John 12:16-50

12:16 (His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened, ¹  but when Jesus was glorified, ²  then they remembered that these things were written about him and that these things had happened ³  to him.) ⁴ 

12:17 So the crowd who had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead were continuing to testify about it. ⁵  12:18 Because they had heard that Jesus ⁶  had performed this miraculous sign, the crowd went out to meet him. 12:19 Thus the Pharisees ⁷  said to one another, “You see that you can do nothing. Look, the world has run off after him!”

Seekers

12:20 Now some Greeks ⁸  were among those who had gone up to worship at the feast. 12:21 So these approached Philip, ⁹  who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested, ¹⁰  “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” 12:22 Philip went and told Andrew, and they both ¹¹  went and told Jesus. 12:23 Jesus replied, ¹²  “The time ¹³  has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ¹⁴  12:24 I tell you the solemn truth, ¹⁵  unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. ¹⁶  But if it dies, it produces ¹⁷  much grain. ¹⁸  12:25 The one who loves his life ¹⁹  destroys ²⁰  it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards ²¹  it for eternal life. 12:26 If anyone wants to serve me, he must follow ²²  me, and where I am, my servant will be too. ²³  If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

12:27 “Now my soul is greatly distressed. And what should I say? ‘Father, deliver me ²⁴  from this hour’? ²⁵  No, but for this very reason I have come to this hour. ²⁶  12:28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, ²⁷  “I have glorified it, ²⁸  and I will glorify it ²⁹  again.” 12:29 The crowd that stood there and heard the voice ³⁰  said that it had thundered. Others said that an angel had spoken to him. ³¹  12:30 Jesus said, ³²  “This voice has not come for my benefit ³³  but for yours. 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world ³⁴  will be driven out. ³⁵  12:32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people ³⁶  to myself.” 12:33 (Now he said this to indicate clearly what kind of death he was going to die.) ³⁷ 

12:34 Then the crowd responded, ³⁸  “We have heard from the law that the Christ ³⁹  will remain forever. ⁴⁰  How ⁴¹  can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” 12:35 Jesus replied, ⁴²  “The light is with you for a little while longer. ⁴³  Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. ⁴⁴  The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 12:36 While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become sons of light.” ⁴⁵  When Jesus had said these things, he went away and hid himself from them.

The Outcome of Jesus’ Public Ministry Foretold

12:37 Although Jesus ⁴⁶  had performed ⁴⁷  so many miraculous signs before them, they still refused to believe in him, 12:38 so that the word ⁴⁸  of Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled. He said, ⁴⁹  “Lord, who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord ⁵⁰  been revealed?” ⁵¹  12:39 For this reason they could not believe, ⁵²  because again Isaiah said,

12:40 “He has blinded their eyes

and hardened their heart, ⁵³ 

so that they would not see with their eyes

and understand with their heart, ⁵⁴ 

and turn to me, ⁵⁵  and I would heal them.” ⁵⁶ 

12:41 Isaiah said these things because he saw Christ’s ⁵⁷  glory, and spoke about him.

12:42 Nevertheless, even among the rulers ⁵⁸  many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees ⁵⁹  they would not confess Jesus to be the Christ, ⁶⁰  so that they would not be put out of ⁶¹  the synagogue. ⁶²  12:43 For they loved praise ⁶³  from men more than praise ⁶⁴  from God.

Jesus’ Final Public Words

12:44 But Jesus shouted out, ⁶⁵  “The one who believes in me does not believe in me, but in the one who sent me, ⁶⁶  12:45 and the one who sees me sees the one who sent me. ⁶⁷  12:46 I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in darkness. 12:47 If anyone ⁶⁸  hears my words and does not obey them, ⁶⁹  I do not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. ⁷⁰  12:48 The one who rejects me and does not accept ⁷¹  my words has a judge; ⁷²  the word ⁷³  I have spoken will judge him at the last day. 12:49 For I have not spoken from my own authority, ⁷⁴  but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me ⁷⁵  what I should say and what I should speak. 12:50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. ⁷⁶  Thus the things I say, I say just as the Father has told me.” ⁷⁷ 

[12:16]  ¹ tn Or “did not understand these things at first”; Grk “formerly.”

[12:16]  ² sn When Jesus was glorified, that is, glorified through his resurrection, exaltation, and return to the Father. Jesus’ glorification is consistently portrayed this way in the Gospel of John.

[12:16]  ³ tn Grk “and that they had done these things,” though the referent is probably indefinite and not referring to the disciples; as such, the best rendering is as a passive (see ExSyn 402-3; R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:458).

