*Clarified to observe modern standards of sentence structure, punctuation and grammar.
All text in Green is linked and can be clicked on.
12:1 Now six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany where Lazarus was, who had been dead and whom He had raised from the dead.
12:2 There they made him a supper, and Martha served. And Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.
12:3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly ointment of spikenard and anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the odor of the ointment.
12:4 Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said,
12:5 "Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence and given to the poor?"
12:6 He said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief; he had the money bag, and took from what was put in it.
12:7 Then Jesus said, "Leave her alone; she has kept this in preparation for the day of my burying.
12:8 For the poor you have with you always, but you do not always have me."
12:9 Now many of the Jewish people knew that Jesus was there; and they came, not only for Jesus' sake, but also so that they might see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.
12:10 But the chief priests plotted how they might also put Lazarus to death,
12:11 For on account of Lazarus, many of the Jews had departed from them, believing in Jesus.
12:12 Now the next day many people came to the Feast. And when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
12:13 They took branches of palm trees, and went out to meet Him and cried, "Hosanna, Blessed is the King of Israel who comes in the name of the Lord."
12:14 And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat on it; as it is written,
12:15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King comes, sitting on an ass's colt."
12:16 His disciples did not understand these things at the first; but when Jesus was later glorified, then they remembered these things had been written about Him, and that they had been done to Him.
12:17 Now the people who had been with Him when he called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, continued telling others of it.
12:18 And because they heard that He had done this miracle, the people went out to meet Him.
12:19 Therefore the Pharisees said among themselves, "Do you perceive how our efforts amount to nothing? Behold, the whole world has gone after Him."1
12:20 Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the Feast.
12:21 And they came to Philip, who was of Bethsaida of Galilee and said to him, "Sir, we desire to see Jesus."
12:22 So Philip went and told Andrew, and then Andrew and Philip told Jesus.
12:23 And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified.
12:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, except a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it yields many more grains to harvest.
12:25 He who loves his life shall lose it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal.
12:26 If any man wants to serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there my servant will also be.2 If any man serves me, my Father will honor him.
12:27 Now my soul is troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.
12:28 Father, glorify your name." Then there came a voice from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again."
12:29 The people who stood by and heard it, said, "It thundered;" others said, "An angel spoke to him."
12:30 Jesus answered and said, "This voice has not come for me, but for your sakes.
12:31 Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out.
12:32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to me."
12:33 He said this, signifying what death he would die.
12:34 Then the people answered him, "We have heard out of the law that Christ abides forever; so how can you say, "The Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?"
12:35 So Jesus said to them, "For a little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overcome you, because he who walks in darkness does not knows where he is going.
12:36 While you have light, believe in [depend on, trust and obey] the light, that you may become the children of light." Jesus spoke these thing and then departed to hide himself from them.
12:37 And although he had done so many miracles before them, yet they still did not believe in him.
12:38 Thus the the word of Isaiah the prophet was fulfilled: "Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
12:39 Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again,
12:40 "He has 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."
12:41 These things Isaiah said, when he foresaw Jesus' glory and prophesied of him.
12:42 Nevertheless even among the chief rulers many also believed in him; but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess him for fear they would be put out of the synagogue.
12:43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.3
12:44 Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me.
12:45 And he who sees me, sees Him who sent me.
12:46 I have come as a light into the world, so that whoever believes [depends on, trusts, obeys] in me should not abide in darkness.
12:47 If anyone hears my words, and does not keep [practice, obey] them, I do not judge him; for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
12:48 He who rejects me and does not receive not my words, has one for his judge - the words that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.4
12:49 For I have not spoken of myself, but from the Father who sent me and commanded me what I should say and what I should speak.
12:50 And I know that [to obey] his command is life everlasting. Therefore, whatever I speak is just as the Father has told me to speak."5 [Jesus did nothing in his will, only by the Father's will; this is what it means when you pray: thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. We have to learn and be changed to be able to only do the Father's will on earth, the same as the Father's will is done in heaven by the angels.]
_______________________________________
For a parallel view of this chapter in several Bibles displayed in parallel, click here. Bibles are KJV, New Intl, Amp, and New KJV.
1 the Pharisees said among themselves, "Do you perceive how our efforts amount to nothing? Behold, the whole world has gone after him." The Pharisees are getting worried that Jesus will put them out of a job; that they will lose their income; and that they will no longer have power over the people. Their solution? To call Jesus a blasphemer and kill him, which the Jews had repeatedly done to the prophets of the past, even sawing Isaiah in half with a wooden saw while alive. A man born of the flesh is threatened by a man born of the spirit. The man of the flesh is particularly threatened when a man of the spirit tells him that:
- in his flesh he is not pleasing to God; that God's wrath will come down on him;
- that his religious ceremonies, rituals, and sacrifices are hated by God; and
- that his lips speak insincere lies of praises to God, while his heart remains full of lust, greed, anger, immorality, lies, etc.
