New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
John 12
1
It was six days before the Passover Feast. Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived. Lazarus was the one Jesus had raised from the dead.
Reference
2
A dinner was given at Bethany to honor Jesus. Martha served the food. Lazarus was among those at the table with Jesus.
Reference
3
Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard. It was an expensive perfume. She poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the sweet smell of the perfume.
Reference
4
But Judas Iscariot didn't like what Mary did. He was one of Jesus' disciples. Later he was going to hand Jesus over to his enemies. Judas said,
Reference
5
"Why wasn't this perfume sold? Why wasn't the money given to poor people? It was worth a year's pay."
Reference
6
He didn't say this because he cared about the poor. He said it because he was a thief. Judas was in charge of the money bag. He used to help himself to what was in it.
Reference
9
Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there, so they came. But they did not come only because of Jesus. They also came to see Lazarus. After all, Jesus had raised him from the dead.
Reference
Parallel theme
Acts 4:14
11
Because of Lazarus, many of the Jews were starting to follow Jesus. They were putting their faith in him.
Reference
12
The next day the large crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.
13
So they took branches from palm trees and went out to meet him. They shouted, "Hosanna! " "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" --(Psalm 118:25,26) "Blessed is the King of Israel!"
Reference
Blessing
Matthew 23:39
Kingdom
Revelation 15:3
John 1:49
Hosea 3:5
John 19:15
Zephaniah 3:15
Revelation 19:16
Isaiah 44:6
Parallel theme
Revelation 7:9
References Lord
Leviticus 23:40
14
Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it. This is just as it is written in Scripture. It says,
Reference
Parallel theme
Zechariah 9:9
15
"City of Zion, do not be afraid. See, your king is coming. He is sitting on a donkey's colt." --(Zechariah 9:9)
Reference
16
At first, Jesus' disciples did not understand all this. They realized it only after he had received glory. Then they realized that these things had been written about him. They realized that the people had done these things to him.
Reference
Glory
John 7:39
John 12:23
Acts 3:13
Parallel theme
John 14:26
Luke 24:45
Hebrews 8:1
Acts 2:33
References Jesus
John 2:22
Acts 2:36
Hebrews 12:2
17
A crowd had been with Jesus when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead. So they continued to tell everyone about what had happened.
Reference
18
Many people went out to meet him. They had heard that he had done this miraculous sign.
Reference
Parallel theme
John 12:11
19
So the Pharisees said to one another, "This isn't getting us anywhere. Look how the whole world is following him!"
Reference
21
They came to ask Philip for a favor. Philip was from Bethsaida in Galilee. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus."
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 2:2
22
Philip went to tell Andrew. Then Andrew and Philip told Jesus.
24
What I'm about to tell you is true. Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only one seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 72:16
25
"Anyone who loves his life will lose it. But anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it and have eternal life.
Reference
Eternal Life
Matthew 19:29
Love
Revelation 12:11
Parallel theme
Matthew 10:39
Mark 8:35
Luke 17:33
Matthew 16:25
Luke 14:26
Acts 20:24
Ecclesiastes 2:17
Acts 21:13
26
Anyone who serves me must follow me. And where I am, my servant will also be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
Reference
27
"My heart is troubled. What should I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No. This is the very reason I came to this hour.
Reference
Parallel theme
John 12:23
Isaiah 38:15
Matthew 26:42
John 13:21
Hebrews 2:14
Luke 22:44
Salvation
Hebrews 5:7
28
Father, bring glory to your name!" Then a voice came from heaven. It said, "I have brought glory to my name. I will bring glory to it again."
Reference
Glory
2 Peter 1:17
Ephesians 3:21
Parallel theme
Matthew 26:42
Matthew 17:5
Matthew 3:17
Ephesians 3:10
Ephesians 2:7
Mark 1:11
Mark 14:36
Mark 9:7
29
The crowd there heard the voice. Some said it was thunder. Others said an angel had spoken to Jesus.
