Bible Commentaries
John 12

Verses 1-3

The Anointing of Jesus. John 12:1-11

Jesus at supper:

v. 1. Then Jesus, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom He raised from the dead.

v. 2. There they made Him a supper, and Martha served; but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with Him.

v. 3. Then took Mary 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 odor of the ointment.

See Mark 14:3-9. The evangelist marks the introduction to the great Passion of the Lord. It was six days before the festival of the Passover, which was celebrated by the Jews in commemoration of their deliverance out of Egypt. The Passover proper was celebrated on the evening of the 14th of Abib, or Nisan, the spring month, and was usually taken together with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, unless one wanted to differentiate for special reasons. Six days before this day, in this instance, was Saturday, the Sabbath of the Jews. Bethany was a favorite stopping-place of Jesus, since Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, His friends, were living there. The evangelist here notes especially that Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead, had his home in that town. The beloved Master, to whom the little family of disciples owed so much, was received also in this instance with every mark of loving respect. They made a supper for Him, an evening meal, after the close of the Sabbath. The busy Martha was hostess, she waited at table, the work in which she took the greatest pleasure, Luke 10:38-42. It is expressly stated that Lazarus was one of those that reclined at the table as one of the guests. There had been no illusion about his return to life. He was enjoying life and health as much as ever. While the meal was in progress, Mary, the other sister, came into the supper-room bearing a vessel containing one litra or libra (about eleven ounces avoirdupois) of genuine and very precious nard made from myrrh, the juice of the Arabian myrtle. This ointment was so costly and such a luxury that only the well-to-do could afford to use it for ordinary purposes. But Mary apparently paid no attention to this fact. As Jesus was reclining at the table, resting on His left arm, with His feet stretched somewhat to the rear, Mary not only anointed His head, as Mark and Matthew relate, but especially His feet. Profusely, lavishly, she used the precious ointment, and then wiped the Lord's feet with her hair. It was an act of spontaneous devotion and loving loyalty. Naturally, the odor of the ointment, used in such profusion, filled not only the room, but the entire house, thus attracting attention at once, also to the costliness of the offering. It is altogether well-pleasing to the Lord if people, for love of Him, bring offerings for the adornment of churches, where the congregation comes together for worship. The factor of utility must not be emphasized to the exclusion of all other considerations when churches are built.

Verses 4-8

The objection of Judas:

v. 4. Then saith one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray Him,

v. 5. Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

v. 6. This 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.

v. 7. Then said Jesus, Let her alone; against the day of My burying hath she kept this.

v. 8. For the poor always ye have with you; but Me ye have not always.

When Mary gave the wonderful evidence of her devotion to the Lord, all the disciples were more or less taken aback, Matthew 26:8. Their frugal manner of living immediately scented useless extravagance. But there was one in their midst, Judas of Kerioth, the son of Simon, who afterwards betrayed the Lord, that voiced his objections in no uncertain terms. The value of the ointment was three hundred denarii (fifty dollars or somewhat more). Devoid of all sentiment and real feeling as he was, Judas demanded why the ointment had not been sold for this sum, in order that the money might be given to the poor. But his apparent solicitude for the poor people was all sham, intended to mask the real interest which he felt, that of getting the money into his clutches. The poor were nothing to him; to them he did not devote one moment of anxious thought. Judas was a thief. As treasurer of the little band of disciples he carried the wallet for them all, had complete charge of all moneys. Since a system of auditing was hardly to be thought of, Judas could easily abstract small sums from time to time. And here he was obliged to see a splendid opportunity lost. Note: Judas is a warning example for all times. He undoubtedly had been a simple believer in Christ when first he was called to join the little band of disciples. But the temptations connected with the office which was entrusted to him proved too much for his endurance. His love of money, his covetousness, came to the front; he began to steal, and faith fled from his heart. But with faith gone and avarice reigning in the heart, it was an easy matter for the devil to take possession of Judas to such an extent that he betrayed the Savior. Jesus did not wish to expose Judas at this time, and therefore is satisfied with taking Mary's part and defending her action. He explained that the action of the woman was a part of the preparation for His burial, which was destined soon to take place. Far from censuring her, therefore, they should rather have commended her highly. And so far as the point raised by Judas was concerned: the poor they always had with them. There was always opportunity to do good to these unfortunates that were in destitute circumstances. But the presence of Jesus would soon be removed from them; there was but little time left to give Him special evidences of love and devotion. Thus this apparent extravagance, being occasional only, is fully justified. And the saying of Christ finds its application even today. It is self-evident that a congregation will take care of the poor in its own midst; but after this has been provided for, a little luxury in the interest of beautifying the services of the Lord is by no means displeasing to Him.

