John 12:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

NIV: So the Pharisees said to one another, 'See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!'

NASB: So the Pharisees said to one another, 'You see that you are not accomplishing anything; look, the world has gone after Him!'

CSB: Then the Pharisees said to one another, "You see? You've accomplished nothing. Look, the world has gone after him! "

NLT: Then the Pharisees said to each other, 'There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after him!'

KJV: The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.

NKJV: The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”

Opposition to Jesus from local religious leaders was mostly spiritual, or social. Jesus was contradicting their traditions (Matthew 15:1–2) and making them look foolish in front of the people they intended to lead (Mark 12:34). In looking for a way to be rid of Jesus, those same leaders noted that the people were referring to Him as the Messiah (John 7:31). That inspired fear that the Roman Empire, in control of Judea, would see that as a rebellion and respond with deadly force. So, out of both fear and hatred, they held up Jesus' political threat as justification to have Him killed (John 11:53).

One can only imagine the horror the religious leaders felt to see Jesus entering Jerusalem while crowds shout hosanna—a kingly blessing—and wave palm branches (John 12:12–13). Not only did it mean that more and more people were approving of His teachings, it was exactly the kind of display they feared would anger their Roman overlords.

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.

Accessed 4/28/2024 3:36:33 AM