Introductory remarks:
As we noted at the end of chapter eleven, we are now entering into the last week of Christ's life.
"There was a time when He need not have appeared at the Feast - when, as we see it, it was better He should not come. But that time was past. The chief priests and the Pharisees also knew it, and they 'had given commandment that, if any one knew where He was, he show it, that they might take Him.' It would be better to ascertain [discover] where He lodged, and to seize Him before He appeared in public, in the Temple. But it was not as they imagined. Without concealment Christ came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom He had raised from the dead. He came there six days before the Passover - and yet His coming was such that they could not 'take Him" (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah - Alfred Edersheim).
The Anointing at Bethany
Verse 1, "Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom He raised from the dead."
LGT "Jesus therefore six days before the Passover came into Bethany, where was Lazarus, whom Jesus raised up from the dead."
Jesus arrived in Bethany six days before the Passover Feast [It seems they judged too quickly that He would not come to the feast 11:56 Calvin]. He was in imminent danger, as we learned from the last chapter. The phrase in the KJV 'which had been dead' is omitted in the better manuscripts.
"The crowd of eager spectators to see both Lazarus and Jesus would only intensify the Sanhedrin rage" (Robertson).
"On the Sunday before Passover Jesus and His disciples left their temporary abode near the wilderness of Judea and came to Bethany, on the slopes of Mount Olivet, rather less than two miles along the Jericho road from Jerusalem. It was here that, a few weeks before, He had called Lazarus from the tomb - a 'sign' so striking it greatly increased His following in the Jerusalem district and precipitated the authorities' decision to adopt drastic measures to get rid of Him. In Bethany, and especially in the home of Lazarus and his sisters, He had long been a welcome and honored guest; now, naturally, He was more welcome and honored than ever" (The Gospel and Epistles of John - F. F. Bruce).
Verse 2, "There they made Him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with Him."
LGT "Therefore they made Him a supper there, and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of the ones who reclined together with Him."
As soon as Jesus arrived at Bethany they prepared a supper for Him and Martha, in her usual role, served. The Greek word for 'serve' is diekonei the same word for a deacon. "Perhaps Simon gave the feast partly in honor of Lazarus as well as of Jesus since all were now talking of both (John 12:9). It was a gracious occasion. The guests were Jesus, the twelve apostles, and Martha, Mary, and Lazarus" (Robertson).
"The meal may well have been intended in part to celebrate the recent recovery of Lazarus from death, so Lazarus was treated as one of the guests of honor, alongside the Lord to whom he owed his new life. The depiction of Lazarus' two sisters - Martha serving and Mary worshipping - is once again remarkably consistent with Luke's portrayal of the two in the paragraph where he mentions them (Luke 10:38-42)" [Bruce].
"Matthew (31:7) and mark (14:3) say that He supped at the house of Simon the leper [not that he was a leper at that time, only that he had been a leper]. John does not mention the house, but shows plainly enough, that it was in some other place than the house of Lazarus and Martha that He supped; for he says that Lazarus was one of those who sat at table with Him, that is, one who had been invited along with Christ" (Calvin).
Verse 3, "Then took Mary a pound of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment."
LGT "Therefore Mary having taken a pound of ointment of spikenard pure of great price, [she] anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped with her hair His feet: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment."
Here John says that Mary anointed Jesus' feet, while the synoptists say she anointed His head, "Why not both" (Robertson). This spikenard was a species of an aromatic plant with grassy leaves and a fibrous root, of which the best and strongest grows in India; in N.T. oil of spikenard, an oil extracted from the plant, which was highly prized and used as an ointment either pure or mixed with other substances - AGL.
"It was common to anoint the heads of the Rabbis who attended marriage feasts, with fragrant oil, and special guests were sometimes similarly honored. Jesus Himself, at an earlier date, had had even His feet anointed by a grateful penitent, who had, besides, washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair, flowing loose, in self-forgetfulness. But now, Mary outdid all former honors paid Him. The costliest anointing oil of antiquity was the pure spikenard, drawn from an Indian plant, and exposed in flasks of alabaster for sale throughout the Roman Empire, where it fetched a price that put it beyond any but the wealthy.
Of this Mary had bought a flask, containing about twelve ounces weight, and now, coming behind the guests as they reclined, opened the seal, and poured some of the perfume, first on the head and then on the feet of Jesus, drying them, presently, with the hair of her head, like her predecessor [Mary Magdalene]" (The Life and Words, Geikie, vol. 2, p. 457).
"We can here offer only conjectures, but it is, at least, not unreasonable to suppose - remembering the fondness of Jewish women for such perfumes - that Mary may have had the 'alabaster' of very costly ointment from olden days, before she had learned to serve Christ. Then she came to know Him, and must have learned how constantly that decease, of which He ever spoke, was before His mind, she may have put it aside, 'kept it', 'against the day of His burying'. And now the decisive hour had come. Jesus may have told her, as He had told the disciples, what was before Him in Jerusalem at the Feast, and she would be far more quick to understand, even as she must have known far better than they, how great was the danger from the Sanhedrin, And it is this believing apprehension of the mystery of His death on her part, and this preparation of deepest love for it - this mixture of sorrow, faith, and devotion - which made her deed so precious, that, wherever in the future the Gospel would be preached, this also that she had done would be recorded for a memorial of her (Matt. 26:13). And the more we think of it, the better we understand, how at that last feast of fellowship, when all the other guests realized not - no, not even His disciples - how near the end was, she would 'come aforehand to anoint His body for the burying' (Mark 14:8). Her faith made it a twofold anointing: that of the best Guest at the last feast, and that of preparation for the burial which, of all others, she apprehended as so terribly near. And deepest humility now offered, what most earnest love had provided, and intense faith, in view of what was coming, applied. And so she poured the precious ointment over His head, over His feet - than stooping over them, wiped them with her hair, as if, not only in evidence of service and love, but in fellowship of His death. 'And the house was filled' - and to all time His House, the Church, is filled - 'with the odor of the ointment'." (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah - Alfred Edersheim).
Verse 4, "Then saith one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray Him."
LGT "Then saying Judas Iscariot one [of] His disciples, who was about to deliver Him up."
"One of His disciples,"
The Greek word here used for 'disciple' is matheton, which means a follower and a learner. "This label 'His disciple' is the shameful fact that clung to the name of Judas" (Robertson). In most Greek manuscripts 'Simon's son' is omitted, as you can see in my LGT.
