Discovery BoxJohn 15:1--21:25
Context15:1 “I am the true vine 1 and my Father is the gardener. 2 15:2 He takes away 3 every branch that does not bear 4 fruit in me. He 5 prunes 6 every branch that bears 7 fruit so that it will bear more fruit. 15:3 You are clean already 8 because of the word that I have spoken to you. 15:4 Remain 9 in me, and I will remain in you. 10 Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, 11 unless it remains 12 in 13 the vine, so neither can you unless you remain 14 in me.
15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains 15 in me – and I in him – bears 16 much fruit, 17 because apart from me you can accomplish 18 nothing. 15:6 If anyone does not remain 19 in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, 20 and are burned up. 21 15:7 If you remain 22 in me and my words remain 23 in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. 24 15:8 My Father is honored 25 by this, that 26 you bear 27 much fruit and show that you are 28 my disciples.
15:9 “Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain 29 in my love. 15:10 If you obey 30 my commandments, you will remain 31 in my love, just as I have obeyed 32 my Father’s commandments and remain 33 in his love. 15:11 I have told you these things 34 so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete. 15:12 My commandment is this – to love one another just as I have loved you. 35 15:13 No one has greater love than this – that one lays down his life 36 for his friends. 15:14 You are my friends 37 if you do what I command you. 15:15 I no longer call you slaves, 38 because the slave does not understand 39 what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything 40 I heard 41 from my Father. 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you 42 and appointed you to go and bear 43 fruit, fruit that remains, 44 so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. 15:17 This 45 I command you – to love one another.
15:18 “If the world hates you, be aware 46 that it hated me first. 47 15:19 If you belonged to the world, 48 the world would love you as its own. 49 However, because you do not belong to the world, 50 but I chose you out of the world, for this reason 51 the world hates you. 52 15:20 Remember what 53 I told you, ‘A slave 54 is not greater than his master.’ 55 If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed 56 my word, they will obey 57 yours too. 15:21 But they will do all these things to you on account of 58 my name, because they do not know the one who sent me. 59 15:22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. 60 But they no longer have any excuse for their sin. 15:23 The one who hates me hates my Father too. 15:24 If I had not performed 61 among them the miraculous deeds 62 that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. 63 But now they have seen the deeds 64 and have hated both me and my Father. 65 15:25 Now this happened 66 to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without reason.’ 67 15:26 When the Advocate 68 comes, whom I will send you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – he 69 will testify about me, 15:27 and you also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
16:1 “I have told you all these things so that you will not fall away. 70 16:2 They will put you out of 71 the synagogue, 72 yet a time 73 is coming when the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God. 74 16:3 They 75 will do these things because they have not known the Father or me. 76 16:4 But I have told you these things 77 so that when their time 78 comes, you will remember that I told you about them. 79
“I did not tell you these things from the beginning because I was with you. 80 16:5 But now I am going to the one who sent me, 81 and not one of you is asking me, ‘Where are you going?’ 82 16:6 Instead your hearts are filled with sadness 83 because I have said these things to you. 16:7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate 84 will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. 16:8 And when he 85 comes, he will prove the world wrong 86 concerning sin and 87 righteousness and 88 judgment – 16:9 concerning sin, because 89 they do not believe in me; 90 16:10 concerning righteousness, 91 because 92 I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 16:11 and concerning judgment, 93 because 94 the ruler of this world 95 has been condemned. 96
16:12 “I have many more things to say to you, 97 but you cannot bear 98 them now. 16:13 But when he, 99 the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide 100 you into all truth. 101 For he will not speak on his own authority, 102 but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you 103 what is to come. 104 16:14 He 105 will glorify me, 106 because he will receive 107 from me what is mine 108 and will tell it to you. 109 16:15 Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit 110 will receive from me what is mine 111 and will tell it to you. 112 16:16 In a little while you 113 will see me no longer; again after a little while, you 114 will see me.” 115
16:17 Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What is the meaning of what he is saying, 116 ‘In a little while you 117 will not see me; again after a little while, you 118 will see me,’ and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 119 16:18 So they kept on repeating, 120 “What is the meaning of what he says, 121 ‘In a little while’? 122 We do not understand 123 what he is talking about.” 124
16:19 Jesus could see 125 that they wanted to ask him about these things, 126 so 127 he said to them, “Are you asking 128 each other about this – that I said, ‘In a little while you 129 will not see me; again after a little while, you 130 will see me’? 16:20 I tell you the solemn truth, 131 you will weep 132 and wail, 133 but the world will rejoice; you will be sad, 134 but your sadness will turn into 135 joy. 16:21 When a woman gives birth, she has distress 136 because her time 137 has come, but when her child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering because of her joy that a human being 138 has been born into the world. 139 16:22 So also you have sorrow 140 now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. 141 16:23 At that time 142 you will ask me nothing. I tell you the solemn truth, 143 whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. 144 16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive it, 145 so that your joy may be complete.
16:25 “I have told you these things in obscure figures of speech; 146 a time 147 is coming when I will no longer speak to you in obscure figures, but will tell you 148 plainly 149 about the Father. 16:26 At that time 150 you will ask in my name, and I do not say 151 that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 16:27 For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 152 16:28 I came from the Father and entered into the world, but in turn, 153 I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” 154
16:29 His disciples said, “Look, now you are speaking plainly 155 and not in obscure figures of speech! 156 16:30 Now we know that you know everything 157 and do not need anyone 158 to ask you anything. 159 Because of this 160 we believe that you have come from God.”
16:31 Jesus replied, 161 “Do you now believe? 16:32 Look, a time 162 is coming – and has come – when you will be scattered, each one to his own home, 163 and I will be left alone. 164 Yet 165 I am not alone, because my Father 166 is with me. 16:33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, 167 but take courage 168 – I have conquered the world.” 169
17:1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he looked upward 170 to heaven 171 and said, “Father, the time 172 has come. Glorify your Son, so that your 173 Son may glorify you – 17:2 just as you have given him authority over all humanity, 174 so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him. 175 17:3 Now this 176 is eternal life 177 – that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, 178 whom you sent. 17:4 I glorified you on earth by completing 179 the work you gave me to do. 180 17:5 And now, Father, glorify me at your side 181 with the glory I had with you before the world was created. 182
17:6 “I have revealed 183 your name to the men 184 you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, 185 and you gave them to me, and they have obeyed 186 your word. 17:7 Now they understand 187 that everything 188 you have given me comes from you, 17:8 because I have given them the words you have given me. They 189 accepted 190 them 191 and really 192 understand 193 that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 17:9 I am praying 194 on behalf of them. I am not praying 195 on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those you have given me, because they belong to you. 196 17:10 Everything 197 I have belongs to you, 198 and everything you have belongs to me, 199 and I have been glorified by them. 200 17:11 I 201 am no longer in the world, but 202 they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them safe 203 in your name 204 that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. 205 17:12 When I was with them I kept them safe 206 and watched over them 207 in your name 208 that you have given me. Not one 209 of them was lost except the one destined for destruction, 210 so that the scripture could be fulfilled. 211 17:13 But now I am coming to you, and I am saying these things in the world, so they may experience 212 my joy completed 213 in themselves. 17:14 I have given them your word, 214 and the world has hated them, because they do not belong to the world, 215 just as I do not belong to the world. 216 17:15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but that you keep them safe 217 from the evil one. 218 17:16 They do not belong to the world 219 just as I do not belong to the world. 220 17:17 Set them apart 221 in the truth; your word is truth. 17:18 Just as you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. 222 17:19 And I set myself apart 223 on their behalf, 224 so that they too may be truly set apart. 225
17:20 “I am not praying 226 only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe 227 in me through their testimony, 228 17:21 that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray 229 that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. 17:22 The glory 230 you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one – 17:23 I in them and you in me – that they may be completely one, 231 so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.
17:24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, 232 so that they can see my glory that you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world 233 . 17:25 Righteous Father, even if the world does not know you, I know you, and these men 234 know that you sent me. 17:26 I made known your name to them, and I will continue to make it known, 235 so that the love you have loved me with may be in them, and I may be in them.”
18:1 When he had said these things, 236 Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley. 237 There was an orchard 238 there, and he and his disciples went into it. 18:2 (Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, knew the place too, because Jesus had met there many times 239 with his disciples.) 240 18:3 So Judas obtained a squad of soldiers 241 and some officers of the chief priests and Pharisees. 242 They came to the orchard 243 with lanterns 244 and torches and weapons.
18:4 Then Jesus, because he knew everything that was going to happen to him, 245 came and asked them, “Who are you looking for?” 246 18:5 They replied, 247 “Jesus the Nazarene.” He told them, “I am he.” (Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, was standing there with them.) 248 18:6 So when Jesus 249 said to them, “I am he,” they retreated 250 and fell to the ground. 251 18:7 Then Jesus 252 asked them again, “Who are you looking for?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” 18:8 Jesus replied, 253 “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for 254 me, let these men 255 go.” 256 18:9 He said this 257 to fulfill the word he had spoken, 258 “I have not lost a single one of those whom you gave me.” 259
18:10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, pulled it out and struck the high priest’s slave, 260 cutting off his right ear. 261 (Now the slave’s name was Malchus.) 262 18:11 But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath! Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?” 263
18:12 Then the squad of soldiers 264 with their commanding officer 265 and the officers of the Jewish leaders 266 arrested 267 Jesus and tied him up. 268 18:13 They 269 brought him first to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 270 18:14 (Now it was Caiaphas who had advised 271 the Jewish leaders 272 that it was to their advantage that one man die for the people.) 273
18:15 Simon Peter and another disciple followed them as they brought Jesus to Annas. 274 (Now the other disciple 275 was acquainted with the high priest, and he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard.) 276 18:16 But Simon Peter was left standing outside by the door. So the other disciple who was acquainted with the high priest came out and spoke to the slave girl who watched the door, 277 and brought Peter inside. 18:17 The girl 278 who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “You’re not one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” 279 He replied, 280 “I am not.” 18:18 (Now the slaves 281 and the guards 282 were standing around a charcoal fire they had made, warming themselves because it was cold. 283 Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.) 284
18:19 While this was happening, 285 the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. 286 18:20 Jesus replied, 287 “I have spoken publicly to the world. I always taught in the synagogues 288 and in the temple courts, 289 where all the Jewish people 290 assemble together. I 291 have said nothing in secret. 18:21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said. 292 They 293 know what I said.” 18:22 When Jesus 294 had said this, one of the high priest’s officers who stood nearby struck him on the face and said, 295 “Is that the way you answer the high priest?” 18:23 Jesus replied, 296 “If I have said something wrong, 297 confirm 298 what is wrong. 299 But if I spoke correctly, why strike me?” 18:24 Then Annas sent him, still tied up, 300 to Caiaphas the high priest. 301
18:25 Meanwhile Simon Peter was standing in the courtyard 302 warming himself. They said to him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” 303 Peter 304 denied it: “I am not!” 18:26 One of the high priest’s slaves, 305 a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, 306 said, “Did I not see you in the orchard 307 with him?” 308 18:27 Then Peter denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed. 309
18:28 Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the Roman governor’s residence. 310 (Now it was very early morning.) 311 They 312 did not go into the governor’s residence 313 so they would not be ceremonially defiled, but could eat the Passover meal. 18:29 So Pilate came outside to them and said, “What accusation 314 do you bring against this man?” 315 18:30 They replied, 316 “If this man 317 were not a criminal, 318 we would not have handed him over to you.” 319
18:31 Pilate told them, 320 “Take him yourselves and pass judgment on him 321 according to your own law!” 322 The Jewish leaders 323 replied, 324 “We cannot legally put anyone to death.” 325 18:32 (This happened 326 to fulfill the word Jesus had spoken when he indicated 327 what kind of death he was going to die. 328 )
18:33 So Pilate went back into the governor’s residence, 329 summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 330 18:34 Jesus replied, 331 “Are you saying this on your own initiative, 332 or have others told you about me?” 18:35 Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? 333 Your own people 334 and your chief priests handed you over 335 to me. What have you done?”
18:36 Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being 336 handed over 337 to the Jewish authorities. 338 But as it is, 339 my kingdom is not from here.” 18:37 Then Pilate said, 340 “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world – to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to 341 my voice.” 18:38 Pilate asked, 342 “What is truth?” 343
When he had said this he went back outside to the Jewish leaders 344 and announced, 345 “I find no basis for an accusation 346 against him. 18:39 But it is your custom that I release one prisoner 347 for you at the Passover. 348 So do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?” 18:40 Then they shouted back, 349 “Not this man, 350 but Barabbas!” 351 (Now Barabbas was a revolutionary. 352 ) 353
19:1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged severely. 354 19:2 The soldiers 355 braided 356 a crown of thorns 357 and put it on his head, and they clothed him in a purple robe. 358 19:3 They 359 came up to him again and again 360 and said, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 361 And they struck him repeatedly 362 in the face.
19:4 Again Pilate went out and said to the Jewish leaders, 363 “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no reason for an accusation 364 against him.” 19:5 So Jesus came outside, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. 365 Pilate 366 said to them, “Look, here is the man!” 367 19:6 When the chief priests and their officers saw him, they shouted out, “Crucify 368 him! Crucify him!” 369 Pilate said, 370 “You take him and crucify him! 371 Certainly 372 I find no reason for an accusation 373 against him!” 19:7 The Jewish leaders 374 replied, 375 “We have a law, 376 and according to our law he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God!” 377
19:8 When Pilate heard what they said, 378 he was more afraid than ever, 379 19:9 and he went back into the governor’s residence 380 and said to Jesus, “Where do you come from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 19:10 So Pilate said, 381 “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know I have the authority 382 to release you, and to crucify you?” 383 19:11 Jesus replied, “You would have no authority 384 over me at all, unless it was given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you 385 is guilty of greater sin.” 386
19:12 From this point on, Pilate tried 387 to release him. But the Jewish leaders 388 shouted out, 389 “If you release this man, 390 you are no friend of Caesar! 391 Everyone who claims to be a king 392 opposes Caesar!” 19:13 When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus outside and sat down on the judgment seat 393 in the place called “The Stone Pavement” 394 (Gabbatha in 395 Aramaic). 396 19:14 (Now it was the day of preparation 397 for the Passover, about noon. 398 ) 399 Pilate 400 said to the Jewish leaders, 401 “Look, here is your king!”
19:15 Then they 402 shouted out, “Away with him! Away with him! 403 Crucify 404 him!” Pilate asked, 405 “Shall I crucify your king?” The high priests replied, “We have no king except Caesar!” 19:16 Then Pilate 406 handed him over 407 to them to be crucified.
So they took Jesus, 19:17 and carrying his own cross 408 he went out to the place called “The Place of the Skull” 409 (called in Aramaic 410 Golgotha). 411 19:18 There they 412 crucified 413 him along with two others, 414 one on each side, with Jesus in the middle. 19:19 Pilate also had a notice 415 written and fastened to the cross, 416 which read: 417 “Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews.” 19:20 Thus many of the Jewish residents of Jerusalem 418 read this notice, 419 because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the notice was written in Aramaic, 420 Latin, and Greek. 19:21 Then the chief priests of the Jews 421 said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The king of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am king of the Jews.’” 19:22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
19:23 Now when the soldiers crucified 422 Jesus, they took his clothes and made four shares, one for each soldier, 423 and the tunic 424 remained. (Now the tunic 425 was seamless, woven from top to bottom as a single piece.) 426 19:24 So the soldiers said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but throw dice 427 to see who will get it.” 428 This took place 429 to fulfill the scripture that says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they threw dice.” 430 So the soldiers did these things.
19:25 Now standing beside Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 431 19:26 So when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, 432 look, here is your son!” 19:27 He then said to his disciple, “Look, here is your mother!” From that very time 433 the disciple took her into his own home.