Verses 9-11

People come for the sake of Lazarus:

v. 9. Much 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.

v. 10. But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death,

v. 11. because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away and believed on Jesus.

In the course of the same evening, while Jesus was still in Bethany, many Jews came out from Jerusalem. The news of His coming had traveled ahead of Him, after the usual manner of such reports. But it was not only the interest in Jesus that brought them out, the compelling motive rather being a morbid curiosity to see that man Lazarus, of whom it was definitely reported that Christ had raised him from the dead, many Jews having been present. Although some time had passed by since that event, the miracle was still the great sensation. Here was a matter which again caused great uneasiness to the rulers of the Jews, whose spies were everywhere. This living witness was a powerful testimony for the almighty power of Jesus, and might thus become the reason why many people might come to faith in Christ. This must be prevented at all costs. And so the chief priests consulted about the matter and made the monstrous proposal, the cold-blooded resolution, to commit murder; for to put the innocent Lazarus to death was nothing short of that. Here the devilish character of self-hardening unbelief is evident. Rather than have more Jews desert their false cause and believe in Jesus, their Savior, these leaders of the Jewish nation devise one murderous scheme after the other. Whenever the enemies of Christ seek to harm Him and the preaching of His Gospel, even in our days, they always manage to concoct plausible reason to salve their own consciences, But their acts are murder and arson just the same, no matter what high-sounding names they invent to cover their crimes.

Verses 12-16

Christ's Entry into Jerusalem.

v. 12. On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

v. 13 took 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.

v. 14. And Jesus, when He had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written,

v. 15. Fear not, daughter of Sion; behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.

v. 16. These 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.

That Jesus had come as far as Bethany was now generally known in Jerusalem, and when He therefore set out for the capital the next morning, Sunday, a peculiar enthusiasm took hold of the pilgrims. A great multitude of people started out from the city to meet Him. As they went along the road, they took the branches, or fronds, symbols of victory and rejoicing which were borne by the celebrants at the great festivals, and went out to meet the Lord. In joyful exultation they broke forth into the strains of the last Hallel Psalm, thus unwittingly giving to Christ the honor due Him as the Helper and Savior, Psalms 118:25-26. For these words are a prophecy of Christ: Help, Lord; hail to the King, the Messiah! The entire demonstration was indeed only a momentary exultation. It was inspired by God for the sake of showing His Son the eventual homage which men would have to give Him at the final revealing of His glory, Php_2:9-11 . John does not relate the manner by which Jesus obtained the foal upon which He rode down to the city over the Mount of Olives, but calls attention to the prophecy which was thereby fulfilled, Zechariah 9:9. The daughter of Zion is the Church of Christ, the sum total of all believers in the salvation gained through His blood. The King is Jesus Himself, at that time still in poverty and humility, but still a King most mighty. His coming banishes all fear, for it means the subduing of all enemies. Only people must not get the idea that His kingdom is of this world, as a great many modern theological leaders are dreaming. "In His kingdom, in which He is King and Lord, He does not teach how we should till the soil, plow, sow, reap, attend to household matters, collect money, wage war, govern land and people, but places that it charge of worldly kings and lords. For Christ in His kingdom teaches us through His Word that we are poor, lost sinners, condemned to death, subject to the devil; but that He through His death and blood, has delivered us from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, in order that by faith in Him we should be justified and saved. " Though the disciples of Jesus joined in with the people, led them in the singing in fact, yet they did not understand the meaning of the demonstration at that time; It was only after Christ had entered into His glory, through His Passion and resurrection, that the minds of the disciples, having been illumined by the Spirit from on high, called all these things to remembrance and understood them in the light of the prophecy. Note: A Christian should never be discouraged if the sense of some passage in Scriptures seems to escape him, but should continue his eager quest for knowledge of God. The Spirit of God often opens up the meaning of a passage in a most remarkable way, and never without a resulting comforting and strengthening of faith.