"Which should betray Him."
The literal reading is, 'who was about to deliver Him up' to the Sanhedrin. We will see how phony a pretender Judas was as we follow John's narrative to the end.
Verse 5, "Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?"
LGT "Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?"
This is precisely the attitude of the self-righteous unbeliever. The unbeliever's can quote the Scripture [or should I say the law - the ten commandments] or spout out a cliché of insincere concern only when it seems to suit their purpose of exposing real Christianity to being false, which is evident by the filthy phony statement by Judas, 'and given to the poor people' as if he was really sincerely concerned for the poor. If we didn't know what a treacherous liar Judas was, we might be able to sympathize with his appeal; we know that he was concerned about throwing away a years wages, three hundred pence, for one flask of ointment wasted on Jesus' head and feet; in reality what Judas, being the treasure of the group, wanted, was to get the money on a pretense of giving it to the poor and then keeping it for himself.
Verse 6, "This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein."
LGT "But he said this not because concerning the poor people he was caring, but because he was a thief and having the money-box took away what was put therein."
"This he said, not that he cared for the poor;"
As I noted above, Judas was a phony. Today the liberal politicians in our country pretend to care for the poor people to the extent that they try to pass legislation that takes money away from the wealthy and give it to the poor, while at the same time they are robbing us blind with their phony committees and raising of taxes. If we let the liberals have their way, they will tax everyone who has and give it to the ones who have not, while all the time they are all getting richer and richer; they are carrying the money-box and are taking away whatever is put in it; eventually, as my wife has said, there won't be any working class to tax, for the money to give to the poor; either everyone will be poor, or God will have had enough, and take us [believers] all home.
"But because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein."
The Greek word for 'Bare' is ebastazen in this context means to 'take away.' So literally 'what was [repeatedly] put in [ballomena] Judas took away for himself.' Vincent says, "This meaning carried away or purloined [to steal] is rather imparted by the context than residing in the verb ebastazen itself, i.e., according to New Testament usage."
"It is ever the light, which throws the shadows of objects - and this deed of faith and love [Mary anointing Christ] now cast the features of Judas in gigantic dark outlines against the scene. He knew the nearness of Christ's Betrayal, and hated the more; she knew of the nearness of His precious death, and loved the more. It was not that he cared for the poor, when, taking the mask of charity, he simulated [faked] anger that such costly ointment had not been sold, and the price given to the poor. For he was essentially dishonest, 'a thief', and covetousness was the underlying master-passion of his soul. The money, claimed for the poor, would only have been used by himself. Yet such was his pretence of righteousness, such his influence as 'a man of prudence' among the disciples, and such their sad weakness, that they, or at least 'some' (Mark 14:41), expressed indignation among themselves and against her who had done the deed of love, which, when viewed in the sublimeness of a faith, that accepted and prepared for the death of a Savior Whom she so loved, and to Whom this last, the best service she could, was to be devoted, would for ever cause her to be thought of as an example of loving" (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah - Alfred Edersheim).
Verse 7, "Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this."
LGT "Therefore Jesus said, Let her alone: [it was] that for the day for the preparation of My burial she kept it."
Jesus is simply saying, 'Leave her alone, this woman is doing for Me what she can now, instead of waiting till after I die, and then anoint My body. This is in no way setting an example for embalming bodies or any other preparation for burial. Mary was simply doing what she enjoyed while Christ was with her.
"God certainly does not approve of outward display. Nay, more, perceiving that the mind of man is too prone to carnal observances, He frequently enjoins us to be sober and moderate in the use of them. Those persons, therefore, are absurd interpreters, who infer from Christ's reply, that costly and magnificent worship is pleasing to God; for He rather excuses Mary on the ground of her having rendered to Him an extraordinary service, which ought not to be regarded as a perpetual rule for the worship of God" (John Calvin's Commentary on the Gospel of John).
"Let her alone: against the day of My burying hath she kept this [ointment]."
"There is something inexpressibly sad, yet so patient, gentle, and tender in Christ's 'Let her alone'. Surely, never could there be waste in ministry of love to Him! Nay, there is unspeakable pathos in what He says of His near burying, as if He would still their souls in view of it. That He, Who was ever of the poor and with them, Who for our sakes became poor, that through His poverty we might be rich, should have to plead for a last service of love to Himself, and for Mary, and as against a Judas, seems, indeed, the depth of self-abasement. Yet, even so, has this falsely-spoken plea for the poor become a real plea, since He has left us this, as it were, as His last charge, and that by His own Death, that we have the poor always with us" (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah - Alfred Edersheim).
Verse 8, "For the poor always ye have with you; but Me ye have not always."
LGT "For the poor you always have with yourselves, but Me you always have not."
It was a praiseworthy thing that they were concerned for the poor and needy, however, He would only be with them for a short time, and what Mary had done in anointing Him was an expression of her deep devotion, and should not be discredited.
"Christ accepted the sacrifice that Mary had made. While the religious leaders who had heard Christ's claim to be King rejected Him as Messiah, Mary had recognized Him as Messiah. Hence she expressed her faith in His person and offered a gift worthy of a King, while she gave evidence of personal faith in the midst of rejection, she also did this in anticipation of Christ's death" (The Words and Works of Jesus Christ - J. Dwight Pentecost).
In Matthew is presented a picture of the praise for Mary's deed, of breaking her alabaster box to anoint the Lord, that John does not describe in Matt. 26:13: "Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her."
"The beautiful story of the broken alabaster box has filled the world with its fragrance. Our Lord said, 'Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.' And we are telling it right now. I hear folk speak about being in the apostolic succession [as do the Roman Catholic Popery], but I would like to be in the succession of Mary. Mary alone, of all Christ's followers, understood and entered into His death, while the apostles missed the point completely. Although she stood on the fringe of things, she understood, and to let Him know, she anointed Him. Did she waste her ointment? In the gospel records I read that on the morning of the first day of the week other woman came to the tomb of Jesus to anoint His body for burial. I have a question to ask you: Did they put their ointment on the body of Jesus? No, He wasn't in that tomb - He was risen. Mary alone had the privilege of anointing Him" (T. T. B. J. Vernon McGee).
The Plot Against Lazarus
Verse 9, "Much people of the Jews therefore knew 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."
LGT "Therefore the people much [or in large numbers] of the Jews came to know that there He is: and came not because of Jesus alone, but in order that they might see Lazarus also whom He had raised from the dead."