[12:16]  ⁴ sn The comment His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened (a parenthetical note by the author) informs the reader that Jesus’ disciples did not at first associate the prophecy from Zechariah with the events as they happened. This came with the later (postresurrection) insight which the Holy Spirit would provide after Jesus’ resurrection and return to the Father. Note the similarity with John 2:22, which follows another allusion to a prophecy in Zechariah (14:21).

[12:17]  ⁵ tn The word “it” is not included in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.

[12:18]  ⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:19]  ⁷ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[12:20]  ⁸ sn These Greeks (῞Ελληνές τινες, {ellhne" tine") who had come up to worship at the feast were probably “God-fearers” rather than proselytes in the strict sense. Had they been true proselytes, they would probably not have been referred to as Greeks any longer. Many came to worship at the major Jewish festivals without being proselytes to Judaism, for example, the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:27, who could not have been a proselyte if he were physically a eunuch.

[12:21]  ⁹ sn These Greeks approached Philip, although it is not clear why they did so. Perhaps they identified with his Greek name (although a number of Jews from border areas had Hellenistic names at this period). By see it is clear they meant “speak with,” since anyone could “see” Jesus moving through the crowd. The author does not mention what they wanted to speak with Jesus about.

[12:21]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “and were asking him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.

[12:22]  ¹¹ tn Grk “Andrew and Philip”; because a repetition of the proper names would be redundant in contemporary English style, the phrase “they both” has been substituted in the translation.

[12:23]  ¹² tn Grk “Jesus answered them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.

[12:23]  ¹³ tn Grk “the hour.”

[12:23]  ¹⁴ sn Jesus’ reply, the time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified, is a bit puzzling. As far as the author’s account is concerned, Jesus totally ignores these Greeks and makes no further reference to them whatsoever. It appears that his words are addressed to Andrew and Philip, but in fact they must have had a wider audience, including possibly the Greeks who had wished to see him in the first place. The words the time has come recall all the previous references to “the hour” throughout the Fourth Gospel (see the note on time in 2:4). There is no doubt, in light of the following verse, that Jesus refers to his death here. On his pathway to glorification lies the cross, and it is just ahead.

[12:24]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[12:24]  ¹⁶ tn Or “it remains only a single kernel.”

[12:24]  ¹⁷ tn Or “bears.”

[12:24]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “much fruit.”

[12:25]  ¹⁹ tn Or “soul.”

[12:25]  ²⁰ tn Or “loses.” Although the traditional English translation of ἀπολλύει (apolluei) in John 12:25 is “loses,” the contrast with φυλάξει (fulaxei, “keeps” or “guards”) in the second half of the verse favors the meaning “destroy” here.

[12:25]  ²¹ tn Or “keeps.”

[12:26]  ²² tn As a third person imperative in Greek, ἀκολουθείτω (akolouqeitw) is usually translated “let him follow me.” This could be understood by the modern English reader as merely permissive, however (“he may follow me if he wishes”). In this context there is no permissive sense, but rather a command, so the translation “he must follow me” is preferred.

[12:26]  ²³ tn Grk “where I am, there my servant will be too.”

[12:27]  ²⁴ tn Or “save me.”

[12:27]  ²⁵ tn Or “this occasion.”

[12:27]  ²⁶ tn Or “this occasion.”

[12:28]  ²⁷ tn Or “from the sky” (see note on 1:32).

[12:28]  ²⁸ tn “It” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[12:28]  ²⁹ tn “It” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[12:29]  ³⁰ tn “The voice” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[12:29]  ³¹ tn Grk “Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” The direct discourse in the second half of v. 29 was converted to indirect discourse in the translation to maintain the parallelism with the first half of the verse, which is better in keeping with English style.

[12:30]  ³² tn Grk “Jesus answered and said.”

[12:30]  ³³ tn Or “for my sake.”

[12:31]  ³⁴ sn The ruler of this world is a reference to Satan.

[12:31]  ³⁵ tn Or “will be thrown out.” This translation regards the future passive ἐκβληθήσεται (ekblhqhsetai) as referring to an event future to the time of speaking.

[12:32]  ³⁶ tn Grk “all.” The word “people” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for stylistic reasons and for clarity (cf. KJV “all men”).

[12:33]  ³⁷ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[12:34]  ³⁸ tn Grk “Then the crowd answered him.”

[12:34]  ³⁹ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[12:34]  ⁴⁰ tn Probably an allusion to Ps 89:35-37. It is difficult to pinpoint the passage in the Mosaic law to which the crowd refers. The ones most often suggested are Ps 89:36-37, Ps 110:4, Isa 9:7, Ezek 37:25, and Dan 7:14. None of these passages are in the Pentateuch per se, but “law” could in common usage refer to the entire OT (compare Jesus’ use in John 10:34). Of the passages mentioned, Ps 89:36-37 is the most likely candidate. This verse speaks of David’s “seed” remaining forever. Later in the same psalm, v. 51 speaks of the “anointed” (Messiah), and the psalm was interpreted messianically in both the NT (Acts 13:22, Rev 1:5, 3:14) and in the rabbinic literature (Genesis Rabbah 97).

