John 12
Expanded Bible
Jesus with Friends in Bethany
12 [L Therefore] Six days before the Passover Feast, Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazarus lived. (Lazarus is the man Jesus raised from the dead.) 2 There they had a dinner for Jesus. Martha served the food, and Lazarus was one of the people ·eating [L reclining; C it was customary to eat formal meals while reclining around a low table] with Jesus. 3 [L Then] Mary brought in a pint [C Greek litra; about eleven ounces, weighing just under a pound] of very expensive ·perfume [ointment/fragrant oil] made from pure nard. She ·poured the perfume on [anointed; C not the word for royal or priestly anointing, but for hospitality or care] Jesus’ feet, and then she wiped his feet with her hair. And the ·sweet smell [fragrance] from the perfume filled the whole house.
4 Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ ·followers [disciples] who would later ·turn against [betray] him, was there. Judas said, 5 “This ·perfume [ointment/fragrant oil] was worth an ·entire year’s wages [L three hundred denarii]. Why wasn’t it sold and the money given to the poor?” 6 But Judas did not really care about the poor; he said this because he was a thief. He was the one who kept the money ·box [or bag], and he often stole from it.
7 [L Therefore] Jesus answered, “Leave her alone. It was right for her to save this perfume for today, the day for me to be prepared for burial. 8 [L For] You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.”
The Plot Against Lazarus
9 A large crowd of ·people [L Jews] ·heard [learned; came to know] that Jesus was ·in Bethany [L there]. So they went there to see not only Jesus but Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. 10 So the leading [T chief] priests ·made plans [plotted; counseled together] to kill Lazarus too. 11 Because of Lazarus many of the Jews were ·leaving [going away from; deserting] them and believing in Jesus.
Jesus Enters Jerusalem(A)
12 The next day a great crowd who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast [C the annual festival celebrating God’s rescue of Israel from Egypt; Ex. 12; John 2:13] heard that Jesus was coming there. 13 So they took branches of palm trees [C a symbol of the nation of Israel] and went out to meet Jesus, shouting,
“·Praise God [L Hosanna; C an Aramaic cry to God for salvation, which became a shout of praise]!
·God bless [L Blessed is] the One who comes in the name of the Lord [Ps. 118:25–26]!
·God bless [L Blessed is] the King of Israel!”
14 Jesus found a ·colt [young donkey] and sat on it. ·This was as the Scripture says [L As it is written],
15 “Don’t be afraid, ·people of Jerusalem [L Daughter of Zion; C a term of endearment for the people of Jerusalem]!
Your king is coming,
sitting on the colt of a donkey [Zech. 9:9; C riding a donkey rather than a warhorse, perhaps signaling that he was a different sort of king than their nationalist expectations anticipated].”
16 The ·followers [disciples] of Jesus did not understand this at first. But after Jesus was ·raised to glory [L glorified], they remembered that this had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.
People Tell About Jesus
17 There had been ·many people [a crowd] with Jesus when he raised Lazarus from the dead and told him to come out of the tomb. Now they were ·telling others [testifying; witnessing] about what Jesus did. 18 ·Many people [A crowd] went out to meet Jesus, because they had heard ·about this miracle [L that he had done this sign]. 19 So the Pharisees said to each other, “You can see that ·nothing is going right for us [we are getting nowhere; L you are gaining nothing]. Look! The whole world ·is following [has gone after] him.”
Jesus Talks About His Death
20 There were some Greek people [C Gentiles—here meant to represent people from all over the world; 12:19], too, who came to Jerusalem to worship at the Passover Feast. 21 [L So] They went to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and ·said [requested], “Sir, we would like to ·see [meet] Jesus.” 22 Philip told Andrew, and then Andrew and Philip told Jesus.
23 Jesus ·said to [answered; replied to] them, “The ·time [L hour] has come for the Son of Man [C a title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14] to ·receive his glory [be glorified; C through his death, resurrection, and ascension]. 24 ·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], a grain of wheat must fall to the ground and die to make ·many seeds [L much fruit]. But if it never dies, it remains only a single ·seed [grain]. 25 ·Those who [L The one who…] love their lives will lose them, but those who hate their lives in this world will ·keep [guard; preserve] ·true life forever [L it for eternal life]. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me. Then my servant will be with me everywhere I am. My Father will honor anyone who serves me.
27 “Now ·I am very [L my soul is] troubled. Should I say, ‘Father, save me from this ·time [L hour]’? No, ·I came to this time so I could suffer [L for this reason I have come to this hour]. 28 Father, ·bring glory to [glorify; honor] your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have ·brought glory to [glorified] it, and I will ·do [L glorify; honor] it again.”
29 The crowd standing there, who heard the voice, said it was thunder.
But others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”
30 Jesus ·said [responded], “That voice was for your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the time for the world to be judged; now the ·ruler [prince] of this world [C Satan] will be ·thrown down [L cast/driven out]. 32 ·If [or When] I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people ·toward me [to myself].” 33 Jesus said this to show ·how [what kind of death] he would die.
34 The crowd ·said [responded to him], “We have heard from the ·law [C the Old Testament] that the ·Christ [Messiah] will ·live [remain] forever [Ps. 89:35–37; Is. 9:7; Ezek. 37:25]. So why do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
35 Then Jesus said, “The light will be ·with [among] you for a little longer, so walk while you have the light. Then the darkness will not ·catch [overtake] you. ·If you walk [L The one who walks] in the darkness, you will not know where you are going. 36 ·Believe [Put your trust] in the light while you still have it so that you will become children of light.” When Jesus had said this, he left and hid himself from them.
