John 12

1 Then Iesus sixe dayes before ester came to Bethany where Lazarus was which was deed and who Iesus raysed from deeth.

2 There they made him a supper and Martha served: But Lazarus was one of them that sate at the table with him.

3 Then toke Mary a pounde of oyntmet called Nardus perfecte and precious and anoynted Iesus fete and wipt his fete with her heer and the housse was filled of the savre of the oyntmet.

4 Then sayde one of his disciples name Iudas Iscariot Simos sonne which afterwarde betrayed him:

5 why was not this oyntmet solde for thre hondred pence and geve to the poore?

6 This sayde he not that he cared for the pooer: but because he was a thefe and kept the bagge and bare that which was geven.

7 Then sayde Iesus: Let her alone agaynst the daye of my buryinge she kept it.

8 The poore all wayes shall ye have with you but me shall ye not all wayes have.

9 Moche people of the Iewes had knowledge that he was there. And they came not for Iesus sake only but yt they myght se Lazarus also whom he raysed from deeth.

10 The hye prestes therfore held a counsell that they myght put Lazarus to deeth also

11 because that for his sake many of the Iewes went awaye and beleved on Iesus.

12 On the morowe moche people that were come to the feast when they hearde yt Iesus shuld come to Ierusalem

13 toke braunches of palme trees and went and met him and cryed: Hosanna blessed is he that in the name of the Lorde commeth kynge of Israel.

14 And Iesus got a yonge asse and sate thero accordinge to that which was writte:

15 feare not doughter of Sio beholde thy kynge cometh sittinge on an asses coolte.

16 These thinges vnderstode not his disciples at ye fyrst: but when Iesus was gloryfied then remembryd they that soche thinges were written of him and that soche thinges they had done vnto him.

17 The people that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave and raysed him from deeth bare recorde.

18 Therfore met him the people be cause they hearde yt he had done soche a myracle.

19 The Pharises therfore sayde amonge them selves: perceave ye how we prevayle no thinge? beholde the worlde goth awaye after him.

20 Ther were certayne Grekes amoge them that came to praye at the feast:

21 the same cam to Philip which was of Bethsayda a cyte in Galile and desired him sayinge: Syr we wolde fayne se Iesus.

22 Philip came and tolde Andrew. And agayne Andrew and Philip tolde Iesus.

23 And Iesus answered them sayinge: the houre is come yt the sonne of ma must be glorified.

24 Verely verely I saye vnto you except ye wheate corne fall into the grounde and dye it bydeth alone. Yf it dye it brengeth forth moche frute.

25 He that loveth his lyfe shall destroye it: and he yt hateth his lyfe in this worlde shall kepe it vnto lyfe eternall.

26 If eny man mynister vnto me let him folowe me and where I am there shall also my minister be. And yf eny man minister vnto me him will my father honoure.

27 Now is my soule troubled and what shall I saye? Father delyver me from this houre: but therfore came I vnto this houre

28 Father glorify thy name. Then came ther a voyce fro heaven: I have glorified it and will glorify it agayne.

29 Then sayd the people yt stode by and hearde: it thoundreth. Other sayde an angell spake to him.

30 Iesus answered and sayde: this voyce cam not because of me but for youre sakes.

31 Now is the iudgement of this worlde: now shall ye prince of this worlde be cast out.

32 And I yf I were lifte vp from the erthe will drawe all men vnto me.

33 This sayde Iesus signifyinge what deeth he shuld dye.

34 The people answered him: We have hearde of ye lawe yt Christ bydeth ever: and how sayest thou then that the sonne of man must be lifte vp? who is yt sonne of ma?

35 Then Iesus sayde vnto them: yet a lytell whyle is the light wt you. Walke whill ye have light lest the darcknes come on you. He that walketh in the darke wotteth not whither he goeth.

36 Whyll ye have light beleve on the light that ye maye be the chyldren of light. These thinges spake Iesus and departed and hyd him silfe fro them.

37 And though he had done so many myracles before them yet beleved not they on him

38 yt the sayinge of Esayas the Prophet myght be fulfilled yt he spake. Lorde who shall beleve oure sayinge? And to whom ys the arme of ye Lorde opened?

39 Therfore coulde they not beleve because yt Esaias sayth agayne:

40 he hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hertes that they shuld not se with their eyes and vnderstonde with their hertes and shuld be converted and I shuld heale the.

41 Soche thinges sayde Esaias when he sawe his glory and spake of him.

42 Neverthelesse amoge ye chefe rulers many beleved on him. But because of the pharises they wolde not be a knowen of it lest they shuld be excommunicate.

43 For they loved the prayse yt is geven of men more then the prayse that cometh of God.

44 And Iesus cryed and sayde: he that beleveth on me beleveth not on me but on him yt sent me.

45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.

46 I am come a light into the worlde that whosoever beleveth on me shuld not byde in darcknes.

47 And yf eny man heare my wordes and beleve not I iudge him not. For I came not to iudge the worlde: but to save ye worlde.

48 He that refuseth me and receaveth not my wordes hath one that iudgeth him. The wordes that I have spoken they shall iudge him in ye last daye.

49 For I have not spoken of my selfe: but the father which sent me he gave me a commaundemet what I shuld saye and what I shuld speake.

50 And I knowe that this comaundement is lyfe everlastinge. Whatsoever I speake therfore eve as the father bade me so I speake.

John 12 Commentary

Chapter 12

Christ anointed by Mary. (1-11) He enters Jerusalem. (12-19) Greeks apply to see Jesus. (20-26) A voice from heaven bears testimony to Christ. (27-33) His discourse with the people. (34-36) Unbelief of the Jews. (37-43) Christ's address to them. (44-50)

Verses 1-11 Christ had formerly blamed Martha for being troubled with much serving. But she did not leave off serving, as some, who when found fault with for going too far in one way, peevishly run too far another way; she still served, but within hearing of Christ's gracious words. Mary gave a token of love to Christ, who had given real tokens of his love to her and her family. God's Anointed should be our Anointed. Has God poured on him the oil of gladness above his fellows, let us pour on him the ointment of our best affections. In Judas a foul sin is gilded over with a plausible pretence. We must not think that those do no acceptable service, who do it not in our way. The reigning love of money is heart-theft. The grace of Christ puts kind comments on pious words and actions, makes the best of what is amiss, and the most of what is good. Opportunities are to be improved; and those first and most vigorously, which are likely to be the shortest. To consult to hinder the further effect of the miracle, by putting Lazarus to death, is such wickedness, malice, and folly, as cannot be explained, except by the desperate enmity of the human heart against God. They resolved that the man should die whom the Lord had raised to life. The success of the gospel often makes wicked men so angry, that they speak and act as if they hoped to obtain a victory over the Almighty himself.

Verses 12-19 Christ's riding in triumph to Jerusalem is recorded by all the evangelists. Many excellent things, both in the word and providence of God, disciples do not understand at their first acquaintance with the things of God. The right understanding of spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom, prevents our misapplying the Scriptures which speak of it.

Verses 20-26 In attendance upon holy ordinances, particularly the gospel passover, the great desire of our souls should be to see Jesus; to see him as ours, to keep up communion with him, and derive grace from him. The calling of the Gentiles magnified the Redeemer. A corn of wheat yields no increase unless it is cast into the ground. Thus Christ might have possessed his heavenly glory alone, without becoming man. Or, after he had taken man's nature, he might have entered heaven alone, by his own perfect righteousness, without suffering or death; but then no sinner of the human race could have been saved. The salvation of souls hitherto, and henceforward to the end of time, is owing to the dying of this Corn of wheat. Let us search whether Christ be in us the hope of glory; let us beg him to make us indifferent to the trifling concerns of this life, that we may serve the Lord Jesus with a willing mind, and follow his holy example.

Verses 27-33 The sin of our souls was the troubled of Christ's soul, when he undertook to redeem and save us, and to make his soul an offering for our sin. Christ was willing to suffer, yet prayed to be saved from suffering. Prayer against trouble may well agree with patience under it, and submission to the will of God in it. Our Lord Jesus undertook to satisfy God's injured honour, and he did it by humbling himself. The voice of the Father from heaven, which had declared him to be his beloved Son, at his baptism, and when he was transfigured, was heard proclaiming that He had both glorified his name, and would glorify it. Christ, reconciling the world to God by the merit of his death, broke the power of death, and cast out Satan as a destroyer. Christ, bringing the world to God by the doctrine of his cross, broke the power of sin, and cast out Satan as a deceiver. The soul that was at a distance from Christ, is brought to love him and trust him. Jesus was now going to heaven, and he would draw men's hearts to him thither. There is power in the death of Christ to draw souls to him. We have heard from the gospel that which exalts free grace, and we have heard also that which enjoins duty; we must from the heart embrace both, and not separate them.

Verses 34-36 The people drew false notions from the Scriptures, because they overlooked the prophecies that spoke of Christ's sufferings and death. Our Lord warned them that the light would not long continue with them, and exhorted them to walk in it, before the darkness overtook them. Those who would walk in the light must believe in it, and follow Christ's directions. But those who have not faith, cannot behold what is set forth in Jesus, lifted up on the cross, and must be strangers to its influence as made known by the Holy Spirit; they find a thousand objections to excuse their unbelief.

Verses 37-43 Observe the method of conversion implied here. Sinners are brought to see the reality of Divine things, and to have some knowledge of them. To be converted, and truly turned from sin to Christ, as their Happiness and Portion. God will heal them, will justify and sanctify them; will pardon their sins, which are as bleeding wounds, and mortify their corruptions, which are as lurking diseases. See the power of the world in smothering convictions, from regard to the applause or censure of men. Love of the praise of men, as a by-end in that which is good, will make a man a hypocrite when religion is in fashion, and credit is to be got by it; and love of the praise of men, as a base principle in that which is evil, will make a man an apostate, when religion is in disgrace, and credit is to be lost for it.

Verses 44-50 Our Lord publicly proclaimed, that every one who believed on him, as his true disciple, did not believe on him only, but on the Father who sent him. Beholding in Jesus the glory of the Father, we learn to obey, love, and trust in him. By daily looking to Him, who came a Light into the world, we are more and more freed from the darkness of ignorance, error, sin, and misery; we learn that the command of God our Saviour is everlasting life. But the same word will seal the condemnation of all who despise it, or neglect it.