"Much people of the Jews therefore knew that He was there:"
The literal Greek text inserts the article so it reads, 'Much of the common people of the Jews'; thus John distinguishes these Jews from the Pharisees and Sadducees that were plotting to kill Jesus. "These 'Jews' are not all hostile to Jesus as in 5:10; 6:4, etc., but included some who were friendly (verse 11)" (Robertson).
"And they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom He had raised from the dead,"
Some of this crowd of the common folk had witnessed the raising of Lazarus from the dead by Jesus.
"The crowd of Jews probably came out from Jerusalem, less than two miles away. Jesus had not remained in Bethany when He came from the Jordan valley to raise Lazarus, but withdrew immediately to the wilderness. Apart from the mourners, few people had seen Him on that occasion. But the news of the raising of Lazarus spread quickly and aroused great excitement, so next time He came to Bethany a great crowd came to see Him, and to seize the opportunity of seeing Lazarus too. Lazarus was perhaps shielded by his sisters from vulgar curiosity after he was restored to them, but this supper would have been something of a public occasion" (The Gospel and Epistles of John - F. F. Bruce).
Verse 10, "But the chief priest consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;"
LGT "But the chief priests took council that they might kill Lazarus also;"
These religious rulers consulted to kill Jesus, lead by the chief priest, Caiaphas, in chapter eleven, and now they are again consulting to kill Him; but here there is added a new threat in their minds, that is, that Lazarus is also beginning to annoy them.
Verse 11, "Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus."
LGT "Because of him [Lazarus] many of the Jews went away and were beginning to believe on Jesus."
"The chief priests, led by Caiaphas, had already made plans to procure [obtain] Jesus' death, 'to prevent the destruction of the whole nation' (11:50-53). Now it looked as if it might be expedient to have Lazarus put to death as well, because he was living witness to the power of Jesus; so long as he was around, people would remember the 'sign' that had been performed for him, and acknowledged Jesus as the resurrection and the life. The expression 'were going and believing in Jesus' may be a Semitism, meaning 'were increasingly believing in Jesus" (The Gospel and Epistles of John - F. F. Bruce).
"These people are curiosity seekers. The chief priests wanted to get Lazarus out of the way. I personally believe that the people come out of curiosity to see Lazarus rather than to see Jesus and that the faith described here is much like the faith exhibited when Jesus first came up to Jerusalem. Remember that they believed on Him, but He would not commit Himself to them. It was a belief on curiosity" (T. T. B. J. Vernon McGee).
The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
Verse 12, "On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,"
LGT "On the morrow day a great crowd [the common people] the ones that had come unto the feast, having heard that Jesus is coming into Jerusalem,"
It is the time for the Feast of the Passover and people have arrived from all parts of the country. "It is a vivid picture. What they heard was: 'Jesus is coming into Jerusalem.' He is defying the Sanhedrin with all their public advertisement for Him" (Robertson).
"This crowd consisted of pilgrims who, as we have been told in 11:55, had come for the Passover in advance, to purify themselves so as to be fit to celebrate it. Some of them were Galileans, who were excited at the arrival of the Galilean prophet; others welcomed the opportunity, which they had not previously had, to give a fitting salutation to Him who had so recently raised Lazarus from the dead" (Bruce).
"Thus strangers were more ready to discharge the duty of paying respect to the Son of God than the citizens of Jerusalem, who ought rather to have been an example to all others. For they had sacrifices daily; the temple was always before their eyes, which ought to have kindled in their hearts the desire of seeking God; these too were the highest teachers of the Church, and there was the sanctuary of the divine light. It is therefore a manifestation of excessively base ingratitude in them that, after they have been trained to such exercise from their earliest years, they reject or despise the Redeemer who had been promised to them. But this fault has prevailed in almost every age, that the more nearly and the more familiarly God approached to men, the more daringly did men despise God" (John Calvin's Commentary on the Gospel of John).
Verse 13, "Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet Him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord."
LGT "Took the branches of the palm trees and went out for a meeting with Him and continued crying out, Hosanna; Blessed is the One who is coming in the name of the Lord, [even] the King of Israel."
"Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet Him,"
"Bernard notes that to carry palms was a mark of triumphal homage to a victor or a king (Rev. 7:9). Palm-trees grew on Mount of Olives (Mark 11:8) on the road to Jerusalem. The crowds (one in front and one behind, Mark 11:9) cut the branches as they came (Matt. 21:8)" (Bernard quoted by Robertson).
"The palm branches which they carried have given their name to the anniversary of this event in the Christian calendar: Palm Sunday (though the day does not appear to have been a Sunday by John's chronology). But the palm branches themselves raise one or two questions (W. R. Farmer). There was no difficulty in procuring them; date palms grew (and still grow) in and around Jerusalem, even if dates do not ripen on them as they do down in Jericho. But what did they signify? Palm branches played no prescribed part at Passover; it was at Tabernacles that the people were commanded to rejoice before the Lord seven days with 'branches of palm trees' (Lev. 23:40). It has been suggested on this account that the triumphal entry has perhaps been transferred from an original Tabernacles setting to its present Passover setting (T. W. Manson). But there is no need to adopt such a hypothesis. From the time of the Maccabees palms or palm branches had been used as a national symbol. Palm branches figured in the procession which celebrated the rededication of the temple in 164 BC (2 Macc. 10:7) and again when the winning of full political independence was celebrated under Simon in 141 BC (1 Mcc. 13:51). Later, palms appeared as national symbols on the coins struck by the Judean insurgents (rebels) during the first and second revolts against Rome (AD 66-70 and 132-135). So well established was the use of the palm or palm branch as a symbol for the Jewish nation that the Romans in their turn used it on the coins which they struck to celebrate the crushing of the Jewish revolts (H St. J. Hart). On this occasion, then, the palm branches may have signified the people's expectation of imminent national liberation, and this is supported by words with which they greeted our Lord" (The Gospel and Epistles of John - F. F. Bruce).
"And cried, Hosanna:"
The Hebrew word for 'Hosanna' is save now. Jesus is now offering Himself to the nation of Israel as their King, however the religious rulers will have nothing to do with His offer.
"Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord."