19:28 After this Jesus, realizing that by this time 434 everything was completed, 435 said (in order to fulfill the scripture), 436 “I am thirsty!” 437 19:29 A jar full of sour wine 438 was there, so they put a sponge soaked in sour wine on a branch of hyssop 439 and lifted it 440 to his mouth. 19:30 When 441 he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is completed!” 442 Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 443
19:31 Then, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies should not stay on the crosses on the Sabbath 444 (for that Sabbath was an especially important one), 445 the Jewish leaders 446 asked Pilate to have the victims’ legs 447 broken 448 and the bodies taken down. 449 19:32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men who had been crucified 450 with Jesus, 451 first the one and then the other. 452 19:33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced 453 his side with a spear, and blood and water 454 flowed out immediately. 19:35 And the person who saw it 455 has testified (and his testimony is true, and he 456 knows that he is telling the truth), 457 so that you also may believe. 19:36 For these things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled, “Not a bone of his will be broken.” 458 19:37 And again another scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.” 459
19:38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus (but secretly, because he feared the Jewish leaders 460 ), 461 asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. Pilate 462 gave him permission, so he went and took the body away. 463 19:39 Nicodemus, the man who had previously come to Jesus 464 at night, 465 accompanied Joseph, 466 carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes 467 weighing about seventy-five pounds. 468 19:40 Then they took Jesus’ body and wrapped it, with the aromatic spices, 469 in strips of linen cloth 470 according to Jewish burial customs. 471 19:41 Now at the place where Jesus 472 was crucified 473 there was a garden, 474 and in the garden 475 was a new tomb where no one had yet been buried. 476 19:42 And so, because it was the Jewish day of preparation 477 and the tomb was nearby, 478 they placed Jesus’ body there.
20:1 Now very early on the first day of the week, 479 while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene 480 came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been moved away from the entrance. 481 20:2 So she went running 482 to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” 20:3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out to go to the tomb. 483 20:4 The two were running together, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter 484 and reached the tomb first. 485 20:5 He bent down 486 and saw the strips of linen cloth lying there, 487 but he did not go in. 20:6 Then Simon Peter, who had been following him, arrived and went right into the tomb. He saw 488 the strips of linen cloth lying there, 20:7 and the face cloth, 489 which had been around Jesus’ head, not lying with the strips of linen cloth but rolled up in a place by itself. 490 20:8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, came in, and he saw and believed. 491 20:9 (For they did not yet understand 492 the scripture that Jesus 493 must rise from the dead.) 494
20:10 So the disciples went back to their homes. 20:11 But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she bent down and looked into the tomb. 20:12 And she saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’ body had been lying, one at the head and one at the feet. 20:13 They said 495 to her, “Woman, 496 why are you weeping?” Mary replied, 497 “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put him!” 20:14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, 498 but she did not know that it was Jesus.
20:15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” Because she 499 thought he was the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will take him.” 20:16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She 500 turned and said to him in Aramaic, 501 “Rabboni” 502 (which means Teacher). 503 20:17 Jesus replied, 504 “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 20:18 Mary Magdalene came and informed the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them 505 what 506 Jesus 507 had said to her. 508
20:19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the disciples had gathered together 509 and locked the doors 510 of the place 511 because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. 512 Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20:20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 513 20:21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, I also send you.” 20:22 And after he said this, he breathed on them and said, 514 “Receive the Holy Spirit. 515 20:23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; 516 if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained.” 517
20:24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), 518 one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 20:25 The other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, 519 “Unless I see the wounds 520 from the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the wounds from the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it!” 521
20:26 Eight days later the disciples were again together in the house, 522 and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, 523 Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put 524 your finger here, and examine 525 my hands. Extend 526 your hand and put it 527 into my side. Do not continue in your unbelief, but believe.” 528 20:28 Thomas replied to him, 529 “My Lord and my God!” 530 20:29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are the people 531 who have not seen and yet have believed.” 532
20:30 Now Jesus performed 533 many other miraculous signs in the presence of the 534 disciples, which are not recorded 535 in this book. 536 20:31 But these 537 are recorded 538 so that you may believe 539 that Jesus is the Christ, 540 the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. 541
21:1 After this 542 Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. 543 Now this is how he did so. 544 21:2 Simon Peter, Thomas 545 (called Didymus), 546 Nathanael 547 (who was from Cana 548 in Galilee), the sons 549 of Zebedee, 550 and two other disciples 551 of his were together. 21:3 Simon Peter told them, “I am going fishing.” “We will go with you,” they replied. 552 They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
21:4 When it was already very early morning, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 21:5 So Jesus said to them, “Children, you don’t have any fish, 553 do you?” 554 They replied, 555 “No.” 21:6 He told them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” 556 So they threw the net, 557 and were not able to pull it in because of the large number of fish.
21:7 Then the disciple whom 558 Jesus loved 559 said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” So Simon Peter, when he heard that it was the Lord, tucked in his outer garment (for he had nothing on underneath it), 560 and plunged 561 into the sea. 21:8 Meanwhile the other disciples came with the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from land, only about a hundred yards. 562
21:9 When they got out on the beach, 563 they saw a charcoal fire ready 564 with a fish placed on it, and bread. 21:10 Jesus said, 565 “Bring some of the fish you have just now caught.” 21:11 So Simon Peter went aboard and pulled the net to shore. It was 566 full of large fish, one hundred fifty-three, 567 but although there were so many, the net was not torn. 21:12 “Come, have breakfast,” Jesus said. 568 But none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 21:13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 21:14 This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
21:15 Then when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, 569 do you love me more than these do?” 570 He replied, 571 “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” 572 Jesus 573 told him, “Feed my lambs.” 21:16 Jesus 574 said 575 a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He replied, 576 “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus 577 told him, “Shepherd my sheep.” 21:17 Jesus 578 said 579 a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed 580 that Jesus 581 asked 582 him a third time, “Do you love me?” and said, 583 “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus 584 replied, 585 “Feed my sheep. 21:18 I tell you the solemn truth, 586 when you were young, you tied your clothes around you 587 and went wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will tie you up 588 and bring you where you do not want to go.” 21:19 (Now Jesus 589 said this to indicate clearly by what kind of death Peter 590 was going to glorify God.) 591 After he said this, Jesus told Peter, 592 “Follow me.”
21:20 Peter turned around and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them. 593 (This was the disciple 594 who had leaned back against Jesus’ 595 chest at the meal and asked, 596 “Lord, who is the one who is going to betray you?”) 597 21:21 So when Peter saw him, 598 he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” 21:22 Jesus replied, 599 “If I want him to live 600 until I come back, 601 what concern is that of yours? You follow me!” 21:23 So the saying circulated 602 among the brothers and sisters 603 that this disciple was not going to die. But Jesus did not say to him that he was not going to die, but rather, “If I want him to live 604 until I come back, 605 what concern is that of yours?”
21:24 This is the disciple who testifies about these things and has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. 21:25 There are many other things that Jesus did. If every one of them were written down, 606 I suppose the whole world 607 would not have room for the books that would be written. 608
[15:1] 1 sn I am the true vine. There are numerous OT passages which refer to Israel as a vine: Ps 80:8-16, Isa 5:1-7, Jer 2:21, Ezek 15:1-8, 17:5-10, 19:10-14, and Hos 10:1. The vine became symbolic of Israel, and even appeared on some coins issued by the Maccabees. The OT passages which use this symbol appear to regard Israel as faithless to Yahweh (typically rendered as “Lord” in the OT) and/or the object of severe punishment. Ezek 15:1-8 in particular talks about the worthlessness of wood from a vine (in relation to disobedient Judah). A branch cut from a vine is worthless except to be burned as fuel. This fits more with the statements about the disciples (John 15:6) than with Jesus’ description of himself as the vine. Ezek 17:5-10 contains vine imagery which refers to a king of the house of David, Zedekiah, who was set up as king in Judah by Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah allied himself to Egypt and broke his covenant with Nebuchadnezzar (and therefore also with God), which would ultimately result in his downfall (17:20-21). Ezek 17:22-24 then describes the planting of a cedar sprig which grows into a lofty tree, a figurative description of Messiah. But it is significant that Messiah himself is not described in Ezek 17 as a vine, but as a cedar tree. The vine imagery here applies to Zedekiah’s disobedience. Jesus’ description of himself as the true vine in John 15:1 ff. is to be seen against this background, but it differs significantly from the imagery surveyed above. It represents new imagery which differs significantly from OT concepts; it appears to be original with Jesus. The imagery of the vine underscores the importance of fruitfulness in the Christian life and the truth that this results not from human achievement, but from one’s position in Christ. Jesus is not just giving some comforting advice, but portraying to the disciples the difficult path of faithful service. To some degree the figure is similar to the head-body metaphor used by Paul, with Christ as head and believers as members of the body. Both metaphors bring out the vital and necessary connection which exists between Christ and believers.
[15:2] 4 tn Or “does not yield.”
[15:2] 5 tn Grk “And he”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been omitted in the translation in keeping with the tendency in contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[15:2] 6 tn Or “trims”; Grk “cleanses” (a wordplay with “clean” in v. 3). Καθαίρει (kaqairei) is not the word one would have expected here, but it provides the transition from the vine imagery to the disciples – there is a wordplay (not reproducible in English) between αἴρει (airei) and καθαίρει in this verse. While the purpose of the Father in cleansing his people is clear, the precise means by which he does so is not immediately obvious. This will become clearer, however, in the following verse.
[15:3] 5 sn The phrase you are clean already occurs elsewhere in the Gospel of John only at the washing of the disciples’ feet in 13:10, where Jesus had used it of the disciples being cleansed from sin. This further confirms the proposed understanding of John 15:2 and 15:6 since Judas was specifically excluded from this statement (but not all of you).
[15:4] 8 tn Grk “and I in you.” The verb has been repeated for clarity and to conform to contemporary English style, which typically allows fewer ellipses (omitted or understood words) than Greek.
[15:4] 9 sn The branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it remains connected to the vine, from which its life and sustenance flows. As far as the disciples were concerned, they would produce no fruit from themselves if they did not remain in their relationship to Jesus, because the eternal life which a disciple must possess in order to bear fruit originates with Jesus; he is the source of all life and productivity for the disciple.
[15:4] 11 tn While it would be more natural to say “on the vine” (so NAB), the English preposition “in” has been retained here to emphasize the parallelism with the following clause “unless you remain in me.” To speak of remaining “in” a person is not natural English either, but is nevertheless a biblical concept (cf. “in Christ” in Eph 1:3, 4, 6, 7, 11).
[15:5] 11 tn Grk “in him, this one bears much fruit.” The pronoun “this one” has been omitted from the translation because it is redundant according to contemporary English style.
[15:6] 12 sn Such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire. The author does not tell who it is who does the gathering and throwing into the fire. Although some claim that realized eschatology is so prevalent in the Fourth Gospel that no references to final eschatology appear at all, the fate of these branches seems to point to the opposite. The imagery is almost certainly that of eschatological judgment, and recalls some of the OT vine imagery which involves divine rejection and judgment of disobedient Israel (Ezek 15:4-6, 19:12).
[15:6] 13 tn Grk “they gather them up and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”
[15:7] 15 sn Once again Jesus promises the disciples ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. This recalls 14:13-14, where the disciples were promised that if they asked anything in Jesus’ name it would be done for them. The two thoughts are really quite similar, since here it is conditioned on the disciples’ remaining in Jesus and his words remaining in them. The first phrase relates to the genuineness of their relationship with Jesus. The second phrase relates to their obedience. When both of these qualifications are met, the disciples would in fact be asking in Jesus’ name and therefore according to his will.
[15:8] 16 tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause is best taken as substantival in apposition to ἐν τούτῳ (en toutw) at the beginning of the verse. The Father is glorified when the disciples bring forth abundant fruit. Just as Jesus has done the works which he has seen his Father doing (5:19-29) so also will his disciples.
[15:8] 18 tc Most
[15:11] 21 tn Grk “These things I have spoken to you.”
[15:12] 23 sn Now the reference to the commandments (plural) in 15:10 have been reduced to a singular commandment: The disciples are to love one another, just as Jesus has loved them. This is the ‘new commandment’ of John 13:34, and it is repeated in 15:17. The disciples’ love for one another is compared to Jesus’ love for them. How has Jesus shown his love for the disciples? This was illustrated in 13:1-20 in the washing of the disciples’ feet, introduced by the statement in 13:1 that Jesus loved them “to the end.” In context this constitutes a reference to Jesus’ self-sacrificial death on the cross on their behalf; the love they are to have for one another is so great that it must include a self-sacrificial willingness to die for one another if necessary. This is exactly what Jesus is discussing here, because he introduces the theme of his sacrificial death in the following verse. In John 10:18 and 14:31 Jesus spoke of his death on the cross as a commandment he had received from his Father, which also links the idea of commandment and love as they are linked here. One final note: It is not just the degree or intensity of the disciples’ love for one another that Jesus is referring to when he introduces by comparison his own death on the cross (that they must love one another enough to die for one another) but the very means of expressing that love: It is to express itself in self-sacrifice for one another, sacrifice up to the point of death, which is what Jesus himself did on the cross (cf. 1 John 3:16).
[15:13] 25 tn Or “one dies willingly.”
[15:14] 27 sn This verse really explains John 15:10 in another way. Those who keep Jesus’ commandments are called his friends, those friends for whom he lays down his life (v. 13). It is possible to understand this verse as referring to a smaller group within Christianity as a whole, perhaps only the apostles who were present when Jesus spoke these words. Some have supported this by comparing it to the small group of associates and advisers to the Roman Emperor who were called “Friends of the Emperor.” Others would see these words as addressed only to those Christians who as disciples were obedient to Jesus. In either case the result would be to create a sort of “inner circle” of Christians who are more privileged than mere “believers” or average Christians. In context, it seems clear that Jesus’ words must be addressed to all true Christians, not just some narrower category of believers, because Jesus’ sacrificial death, which is his act of love toward his friends (v. 13) applies to all Christians equally (cf. John 13:1).
[15:15] 29 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
[15:15] 30 tn Or “does not know.”
[15:15] 31 tn Grk “all things.”
[15:16] 31 sn You did not choose me, but I chose you. If the disciples are now elevated in status from slaves to friends, they are friends who have been chosen by Jesus, rather than the opposite way round. Again this is true of all Christians, not just the twelve, and the theme that Christians are “chosen” by God appears frequently in other NT texts (e.g., Rom 8:33; Eph 1:4ff.; Col 3:12; and 1 Pet 2:4). Putting this together with the comments on 15:14 one may ask whether the author sees any special significance at all for the twelve. Jesus said in John 6:70 and 13:18 that he chose them, and 15:27 makes clear that Jesus in the immediate context is addressing those who have been with him from the beginning. In the Fourth Gospel the twelve, as the most intimate and most committed followers of Jesus, are presented as the models for all Christians, both in terms of their election and in terms of their mission.
[15:16] 33 sn The purpose for which the disciples were appointed (“commissioned”) is to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains. The introduction of the idea of “going” at this point suggests that the fruit is something more than just character qualities in the disciples’ own lives, but rather involves fruit in the lives of others, i.e., Christian converts. There is a mission involved (cf. John 4:36). The idea that their fruit is permanent, however, relates back to vv. 7-8, as does the reference to asking the Father in Jesus’ name. It appears that as the imagery of the vine and the branches develops, the “fruit” which the branches produce shifts in emphasis from qualities in the disciples’ own lives in John 15:2, 4, 5 to the idea of a mission which affects the lives of others in John 15:16. The point of transition would be the reference to fruit in 15:8.
[15:17] 33 tn Grk “These things.”
[15:18] 36 tn Grk “it hated me before you.”
[15:19] 37 tn Grk “if you were of the world.”
[15:19] 38 tn The words “you as” are not in the original but are supplied for clarity.
[15:19] 39 tn Grk “because you are not of the world.”
[15:19] 40 tn Or “world, therefore.”