Verses 17-19

Further results of the raising of Lazarus:

v. 17. The people therefore that was with Him when He called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record.

v. 18. For this cause the people also met Him for that they heard that He had done this miracle

v. 19. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? Behold, the world is gone after Him.

The ovation given to Jesus on the day of His entry into Jerusalem would probably never have reached such proportions, if it had not been for the fact that the witnesses of the raising of Lazarus spread the news on all sides. They had been present upon that occasion; they had heard the all of Jesus while the man still lay in his grave; they had seen Jesus raise the dead man and bring him back to life. This miracle therefore made Jesus the object of such great interest at this time, the knowledge that it had been performed brought many people out with the multitude that would under other circumstances have probably stayed at home. For the moment the sentiment was strongly in favor of Christ. And the Pharisees, the rulers of the people, had to acknowledge their helplessness in the face of such popular acclaim. Neither threatenings nor excommunications had any effect upon the people; they all, with one accord, took the side of Jesus. So the Pharisees had to admit their failure. In spite of all their crafty plans they could not get Jesus into their power. When His time had come, He came of His own free will, He took the suffering and death upon Himself for the benefit of the world. He delivered Himself into the hands of His enemies, just as He had planned it and at His time.

Verses 20-22

The First-Fruits of the Heathen.

The Greeks apply to the disciples:

v. 20. And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast.

v. 21. The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.

v. 22. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew; and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.

Certain Greeks there were among the crowds that came up to worship at the feast. They may have been men living in the Decapolis or in Galilee, men of pure Greek extraction, perhaps not even proselytes of the gate; they were heathen. But they had heard of the true God who was adored among the Jews. And they now had ample opportunity to hear also of Jesus, for all men were talking of Him and the great miracle which He had performed. They were acquainted with Philip, since his home was in Bethsaida, and they may have met him often in the North. Their wish was soon stated. They told Philip that they wished to see Jesus. Here was the desire of awakening faith, for they were not so much concerned about seeing Jesus with the eyes of their body as about the consummation of their hope to find in Him the Savior. Philip did not dare to decide the matter of introducing these Greeks to Jesus alone, so he called upon his fellow-townsman Andrew to help him decide. What made them hesitate to lay the request of the Greeks before the Lord was probably the prejudice which they, as members of the Jewish Church, had against all Gentiles. The many passages of the Old Testament which speak of the conversion of the Gentiles were at that tie hidden before their eyes. But after some consultation the two disciples decided to bringthe matter to the attention of the Master. Note: To this day it is often a hard matter for race and language prejudices to be overcome in the work of the Kingdom. It is necessary to be fully and absolutely convinced of the fact that Jesus is the Savior of the whole world in order to carry out one's missionary duty properly.

Verses 23-26

The hour of Christ's glorification:

v. 23. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come that the Son of Man should be glorified.

v. 24. Verily, 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.

v. 25. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

v. 26. If 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 honor.