2 In this verse (John 12:26) Jesus says that if his servants follow him (through the inward cross), they will be with him wherever is — in the Kingdom of heaven, even while they are alive on earth. As does:
- Father, I will that they also whom you have entrusted to me may be with me where I am, so they may see my glory, which you have given me - your love gift to me - for you loved me before the foundation of the world. John 17:24,
- I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. John 14:3. and,
- I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you will keep and protect them from evil ...Sanctify them. John 17:15-17. (This is being translated into the Kingdom of Christ).
3 For they loved the praise of men rather than the praise of God. When you truly follow the Lord Jesus, you will be opposed to the false sects of Christendom, just like Jesus was in conflict with Judaism. You will be hated, you will be persecuted, you will be reviled, particularly from the "religious people." To follow Jesus, you must love the praise of God and be immune to the opinions of men. But those who love the praise of men, will not truly follow Jesus, because they do not hunger for the approval of God, they do not hunger for His righteousness, and they do not seek His righteousness.
4 He who rejects me and does not receive not my words, has one for his judge - the words that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
God speaks to all men at some point(s) in their lives. He speaks from the Word and Light within every man's heart.
He speaks with words and also with accompanying visions. He reasons with men against their evil ways.
There is a record of all these words and messages kept within a man.
When the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
(Not just a particular generation.)
2000 years ago Jesus said: Some standing here shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. Mat 16:27-8,Mar 8:38,9:1,Luke 9:26-27
Those not purified, to see Jesus' coming in them before death, see him as they die, as all peoples, all nations, all generations do.
Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye will see him, and also those who pierced him; (also, the Jews 2000 years ago)
and all peoples of the earth will wail because of him. Even so, Amen. Rev 1:7.
2000 years ago, to the Jewish High Priest and the Pharisees at his trial, Jesus said..
you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven. Mark 14:62
This is not a particular generation in our time or later. (See Howgill for more on the Day of the Lord for those not purified).
The Day of the Lord occurs, when all men are judged according to their works.
Those who have obeyed his words progress to purification and the death of their selfish nature to be translated into the Kingdom of Christ while alive still on earth. Those who have disobeyed his words, die in their selfish nature and are condemned on the last day by the words they have disobeyed and ignored.
The Spirit of God visits every man, in the day of his visitation. As Jesus said: Behold, I stand at the door, and knock. If any man hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Rev 3:20. God is fair. God is just. God is righteous. He would knock equally at every man's heart. He visits every man. He reasons with every man. Every man has his chance. The day of visitation can come from a true preacher, with spoken or written words supplied by the Spirit of God, or directly in a man's heart from the Spirit of Christ. At judgment, every man will remember his day of visitation.5 For I have not spoken of myself, but from the Father who sent me and commanded me what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that [to obey] his command is life everlasting. Therefore, whatever I speak is just as the Father has told me to speak. Even Jesus did not judge, speak, or act without the Spirit's specific prompting. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, John 5:30
whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak. John 12:49-50
the Son is able to do nothing of Himself (of His own accord);
but He [the son] is able to do only what He sees the Father doing, John 5:19
He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory,
but he who seeks the glory of the One who sent him,
that man is true, and there is no unrighteousness is in him. John 7:18.
Any man who speaks of God or Christ without the Spirit's specific promptings is seeking his own glory,
and he is estimating himself to be greater than Christ,
for Christ said: The disciple is not above his master, but everyone who is perfect [purified, restored to the spiritual image of God, specifically authorized, and perfected] will be like his master. Luke 6:40.
The preachers of Christendom stand condemned for seeking their own glory and then accepting pay for their worthless words; when to even charge for true words of life like Balaam, spoken from the spirit of God, is expressly forbidden by Peter and Jesus. Seeking their own glory, the preachers of Christendom speak from their carnal minds, the nature of death, and preach their opinions from the vain imaginations of their evil hearts.[to obey] his commands is life everlasting. Jesus said, The world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. John 14:31. Just as Jesus was obedient, so we also must be obedient for only by obedience is salvation attained:
If you keep my commands, you shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commands, and abide in his love. John 15:10.
If a man loves me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our home with him. John 14:24.
Blessed are those who do His commands, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. Rev 22:14.
And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commands of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Rev 12:17.
Listen to and obey My voice, and I will be your God and you will be My people; and walk in the whole way that I command you. Jer 7:23.
Previous Chapter/Next Chapter
Bible Book Index