Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration
Parallel translations
- WEB Now there were certain Greeks among those that went up to worship at the feast.
- KJV And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:
- BSB Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the feast.
- NKJV Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast.
- NASB Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast;
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Certain Greeks among the festival worshipers appear. Their presence signals the gospel reaching beyond Israel.
Overview
These Greeks, likely Gentile God-fearers attending Passover, introduce a turning point. Their desire to see Jesus echoes the Pharisees' words that the world is going after him. The episode anticipates the inclusion of the nations through Jesus' death, the gathering of God's scattered children.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- John 7:35The Jews therefore said among themselves, “Where will this man go that we won’t find him? Will he go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?
- Isa 11:10It will happen in that day that the nations will seek the root of Jesse, who stands as a banner of the peoples; and his resting place will be glorious.
- Acts 17:4Some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas, of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and not a few of the chief women.
- 1 Kgs 8:41–43“Moreover concerning the foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, when he comes out of a far country for your name’s sake
- Acts 8:27He arose and went; and behold, there was a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship.
- Mark 7:26Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter.
- Gal 2:3But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.
- Isa 60:2–14For, behold, darkness will cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but Yahweh will arise on you, and his glory shall be seen on you.
- Acts 14:1In Iconium, they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed.
- Acts 20:21testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus.
- Acts 16:1He came to Derbe and Lystra: and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess who believed; but his father was a Greek.
- Acts 21:28crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place. Moreover, he also brought Greeks into the temple, and has defiled this holy place!”
- Rom 10:12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him.
- Gal 3:28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
- Col 3:11where there can’t be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondservant, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all.
- Rom 1:16For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.
- Isa 66:19–21“I will set a sign among them, and I will send those who escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to far-away islands, who have not heard my fame, nor have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.
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John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 12:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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