[12:34]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “And how”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.

[12:35]  ⁴² tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them.”

[12:35]  ⁴³ tn Grk “Yet a little while the light is with you.”

[12:35]  ⁴⁴ sn The warning Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you operates on at least two different levels: (1) To the Jewish people in Jerusalem to whom Jesus spoke, the warning was a reminder that there was only a little time left for them to accept him as their Messiah. (2) To those later individuals to whom the Fourth Gospel was written, and to every person since, the words of Jesus are also a warning: There is a finite, limited time in which each individual has opportunity to respond to the Light of the world (i.e., Jesus); after that comes darkness. One’s response to the Light decisively determines one’s judgment for eternity.

[12:36]  ⁴⁵ tn The idiom “sons of light” means essentially “people characterized by light,” that is, “people of God.”

[12:37]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:37]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “done.”

[12:38]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “message.”

[12:38]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “who said.”

[12:38]  ⁵⁰ tn “The arm of the Lord” is an idiom for “God’s great power” (as exemplified through Jesus’ miraculous signs). This response of unbelief is interpreted by the author as a fulfillment of the prophetic words of Isaiah (Isa 53:1). The phrase ὁ βραχίων κυρίου (Jo braciwn kuriou) is a figurative reference to God’s activity and power which has been revealed in the sign-miracles which Jesus has performed (compare the previous verse).

[12:38]  ⁵¹ sn A quotation from Isa 53:1.

[12:39]  ⁵² sn The author explicitly states here that Jesus’ Jewish opponents could not believe, and quotes Isa 6:10 to show that God had in fact blinded their eyes and hardened their heart. This OT passage was used elsewhere in the NT to explain Jewish unbelief: Paul’s final words in Acts (28:26-27) are a quotation of this same passage, which he uses to explain why the Jewish people have not accepted the gospel he has preached. A similar passage (Isa 29:10) is quoted in a similar context in Rom 11:8.

[12:40]  ⁵³ tn Or “closed their mind.”

[12:40]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “their mind.”

[12:40]  ⁵⁵ tn One could also translate στραφῶσιν (strafwsin) as “repent” or “change their ways,” but both of these terms would be subject to misinterpretation by the modern English reader. The idea is one of turning back to God, however. The words “to me” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[12:40]  ⁵⁶ sn A quotation from Isa 6:10.

[12:41]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Christ) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The referent supplied here is “Christ” rather than “Jesus” because it involves what Isaiah saw. It is clear that the author presents Isaiah as having seen the preincarnate glory of Christ, which was the very revelation of the Father (see John 1:18; John 14:9).

[12:42]  ⁵⁸ sn The term rulers here denotes members of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews. Note the same word (“ruler”) is used to describe Nicodemus in 3:1.

[12:42]  ⁵⁹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[12:42]  ⁶⁰ tn The words “Jesus to be the Christ” are not in the Greek text, but are implied (see 9:22). As is often the case in Greek, the direct object is omitted for the verb ὡμολόγουν (Jwmologoun). Some translators supply an ambiguous “it,” or derive the implied direct object from the previous clause “believed in him” so that the rulers would not confess “their faith” or “their belief.” However, when one compares John 9:22, which has many verbal parallels to this verse, it seems clear that the content of the confession would have been “Jesus is the Christ (i.e., Messiah).”

[12:42]  ⁶¹ tn Or “be expelled from.”

[12:42]  ⁶² sn Compare John 9:22. See the note on synagogue in 6:59.

[12:43]  ⁶³ tn Grk “the glory.”

[12:43]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “the glory.”

[12:44]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “shouted out and said.”

[12:44]  ⁶⁶ sn The one who sent me refers to God.

[12:45]  ⁶⁷ sn Cf. John 1:18 and 14:9.

[12:47]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “And if anyone”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.

[12:47]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “guard them,” “keep them.”

[12:47]  ⁷⁰ sn Cf. John 3:17.

[12:48]  ⁷¹ tn Or “does not receive.”

[12:48]  ⁷² tn Grk “has one who judges him.”

[12:48]  ⁷³ tn Or “message.”

[12:49]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “I have not spoken from myself.”

[12:49]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “has given me commandment.”

[12:50]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “his commandment results in eternal life.”

[12:50]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “The things I speak, just as the Father has spoken to me, thus I speak.”