John 12 · WEB
Mary's Anointing and the Triumphal Entry
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Then six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.
2So they made him a supper there. Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with him.
3Therefore Mary took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed Jesus's feet and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.
4Then Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, one of his disciples, who would betray him, said,
5"Why wasn't this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and given to the poor?"
6Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, used to steal what was put into it.
7But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She has kept this for the day of my burial.
8For you always have the poor with you, but you don't always have me."
9A large crowd therefore of the Jews learned that he was there, and they came, not for Jesus's sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.
10But the chief priests conspired to put Lazarus to death also,
11because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.
12On the next day a great multitude had come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
13they took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet him, and cried out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!"
14Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on it. As it is written,
15"Don't be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold, your King comes, sitting on a donkey's colt."
16His disciples didn't understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about him, and that they had done these things to him.
17The multitude therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead was testifying about it.
18For this cause also the multitude went and met him, because they heard that he had done this sign.
19The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, "See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him."
20Now there were certain Greeks among those that went up to worship at the feast.
21These, therefore, came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we want to see Jesus."
22Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus.
23Jesus answered them, "The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
24Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.
25He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life.
26If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
27"Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say? 'Father, save me from this time?' But I came to this time for this cause.
28Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came out of the sky, saying, "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again."
29Therefore the multitude who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him."
30Jesus answered, "This voice hasn't come for my sake, but for your sakes.
31Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out.
32And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."
33But he said this, signifying by what kind of death he should die.
34The multitude answered him, "We have heard out of the law that the Christ remains forever. How do you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up?' Who is this Son of Man?"
35Jesus therefore said to them, "Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness doesn't overtake you. He who walks in the darkness doesn't know where he is going.
36While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become children of light." Jesus said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them.
37But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they didn't believe in him,
38that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, "Lord, who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"
39For this cause they couldn't believe, for Isaiah said again,
40"He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them."
41Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory, and spoke of him.
42Nevertheless even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn't confess it, so that they wouldn't be put out of the synagogue,
43for they loved men's praise more than God's praise.
44Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me.
45He who sees me sees him who sent me.
46I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness.
47If anyone listens to my sayings and doesn't believe, I don't judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
48He who rejects me, and doesn't receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke will judge him in the last day.
49For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
50I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak."
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Summary
Six days before Passover, Mary of Bethany pours expensive nard on Jesus' feet in an act of extravagant love that Jesus interprets as preparation for his burial, while Judas objects and the chief priests plot to kill Lazarus too. Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey to a palm-waving crowd hailing him as King, and when Greeks ask to see him, he announces that his hour has come — the grain of wheat must die to bear fruit. A voice from heaven affirms his mission, and Jesus speaks of being "lifted up" to draw all people to himself. The chapter closes Jesus' public ministry by exposing the unbelief of many and the cowardly half-faith of others who loved human praise more than God's.
Themes
- Extravagant worship vs. calculating self-interest
- Jesus as the King who comes humbly
- The cross as glory and as drawing power
- The fruitful death — losing life to find it
- Belief, unbelief, and the fear of man
Key verses
- John 12:24 — “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
- John 12:25 — “He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life.”
- John 12:32 — “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
- John 12:43 — “They loved men's praise more than God's praise.”
Context & background
John wrote c. AD 85-95, likely from Ephesus (modern western Turkey). Bethany lay on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, just east of Jerusalem (West Bank/East Jerusalem). The triumphal entry brought Jesus down the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem (modern Israel) on the day later called Palm Sunday; palm branches were a Jewish nationalist symbol of victory dating from the Maccabean era. Pure nard was an aromatic oil imported from the Himalayan region of northern India, and three hundred denarii equaled about a year's wages for a laborer. The arrival of Greek (Gentile) seekers signals to Jesus that the gospel is about to break beyond Israel — and that "the hour" has come.
Cross-references
- 1 Corinthians 15:36 — Paul echoes the grain-of-wheat principle in teaching the resurrection.
- Isaiah 53:1 — "Who has believed our report?" — quoted in verse 38 to explain unbelief.
- Isaiah 6:9-10 — Isaiah's commission to a hardened people; John says Isaiah saw Christ's glory.
- Psalm 118:25-26 — "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD" — sung by the crowd.
- Zechariah 9:9 — "Behold, your king comes to you... riding on a donkey" — directly fulfilled.