"The Greek word for 'blessed' is eulogemenos, a different word from the 'blessed' of Matt. 5:3 (makarios). This is the perfect participle of the verb eulogeo, meaning to speak well of, praise, hence our eulogy. Matthew's words applies to character; this to repute, that is, His reputation. The ascription of praise here is from Psalms 118:25, 26. This Psalm, according to Perowne, was composed originally for the first celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles after the completion of the sacred temple. The words of the twenty-fifth verse were sung during that feast, when the altar of burnt-offering was solemnly compassed; that is, once on each of the first six days of the feast, and seven times on the seventh day. This seventh day was called 'The Great Hosanna,' and not only the prayers for the feast, but even the branches of trees, including the myrtles which were attached to the palm branch, were called Hosannas" (Vincent's Word Studies in the NT).
"This is the public offer of Himself as their King and the rulers, of course, reject it. He is no longer mixing among the people and teaching them. That already ceased. This is now an act, which He performs as a fulfillment of prophecy. He is offering Himself to the nation. This is not really a triumphal entry. He came in through the sheep gate, quietly, during His public ministry. All through His public ministry, He tended to withdraw from the crowds. Now, when His public ministry is over, He does the most public thing He has ever done. He steps out publicly and presents Himself" (T. T. B. J. Vernon McGee).
Verse 14, "And Jesus, when He had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written."
LGT "And Jesus having found a young ass sat upon it, just as it is written."
Farrar reminds us that "He rides, not upon a war-horse, but on an animal which was the symbol of Peace."
Verse 15, "Fear not daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt."
LGT "Do not fear, daughter of Sion: Behold your King is coming, sitting upon a colt of an ass."
The Scripture Jesus is quoting is Zechariah 9:9; "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and endowed with Salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal [colt] of a donkey."
"The Prophet addressed Zion in his own time, because that was the habitation and abode of the Church [Israel], God has now, indeed, collected a Church for Himself out of the whole world; but this promise is peculiarly addressed to believers, who submit to Christ, that He may reign in them. When He describes Christ as riding on an ass, the meaning is, that His Kingdom will have nothing in common with the pomp, splendor, wealth, and power of the world; and it was proper that this should be made known by an outward manifestation, that all might be fully assured that it is spiritual" (John Calvin's Commentary on The Gospel of John).
Verse 16, "These things understood not His disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him."
LGT "These things the disciples did not know at the first, but when Jesus was glorified then they remembered that these things were written of Him and these things they had done to Him."
John is writing this Gospel several years later, and he is saying that he and the other disciples really didn't understand these things Jesus spoke until after He was crucified, resurrected, glorified, and ascended. If the disciples would have been more attuned to prophecies of the OT they would have understood what Jesus was saying; it is just as we are today; if we pay attention and study God's Word we will not be so confused at what God's will is for our lives. The disciples learned very soon after Christ's glorification, and they began to study the Scriptures.
Verse 17, "The people therefore that was with Him when He called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record."
LGT "Therefore the crowd bore witness that was with Him, when He called Lazarus out from the grave and raised him up out of the dead."
These people were friends of Mary, Martha, Lazarus and Jesus and His disciples that were there when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Some were curiosity seekers and hangers on that came when they heard that Jesus was coming. Calvin notes: "He again repeats what he said, that many persons, aroused by the report of so great a miracle, came to meet Christ. The reason why they go out in crowds is, that the rumor, respecting Lazarus who had been restored to life, was widely spread. They had good reason, therefore, for ascribing to the Son of Mary the honor of the Messiah, since He was known to possess such extraordinary power."
Verse 18, "For this cause the people also met Him, for that they heard that He had done this miracle."
LGT "On account of this the crowd [common people] [also] met Him, because they heard that He had done the sign [miracle]."
These are two different crowds John is mentioning; the first (verse 17) were the ones who had followed Jesus, and the second, here in this verse, are the ones who had met on His way, after they had heard of His great powers.
Verse 19, "The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? Behold, the whole world is gone after Him."
LGT "Therefore the Pharisees said among themselves, Do you see that you profit nothing? Behold the world has gone after Him."
Here we see the Pharisees standing off to the side saying to themselves what failures they were in their plots to kill Jesus. They are saying that the world is a bunch of fools, however, see how they run after Jesus, and they are even praising Him. The Sanhedrin could never find Jesus before, but they certainly can find Him now; He is not hiding at all, He is openly displaying himself to the world.
"My favorite painting of the crucifixion shows three empty crosses. The bodies of the crucified have been taken down from the crosses and lie in the tombs. In the background is a little donkey eating on a palm frond. What a message! The discarded palm branch and the cross are tokens of His so-called triumphal entry. Where is the crowd that cried, 'Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord'? They may be the same crowd that on the next day shouted 'Crucify Him!' Now they are gone, and He is in the tomb. You see, He offered Himself to them publicly as their King, but He was rejected" (T. T. B. J. Vernon McGee).
Some Greeks Seek Jesus
Verse 20, "And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:"
LGT "And there were certain Greeks among those who were coming up in order to worship in the feast."
These were actually Greeks, not Hellenists, Greek-speaking Jews (Acts 6:1). From exactly what district they came we are not sure (Robertson). The Gentiles were allowed into the outer court of the temple, so the non-Jew and proselytes [religious convert] could worship. The Greek word for worship is proskuneo, which means to bow the knee in reverence and worship. These Greeks were aware of the great stir caused by Jesus and might have even witnessed His 'triumphal entry'.
Verse 21, "The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus."
LGT "Therefore these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida of Galilee and they began to ask him saying, Sir, we desire to see Jesus."
"The same came therefore to Philip,"
The phrase 'the same' is referring to the Greeks that had gathered for the feast. Philip is a Greek name, and they probably had seen him in Galilee, so it was natural for them to seek out what they thought was a countryman, in order to politely ask to see Jesus.
"Sir, we would see Jesus."
These Greeks obviously had already seen Jesus, but what they are asking Philip is an audience with Jesus (Robertson). Perhaps Jesus was in the part of the temple that the Gentiles were not permitted, for they were only permitted in the outer court, and it was this 'middle wall of partition' that the Cross of Christ would tear down.
Verse 22, "Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus."
LGT "Philip comes and tells Andrew, Andrew and Philip come and tell Jesus."
Andrew is another of the Lord's disciples who had a Greek name. Philip, unsure of what Jesus' response would be, enlists the help of the resourceful Andrew (Bruce).
