John 12

John 12:1-3

¹Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. ²So they made him a supper there. Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with him. ³Therefore Mary took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.

Six days before Passover, Jesus dines in Bethany; Mary anoints His feet with costly ointment and wipes them with her hair; the house fills with fragrance.

John 12:4-6

⁴Then Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, one of his disciples, who would betray him, said, ⁵“Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” ⁶Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, used to steal what was put into it.

Judas objects that the ointment should have been sold for the poor; he said this as a thief who stole from the money box.

John 12:7-8

⁷But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept this for the day of my burial. ⁸For you always have the poor with you, but you don’t always have me.”

Jesus defends Mary: she kept it for His burial day; the poor remain, but they will not always have Him.

John 12:9-11

⁹A large crowd therefore of the Jews learned that he was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰But the chief priests conspired to put Lazarus to death also, ¹¹because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

Crowds come to see Jesus and Lazarus; priests plot to kill Lazarus too because many believe on account of him.

John 12:12-13

¹²On the next day a great multitude had come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, ¹³they took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet him, and cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!”

The next day a great crowd takes palm branches and cries Hosanna to the King of Israel who comes in the Lord’s name.

John 12:14-19

¹⁴Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on it. As it is written, ¹⁵“Don’t be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold, your King comes, sitting on a donkey’s colt.” ¹⁶His disciples didn’t understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about him, and that they had done these things to him. ¹⁷The multitude therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead was testifying about it. ¹⁸For this cause also the multitude went and met him, because they heard that he had done this sign. ¹⁹The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him.”

Jesus rides a donkey as Zechariah foretold; disciples understand later; Pharisees lament that the world has gone after Him.

John 12:20-22

²⁰Now there were certain Greeks among those who went up to worship at the feast. ²¹Therefore, these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” ²²Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus.

Greeks at the feast ask to see Jesus; Philip and Andrew bring the request.

John 12:23-26

²³Jesus answered them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴Most certainly I tell 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. ²⁵He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. ²⁶If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Jesus says the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified; a grain of wheat must die to bear fruit; loving life loses it, hating it in this world keeps it; servants must follow Him.

John 12:27-28

²⁷“Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this time’? But I came to this time for this cause. ²⁸Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came out of the sky, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”

Jesus’ soul is troubled; He refuses to pray only to be saved from the hour, asking the Father to glorify His name; the Father answers from heaven.

John 12:29

²⁹Therefore the multitude who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”

The crowd says it thundered; others say an angel spoke.

John 12:30-33

³⁰Jesus answered, “This voice hasn’t come for my sake, but for your sakes. ³¹Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out. ³²And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ³³But he said this, signifying by what kind of death he should die.

Jesus says the voice was for their sake; now is judgment and the ruler of this world cast out; He will draw all to Himself when lifted up—signifying His death.

John 12:34

³⁴The multitude answered him, “We have heard out of the law that the Christ remains forever. How do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

The crowd objects that the Christ remains forever, asking how the Son of Man must be lifted up and who He is.

John 12:35-38

³⁵Jesus therefore said to them, “Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness doesn’t overtake you. He who walks in the darkness doesn’t know where he is going. ³⁶While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become children of light.” Jesus said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them. ³⁷But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they didn’t believe in him, ³⁸that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

Jesus urges walking in the light while they have it; He hides; despite signs, they do not believe, fulfilling Isaiah’s who has believed our report.

John 12:39-40

³⁹For this cause they couldn’t believe, for Isaiah said again: ⁴⁰“He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them.”

Isaiah’s hardening word explains they could not believe: eyes blinded, hearts hardened lest they turn and be healed.

John 12:41-43

⁴¹Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory, and spoke of him. ⁴²Nevertheless, even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t confess it, so that they wouldn’t be put out of the synagogue, ⁴³for they loved men’s praise more than God’s praise.

Isaiah saw His glory; many rulers believe secretly but will not confess lest they be expelled, loving human glory more than God’s.

John 12:44-50

⁴⁴Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me. ⁴⁵He who sees me sees him who sent me. ⁴⁶I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness. ⁴⁷If anyone listens to my sayings and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. ⁴⁸He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke will judge him in the last day. ⁴⁹For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me gave me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak. ⁵⁰I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak.”

Jesus cries that believing Him is believing the Sender; He came as light to save, not judge, yet His word will judge rejecters; He speaks the Father’s eternal-life command.

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