Some People Won’t Believe in Jesus
37 Though Jesus had done many ·miracles [L signs; 2:11] in front of the people, they still did not believe in him. 38 This was to ·bring about [L fulfill] ·what [L the message/word that] Isaiah the prophet had said:
“Lord, who believed ·what we told them [L our message/report]?
Who saw the Lord’s ·power [L arm; C a symbol of his power] in this [Is. 53:1]?”
39 This is why the people could not believe: Isaiah also had said,
40 “He has blinded their eyes,
and he has ·closed their minds [L hardened their heart].
Otherwise they would see with their eyes
and understand in their ·minds [L heart]
and ·come back to me and be healed [L turn/repent, and I would heal them; Is. 6:10].”
41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
42 But many believed in Jesus, even many of the ·leaders [authorities]. But because of the Pharisees, they did not ·say they believed in him [L confess/proclaim him/it] for fear they would be put out of the synagogue. 43 They loved ·praise [glory] from people more than ·praise [glory] from God.
44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me is really believing in the One who sent me. 45 Whoever sees me sees the One who sent me. 46 I have come as light into the world so that whoever believes in me would not ·stay [remain] in darkness.
47 “Anyone who hears my words and does not ·obey [keep] them, I do not judge, because I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for those who ·refuse to believe in [reject] me and do not accept my words. The word I have ·taught [spoken] will ·be their judge [judge them] on the last day. 49 The things I ·taught [spoke] were not from myself. The Father who sent me ·told [commanded] me what to say and what to ·teach [speak]. 50 And I know that eternal life comes from what the Father commands. So whatever I say is what the Father told me to say.”
John 12
Lexham English Bible
Jesus Is Anointed at Bethany
12 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they made him a dinner there, and Martha was serving, but Lazarus was one of the ones reclining at table with him. 3 Then Mary took a pound[a] of ointment of very valuable genuine nard and[b] anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was going to betray him) said, 5 “Why[c] was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 (Now he said this not because he was concerned[d] about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, he used to steal what was put into it.)[e] 7 So Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my preparation for burial. 8 For you have the poor with you always, but you do not always have me.”
The Decision to Kill Lazarus
9 Now a large crowd[f] of Jews found out that he was there, and they came, not only because of Jesus, but so that they could see Lazarus also, whom he raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests decided that they would kill Lazarus also, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going and believing in Jesus.
The Triumphal Entry
12 On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they[g] heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took the branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, and began crying out,
“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord,[h]
even the king of Israel!”
14 So Jesus found a young donkey and[i] sat on it, just as it is written,
15 “Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion!
Behold, your king is coming,
seated on the foal of a donkey!”[j]
16 (His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and they did these things to him.) 17 So the crowd who was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead were continuing to testify. 18 Because of this also the crowd went to meet him, for they had heard that he had performed this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing! Behold, the world has gone after him.”
Greeks Seeking Jesus
20 Now some Greeks were among those who had gone up in order to worship at the feast. 21 So these approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and began asking him saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew. Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man will be glorified. 24 Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and[k] dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world preserves it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me, and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
Jesus Predicts His Death
27 “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, deliver me from this hour’? But for this reason I have come to this hour! 28 Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have both glorified it,[l] and I will glorify it[m] again.” 29 Now the crowd that stood there and heard it[n] said it had thundered.[o] Others were saying, “An angel has spoken to him!” 30 Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not happened for my sake, but for your sake. 31 Now is the judgment of this world! Now the ruler of this world will be thrown out! 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 (Now he said this to indicate by what sort of death he was going to die.)
34 Then the crowd replied to him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever![p] And how do you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, “Yet a little time the light is with you! Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness does not overtake you! And the one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, in order that you may become sons of light.” Jesus said these things, and then he went away and[q] was hidden from them.
The People Still Refuse to Believe
37 But as many signs as he had performed before them, they did not believe in him, 38 in order that the word of the prophet Isaiah would be fulfilled, who said,
“Lord, who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”[r]
39 For this reason they were not able to believe, because again Isaiah said,
40 “He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts,
lest they see with their[s] eyes
and understand with their[t] hearts
and turn, and I heal them.”[u]
41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory, and he spoke about him.
42 Yet despite that, even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it,[v] so that they would not be expelled from the synagogue. 43 For they loved the praise of men more than praise from God.
Jesus’ Final Public Appeal
44 But Jesus cried out and said, “The one who believes in me does not believe in me, but in the one who sent me, 45 and the one who sees me sees the one who sent me. 46 I have come as a light into the world, in order that everyone who believes in me will not remain in the darkness. 47 And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them,[w] I will not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not accept my words has one who judges him; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken from myself, but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me[x] what I should say and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So the things that I say, just as the Father said to me, thus I say.”
Footnotes
- John 12:3 The Greek term refers to a Roman pound, 327.45 grams (approximately 12 ounces)
- John 12:3 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“took”) has been translated as a finite verb
- John 12:5 Literally “because of what”
- John 12:6 Literally “it was a concern to him”
- John 12:6 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- John 12:9 Some manuscripts have “the large crowd”
- John 12:12 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
- John 12:13 A quotation from Ps 118:25–26
- John 12:14 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“found”) has been translated as a finite verb
- John 12:15 A quotation from Zech 9:9
- John 12:24 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“falls”) has been translated as a finite verb
- John 12:28 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- John 12:28 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- John 12:29 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- John 12:29 Literally “thunder had happened”
- John 12:34 Literally “for the age”; probably an allusion to Ps 89:35–37 (in common usage “law” could refer to the entire Old Testament)
- John 12:36 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“went away”) has been translated as a finite verb
- John 12:38 A quotation from Isa 53:1
- John 12:40 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
- John 12:40 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
- John 12:40 A quotation from Isa 6:10
- John 12:42 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- John 12:47 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- John 12:49 Literally “has given me commandment”
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