"Andrew, another apostle with a Greek name and associated with Philip again (John 6:7 f.), the man who first brought Simon to Jesus (1:41). Andrew was clearly a man of wisdom for a crisis. Note the vivid dramatic presents here, cometh (erchetai), telleth (legei). What was the crisis? These Greeks wish an interview with Jesus. True Jesus had said something about 'other sheep' than the Jews (10:16), but He had not explained. Philip and Andrew wrestle with the problem that will puzzle Peter on the housetop in Joppa (Acts 10:9-18), that middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile that was only broken down by the Cross of Christ (Eph. 2:11-22) and that many Christians and Jews still set up between each other. Andrew has no solution for Philip and they bring the problem, but not the Greeks, to Jesus" (Word Pictures of the NT - A. T. Robertson).
Verse 23, "And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of Man should be glorified."
LGT "And Jesus answering them saying, the hour has come in order that the Son of Man should be glorified."
The hour has come now, and all Greeks who wish will be able to see Jesus, but Christ must die first. Jesus speaks of His death as His glorification.
"They would see Jesus, would they? Yet a little moment, and they shall see Him so as now they dream not of. The middle wall of Partition that keeps them out from the commonwealth of Israel is on the eve of breaking down, 'and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, shall draw all men unto Me;' I see them 'flying as a cloud, and as doves to their cots [nests],' and a glorious event for the Son of Man will that be, by which this is to be brought about.' It is His death He thus sublimely and delicately alludes to. Lost in the scenes of triumph which this desire of the Greeks to see Him called up before His view, He gives no direct answer to their petition for an interview, but sees that cross which was to bring them in gilded [covered] with glory" (David Brown - JFB).
Verse 24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."
LGT "Verily, verily, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground should die, it remains alone: but if it should die, it bears much fruit."
"Whenever the Lord uses a double 'verily', pay attention, what He is about to say is very important. "It was true in nature that until a kernel of wheat died it could not multiply itself. Jesus said that in like manner until He died He could not reproduce His life in others. When He was crucified, a great harvest would result from His death. These Greeks could be in the first part of this harvest. Whether people received benefits from Christ's death would depend on their attitude toward Him. The one who received life by faith in Christ would demonstrate that life by becoming a servant of Christ, and that one would be honored by the Father. Thus Christ was saying that following His death all could come and follow Him" (Pentecost).
Verse 25, "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal."
LGT "The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world unto life eternal will be keeping it."
The key to understanding this verse is in the phrase 'in this world.' You see, in order to understand Christ's philosophy is to be able to compare this 'world's system' with our promised eternal system. If we are so wrapped up in this world that we ignore our heavenly eternal position as sons and daughters we are losers. Jesus is not saying that we must hate our life as our existence, just our manner of life. If we are living consistent with God's divine viewpoint, that is, by Bible Doctrine, we will hate this world system by comparison. Our entire world system has deteriorated to utter ruin. There is not one issue on spiritual things that we can agree with this world. Our life then, in this world system, must be in line with Bible Doctrine, or we will be caught up in this rat race of things and the money that can acquire these things. We must hate being conformed to this world and love the spiritual perspective the Word of God gives us in order to be a winner in this life, and the life to come. Jesus is simply making a comparison of our living either for what this world offers, or living for what He offers us in eternity.
"He who hateth his life: this expression is used comparatively; because we ought to despise life, so far as it hinders us from living to God; for if meditation on the heavenly life were the prevailing sentiment in our hearts, the world would have no influence in detaining us. Hence, too, we obtain a reply to an objection that might be urged. 'Many persons, through despair, or for other reasons, and chiefly from weariness of life, kill themselves; and yet we will not say that such persons provide for their own safety, while others are hurried to death by ambition, who also rush down to ruin (who throw themselves down to eternal ruin - that is, loss of reward - by their ambition). But here Christ speaks expressly of that hatred or contempt of this fading life, which believers derive from the contemplation of a better life. Consequently, whoever does not look to heaven, has not yet learned in what way life must be preserved. Besides, this latter clause was added by Christ, in order to strike terror into those who are too desirous of the earthly life, if we are overwhelmed by the love of the world, so that we cannot easily forget it" (John Calvin's Commentary on The Gospel of John).
Verse 26, If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honor."
LGT "If anyone be serving Me, let him follow Me, and where I am there also will My servant be: if anyone serve Me the Father will honor him."
This verse means that whoever will share in Christ's suffering, him the Father will honor in the future. The key idea in these two verses [25, 26] is that the believer who identifies with Christ to the extent of putting Him first in their living, that is, not for this world and its goods, but looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in all His glory. We must live for Christ, putting the Kingdom of God before the kingdoms of this world, in order to receive the special reward from the Father, of receiving His honor. Paul put this idea of identifying with Christ most clearly in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself for me" [NASB].
"When I see a Christian who mortgages every dime he has to own every gadget to live in luxury down here, I wonder how he can be waiting for the Lord to come, and hoping for it with real anticipation. 'He that loveth his life shall lose it" (T.T.B. J. Vernon McGee)
The Son of Man Must be Lifted Up
Verse 27, "Now is My soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour."
LGT "Now My soul is grieved, and what will I say? Father, deliver Me out of this hour? But because of this I came unto this hour."
The grief that Christ was suffering was not at the hands of the men who would crucify Him, but it was the grief of suffering for your sins and mine. We cannot comprehend the spiritual suffering Christ would experience when He would be separated from His Father for that three hours of darkness while He paid for our sins. Our minds cannot comprehend what price Christ paid on Calvary when all our sins that we have ever committed, and are now committing, and will commit in the future, were poured out on Him, causing Him to die spiritually for us all.
"It was highly useful, and even necessary for our salvation, that the Son of God should have experience of such feelings. In His death we ought chiefly to consider His atonement, by which He appeased the wrath and curse of God, which He could not have done, without taking upon Himself our guilt. The death which He underwent must therefore have been full of horror, because He could not render satisfaction for us, without feeling, in His own experience, the dreadful judgment of God; and hence we come to know more fully the enormity of sin, for which the Heavenly Father exacted so dreadful a punishment from His only-begotten Son. Let us therefore know, that death was not a sport and amusement to Christ, but that He endured the severest torments on our account" (John Calvin's Commentary on The Gospel of John).
This verse displays the true humanity of Christ. His question 'Father, save Me from this hour," was answered in the next phrase, 'But for this cause came I unto this hour.' Christ suffered as no man could because He did not posses a sin nature. We who do posses a sin nature cannot comprehend this. This question Christ asked was to demonstrate that even though He feared the death of the Cross, it was for this reason that He came; Jesus came into this world in order to die for you and me.