Jesus was deeply moved by the request of the Greeks to become acquainted with Him, to know the Savior. It showed Him that the hour, the time, had come when He was to be taken from the world, the culmination of His life's work, His glorification through His suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension. For the general reception of the Gentiles into the Kingdom of Grace, according to Scriptures, was to be the work of the glorified Christ; after His entrance into glory He was to gather the scattered sheep among the Gentiles. But the way to this glory lay through death. Most solemnly the Lord declares that the full worth of a grain of seed is accomplished only through its apparent death and decay in the ground. Like a grain sown into the ground and decomposed, so is the death of the Savior. But His resurrection is like the blade which springs Up from the seemingly dead seed; and this blade brings forth an abundance of fruit. The head that was laid into the grave in deep sorrow has now been crowned with glory, and the glory of the exalted Son of Man will convert many Gentiles, Isaiah 11:1. But herein is an admonition also for the disciples, who are pledged to follow their Master. If any man love his soul, this present life, if he hopes to gain everything for himself in this world, he will lose the true life in and with Christ. It is one of the demands of Christian discipleship that all followers of Christ die unto this present life, with all it has to offer, daily. Only he that hateth his life in this present world, that is willing to give up and sacrifice everything for the sake of the Master, will guard and keep his soul unto life eternal. See Matthew 10:39; Matthew 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24; Luke 17:33. True service of Christ is shown in the following of Him, in emulating His example of unselfish ministry and devotion. And Jesus, in turn, will not permit such deeds of unselfish love to go unrewarded. His servants, those that are in continual attendance upon Him, shall share His place of everlasting bliss. And not only that; but the true servants of Christ, that serve Him in faith, in whatever way He suggests, will be regarded as precious, and be valued very highly in the eyes of God the Father Himself.

Verses 27-33

The manner of Christ's glorification:

v. 27. Now is My soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour; but for this cause came I unto this hour.

v. 28. Father, glorify Thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

v. 29. The people therefore that stood by and heard it said that it thundered; others said, An angel spake to Him.

v. 30. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of Me, but for your sakes.

v. 31. Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

v. 32. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.

v. 33. This He said, signifying what death He should die.

The thought of the coming ordeal, in a way, filled the soul of Christ with dread, He was deeply moved and agitated at the prospect. He felt something of the dread and fear of death. For Jesus was true man, whose flesh and blood shrank from the idea of death. Death is a judgment of God upon sins and sinners. To die in the stead of all men, as their substitute, and thus as the greatest sinner of all times, was a thought which filled the soul of Jesus with dread. He hardly knows what to say in this emergency. As though seeking counsel from His disciples, He asks: Shall I say, Father, deliver Me out of this hour? Should He plead to be saved the ordeal which His human nature dreaded? Every Christian may say a similar prayer when the hour of tribulation comes upon him; only he must never set his own will above the will of his heavenly Father. But even the thought of becoming unfaithful to His Father's trust Jesus repudiates, since it is for this reason that He came into this hour. It is the goal and culmination of His life's work. He cannot disappoint His Father at this time. Without His death His life would be fruitless. And so He corrects His prayer by asking that the work for which He came into the world continue: Father, glorify Thy name Jesus had fully regained His assurance, the spiritual balance necessary for the carrying out of the plan for the salvation of men. His death would redound to the glory of the Father, as would the whole work of salvation. And so Christ was ready, even at the cost of the greatest agony. And no sooner had He finished His prayer than a voice from heaven came in answer that God both had glorified, and would again glorify, His name. His name had been glorified in countless instances, but especially at the incarnation of the Son, and it would be glorified in a still more wonderful manner by the great Passion. So the answer of the Father was both an assurance and a promise. But it was made principally for the sake of the people. They should understand that it was God giving testimony of His Son, on account of the essential intimacy that obtained between them. The ignorant Jews had heard the sound, but had not understood the words. And so they expressed their opinion, some thinking that there had been a clap of thunder, others, that an angel had spoken with Jesus. The Lord therefore explains to them that the voice came for their sakes, in order that, if possible, they might accept Him as their Savior even now yet, in the eleventh hour, and thus be saved. For in the events that were beginning now, and that would transpire in the next few days, they should know that a great judgment was taking place, that the universe was on trial. The time of Christ's suffering and death was the hour of decision for the whole world, and especially in this, that the prince of the world, the devil, would be cast out, conquered, and subdued. Through His Passion and death Christ took from the devil the right which he had assumed on account of the sins of mankind, namely, of keeping all men in subjection to him. By bearing the sins of the world and by effecting a complete reconciliation for them all, Jesus has taken away from the devil the power to keep men in his service. In this. way the hour of the world's redemption is also the hour of decision, the hour of trial. In the end, the question will be whether men will stand by Christ, the Redeemer, or by Satan, the destroyer of their souls. To gain this great victory and eject the devil from his dominion, it was necessary that Jesus be lifted up from the earth, that He be elevated on the cross. But the accursed tree in this case was transformed into a throne of victory and grace. Through His death on the cross He would make it possible for all men to be drawn to Him; the redemption would be complete; the reconciliation would be assured to all men without exception. The cross of Christ is the ladder between earth and heaven. Here is glorious comfort for every person in all the great wide world.

