John 12
12
Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany
1Six days before #ver. 12, 20; ch. 11:55 the Passover, #For ver. 1-8, see Matt. 26:6-11; Mark 14:3-8 Jesus therefore came to Bethany, #ch. 11:1where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2So they gave a dinner for him there. #Luke 10:38, 40Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3#[Luke 7:37, 38]Mary therefore took a pound#12:3 Greek litra; a litra (or Roman pound) was equal to about 11 1/2 ounces or 327 grams of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5“Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii#12:5 A denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer and #ch. 13:29given to the poor?” 6He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and #[See ver. 5 above]having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it#12:7 Or Leave her alone; she intended to keep it for the day of my burial. 8For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”
The Plot to Kill Lazarus
9When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus#12:9 Greek he was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, #ch. 11:44whom he had raised from the dead. 10#[Luke 16:31]So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11because #ver. 18; ch. 11:45on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
The Triumphal Entry
12The next day #For ver. 12-15, see Matt. 21:4-9; Mark 11:7-10; Luke 19:35-38the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13So they took branches of #[Rev. 7:9] palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, #Ps. 118:25, 26 “Hosanna! Blessed is #[ch. 5:43] he who comes in the name of the Lord, even #See ch. 1:49the King of Israel!” 14And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
15 # Cited from Zech. 9:9 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
16 # [ch. 13:7]; See Mark 9:32 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but #ver. 23; See ch. 7:39 when Jesus was glorified, then #ch. 2:22they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17#[Luke 19:37]The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18The reason why the crowd went to meet him #ver. 9-11was that they heard he had done this sign. 19So the Pharisees said to one another, #ch. 11:47 “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, #[ch. 3:26]the world has gone after him.”
Some Greeks Seek Jesus
20Now #[1 Kgs. 8:41-43; Acts 8:27] among those who went up to worship at the feast were some #Acts 17:4; [Mark 7:26]; See ch. 7:35Greeks. 21So these came to #ch. 1:44Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22Philip went and told #See Mark 13:3Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23And Jesus answered them, #ch. 17:1; [ver. 27; ch. 13:31, 32; Mark 14:41]; See ch. 2:4 “The hour has come #ver. 16for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24Truly, truly, I say to you, #1 Cor. 15:36unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25#See Matt. 10:39 Whoever loves his life loses it, and #[ch. 11:25] whoever #See Luke 14:26hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26If anyone serves me, he must #ch. 8:12; 21:18 follow me; and #ch. 14:3; 17:24; [2 Cor. 5:8; 1 Thess. 4:17] where I am, there will my servant be also. #[ch. 14:21, 23; 16:27] If anyone serves me, #1 Sam. 2:30; Ps. 91:15the Father will honor him.
The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up
27 # ch. 11:33; 13:21; [Luke 22:44] “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, #
Mark 14:35; [Heb. 5:7] save me from # ver. 23 this hour’? But # [ch. 18:37] for this purpose I have come to # ver. 23 this hour. 28Father, glorify your name.” Then #Matt. 3:17; 17:5; Mark 1:11; 9:7; Luke 3:22; 9:35; 2 Pet. 1:17a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, #Acts 23:9“An angel has spoken to him.” 30Jesus answered, #ch. 11:42“This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31#ch. 16:11; [ch. 16:33] Now is the judgment of this world; now will #ch. 14:30; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; 6:12; [Matt. 13:19; Luke 4:6; 1 John 4:4; 5:19] the ruler of this world #[Luke 10:18; Col. 2:15; 1 John 3:8]be cast out. 32And I, #ch. 3:14; 8:28 when I am lifted up from the earth, #See ch. 6:44 will draw #Rom. 5:18; 8:32; 2 Cor. 5:15; 1 Tim. 2:6; Heb. 2:9; 1 John 2:2all people to myself.” 33He said this #ch. 18:32to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that #Ps. 89:4; 110:4; Isa. 9:7; Ezek. 37:25; Luke 1:33 the Christ remains forever. How can you say that #ver. 32the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35So Jesus said to them, #ver. 46; See ch. 1:4, 9; 8:12 “The light is among you #See ch. 7:33 for a little while longer. #Jer. 13:16; Eph. 5:8 Walk while you have the light, lest darkness #1 Thess. 5:4 overtake you. #Isa. 9:2; 1 John 1:6; 2:11; [ch. 11:10]The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become #See Luke 10:6sons of light.”
The Unbelief of the People
When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38#[Matt. 1:22] so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
#
Rom. 10:16; Cited from Isa. 53:1 “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39Therefore they #[ch. 5:44]could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
40 # [Isa. 6:10]; See Matt. 13:14, 15 “He has blinded their eyes
and #See Mark 6:52hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”
41Isaiah said these things because #Isa. 6:1 he saw his glory and #[ch. 5:46]spoke of him. 42Nevertheless, #ch. 3:1; [ch. 7:48] many even of the authorities believed in him, but #See ch. 7:13 for fear of the Pharisees they did not #See ch. 9:22confess it, so that they would not be #See ch. 9:22put out of the synagogue; 43#ch. 5:44for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
Jesus Came to Save the World
44And Jesus cried out and said, #[ch. 13:20]; See Matt. 10:40 “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but #ch. 14:1; [ch. 5:24; 1 Pet. 1:21]in him who sent me. 45And #ch. 14:9 whoever #ch. 6:40sees me sees him who sent me. 46#ver. 35, 36; See ch. 1:4, 5, 9; 8:12I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47If anyone #[ch. 3:36] hears my words and does not keep them, #ch. 8:15 I do not judge him; for #See ch. 3:17; 4:42I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48#Luke 10:16 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; #Deut. 18:18, 19 the word that I have spoken will judge him #[Rom. 2:16]on the last day. 49For #See ch. 5:19, 30 I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father #See ch. 3:17 who sent me has himself given me #ch. 15:10a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
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John 12: ESV
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