"The sentiment conveyed, then, by the prayer, in both cases is twofold: First, that only one thing could reconcile Him to the death of the Cross - its being His Father's will that He should endure it - and, next, that in view of it He yielded Himself freely to it. He recoils, not from subjection to His Father's will, but to show how tremendous a self-sacrifice that obedience involved. He first asks the Father to save Him from it, and then signifies how perfectly He knows that He is there for the very purpose of enduring it. Only by letting these mysterious words speak their full meaning do they become intelligible and consistent. As for those who see no bitter elements in the death of Christ- nothing beyond mere dying - what can they make of such a scene? And when they place it over against the feelings with which thousands of His adoring followers have welcomed death for His sake, how can they hold Him up to the admiration of men?" (David Brown - JFB).
Pentecost adds: "In contemplation of all that was involved in His approaching death, Christ experienced a surge of emotion that drove Him to His Father in prayer. Prayer is an attitude of utter dependence on God. Christ entered into death fully dependent on His Father. He did not petition that He might be saved from death, for He had come into the world to die. But He did pray, 'Father glorify your name!"
Verse 28, "Father, glorify Thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again."
LGT "Father, glorify your name. Therefore came a voice out from the heaven, I have both glorified and will again glorify [it]"
In the mind of Christ the most important of all His thoughts was that His Father's name would be made manifest (glorified). The voice of the Father comes out from heaven assuring His Son that not only has His name been glorified, but that the work that the Son was about to accomplish would eternally glorify His name. Robertson says, "This definite assurance from the Father will nerve the soul of Jesus for the coming ordeal."
"Heaven couldn't remain silent but had to respond. God answered audibly. Have you noticed that God spoke to Him from out of heaven on three occasions: at the beginning, midway, and at the end of His ministry? Have you noticed that all three occasions are related to the death of Christ? The first was at His baptism when He was identifying Himself with sinful humanity. The second time was at His transfiguration when Elijah, Moses, and the Lord Jesus were talking about His decease, which He should accomplish in Jerusalem (see Luke 9:30-31). This third time, at the conclusion of His ministry, the Lord is talking about His death because His hour has come" (T. T. B. J. Vernon McGee).
Verse 29, "The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered" others said, An angel spake to Him."
LGT "Therefore the crowd that stood [there] and heard said that thunder came to pass, others said, An angel has spoken to Him."
The people in the crowd heard the voice but could not make it out, as in the case of Paul on the road to Damascus. Even today, as God is speaking through His Word, only His children can recognize His voice.
Verse 30, "Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of Me, but for your sakes."
LGT "Jesus answered and said, Not because of Me this voice has come but because of you [for your sake]."
What Jesus is saying here is, not for My sake alone, but for yours also this voice has come. Christ is saying that it is the people who need this assurance from God, but only those who believe will benefit.
Verse 31, "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out."
LGT "Now is the judgment of this world, now the prince of this world will be cast clean out."
Satan is the 'Prince of this world.' In Ephesians 2:2, Paul writes, "In which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience" (NASB). In the wilderness when Satan tempted Jesus (Matt. 4:8-10; Luke 4:5-8) He claimed supremacy over this world, and offered to share it with Jesus, and Jesus did not deny that Satan did have this world under his dominion; but now Jesus proclaims final victory over Satan.
"How is Satan, the prince of this world, cast out? I believe it is done gradually. When Christ died on the cross, I am convinced that Satan did not understand what was happening. What he thought would be a defeat turned out to be a victory. He lost the battle at the cross, which is the reason the Lord could say that the prince of this world is cast out. Then in Revelation 12:10 we are told that Satan will be cast out of heaven, which is the second stage. Then in Revelation 20:3, he will be cast into the bottomless pit, and in Revelation 20:10, he will be cast into the lake of fire. That is the last stage of his defeat. At the cross, his doom was sealed. The cross marks the victory of Christ and the defeat of Satan" (T. T. B. J. Vernon McGee).
Verse 32, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me."
LGT "And I if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to Myself."
This verse provides for some expositors a reason to disagree as to whether Christ is referring to being lifted up on the cross, or being lifted out from the earth in His ascension. I believe it is a moot point to argue; I believe He is making reference to the complete act of redemption, for His death on the cross would be meaningless if He hadn't been resurrected and ascended to the Father. When Jesus says that His death on the cross will draw all men to Himself, He means from every race, not just the Jews; He does not infer, as the liberals will teach, that all men will eventually be saved. Others will teach that His being lifted up means in honor, and that everyone who lifts Christ up in honoring His work will be saved; I believe this is a bit of a stretch of exegesis, but I will say that anyone who does believe in Christ and honor His death burial and resurrection, certainly will be saved.
Verse 33, "This He said, signifying what death He should die."
LGT "And this He said signifying by what death He was about to die."
Christ is describing the type of death He was about to die; this would be a death that would make it possible for anyone from any tribe on earth to be saved. Christ death was a redemptive death. "Thus the death of Christ was to glorify the Father, pass judgment on the world and Satan, and provide a way by which all may come to Him" (Pentecost).
Verse 34, "The people answered Him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest Thou, The Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?"
LGT "Therefore the crowd answering Him, We have heard out of the law that the Christ will remain forever, and how are you saying that it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?"
"We have heard out of the law"
This phrase is equivalent to We have heard from the OT Scriptures.
"That Christ abides forever:"
"The Lord [God] has sworn and will not change His mind, Thou [The Son] art a Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek" (Psalm 110:4). "There will be no end to the increase of His [Christ] government or of peace, on the throne of David and over His kingdom. To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this" (Isaiah 9:7). "And to Him [Christ] was given dominion, glory and a Kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His Kingdom is one which will not be destroyed" (Daniel 9:14). From these and many other OT Scriptures the people believed Christ would set up His kingdom when He came and His rule would be an eternal rule; they had no provision in their minds that He would have to die for them. These people wanted Jesus to set up His eternal Kingdom and put an end to the Roman oppression. They were so involved with their own present circumstances they had no provision in their thinking for Christ's Kingdom to be yet future.
"And how sayest Thou, The Son of Man must be lifted up?"
This shows how grotesque and monstrous their unbelief is. They claim to believe the OT Scriptures and now they wonder at Christ's statement that He must be lifted up from the earth. All they had to do is read the fifty third chapter of Isaiah to understand that the Messiah would have to be wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities, and that the chastisement for our well being fell upon Him, for with his scourging we are healed [NASB], in order for any to have eternal life.