Reference
Parallel theme
Revelation 14:2
30
Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine.
Reference
Parallel theme
John 11:42
31
Now it is time for the world to be judged. Now the prince of this world will be thrown out.
Reference
32
But I am going to be lifted up from the earth. When I am, I will bring all people to myself."
Reference
34
The crowd spoke up. "The Law tells us that the Christ will remain forever," they said. "So how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?"
Reference
Parallel theme
Isaiah 9:7
Daniel 7:14
Psalm 110:4
Daniel 7:27
Daniel 2:44
2 Samuel 7:13
Romans 5:18
Micah 4:7
Word
John 10:34
35
Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light. Do this before darkness catches up with you. Anyone who walks in the dark does not know where he is going.
Reference
Light
John 12:46
Ephesians 5:8
John 8:12
John 11:10
Isaiah 2:5
John 12:36
Parallel theme
John 16:16
References Jesus
John 7:33
36
While you have the light, put your trust in it. Then you can become sons of light." When Jesus had finished speaking, he left and hid from them.
Reference
Faith
John 1:7
Light
Ephesians 5:8
1 Thessalonians 5:5
Luke 16:8
Isaiah 60:1
References Jesus
John 8:59
John 11:54
37
Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in front of them. But they still would not believe in him.
Reference
38
This happened as Isaiah the prophet had said it would. He had said, "Lord, who has believed what we've been saying? Who has seen the Lord's saving power?" --(Isaiah 53:1)
Reference
Faith
Isaiah 53:1
Romans 10:16
Parallel theme
Romans 10:20
1 Corinthians 1:24
Psalm 44:3
Matthew 16:17
Galatians 1:16
Prophecy
2 Chronicles 32:20
40
"The Lord has blinded their eyes. He has closed their minds. So they can't see with their eyes. They can't understand with their minds. They can't turn to the Lord. If they could, he would heal them." --(Isaiah 6:10)
Reference
42
At the same time that Jesus did those miracles, many of the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees, they would not admit they believed. They were afraid they would be thrown out of the synagogue.
Reference
Faith
Proverbs 29:25
Parallel theme
Isaiah 51:7
John 9:22
John 7:13
Matthew 10:32
Isaiah 57:11
Isaiah 66:5
Acts 5:41
1 John 4:15
1 John 4:2
43
They loved praise from people more than praise from God.
Reference
Parallel theme
John 5:41
1 Thessalonians 2:6
2 Corinthians 10:18
Matthew 6:2
John 12:26
Luke 19:17
References God
John 5:44
Luke 16:15
John 8:54
Resurrection
1 Corinthians 4:5
44
Then Jesus cried out, "Anyone who believes in me does not believe in me only. He also believes in the One who sent me.
Reference
46
"I have come into the world to be a light. No one who believes in me will stay in darkness.
Reference
Darkness
Isaiah 42:7
Faith
Acts 26:18
Light
John 8:12
Psalm 36:9
John 9:5
John 3:19
Matthew 4:16
Ephesians 5:14
John 1:9
Luke 2:32
47
"I don't judge a person who hears my words but does not obey them. I didn't come to judge the world. I came to save it.
Reference
48
But there is a judge for anyone who does not accept me and my words. The very words I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
Reference
Judgment
Romans 2:16
Parallel theme
Luke 10:16
John 11:24
2 Thessalonians 1:8
Hebrews 12:25
Hebrews 2:3
Isaiah 53:3
Mark 16:16
Matthew 25:31
Word
Matthew 21:42
49
"I did not speak on my own. The Father who sent me commanded me what to say. He also told me how to say it.
Reference
Parallel theme
John 8:26
John 5:30
John 3:11
John 8:42
John 3:32
John 15:15
Word
John 14:10
John 17:8
Deuteronomy 18:18
John 14:31
Summary of John 12
John 12 marks the beginning of the final stage of Jesus' earthly ministry and brings together love, worship, kingship, sacrifice, unbelief, and the coming crucifixion as Jesus moves toward His final Passover in Jerusalem.
Six days before Passover, Jesus returns to Bethany, where Lazarus is present after being raised from the dead.
During a dinner held in Jesus' honor, Martha serves while Lazarus sits with Him, and Mary takes an expensive perfume and anoints Jesus' feet before wiping them with her hair.
Her extravagant act demonstrates deep love and devotion, while Judas Iscariot objects to the apparent waste and argues that the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor.
John reveals, however, that Judas' concern is not genuine because he has been stealing from the disciples' common money.
Jesus defends Mary and explains that her action is connected with His approaching burial, making her act an unconscious preparation for His death.
Meanwhile, large crowds come to Bethany because they want to see both Jesus and Lazarus, whose resurrection has become widely known.
The chief priests become so concerned about the influence of this miracle that they begin planning not only Jesus' death but also Lazarus' death because his existence is causing many people to believe in Jesus.
The following day, Jesus enters Jerusalem to the enthusiastic welcome of a large crowd.
The people take palm branches, go out to meet Him, and praise Him as the King of Israel.
Jesus rides into the city on a donkey, presenting Himself not as a military conqueror but as the humble and peaceful king described in Scripture.
The disciples do not fully understand the significance of the event at first, but after Jesus is glorified, they recognize how the Scriptures had pointed toward it.
The Pharisees, meanwhile, become increasingly frustrated because Jesus' popularity continues to grow.
A significant development occurs when some Greeks who have come to Jerusalem for the festival ask Philip if they can see Jesus.
Their request leads Jesus to announce that His hour has come.
Jesus explains His coming death through the image of a grain of wheat: a seed must fall into the ground and die before it produces much fruit.
In the same way, Jesus' death will not represent defeat but will become the means through which His life-giving mission reaches many people.
He also teaches that anyone who truly wants to serve Him must be willing to follow His path, placing eternal life above the temporary security and priorities of this world.
Jesus openly acknowledges that His soul is troubled as His death approaches, yet He does not ask the Father to remove the coming suffering.
Instead, He asks that the Father's name be glorified.
A voice from heaven responds, confirming that God's name has already been glorified and will be glorified again.
Jesus explains that this heavenly confirmation has been given for the benefit of the people around Him.
He then declares that the decisive moment has arrived: the world will be judged, the ruler of this world will be cast out, and Jesus will be lifted up from the earth.
John explains that Jesus is referring to the manner of His coming death on the cross.
The crowd struggles with this because they expect the Messiah to remain forever, and they do not understand how the Son of Man can be both the promised Messiah and someone who will be lifted up in death.
Jesus therefore urges them to walk in the light while they still have the light, calling them to believe before darkness overtakes them.
Despite the many miraculous signs Jesus has performed, many people still refuse to believe.
John connects this unbelief with the words of Isaiah, who had described people seeing but remaining spiritually blind and hearing but refusing to understand.
Even some of the religious authorities privately believe in Jesus, but they refuse to acknowledge Him publicly because they fear being expelled from the synagogue and losing the approval of others.
John identifies the deeper problem clearly: they love human approval more than God's approval.
The chapter concludes with Jesus publicly explaining that believing in Him means believing in the Father who sent Him, seeing Him means seeing the One who sent Him, and receiving His words means receiving the message that leads to eternal life.
Jesus emphasizes that He has come as the Light of the World, not to condemn the world during His earthly mission but to save it.
Yet rejection of that light carries consequences because the very words Jesus speaks will ultimately serve as the basis for judgment.
John 12 therefore functions as a major transition in the Gospel.
The public ministry of Jesus is reaching its climax, the “hour” of His death has arrived, and the events surrounding His entry into Jerusalem, Mary's anointing, the arrival of the Greeks, and the growing opposition all point toward the cross.
The chapter's central message is that Jesus' death is not an unexpected defeat but the purposeful sacrifice through which He will be glorified, draw people from all nations to Himself, defeat the power of darkness, and open the way to eternal life for those who believe in Him.
Six days before Passover, Jesus returns to Bethany, where Lazarus is present after being raised from the dead.
During a dinner held in Jesus' honor, Martha serves while Lazarus sits with Him, and Mary takes an expensive perfume and anoints Jesus' feet before wiping them with her hair.
Her extravagant act demonstrates deep love and devotion, while Judas Iscariot objects to the apparent waste and argues that the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor.
John reveals, however, that Judas' concern is not genuine because he has been stealing from the disciples' common money.
Jesus defends Mary and explains that her action is connected with His approaching burial, making her act an unconscious preparation for His death.
Meanwhile, large crowds come to Bethany because they want to see both Jesus and Lazarus, whose resurrection has become widely known.
The chief priests become so concerned about the influence of this miracle that they begin planning not only Jesus' death but also Lazarus' death because his existence is causing many people to believe in Jesus.
The following day, Jesus enters Jerusalem to the enthusiastic welcome of a large crowd.
The people take palm branches, go out to meet Him, and praise Him as the King of Israel.
Jesus rides into the city on a donkey, presenting Himself not as a military conqueror but as the humble and peaceful king described in Scripture.
The disciples do not fully understand the significance of the event at first, but after Jesus is glorified, they recognize how the Scriptures had pointed toward it.
The Pharisees, meanwhile, become increasingly frustrated because Jesus' popularity continues to grow.
A significant development occurs when some Greeks who have come to Jerusalem for the festival ask Philip if they can see Jesus.
Their request leads Jesus to announce that His hour has come.
Jesus explains His coming death through the image of a grain of wheat: a seed must fall into the ground and die before it produces much fruit.
In the same way, Jesus' death will not represent defeat but will become the means through which His life-giving mission reaches many people.
He also teaches that anyone who truly wants to serve Him must be willing to follow His path, placing eternal life above the temporary security and priorities of this world.
Jesus openly acknowledges that His soul is troubled as His death approaches, yet He does not ask the Father to remove the coming suffering.
Instead, He asks that the Father's name be glorified.
A voice from heaven responds, confirming that God's name has already been glorified and will be glorified again.
Jesus explains that this heavenly confirmation has been given for the benefit of the people around Him.
He then declares that the decisive moment has arrived: the world will be judged, the ruler of this world will be cast out, and Jesus will be lifted up from the earth.
John explains that Jesus is referring to the manner of His coming death on the cross.
The crowd struggles with this because they expect the Messiah to remain forever, and they do not understand how the Son of Man can be both the promised Messiah and someone who will be lifted up in death.
Jesus therefore urges them to walk in the light while they still have the light, calling them to believe before darkness overtakes them.
Despite the many miraculous signs Jesus has performed, many people still refuse to believe.
John connects this unbelief with the words of Isaiah, who had described people seeing but remaining spiritually blind and hearing but refusing to understand.
Even some of the religious authorities privately believe in Jesus, but they refuse to acknowledge Him publicly because they fear being expelled from the synagogue and losing the approval of others.
John identifies the deeper problem clearly: they love human approval more than God's approval.
The chapter concludes with Jesus publicly explaining that believing in Him means believing in the Father who sent Him, seeing Him means seeing the One who sent Him, and receiving His words means receiving the message that leads to eternal life.
Jesus emphasizes that He has come as the Light of the World, not to condemn the world during His earthly mission but to save it.
Yet rejection of that light carries consequences because the very words Jesus speaks will ultimately serve as the basis for judgment.
John 12 therefore functions as a major transition in the Gospel.
The public ministry of Jesus is reaching its climax, the “hour” of His death has arrived, and the events surrounding His entry into Jerusalem, Mary's anointing, the arrival of the Greeks, and the growing opposition all point toward the cross.
The chapter's central message is that Jesus' death is not an unexpected defeat but the purposeful sacrifice through which He will be glorified, draw people from all nations to Himself, defeat the power of darkness, and open the way to eternal life for those who believe in Him.