John 12
The Message
Anointing His Feet
12 1-3 Six days before Passover, Jesus entered Bethany where Lazarus, so recently raised from the dead, was living. Lazarus and his sisters invited Jesus to dinner at their home. Martha served. Lazarus was one of those sitting at the table with them. Mary came in with a jar of very expensive aromatic oils, anointed and massaged Jesus’ feet, and then wiped them with her hair. The fragrance of the oils filled the house.
4-6 Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, even then getting ready to betray him, said, “Why wasn’t this oil sold and the money given to the poor? It would have easily brought three hundred silver pieces.” He said this not because he cared two cents about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of their common funds, but also embezzled them.
7-8 Jesus said, “Let her alone. She’s anticipating and honoring the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you. You don’t always have me.”
9-11 Word got out among the Jews that he was back in town. The people came to take a look, not only at Jesus but also at Lazarus, who had been raised from the dead. So the high priests plotted to kill Lazarus because so many of the Jews were going over and believing in Jesus on account of him.
See How Your King Comes
12-15 The next day the huge crowd that had arrived for the Feast heard that Jesus was entering Jerusalem. They broke off palm branches and went out to meet him. And they cheered:
Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in God’s name!
Yes! The King of Israel!
Jesus got a young donkey and rode it, just as the Scripture has it:
No fear, Daughter Zion:
See how your king comes,
riding a donkey’s colt.
16 The disciples didn’t notice the fulfillment of many Scriptures at the time, but after Jesus was glorified, they remembered that what was written about him matched what was done to him.
17-19 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, was there giving eyewitness accounts. It was because they had spread the word of this latest God-sign that the crowd swelled to a welcoming parade. The Pharisees took one look and threw up their hands: “It’s out of control. The world’s in a stampede after him.”
A Grain of Wheat Must Die
20-21 There were some Greeks in town who had come up to worship at the Feast. They approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee: “Sir, we want to see Jesus. Can you help us?”
22-23 Philip went and told Andrew. Andrew and Philip together told Jesus. Jesus answered, “Time’s up. The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
24-25 “Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.
26 “If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you’ll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment’s notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me.
27-28 “Right now I am shaken. And what am I going to say? ‘Father, get me out of this’? No, this is why I came in the first place. I’ll say, ‘Father, put your glory on display.’”
A voice came out of the sky: “I have glorified it, and I’ll glorify it again.”
29 The listening crowd said, “Thunder!”
Others said, “An angel spoke to him!”
30-33 Jesus said, “The voice didn’t come for me but for you. At this moment the world is in crisis. Now Satan, the ruler of this world, will be thrown out. And I, as I am lifted up from the earth, will attract everyone to me and gather them around me.” He put it this way to show how he was going to be put to death.
34 Voices from the crowd answered, “We heard from God’s Law that the Messiah lasts forever. How can it be necessary, as you put it, that the Son of Man ‘be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
35-36 Jesus said, “For a brief time still, the light is among you. Walk by the light you have so darkness doesn’t destroy you. If you walk in darkness, you don’t know where you’re going. As you have the light, believe in the light. Then the light will be within you, and shining through your lives. You’ll be children of light.”
Their Eyes Are Blinded
36-40 Jesus said all this, and then went into hiding. All these God-signs he had given them and they still didn’t get it, still wouldn’t trust him. This proved that the prophet Isaiah was right:
God, who believed what we preached?
Who recognized God’s arm, outstretched and ready to act?
First they wouldn’t believe, then they couldn’t—again, just as Isaiah said:
Their eyes are blinded,
their hearts are hardened,
So that they wouldn’t see with their eyes
and perceive with their hearts,
And turn to me, God,
so I could heal them.
41 Isaiah said these things after he got a glimpse of God’s overflowing glory that would pour through the Messiah.
42-43 On the other hand, a considerable number from the ranks of the leaders did believe. But because of the Pharisees, they didn’t come out in the open with it. They were afraid of getting kicked out of the meeting place. When push came to shove they cared more for human approval than for God’s glory.
44-46 Jesus summed it all up when he cried out, “Whoever believes in me, believes not just in me but in the One who sent me. Whoever looks at me is looking, in fact, at the One who sent me. I am Light that has come into the world so that all who believe in me won’t have to stay any longer in the dark.
47-50 “If anyone hears what I am saying and doesn’t take it seriously, I don’t reject him. I didn’t come to reject the world; I came to save the world. But you need to know that whoever puts me off, refusing to take in what I’m saying, is willfully choosing rejection. The Word, the Word-made-flesh that I have spoken and that I am, that Word and no other is the last word. I’m not making any of this up on my own. The Father who sent me gave me orders, told me what to say and how to say it. And I know exactly what his command produces: real and eternal life. That’s all I have to say. What the Father told me, I tell you.”
John 12
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
In Bethany At a Dinner For Jesus And Lazarus, Mary Anoints Jesus
12 Therefore Jesus, six days before the Passover [Feast], came to Bethany where Lazarus was, the one whom Jesus raised from the dead. 2 So they made a dinner for Him there. And Martha was serving. And Lazarus was one of the ones reclining-back [to eat] with Him. 3 Then Mary, having taken a pound of very-valuable genuine[a] nard perfume, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled from the aroma of the perfume. 4 But Judas the Iscariot— one of His disciples, the one going to hand Him over— says, 5 “For what reason was this perfume not sold for three-hundred denarii[b] and given to poor ones?” 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 was carrying[c] the things being put there. 7 So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. It was[d] in order that she might keep it for the day of My preparation-for-burial. 8 For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me”. 9 Then the large crowd[e] of the Jews came-to-know that He was there. And they came— not because of Jesus only, but in order that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. 10 And the chief priests planned to kill Lazarus also, 11 because many of the Jews were going-away and were believing in Jesus because of him.