"Who is this Son of Man?"
They continue their blasphemous unbelief with this ignorant question. McGee says they did not understand; I believe they did understand, but hatred for Christ blinded their eyes. Calvin notes, "This is a reproachful [fault finding] question, as if that short refutation [disclaimer] vanquished [defeated] Christ so completely that He had nothing more to say. This shows how haughty and arrogant their ignorance was; for it is as if they said, 'Go now, and boast that Thou art the Christ, since Thine own confession proves that Thou hast nothing to do with the Messiah.'" David Brown adds, "They saw very well both that He was holding Himself up as the Christ to die a violent death; and as that ran counter to all their ideas of the Messianic prophecies, they were glad to get this seeming advantage to justify their unyielding attitude."
Verse 35, "Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not wither he goeth."
LGT "Therefore Jesus said to them, Yet a little while the Light is among you. Walk around as you have the Light, in order that the darkness does not overtake you: And the one who is walking around in the darkness is not knowing where he is going."
"Yet a little while is the light with you."
Jesus does not argue doctrine with these men; instead of answering their question He warns them. They are so full of hatred that they would not understand anything He might try and teach them. Jesus uses the metaphor [symbol] He used in (8:12) of being the Light of the world here to stress the urgency of the people turning to Him while the time is at hand (Robertson).
"Walk while ye have the light,"
Here Jesus is at the end of His earthly life and He is admonishing the people to take advantage of the Light while He is yet with them. Calvin writes, "When He says that the Light is with them, He indirectly reproves them for closing their eyes and shutting out the Light; and thus He declares that they do not deserve an answer to their objection of their own accord they seek an opportunity of falling into error."
"Lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not wither he goeth."
All who refuse the Light are engulfed in darkness and they walk around in deliberate unbelief, which is total darkness. All unbelief is darkness, darkness of spiritual phenomenon, and darkness of physical reality. Try and reason with an unbeliever and all you will get is foolishness. At this time Christ is warning the unbeliever of walking around wandering to and fro with no course to follow; in our day the unbeliever is still walking around in darkness because they refuse the True Light of the Scriptures. The unbeliever in every age is without an excuse because God has revealed His Son to every age in a perfect revelation. In the OT the Son was revealed in the Law and the Prophets by symbols and signs; in the NT the Son is revealed as fulfilling all that the OT Prophets foretold.
Verse 36, "While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide Himself from them."
LGT "As you are having the Light, believe in the Light, in order that sons of Light you may become. These things Jesus spoke, and going away was hid from them."
Jesus urges them to believe that he is the Light in order that they may become children of the Light. "Instead of answering their question, He warns them, with mingled majesty and tenderness, against trifling with their last brief opportunity, and entreats them to let in the Light while they had it in the midst of them, that themselves might be Light in the Lord" (David Brown).
"These things spake Jesus, and departed, and hid Himself from them."
These words end the public ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus will not appear publicly again until His Second Advent when He comes back and sets up His Millennial Reign on earth for one thousand years. Jesus had no need to hide Himself from His disciples; it was from the religious rulers He made Himself scarce. He left the unbelieving crowd to spend the remaining time He had left to spend with His friends, the ones who believed on Him.
The Unbelief of the Jews
Verse 37, "But though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him."
LGT "But so many signs He had done before them they kept on not believing on Him."
This verse proves that faith does not proceed from the normal capacity of man. Even though He proved who He was by the many miracles He performed, the ones who were so stupid did not believe on Him. Man does not accept Christ through human reason or logic; belief can only come through faith created by the Holy Spirit.
Verse 38, "That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?"
LGT "In order that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled which he said, Lord, who believed our report? And the arm of the Lord to whom was it revealed?"
John is quoting Isaiah 53:1; Paul also quoted this prophesy of Isaiah in Romans 10:16.
"Lord, who hath believed our report?"
This first clause Isaiah speaks with amazement that all that the Prophets spoke about Christ, and all that has been spoken since Christ has fulfilled prophecy, the majority has not accepted. This statement of John's is a direct fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy.
"And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?"
The 'arm of the Lord' speaks of the miracles that Jesus performed. The 'arm of the Lord' displays the power of God. The Word of God nor the power of God has not convinced men. Nothing but faith in the finished work of Christ can reveal the truth to our hearts. Christ spoke directly to the Jews and displayed His miraculous power and they still would not believe.
Verse 39, "Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
LGT "Because of this they could not believe, because again said Esaias."
John is not releasing the Jews of their responsibility of believing; He is just saying that the prophecy of Isaiah must be fulfilled. Those who will not hear will become more and more set against the truth the more they hear it. The word was not given them to the purpose they would harden their hearts; this is just the result of their stubbornness.
Verse 40, "He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them."
LGT "He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, in order that they should not see with the eyes and understand with the heart and be converted, and I should heal them."
John is quoting Isaiah 6:9 where the Lord sent Isaiah to a stiff necked and obstinate stubborn people. Again, it is not the intention of the Lord ever to give His message with the purpose of having an negative effect on anyone; to those who respond to the words of salvation positively it is sweet music to their ears, but to the obstinate and stubborn who will not believe the effect is always negative, so that the unbeliever becomes the more set against God. The more the children of Satan hear God's Word, the more they hate God, and it is as simple and yet perplexing and puzzling as that. The Word of God is intended to heal, and yet, it has the opposite effect in the mind of the unbeliever.
Verse 41, "These things said Esaias, when he saw His glory, and spake of Him."
LGT "These things said Esaias because he saw His glory, and spoke concerning Him."
Isaiah saw the glory of the Messiah in a vision and this is the reason he wrote these words. As in his day, Isaiah knew the Jews would not receive his message, just as he foresaw that the Jews would see Christ face to face and still reject Him.
"For verse 41 suggests that the one who 'has blinded their eyes and made their heart obtuse (dull-witted)' is Jesus. It was Him says John, that Isaiah spoke on this occasion, 'because he saw His glory'. The reference is to Isaiah 6:1, where the prophet says 'I saw the Lord'. John gives the word its full force and says that the Lord whose 'glory' Isaiah saw was Jesus: Isaiah, like Abraham before him, rejoiced to see the day of Christ (John 8:56), for, like John and his fellow-disciples in the fullness of time, he too was permitted to behold His glory (cf. John 1:14)" (The Gospel and Epistles of John F. F. Bruce).
Verse 42, "Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:"
LGT "But for all that indeed even from among the rulers many believed on Him, but because of the Pharisees they confessed not in order that they should not be put out of the synagogue."
In spite of what had already been said many of the rulers believed. Now the rulers would not confess (acknowledge) that they did believe for fear of being cast out of the synagogue by the Pharisees. These religious rulers certainly did not have the courage of their convictions, for they were more afraid of the puny Pharisees than of God.
Verse 43, "For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."
LGT "For they valued the glory of men above than the glory of God."
This verse explains exactly what the motive is behind the elders refusing to acknowledge that they believe Christ is who He says He is. They are afraid of not being accepted by their religious society. There are many Christians today who continue going to a certain sectarian group because they have many friends who attend, and they don't want to be regarded as a kook or religious nut if they disagree with this group, and leave their fellowship to find a Bible study they might find beneficial. If the truth were known, we might find that all religion is not of God. The reason men started sects in the first place is that they found certain pet doctrines in the Bible they regarded as more important than others, and they went off and started us four and no more. God's divine plan for all believers is that they worship in Spirit and in Truth together as a family.
Judgment by Jesus' Word
Verse 44, "Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on Me, believeth not on Me, but on Him that sent Me."
LGT "But Jesus cried out and said, The one who is believing on Me is not believing on Me alone but also on the One who sent Me."
"This is not meant to relate a reappearance of Jesus in public. The close of His public ministry is noted at verse 36. It is in continuation of the Apostle John's own remarks, and introduces a summary of Jesus' past teaching to the Jews" (Vincent). The Jews claim to believe in God the Father, but they refuse to believe in Jesus, the Son of God. If anyone does not believe in the Son, he cannot believe in the Father. The question has been brought up in the news quite often whether the Jews are going to hell if they don't believe in Jesus; the answer according to God's Word is a resounding 'yes.' Not only are the Jews going to hell, but also every one who refuses to accept the work of Jesus Christ on Calvary.
Verse 45, "And he that seeth Me seeth Him that sent Me."
LGT "And the one who sees Me sees the One who sent Me."
Here Jesus is claiming His Deity loud and clear. The term sees is the same as to say having knowledge.
Verse 46, "I am come a Light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness."
LGT "I am the Light having come into the world, in order that anyone who believes on Me in darkness will not remain."
"Jesus repeats His amazing statement that He is the Light of the world (and it is most important for Christ to mention this fact so many times). This is an extension of the time that He opened the eyes of the blind man. He will open the eyes of any who are willing to admit that they are blind and that they need the Light of the world" (McGee).
"The term whosoever, appears to have been added on purpose, partly, that all believers, without exception, may enjoy this benefit in common, and partly, to show that the reason why unbelievers perish in darkness is, that, of their own accord, they forsake the Light. Now, if the whole wisdom of the world were collected into one mass, not a single ray of the true Light would be found; but, on the contrary, it will be a confused chaos; for it belongs to Christ alone to deliver us from darkness" (John Calvin's Commentary on the Gospel of John).
Verse 47, "And if any man hear My words, and believe not, I judge him not; for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world."
LGT "And if anyone is hearing My word and does not keep (them), I judge him not: for I came not in order to judge the world, but in order to save the world."
The main purpose for the first advent of Christ is to offer Salvation to the world, for He will come the second time to judge the world. The aorist tense in the second phrase I came states the purpose of His first coming, that is, to save the world. He is saying 'I came not so much to judge, but to save' (Vincent). Although Jesus going to the cross judges Satan, mankind is not, because it is through the cross that all may believe and be saved. Now is the day of salvation, and for everyone who rejects this day, the Day of Judgment awaits.
Verse 48, "He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath One that judgeth him; the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."
LGT "The one who rejects Me and does not receive My words is having the One judging him: the word which I have spoken that [same word] will judge him in the last day."
"He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words,"
The Greek word for reject is atheteo and it means to render null and void. So the one who rejects is saying that Christ's words are fictitious and have absolutely no meaning for them.
"Hath One that judgeth him;"
The ones who hear the word of the Lord and receive it will never see death; and the ones who reject Christ will never see life. It all boils down to what will we do with the word of the Lord. It is the 'Word' that will judge. It will not be our works that are judged, but what we did with the Lord Jesus Christ.
"The same shall judge him in the last day."
"The word of judgment on the last day, therefore, is not different from the word of life already sounded forth. The message, which proclaims life to the believer, is the message, which proclaims judgment to the disobedient. To bestow life, not to execute judgment, was the purpose of the Son's coming into the world; nevertheless, judgment is the inevitable effect of His coming for those who turn their backs on life" (Bruce).
Verse 49, "For I have not spoken of Myself; but the Father which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak."
LGT "Because I have not spoken from Myself, but the Father who sent Me, Himself gave to me a commandment what I should say and what I should speak."
Jesus is saying in this verse that His Father gave Him a commandment of what He should say and how He was to say it (Vincent). Christ is very clear in this verse in distinguishing himself from His Father, which is, to claim His deity; He is different from the Father in that He is man, and He is different from man in that He is God.
Verse 50, "And I know that His commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto Me, so I speak."
LGT "And I know that His commandment is life everlasting. What therefore I speak, just as the Father said to Me, thus I speak."
The secret to Life is in the source, and the Father is the source even as the Father said unto Me, so I speak. Jesus Christ came to give Life, and the source of this life is in His Father. This verse beautifully describes the union between the Father and the Son. "He again applauds the fruit of His doctrine, that all may more willingly yield to it; and it is reasonable that wicked men should feel the vengeance of God, whom they now refuse to have as the Author of Life" (Calvin).
"Friend, we are going to be judged by the Word of God. We will not be judged by our little good works. We will not be judged by what we think religion is. No, we will be judged by the Word of God. Jesus came the first time as the Savior: 'I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.' The next time He will come as the Judge. The voice from heaven is still saying to us, ' This is My beloved Son hear ye Him' (Matt. 17:5)" [McGee].
"This paragraph, then, which summarizes the message of Jesus delivered in many discourses in the earlier part of the Gospel, forms an appropriate transition to the following division of the Gospel, in which Jesus turns from the unbelieving 'world' to reveal the Father's love to the inner circle of those who open their hearts to Him and His revelation" (Bruce).
When men reject the King, the King rejects them.
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