Year of the Bible
John 12
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Commentary on The Gospel According to St. John, Chapter 12:
Several events take place in quick succession and lead us toward Jesus’ hour on the Cross. Jesus is anointed by Mary and Jesus speaks of His burial. Resurrected Lazarus (chapter 11) is a witness to Jesus and thus a threat to the chief priests who want to kill him. Jesus enters Jerusalem and non-Jews seek Him out (see 10:16). Some Jews want to believe but fear being cast out of the synagogue (see 9:34). In His last public speech, Jesus summarizes His earlier teachings on His mission as the Son of man who must be lifted up (3:14, 8:28). He reiterates that He comes on the Father’s authority to save the world (3:16-17), and rejecting Him is rejecting eternal life offered by the Father (5:23-29).
The Gospel According to St. John, Chapter 12:
Mary of Bethany Anoints Jesus
1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 There they made him a supper; Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at table with him. 3 Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for 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 as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial. 8 The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”
The Plot to Put Lazarus to Death
9 When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came, not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus also to death, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
12 The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it; as it is written, 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
16 His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 The Pharisees then said to one another, “You see that you can do nothing; look, the world has gone after him.”
Some Greeks Wish to See Jesus
20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew went with Philip and they told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If any one serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honor him.
Jesus Speaks about His Death
27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour.
28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd standing by heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; 32 and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what death he was to die. 34 The crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains for ever. How can you say that the Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?” 35 Jesus said to them, “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.
The Unbelief of the People
When Jesus had said this, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 Though he had done so many signs before them, yet they did not believe in him; 38 it was that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed our report, and to whom has the arm of The Lord been revealed? 39Therefore they could not believe." For Isaiah again said, 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes and perceive with their heart,
and turn for me to heal them.” 41 Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
Summary of Jesus’ Teaching
44 And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And he who sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If any one hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings has a judge; the word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has himself given me commandment what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has bidden me.”
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
When the Greeks come to Jerusalem "to worship at the feast" (v. 20), they tell Philip, "We wish to see Jesus" (v. 21). Lord, what gets in the way of my "seeing" Jesus and believing in him?
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan, an adult faith formation apostolate. cbsmich.org/join
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
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Juan 12
12 1 Jesús, seis días antes de la Pascua,
marchó a Betania, donde estaba
Lázaro, al que Jesús había resucitado
de entre los muertos. 2 Allí le prepararon
una cena. Marta servía, y Lázaro era
uno de los que estaban a la mesa con él.
3 María, tomando una libra de perfume
de nardo puro, muy caro, ungió los
pies de Jesús y los secó con sus cabellos.
La casa se llenó de la fragancia del perfume.
4 Dijo Judas Iscariote, uno de los
discípulos, el que le iba a entregar:
5 –¿Por qué no se ha vendido este
perfume por trescientos denarios y se
ha dado a los pobres?
6 Pero esto lo dijo no porque él se
preocupara de los pobres, sino porque
era ladrón y, como tenía la bolsa, se llevaba
lo que echaban en ella. 7 Entonces
dijo Jesús:
–Dejadle que lo emplee para el día
de mi sepultura, 8 porque a los pobres
los tenéis siempre con vosotros, pero a
mí no siempre me tenéis.
9 Una gran multitud de judíos se enteró
de que estaba allí, y fueron no
sólo por Jesús, sino también por ver a Lázaro,
al que había resucitado de entre los
muertos. 10 Y los príncipes de los sacerdotes
decidieron dar muerte también a Lázaro,
11 porque muchos, por su causa, se apartaban
de los judíos y creían en Jesús.
12 Al día siguiente las muchedumbres
que iban a la fiesta, oyendo que Jesús
se acercaba a Jerusalén, 13 tomaron
ramos de palmas, salieron a su encuentro
y se pusieron a gritar:
–¡Hosanna!
¡Bendito el que viene en nombre del
Señor,
el Rey de Israel!
14 Jesús encontró un borriquillo y se
montó sobre él, conforme a lo que está
escrito:
15 No temas, hija de Sión.
Mira a tu rey que llega
montado en un borrico de asna.
16 Al principio sus discípulos no
comprendieron esto, pero cuando Jesús
fue glorificado, entonces recordaron
que estas cosas estaban escritas acerca
de él, y que fueron precisamente éstas
las que le hicieron.
17 La gente que estaba con él cuando
llamó a Lázaro del sepulcro y le resucitó
de entre los muertos, daba testimonio.
18 Por eso las muchedumbres
le salieron al encuentro, porque oyeron
que Jesús había hecho este signo.
