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JOHN 12:3
but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 3 Then c Mary took a pound of very costly oil of d spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4 e But one of His disciples, Judas Iscari ot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for 2 three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and f had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. 7 But Je sus said, “Let her alone; 3 she has kept this for the day of My burial. 8 g For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.” 9 Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, h whom He had raised from the dead. 10 i But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, 11 j because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus. The Triumphal Entry Matt. 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-38 12 k The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Je sus was coming to Je ru sa lem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:
“ Hosanna! l‘ Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ The King of Israel!”
3 c Luke 10:38, 39; John 11:2 d Song 1:12 4 e John 13:26 5 2 About one year’s wages for a worker 6 f John 13:29 7 3 NU that she may keep 8 g Deut. 15:11; Matt. 26:11; Mark 14:7; John 17:11 9 h John 11:43, 44 10 i Luke 16:31 11 j John 11:45; 12:18 12 k Matt. 21:4-9; Mark 11:7-10; Luke 19:35-38 13 l Ps. 118:25, 26 14 m Matt. 21:7 15 n Is. 40:9; Zech. 9:9 16 o Luke 18:34 p John 7:39; 12:23 q [John 14:26] 18 r John 12:11 19 s John 11:47, 48 20 t Mark 7:26; Acts 17:4 u 1 Kin. 8:41, 42; Acts 8:27 21 v John 1:43, 44; 14:8-11 23 w Matt. 26:18, 45; John 13:32; Acts 3:13 24 x [Rom. 14:9]; 1 Cor. 15:36 4 Lit. fruit 25 y Matt. 10:39; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24
12:3 very costly oil: Judas Iscariot said that this oil cost three hundred denarii (v. 5). One denarius was a laborer’s wage for one day (see Matt. 20:2). Thus the oil cost approximately a year’s wages. anointed the feet: Mary also anointed Jesus’ head (see Matt. 26:7; Mark 14:3). The custom of that time was to anoint the heads of guests. Anointing Jesus’ head was an act of honor; anointing His feet was a display of devotion. 12:7 My burial: Anointing was the first stage of embalming (19:39). Whether Mary knew it or not, she was anticipating Jesus’ death, which would come within the week. 12:8 the poor you have with you always: We will never lack an opportunity to care for the poor (see Deut. 15:11). 12:10, 11 plotted to put Lazarus to death also: The chief priests were mostly Sadducees. They had an additional reason to kill Lazarus. He was a living refutation of their doctrine that there was no resurrection (see 11:57; Acts 23:8). Yet this was not a meeting of the Jewish council, nor was it a formal sentence of death. on account of him: The ultimate motivation for wanting to kill Lazarus was that because of him many were believing in Jesus. Went away implies that these individuals were withdrawing from the Jewish leaders. 12:13–15 took branches of palm trees: This was the Sunday before Christ arose, today called Palm Sunday. cried out . . . King of Israel: Until this point, Jesus had discouraged expressions of support from the people (6:15; 7:1–8). Here He allowed pub-
14 m Then Je sus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:
“ Fear n not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”
15
16 o His disciples did not understand these things at first; p but when Jesus was glorified, q then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. 17 There fore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. 18 r For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign. 19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, s “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!” 20 t Now there were certain Greeks among those u who came up to worship at the feast. 21 Then they came to Philip, v who was from Beth saida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip came and told An drew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.
The Messiah Teaches 23 But Je sus answered them, saying, w “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. 24 Most assuredly, I say to you, x unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much 4 grain. 25 y He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this
lic enthusiasm. He entered Jerusalem on the back of a young donkey. This act fulfilled prophecy (see Zech. 9:9) and as such was a symbolic proclamation that Jesus is the Messiah. 12:16 did not understand: The disciples did not catch the prophetic significance of Jesus’ act. when Jesus was glorified: After Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension, the disciples finally understood that the OT prophecies concerning the Messiah had been fulfilled in Jesus. 12:17–19 These verses explain the series of events that led to the condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus. 12:20 The fact that these Greeks came to Jerusalem to worship at the feast indicates that they were Jewish proselytes. By recording this incident, perhaps John was hinting that the salvation rejected by many of the Jews was already passing to the Gentiles. 12:23 The hour has come: Prior to this, Jesus had stated that His hour had not yet come (2:4; 7:6, 30; 8:20). Now the time had come for Christ to die and be raised from the dead (see 13:1; 16:32; 17:1). 12:24 unless a grain . . . dies: When a seed dies, it produces fruit. Life comes by death. This principle is true not only in nature, but it is also true spiritually. Jesus was speaking first and foremost of Himself. He is the grain of wheat. His death would produce much fruit and would result in many living for God. 12:25, 26 The phrase loves his life describes those who serve