John 12 - Introduction
CHAPTER 12. _ Jesus embalmed in the love of His intimates_.... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER 12. _ Jesus embalmed in the love of His intimates_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ οὖν Ἰησοῦς … Βηθανίαν. οὖν takes us back to John 11:55; the Passover being at hand, Jesus therefore came to Bethany. πρὸ ἓξ ἡμερῶν τοῦ πάσχα, not, as Vulgate, “ante sex dies Paschae,” but with Beza “sex ante Pascha diebus”. So Amos 1:1, πρὸ δύο ἐτῶν τοῦ σεισμοῦ. Josephus, _Antiq._, xv. 14, πρὸ μιᾶ... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐποίησαν … αὐτῷ. ἐποίησαν is the indefinite plural: “they made Him” a supper; δεῖπνον, originally any meal, came to be used invariably of the evening meal. καὶ ἡ Μάρθα διηκόνει, “and Martha waited at table,” which was her peculiar province (Luke 10:40). ὁ δὲ Λάζαρος … αὐτῷ. This is mentioned, not to... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἡ οὖν Μσρία … The third member of the Bethany family appears also in character, λαβοῦσα λίτραν μύρου νάρδου πιστικῆς πολυτίμου. λίτρα (Lat. libra), the unit of weight in the Roman empire, slightly over eleven ounces avoirdupois. μύρον (from μύρω, to trickle, or from μύρρα, myrrh, the juice of the Ar... [ Continue Reading ]
Hence the οὖν in John 12:4, λέγει οὖν εἶς … πτωχοῖς; “one” of His disciples. Matthew (Matthew 26:8) leaves all the disciples under the reproach, which John transfers to Judas alone. On the designation of Judas see John 6:71. Westcott, however, with a harmonising tendency, says “Judas expressed what... [ Continue Reading ]
Εἶπε δὲ τοῦτο … ἐβάσταζεν. “This he said, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief.” Before John could make this accusation, he must have had proof; how or when we do not know. But the next clauses, being in the imperfect, imply that his pilfering was habitual. τὸ γλωσσόκομον, “... [ Continue Reading ]
As for Judas' suggestion, He disposes of it, τοὺς πτωχοὺς … ἔχετε. “For the poor ye have always with you,” and every day, therefore, have opportunities of considering and relieving them, “but me ye have not always,” and therefore this apparent extravagance, being occasional only, finds justification... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἔγνω οὖν ὄχλος πολὺς ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαίων. A great crowd of the Jews”; ὄχλος is generally used by John in contrast to the Jewish authorities, and R.V [83] renders “the common people”. When they knew that Jesus was in Bethany they went out from Jerusalem to see Him and Lazarus: an easily accessible and un... [ Continue Reading ]
Τῇ ἐπαύριον, _i.e._, probably on Sunday, called Palm Sunday in the Church year [κυριακὴ τῶν βαΐων, dominica palmarum, or, in ramis palmarum]. Four days before the Passover the Jews were required to select a lamb for the feast. ὄχλος πολὺς ὁ ἐλθὼν εἰς τὴν ἑορτὴν, and therefore not Jerusalemites, ἀκού... [ Continue Reading ]
_The triumphal entry into Jerusalem_.... [ Continue Reading ]
εἰς ὑπάντησιν αὐτῷ. “Substantives derived from verbs which govern a dative are sometimes followed by this case, instead of the ordinary genitive.” Winer, 264. They left no doubt as to the meaning of the demonstration, ἔκραζον Ὡσαννά … Ἰσραήλ. These words are taken from Psalms 118:25-26; written as t... [ Continue Reading ]
Jesus being thus hailed as king by the people, εὑρὼν ὀνάριον … ὄνου, _i.e._, He accepted the homage and declared Himself king by adopting the prediction of Zechariah 9:9 (John 12:15), “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion (χαῖρε σφόδρα instead of μὴ φοβοῦ), proclaim it aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem;... [ Continue Reading ]
The significance of “His action was not at that time perceived by the disciples: ταῦτα … πρῶτον, but when Jesus had been glorified, then they remembered that this had been written concerning Him and that the people had made this demonstration in His favour, καὶ ταῦτα ἐποίησαν αὐτῷ... [ Continue Reading ]
In John 12:17-18 this demonstration is carefully traced to the raising of Lazarus: “the crowd which was with Him when He summoned Lazarus from the tomb, and raised him from the dead, testified [that He had done so], and on this account the crowd went out to meet Him, because they had heard this test... [ Continue Reading ]