Verses 34-36

Walking in the Light. John 12:34-41

The necessity of believing in the Light:

v. 34. The people answered Him, We have heard out of the Law that Christ abideth forever; and how sayest Thou, The Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?

v. 35. Then 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.

v. 36. While 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.

For once the people understood at least a part of the message which Jesus tried to convey to them; they comprehended that He was referring to His death. But now the Law, the Old Testament Scripture, contained some prophecies, Psalms 110:4; Isaiah 9:5; Daniel 7:13-14, which spoke of an eternal kingdom of the Messiah. The Jews could not make these statements agree with the words of Christ. And so they impatiently asked who this Son of Man was to whom He was always referring. It was true enough: Christ should abide forever, but not in an earthly, visible kingdom. Through His death He was to enter into this new life, in which He was to live and reign forever. Jesus did not answer their question directly, but gave them such instructions as would enable them to find out the truth for themselves. It would now be only a very short time that He, the Light of the World, would be with them. And therefore they should make the best use of this time. They should walk in this Light; they should give the rays from this wonderful Light an opportunity of shining into their hearts. If they would not receive light from this Light, then the darkness of their own heart and the destruction which follows it would remain for them. The man that travels in darkness is always in danger of losing his way and of landing in pitfalls. He that is without Christ, the true and only Light, is helpless in the midst of the thousands of spiritual dangers in these latter days. Therefore Jesus urges that the Jews believe in the Light, put their faith and trust in Him, their Savior. This faith would make them children of light, would give them the manner, the attributes of the true Light. They would then be filled with love toward God, with truth and righteousness, with all the virtues that characterize the true believer. This was the climax of Christ's sermon; He had again sent forth His call of grace; He had again invited them to partake of the blessings which He offered to them all. He now went away from them, He hid Himself after He had given the people the explanation recorded at the end of the Chapter.

Verses 37-41

The fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy:

v. 37. But though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him,

v. 38. that 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?

v. 39. Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,

v. 40. He 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.

v. 41. These things said Esaias when he saw His glory and spake of Him.

The results of Christ's entire ministry, on the whole, had been very discouraging. Neither His words nor His miracles had had the desired result. And in this, as the evangelist here points out, the judgment of God upon unbelief was carried out. He refers to two Old Testament prophecies, both from the Book of Isaiah. In Isaiah 53:1 the Messiah complains of the fact that His teaching is not believed, and that the arm of the Lord, as revealed in the miracles, is hidden from the multitude. And since the Jews thus, by their unbelief, opposed the gracious will of God in both Gospel and signs, the second prophecy, Isaiah 6:9-10, found its application and fulfillment. Their eyes were finally blinded, making it impossible for them, to see; their heart was rendered callous to every good impression, making it impossible for them to understand the wonderful message of their salvation. The judgment upon the unbelieving Jews, which had begun in the days of the great prophet, was now finally consummated in the days of Christ. See Matthew 13:14; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; Acts 28:26; Romans 11:8. It was rejection and contempt of the grace of God which characterized the attitude of the Jews: contempt in the days of Isaiah, contempt in the days of Christ, contempt in the days of the apostles; and so the judgment finally struck them in full force. It is a terrible thing for a person to reject and despise the grace of God when it is offered to him, for the time of mercy may Boon be ended, and then comes the time when the Gospel will be unto such a person a savor of death unto death.

Verses 42-50

Of Faith in Christ and God. John 12:42-50

v. 42. Nevertheless, 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;

v. 43. for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

v. 4. Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on Me believeth not on Me, but on Him that sent Me.

v. 45. And he that seeth Me seeth Him that sent Me.

v. 46. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness.

v. 47. And 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.

v. 48. He 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.

v. 49. For 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.

v. 50. And I know that His commandment is life everlasting; whatsoever I speak, therefore, even as the Father said unto Me, so I speak.

In the form of a parenthesis the evangelist records a fact concerning some of the rulers of the Jews, members of the great council, the Sanhedrin. A few of these had gained the conviction that Jesus was the Messiah, for they could not deny the evidence of His words and works. But they had not yet reached that firmness of faith which manifests itself in open confession. They feared the Pharisees and their threats of excommunication; they loved the honor and glory from men more than that from God. And so the young plant of faith was almost immediately suffocated. Faith cannot grow or even be maintained in such a confined atmosphere. Note: This fate overtakes many a person in our days that fears the ridicule, the contempt, the persecution of the world. Faithfulness to Christ must not shrink from trials and persecutions, but stand firm and loyal on His side to the end.

The evangelist now records, in conclusion, the words which Jesus spoke to the people in leaving, a summary of all His discourses during the last days of His life, as they were addressed to the people in the Temple. He called out loudly, in order to call attention to His words and to strengthen the impression which He intended to make. Faith in Christ and faith in God is the same, for the two are one, and Jesus is His Father's ambassador. He that sees Christ with the eyes of faith thereby has a knowledge and understanding of the Father. Only through Christ and in the light of His work of redemption can the Father be known. Without Christ, the picture of God can at best be a caricature, resembling the ideas of the Gentiles concerning their highest God. Jesus has come into the world as the true Light, and not in the last instance to throw light upon the Father and upon His relation to mankind. While He enlightens the darkened minds of men, He show them God as their Father, and enables them to believe in this Father with all their hearts. As a light Jesus came, and He that believes on Him leaves the darkness of unbelief and is filled with divine light. It is a matter of foolishness for anyone to be a mere hearer of the Word and not to preserve and keep His sayings in a true heart. Such a person Christ will not judge; he has his judgment in himself. So far as Christ is concerned, His object in coming into the world was not to judge and condemn the world, but to save the world; He has no interest in the condemnation of men, but only in their everlasting salvation. But he that spurns Christ and repudiates His sayings, His Gospel, thereby condemns himself. And on the last day that same Word will prove his undoing. He will be told that he rejected the message which offered salvation to him freely, out of pure grace and mercy. So again it is not zeal for Himself and His honor which makes Jesus so insistent, but the eagerness to fulfill the commandment of His Father. Both His public and His private utterances were governed by this consideration. There is perfect agreement, absolute unity, between Father and Son. His commandment and God's commandment are identical; the one thing that God wants more than anything else for all men, and that He therefore wants all men to strive for, is eternal life. He has only one will, and that is His good and gracious will that all men should be saved. In this the will of the Son coincides exactly with the will of the Father. For that reason Jesus has been speaking and preaching and repeating His glorious message, because He wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth.

Summary. Christ enters Jerusalem amid the acclaim of the people, after having been anointed at Bethany by Mary, He preaches of His glorification through His suffering and death, and urges men to have faith in Him and His Father.