Jesus Anointed at Bethany
12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint [Or about 0.5 liter ] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.[Greek three hundred denarii ]” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you,[See Deut. 15:11. ] but you will not always have me.”
9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
“Hosanna![A Hebrew expression meaning “Save!” which became an exclamation of praise ]”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[Psalm 118:25,26 ]
“Blessed is the king of Israel!”
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:
15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
see, your king is coming,
seated on a donkey’s colt.”[Zech. 9:9 ]
16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.
17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”
Jesus Predicts His Death
20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
27 “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
30 Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up [The Greek for lifted up also means exalted.] from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
34 The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
35 Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. 36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid from them.
Belief and Unbelief Among the Jews
37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:
“Lord, who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”[Isaiah 53:1]
39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
40 “He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
nor understand with their hearts,
nor turn—and I would heal them.”[Isaiah 6:10]
41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God.
44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
47 “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”
NOTES:
BACK TO:
12:1–8 This is probably the same scene of anointing found in
Mk 14:3–9 (see note there) and Mt 26:6–13. The anointing by a penitent woman in
Lk 7:36–38 is different. Details from these various episodes have become
interchanged.
12:3 The feet of Jesus: so Mk 14:3; but in Mt 26:6, Mary
anoints Jesus’ head as a sign of regal, messianic anointing.
12:5 Days’ wages: literally, “denarii.” A denarius is a
day’s wage in Mt 20:2; see note on Jn 6:7.
12:7 Jesus’ response reflects the rabbinical discussion of
what was the greatest act of mercy, almsgiving or burying the dead. Those who
favored proper burial of the dead thought it an essential condition for sharing
in the resurrection.
12:12–19 In John, the entry into Jerusalem follows the
anointing whereas in the synoptics it precedes. In John, the crowd, not the
disciples, are responsible for the triumphal procession.
12:13 Palm branches: used to welcome great conquerors; cf. 1
Mc 13:51; 2 Mc 10:7. They may be related to the lûlāb, the twig bundles used at
the feast of Tabernacles. Hosanna: see Ps 118:25–26.
The Hebrew word means: “(O
Lord), grant salvation.” He who comes in the name of the Lord: referred in Ps
118:26 to a pilgrim entering the temple gates, but here a title for Jesus (see
notes on Mt 11:3 and Jn 6:14; 11:27). The king of Israel: perhaps from Zep
3:14–15, in connection with the next quotation from Zec 9:9.
12:15 Daughter Zion: Jerusalem. Ass’s colt: the symbol of peace,
as opposed to the warhorse.
12:16 They had done this: the antecedent of they is
ambiguous.
12:17–18 There seem to be two different crowds in these
verses. There are some good witnesses to the text that have another reading for
Jn 12:17: “Then the crowd that was with him began to testify that he had called
Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead.”
12:19 The whole world: the sense is that everyone is
following Jesus, but John has an ironic play on world; he alludes to the
universality of salvation (Jn 3:17; 4:42).
12:20–36 This announcement of glorification by death is an
illustration of “the whole world” (Jn 12:19) going after him.
12:20 Greeks: not used here in a nationalistic sense. These
are probably Gentile proselytes to Judaism; cf. Jn 7:35.
12:21–22 Philip…Andrew: the approach is made through
disciples who have distinctly Greek names, suggesting that access to Jesus was
mediated to the Greek world through his disciples. Philip and Andrew were from
Bethsaida (Jn 1:44); Galileans were mostly bilingual. See: here seems to mean
“have an interview with.”
12:23 Jesus’ response suggests that only after the
crucifixion could the gospel encompass both Jew and Gentile.
12:24 This verse implies that through his death Jesus will
be accessible to all. It remains just a grain of wheat: this saying is found in
the synoptic triple and double traditions (Mk 8:35; Mt 16:25; Lk 9:24; Mt
10:39; Lk 17:33). John adds the phrases (Jn 12:25) in this world and for
eternal life.
12:25 His life: the Greek word psychē refers to a person’s
natural life. It does not mean “soul,” for Hebrew anthropology did not
postulate body/soul dualism in the way that is familiar to us.
12:27 I am troubled: perhaps an allusion to the Gethsemane
agony scene of the Synoptics.
12:31 Ruler of this world: Satan.
12:34 There is no passage in the Old Testament that states
precisely that the Messiah remains forever. Perhaps the closest is Ps 89:37.
12:37–50 These verses, on unbelief of the Jews, provide an
epilogue to the Book of Signs.
12:38–41 John gives a historical explanation of the
disbelief of the Jewish people, not a psychological one. The Old Testament had
to be fulfilled; the disbelief that met Isaiah’s message was a foreshadowing of
the disbelief that Jesus encountered. In Jn 12:42 and also in Jn 3:20 we see
that there is no negation of freedom.
12:41 His glory: Isaiah saw the glory of Yahweh enthroned in
the heavenly temple, but in John the antecedent of his is Jesus.
The Gospel of John
Online Bible Study in English
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