[15:19] 41 sn I chose you out of the world…the world hates you. Two themes are brought together here. In 8:23 Jesus had distinguished himself from the world in addressing his Jewish opponents: “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.” In 15:16 Jesus told the disciples “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you.” Now Jesus has united these two ideas as he informs the disciples that he has chosen them out of the world. While the disciples will still be “in” the world after Jesus has departed, they will not belong to it, and Jesus prays later in John 17:15-16 to the Father, “I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” The same theme also occurs in 1 John 4:5-6: “They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us.” Thus the basic reason why the world hates the disciples (as it hated Jesus before them) is because they are not of the world. They are born from above, and are not of the world. For this reason the world hates them.
[15:20] 39 tn Grk “Remember the word that I said to you.”
[15:20] 40 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
[15:20] 41 sn A slave is not greater than his master. Jesus now recalled a statement he had made to the disciples before, in John 13:16. As the master has been treated, so will the slaves be treated also. If the world had persecuted Jesus, then it would also persecute the disciples. If the world had kept Jesus’ word, it would likewise keep the word of the disciples. In this statement there is the implication that the disciples would carry on the ministry of Jesus after his departure; they would in their preaching and teaching continue to spread the message which Jesus himself had taught while he was with them. And they would meet with the same response, by and large, that he encountered.
[15:20] 42 tn Or “if they kept.”
[15:20] 43 tn Or “they will keep.”
[15:21] 41 tn Or “because of.”
[15:21] 42 tn Jesus is referring to God as “the one who sent me.”
[15:22] 43 tn Grk “they would not have sin” (an idiom).
[15:24] 45 tn Or “If I had not done.”
[15:24] 46 tn Grk “the works.”
[15:24] 47 tn Grk “they would not have sin” (an idiom).
[15:24] 48 tn The words “the deeds” are supplied to clarify from context what was seen. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
[15:24] 49 tn Or “But now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father.” It is possible to understand both the “seeing” and the “hating” to refer to both Jesus and the Father, but this has the world “seeing” the Father, which seems alien to the Johannine Jesus. (Some point out John 14:9 as an example, but this is addressed to the disciples, not to the world.) It is more likely that the “seeing” refers to the miraculous deeds mentioned in the first half of the verse. Such an understanding of the first “both – and” construction is apparently supported by BDF §444.3.
[15:25] 47 tn The words “this happened” are not in the Greek text but are supplied to complete an ellipsis.
[15:25] 48 sn A quotation from Ps 35:19 and Ps 69:4. As a technical term law (νόμος, nomos) is usually restricted to the Pentateuch (the first five books of the OT), but here it must have a broader reference, since the quotation is from Ps 35:19 or Ps 69:4. The latter is the more likely source for the quoted words, since it is cited elsewhere in John’s Gospel (2:17 and 19:29, in both instances in contexts associated with Jesus’ suffering and death).
[15:26] 49 tn Or “Helper” or “Counselor”; Grk “Paraclete,” from the Greek word παράκλητος (paraklhto"). See the note on the word “Advocate” in John 14:16 for discussion of how this word is translated.
[16:1] 51 tn Grk “so that you will not be caused to stumble.”
[16:2] 53 tn Or “expel you from.”
[16:2] 54 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:59.
[16:2] 56 sn Jesus now refers not to the time of his return to the Father, as he has frequently done up to this point, but to the disciples’ time of persecution. They will be excommunicated from Jewish synagogues. There will even be a time when those who kill Jesus’ disciples will think that they are offering service to God by putting the disciples to death. Because of the reference to service offered to God, it is almost certain that Jewish opposition is intended here in both cases rather than Jewish opposition in the first instance (putting the disciples out of synagogues) and Roman opposition in the second (putting the disciples to death). Such opposition materializes later and is recorded in Acts: The stoning of Stephen in 7:58-60 and the slaying of James the brother of John by Herod Agrippa I in Acts 12:2-3 are notable examples.
[16:3] 55 tn Grk “And they.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[16:3] 56 sn Ignorance of Jesus and ignorance of the Father are also linked in 8:19; to know Jesus would be to know the Father also, but since the world does not know Jesus, neither does it know his Father. The world’s ignorance of the Father is also mentioned in 8:55, 15:21, and 17:25.
[16:4] 57 tn The first half of v. 4 resumes the statement of 16:1, ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν (tauta lelalhka Jumin), in a somewhat more positive fashion, omitting the reference to the disciples being caused to stumble.
[16:4] 58 tn Grk “their hour.”
[16:4] 59 tn The words “about them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
[16:4] 60 sn This verse serves as a transition between the preceding discussion of the persecutions the disciples will face in the world after the departure of Jesus, and the following discussion concerning the departure of Jesus and the coming of the Spirit-Paraclete. Jesus had not told the disciples these things from the beginning because he was with them.
[16:5] 59 sn Now the theme of Jesus’ impending departure is resumed (I am going to the one who sent me). It will also be mentioned in 16:10, 17, and 28. Jesus had said to his opponents in 7:33 that he was going to the one who sent him; in 13:33 he had spoken of going where the disciples could not come. At that point Peter had inquired where he was going, but it appears that Peter did not understand Jesus’ reply at that time and did not persist in further questioning. In 14:5 Thomas had asked Jesus where he was going.
[16:5] 60 sn Now none of the disciples asks Jesus where he is going, and the reason is given in the following verse: They have been overcome with sadness as a result of the predictions of coming persecution that Jesus has just spoken to them in 15:18-25 and 16:1-4a. Their shock at Jesus’ revelation of coming persecution is so great that none of them thinks to ask him where it is that he is going.
[16:6] 61 tn Or “distress” or “grief.”
[16:7] 63 tn Or “Helper” or “Counselor”; Grk “Paraclete,” from the Greek word παράκλητος (paraklhto"). See the note on the word “Advocate” in John 14:16 for a discussion of how this word is translated.
[16:8] 65 tn Grk “when that one.”
[16:8] 66 tn Or “will convict the world,” or “will expose the world.” The conjunction περί (peri) is used in 16:8-11 in the sense of “concerning” or “with respect to.” But what about the verb ἐλέγχω (elencw)? The basic meanings possible for this word are (1) “to convict or convince someone of something”; (2) “to bring to light or expose something; and (3) “to correct or punish someone.” The third possibility may be ruled out in these verses on contextual grounds since punishment is not implied. The meaning is often understood to be that the Paraclete will “convince” the world of its error, so that some at least will repent. But S. Mowinckel (“Die Vorstellungen des Spätjudentums vom heiligen Geist als Fürsprecher und der johanneische Paraklet,” ZNW 32 [1933]: 97-130) demonstrated that the verb ἐλέγχω did not necessarily imply the conversion or reform of the guilty party. This means it is far more likely that conviction in something of a legal sense is intended here (as in a trial). The only certainty is that the accused party is indeed proven guilty (not that they will acknowledge their guilt). Further confirmation of this interpretation is seen in John 14:17 where the world cannot receive the Paraclete and in John 3:20, where the evildoer deliberately refuses to come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed for what they really are (significantly, the verb in John 3:20 is also ἐλέγχω). However, if one wishes to adopt the meaning “prove guilty” for the use of ἐλέγχω in John 16:8 a difficulty still remains: While this meaning fits the first statement in 16:9 – the world is ‘proven guilty’ concerning its sin of refusing to believe in Jesus – it does not fit so well the second and third assertions in vv. 10-11. Thus R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:705) suggests the more general meaning “prove wrong” which would fit in all three cases. This may be so, but there may also be a developmental aspect to the meaning, which would then shift from v. 9 to v. 10 to v. 11.
[16:8] 67 tn Grk “and concerning.”
[16:8] 68 tn Grk “and concerning.”
[16:9] 67 tn Or “that.” It is very difficult to determine whether ὅτι (Joti; 3 times in 16:9, 10, 11) should be understood as causal or appositional/explanatory: Brown and Bultmann favor appositional or explanatory, while Barrett and Morris prefer a causal sense. A causal idea is preferable here, since it also fits the parallel statements in vv. 10-11 better than an appositional or explanatory use would. In this case Jesus is stating in each instance the reason why the world is proven guilty or wrong by the Spirit-Paraclete.
[16:9] 68 sn Here (v. 9) the world is proven guilty concerning sin, and the reason given is their refusal to believe in Jesus. In 3:19 the effect of Jesus coming into the world as the Light of the world was to provoke judgment, by forcing people to choose up sides for or against him, and they chose darkness rather than light. In 12:37, at the very end of Jesus’ public ministry in John’s Gospel, people were still refusing to believe in him.
[16:10] 69 tn There are two questions that need to be answered: (1) what is the meaning of δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosunh) in this context, and (2) to whom does it pertain – to the world, or to someone else? (1) The word δικαιοσύνη occurs in the Gospel of John only here and in v. 8. It is often assumed that it refers to forensic justification, as it does so often in Paul’s writings. Thus the answer to question (2) would be that it refers to the world. L. Morris states, “The Spirit shows men (and no-one else can do this) that their righteousness before God depends not on their own efforts but on Christ’s atoning work for them” (John [NICNT], 699). Since the word occurs so infrequently in the Fourth Gospel, however, the context must be examined very carefully. The ὅτι (Joti) clause which follows provides an important clue: The righteousness in view here has to do with Jesus’ return to the Father and his absence from the disciples. It is true that in the Fourth Gospel part of what is involved in Jesus’ return to the Father is the cross, and it is through his substitutionary death that people are justified, so that Morris’ understanding of righteousness here is possible. But more basic than this is the idea that Jesus’ return to the Father constitutes his own δικαιοσύνη in the sense of vindication rather than forensic justification. Jesus had repeatedly claimed oneness with the Father, and his opponents had repeatedly rejected this and labeled him a deceiver, a sinner, and a blasphemer (John 5:18, 7:12, 9:24, 10:33, etc.). But Jesus, by his glorification through his return to the Father, is vindicated in his claims in spite of his opponents. In his vindication his followers are also vindicated as well, but their vindication derives from his. Thus one would answer question (1) by saying that in context δικαιοσύνης (dikaiosunh") refers not to forensic justification but vindication, and question (2) by referring this justification/vindication not to the world or even to Christians directly, but to Jesus himself. Finally, how does Jesus’ last statement in v. 10, that the disciples will see him no more, contribute to this? It is probably best taken as a reference to the presence of the Spirit-Paraclete, who cannot come until Jesus has departed (16:7). The meaning of v. 10 is thus: When the Spirit-Paraclete comes he will prove the world wrong concerning the subject of righteousness, namely, Jesus’ righteousness which is demonstrated when he is glorified in his return to the Father and the disciples see him no more (but they will have instead the presence of the Spirit-Paraclete, whom the world is not able to receive).
[16:11] 71 sn The world is proven wrong concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. Jesus’ righteousness before the Father, as proven by his return to the Father, his glorification, constitutes a judgment against Satan. This is parallel to the judgment of the world which Jesus provokes in 3:19-21: Jesus’ presence in the world as the Light of the world provokes the judgment of those in the world, because as they respond to the light (either coming to Jesus or rejecting him) so are they judged. That judgment is in a sense already realized. So it is here, where the judgment of Satan is already realized in Jesus’ glorification. This does not mean that Satan does not continue to be active in the world, and to exercise some power over it, just as in 3:19-21 the people in the world who have rejected Jesus and thus incurred judgment continue on in their opposition to Jesus for a time. In both cases the judgment is not immediately executed. But it is certain.
[16:11] 73 sn The ruler of this world is a reference to Satan.
[16:12] 73 sn In what sense does Jesus have many more things to say to the disciples? Does this imply the continuation of revelation after his departure? This is probably the case, especially in light of v. 13 and following, which describe the work of the Holy Spirit in guiding the disciples into all truth. Thus Jesus was saying that he would continue to speak (to the twelve, at least) after his return to the Father. He would do this through the Holy Spirit whom he was going to send. It is possible that an audience broader than the twelve is addressed, and in the Johannine tradition there is evidence that later other Christians (or perhaps, professed Christians) claimed to be recipients of revelation through the Spirit-Paraclete (1 John 4:1-6).
[16:12] 74 tn Or (perhaps) “you cannot accept.”
[16:13] 77 sn Three important points must be noted here. (1) When the Holy Spirit comes, he will guide the disciples into all truth. What Jesus had said in 8:31-32, “If you continue to follow my teaching you are really my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” will ultimately be realized in the ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit to the disciples after Jesus’ departure. (2) The things the Holy Spirit speaks to them will not be things which originate from himself (he will not speak on his own authority), but things he has heard. This could be taken to mean that no new revelation is involved, as R. E. Brown does (John [AB], 2:714-15). This is a possible but not a necessary inference. The point here concerns the source of the things the Spirit will say to the disciples and does not specifically exclude originality of content. (3) Part at least of what the Holy Spirit will reveal to the disciples will concern what is to come, not just fuller implications of previous sayings of Jesus and the like. This does seem to indicate that at least some new revelation is involved. But the Spirit is not the source or originator of these things – Jesus is the source, and he will continue to speak to his disciples through the Spirit who has come to indwell them. This does not answer the question, however, whether these words are addressed to all followers of Jesus, or only to his apostles. Different modern commentators will answer this question differently. Since in the context of the Farewell Discourse Jesus is preparing the twelve to carry on his ministry after his departure, it is probably best to take these statements as specifically related only to the twelve. Some of this the Holy Spirit does directly for all believers today; other parts of this statement are fulfilled through the apostles (e.g., in giving the Book of Revelation the Spirit speaks through the apostles to the church today of things to come). One of the implications of this is that a doctrine does not have to be traced back to an explicit teaching of Jesus to be authentic; all that is required is apostolic authority.
[16:13] 78 tn Grk “speak from himself.”
[16:13] 79 tn Or will announce to you.”
[16:13] 80 tn Grk “will tell you the things to come.”
[16:14] 78 tn Or “will honor me.”
[16:14] 79 tn Or “he will take.”
[16:14] 80 tn The words “what is mine” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[16:14] 81 tn Or “will announce it to you.”
[16:15] 79 tn Grk “I said he”; the referent (the Spirit) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[16:15] 80 tn The words “what is mine” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[16:15] 81 tn Or “will announce it to you.”
[16:16] 81 tn Grk “A little while, and you.”
[16:16] 82 tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”
[16:16] 83 sn The phrase after a little while, you will see me is sometimes taken to refer to the coming of the Holy Spirit after Jesus departs, but (as at 14:19) it is much more probable that it refers to the postresurrection appearances of Jesus to the disciples. There is no indication in the context that the disciples will see Jesus only with “spiritual” sight, as would be the case if the coming of the Spirit is in view.
[16:17] 83 tn Grk “What is this that he is saying to us.”
[16:17] 84 tn Grk “A little while, and you.”
[16:17] 85 tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”
[16:17] 86 sn These fragmentary quotations of Jesus’ statements are from 16:16 and 16:10, and indicate that the disciples heard only part of what Jesus had to say to them on this occasion.
[16:18] 85 tn Grk “they kept on saying.”
[16:18] 86 tn Grk “What is this that he says.”
[16:18] 87 tn Grk “A little while.” Although the phrase τὸ μικρόν (to mikron) in John 16:18 could be translated simply “a little while,” it was translated “in a little while” to maintain the connection to John 16:16, where it has the latter meaning in context.
[16:18] 88 tn Or “we do not know.”
[16:18] 89 tn Grk “what he is speaking.”
[16:19] 88 tn The words “about these things” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[16:19] 89 tn Καί (kai) has been translated as “so” here to indicate the following statement is a result of Jesus’ observation in v. 19a.
[16:19] 90 tn Grk “inquiring” or “seeking.”
[16:19] 91 tn Grk “A little while, and you.”
[16:19] 92 tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”
[16:20] 89 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[16:20] 90 tn Or “wail,” “cry.”
[16:20] 93 tn Grk “will become.”
[16:21] 91 sn The same word translated distress here has been translated sadness in the previous verse (a wordplay that is not exactly reproducible in English).
