John 12

John 12:1

Now on the evening, or first part of the paschal day, (see note [c] Mark xiv.,) many hours before the time of dressing and eating the lamb, which was the paschal feast, Christ knowing that he should not live till then, and consequently that what he had to say or do to his disciples before his departure would most

John 12:3

Then Mary, the sister of Lazarus, not Mary Magdalene, (see note on Luke vii. 6,) took a pound of the richest nard, a very costly ointment, (see note [a] Mark xiv.) and anointed the feet of Jesus—

a who was the person that soon after this agreed to deliver him into the hands and power of the Jews,

b because he, having the office of receiving all that was brought or presented to Christ, and being a covetous person, who purloined much to his own uses, conceived himself to be a loser by what was thus bestowed on Christ.

c she hath performed this as a fit ceremony to solemnize my approaching death, after which, men use to be embalmed with perfumes and spices, &c.

John 12:8

And therefore this was a very seasonable charity in her: ye will have opportunities enough to shew your charity to the poor; but this was the last opportunity she could have had of expressing it to me, who am suddenly to be gone from you.

John 12:10

And seeing that Lazarus was apprehended by the sanhedrim to be so dangerous a means to bring men to believe on Christ, upon consultation it was thought fit to put Lazarus to death. ¶ many Jews forsook the Judaical way of opposition against Christ, upon seeing that miracle of his in raising Lazarus.

John 12:13

Took palm branches (see note [a] Matt. xxi.) and solemnized his entrance into the city with the ceremonies of a king’s inauguration, acknowledging him to be the Messias, (see note [a] Matt. xi.,) and using the words of Ps. cxviii. 29, and styling him King of Israel.

John 12:14

At the same time also the disciples of Jesus fetching a young ass, and bringing it to him according to his appointment, he rode on it into Jerusalem; and so that other prophecy of scripture, Zech. ix. 9, was fulfilled in him also,

John 12:15

Now, O Jerusalem, there is matter of rejoicing to thee; for he that is now thy King cometh in an equipage, not of pomp and state, but of humility, as one that is likely to be author of all good to thee.

John 12:16

These things at first his disciples understood not to be a completion of any such prophecy, till the coming of the Holy Ghost upon them after Christ’s ascension; then they considered and remembered that that was now done unto him which had been so long ago so plainly prophesied of him.

John 12:17

At this time before the people’s hosannas those of the multitude that had been present at that mighty work of his in raising Lazarus from the dead, freely made acknowledgment of it in Jerusalem.

John 12:18

And that caused the people’s coming out to

¶ Blessed in the name of the Lord be he that cometh, the King of Israel: Εὐλογημῖνος ὁ

ἰρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου, ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ.

John 12:20

[a] Grceks] The Grecians here are supposed to be proselytes of the gates, who yet were not permitted among the Jews to celebrate the feast with them, but only either to behold their solemnities, or holy festivities and πανηγύριες, or, as it is here peculiarly said, ἵνα προσκυνήσωσιν ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ, that they might worship at that time of public worship, which in atrio Gentilium, “in the court of the Gentiles,” they were permitted to do, as appears by the eunuch, Acts viii. 27, ὃ ἐληλύθει προσκυνήσωσιν ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, who came to worship at Jerusalem, where that temple was, which is styled the house of prayer to all people; so the pious men, that is, proselytes, Acts ii. 5, which came up to Jerusalem at the feast of Pentecost.

John 12:28

No; this shall be my prayer, that my Father will so dispose of me, that I may do whatsoever it is that may most tend to the glorifying of his name in me. Upon his saying those words, there came a clap of thunder, and with it a voice from heaven audible, in these words, I have &c.

[b] a voice] The voice here was an articulate sound in the midst of thunder. Φωνὴ and Βροντὴ, voice and thunder, are all one among these writers, the Hebrew קולות, voices ordinarily signifying thunder. Thus bath col., “the daughter of voice,” (the only way of oracle or revelation of God’s will among the Jews after the Babylonish captivity,) is among them the will of God revealed in thunder from heaven, Exod. xix. 16. 19. Hence it is that in this place, ver. 29, the bystanders say, It thunders, and others that an angel spake, both together saying the truth, that there was a thunder joined with a voice from heaven, which is the daughter of thunder. This is the meaning of Βρονταὶ καὶ φωναὶ, thunders and voices, Rev. iv. 5. and viii. 5; so Matt. iii. 17, Φωνὴ λέγουσα, a voice saying, is the thunder uttering such a voice; and so ch. xvii. 5, Luke ix. 35. And by this will be explained a seeming difference in the Acts, in the story of Saul’s conversion, of hearing and not hearing the voice, which shall be referred to that place, note [b] Acts ix.

John 12:29

And of the multitude there present, some took notice of the thunder with which that voice came, others of the voice itself. 30, 31. Upon this Jesus said to them, This voice from heaven came not to answer or satisfy me, but to convince you, and bring you to the faith, or assure you that my death shall tend to the glory of God, and bringing down of sin and Satan, ch. xvi. 11.

