John 12

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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.

3Mary, therefore, took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed the feet of Jesus, 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 will my servant 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 for this cause I came to this time.

28Father, glorify your name!” Then there came a voice out of the sky, saying, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”

29The multitude therefore, 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 of the rulers many 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, the same 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.”

Commentary

12:1-11 Christ had formerly blamed Martha for being troubled with much serving. But she did not leave off serving, as some, who when found fault with for going too far in one way, peevishly run too far another way; she still served, but within hearing of Christ's gracious words. Mary gave a token of love to Christ, who had given real tokens of his love to her and her family. God's Anointed should be our Anointed. Has God poured on him the oil of gladness above his fellows, let us pour on him the ointment of our best affections. In Judas a foul sin is gilded over with a plausible pretence. We must not think that those do no acceptable service, who do it not in our way. The reigning love of money is heart-theft. The grace of Christ puts kind comments on pious words and actions, makes the best of what is amiss, and the most of what is good. Opportunities are to be improved; and those first and most vigorously, which are likely to be the shortest. To consult to hinder the further effect of the miracle, by putting Lazarus to death, is such wickedness, malice, and folly, as cannot be explained, except by the desperate enmity of the human heart against God. They resolved that the man should die whom the Lord had raised to life. The success of the gospel often makes wicked men so angry, that they speak and act as if they hoped to obtain a victory over the Almighty himself.

"\nThere they made him a supper,.... At Bethany, in the house of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary; by whose order, and at whose charge it was prepared for him; and not in the house of Simon the leper, which was four days after this, Mt 26:2.\n\nAnd Martha served; who was always a busy, active, and stirring woman; and this she did, to testify her love to Christ, and great respect for him; otherwise, as she was a person of substance, she had servants enough to wait at table:\n\nbut Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him; and ate, and drank, and conversed; by which it appeared, that he was really risen from the dead, and was in a good state of health.\n\n\n "

2. Martha served—This, with what is afterwards said of Mary's way of honoring her Lord, is so true to the character in which those two women appear in Lu 10:38-42, as to constitute one of the strongest and most delightful confirmations of the truth of both narratives. (See also on Joh 11:20).Lazarus … sat at the table—"Between the raised Lazarus and the healed leper (Simon, Mr 14:3), the Lord probably sits as between two trophies of His glory" [Stier].

12:2 It seems Martha was a person of some figure, from the great respect which was paid to her and her sister, in visits and condolences on Lazarus's death, as well as from the costly ointment mentioned in the next verse . And probably it was at their house our Lord and his disciples lodged, when he returned from Jerusalem to Bethany, every evening of the last week of his life, upon which he was now entered.

"\nThen took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard very costly,.... Worth three hundred pence, according to Judas's estimation of it. This Mary was the other sister of Lazarus; [See comments on Mt 26:7],\n[See comments on Mr 14:3], concerning the nature and value of this ointment:\n\nand anointed the feet of Jesus; as he lay upon the bed or couch, at supper:\n\nand wiped his feet with her hair; [See comments on Lu 7:38].\n\nAnd the house was filled with the odour of the ointment; see So 1:3; ointment of spikenard was very odoriferous: this may be an emblem of the sweet savour of Christ, in the ministration of the Gospel, throughout the whole world.\n\n\n "

"\nThen saith one of his disciples,.... Who had no true love for his master, was an hypocrite, and a covetous person:\n\nJudas Iscariot; so called, to distinguish him from another Judas, an apostle; [See comments on Mt 10:4].\n\nSimon's [son]; this is omitted in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions; [See comments on Joh 13:2];\n\nwhich should betray him; and so he did; this was pre-determined by God, foretold in prophecy, and foreknown by Christ; and is observed here, to show the temper and character of the man.\n\n\n "

12:3 Then Mary, taking a pound of ointment - There were two persons who poured ointment on Christ. One toward the beginning of his ministry, at or near Nain, Luke 7:37, and c. The other six days before his last passover, at Bethany; the account of whom is given here, as well as by St. Matthew and Mark.

3. spikenard—or pure nard, a celebrated aromatic (So 1:12).anointed the feet of Jesus—and "poured it on His head" (Mt 26:7; Mr 14:3). The only use of this was to refresh and exhilarate—a grateful compliment in the East, amidst the closeness of a heated atmosphere, with many guests at a feast. Such was the form in which Mary's love to Christ, at so much cost to herself, poured itself out.

"\nWhy was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence,.... Meaning Roman pence, one of which is, of the value of our money, seven pence halfpenny; so that three hundred pence amount to nine pounds seven shillings and six pence:\n\nand given to the poor? this was his pretence, and with which he covered himself; his uneasiness was, because it was not sold, and the money put into his hands, as appears by what follows.\n\n\n "

"\nThis he said, not that he cared for the poor,....

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Translations8 · 5

AMHEVG ከፋሲካም በፊት በስድስተኛው ቀን ኢየሱስ ከሙታን ያስነሣው አልዓዛር ወደ ነበረበት ወደ ቢታንያ መጣ። አማርኛ ENGNIV Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. English BCV ሽዑ ኢየሱስ ሽዱሽተ መዓልቲ ቕድሚ ፋሲካ፥ ናብታ ንሱ ኻብ ምዉታን ዘተስኦ ኣልኣዛር ዘለዋ፥ ቢታንያ ናብ ዝተብሃለት ዓዲ ኸደ። ትግርኛ GAZBIB Ayyaaneffamuu Faasiikaa guyyaa ja'aan jiru, Yesus Bitaaniyaa iddoo Alaazaar ture dhaqe; inni isa Yesus warra du'an kees… Afaan Oromoo BCV GIZ ወእምዝ ሖረ እግዚእ ኢየሱስ እምቅድመ ሰዱስ መዋዕል ዘፋሲካ ወበጽሐ ቢታንያ ኀበ ሀሎ አልዓዛር ዘአንሥኦ እምነ ምዉታን። giz GAZGAZ Ayyaaneffamuu Faasiikaa guyyaa ja'aan jiru, Yesus Bitaaniyaa iddoo Alaazaar ture dhaqe; inni isa Yesus warra du'an kees… Afaan Oromoo BCV aksum ሽዑ ኢየሱስ ሽዱሽተ መዓልቲ ቕድሚ ፋሲካ፥ ናብታ ንሱ ኻብ ምዉታን ዘተስኦ ኣልኣዛር ዘለዋ፥ ቢታንያ ናብ ዝተብሃለት ዓዲ ኸደ። ትግርኛ AMHNIV የፋሲካ በዓል ስድስት ቀን ሲቀረው ኢየሱስ፣ ከሞት ያስነሣው አልዓዛር ወደሚኖርበት፣ ወደ ቢታንያ መጣ። አማርኛ