the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
13they took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, indeed, the King of Israel!”
14Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:
15“Do not fear, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”
16These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things for Him.
17So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him.
18For this reason also the people went to meet Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign.
19So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not accomplishing anything; look, the world has gone after Him!”
20Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast;
21these people then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and were making a request of him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
22Philip came and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus.
23But Jesus answered them by saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
24Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
25The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life.
26If 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.
27“Now My soul has become troubled; and what am I to say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.
28Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
29So the crowd who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him!”
30Jesus responded and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for yours.
31Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
32And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.”
33Now He was saying this to indicate what kind of death He was going to die.
34The crowd then answered Him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how is it that You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”
35So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; also, the one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.
36While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” These things Jesus proclaimed, and He went away and hid Himself from them.
37But though He had performed so many signs in their sight, they still were not believing in Him.
38This happened so that the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke would be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again,
40“He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, so that they will not see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and be converted, and so I will not heal them.”
41These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke about Him.
42Nevertheless many, even of the rulers, believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, so that they would not be excommunicated from the synagogue;
43for they loved the approval of people rather than the approval of God.
44Now Jesus cried out and said, “The one who believes in Me, does not believe only in Me, but also in Him who sent Me.
45And the one who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.
46I have come as Light into the world, so that no one who believes in Me will remain in darkness.
47If anyone hears My teachings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
48The one who rejects Me and does not accept My teachings has one who judges him: the word which I spoke. That will judge him on the last day.
49For I did not speak on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.
50And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for John 12.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: 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).
vv1-11
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.
vv12-19
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.
vv20-26
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.
Key Words
ἕξ (héx): six
ἡμέρα (hēméra): day, i.e. (literally) the time space between dawn and dark, or the whole 24 hours (but several days were usually reckoned by the Jews as inclusive of the parts of both extremes); figuratively, a period (always defined more or less clearly by the context)
πρό (pró): "fore", i.e. in front of, prior (figuratively, superior) to
πάσχα (páscha): the Passover (the meal, the day, the festival or the special sacrifices connected with it)
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs): Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites
οὖν (oûn): (adverbially) certainly, or (conjunctionally) accordingly
ἔρχομαι (érchomai): to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
εἰς (eis): to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases
Βηθανία (Bēthanía): date-house; Beth-any, a place in Palestine
ὅπου (hópou): what(-ever) where, i.e. at whichever spot
Cross References
John 12Directly quoted as the prophecy of the King of Zion entering Jerusalem on an ass's colt.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, Matthew Henry
Directly quoted by John to explain the nation's profound unbelief and rejection of Jesus' report.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Directly cited and quoted to explain the judicial blinding and hardening of the people's hearts.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
John explains that Isaiah saw the pre-incarnate glory of Christ in his temple vision.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Demonstrates remarkable consistency in character: Martha serving and Mary devoting herself to Jesus.
Supported by JFB
Direct Old Testament background for Jesus' statement that the poor are always with them.
Supported by JFB
The direct Messianic psalm quoted by the crowds welcoming Jesus as King of Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallels Christ's soul-trouble and submission to the Father's will in the Gethsemane agony.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Explicitly connects the rulers' fear of confession to the Pharisees' decree of synagogue expulsion.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Fulfills Moses' prophecy of the coming Prophet who speaks only the Father's commanded words.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Parallel Synoptic account detailing the costly spikenard poured on Jesus in Bethany.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
An earlier textual link in John anticipating Mary's act of anointing Jesus' feet.
Supported by JFB
Confirms Judas's role as treasurer who carried the money bag for the disciples.
Supported by John Calvin, JFB
Illustrates the priests' refusal to believe, seeking to kill even the resurrected Lazarus.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Paul uses the identical natural analogy of a seed dying to produce life and fruit.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin
Synoptic parallel to the solemn warning about loving and losing one's life.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin
Identifies Satan using the exact same title: 'the prince of this world.'
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin
Earlier reference to the Son of man being 'lifted up' to draw believers.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Parallels the condemnation of seeking praise from men rather than the honor from God.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin, JFB
Directly echoes Jesus' claim that beholding Him is beholding the Father who sent Him.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Jesus declares Himself the world's light, freeing followers from walking in spiritual darkness.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Matches the statement that Christ's primary first-advent mission was salvation, not immediate judgment.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin, JFB
The command to take palm branches, associated with rejoicing and feast celebrations.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallel pattern of the disciples only understanding scripture and events after Jesus' resurrection.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Christ's high priestly prayer linking his 'hour' with the Father glorifying the Son.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin
Direct thematic link: the Son of man is glorified when his passion begins.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Basis for the crowd's belief from the Law that Christ abideth forever as priest.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Reiterates the urgency of working and walking while light remains before night comes.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin
Illustrates those rulers, like Joseph of Arimathea, who initially hid faith for fear.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallels the concept that receiving or believing in Jesus equals receiving the Father.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Repeats the urgent warning in this immediate context to avoid abiding in darkness.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Underlies the warning that God will require accountability from those rejecting Christ's spoken words.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Confirms Jesus delivered to His disciples the exact words given to Him by the Father.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Establishes Philip's origin from Bethsaida, explaining why the Greeks approached him.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin
Parallels the phenomenon of bystanders hearing a heavenly voice merely as indistinct sound or thunder.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Confirms the phrase 'lifted up' signified the specific Roman method of execution: crucifixion.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole