Setting the scene
Who wrote it
Traditionally John, the son of Zebedee
Who it was for
Followers of Jesus, Jewish and Gentile
What was happening
Anointing at Bethany, the entry into Jerusalem, and the hour of the grain of wheat
Read the full background in the book overview

What’s happening

Six days before the Passover Jesus comes to Bethany, where Lazarus is, whom he raised from the dead. They make him a supper there; Martha serves, and Lazarus is one of those at the table with him. Mary takes a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, anoints the feet of Jesus, and wipes his feet with her hair, and the house is filled with the fragrance of the ointment. Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, who would betray him, says, "Why wasn't this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and given to the poor?" John explains that he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, used to steal what was put into it. Jesus says, "Leave her alone. She has kept this for the day of my burial. For you always have the poor with you, but you don't always have me." A large crowd of the Jews learns he is there and comes, not for Jesus' sake only, but to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead, and the chief priests plan to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews go away and believe in Jesus. The next day, the great crowd that has come to the feast hears that Jesus is coming to Jerusalem, and they take the branches of the palm trees and go out to meet him, crying, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!" Jesus finds a young donkey and sits on it, as it is written, "Don't be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold, your King comes, sitting on a donkey's colt." His disciples don't understand these things at first, but when Jesus is glorified, then they remember. The Pharisees say among themselves, "See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him." Some Greeks among those who go up to worship at the feast come to Philip, from Bethsaida of Galilee, and ask, "Sir, we want to see Jesus." Philip tells Andrew, and they tell Jesus. Jesus answers, "The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there will my servant also be." "Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour?' But for this cause I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name." A voice comes out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." The crowd says it thundered, others that an angel spoke. Jesus says, "This voice hasn't come for my sake, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." He said this to show what kind of death he would die. The crowd answers, "We have heard out of the law that the Christ remains forever. How do you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this Son of Man?" Jesus says, "Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness doesn't overtake you." Then he departs and hides himself. Though he had done so many signs before them, they don't believe in him, as Isaiah said, "Lord, who has believed our report?" and again, "He has blinded their eyes, and he hardened their heart." Yet many even of the rulers believe in him, but because of the Pharisees they do not confess it, so that they won't be put out of the synagogue, for they love the glory of men more than the glory of God. Jesus cries out, "He who believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me. ... I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness. ... For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world."

Why the setting matters

John says the supper was six days before the Passover, with Martha serving and Lazarus at the table, a meal in the house of friends. Nard was an imported perfume from India, and a pound would have cost nearly a year's wages for a laborer (three hundred denarii). John says Mary anointed Jesus' feet and dried them with her hair, an intimate act, and Jesus connects it to his burial. His remark about the poor echoes Deuteronomy 15:11; it does not dismiss giving to the poor. John identifies Judas as a thief, which the other Gospels don't, and it should be read with the awareness that the Gospel was written later. Palm branches (mentioned only in John) were a national symbol and had been used in celebrating Maccabean victories; the crowd greets Jesus as a king, and he answers by riding a donkey, as Zechariah 9:9 describes. "Hosanna" comes from Psalm 118:25-26. The Greeks were probably God-fearing Gentiles who had come to worship at the feast, and their arrival signals to Jesus that "the hour" has come. The grain of wheat is Jesus' picture of his death, and "lifted up" is John's double meaning of crucifixion and exaltation. The "prince of this world" is Satan, and the voice from heaven is the third time God speaks about Jesus in the Gospels. John ends the public ministry by quoting Isaiah 53:1 and 6:10 to explain unbelief, and notes that fear of expulsion kept many from confessing.

Read John 12 (World English Bible)

Who’s in this chapter

Jesus

Anointed for burial, welcomed as king, and troubled about his hour.

Mary

Anoints his feet with costly nard.

Martha

Serves at the supper.

Lazarus

At the table, and a living sign to the crowds.

Judas Iscariot

Objects to the waste; John says he was a thief.

The crowds

Greet him with palm branches.

The chief priests

Plan to kill Lazarus as well.

The Pharisees

"The world has gone after him."

Some Greeks

Gentile worshipers who ask to see Jesus.

Philip

Takes the Greeks' request to Andrew.

Andrew

Brings it to Jesus.

Talk it through

  1. Mary does something costly and extravagant, and Judas objects. What does Jesus see that Judas doesn't?
  2. The crowd shouts "King of Israel," and Jesus rides a donkey. What kind of king is he showing himself to be?
  3. The Greeks ask to see Jesus, and Jesus says the hour has come. Why does that request trigger his answer?
  4. "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies." What is he saying about his death, and about following him?

Read John 12

World English Bible

1Then six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 2So they made him a supper there. Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with him. 3Therefore Mary took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed Jesus’s feet and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. 4Then Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, one of his disciples, who would betray him, said, 5“Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and given to the poor?” 6Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, used to steal what was put into it. 7But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept this for the day of my burial. 8For you always have the poor with you, but you don’t always have me.”

9A large crowd therefore of the Jews learned that he was there, and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. 10But the chief priests conspired to put Lazarus to death also, 11because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

12On the next day a great multitude had come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13they took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet him, and cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!”

14Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on it. As it is written, 15“Don’t be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold, your King comes, sitting on a donkey’s colt.” 16His disciples didn’t understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about him, and that they had done these things to him. 17The multitude therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead was testifying about it. 18For this cause also the multitude went and met him, because they heard that he had done this sign. 19The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him.”

20Now there were certain Greeks among those that went up to worship at the feast. 21These, therefore, came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” 22Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus. 23Jesus answered them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. 26If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

27“Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this time?’ But I came to this time for this cause. 28Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came out of the sky, saying, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”

29Therefore the multitude who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”

30Jesus answered, “This voice hasn’t come for my sake, but for your sakes. 31Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out. 32And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33But he said this, signifying by what kind of death he should die. 34The multitude answered him, “We have heard out of the law that the Christ remains forever. How do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up?’ Who is this Son of Man?”

35Jesus therefore said to them, “Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness doesn’t overtake you. He who walks in the darkness doesn’t know where he is going. 36While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become children of light.” Jesus said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them. 37But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they didn’t believe in him, 38that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke,

“Lord, who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

39For this cause they couldn’t believe, for Isaiah said again,

40“He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them.”

41Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory, and spoke of him. 42Nevertheless even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t confess it, so that they wouldn’t be put out of the synagogue, 43for they loved men’s praise more than God’s praise.

44Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me. 45He who sees me sees him who sent me. 46I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness. 47If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke will judge him in the last day. 49For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak.”

Text: World English Bible, Public domain. About our sources