[16:21] 93 tn Grk “that a man” (but in a generic sense, referring to a human being).
[16:21] 94 sn Jesus now compares the situation of the disciples to a woman in childbirth. Just as the woman in the delivery of her child experiences real pain and anguish (has distress), so the disciples will also undergo real anguish at the crucifixion of Jesus. But once the child has been born, the mother’s anguish is turned into joy, and she forgets the past suffering. The same will be true of the disciples, who after Jesus’ resurrection and reappearance to them will forget the anguish they suffered at his death on account of their joy.
[16:22] 94 sn An allusion to Isa 66:14 LXX, which reads: “Then you will see, and your heart will be glad, and your bones will flourish like the new grass; and the hand of the
[16:23] 95 tn Grk “And in that day.”
[16:23] 96 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[16:23] 97 sn This statement is also found in John 15:16.
[16:24] 97 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[16:25] 99 tn Or “in parables”; or “in metaphors.” There is some difficulty in defining παροιμίαις (paroimiai") precisely: A translation like “parables” does not convey accurately the meaning. BDAG 779-80 s.v. παροιμία suggests in general “proverb, saw, maxim,” but for Johannine usage “veiled saying, figure of speech, in which esp. lofty ideas are concealed.” In the preceding context of the Farewell Discourse, Jesus has certainly used obscure language and imagery at times: John 13:8-11; 13:16; 15:1-17; and 16:21 could all be given as examples. In the LXX this word is used to translate the Hebrew mashal which covers a wide range of figurative speech, often containing obscure or enigmatic elements.
[16:25] 101 tn Or “inform you.”
[16:26] 101 tn Grk “In that day.”
[16:26] 102 tn Grk “I do not say to you.”
[16:27] 103 tc A number of early
[16:28] 105 tn Or “into the world; again.” Here πάλιν (palin) functions as a marker of contrast, with the implication of a sequence.
[16:28] 106 sn The statement I am leaving the world and going to the Father is a summary of the entire Gospel of John. It summarizes the earthly career of the Word made flesh, Jesus of Nazareth, on his mission from the Father to be the Savior of the world, beginning with his entry into the world as he came forth from God and concluding with his departure from the world as he returned to the Father.
[16:29] 108 tn Or “not in parables.” or “not in metaphors.”
[16:30] 109 tn Grk “all things.”
[16:30] 110 tn Grk “and have no need of anyone.”
[16:30] 111 tn The word “anything” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[16:31] 111 tn Grk “Jesus answered them.”
[16:32] 114 tn Grk “each one to his own”; the word “home” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The phrase “each one to his own” may be completed in a number of different ways: “each one to his own property”; “each one to his own family”; or “each one to his own home.” The last option seems to fit most easily into the context and so is used in the translation.
[16:32] 115 sn The proof of Jesus’ negative evaluation of the disciples’ faith is now given: Jesus foretells their abandonment of him at his arrest, trials, and crucifixion (I will be left alone). This parallels the synoptic accounts in Matt 26:31 and Mark 14:27 when Jesus, after the last supper and on the way to Gethsemane, foretold the desertion of the disciples as a fulfillment of Zech 13:7: “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” Yet although the disciples would abandon Jesus, he reaffirmed that he was not alone, because the Father was still with him.
[16:32] 116 tn Grk “And” (but with some contrastive force).
[16:32] 117 tn Grk “the Father.”
[16:33] 115 tn The one Greek term θλῖψις (qliyis) has been translated by an English hendiadys (two terms that combine for one meaning) “trouble and suffering.” For modern English readers “tribulation” is no longer clearly understandable.
[16:33] 116 tn Or “but be courageous.”
[16:33] 117 tn Or “I am victorious over the world,” or “I have overcome the world.”
[17:1] 117 tn Grk “he raised his eyes” (an idiom).
[17:1] 118 tn Or “to the sky.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven” depending on the context.
[17:1] 120 tc The better witnesses (א B C* W 0109 0301) have “the Son” (ὁ υἱός, Jo Juios) here, while the majority (C3 L Ψ Ë13 33 Ï) read “your Son also” (καὶ ὁ υἱὸς σου, kai Jo Juio" sou), or “your Son” (ὁ υἱὸς σου; A D Θ 0250 1 579 pc lat sy); the second corrector of C has καὶ ὁ υἱός (“the Son also”). The longer readings appear to be predictable scribal expansions and as such should be considered secondary.
[17:2] 119 tn Or “all people”; Grk “all flesh.”
[17:2] 120 tn Grk “so that to everyone whom you have given to him, he may give to them eternal life.”
[17:3] 121 tn Using αὕτη δέ (Jauth de) to introduce an explanation is typical Johannine style; it was used before in John 1:19, 3:19, and 15:12.
[17:3] 122 sn This is eternal life. The author here defines eternal life for the readers, although it is worked into the prayer in such a way that many interpreters do not regard it as another of the author’s parenthetical comments. It is not just unending life in the sense of prolonged duration. Rather it is a quality of life, with its quality derived from a relationship with God. Having eternal life is here defined as being in relationship with the Father, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom the Father sent. Christ (Χριστός, Cristos) is not characteristically attached to Jesus’ name in John’s Gospel; it occurs elsewhere primarily as a title and is used with Jesus’ name only in 1:17. But that is connected to its use here: The statement here in 17:3 enables us to correlate the statement made in 1:18 of the prologue, that Jesus has fully revealed what God is like, with Jesus’ statement in 10:10 that he has come that people might have life, and have it abundantly. These two purposes are really one, according to 17:3, because (abundant) eternal life is defined as knowing (being in relationship with) the Father and the Son. The only way to gain this eternal life, that is, to obtain this knowledge of the Father, is through the Son (cf. 14:6). Although some have pointed to the use of know (γινώσκω, ginwskw) here as evidence of Gnostic influence in the Fourth Gospel, there is a crucial difference: For John this knowledge is not intellectual, but relational. It involves being in relationship.
[17:3] 123 tn Or “and Jesus the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[17:4] 123 tn Or “by finishing” or “by accomplishing.” Jesus now states that he has glorified the Father on earth by finishing (τελειώσας [teleiwsas] is best understood as an adverbial participle of means) the work which the Father had given him to do.
[17:4] 124 tn Grk “the work that you gave to me so that I may do it.”
[17:5] 125 tn Or “in your presence”; Grk “with yourself.” The use of παρά (para) twice in this verse looks back to the assertion in John 1:1 that the Word (the Λόγος [Logos], who became Jesus of Nazareth in 1:14) was with God (πρὸς τὸν θεόν, pro" ton qeon). Whatever else may be said, the statement in 17:5 strongly asserts the preexistence of Jesus Christ.
[17:5] 126 tn Grk “before the world was.” The word “created” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
[17:6] 127 tn Or “made known,” “disclosed.”
[17:6] 128 tn Here “men” is retained as a translation for ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") rather than the more generic “people” because in context it specifically refers to the eleven men Jesus had chosen as apostles (Judas had already departed, John 13:30). If one understands the referent here to be the broader group of Jesus’ followers that included both men and women, a translation like “to the people” should be used here instead.
[17:6] 129 tn Grk “Yours they were.”
[17:7] 129 tn Or “they have come to know,” or “they have learned.”
[17:7] 130 tn Grk “all things.”
[17:8] 131 tn Grk And they.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[17:8] 133 tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[17:8] 135 tn Or have come to know.”
[17:9] 133 tn Grk “I am asking.”
[17:9] 134 tn Grk “I am not asking.”
[17:9] 135 tn Or “because they are yours.”
[17:10] 135 tn Grk And all things.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[17:10] 136 tn Or “Everything I have is yours.”
[17:10] 137 tn Or “everything you have is mine.”
[17:10] 138 tn Or “I have been honored among them.”
[17:11] 137 tn Grk And I.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[17:11] 138 tn The context indicates that this should be translated as an adversative or contrastive conjunction.
[17:11] 139 tn Or “protect them”; Grk “keep them.”
[17:11] 140 tn Or “by your name.”
[17:11] 141 tn The second repetition of “one” is implied, and is supplied here for clarity.
[17:12] 139 tn Or “I protected them”; Grk “I kept them.”
[17:12] 140 tn Grk “and guarded them.”
[17:12] 141 tn Or “by your name.”
[17:12] 142 tn Grk And not one.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[17:12] 143 tn Grk “the son of destruction” (a Semitic idiom for one appointed for destruction; here it is a reference to Judas).
[17:12] 144 sn A possible allusion to Ps 41:9 or Prov 24:22 LXX. The exact passage is not specified here, but in John 13:18, Ps 41:9 is explicitly quoted by Jesus with reference to the traitor, suggesting that this is the passage to which Jesus refers here. The previous mention of Ps 41:9 in John 13:18 probably explains why the author felt no need for an explanatory parenthetical note here. It is also possible that the passage referred to here is Prov 24:22 LXX, where in the Greek text the phrase “son of destruction” appears.
[17:13] 141 tn Grk “they may have.”
[17:13] 142 tn Or “fulfilled.”
[17:14] 143 tn Or “your message.”
[17:14] 144 tn Grk “because they are not of the world.”
[17:14] 145 tn Grk “just as I am not of the world.”
[17:15] 145 tn Or “that you protect them”; Grk “that you keep them.”
[17:15] 146 tn The phrase “the evil one” is a reference to Satan. The genitive noun τοῦ πονηροῦ (tou ponhrou) is ambiguous with regard to gender: It may represent the neuter τὸ πονηρόν (to ponhron), “that which is evil,” or the masculine ὁ πονηρός (Jo ponhro"), “the evil one,” i.e., Satan. In view of the frequent use of the masculine in 1 John 2:13-14, 3:12, and 5:18-19 it seems much more probable that the masculine is to be understood here, and that Jesus is praying for his disciples to be protected from Satan. Cf. BDAG 851 s.v. πονηρός 1.b.β and 1.b.γ.
[17:16] 147 tn Grk “they are not of the world.” This is a repetition of the second half of v. 14. The only difference is in word order: Verse 14 has οὐκ εἰσὶν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου (ouk eisin ek tou kosmou), while here the prepositional phrase is stated first: ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου οὐκ εἰσίν (ek tou kosmou ouk eisin). This gives additional emphasis to the idea of the prepositional phrase, i.e., origin, source, or affiliation.
[17:16] 148 tn Grk “just as I am not of the world.”
[17:17] 149 tn Or “Consecrate them” or “Sanctify them.”
[17:18] 151 sn Jesus now compared the mission on which he was sending the disciples to his own mission into the world, on which he was sent by the Father. As the Father sent Jesus into the world (cf. 3:17), so Jesus now sends the disciples into the world to continue his mission after his departure. The nature of this prayer for the disciples as a consecratory prayer is now emerging: Jesus was setting them apart for the work he had called them to do. They were, in a sense, being commissioned.
[17:19] 153 tn Or “I sanctify.”
[17:19] 154 tn Or “for their sake.”
[17:19] 155 tn Or “they may be truly consecrated,” or “they may be truly sanctified.”
[17:20] 155 tn Or “I do not pray.”
[17:20] 156 tn Although πιστευόντων (pisteuontwn) is a present participle, it must in context carry futuristic force. The disciples whom Jesus is leaving behind will carry on his ministry and in doing so will see others come to trust in him. This will include not only Jewish Christians, but other Gentile Christians who are “not of this fold” (10:16), and thus Jesus’ prayer for unity is especially appropriate in light of the probability that most of the readers of the Gospel are Gentiles (much as Paul stresses unity between Jewish and Gentile Christians in Eph 2:10-22).
[17:20] 157 tn Grk “their word.”
[17:21] 157 tn The words “I pray” are repeated from the first part of v. 20 for clarity.
[17:22] 159 tn Grk And the glory.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[17:23] 161 tn Or “completely unified.”
[17:24] 163 tn Grk “the ones you have given me, I want these to be where I am with me.”
[17:24] 164 tn Grk “before the foundation of the world.”
[17:25] 165 tn The word “men” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The translation uses the word “men” here rather than a more general term like “people” because the use of the aorist verb ἔγνωσαν (egnwsan) implies that Jesus is referring to the disciples present with him as he spoke these words (presumably all of them men in the historical context), rather than to those who are yet to believe because of their testimony (see John 17:20).
[17:26] 167 tn The translation “will continue to make it known” is proposed by R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:773).
[18:1] 169 sn When he had said these things appears to be a natural transition at the end of the Farewell Discourse (the farewell speech of Jesus to his disciples in John 13:31-17:26, including the final prayer in 17:1-26). The author states that Jesus went out with his disciples, a probable reference to their leaving the upper room where the meal and discourse described in chaps. 13-17 took place (although some have seen this only as a reference to their leaving the city, with the understanding that some of the Farewell Discourse, including the concluding prayer, was given en route, cf. 14:31). They crossed the Kidron Valley and came to a garden, or olive orchard, identified in Matt 26:36 and Mark 14:32 as Gethsemane. The name is not given in Luke’s or John’s Gospel, but the garden must have been located somewhere on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives.
[18:1] 170 tn Grk “the wadi of the Kidron,” or “the ravine of the Kidron” (a wadi is a stream that flows only during the rainy season and is dry during the dry season).
[18:2] 172 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[18:3] 173 tn Grk “a cohort.” The word σπεῖραν (speiran) is a technical term for a Roman cohort, normally a force of 600 men (one tenth of a legion). It was under the command of a χιλίαρχος (ciliarco", v. 12). Because of the improbability of an entire cohort being sent to arrest a single man, some have suggested that σπεῖραν here refers only to a maniple, a force of 200. But the use of the word here does not necessarily mean the entire cohort was present on this mission, but only that it was the cohort which performed the task (for example, saying the fire department put out the fire does not mean that every fireman belonging to the department was on the scene at the time). These Roman soldiers must have been ordered to accompany the servants of the chief priests and Pharisees by Pilate, since they would have been under the direct command of the Roman prefect or procurator. It is not difficult to understand why Pilate would have been willing to assist the Jewish authorities in such a way. With a huge crowd of pilgrims in Jerusalem for the Passover, the Romans would have been especially nervous about an uprising of some sort. No doubt the chief priests and Pharisees had informed Pilate that this man Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah, or in the terms Pilate would understand, king of Israel.
[18:3] 174 tn The phrase “officers of the chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive name for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:32, 45; 18:3, 12, 18, 22; 19:6. They are different from the Levites who served as “temple police” according to K. H. Rengstorf (TDNT 8:540). In John 7:32ff. these officers had made an unsuccessful attempt to arrest Jesus, and perhaps this is part of the reason why their leaders had made sure they were accompanied by Roman soldiers this time. No more mistakes were to be tolerated.
[18:3] 175 tn The words “to the orchard” are not in the Greek text but are repeated from v. 1 for clarity.
[18:3] 176 tn These were lamps that had some sort of covering to protect them from wind and rain. In earlier usage the word meant “torch” but by NT times it apparently meant a lamp designed to be used outdoors, so “lantern” is a good contemporary English equivalent.
[18:4] 175 tn Grk “knowing all things that were coming upon him.”
[18:4] 176 tn Grk “Whom do you seek?”
[18:5] 177 tn Grk “They answered.”
[18:5] 178 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Before he states the response to Jesus’ identification of himself, the author inserts a parenthetical note that Judas, again identified as the one who betrayed him (cf. 18:2), was standing with the group of soldiers and officers of the chief priests. Many commentators have considered this to be an awkward insertion, but in fact it heightens considerably the dramatic effect of the response to Jesus’ self-identification in the following verse, and has the added effect of informing the reader that along with the others the betrayer himself ironically falls down at Jesus’ feet (18:6).
[18:6] 179 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:6] 180 tn Grk “moved back” (but here a fairly rapid movement is implied).
