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We continue the verse-by-verse study of John chapters 10-12 here in Part 7, starting with John 12:14.
(14) Jesus, finding a young donkey [John knew that most of his readers would know that Jesus sent two of His disciples to borrow this young donkey (see Matt. 21:1-7; Mark 11:1-7; and Luke 19:29-35). Jesus knew that He was fulfilling prophecy, as He often did (cf., e.g., John 19:28-30).], sat on it; as it is written, (15) 'FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION; BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY'S COLT.' [[There is widespread agreement that this "quotation" comes from Zech. 9:9; I'll quote ZECH. 9:9 (Zechariah 9:9, 10 contain one of several very significant prophecies regarding the Lord Jesus Christ in the book of Zechariah. Zechariah 9:9 deals with His first coming; Zech. 9:10 deals with His second coming. [I had a footnote: Old Testament prophecies frequently combine things that were to happen at Jesus' first coming with things that will happen at His second coming. God didn't choose to clearly reveal in the Old Testament that there would be two very different comings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Zechariah chapters 9-14 are discussed on pages 191-237 of my book, "The Mid-Week Rapture."]), "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem ["Zion" equals "Jerusalem" here.]! He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey [The word "colt" refers to a young male donkey (or horse, etc.); the word "foal" refers to a young donkey (horse, etc.) male or female.]." I'll also quote Zech. 9:9 from the Septuagint version (the Hebrew Old Testament translated into Greek), "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion; proclaim it aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem; BEHOLD, THE KING IS COMING [my emphasis] to thee, just, and a Saviour; he [He] is meek and riding on an ass, and a young foal."]] (16) These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him [cf. Luke 24:6-8; John 2:22; and 14:26], and that they had done these things to Him. [Jesus' disciples didn't understand until after He was glorified that the events spoken of in verses 14, 15 fulfilled Old Testament prophecy (cf. Luke 24:27, 44-47).] (17) So [The NIV translates "Now."] the people ["Lit., crowd," margin of NASB], who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead [cf. John 11:42, 45], continued to testify [or, "were testifying"] about Him. [[It is best, I suppose, to think of this testifying taking place before (cf. John 12:9-11), during, and after Jesus' triumphal entry. It is reasonable to think that many of those who had been there when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead were testifying whenever they had an opportunity, but they undoubtedly showed some restraint when in the presence of obvious enemies of Jesus (cf., e.g., John 11:57).]] (18) For this reason also [[I had a footnote: The NIV does not include the word "also." The KJV; NKJV have "also," but they include it after "the people." The United Bible Societies' "Greek New Testament (fourth revised edition) includes the Greek word "kai," which is translated "also" by the NASB, in brackets, which shows that there is some doubt regarding this word in the Greek. The word "also," if it is included, includes the idea (a legitimate idea) that there were other reasons for going to meet Jesus besides the fact that He had raised Lazarus from the dead.]] the people ["Lit., crowd" margin of NASB] went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign [cf. Luke 19:37; John 12:11]. [[Some of the people who heard about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead had gone to meet Him before the triumphal entry (cf. John 12:9, 12); some undoubtedly also went to meet Him during and after His triumphal entry (see under verse 17; note that there was a crowd ("the crowd") with Jesus in verses 29, 34).]] (19) So the Pharisees said to one another, 'You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.' [Compare John 11:47-54, 57. John 12:20-24, 31, 32 (and many other verses) show that before long (in a way far beyond what these Pharisees meant) multitudes worldwide were going after the Lord Jesus Christ to become His disciples.] (20) Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast [[Typically in the New Testament "Greeks" are Gentiles (as contrasted with Jews), and not just Gentiles who lived in Greece (cf., e.g., Rom. 1:16; Gal. 3:28). There is widespread agreement that these Greeks were God-fearing Gentiles (cf. Acts 13:16, 26, 43; 17:4, 17), Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel but did not become full converts to Judaism. (Many God-fearing Gentiles became Christians through the ministry of the apostle Paul and others; the apostle Peter was sent to Cornelius.) These God-fearing Greeks were allowed to worship in the temple, but they were not permitted to go beyond the outer court, which was called the court of the Gentiles.
