John 12:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness.

NIV: Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word.

NASB: So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him.

CSB: Meanwhile, the crowd, which had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify.

NLT: Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it.

KJV: The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record.

NKJV: Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness.

The gospel of John was written to compile evidence that Jesus is divine, and divinely sent (John 20:30–31). Miracles are a major part of this proof, and John focuses on seven such "signs" in his gospel. The seventh, and most spectacular, of these was the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11:38–44). That miracle was witnessed by many people from Jerusalem (John 11:31) who had come to comfort Lazarus' grieving sisters. Enthusiasm over what they'd seen—and the publicity it generated (John 12:9)—was a major factor in the huge crowd that greeted Jesus during this triumphal entry (John 12:12–13).

According to this verse, Jesus' resurrection of Lazarus is being repeatedly mentioned by the crowd. Most of these people expect the Promised One to be a military or political leader. So, their excitement is both understandable and unfortunate. These cheering crowds are celebrating because they are excited at the prospect of challenging Roman rule through a God-ordained conqueror who can raise the dead.

That buzz also confirms the local religious leaders' prejudice: that Jesus is going to attract Roman anger and cause problems for the Jewish people (John 12:19).

John 12:12–19 describes the triumphal entry: Jesus' celebratory parade into Jerusalem a few days before Passover. To this point, Jesus has been relatively quiet about His mission, even asking people not to proclaim Him. Now, He fulfills prophecy by riding into the city on a donkey, as people shout ''Hosanna'' and throw down coats and palm branches. This affirms the fears of local religious leaders, who worry Jesus' popularity will attract the anger of the Roman Empire. As it turns out, most of these people misunderstand Jesus' mission, thinking His plan is to overthrow the Romans to free Israel. This event is also described in Matthew 21:1–11, Mark 11:1–10, and Luke 19:28–40.

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 gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.