I. THE SUPPER AT BETHANY: JOHN 12:1-11. In the presence of the great struggle of whose approach every one has a presentiment, the devotion of the friends of Jesus becomes loftier; by way of counter-stroke, the national hostility, which has its representative even among the Twelve, breaks out in thi... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 1. “ _Six days before the Passover, Jesus came therefore to Bethany where Lazarus was whom he had raised from the dead._ ” It would seem from the Synoptics that Jesus came directly to Jerusalem from Peraea, passing through Jericho. In order to bring them into agreement with John, it is enough t... [ Continue Reading ]
SECOND SECTION: 12:1-36. THE LAST DAYS OF THE MINISTRY OF JESUS. This section includes three parts: 1. The supper of Jesus at Bethany: John 12:1 to John 11:2. His entry into Jerusalem: John 12:12 to John 19:3. The last scene of His ministry in the temple: John 12:20-36. These three facts are select... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Therefore they made him a feast there, and Martha served; but Lazarus was one of those who were at table with him._ 3. _Mary therefore, having taken a pound of ointment of pure nard, which was of great price, anointed the feet of Jesus with it and wiped his feet with her hair; and the whole house... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Then one of his disciples, Judas, the son of Simon, the Iscariot_, _he who was soon to betray him, says:_ 5. _Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred denarii and the price given to the poor?_ 6. _Now this he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and kept the p... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Jesus therefore said to him: Let her alone; she has kept it for the day of my burial._ 8. _For the poor you have always with you; but me you have not always._ ” We translate according to the reading of the T. R. which alone seems to us admissible. The imperative ἄφες is absolute: “ _Let her alone... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _A great multitude therefore of the Jews learned that he was there; and they came, not because of Jesus only, but that they might see Lazarus also whom he had raised from the dead._ 10. _But the chief priests took counsel that they might put Lazarus also to death_, 11 _because many of the Jews wen... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _The next day, a great multitude of persons who had come to the feast, having heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem took branches of palm-trees_ 13 _and went forth to meet him_, _and they cried_, _Hosanna! Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel!_ ” This multitude... [ Continue Reading ]
II. THE ENTRANCE INTO JERUSALEM: JOHN 12:12-19. Jesus had striven on every occasion to repress the popular manifestations in His favor (John 6:15; Luke 14:25-33; Luke 19:11 ff., etc.). Now He allows free play to the feelings of the multitude and surrenders Himself to the public homage which is prep... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Jesus, having found a young ass, sat thereon, according as it is written_, 15. _Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, thy king cometh seated on an ass's colt._ ” The conduct of Jesus is ordered by the nature of things. Since He wishes to-day to accept this homage, He cannot remain mingled with the... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 16. “ _Now the disciples did not understand these things at the moment; but when Jesus had been glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of him and that they had done these things to him._ ” It was only afterwards, when after the ascension, and when enlightened by the Holy... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _The multitude therefore who were with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness to him;_ 18 _and it was for this cause also that the multitude went to meet him, because they had heard that he had done this miracle._ ” John does not have it as his aim to... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 19. “ _Whereupon the Pharisees said among themselves, You see that you prevail nothing; behold, the world is gone after him._ ” Joh 12:17-18 bring out the influence of the resurrection of Lazarus on the scene of Palmday; John 12:19 indicates that of this scene on the final catastrophe. Πρὸς ἑαυ... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _There were certain Greeks among those who went up to Jerusalem to worship at the feast_, 21 _who came to Philip, who was of Bethsaida in Galilee, and made this request of him: Sir, we desire to see Jesus._ 22. _Philip goes and finds Andrew and tells him; and Andrew and Philip tell it again to Jes... [ Continue Reading ]
III. THE LAST SCENE IN THE TEMPLE: JOHN 12:20-36. Of all the events which occurred between Palm-day and Thursday evening, the evening before the Passion, John mentions but one, which is omitted by the Synoptics: the attempt of a few Greek proselytes to approach Jesus and the discourse in which He e... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 23. “ _Jesus answered them, The hour is come when the Son of man is to be glorified._ ” The Alexandrian authorities read the present: _answers._ The T. R., with 13 Mjj. and the ancient Vss., reads the aorist middle ἀπεκρίνατο, _answered._ These two forms are very rare in our Gospel (two or thre... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 24. “ _Verily, verily, I say to you, Unless the grain of wheat dies after having fallen into the ground, it abides alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit._ ” Before He can answer to the need of salvation for the heathen world, the first symptom of which has just reached Him, something of s... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 25. Application of the figure: “ _He who loves his life, loses it; and he who hates his life in this world, shall preserve it unto life eternal._ ” The relation between this sentence and the two preceding verses does not allow us to doubt that Jesus here applies it to Himself. To this fundament... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 26. “ _If any one serves me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be; if any one serves me, him will my Father honor._ ” _ To follow_, here: on the pathway of sacrifice, which alone leads to the glorious metamorphosis. The Greek term: _where I am_, is a present of anti... [ Continue Reading ]