The effect on the Pharisees is, as usual, recorded by John; they said one to another, Θεωρεῖτε … ἀπῆλθεν. “Do you see how helpless you are? The world is gone after Him.” For ὁ κόσμος see 4Ma 17:14 and French “tout le monde”. For ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ see 2 Samuel 15:13.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἦσαν δέ τινες Ἔλληνες ἐκ τῶν ἀναβαινόντων … Among the crowds who came up to worship in the feast were some Greeks; not Hellenists, but men of pure Greek extraction; proselytes belonging to Decapolis, Galilee, or some country more remote.... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Greeks inquire for Jesus_.... [ Continue Reading ]
οὗτοι οὖν προσῆλθον φιλίππῳ, “these came therefore to Philip,” probably because they had learned that he knew their language; or, as indicated in the addition, τῷ … Γαλιλαίας, because they had seen him in Galilee. Their request to Philip was, Κύριε … ἰδεῖν. “Sir, we would see Jesus”; not merely to s... [ Continue Reading ]
ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἀπεκρίνατο αὐτοῖς, “Jesus answers them,” _i.e._, the two disciples, but probably the Greeks had come with them and heard the words: Ἐλήλυθεν ἡ ὧρα ἵνα δοξασθῇ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. ἔρχεται ὧρα is followed by ὅτε in John 4:21; John 5:25, and by ἐν ᾗ in John 5:28. Burton calls it “the compl... [ Continue Reading ]
But second to the thought of His enthronement as Messiah comes the thought of the way to it: ἀμὴν … φέρει, “except the grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides itself alone; but if it die, it bears much fruit”. The seed reaches its full and proper development by being sown in the groun... [ Continue Reading ]
ὁ φιλῶν … αὐτήν, he that so prizes his life [φιλοψυχεῖν is used in the classics of excessive love of life. See Kypke] that he cannot let it out of his own hand or give it up to good ends checks its growth and it withers and dies: whereas he who treats his life as if he hated it, giving i up freely t... [ Continue Reading ]
This law is applicable not to Jesus only, but to all: ἐὰν ἐμοὶ … ἀκολουθείτω. The badge of His servants is that they adopt His method and aim and truly follow Him. The result of following necessarily is that ὅπου … ἔσται, “where I am, as my eternal state, there shall also my servant be”. διάκονος is... [ Continue Reading ]
The distinct and near prospect of the cross as the path to glory which these Greeks called up in His thoughts prompts Him to exclaim: Νῦν ἡ ψυχή μου τετάρακται, “Now is my soul troubled”. ψυχή is, as Weiss remarks, synonymous with πνεῦμα, see John 13:21. A conflict of emotions disturbs His serenity.... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore He prays: Πάτερ δόξασόν σου τὸ ὄνομα. “Father, glorify Thy name.” Complete that manifestation of Thy holiness and love which through me Thou art making; complete it even at the cost of my agony. Ἦλθεν οὖν φωνὴ … δοξάσω. “There came, therefore, a voice out of heaven: I have both glorified i... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ οὖν ὄχλος … λελάληκεν. The mass of the people which was standing by and heard the voice did not recognise it as a voice, but said it thundered. Others caught, if not the words, yet enough to perceive it was articulate speech, and said that an angel had spoken to Him.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἀπεκρίθη ὁ Ἰησοῦς. Jesus, hearing these conjectures, explained to them that not on His account but on theirs this voice had been uttered. It was of immense importance that the disciples, and the people generally, should understand that the sudden transition from the throne offered by the triumphal a... [ Continue Reading ]
It was a trial not so much of Him as of the world: νῦν κρίσις ἐστὶ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου. In the events of the next few days the world was to be judged by its treatment of Jesus. _Cf._ John 3:18; John 5:27. Calvin, adopting the fuller meaning given to the Hebrew word “judge,” thinks that the restoration... [ Continue Reading ]
ὑψωθῶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς is explained as indicating or hinting, σημαίνων, “by what death He was to die,” _i.e._, that He was to be raised on the cross. _Cf._ John 3:14. It was the cross which was to become His throne and by which He was to draw men to Him as His subjects. In ὑψωθῶ therefore, although the di... [ Continue Reading ]
The crowd apparently understood the allusion to His death, for they objected: Ἡμεῖς ἠκούσαμεν … ἀνθρώπου; “we have heard out of the law,” _i.e._, out of Scripture (_cf._ John 10:34; John 15:25, and Schechter, _Studies in Judaism_, p. 15: “under the word Torah were comprised not only the Law, but als... [ Continue Reading ]
Εἶπεν οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς. In replying Jesus vouchsafes no direct solution of their difficulty. It is as if He said: Do not entangle yourselves in sophistries. Do not seek such logical proofs of Messiahship. Allow the light of truth and righteousness to enter your conscience and your life. “Yet a little wh... [ Continue Reading ]
In John 12:36 it becomes evident that under τὸ φῶς He refers to Himself. He urges them to yield to that light in Him which penetrates the conscience. Thus they will become υἱοὶ φωτός, see 1 Thessalonians 5:5, “children of light,” not “of the Light”. The expression is the ordinary form used by the He... [ Continue Reading ]
Τοσαῦτα … αὐτόν. The difficulty to be solved is first stated. “Although He had done so many signs before them, yet they did not believe on Him.” A larger number of miracles is implied than is narrated, John 7:31; John 11:47; John 21:25. The quality of the miracles is also alluded to once and again,... [ Continue Reading ]
In the verses which follow, John 12:37-43, _John accounts for the unbelief of the Jews_. This fact that the very people who had been appointed to accept the Messiah had rejected Jesus needed explanation. This explanation is suitably given at the close of that part of the Gospel which has described H... [ Continue Reading ]
Διὰ τοῦτο seems to have a double reference, first to what precedes, second to the ὅτι following, _cf._ John 8:47. οὐκ ἠδύναντο, “they were not able,” irrespective of will; their inability arose from the fulfilment in them of Isaiah's words, John 6:10 (John 12:40), Τετύφλωκεν … αὐτούς. τετύφλωκεν ref... [ Continue Reading ]
John's view of prophecy is given in the words Ταῦτα … αὐτοῦ. “The Targum renders the original words of Isaiah ‘I saw the Lord' by ‘I saw the Lord's glory'. St. John states the truth to which this expression points, and identifies the Divine Person seen by Isaiah with Christ.” Westcott. This involves... [ Continue Reading ]
Although unbelief was so commonly the result of Christ's manifestation, ὅμως μέντοι, _cf._ Herodot., i. 189, “nevertheless, however, even of the rulers many believed on Him, but on account of the Pharisees they did not confess Him (ὡμολόγουν, imperfect, their fear to confess Him was continued) lest... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἰησοῦς δὲ ἔκραξε, “but Jesus cried aloud”. δὲ suggests that this summary is intended to reflect light on the unbelief and the imperfect faith which have just been mentioned. ἔκραξε would of itself lead us to suppose that Jesus made the following statement at some particular time, but as John 12:36 h... [ Continue Reading ]
_A summary of the teaching of Jesus regarding the nature and consequences of faith and unbelief_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Here He adds καὶ ὁ θεωρῶν ἐμὲ θεωρεῖ τὸν πέμψαντά με : “he who beholds me, beholds Him that sent me”; so John 14:9; _cf._ John 6:40. Jesus was the perfect transparency through whom the Father was seen: the image in whom all the Father was represented.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐγὼ φῶς … μείνῃ. “I am come into the world as light,” and in the connection, especially as light upon God and His relation to men. The purpose of His coming was to deliver men from their native darkness: ἵνα … ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ μὴ μείνῃ, “should not abide in the darkness”; _cf._ John 1:9; John 8:12; John... [ Continue Reading ]
But “if any one should hear my words and not keep them I do not judge him, for I came not to judge,” etc. See John 3:17.... [ Continue Reading ]
Not on that account, however, is the unbeliever scatheless: ὁ ἀθετῶν … ἡμέρᾳ, “he that rejecteth me”; ἀθετεῖν here only in John but used in a similar connection and in the same sense in Luke 10:16; _cf._ 1 Thessalonians 4:8. For the sense _cf._ John 1:11. The rejecter of Christ “has one to judge him... [ Continue Reading ]
This word will judge him, “because” though spoken here on earth it is divine “I have not spoken at my own instance nor out of my own resources”; ἐξ ἐμαυτοῦ, not as in John 5:30; John 7:16-18, ἀπʼ ἐμαυτοῦ, but indicating somewhat more strictly the origin of the utterances. He did not create His teach... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ οἷδα … ἐστιν. “And I know that His commandment is life eternal,” that is, the commandment which Jesus had received (John 12:49) was to proclaim life eternal. This was His commission; this was what He was to speak. He was to announce to men that the Father offered through Him life eternal. “There... [ Continue Reading ]