John 12

2. Martha served. Martha superintended the feast; Mary anointed the Guest in whose honour it was made. Her apparent extravagance in doing this was approved by her Lord, as the genuine expression of love and faith: see notes on Mark xiv. 3-9.

3. Then. Rather, as R.V., “Therefore”; in the spirit of the occasion.

6 bag. Or, “box”; i.e., money-chest. Judas was treasurer to the company.

bare. This probably means, “carried away”; i.e., stole.

10. But the chief priests consulted, etc. “See the blindness of their rage; as if Christ could raise one who was dead, but not one who was killed. He did both; He who raised Lazarus raised Himself” (Augustine). Throughout this narrative the rulers’ resolution to put Jesus to death is connected with the raising of Lazarus.

12. On the next day. This was the first day of the week. On vers. 12-15, see notes on Matt. xxi. 1-11.

13 took branches of palm trees. More precisely, “took the branches of the palm trees”: words of an eye-witness. So R.V.

14 when He had found, etc. The other evangelists inform us how the colt was found.

16. These things understood not His disciples at the first. This modest confession of the evangelist is a remarkable evidence of truth. Many of our Lord’s instructions were to be interpreted by the light of later events, and the teaching of the Holy Spirit (see xiv. 16).

17 when, etc. The change of a single letter (ὄτι instead of ὅτε) in some important manuscripts gives a better reading: “The multitude which was with Him bare witness that He called Lazarus out of the tomb.”

20 certain Greeks. These “Greeks” (who must be distinguished from the “Hellenists” or Grecian Jews) were Gentiles, proselytes to the Jewish religion, who had come up to the Passover. They applied to Philip, perhaps in consequence of having known him in Galilee. The Greek form of his name seems to imply some family connexion with Gentiles, of whom there were many in Galilee.

21 we would see Jesus. That is, they desired a personal interview with Him. Thus the Gentiles came to “see Jesus” at the beginning of His ministry (Matt. ii.) and at its close.

22. Andrew. A fellow-townsman of Philip (i. 44), bearing also a name of Greek origin.

24 if it die, etc. The seed-corn must pass through death, in order to yield a harvest; so must I die, in order to achieve this great result. And my disciples (25) must “follow me” herein (xiii. 16); for life, if unduly loved, will be fruitless: see note on Matt. x. 39.

25 hateth. See note on Luke xiv. 26.

27 save me from this hour. A part of the question, “Shall I say this?” “The cry of nature”: while the petition, Father, glorify Thy name, is “the voice of the Spirit” (Godet).

for this cause. He asks the question only to answer it in the negative. This struggle was a foretaste of the struggle of Gethsemane: see Matt. xxvi. 36-46, and notes.

28 a voice from heaven. This voice was evidently an utterance of intelligible words; and was heard, though not with equal distinctness, by all present; the greater number of whom supposed that God spoke in thunder, some that He spoke by an angel.

I have both glorified it, etc. God had glorified His own name in the life and works of His Son. He was about to do so in a still higher degree in the Saviour’s death and exaltation.

31. Now is the judgement, etc. “Judgement” is the disclosure of moral condition, combined with the award of doom. In the cross, mankind is self-revealed; the death of Christ is the condemnation of the world, and in His triumph over death is justification. These are two several elements in the “judgement”: and in this also is the overthrow of Satan’s dominion, together with the attraction of mankind to Him by His cross. This was to begin immediately after His sufferings; and its full accomplishment, though it would be gradual, was certain.

33 what death. That is, “what manner of death” (R.V.).

34. The people answered Him, etc. It is likely that they understood Jesus not as speaking of His crucifixion, but only in general of His removal from earth to heaven. From the passages of the

“Law,” that is, of the Old Testament, which predict the perpetuity of Messiah’s reign (see Isa. ix. 7; Psa. cx. 4, lxxxix. 4, etc.), they inferred that “the Christ” would never leave the world; and they therefore ask, “Who is this Son of man” of whom thou speakest?

35. Yet a little while is the light with you. Yes; the Messiah does abide for ever; but He is with you as “the Light” only for a time. Use your day of grace by believing in Him; or the night, in which you can do nothing, will soon come upon you.

36 did hide Himself from them. From those who reject Him, Christ hides Himself. Our Lord probably went to Bethany (Luke xxi. 37). But the words signify more than simple withdrawal. He had left the Temple finally. His last message to Israel had been delivered.

37 so many miracles. Or, “so many signs”; referring to a much larger number than the six recorded in this book.

38 that the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled. See Isa. iii. 1, and note on Matt. i. 22.

40. He hath blinded, etc. The evangelist gives the sense, not the precise words, of the prophecy. It is part of God’s judicial arrangement that the self-hardened heart shall become yet harder, and thus conversion and salvation may become an impossibility: ep. Heb. vi. 4. Every resistance to religious conviction tends to this result.

41. His glory. In Isa. vi. 1-5, this is evidently the glory of “the LORD OF HORTS”; here it is as clearly the glory of Jesus, who is therefore identified with the Eternal whom the prophet beheld (see i. 1). The Son is “the brightness of the Father’s glory” (Heb. i. 3; Col. i. 15).

42 chief rulers. Rather, simply, “rulers”; members of the Sanhedrin (see ix. 22, and note).

44 believeth not on me. That is, “not on me only.”

45 he that seeth me, etc. See xiv. 9, and note.

47. I judge him not. See notes on iii. 17, 18: viii. 15.