John 12:48 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

NIV: There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.

NASB: The one who rejects Me and does not accept My teachings has one who judges him: the word which I spoke. That will judge him on the last day.

CSB: The one who rejects me and doesn’t receive my sayings has this as his judge: The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

NLT: But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him— the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.

Earlier, the gospel of John pointed out that the purpose of Jesus' first coming—His birth, ministry, and death—was to establish a means of salvation for all who believe in Him (John 3:16–17). The same gospel, however, also makes it clear that those who reject Christ will have no part in that salvation (John 3:18, 3:36). Jesus Christ, God the Son, is identical to God the Father (Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3). A person who rejects Jesus rejects God (John 8:19; 2 Corinthians 4:4).

The ultimate return of Jesus will not be a mission of mercy, forgiveness, or humility. His second coming will be for judgment on sin, not to be a living sacrifice (Hebrews 9:27–28). These words are part of Jesus' final public teachings prior to His arrest and eventual execution.

Part of the judgment which will be used against those who deny Christ is the ample evidence they have been given. In that sense, "the word that [Jesus has] spoken" becomes evidence against them. This applies to more than just people who saw Jesus in person. It includes every single person who has ever lived, because God has made Himself plain enough so that no one has an excuse for disbelief (Romans 1:18–20). Some work harder than others to deny the truth (John 5:39–40). However a person comes to unbelief, the end result will be the same: those who have not believed in Christ will be eternally lost (Revelation 19:11–16; 20:11–15).

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.