Jesus The King Enters Jerusalem On a Donkey, As Predicted By Zechariah
12 On the next day the large crowd[f]— the one having come to the Feast— having heard[g] that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took the branches of palm-trees and came out to meet Him. And they were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the One coming in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel”. 14 And Jesus, having found a young-donkey, sat on it, just as it has been written [in Zech 9:9]: 15 “Do not be fearing, daughter of Zion. Behold— your King is coming, sitting on a colt 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 for[h] Him, and that they did these things to Him. 17 Then the crowd[i] was testifying— the one being with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead. 18 For this reason also the crowd[j] met Him— because they heard that He had done this sign. 19 Then the Pharisees said to themselves, “You see that you are profiting nothing! Look— the world went after Him!”
Jesus Says The Hour For Which He Came Has Come. A Seed Must Die To Bear Fruit
20 Now some of the ones going up in order that they might worship at the Feast were Greeks[k]. 21 So these ones came to Philip, the one from Bethsaida of Galilee, and were asking him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus”. 22 Philip comes and tells Andrew. Andrew and Philip come, and they tell Jesus. 23 And Jesus responds to them, saying, “The hour has come for[l] the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless the seed of wheat having fallen to the earth dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 The one loving his life loses it, and the one hating his life in this world will keep[m] it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him be following Me. And where I am, there also My servant will be. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. 27 Now My soul has been troubled. And what should I say— ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this reason I came to this hour! 28 Father, glorify Your name!”
Now Is The Judgment of This World. If I Am Lifted Up, I Will Draw All People To Myself
Then a voice came from heaven: “I both glorified it, and will again glorify it”. 29 Then the crowd, the one standing there and having heard, was saying that thunder had taken place. Others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him”. 30 Jesus responded and said, “This voice has taken place not for My sake, but for your sakes. 31 Now is the judgment of this world! Now the ruler of this world will be cast out! 32 And if I am lifted-up[n] from the earth, I will draw all people to Myself ”. 33 Now He was saying this signifying by what-kind-of death He was going to die.
Believe In The Light While You Have The Light, That You May Become Sons of Light
34 Then the crowd responded to Him, “We heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How indeed do You say that ‘The Son of Man must be lifted-up[o]’? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 Then Jesus said to them, “The Light is among you for a short time longer. Be walking while you have the Light, in order that darkness may not overtake you. Indeed the one walking in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the Light, be believing in the Light, in order that you may become sons of Light”. Jesus spoke these things, and having gone away, was hidden from them.
Isaiah Is Fulfilled: God Blinded Their Eyes And Hardened Their Hearts
37 Now He having done so-many[p] signs in front of them[q]— they were not believing in Him, 38 in order that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled which he spoke [in Isa 53:1]: “Lord, who believed our report? And to whom was the arm of the Lord revealed?” 39 For this reason[r] they were not able to believe: because again Isaiah said [in Isa 6:10] 40 “He has blinded their eyes, and He hardened their heart, in order that they might not see with their eyes, and comprehend in their heart, and be turned, and I shall heal them”. 41 Isaiah said these things because he saw His glory and spoke about Him. 42 Yet indeed, even many of the rulers believed in Him. But because of the Pharisees, they were not confessing it in order that they might not become put-out-of-the-synagogue. 43 For they loved the glory of people more[s] than the glory of God.
I Came To Save The World, And I Spoke The Father’s Words. My Words Are Eternal Life
44 And[t] Jesus cried-out and said “The one believing in Me is not believing in Me, but in the One having sent Me. 45 And the one seeing Me is seeing the One having sent Me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that everyone believing in Me should not remain in the darkness. 47 And if anyone hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come in order that I might judge the world, but in order that I might save the world. 48 The one rejecting Me and not receiving My words has that which judges him— the word which I spoke, that will judge him at the last day. 49 Because I did not speak out of Myself, but the Father having sent Me— He has given Me a commandment as to what I should say and what I should speak. 50 And I know that His commandment is eternal life. Therefore the things which I speak— just as the Father has told Me, so I speak”.
Footnotes
- John 12:3 See Mk 14:3.
- John 12:5 One denarius was one day’s wage for a laborer.
- John 12:6 Or, pilfering.
- John 12:7 Or, alone. She had it. This implies she had it for this purpose, and poured it all out on this occasion. Or, alone, in order that. This implies she did not pour it all out, and was to keep the remainder until after the death of Jesus.
- John 12:9 That is, the crowd that was at the funeral, 11:19, 45; the friends of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus; the ‘Lazarus crowd’.
- John 12:12 That is, the crowd of those who had come to the Passover; the crowd of 11:55-56; the ‘Feast crowd’.
- John 12:12 How did they hear? Probably from the Lazarus crowd.
- John 12:16 That is, as something destined for Him to fulfill.
- John 12:17 That is, the Lazarus crowd.
- John 12:18 That is, the Feast crowd.
- John 12:20 That is, Gentiles who were Jewish proselytes or God-fearers.
- John 12:23 That is, having this as its purpose in the plan of God.
- John 12:25 Or, preserve.
- John 12:32 See 18:32. Or, exalted, as in 3:14; 8:28; and next in v 34.
- John 12:34 If the Messiah remains as King on earth forever, how can He be exalted to heaven? Are You talking about someone other than the Messiah? Jesus doesn’t answer because they cannot now understand that by ‘lifted-up’ He means ‘crucified’. He exhorts them to act on what they know.
- John 12:37 Or, such-great.
- John 12:37 That is, Israel.
- John 12:39 That is, the fulfillment of prophecy.
- John 12:43 Or, rather.
- John 12:44 John does not give the occasion for these words, but chooses to close Christ’s public ministry with them.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