[18:6] 181 sn When Jesus said to those who came to arrest him “I am,” they retreated and fell to the ground. L. Morris says that “it is possible that those in front recoiled from Jesus’ unexpected advance, so that they bumped those behind them, causing them to stumble and fall” (John [NICNT], 743-44). Perhaps this is what in fact happened on the scene; but the theological significance given to this event by the author implies that more is involved. The reaction on the part of those who came to arrest Jesus comes in response to his affirmation that he is indeed the one they are seeking, Jesus the Nazarene. But Jesus makes this affirmation of his identity using a formula which the reader has encountered before in the Fourth Gospel, e.g., 8:24, 28, 58. Jesus has applied to himself the divine Name of Exod 3:14, “I AM.” Therefore this amounts to something of a theophany which causes even his enemies to recoil and prostrate themselves, so that Jesus has to ask a second time, “Who are you looking for?” This is a vivid reminder to the reader of the Gospel that even in this dark hour, Jesus holds ultimate power over his enemies and the powers of darkness, because he is the one who bears the divine Name.
[18:7] 181 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:8] 183 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
[18:8] 184 tn Grk “if you are seeking.”
[18:8] 185 tn The word “men” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The translation uses the word “men” here rather than a more generic word like “people” because in context Jesus referred only to the eleven remaining disciples who were loyal to him and were present at his arrest.
[18:8] 186 sn A second time Jesus replied, “I told you that I am he,” identifying himself as the one they are seeking. Jesus also added, “If you are looking for me, let these men go.” Jesus successfully diverted attention from his disciples by getting the soldiers and officers of the chief priests to admit (twice) that it is only him they were after. Even in this hour Jesus still protected and cared for his own, giving himself up on their behalf. By handing himself over to his enemies, Jesus ensured that his disciples went free. From the perspective of the author, this is acting out beforehand what Jesus will actually do for his followers when he goes to the cross.
[18:9] 185 tn The words “He said this” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. There is an ellipsis in the Greek text that must be supplied for the modern English reader at this point.
[18:9] 186 sn This expression is similar to John 6:39 and John 17:12.
[18:9] 187 tn Grk “Of the ones whom you gave me, I did not lose one of them.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged to reflect contemporary English style.
[18:10] 187 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
[18:10] 188 sn The account of the attack on the high priest’s slave contains details which suggest eyewitness testimony. It is also mentioned in all three synoptic gospels, but only John records that the disciple involved was Peter, whose impulsive behavior has already been alluded to (John 13:37). Likewise only John gives the name of the victim, Malchus, who is described as the high priest’s slave. John and Mark (14:47) both use the word ὠτάριον (wtarion, a double diminutive) to describe what was cut off, and this may indicate only part of the right ear (for example, the earlobe).
[18:10] 189 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[18:11] 189 tn Grk “The cup that the Father has given me to drink, shall I not drink it?” The order of the clauses has been rearranged to reflect contemporary English style.
[18:12] 191 tn Grk “a cohort” (but since this was a unit of 600 soldiers, a smaller detachment is almost certainly intended).
[18:12] 192 tn Grk “their chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). In Greek the term χιλίαρχος (ciliarco") literally described the “commander of a thousand,” but it was used as the standard translation for the Latin tribunus militum or tribunus militaris, the military tribune who commanded a cohort of 600 men.
[18:12] 193 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, who were named as “chief priests and Pharisees” in John 18:3.
[18:12] 195 tn Or “bound him.”
[18:13] 193 tn Grk “up, and brought.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
[18:13] 194 sn Jesus was taken first to Annas. Only the Gospel of John mentions this pretrial hearing before Annas, and that Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who is said to be high priest in that year. Caiaphas is also mentioned as being high priest in John 11:49. But in 18:15, 16, 19, and 22 Annas is called high priest. Annas is also referred to as high priest by Luke in Acts 4:6. Many scholars have dismissed these references as mistakes on the part of both Luke and John, but as mentioned above, John 11:49 and 18:13 indicate that John knew that Caiaphas was high priest in the year that Jesus was crucified. This has led others to suggest that Annas and Caiaphas shared the high priesthood, but there is no historical evidence to support this view. Annas had been high priest from
[18:14] 195 tn Or “counseled.”
[18:14] 196 tn Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, specifically members of the Sanhedrin (see John 11:49-50). See also the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12.
[18:14] 197 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[18:15] 197 tn The words “them as they brought Jesus to Annas” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify who Peter and the other disciple were following. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[18:15] 198 tn Grk “that disciple.”
[18:15] 199 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[18:16] 199 tn Grk “spoke to the doorkeeper”; her description as a slave girl is taken from the following verse. The noun θυρωρός (qurwro") may be either masculine or feminine, but the article here indicates that it is feminine.
[18:17] 201 tn Grk “slave girl.” Since the descriptive term “slave girl” was introduced in the translation in the previous verse, it would be redundant to repeat the full expression here.
[18:17] 202 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are you?”).
[18:18] 203 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
[18:18] 204 tn That is, the “guards of the chief priests” as distinguished from the household slaves of Annas.
[18:18] 205 tn Grk “because it was cold, and they were warming themselves.”
[18:18] 206 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[18:19] 205 tn The introductory phrase “While this was happening” is not in the Greek text. It has been supplied in the translation to clarify the alternation of scenes in the narrative for the modern reader.
[18:19] 206 sn The nature of this hearing seems to be more that of a preliminary investigation; certainly normal legal procedure was not followed, for no indication is given that any witnesses were brought forth at this point to testify against Jesus. True to what is known of Annas’ character, he was more interested in Jesus’ disciples than in the precise nature of Jesus’ teaching, since he inquired about the followers first. He really wanted to know just how influential Jesus had become and how large a following he had gathered. This was of more concern to Annas that the truth or falsity of Jesus’ teaching.
[18:20] 207 tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”
[18:20] 208 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:59.
[18:20] 209 tn Grk “in the temple.”
[18:20] 210 tn Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people generally, for whom the synagogues and the temple courts in Jerusalem were important public gathering places. See also the note on the phrase “Jewish religious leaders” in v. 12.
[18:20] 211 tn Grk “And I.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[18:21] 209 tn Grk “Ask those who heard what I said to them.” The words “to them” are not translated since they are redundant in English.
[18:21] 210 tn Grk “Look, these know what I said.”
[18:22] 211 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:22] 212 tn Grk “one of the high priest’s servants standing by gave Jesus a strike, saying.” For the translation of ῥάπισμα (rJapisma), see L&N 19.4.
[18:23] 213 tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”
[18:23] 214 tn Or “something incorrect.”
[18:23] 216 tn Or “incorrect.”
[18:24] 215 tn Or “still bound.”
[18:24] 216 sn Where was Caiaphas the high priest located? Did he have a separate palace, or was he somewhere else with the Sanhedrin? Since Augustine (4th century) a number of scholars have proposed that Annas and Caiaphas resided in different wings of the same palace, which were bound together by a common courtyard through which Jesus would have been led as he was taken from Annas to Caiaphas. This seems a reasonable explanation, although there is no conclusive evidence.
[18:25] 217 tn The words “in the courtyard” are not in the Greek text. They are supplied for the benefit of the modern reader, to link this scene to the preceding one in John 18:15-18.
[18:25] 218 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are you?”).
[18:25] 219 tn Grk “That one denied it and said”; the referent of the pronoun (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:26] 219 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
[18:26] 220 sn This incident is recounted in v. 10.
[18:26] 222 tn This question, prefaced with οὐκ (ouk) in Greek, anticipates a positive answer.
[18:27] 221 tn It seems most likely that this refers to a real rooster crowing, although a number of scholars have suggested that “cockcrow” is a technical term referring to the trumpet call which ended the third watch of the night (from midnight to 3 a.m.). This would then be a reference to the Roman gallicinium (ἀλεκτοροφωνία, alektorofwnia; the term is used in Mark 13:35 and is found in some
[18:28] 223 tn Grk “to the praetorium.”
[18:28] 224 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[18:28] 225 tn Grk “And they.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[18:28] 226 tn Grk “into the praetorium.”
[18:29] 226 sn In light of the fact that Pilate had cooperated with them in Jesus’ arrest by providing Roman soldiers, the Jewish authorities were probably expecting Pilate to grant them permission to carry out their sentence on Jesus without resistance (the Jews were not permitted to exercise capital punishment under the Roman occupation without official Roman permission, cf. v. 31). They must have been taken somewhat by surprise by Pilate’s question “What accusation do you bring against this man,” because it indicated that he was going to try the prisoner himself. Thus Pilate was regarding the trial before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin as only an inquiry and their decision as merely an accusation.
[18:30] 227 tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”
[18:30] 228 tn Grk “this one.”
[18:30] 229 tn Or “an evildoer”; Grk “one doing evil.”
[18:30] 230 tn Or “would not have delivered him over.”
[18:31] 229 tn Grk “Then Pilate said to them.”
[18:31] 230 tn Or “judge him.” For the translation “pass judgment on him” see R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:848).
[18:31] 231 sn Pilate, as the sole representative of Rome in a troubled area, was probably in Jerusalem for the Passover because of the danger of an uprising (the normal residence for the Roman governor was in Caesarea as mentioned in Acts 23:35). At this time on the eve of the feast he would have been a busy and perhaps even a worried man. It is not surprising that he offered to hand Jesus back over to the Jewish authorities to pass judgment on him. It may well be that Pilate realized when no specific charge was mentioned that he was dealing with an internal dispute over some religious matter. Pilate wanted nothing to do with such matters, as the statement “Pass judgment on him according to your own law!” indicates. As far as the author is concerned, this points out who was really responsible for Jesus’ death: The Roman governor Pilate would have had nothing to do with it if he had not been pressured by the Jewish religious authorities, upon whom the real responsibility rested.
[18:31] 232 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12.
[18:31] 233 tn Grk “said to him.”
[18:31] 234 tn Grk “It is not permitted to us to kill anyone.”
[18:32] 231 tn The words “This happened” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
[18:32] 232 tn Or “making clear.”
[18:32] 233 sn A reference to John 12:32.
[18:33] 233 tn Grk “into the praetorium.”
[18:33] 234 sn It is difficult to discern Pilate’s attitude when he asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Some have believed the remark to be sarcastic or incredulous as Pilate looked at this lowly and humble prisoner: “So you’re the king of the Jews, are you?” Others have thought the Roman governor to have been impressed by Jesus’ regal disposition and dignity, and to have sincerely asked, “Are you really the king of the Jews?” Since it will later become apparent (v. 38) that Pilate considered Jesus innocent (and therefore probably also harmless) an attitude of incredulity is perhaps most likely, but this is far from certain in the absence of clear contextual clues.
[18:34] 235 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
[18:34] 236 tn Grk “saying this from yourself.”
[18:35] 237 sn Many have seen in Pilate’s reply “I am not a Jew, am I?” the Roman contempt for the Jewish people. Some of that may indeed be present, but strictly speaking, all Pilate affirms is that he, as a Roman, has no firsthand knowledge of Jewish custom or belief. What he knows of Jesus must have come from the Jewish authorities. They are the ones (your own people and your chief priests) who have handed Jesus over to Pilate.
[18:35] 238 tn Or “your own nation.”
[18:35] 239 tn Or “delivered you over.”
[18:36] 239 tn Grk “so that I may not be.”
[18:36] 240 tn Or “delivered over.”
[18:36] 241 tn Or “the Jewish leaders”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12. In the translation “authorities” was preferred over “leaders” for stylistic reasons.
[18:37] 241 tn Grk “said to him.”
[18:37] 242 tn Or “obeys”; Grk “hears.”
[18:38] 243 tn Grk “Pilate said.”
[18:38] 244 sn With his reply “What is truth?” Pilate dismissed the matter. It is not clear what Pilate’s attitude was at this point, as in 18:33. He may have been sarcastic, or perhaps somewhat reflective. The author has not given enough information in the narrative to be sure. Within the narrative, Pilate’s question serves to make the reader reflect on what truth is, and that answer (in the narrative) has already been given (14:6).
[18:38] 245 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12. The term also occurs in v. 31, where it is clear the Jewish leaders are in view, because they state that they cannot legally carry out an execution. Although it is likely (in view of the synoptic parallels) that the crowd here in 18:38 was made up not just of the Jewish leaders, but of ordinary residents of Jerusalem and pilgrims who were in Jerusalem for the Passover, nevertheless in John’s Gospel Pilate is primarily in dialogue with the leadership of the nation, who are expressly mentioned in 18:35 and 19:6.
[18:38] 246 tn Grk “said to them.”
[18:38] 247 tn Grk “find no cause.”
[18:39] 245 tn The word “prisoner” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
[18:39] 246 sn Pilate then offered to release Jesus, reminding the Jewish authorities that they had a custom that he release one prisoner for them at the Passover. There is no extra-biblical evidence alluding to the practice. It is, however, mentioned in Matthew and Mark, described either as a practice of Pilate (Mark 15:6) or of the Roman governor (Matt 27:15). These references may explain the lack of extra-biblical attestation: The custom to which Pilate refers here (18:39) is not a permanent one acknowledged by all the Roman governors, but one peculiar to Pilate as a means of appeasement, meant to better relations with his subjects. Such a limited meaning is certainly possible and consistent with the statement here.
[18:40] 247 tn Or “they shouted again,” or “they shouted in turn.” On the difficulty of translating πάλιν (palin) see BDAG 753 s.v. 5. It is simplest in the context of John’s Gospel to understand the phrase to mean “they shouted back” as a reply to Pilate’s question.
[18:40] 248 tn Grk “this one.”
[18:40] 249 sn The name Barabbas in Aramaic means “son of abba,” that is, “son of the father,” and presumably the man in question had another name (it may also have been Jesus, according to the textual variant in Matt 27:16, although this is uncertain). For the author this name held ironic significance: The crowd was asking for the release of a man called Barabbas, “son of the father,” while Jesus, who was truly the Son of the Father, was condemned to die instead.
[18:40] 250 tn Or “robber.” It is possible that Barabbas was merely a robber or highwayman, but more likely, given the use of the term ληστής (lhsth") in Josephus and other early sources, that he was a guerrilla warrior or revolutionary leader. See both R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:857) and K. H. Rengstorf (TDNT 4:258) for more information. The word λῃστής was used a number of times by Josephus (J. W. 2.13.2-3 [2.253-254]) to describe the revolutionaries or guerrilla fighters who, from mixed motives of nationalism and greed, kept the rural districts of Judea in constant turmoil.
[18:40] 251 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[19:1] 249 tn Or “had him flogged,” or (traditional), “scourged him.” The verb should be read as causative. Pilate ordered Jesus to be flogged. A Roman governor would not carry out such a sentence in person. BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1. states, “If J refers to the ‘verberatio’ given those condemned to death (TMommsen, Röm. Strafrecht 1899, 938f; Jos., Bell. 2, 308; 5, 449), it is odd that Pilate subsequently claims no cause for action (vs. 6); but if the latter statement refers only to the penalty of crucifixion, μ. vs. 1 may be equivalent to παιδεύω (q.v. 2bγ) in Lk 23:16, 22 (for μ. of a non-capital offense PFlor I, 61, 61 [85ad]=Mitt-Wilck. II/2, 80 II, 61).”
[19:2] 251 tn Grk “And the soldiers.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[19:2] 253 sn The crown of thorns was a crown plaited of some thorny material, intended as a mockery of Jesus’ “kingship.” Traditionally it has been regarded as an additional instrument of torture, but it seems more probable the purpose of the thorns was not necessarily to inflict more physical suffering but to imitate the spikes of the “radiant corona,” a type of crown portrayed on ruler’s heads on many coins of the period; the spikes on this type of crown represented rays of light pointing outward (the best contemporary illustration is the crown on the head of the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor).
[19:2] 254 sn The purple color of the robe indicated royal status. This was further mockery of Jesus, along with the crown of thorns.
[19:3] 253 tn Grk “And they.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[19:3] 254 tn The words “again and again” are implied by the (iterative) imperfect verb ἤρχοντο (hrconto).