VV. 27, 28 a. “ _Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? But for this cause came I unto this hour._ 28a. _Father, glorify thy name.” _ The soul, ψυχή, is the seat of the natural emotions, as _the spirit_, πνεῦμα, is that of the religious emotions. _Weiss_ disp... [ Continue Reading ]
VV. 28B, 29. “ _Whereupon there came a voice from heaven, I have both glorified it and I will glorify it again._ 29. _The multitude therefore that stood by and heard it, said that it thundered; others said, An angel has spoken to him._ ” Each time that the Son performs a great act of self-humiliati... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Jesus answered and said: Not for my sake has this voice made itself heard, but for your sakes._ 31. _Now is the judgment of this world;now shall the prince of this world be cast out._ 32. _And I, when I shall have been lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me._ ” In declaring that this... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 33. “ _Now this he said, signifying by what death he should die._ ” This explanation of John is declared to be false by some modern interpreters (_Meyer, Reuss_, etc.), Jesus having spoken, according to them, of the Ascension, not of the cross. But we have seen that the idea of the cross was ne... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 34. “ _The multitude answered him, We have heard from the law that the Christ abides for ever; how sayest thou then, The Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?_ ” John 12:34. “How sayest thou, _thou?_ ” This _thou_ is opposed to _we_, ἡμεῖς : we who are acquainted with the law an... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Jesus therefore said to them, The light is with you only a little while longer; walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you; and he that walks in the darkness knows not whither he goes._ 36. _While you have the light, believe on the light, that you may become children of light.... [ Continue Reading ]
I. THE CAUSES OF JEWISH UNBELIEF: JOHN 12:37-43. If the Jews are the chosen people, prepared of God to the end of receiving the Messiah and of carrying salvation to other nations, ought they not to have been the first to open their arms to Jesus? Or, if they did not, must it not be inferred from th... [ Continue Reading ]
THIRD SECTION: 12:37-50. RETROSPECTIVE GLANCE AT THE MYSTERIOUS FACT OF JEWISH UNBELIEF. This passage forms the close of the second part of the Gospel (John 12:1-36). The evangelist interrupts his narrative that he may give himself up to a meditation on the fact which he has just set forth. What is... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Now, although he had done so many miracles in their presence, they did not believe on him_, 38 _that the word which Isaiah the prophet had spoken might be fulfilled: Lord, who has believed our preaching and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?_ ” However irrational is the fact with whic... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _And indeed they could not believe, because Isaiah said again_, 40 _He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, that they should not see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and be converted_, _and I should heal them._ ” The omnipotence of God itself worked to the end of reali... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 41. “ _This did Isaiah say, when he saw his glory and spoke of him._ ” John justifies in this verse the application which he has just made to Jesus Christ of the vision of Isaiah 6. The Adonai whom Isaiah beheld at that moment was the divine being who is incarnated in Jesus. Herein also John an... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _It is true, nevertheless, that, even among the rulers, many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess their faith, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;_ 43 _for they loved the glory which comes from men more than the glory which comes from God._ ” This exception... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Now Jesus cried, saying, He that believes on me, believes not on me, but on him that sent me;_ 45 _and he that beholds me, beholds him that sent me;_ 46 _I am come as a light into the world, that whosoever believes on me, may not abide in the darkness._ ” How many times had not Jesus borne witnes... [ Continue Reading ]
II. THE CONSEQUENCES OF FAITH AND UNBELIEF: JOHN 12:44-50. Israel was not only blinded with reference to the signs; it was deaf as regarded the testimonies which accompanied them, and this is what finally renders its unbelief unpardonable. Such is the meaning and spirit of this passage; it is not a... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _And if any one hear my sayings and keep them not, I judge him not; for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world._ 48. _He that rejects me and receives not my sayings has already his judge; the word which I have spoken, this it is which will judge him at the last day._ ” Woe to him who... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _For I have not spoken from myself; but the Father who sent me has himself given me commandment what I should say and how I should say it;_ 50 _and I know that his commandment is life eternal; what I say therefore I say even as my Father has said to me._ ” If the word of Jesus is the standard of j... [ Continue Reading ]