John 12

Part of The Raising of Lazarus📖 John introduction

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¹Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. ✦ ²There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. ✦ ³Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. ✦ ⁴Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, ✦ ⁵Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? ✦ ⁶This 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. ✦ ⁷Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. ✦ ⁸For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always. ✦ ⁹Much 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. ✦ ¹⁰But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; ✦ ¹¹Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus. ✦ ¹²On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, ✦ ¹³Took 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. ✦ ¹⁴And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, ✦ ¹⁵Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt. ✦ ¹⁶These 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 unto him. ✦ ¹⁷The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. ✦ ¹⁸For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle. ✦ ¹⁹The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him. ✦ ²⁰And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: ✦ ²¹The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. ✦ ²²Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. ✦ ²³And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. ✦ ²⁴Verily, 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. ✦ ²⁵He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. ✦ ²⁶If 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 honour. ✦ ²⁷Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. ✦ ²⁸Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. ✦ ²⁹The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. ✦ ³⁰Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. ✦ ³¹Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. ✦ ³²And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. ✦ ³³This he said, signifying what death he should die. ✦ ³⁴The 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? ✦ ³⁵Then 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 whither he goeth. ✦ ³⁶While ye have 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. ✦ ³⁷But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: ✦ ³⁸That 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? ✦ ³⁹Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, ✦ ⁴⁰He 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. ✦ ⁴¹These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. ✦ ⁴²Nevertheless 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: ✦ ⁴³For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. ✦ ⁴⁴Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. ✦ ⁴⁵And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. ✦ ⁴⁶I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. ✦ ⁴⁷And 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. ✦ ⁴⁸He 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. ✦ ⁴⁹For 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. ✦ ⁵⁰And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. ✦

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Where this chapter connects

John 11 ·29 John 12 ·21 John 1 ·15 John 5 ·12 Matt 26 ·12 John 8 ·12 John 13 ·10 John 6 ·10

Christ at the center

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 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.

Resources, by level

Lay

★ Start hereDocumentaryFollowing the MessiahAppian Media · Free · evangelical
A free, beautifully shot 10-part series walking the lands of Jesus' life — Bethlehem, Galilee, Jerusalem, and more.
★ Start hereVideoBibleProject — video overviews & word studiesBibleProject · 5–10 min · Free · evangelical
Free animated overviews of every book of the Bible, plus themes and Hebrew/Greek word studies — the best visual on-ramp to any book. (Biblical-theology, broadly evangelical, not distinctly Reformed.)
★ Start hereAudioThrough the WordThrough the Word · ~10 min/chapter · Free · evangelical
A clear ~10-minute audio teaching for every one of the Bible's 1,189 chapters — the most systematic free way to study chapter by chapter.
DocumentaryHolyLandSiteHolyLandSite · Free · evangelical
Free on-location videos tying biblical events to the actual sites in Israel — the Temple Mount, Galilee, Capernaum, and more.
ApologeticsCold-Case Christianity (J. Warner Wallace)J. Warner Wallace · Free · evangelical
A cold-case homicide detective examines the Gospels' reliability — forensic faith for skeptics and seekers.

Pastoral

★ Start hereSermonMLJ Trust — Martyn Lloyd-Jones sermonsMartyn Lloyd-Jones · Free · reformed
1,600+ free sermons from "the Doctor," including landmark verse-by-verse series (Romans, John, Ephesians, Acts) — a gold standard of expository preaching.
SermonGrace to You — John MacArthurJohn MacArthur · Free · reformed
Decades of careful verse-by-verse expository sermons, especially through the New Testament. (MacArthur, d. 2025; archive remains free.)
SermonGospel in Life — Tim KellerTim Keller · Free · reformed
Tim Keller's gospel-centered preaching — sermons stream free (the complete downloadable archive is paid).
ArticleRecommended NT commentaries (9Marks / Schreiner)Thomas R. Schreiner · Free · reformed
A trusted pastor-oriented guide to the best commentary on each New Testament book.
SermonChuck Smith — C2000 SeriesChuck Smith · Free · evangelical
Free verse-by-verse audio through the entire Bible from the founder of Calvary Chapel.
VideoVerse By Verse Ministry InternationalVerse By Verse Ministry Int'l · Free · evangelical
In-depth, verse-by-verse expository teaching book-by-book — strong for working straight through a whole New Testament book.
VideoLook at the Book — John PiperJohn Piper · Free · reformed
Watch Piper trace the logic of a passage phrase by phrase on screen — a model of close reading.

Seminary

★ Start hereApologeticsGary Habermas — the resurrectionGary Habermas · Free · evangelical
130+ free videos and lectures from the scholar behind the "minimal facts" method — the start-here on the historical evidence for the resurrection. (Only his books are paid.)
★ Start hereCommentaryThe Gospel According to John (Pillar NT Commentary)D. A. Carson · ~720 pp · Paid · reformed
The go-to mid-level exegetical commentary on John — rigorous and readable.

Commentaries & study tools

VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
VideoWatch teaching on John 12YouTube · Lay · Free
Sermons and chapter teaching from across YouTube.
CommentaryEnduring Word — John 12David Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical
Readable, verse-by-verse exposition of the whole chapter.
CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
ReferenceBlue Letter Bible — John 12Blue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free
Interlinear, lexicon, and study tools across the chapter.

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