Joh 12 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for John 12:1-50: 12:1-50 Two stories build simultaneously. A growing number of people are praising Jesus (this climaxes in 12:12-13 ), and the authorities are increasingly determined to arrest him and put him to death. • John records three events that occurred just days prior to Passover (12:1-11 , 12-19 , 20-36 ). Then he explains why most of the people refused to believe and details Jesus’ final public appeal (12:37-50 ). 12:1 Pilgrims from throughout Israel began arriving in Jerusalem the week before the Passover . The festival was on Thursday that year; Jesus arrived late the preceding Friday, just before the Sabbath.

Summary for John 12:1-50: 12:1-50 ^a Two stories build simultaneously. A growing number of people are praising Jesus (this climaxes in 12:12-13 ^b), and the authorities are increasingly determined to arrest him and put him to death.

• John records three events that occurred just days prior to Passover (12:1-11 ^c, 12-19 ^d, 20-36 ^e). Then he explains why most of the people refused to believe and details Jesus’ final public appeal (12:37-50 ^f). 12:1 ^g Pilgrims from throughout Israel began arriving in Jerusalem the week before the Passover. The festival was on Thursday that year; Jesus arrived late the preceding Friday, just before the Sabbath.
12:2 ^h who ate: Or who reclined. The typical posture for eating was to recline at a low table.
12:3 ⁱ Mary ... anointed Jesus’ feet: Doing so was not awkward, because Jews reclined at formal meals, but it was certainly a dramatic gesture (cp. Matt 26:6-16 ^j; Mark 14:3-9 ^k).

• Nard, a precious spice imported from North India, was sweet, red, and smelled like gladiola perfume. Twelve ounces of nard cost a year’s wages (John 12:5 ^l). According to Mark, Mary also anointed Jesus’ head (Mark 14:3 ^m), and the perfume ran down and scented his garments (Mark 14:8 ⁿ).

• her hair: Women never unveiled their hair in public (see Luke 7:38 ^o). Mary was acting with extravagant abandon and devotion.
12:5 ^p a year’s wages: Judas may have been exaggerating, but Mary’s sacrifice was certainly very costly.
12:7 ^q Leave her alone: Jesus’ defense of Mary interpreted her deed. The nard was a burial spice for his death. Jesus was readied for burial as he moved toward the hour of glorification and death (see study note on 12:23).
12:8 ^r Jesus would never neglect the poor, but this opportunity to serve him was unparalleled.
12:12 ^s The next day was Sunday (see 12:1 ^t).

• A large crowd of pilgrims (many from Galilee) camped in this region. As Jesus followed the road to Jerusalem, they cheered him. This triumphal entry appears in all four Gospels (Matt 21:1-11 ^u; Mark 11:1-11 ^v; Luke 19:29-38 ^w).
12:13 ^x palm branches: The date palm was a celebratory symbol of Jewish nationalism.

• meet him: The Greek word commonly describes crowds greeting a returning, triumphant king.

• Blessings on the one: The crowd quoted Ps 118:25-26 ^y, with a greeting for those who came to Jerusalem. The phrase Hail to the King of Israel is not in the psalm (but see Zeph 3:15 ^z). Although the people saw Jesus as a national political liberator, he rejected this role (John 6:15 ^aa).
12:14 ^ab By choosing a young donkey rather than a warhorse, Jesus calmed the frenzied crowd that was passionate for his kingship. He also fulfilled Old Testament predictions regarding the Messiah (see Zech 9:9 ^ac) and showed that his kingship was not that of a warrior. His gift is life, not conquest.
12:16 ^ad The crowds and even the disciples didn’t understand Jesus’ true significance. When the disciples received the Holy Spirit following Jesus’ glorification, they fully comprehended who Jesus was (see 2:22 ^ae).
Summary for John 12:17-19: 12:17-19 ^af This scene describes the apex of Jesus’ popularity.
12:19 ^ag everyone: Literally the world. The Pharisees’ words were more significant than they realized. Jesus came to reach the world (3:17 ^ah), and the Pharisees said that Jesus had accomplished his task.
12:20 ^ai Among the people drawn to Jesus (12:19 ^aj) were some Greeks, God-fearing Gentiles who had come to Passover to worship. Jesus’ mission was not simply to Israel but encompassed the entire world (10:16 ^ak; 11:52 ^al). Following Jesus’ resurrection, the church’s mission was to go beyond Judea to Samaria, and ultimately to the ends of the earth (Matt 28:19 ^am; Acts 1:8 ^an).
12:21 ^ao The Greeks approached Philip because he had a Greek name and was no doubt Greek.
12:23 ^ap Jesus often said that the time (literally the hour) had not yet come (2:4 ^aq; 7:30 ^ar; 8:20 ^as), but now it had. The coming of the Greeks also marked the beginning of the key moment in Jesus’ ministry—the time of his glorification. This occurred when Jesus’ sacrificial work on the cross was completed (19:30 ^at), he rose from the dead (20:1-31 ^au), he gave the Spirit (20:22 ^av), and he returned to his place of glory in heaven (17:5 ^aw, 11 ^ax). The connection with the Greeks who had come to Jerusalem (12:20 ^ay) was significant: Jesus’ ministry among the Jews alone was finished and he now belonged to the wider world.
12:24 ^az The central event of Jesus’ glorification (12:23 ^ba) was the cross. As with a kernel ... planted in the soil, Jesus’ death would bring abundant life.
12:25 ^bb For disciples, sacrifice and self-effacement are means of gaining the fullness of life provided by Jesus’ sacrifice. Those who renounce the world will join Jesus in eternity and be honored by God just as Jesus is.
12:27 ^bc my soul is deeply troubled: John used the same term (Greek tarassō) to describe Jesus’ strong emotion of agony before Lazarus’ tomb (11:33 ^bd; also 13:21 ^be). When Jesus stood before death, he could not be impassive. Jesus experienced genuine anguish, yet he remained strong in obedience to the Father’s will (5:19-23 ^bf; 6:37 ^bg; 8:29 ^bh, 38 ^bi; 14:31 ^bj).
12:28 ^bk a voice spoke from heaven: Cp. Matt 3:17 ^bl; 17:5 ^bm; Mark 1:11 ^bn; 9:7 ^bo; Luke 3:22 ^bp; 9:35 ^bq.