[19:3] 255 tn Or “Long live the King of the Jews!”
[19:3] 256 tn The word “repeatedly” is implied by the (iterative) imperfect verb ἐδιδοσαν (edidosan).
[19:4] 255 tn Grk “to them.” The words “the Jewish leaders” are supplied from John 18:38 for clarity.
[19:4] 256 tn Or “find no basis for an accusation”; Grk “find no cause.”
[19:5] 257 sn See the note on the purple robe in 19:2.
[19:5] 258 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:5] 259 sn Look, here is the man! Pilate may have meant no more than something like “Here is the accused!” or in a contemptuous way, “Here is your king!” Others have taken Pilate’s statement as intended to evoke pity from Jesus’ accusers: “Look at this poor fellow!” (Jesus would certainly not have looked very impressive after the scourging). For the author, however, Pilate’s words constituted an unconscious allusion to Zech 6:12, “Look, here is the man whose name is the Branch.” In this case Pilate (unknowingly and ironically) presented Jesus to the nation under a messianic title.
[19:6] 259 sn Crucifixion was the cruelest form of punishment practiced by the Romans. Roman citizens could not normally undergo it. It was reserved for the worst crimes, like treason and evasion of due process in a capital case. The Roman statesman and orator Cicero (106-43
[19:6] 260 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from context.
[19:6] 261 tn Grk “said to them.” The words “to them” are not translated because they are unnecessary in contemporary English style.
[19:6] 262 sn How are Pilate’s words “You take him and crucify him” to be understood? Was he offering a serious alternative to the priests who wanted Jesus crucified? Was he offering them an exception to the statement in 18:31 that the Jewish authorities did not have the power to carry out a death penalty? Although a few scholars have suggested that the situation was at this point so far out of Pilate’s control that he really was telling the high priests they could go ahead and crucify a man he had found to be innocent, this seems unlikely. It is far more likely that Pilate’s statement should be understood as one of frustration and perhaps sarcasm. This seems to be supported by the context, for the Jewish authorities make no attempt at this point to seize Jesus and crucify him. Rather they continue to pester Pilate to order the crucifixion.
[19:6] 263 tn On this use of γάρ (gar) used in exclamations and strong affirmations, see BDAG 190 s.v. γάρ 3.
[19:6] 264 tn Or “find no basis for an accusation”; Grk “find no cause.”
[19:7] 261 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin, and their servants (mentioned specifically as “the chief priests and their servants” in John 19:6).
[19:7] 262 tn Grk “answered him.”
[19:7] 263 sn This law is not the entire Pentateuch, but Lev 24:16.
[19:7] 264 tn Grk “because he made himself out to be the Son of God.”
[19:8] 263 tn Grk “heard this word.”
[19:8] 264 tn Grk “became more afraid.”
[19:9] 265 tn Grk “into the praetorium.”
[19:10] 267 tn Grk “said to him.” The words “to him” are not translated because they are unnecessary in contemporary English style.
[19:10] 268 tn Or “the power.”
[19:10] 269 tn Grk “know that I have the authority to release you and the authority to crucify you.” Repetition of “the authority” is unnecessarily redundant English style.
[19:11] 270 tn Or “who delivered me over to you.”
[19:11] 271 tn Grk “has the greater sin” (an idiom).
[19:12] 272 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin, and their servants (mentioned specifically as “the chief priests and their servants” in John 19:6). See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 7.
[19:12] 273 tn Grk “shouted out, saying.”
[19:12] 274 tn Grk “this one.”
[19:12] 275 sn Is the author using the phrase Friend of Caesar in a technical sense, as a title bestowed on people for loyal service to the Emperor, or in a more general sense merely describing a person as loyal to the Emperor? L. Morris (John [NICNT], 798) thinks it is “unlikely” that the title is used in the technical sense, and J. H. Bernard (St. John [ICC], 2:621) argues that the technical sense of the phrase as an official title was not used before the time of Vespasian (
[19:12] 276 tn Grk “who makes himself out to be a king.”
[19:13] 273 tn Or “the judge’s seat.”
[19:13] 274 sn The precise location of the place called ‘The Stone Pavement’ is still uncertain, although a paved court on the lower level of the Fortress Antonia has been suggested. It is not certain whether it was laid prior to
[19:13] 275 tn Grk “in Hebrew.”
[19:13] 276 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[19:14] 275 sn The term day of preparation (παρασκευή, paraskeuh) appears in all the gospels as a description of the day on which Jesus died. It could refer to any Friday as the day of preparation for the Sabbath (Saturday), and this is the way the synoptic gospels use the term (Matt 27:62, Mark 15:42, and Luke 23:54). John, however, specifies in addition that this was not only the day of preparation of the Sabbath, but also the day of preparation of the Passover, so that the Sabbath on the following day was the Passover (cf. 19:31).
[19:14] 276 tn Grk “about the sixth hour.”
[19:14] 277 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[19:14] 278 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity, and the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[19:14] 279 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin, and their servants (mentioned specifically as “the chief priests and their servants” in John 19:6). See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 7.
[19:15] 277 tn Grk “Then these.”
[19:15] 278 tn The words “with him” (twice) are not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[19:15] 279 sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
[19:15] 280 tn Grk “Pilate said to them.” The words “to them” are not translated because it is clear in English who Pilate is addressing.
[19:16] 279 tn Grk “Then he”; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:16] 280 tn Or “delivered him over.”
[19:17] 281 tn Or “carrying the cross by himself.”
[19:17] 282 sn Jesus was led out to the place called “The Place of the Skull” where he was to be crucified. It is clear from v. 20 that this was outside the city. The Latin word for the Greek κρανίον (kranion) is calvaria. Thus the English word “Calvary” is a transliteration of the Latin rather than a NT place name (cf. Luke 23:33 in the KJV).
[19:17] 283 tn Grk “in Hebrew.”
[19:17] 284 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[19:18] 283 tn Grk “where they.” This is a continuation of the previous verse in Greek, but contemporary English style tends toward shorter sentences. A literal translation would result in a lengthy and awkward English sentence.
[19:18] 284 sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
[19:18] 285 tn Grk “and with him two others.”
[19:19] 285 tn Or “an inscription.”
[19:19] 286 tn Grk “Pilate also wrote a notice and placed it on the cross.” The two verbs should be read as causatives, since it is highly unlikely that the Roman governor would perform either of these actions himself. He ordered them to be done.
[19:19] 287 tn Grk “Now it was written.”
[19:20] 287 tn Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem in general. See also the note on the phrase Jewish religious leaders” in v. 7.
[19:20] 288 tn Or “this inscription.”
[19:20] 289 tn Grk “in Hebrew.”
[19:21] 289 tn Or “the Jewish chief priests.” Nowhere else in the Fourth Gospel are the two expressions οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων (Joi arcierei" twn Ioudaiwn) combined. Earlier in 19:15 the chief priests were simply referred to as οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς. It seems likely that this is another example of Johannine irony, to be seen in contrast to the inscription on the cross which read ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων (Jo basileu" twn Ioudaiwn). For this reason the phrase has been translated “the chief priests of the Jews” (which preserves in the translation the connection with “King of the Jews”) rather than “the Jewish chief priests.”
[19:23] 291 sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
[19:23] 292 sn Four shares, one for each soldier. The Gospel of John is the only one to specify the number of soldiers involved in the crucifixion. This was a quaternion, a squad of four soldiers. It was accepted Roman practice for the soldiers who performed a crucifixion to divide the possessions of the person executed among themselves.
[19:23] 293 tn Or “shirt” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, citwn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a ‘tunic’ was any more than they would be familiar with a ‘chiton.’ On the other hand, attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “Shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.
[19:23] 294 tn Or “shirt” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). See the note on the same word earlier in this verse.
[19:23] 295 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[19:24] 293 tn Grk “but choose by lot” (probably by using marked pebbles or broken pieces of pottery). A modern equivalent, “throw dice,” was chosen here because of its association with gambling.
[19:24] 294 tn Grk “to see whose it will be.”
[19:24] 295 tn The words “This took place” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
[19:24] 296 tn Grk “cast lots.” See the note on “throw dice” earlier in the verse.
[19:25] 295 sn Several women are mentioned, but it is not easy to determine how many. It is not clear whether his mother’s sister and Mary the wife of Clopas are to be understood as the same individual (in which case only three women are mentioned: Jesus’ mother, her sister Mary, and Mary Magdalene) or as two different individuals (in which case four women are mentioned: Jesus’ mother, her sister, Mary Clopas’ wife, and Mary Magdalene). It is impossible to be certain, but when John’s account is compared to the synoptics it is easier to reconcile the accounts if four women were present than if there were only three. It also seems that if there were four women present, this would have been seen by the author to be in juxtaposition to the four soldiers present who performed the crucifixion, and this may explain the transition from the one incident in 23-24 to the other in 25-27. Finally, if only three were present, this would mean that both Jesus’ mother and her sister were named Mary, and this is highly improbable in a Jewish family of that time. If there were four women present, the name of the second, the sister of Jesus’ mother, is not mentioned. It is entirely possible that the sister of Jesus’ mother mentioned here is to be identified with the woman named Salome mentioned in Mark 15:40 and also with the woman identified as “the mother of the sons of Zebedee” mentioned in Matt 27:56. If so, and if John the Apostle is to be identified as the beloved disciple, then the reason for the omission of the second woman’s name becomes clear; she would have been John’s own mother, and he consistently omitted direct reference to himself or his brother James or any other members of his family in the Fourth Gospel.
[19:26] 297 sn The term Woman is Jesus’ normal, polite way of addressing women (Matt 15:28, Luke 13:12; John 4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:15; see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1). But it is unusual for a son to address his mother with this term. The custom in both Hebrew (or Aramaic) and Greek would be for a son to use a qualifying adjective or title. Is there significance in Jesus’ use here? Jesus probably used the term here to help establish Mary and the beloved disciple in a new “mother-son” relationship. Someone would soon need to provide for Mary since Jesus, her oldest son, would no longer be alive. By using this term Jesus distanced himself from Mary so the beloved disciple could take his place as her earthly son (cf. John 2:4). See D. A. Carson, John, 617-18, for discussion about symbolic interpretations of this relationship between Mary and the beloved disciple.
[19:27] 299 tn Grk “from that very hour.”
[19:28] 301 tn Or “that already.”
[19:28] 302 tn Or “finished,” “accomplished”; Grk “fulfilled.”
[19:28] 303 sn A reference to Ps 69:21 or Ps 22:15.
[19:28] 304 sn In order to fulfill (τελειωθῇ [teleiwqh], a wordplay on the previous statement that everything was completed [τετέλεσται, tetelestai]) the scripture, he said, “I am thirsty.” The scripture referred to is probably Ps 69:21, “They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” Also suggested, however, is Ps 22:15, “My tongue cleaves to the roof of my mouth, and you [God] lay me in the dust of death.” Ps 22:1 reads “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?,” a statement Jesus makes from the cross in both Matt 27:46 and Mark 15:34. In light of the connection in the Fourth Gospel between thirst and the living water which Jesus offers, it is highly ironic that here Jesus himself, the source of that living water, expresses his thirst. And since 7:39 associates the living water with the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ statement here in 19:28 amounts to an admission that at this point he has been forsaken by God (cf. Ps 22:1, Matt 27:46, and Mark 15:34).
[19:29] 303 sn The cheap sour wine was called in Latin posca, and referred to a cheap vinegar wine diluted heavily with water. It was the drink of slaves and soldiers, and was probably there for the soldiers who had performed the crucifixion.
[19:29] 304 sn Hyssop was a small aromatic bush; exact identification of the plant is uncertain. The hyssop used to lift the wet sponge may have been a form of reed (κάλαμος, kalamo", “reed,” is used in Matt 27:48 and Mark 15:36); the biblical name can refer to several different species of plant (at least eighteen different plants have been suggested).
[19:29] 305 tn Or “and brought it.”
[19:30] 305 tn Grk “Then when.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[19:30] 306 tn Or “It is accomplished,” “It is finished,” or “It is ended.” See tn on John 13:1.
[19:30] 307 tn Or “he bowed his head and died”; Grk “he bowed his head and gave over the spirit.”
[19:31] 307 sn The Jewish authorities, because this was the day of preparation for the Sabbath and the Passover (cf. 19:14), requested Pilate to order the legs of the three who had been crucified to be broken. This would hasten their deaths, so that the bodies could be removed before the beginning of the Sabbath at 6 p.m. This was based on the law of Deut 21:22-23 and Josh 8:29 that specified the bodies of executed criminals who had been hanged on a tree should not remain there overnight. According to Josephus this law was interpreted in the 1st century to cover the bodies of those who had been crucified (J. W. 4.5.2 [4.317]). Philo of Alexandria also mentions that on occasion, especially at festivals, the bodies were taken down and given to relatives to bury (Flaccus 10 [83]). The normal Roman practice would have been to leave the bodies on the crosses, to serve as a warning to other would-be offenders.
[19:31] 308 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[19:31] 309 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. See also the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 7.
[19:31] 310 tn Grk “asked Pilate that the legs of them might be broken.” The referent of “them” (the three individuals who were crucified, collectively referred to as “the victims”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[19:31] 311 sn To have the legs…broken. Breaking the legs of a crucified person was a way of speeding up his death, since the victim could no longer use his legs to push upward in order to be able to draw a breath. This breaking of the legs was called in Latin crurifragium, and was done with a heavy mallet.
[19:31] 312 tn Grk “asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and they might be taken down.” Here because of the numerous ambiguous third person references it is necessary to clarify that it was the crucified men whose legs were to be broken and whose corpses were to be removed from the crosses.
[19:32] 309 sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
[19:32] 310 tn Grk “with him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:32] 311 tn Grk “broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him.”
[19:34] 311 sn If it was obvious to the soldiers that the victim was already dead it is difficult to see why one of them would try to inflict a wound. The Greek verb pierced (νύσσω, nussw) can indicate anything from a slight prod to a mortal wound. Probably one of the soldiers gave an exploratory stab to see if the body would jerk. If not, he was really dead. This thrust was hard enough to penetrate the side, since the author states that blood and water flowed out immediately.
[19:34] 312 sn How is the reference to the blood and water that flowed out from Jesus’ side to be understood? This is probably to be connected with the statements in 1 John 5:6-8. In both passages water, blood, and testimony are mentioned. The Spirit is also mentioned in 1 John 5:7 as the source of the testimony, while here the testimony comes from one of the disciples (19:35). The connection between the Spirit and the living water with Jesus’ statement of thirst just before he died in the preceding context has already been noted (see 19:28). For the author, the water which flowed out of Jesus’ side was a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit who could now be given because Jesus was now glorified (cf. 7:39); Jesus had now departed and returned to that glory which he had with the Father before the creation of the world (cf. 17:5). The mention of blood recalls the motif of the Passover lamb as a sacrificial victim. Later references to sacrificial procedures in the Mishnah appear to support this: m. Pesahim 5:3 and 5:5 state that the blood of the sacrificial animal should not be allowed to congeal but should flow forth freely at the instant of death so that it could be used for sprinkling; m. Tamid 4:2 actually specifies that the priest is to pierce the heart of the sacrificial victim and cause the blood to come forth.
[19:35] 313 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[19:35] 314 tn Grk “and that one.”
[19:35] 315 sn A parenthetical note by the author.
[19:36] 315 sn A quotation from Exod 12:46, Num 9:12, and Ps 34:20. A number of different OT passages lie behind this quotation: Exod 12:10 LXX, Exod 12:46, Num 9:12, or Ps 34:20. Of these, the first is the closest in form to the quotation here. The first three are all more likely candidates than the last, since the first three all deal with descriptions of the Passover lamb.