These "Greeks" who wished to see Jesus (verse 21) prefigure the Gentiles going after the resurrected Christ; the world going after Him was mentioned in verse 19, and in verse 32 Jesus prophesies of drawing all men to Himself (cf. John 10:16). Many Gentiles (and Jews) across the world have become Christians throughout this age (including us; thank God!).]]; (21) these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee [[Andrew and Peter were also from Bethsaida (John 1:44) and (apparently) also James and John, in that they were partners with Andrew and Peter in the fishing business (Luke 5:1-11; cf. Matt. 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20). We are not told why these Greeks came to Philip, who was one of the twelve apostles. The fact that his name happened to be Greek could have been relevant (I had a footnote: His name was an obvious Greek name. Andrew was the only other apostle who had a Greek name.), or perhaps he was the most fluent in Greek. It is also possible that one or more of these Greeks knew Philip.]], and began to ask him, saying, 'Sir, we wish to see Jesus.' [[As these verses continue, John doesn't inform us if Jesus met with these Greeks, or sent a message to them. It is very clear, however, that Jesus was interested in every Jew and Gentile who was open to Him and the gospel. If these Greeks were open, and I assume that at least some of them were, I'm sure that Jesus eventually dealt with them as individuals one way or another (by the Spirit, by sending Christians to them, etc.)]] (22) Philip came and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus. (23) And Jesus answered them, saying, 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified [[The New Testament typically speaks of Jesus being glorified in His resurrection and His being taken up to the right hand of God the Father (cf., e.g., John 7:39; 12:16, 32; 13:1, 32; 17:1, 5; and Acts 2:33). Having been glorified by the Father (after the victory He won on the cross), Jesus was able to carry out God's new-covenant plan of salvation, which includes the full salvation and ultimate glorification of all believers and the overthrow and total removal of the devil (cf., e.g., John 12:31) and all who continue to follow him in his rebellion against God (whether angels, demons, or people). The good fruit that results from Christ's atoning death also includes the new heaven and new earth, with its new Jerusalem.
Christ's being glorified in this context undoubtedly includes the fact that a large number of people worldwide will submit to Him as Savior and Lord; He is glorified by them when they submit to Him and worship Him (cf. John 17:8-10). It is also true that those who reject Him will eventually bow their knee before Him (but not as those who love Him) and will admit that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father and His glory (cf. Phil. 2:9-11).]] (24) Truly, truly [Amen, Amen], 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. [[Compare John 10:15; 15:13; and 1 Cor. 15:36. Jesus likens His atoning death to a grain of wheat falling into the earth and dying (at least it dies in one sense), which then brings forth a harvest of very good fruit. The fruit that comes forth from His atoning death is super-spectacular. See under verse 23 for a brief description of that all-important fruit. For one thing, every person who has a place in God's new heaven and new earth with its new Jerusalem will have that place through the atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ (cf., e.g., Rev. 21:27).
As Jesus continues in verses 25, 26, we see that His illustration of the need for (the seed and) Him to die to bring forth a harvest of good fruit also applies in some ways to all who would become Christians, not just to Himself. The call to become Christians includes the call to die to sin and (living for) self and to live for God in His truth, righteousness, and holiness, always doing His will from the heart by His grace. ((I had a footnote: Verse 24 refers to Jesus' atoning death, but He was dead to sin and the things of the world and perfectly lived for God the Father all the years before He died on the cross. His life was the perfect example of a man (though He was much more than just a man) living the crucified, sanctified life.)) This call includes our being willing to literally lay down our life for Christ in physical death; we cannot cling to our life in this world in any way. Those, including many who call themselves Christians, who love their life in this world (the world whose ruler is the devil [cf. John 12:31]) and do not live for God and make His will and His righteousness top priority forfeit spiritual/eternal life. In a very real sense they lose their souls (see, for example, Matt. 10:28; 16:24-27; and Mark 8:34-38). ((I had a footnote: The Greek noun (psuche) translated "soul" in the verses just cited is translated "life" in Matt. 16:25; Mark 8:35 and twice in John 12:25. The NASB (1995 edition) normally translates "psuche" as "soul(s)" (47 times) or as "life/lives" (43 times). When it is translated "life/lives" it typically refers to "life" in this world (not life by the Spirit of God or eternal life in God's kingdom). To lose one's soul does not mean that the soul ceases to exist but that the soul loses what man was created to have (fellowship with God in His kingdom of eternal life) but to be totally separated from Him and everything good in the second death, the lake of fire.)) Christians who die to the sinful life of the old man to live for God in His truth, righteousness, and holiness experience eternal life now in a preliminary form as born-again Christians and will inherit eternal life in its full glory at the end of this age.
It is absolutely necessary for Christians to understand that dying to sin and the old man, which is the same thing as crucifying/putting-to-death/laying aside the old man and being freed from sin (cf., e.g., John 8:31-36; Rom. 6:6, 11, 17, 18, 20; Gal. 5:24; Eph. 4:22; and Col. 3:5-9) and being born again and beginning to live for God as a new man in union with Christ, by the Holy Spirit, in God's righteousness and holiness, which is the same thing as being resurrected (by the Spirit) and walking in newness of life, or becoming new creations in Christ, or putting on the new man in Christ (cf., e.g., Rom. 6:4, 5, 8-11; 8:2-14; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 5:16; Eph. 4:23, 24; and Col. 3:1-4, 10, 11) is a supernatural work of God by His saving grace in Christ, which includes all the work of the Holy Spirit. We must continuously appropriate and cooperate with God's grace and walk by His Spirit by faith in accordance with His Word.
I'll quote 1 PETER 2:24 and make some comments in brackets, "He Himself bore our sins [with the guilt and the penalties, including the major penalties of spiritual death and bondage to sin] in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds [literally "wound
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