• God had already brought glory to himself when Christ entered the world (John 1:14 ^br) and through Jesus’ work, which showed God’s power to the world.

• I will do so again: The final display of glory would come at the cross (see 12:23 ^bs; 17:1 ^bt). In John, the cross is an event of glory as Christ was “lifted up” (12:32 ^bu) and glorified there. Jesus was prepared for crucifixion like a king coming to his coronation; the cross was like a throne (see 19:19-22 ^bv), and he was buried like royalty. Jesus’ time of glorification included the entire sequence from arrest through resurrection.
12:29 ^bw It was impossible for people to comprehend what was happening with Jesus, and many of his signs led to confusion and division in the crowd. Only later did his disciples understand (2:22 ^bx; 12:16 ^by), when Jesus was glorified and the Spirit was given. Still, God’s voice symbolized his validation of his Son before the world.
Summary for John 12:31-33: 12:31-33 ^bz The time for judging does not occur only on Judgment Day; it began when the light penetrated the darkness and unmasked it (3:19 ^ca; 5:24 ^cb; 9:39 ^cc).

• Satan, the ruler of this world, is the architect of darkness, corrupter of the world, and promoter of death. Although Satan’s final demise lies in the future, the work of Christ unraveled Satan’s domain (see Luke 10:17-18 ^cd; Mark 3:27 ^ce). Christ is now enthroned as ruler in heaven (Acts 7:55-56 ^cf; Eph 1:19-22 ^cg).
Summary for John 12:32-34: 12:32-34 ^ch when I am lifted up from the earth (see 3:14 ^ci; 8:28 ^cj): The crowd did not understand what Jesus meant. The Greek verb refers to being exalted (Matt 23:12 ^ck) or honored (Luke 10:15 ^cl). In John, the cross was not a place of shame and disgrace for Jesus, but the place where Jesus’ true glory was shown.
12:34 ^cm Popular Judaism believed that the Messiah would live forever and triumph over his foes. Jesus’ point of view seemed incomprehensible.

• who is this Son of Man, anyway? The Jews did not understand what sort of Messiah planned to die.
12:36 ^cn Jesus was the light (1:4 ^co, 7-9 ^cp; 3:19-21 ^cq; 8:12 ^cr), and he urged the crowd to quickly make the choice to believe in him before it was too late.

• They had the choice of becoming children of the light by rebirth through the power of God (1:12-13 ^cs).

• Jesus ... was hidden from them: Jesus withdrew first from Judea (11:54 ^ct) and then from this audience (12:36 ^cu), and soon he would withdraw from the world (17:11 ^cv).
12:37 ^cw Jesus’ work was finished, yet most of the people ... did not believe in him. His sermons before the world were complete and the signs had been displayed, but he was rejected (1:11 ^cx).
Summary for John 12:39-40: 12:39-40 ^cy The people couldn’t believe: John quotes Isa 6:10 ^cz to explain Israel’s unbelief (see Matt 13:13-15 ^da; Mark 4:12 ^db; Luke 8:10 ^dc; Acts 28:26-27 ^dd). When revelation comes, we must believe. If we refuse, the light disappears (John 12:35-36 ^de). When God’s light departs from the world, the darkness closes over unbelieving hearts.
12:41 ^df Isaiah had glimpsed the Messiah’s glory and how the world would respond (see Isa 6:10 ^dg).
Summary for John 12:42-43: 12:42-43 ^dh Many people did believe in him, but they wouldn’t admit it. To follow Jesus involves telling others about him despite the social consequences (1:35-51 ^di; 4:1-42 ^dj).
Summary for John 12:44-50: 12:44-50 ^dk Jesus makes a final appeal for belief. These verses summarize chs 1–12 ^dl. Jesus was sent by the Father, the sole source of his ministry. Jesus is the light shining in darkness to bring salvation and eternal life to all who believe in him.
Summary for John 12:49-50: 12:49-50 ^dm The greatest error is for people to see the light and reject it, thinking it has no connection with the Father who sent the light.