19 Entonces los fariseos se dijeron unos
a otros:
–Ya veis que no adelantáis nada; mirad
cómo todo el mundo se ha ido tras
él.
20 Entre los que subieron a adorar a
Dios en la fiesta había algunos griegos.
21 Así que éstos se acercaron a Felipe, el
de Betsaida de Galilea, y comenzaron a
rogarle:
–Señor, queremos ver a Jesús.
22 Vino Felipe y se lo dijo a Andrés, y
Andrés y Felipe fueron y se lo dijeron a
Jesús. 23 Jesús les contestó:
–Ha llegado la hora de que sea glorificado
el Hijo del Hombre. 24 En verdad,
en verdad os digo que si el grano de trigo
no muere al caer en tierra, queda infecundo;
pero si muere, produce mucho
fruto. 25 El que ama su vida la perderá,
y el que aborrece su vida en este mundo,
la guardará para la vida eterna. 26 Si
alguien me sirve, que me siga, y donde
yo estoy allí estará también mi servidor.
Si alguien me sirve, el Padre le honrará.
27 »Ahora mi alma está turbada; y
¿qué voy a decir?: «¿Padre, líbrame
de esta hora?» ¡Pero si para esto he venido
a esta hora! 28 ¡Padre, glorifica tu nombre!
Entonces vino una voz del cielo:
–Lo he glorificado y de nuevo lo
glorificaré.
29 La multitud que estaba presente y
la oyó decía que había sido un trueno.
Otros decían:
–Le ha hablado un ángel.
30 Jesús respondió:
–Esta voz no ha venido por mí, sino
por vosotros. 31 Ahora es el juicio de este
mundo, ahora el príncipe de este mundo
va a ser arrojado fuera. 32 Y yo, cuando
sea levantado de la tierra, atraeré a
todos hacia mí.
33 Decía esto señalando de qué muerte
iba a morir. 34 La multitud le replicó:
–Nosotros hemos oído en la Ley que
el Cristo permanece para siempre; entonces,
¿cómo dices tú: «Es necesario
que sea levantado el Hijo del Hombre»?
¿Quién es este «Hijo del Hombre»?
35 Jesús les dijo:
–Todavía estará un poco de tiempo
la luz entre vosotros. Caminad mientras
tenéis la luz, para que las tinieblas no os
sorprendan; porque el que camina en
tinieblas no sabe adónde va. 36 Mientras
tenéis la luz, creed en la luz para que
seáis hijos de la luz.
Jesús les dijo estas cosas, y se marchó
y se ocultó de ellos.
37 Aunque había hecho Jesús tantos
signos delante de ellos, no creían en él,
38 de modo que se cumplieran las palabras
que dijo el profeta Isaías:
Señor, ¿quién ha creído nuestro mensaje?,
y el brazo del Señor, ¿a quién ha sido
revelado?
39 Por eso no podían creer, porque
también dijo Isaías:
40 Les ha cegado los ojos
y les ha endurecido el corazón
de modo que no vean con los ojos
ni entiendan con el corazón ni se conviertan,
y yo los sane.
41 Isaías dijo esto cuando vio su gloria
y habló sobre él.
42 Sin embargo, creyeron en él incluso
muchos de los judíos principales,
pero no le confesaban a causa de los fariseos,
para no ser expulsados de la sinagoga,
43 porque amaron más la gloria
de los hombres que la gloria de Dios.
44 Jesús clamó y dijo:
–El que cree en mí, no cree en mí,
sino en Aquel que me ha enviado; 45 y el
que me ve a mí, ve al que me ha enviado.
46 Yo soy la luz que ha venido al mundo
para que todo el que cree en mí no permanezca
en tinieblas. 47 Y si alguien escucha
mis palabras y no las guarda, yo no
le juzgo, porque no he venido a juzgar al
mundo, sino a salvar al mundo. 48 Quien
me desprecia y no recibe mis palabras
tiene quien le juzgue: la palabra que he
hablado, ésa le juzgará en el último día.
49 Porque yo no he hablado por mí mismo,
sino que el Padre que me envió, Él
me ha ordenado lo que tengo que decir
y hablar. 50 Y sé que su mandato es vida
eterna; por tanto, lo que yo hablo, según
me lo ha dicho el Padre, así lo hablo.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
Cuando los Griegos vienen a Jerusalén "para adorar a Dios en la fiesta" (v. 20), ellos le dicen a Felipe . "Queremos ver a Jesús" (v. 21). Señor, ¿qué es lo que me impide "ver" a Jesús y creer en Él?
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