[19:37] 317 sn A quotation from Zech 12:10. Here a single phrase is quoted from Zech 12, but the entire context is associated with the events surrounding the crucifixion. The “Spirit of grace and of supplication” is poured out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the first part of v. 10. A few verses later in 13:1 Yahweh (typically rendered as “Lord” in the OT) says “In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity.” The blood which flowed from Jesus’ pierced side may well be what the author saw as the connection here, since as the shedding of the blood of the sacrificial victim it represents cleansing from sin. Although the Jewish authorities and Roman soldiers certainly “looked on the one whom they have pierced” as he hung on the cross, the author may also have in mind the parousia (second coming) here. The context in Zech 12-14 is certainly the second coming, so that these who crucified Jesus will look upon him in another sense when he returns in judgment.
[19:38] 319 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially the Pharisees (see John 12:42). See also the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 7.
[19:38] 320 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[19:38] 321 tn Grk “And Pilate.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[19:38] 322 tn Grk “took away his body.”
[19:39] 321 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:39] 322 sn See John 3:1-21.
[19:39] 323 tn Grk “came”; the words “accompanied Joseph” are not in the Greek text but are supplied for clarity.
[19:39] 324 sn Aloes refers to an aromatic resin from a plant similar to a lily, used for embalming a corpse.
[19:39] 325 sn The Roman pound (λίτρα, litra) weighed twelve ounces or 325 grams. Thus 100 Roman pounds would be about 32.5 kilograms or 75 pounds.
[19:40] 323 tn On this term see BDAG 140-41 s.v. ἄρωμα. The Jews did not practice embalming, so these materials were used to cover the stench of decay and slow decomposition.
[19:40] 324 tn The Fourth Gospel uses ὀθονίοις (oqonioi") to describe the wrappings, and this has caused a good deal of debate, since it appears to contradict the synoptic accounts which mention a σινδών (sindwn), a large single piece of linen cloth. If one understands ὀθονίοις to refer to smaller strips of cloth, like bandages, there would be a difference, but diminutive forms have often lost their diminutive force in Koine Greek (BDF §111.3), so there may not be any difference.
[19:40] 325 tn Grk “cloth as is the custom of the Jews to prepare for burial.”
[19:41] 325 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:41] 326 sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
[19:41] 327 tn Or “an orchard.”
[19:41] 329 tn Grk “been placed.”
[19:42] 327 sn The day of preparation was the day before the Sabbath when everything had to be prepared for it, as no work could be done on the Sabbath.
[19:42] 328 sn The tomb was nearby. The Passover and the Sabbath would begin at 6 p.m., so those who had come to prepare and bury the body could not afford to waste time.
[20:1] 329 sn The first day of the week would be early Sunday morning. The Sabbath (and in this year the Passover) would have lasted from 6 p.m. Friday until 6 p.m. Saturday. Sunday would thus mark the first day of the following week.
[20:1] 330 sn John does not mention that Mary Magdalene was accompanied by any of the other women who had been among Jesus’ followers. The synoptic accounts all mention other women who accompanied her (although Mary Magdalene is always mentioned first). Why John does not mention the other women is not clear, but Mary probably becomes the focus of the author’s attention because it was she who came and found Peter and the beloved disciple and informed them of the empty tomb (20:2). Mary’s use of the plural in v. 2 indicates there were others present, in indirect agreement with the synoptic accounts.
[20:1] 331 tn Grk “from the tomb.”
[20:2] 331 tn Grk “So she ran and came.”
[20:3] 333 tn Grk “went out and were coming to the tomb.”
[20:4] 335 sn The other disciple (the ‘beloved disciple’) ran on ahead more quickly than Peter, so he arrived at the tomb first. This verse has been a chief factor in depictions of John as a young man (especially combined with traditions that he wrote last of all the gospel authors and lived into the reign of Domitian). But the verse does not actually say anything about John’s age, nor is age always directly correlated with running speed.
[20:4] 336 tn Grk “and came first to the tomb.”
[20:5] 337 sn In most instances the entrance to such tombs was less than 3 ft (1 m) high, so that an adult would have to bend down and practically crawl inside.
[20:5] 338 sn Presumably by the time the beloved disciple reached the tomb there was enough light to penetrate the low opening and illuminate the interior of the tomb sufficiently for him to see the strips of linen cloth lying there. The author does not state exactly where the linen wrappings were lying. Sometimes the phrase has been translated “lying on the ground,” but the implication is that the wrappings were lying where the body had been. The most probable configuration for a tomb of this sort would be to have a niche carved in the wall where the body would be laid lengthwise, or a low shelf like a bench running along one side of the tomb, across the back or around all three sides in a U-shape facing the entrance. Thus the graveclothes would have been lying on this shelf or in the niche where the body had been.
[20:6] 339 tn Grk “And he saw.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[20:7] 341 sn The word translated face cloth is a Latin loanword (sudarium). It was a small towel used to wipe off perspiration (the way a handkerchief would be used today). This particular item was not mentioned in connection with Jesus’ burial in John 19:40, probably because this was only a brief summary account. A face cloth was mentioned in connection with Lazarus’ burial (John 11:44) and was probably customary. R. E. Brown speculates that it was wrapped under the chin and tied on top of the head to prevent the mouth of the corpse from falling open (John [AB], 2:986), but this is not certain.
[20:7] 342 sn Much dispute and difficulty surrounds the translation of the words not lying with the strips of linen cloth but rolled up in a place by itself. Basically the issue concerns the positioning of the graveclothes as seen by Peter and the other disciple when they entered the tomb. Some have sought to prove that when the disciples saw the graveclothes they were arranged just as they were when around the body, so that when the resurrection took place the resurrected body of Jesus passed through them without rearranging or disturbing them. In this case the reference to the face cloth being rolled up does not refer to its being folded, but collapsed in the shape it had when wrapped around the head. Sometimes in defense of this view the Greek preposition μετά (meta, which normally means “with”) is said to mean “like” so that the comparison with the other graveclothes does not involve the location of the face cloth but rather its condition (rolled up rather than flattened). In spite of the intriguing nature of such speculations, it seems more probable that the phrase describing the face cloth should be understood to mean it was separated from the other graveclothes in a different place inside the tomb. This seems consistent with the different conclusions reached by Peter and the beloved disciple (vv. 8-10). All that the condition of the graveclothes indicated was that the body of Jesus had not been stolen by thieves. Anyone who had come to remove the body (whether the authorities or anyone else) would not have bothered to unwrap it before carrying it off. And even if one could imagine that they had (perhaps in search of valuables such as rings or jewelry still worn by the corpse) they would certainly not have bothered to take time to roll up the face cloth and leave the other wrappings in an orderly fashion.
[20:8] 343 sn What was it that the beloved disciple believed (since v. 7 describes what he saw)? Sometimes it is suggested that what he believed was Mary Magdalene’s report that the body had been stolen. But this could hardly be the case; the way the entire scene is narrated such a trivial conclusion would amount to an anticlimax. It is true that the use of the plural “they” in the following verse applied to both Peter and the beloved disciple, and this appears to be a difficulty if one understands that the beloved disciple believed at this point in Jesus’ resurrection. But it is not an insuperable difficulty, since all it affirms is that at this time neither Peter nor the beloved disciple had understood the scripture concerning the resurrection. Thus it appears the author intends his reader to understand that when the beloved disciple entered the tomb after Peter and saw the state of the graveclothes, he believed in the resurrection, i.e., that Jesus had risen from the dead.
[20:9] 346 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:9] 347 sn Verse 9 is a parenthetical note by the author. The author does not explicitly mention what OT scripture is involved (neither does Paul in 1 Cor 15:4, for that matter). The resurrection of the Messiah in general terms may have been seen in Isa 53:10-12 and Ps 16:10. Specific references may have been understood in Jonah 1:17 and Hos 6:2 because of the mention of “the third day.” Beyond this it is not possible to be more specific.
[20:13] 347 tn The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here.
[20:13] 348 sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions. This occurs again in v. 15.
[20:13] 349 tn Grk “She said to them.”
[20:14] 349 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[20:15] 351 tn Grk “that one” (referring to Mary Magdalene).
[20:16] 353 tn Grk “That one.”
[20:16] 354 tn Grk “in Hebrew.”
[20:16] 355 sn The Aramaic Rabboni means “my teacher” (a title of respect).
[20:16] 356 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[20:17] 355 tn Grk “Jesus said to her.”
[20:18] 357 tn The words “she told them” are repeated from the first part of the same verse to improve clarity.
[20:18] 358 tn Grk “the things.”
[20:18] 359 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:18] 360 tn The first part of Mary’s statement, introduced by ὅτι (Joti), is direct discourse (ἑώρακα τὸν κύριον, Jewraka ton kurion), while the second clause switches to indirect discourse (καὶ ταῦτα εἶπεν αὐτῇ, kai tauta eipen auth). This has the effect of heightening the emphasis on the first part of the statement.
[20:19] 359 tn Although the words “had gathered together” are omitted in some of the earliest and best
[20:19] 360 tn Grk “the doors were shut”; “locked” conveys a more appropriate idea for the modern English reader.
[20:19] 361 tn Grk “where they were.”
[20:19] 362 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders.
[20:20] 361 sn When the disciples recognized Jesus (now referred to as the Lord, cf. Mary’s words in v. 18) they were suddenly overcome with joy. This was a fulfillment of Jesus’ words to the disciples in the Farewell Discourse (16:20-22) that they would have sorrow while the world rejoiced, but that their sorrow would be turned to lasting joy when they saw him again.
[20:22] 363 tn Grk “said to them.”
[20:22] 364 sn He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” The use of the Greek verb breathed on (ἐμφυσάω, emfusaw) to describe the action of Jesus here recalls Gen 2:7 in the LXX, where “the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” This time, however, it is Jesus who is breathing the breath-Spirit of eternal life, life from above, into his disciples (cf. 3:3-10). Furthermore there is the imagery of Ezek 37:1-14, the prophecy concerning the resurrection of the dry bones: In 37:9 the Son of Man is told to prophesy to the “wind-breath-Spirit” to come and breathe on the corpses, so that they will live again. In 37:14 the Lord promised, “I will put my Spirit within you, and you will come to life, and I will place you in your own land.” In terms of ultimate fulfillment the passage in Ezek 37 looks at the regeneration of Israel immediately prior to the establishment of the messianic kingdom. The author saw in what Jesus did for the disciples at this point a partial and symbolic fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy, much as Peter made use of the prophecy of Joel 2:28-32 in his sermon on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2:17-21. What then did Jesus do for the disciples in John 20:22? It appears that in light of the symbolism of the new creation present here, as well as the regeneration symbolism from the Ezek 37 passage, that Jesus at this point breathed into the disciples the breath of eternal life. This was in the form of the Holy Spirit, who was to indwell them. It is instructive to look again at 7:38-39, which states, “Just as the scripture says, ‘Out from within him will flow rivers of living water.’ (Now he said this about the Spirit whom those who believed in him were going to receive; for the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”) But now in 20:22 Jesus was glorified, so the Spirit could be given. Had the disciples not believed in Jesus before? It seems clear that they had, since their belief is repeatedly affirmed, beginning with 2:11. But it also seems clear that even on the eve of the crucifixion, they did not understand the necessity of the cross (16:31-33). And even after the crucifixion, the disciples had not realized that there was going to be a resurrection (20:9). Ultimate recognition of who Jesus was appears to have come to them only after the postresurrection appearances (note the response of Thomas, who was not present at this incident, in v. 28). Finally, what is the relation of this incident in 20:22 to the account of the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2? It appears best to view these as two separate events which have two somewhat different purposes. This was the giving of life itself, which flowed out from within (cf. 7:38-39). The giving of power would occur later, on the day of Pentecost – power to witness and carry out the mission the disciples had been given. (It is important to remember that in the historical unfolding of God’s program for the church, these events occurred in a chronological sequence which, after the church has been established, is not repeatable today.)
[20:23] 365 tn Grk “they are forgiven to them.” The words “to them” are unnecessary in English and somewhat redundant.
[20:23] 366 sn The statement by Jesus about forgive or retaining anyone’s sins finds its closest parallel in Matt 16:19 and 18:18. This is probably not referring to apostolic power to forgive or retain the sins of individuals (as it is sometimes understood), but to the “power” of proclaiming this forgiveness which was entrusted to the disciples. This is consistent with the idea that the disciples are to carry on the ministry of Jesus after he has departed from the world and returned to the Father, a theme which occurred in the Farewell Discourse (cf. 15:27, 16:1-4, and 17:18).
[20:24] 367 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author; Didymus means “the twin” in Greek.
[20:25] 369 tn Grk “but he said to them.”
[20:25] 371 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context. The use of “it” here as direct object of the verb πιστεύσω (pisteusw) specifies exactly what Thomas was refusing to believe: that Jesus had risen from the dead, as reported by his fellow disciples. Otherwise the English reader may be left with the impression Thomas was refusing to “believe in” Jesus, or “believe Jesus to be the Christ.” The dramatic tension in this narrative is heightened when Thomas, on seeing for himself the risen Christ, believes more than just the resurrection (see John 20:28).
[20:26] 371 tn Grk “were inside”; the word “together” is implied.
[20:26] 372 tn Grk “the doors were shut”; “locked” conveys a more appropriate idea for the modern English reader.
[20:27] 373 tn Or “Extend” or “Reach out.” The translation “put” or “reach out” for φέρω (ferw) here is given in BDAG 1052 s.v. 4.
[20:27] 374 tn Grk “see.” The Greek verb ἴδε (ide) is often used like its cognate ἰδού (idou) in Hellenistic Greek (which is “used to emphasize the …importance of someth.” [BDAG 468 s.v. ἰδού 1.b.ε]).
[20:27] 375 tn Or “reach out” or “put.”
[20:27] 376 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[20:27] 377 tn Grk “and do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
[20:28] 375 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
[20:28] 376 sn Should Thomas’ exclamation be understood as two subjects with the rest of the sentence omitted (“My Lord and my God has truly risen from the dead”), as predicate nominatives (“You are my Lord and my God”), or as vocatives (“My Lord and my God!”)? Probably the most likely is something between the second and third alternatives. It seems that the second is slightly more likely here, because the context appears confessional. Thomas’ statement, while it may have been an exclamation, does in fact confess the faith which he had previously lacked, and Jesus responds to Thomas’ statement in the following verse as if it were a confession. With the proclamation by Thomas here, it is difficult to see how any more profound analysis of Jesus’ person could be given. It echoes 1:1 and 1:14 together: The Word was God, and the Word became flesh (Jesus of Nazareth). The Fourth Gospel opened with many other titles for Jesus: the Lamb of God (1:29, 36); the Son of God (1:34, 49); Rabbi (1:38); Messiah (1:41); the King of Israel (1:49); the Son of Man (1:51). Now the climax is reached with the proclamation by Thomas, “My Lord and my God,” and the reader has come full circle from 1:1, where the author had introduced him to who Jesus was, to 20:28, where the last of the disciples has come to the full realization of who Jesus was. What Jesus had predicted in John 8:28 had come to pass: “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he” (Grk “I am”). By being lifted up in crucifixion (which led in turn to his death, resurrection, and exaltation with the Father) Jesus has revealed his true identity as both Lord (κύριος [kurios], used by the LXX to translate Yahweh) and God (θεός [qeos], used by the LXX to translate Elohim).
[20:29] 377 tn Grk “are those.”
[20:29] 378 tn Some translations treat πιστεύσαντες (pisteusante") as a gnomic aorist (timeless statement) and thus equivalent to an English present tense: “and yet believe” (RSV). This may create an effective application of the passage to the modern reader, but the author is probably thinking of those people who had already believed without the benefit of seeing the risen Jesus, on the basis of reports by others or because of circumstantial evidence (see John 20:8).
[20:30] 380 tc ‡ Although most
[20:30] 381 tn Grk “are not written.”
[20:30] 382 sn The author mentions many other miraculous signs performed by Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in the Gospel. What are these signs the author of the Gospel has in mind? One can only speculate. The author says they were performed in the presence of the disciples, which emphasizes again their role as witnesses (cf. 15:27). The point here is that the author has been selective in his use of material. He has chosen to record those incidents from the life and ministry of Jesus which supported his purpose in writing the Gospel. Much which might be of tremendous interest, but does not directly contribute to that purpose in writing, he has omitted. The author explains his purpose in writing in the following verse.
[20:31] 381 tn Grk “these things.”
[20:31] 382 tn Grk “are written.”
[20:31] 383 tc ‡ A difficult textual variant is present at this point in the Greek text. Some
[20:31] 384 tn Or “Jesus is the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[20:31] 385 sn John 20:31. A major question concerning this verse, the purpose statement of the Gospel of John, is whether the author is writing primarily for an audience of unbelievers, with purely evangelistic emphasis, or whether he envisions an audience of believers, whom he wants to strengthen in their faith. Several points are important in this discussion: (1) in the immediate context (20:30), the other signs spoken of by the author were performed in the presence of disciples; (2) in the case of the first of the signs, at Cana, the author makes a point of the effect the miracle had on the disciples (2:11); (3) if the primary thrust of the Gospel is toward unbelievers, it is difficult to see why so much material in chaps. 13-17 (the last meal and Farewell Discourse, concluding with Jesus’ prayer for the disciples), which deals almost exclusively with the disciples, is included; (4) the disciples themselves were repeatedly said to have believed in Jesus throughout the Gospel, beginning with 2:11, yet they still needed to believe after the resurrection (if Thomas’ experience in 20:27-28 is any indication); and (5) the Gospel appears to be written with the assumption that the readers are familiar with the basic story (or perhaps with one or more of the synoptic gospel accounts, although this is less clear). Thus no account of the birth of Jesus is given at all, and although he is identified as being from Nazareth, the words of the Pharisees and chief priests to Nicodemus (7:52) are almost certainly to be taken as ironic, assuming the reader knows where Jesus was really from. Likewise, when Mary is identified in 11:2 as the one who anointed Jesus’ feet with oil, it is apparently assumed that the readers are familiar with the story, since the incident involved is not mentioned in the Fourth Gospel until 12:3. These observations must be set over against the clear statement of purpose in the present verse, 20:31, which seems to have significant evangelistic emphasis. In addition to this there is the repeated emphasis on witness throughout the Fourth Gospel (cf. the witness of John the Baptist in 1:7, 8, 15, 32, and 34, along with 5:33; the Samaritan woman in 4:39; Jesus’ own witness, along with that of the Father who sent him, in 8:14, 18, and 18:37; the disciples themselves in 15:27; and finally the testimony of the author himself in 19:35 and 21:24). In light of all this evidence it seems best to say that the author wrote with a dual purpose: (1) to witness to unbelievers concerning Jesus, in order that they come to believe in him and have eternal life; and (2) to strengthen the faith of believers, by deepening and expanding their understanding of who Jesus is.
[21:1] 383 tn The time reference indicated by μετὰ ταῦτα (meta tauta) is indefinite, in comparison with the specific “after eight days” (μεθ᾿ ἡμέρας ὀκτώ, meq’ Jhmera" oktw) between the two postresurrection appearances of Jesus in 20:26.
[21:1] 384 sn The Sea of Tiberias is another name for the Sea of Galilee (see 6:1).
[21:1] 385 tn Grk “how he revealed himself.”
[21:2] 385 tn Grk “and Thomas.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements of a series.
[21:2] 386 sn Didymus means “the twin” in Greek.
[21:2] 387 tn Grk “and Nathanael.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements of a series.
[21:2] 388 map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.
[21:2] 389 tn Grk “and the sons.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements of a series.
[21:2] 390 sn The sons of Zebedee were James and John.
[21:2] 391 sn The two other disciples who are not named may have been Andrew and Philip, who are mentioned together in John 6:7-8 and 12:22.
[21:3] 387 tn Grk “they said to him.”
[21:5] 389 tn The word προσφάγιον (prosfagion) is unusual. According to BDAG 886 s.v. in Hellenistic Greek it described a side dish to be eaten with bread, and in some contexts was the equivalent of ὄψον (oyon), “fish.” Used in addressing a group of returning fishermen, however, it is quite clear that the speaker had fish in mind.
[21:5] 390 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “do you?”).
[21:5] 391 tn Grk “They answered him.”
[21:6] 391 tn The word “some” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[21:6] 392 tn The words “the net” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[21:7] 393 tn Grk “the disciple, that one whom.”
[21:7] 394 sn On the disciple whom Jesus loved see 13:23-26.
[21:7] 395 tn Grk “for he was naked.” Peter’s behavior here has been puzzling to many interpreters. It is usually understood that the Greek word γυμνός (gumnos, usually translated “naked”) does not refer to complete nudity (as it could), since this would have been offensive to Jewish sensibilities in this historical context. It is thus commonly understood to mean “stripped for work” here (cf. NASB, NLT), that is, with one’s outer clothing removed, and Peter was wearing either a loincloth or a loose-fitting tunic (a long shirt-like garment worn under a cloak, cf. NAB, “for he was lightly clad”). Believing himself inadequately dressed to greet the Lord, Peter threw his outer garment around himself and dived into the sea. C. K. Barrett (St. John, 580-81) offered the explanation that a greeting was a religious act and thus could not be performed unless one was clothed. This still leaves the improbable picture of a person with much experience around the water putting on his outer garment before diving in. R. E. Brown’s suggestion (John [AB], 2:1072) seems much more probable here: The Greek verb used (διαζώννυμι, diazwnnumi) does not necessarily mean putting clothing on, but rather tying the clothing around oneself (the same verb is used in 13:4-5 of Jesus tying the towel around himself). The statement that Peter was “naked” could just as well mean that he was naked underneath the outer garment, and thus could not take it off before jumping into the water. But he did pause to tuck it up and tie it with the girdle before jumping in, to allow himself more freedom of movement. Thus the clause that states Peter was naked is explanatory (note the use of for), explaining why Peter girded up his outer garment rather than taking it off – he had nothing on underneath it and so could not remove it.
[21:7] 396 tn Grk “threw himself.”
[21:8] 395 tn Or “about a hundred meters”; Grk “about two hundred cubits.” According to BDAG 812 s.v., a πῆχυς (phcu") was about 18 inches or .462 meters, so two hundred πηχῶν (phcwn) would be about 100 yards (92.4 meters).
[21:9] 397 tn The words “on the beach” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
[21:9] 398 tn Grk “placed,” “laid.”
[21:10] 399 tn Grk “said to them.”
[21:11] 401 tn The words “It was” are not in the Greek text. Here a new sentence was begun in the translation in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences. For this reason the words “It was” had to be supplied.
[21:11] 402 sn Here the author makes two further points about the catch of fish: (1) there were one hundred fifty-three large fish in the net, and (2) even with so many, the net was not torn. Many symbolic interpretations have been proposed for both points (unity, especially, in the case of the second), but the reader is given no explicit clarification in the text itself. It seems better not to speculate here, but to see these details as indicative of an eyewitness account. Both are the sort of thing that would remain in the mind of a person who had witnessed them firsthand. For a summary of the symbolic interpretations proposed for the number of fish in the net, see R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:1074-75), where a number are discussed at length. Perhaps the reader is simply to understand this as the abundance which results from obedience to Jesus, much as with the amount of wine generated in the water jars in Cana at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry (2:6).
[21:12] 403 tn Grk “said to them.” The words “to them” are omitted because it is clear in context to whom Jesus was speaking, and the words are slightly redundant in English.
[21:15] 405 tc The majority of
[21:15] 406 tn To whom (or what) does “these” (τούτων, toutwn) refer? Three possibilities are suggested: (1) τούτων should be understood as neuter, “these things,” referring to the boats, nets, and fishing gear nearby. In light of Peter’s statement in 21:3, “I am going fishing,” some have understood Peter to have renounced his commission in light of his denials of Jesus. Jesus, as he restores Peter and forgives him for his denials, is asking Peter if he really loves his previous vocation more than he loves Jesus. Three things may be said in evaluation of this view: (a) it is not at all necessary to understand Peter’s statement in 21:3 as a renouncement of his discipleship, as this view of the meaning of τούτων would imply; (b) it would probably be more likely that the verb would be repeated in such a construction (see 7:31 for an example where the verb is repeated); and (c) as R. E. Brown has observed (John [AB], 2:1103) by Johannine standards the choice being offered to Peter between material things and the risen Jesus would seem rather ridiculous, especially after the disciples had realized whom it was they were dealing with (the Lord, see v. 12). (2) τούτων refers to the other disciples, meaning “Do you love me more than you love these other disciples?” The same objection mentioned as (c) under (1) would apply here: Could the author, in light of the realization of who Jesus is which has come to the disciples after the resurrection, and which he has just mentioned in 21:12, seriously present Peter as being offered a choice between the other disciples and the risen Jesus? This leaves option (3), that τούτων refers to the other disciples, meaning “Do you love me more than these other disciples do?” It seems likely that there is some irony here: Peter had boasted in 13:37, “I will lay down my life for you,” and the synoptics present Peter as boasting even more explicitly of his loyalty to Jesus (“Even if they all fall away, I will not,” Matt 26:33; Mark 14:29). Thus the semantic force of what Jesus asks Peter here amounts to something like “Now, after you have denied me three times, as I told you you would, can you still affirm that you love me more than these other disciples do?” The addition of the auxiliary verb “do” in the translation is used to suggest to the English reader the third interpretation, which is the preferred one.
[21:15] 407 tn Grk “He said to him.”
[21:15] 408 tn Is there a significant difference in meaning between the two words for love used in the passage, ἀγαπάω and φιλέω (agapaw and filew)? Aside from Origen, who saw a distinction in the meaning of the two words, most of the Greek Fathers like Chrysostom and Cyril of Alexandria, saw no real difference of meaning. Neither did Augustine nor the translators of the Itala (Old Latin). This was also the view of the Reformation Greek scholars Erasmus and Grotius. The suggestion that a distinction in meaning should be seen comes primarily from a number of British scholars of the 19th century, especially Trench, Westcott, and Plummer. It has been picked up by others such as Spicq, Lenski, and Hendriksen. But most modern scholars decline to see a real difference in the meaning of the two words in this context, among them Bernard, Moffatt, Bonsirven, Bultmann, Barrett, Brown, Morris, Haenchen, and Beasley-Murray. There are three significant reasons for seeing no real difference in the meaning of ἀγαπάω and φιλέω in these verses: (1) the author has a habit of introducing slight stylistic variations in repeated material without any significant difference in meaning (compare, for example, 3:3 with 3:5, and 7:34 with 13:33). An examination of the uses of ἀγαπάω and φιλέω in the Fourth Gospel seems to indicate a general interchangeability between the two. Both terms are used of God’s love for man (3:16, 16:27); of the Father’s love for the Son (3:35, 5:20); of Jesus’ love for men (11:5, 11:3); of the love of men for men (13:34, 15:19); and of the love of men for Jesus (8:42, 16:27). (2) If (as seems probable) the original conversation took place in Aramaic (or possibly Hebrew), there would not have been any difference expressed because both Aramaic and Hebrew have only one basic word for love. In the LXX both ἀγαπάω and φιλέω are used to translate the same Hebrew word for love, although ἀγαπάω is more frequent. It is significant that in the Syriac version of the NT only one verb is used to translate vv. 15-17 (Syriac is very similar linguistically to Palestinian Aramaic). (3) Peter’s answers to the questions asked with ἀγαπάω are ‘yes’ even though he answers using the verb φιλέω. If he is being asked to love Jesus on a higher or more spiritual level his answers give no indication of this, and one would be forced to say (in order to maintain a consistent distinction between the two verbs) that Jesus finally concedes defeat and accepts only the lower form of love which is all that Peter is capable of offering. Thus it seems best to regard the interchange between ἀγαπάω and φιλέω in these verses as a minor stylistic variation of the author, consistent with his use of minor variations in repeated material elsewhere, and not indicative of any real difference in meaning. Thus no attempt has been made to distinguish between the two Greek words in the translation.
[21:15] 409 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:16] 407 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:16] 408 tn Grk “said again.” The word “again” (when used in connection with the phrase “a second time”) is redundant and has not been translated.
[21:16] 409 tn Grk “He said to him.”
[21:16] 410 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:17] 409 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:17] 410 tn Grk “said to him.” The words “to him” are clear from the context and slightly redundant in English.
[21:17] 412 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:17] 414 tn Grk “and said to him.” The words “to him” are clear from the context and slightly redundant in English.
[21:17] 415 tc ‡ Most witnesses, especially later ones (A Θ Ψ Ë13 Ï), read ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς (Jo Ihsou", “Jesus”) here, while B C have ᾿Ιησοῦς without the article and א D W Ë1 33 565 al lat lack both. Because of the rapid verbal exchange in this pericope, “Jesus” is virtually required for clarity, providing a temptation to scribes to add the name. Further, the name normally occurs with the article. Although it is possible that B C accidentally omitted the article with the name, it is just as likely that they added the simple name to the text for clarity’s sake, while other witnesses added the article as well. The omission of ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς thus seems most likely to be authentic. NA27 includes the words in brackets, indicating some doubts as to their authenticity.
[21:17] 416 tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”
[21:18] 411 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[21:18] 412 tn Or “you girded yourself.”
[21:18] 413 tn Grk “others will gird you.”
[21:19] 413 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:19] 414 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:19] 415 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. The phrase by what kind of death Peter was going to glorify God almost certainly indicates martyrdom (cf. 1 Pet 4:16), and it may not predict anything more than that. But the parallelism of this phrase to similar phrases in John 12:33 and 18:32 which describe Jesus’ own death by crucifixion have led many to suggest that the picture Jesus is portraying for Peter looks not just at martyrdom but at death by crucifixion. This seems to be confirmed by the phrase you will stretch out your hands in the preceding verse. There is some evidence that the early church understood this and similar phrases (one of them in Isa 65:2) to refer to crucifixion (for a detailed discussion of the evidence see L. Morris, John [NICNT], 876, n. 52). Some have objected that if this phrase does indeed refer to crucifixion, the order within v. 18 is wrong, because the stretching out of the hands in crucifixion precedes the binding and leading where one does not wish to go. R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:1108) sees this as a deliberate reversal of the normal order (hysteron proteron) intended to emphasize the stretching out of the hands. Another possible explanation for the unusual order is the Roman practice in crucifixions of tying the condemned prisoner’s arms to the crossbeam (patibulum) and forcing him to carry it to the place of execution (W. Bauer as cited by O. Cullmann in Peter: Disciple, Apostle, Martyr [LHD], 88).
[21:19] 416 tn Grk “After he said this, he said to him”; the referents (first Jesus, second Peter) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:20] 415 tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[21:20] 416 tn The words “This was the disciple” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied for clarity.
[21:20] 417 tn Grk “his”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:20] 418 tn Grk “and said.”
[21:20] 419 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[21:21] 417 tn Grk “saw this one.”
[21:22] 419 tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”
[21:22] 420 tn Grk “to stay” or “to remain”; but since longevity is the issue in the context, “to live” conveys the idea more clearly.
[21:22] 421 tn The word “back” is supplied to clarify the meaning.
[21:23] 421 tn Grk “went out.”
[21:23] 422 tn Grk “the brothers,” but here the term refers to more than just the immediate disciples of Jesus (as it does in 20:17). Here, as R. E. Brown notes (John [AB], 2:1110), it refers to Christians of the Johannine community (which would include both men and women).
[21:23] 423 tn Grk “to stay” or “to remain”; but since longevity is the issue in the context, “to live” conveys the idea more clearly.
[21:23] 424 tn The word “back” is supplied to clarify the meaning.
[21:25] 423 tn Grk “written”; the word “down” is supplied in keeping with contemporary English idiom.
[21:25] 424 tn Grk “the world itself.”
[21:25] 425 tc Although the majority of
