John 12:44 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me.

NIV: Then Jesus cried out, "Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me.

NASB: Now Jesus cried out and said, 'The one who believes in Me, does not believe only in Me, but also in Him who sent Me.

CSB: Jesus cried out, "The one who believes in me believes not in me, but in him who sent me.

NLT: Jesus shouted to the crowds, 'If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me.

KJV: Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.

NKJV: Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.

When Jesus called loudly for Lazarus to rise from the dead, the gospel of John used a Greek term similar to what's found here. Both terms imply a loud, deliberate proclamation. In the prior verses, Jesus had warned a group of people in Jerusalem (John 12:20–22) to take advantage of their limited opportunity to follow truth. Those who reject that chance may find themselves unable to come to belief, as judgment against their hard hearts (John 12:37–43).

This verse corresponds to other statements made in the New Testament. Hebrews 1:3 refers to Christ as the "exact imprint" of God, an idea Jesus will also mention later in His teaching to the disciples (John 14:9–10). The two are identical: when one hears from Jesus, they are hearing from God the Father. Those who reject the Son are rejecting God (John 3:36). Colossians 1:15 likewise says that Jesus is the visible form of the invisible Father.

2 Corinthians 4:4 combines the ideas found here and in prior verses. Jesus is the "light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." Those who reject God, according to that reference, are blinded and kept from seeing the truth.

It's not clear when or where Jesus spoke these words. This might be a single, specific statement made after His encounter with the seekers in Jerusalem. Or, this might be a summarized version of His teaching as He neared the end of His earthly ministry.

John 12:44–50 is the last public statement Jesus makes prior to His crucifixion. This is a sincere ''plea'' to the people. In relatively few words, Jesus summarizes His purpose, and states that He alone provides the means of salvation. From this point forward, Jesus will focus His efforts on preparing the disciples for what comes next. Those lessons, leading up to Jesus' arrest and crucifixion, make up the bulk of the next few chapters of the gospel of John.

Jesus is treated to an honorary dinner at the home of Lazarus, whom He has recently raised from death. At this dinner, Lazarus' sister, Mary, anoints Jesus with expensive oil. Jesus then enters Jerusalem to great fanfare, stoking fears that His popularity will attract the anger of the Roman Empire. That anger even inspires a murder plot against Lazarus. After being approached by non-Jewish seekers, Jesus offers a final plea for people to understand His ministry. In effect, these are the last public words spoken by Jesus in the gospel of John.

In the prior chapter, Jesus spectacularly raised Lazarus from death in front of a crowd of witnesses. This inspired local religious leaders to commit to having Him killed. Here, after a celebratory dinner where Jesus is anointed with oil, He will fulfill prophecy by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, celebrated with shouts of ''Hosanna'' and a massive crowd. This leads to a group of curious non-Jews approaching Him. Christ then offers a final plea for belief in Him and His message. After this, His ministry will turn to preparing the disciples for His impending death and resurrection. The next several chapters of the gospel of John are almost entirely made up of his teachings to these men.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.