John 4:51

4:51 While he was on his way down, ¹  his slaves ²  met him and told him that his son was going to live.

John 11:20

11:20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary was sitting in the house. ³ 

John 12:18

12:18 Because they had heard that Jesus ⁴  had performed this miraculous sign, the crowd went out to meet him.

[4:51]  ¹ sn While he was on his way down. Going to Capernaum from Cana, one must go east across the Galilean hills and then descend to the Sea of Galilee. The 20 mi (33 km) journey could not be made in a single day. The use of the description on his way down shows the author was familiar with Palestinian geography.

[4:51]  ² tn Traditionally, “servants.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[11:20]  ³ sn Notice the difference in the response of the two sisters: Martha went out to meet Jesus, while Mary remains sitting in the house. It is similar to the incident in Luke 10:38-42. Here again one finds Martha occupied with the responsibilities of hospitality; she is the one who greets Jesus.

[12:18]  ⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.