John 12:32

And I, being crucified, (see note [h] Matt. i.) will by that means bring a great part of the whole world to believe on me, Gentiles as well as Jews.

John 12:33

(This speech Christ meant as an intimation not only that he should be put to death, but also what kind of death this should be, viz., crucifixion, which is an elevation, or lifting up to the cross, and an holding out the hands, as if it were to invite all to him, promising an hospitable reception. See note

John 12:34

To this discourse about his death the people made an objection, that their doctors had taught them out of scripture, Psalm cx, (so the word law signifies; see note [b] ch. x.), and perhaps Isaiah xl. 8, that the Messias shall endure for ever, and never die; and, therefore, if it were true what he said, that the Son of man must be put to death, they could not guess what he meant by the Son of man, sure not the Messias.

John 12:35

To this he answered, I am not likely to stay long amongst you here on earth; make use of me, the light of the world, while I am with you, or else you are likely to be left in the dark, in a blind unhappy condition for ever; and do not, upon your traditions, the Christ, ὁ Χριστός. * surprise, καταλάβη.

John 12:36

I shall continue with you but a while; and therefore be sure ye make haste to learn sufficient for your whole lives to come, to get your directions complete, that you may live like Christians. When Jesus had said this, he went away, and concealed himself from them (at Bethany probably) for a while.

John 12:37

All this did not effectually work on them; but though he had done all these miracles in their sight, yet they did not believe on him.

John 12:38

And thereby the prophecy of Esaias, ch. liii. 1, was fulfilled, which was to this purpose, How few are there that have been by all Christ’s miracles convinced that he is the Messias! 39, 40. That other prophecy also had not been fulfilled, had they not thus disbelieved him, wherein the just judgment of God forsaking, and bringing the punishment of blindness upon them, was pronounced by that prophet against the stubborn obdurate Jews, who by this means are likely never to be converted or pardoned.

John 12:39

[c] could not believe] The οὐκ ἠδύνατο here may be rendered, by analogy with the same phrase used ch. v. 19, so as to signify, not any impotence in them, but that, as it is said ver. 39, they believed not. So doth the Hebrew phrase signify, Gen. xix. 22; and so saith Isidorus Pelusiota of that, John v. 19, expounding τὸ δύναται by ἐνδέχεται, he cannot, that is, he doth not. So the phrase is used Mark vi. 5, Luke xvi. 2; and so the context here imports, being no more than this, that this unbelief of theirs was foretold by the prophets, which indeed was an argument to prove what the effect would be, through their own contumacious wills, but no way a cause of their unbelief, or that which laid an impossibility of believing on them.

John 12:41

These things were spoken by that prophet in setting down a vision of his, when Christ’s being on the earth was revealed to him, see note [b] ch. i.

John 12:42

Yet for all this, many of the rulers of the people, the members of the sanhedrim, did believe him to be the Messias, such was Nicodemus, ch. iii. 1, &c. But the sect of the Pharisees was of such authority and power in the sanhedrim, and they were so violently bent against him, and all that received him, that as Nicodemus, ch. vii. 50, and xix. 19, durst not come to him by daytime, so the rest durst not make any public acknowledgment of their believing on him, for fear they should be reproachfully censured (see note [b] ch. ix.), and, being rulers, be turned out of their dignities in the consistory.

John 12:43

For they valued their reputation with men, (especially their places in the sanhedrim,) their reputation with the Pharisees, that they were good patriots, constant to their old way, more than the testimony of, or reputation with, God himself: see ch. v. 41.

John 12:44

The believing on me is nothing else but the believing on my Father, whose commission I have, and whose doctrine I teach.

John 12:45

And he that seeth my miracles, in them seeth my Father’s power, the works of miracles which I do being wrought by my Father.

John 12:46

I am sent by my Father to enlighten the world, to lead them that will receive my doctrine into all that is necessary for them to know for the ordering of their lives, so as will be acceptable to God my Father.

John 12:47

They that hear my preaching and reject it, I do not mean to accuse them to my Father, to make any complaint against them; it was not the design of my coming, to accuse any man, and so to bring any judgment on any; it is more agreeable to my design to rescue all out of their sins, and punishment due to them for sin.

[d] I judge him not] The word κρίνειν, judging, here seemeth to be taken in the sense of accusing, as a plaintiff or witness accuseth, and not of condemning, which is the office of a judge. For first, it is here, ver. 41, spoken of the word or gospel of Christ, which had been preached unto them, and not of Christ himself in that place; 2dly,

John 12:48

That which will accuse and condemn such an one is, that what I teach and he despiseth, is the thing that my Father sent me to preach, and that on purpose to bring them to eternal bliss that receive and obey it; and the despising of that which was meant for his so great good, and came backed with authority and commission from God the Father, is an accusation which will be heavily charged on him at the day of judgment.

c every word or part of doctrine taught by me, is by express commission of him.

John 12:50

And of this I am sure, that obedience to his precepts, as they are now preached by me, is the only way to bring men to eternal life: whatsoever—

CHAP. XIII.

NOW before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should [a] depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved