John 12 12

John 12:12 kjv

On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

John 12:12 nkjv

The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

John 12:12 niv

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.

John 12:12 esv

The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.

John 12:12 nlt

The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors

John 12 verses

John 12 12 Meaning

John 12:12 sets the stage for the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. It describes how, on the day following the anointing at Bethany, a large assembly of pilgrims, who had already gathered for the upcoming Passover feast, received news of Jesus' imminent arrival. This news sparked excitement and prompted them to action, foreshadowing the popular acclamation He would receive upon entering the city.

John 12 12 Context

John 12:12 follows directly after Jesus' stay in Bethany, just outside Jerusalem. In the preceding verses (John 12:1-8), Mary anointed Jesus' feet with costly perfume, an act Jesus interpreted as preparation for His burial. More significantly for the context of this verse, the chapter (John 11) recounts Jesus' raising of Lazarus from the dead. This profound miracle had already drawn many Jews to believe in Him, but it also provoked the Sanhedrin to plot His death, fearing that His widespread popularity would lead to Roman intervention (John 11:47-53).

The historical and cultural context is crucial: it is the time of the Passover feast. This annual pilgrimage festival brought thousands of Jews from all over Israel and the diaspora to Jerusalem to commemorate their liberation from slavery in Egypt (Ex 12). The city would have been teeming with pilgrims, creating an ideal environment for news to spread rapidly and for large crowds to gather. Among these pilgrims would be many who had heard about or witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus, eager to see Jesus for themselves, intensifying the messianic fervor.

John 12 12 Word analysis

• On the next day (Greek: Tē epaurion, lit. "On the morrow"):

  • Word Level: Establishes the precise timing as the day following the dinner at Bethany where Mary anointed Jesus (John 12:1-8). It also indicates the day immediately after Lazarus was raised (John 11:43-44) and the crowd gathered to see him and Jesus (John 12:9-11). This highlights the swift succession of events leading to Jesus' public entry.
  • Significance: Places the Triumphal Entry within the final days of Jesus' life, making it critically important chronologically. It links this event directly to the preceding manifestations of Jesus' power and prophetic actions.

• a great multitude (Greek: ho ochlos polys, lit. "the crowd much" or "the great crowd"):

  • Word Level: "Multitude" (ochlos) denotes a large, unorganized gathering, distinct from a formal assembly. "Great" (polys) emphasizes its considerable size.
  • Significance: This was not a small, casual group. The size of the crowd underscores Jesus' widespread popularity among the common people and the excitement His arrival generated. This multitude represents pilgrims who came from various places to observe the Passover, increasing the public visibility of Jesus' entrance.

• that had come to the feast (Greek: ho elthōn eis tēn heortēn, lit. "the [one] having come into the feast"):

  • Word Level: "Feast" (heortēn) specifically refers to the Passover, the most significant Jewish pilgrimage festival. The perfect participle "had come" indicates they were already in Jerusalem for this purpose.
  • Significance: It confirms the setting is Jerusalem during the Passover. The crowd's presence in Jerusalem for the feast signifies their religious devotion and expectations. Their gathering for this specific feast of liberation heightened their susceptibility to Messianic hope, connecting Jesus' arrival to the theme of Israel's redemption.

• when they heard (Greek: akousantes, aorist participle, "having heard"):

  • Word Level: Indicates the action of hearing, implying a widely circulating report or rumor. The news traveled quickly among the assembled pilgrims.
  • Significance: It highlights the spontaneity of the crowd's response. Their actions (going out with palm branches in the next verse) were prompted by hearing the news, not by Jesus directly summoning them. This underscores His established reputation and the popular anticipation surrounding His movements.

• that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem (Greek: hoti erchetai ho Iēsous eis Hierosolyma, lit. "that comes Jesus into Jerusalem"):

  • Word Level: "Coming" (erchetai, present tense with future meaning or vivid present) indicates His imminent arrival. "Jerusalem" (Hierosolyma) is the holy city, the center of Jewish worship and the destined place for Messianic revelation and suffering.
  • Significance: This is the core message the crowd heard. Jesus was not sneaking into the city but was openly approaching, fulfilling prophecies about the Messiah's entrance into Jerusalem. His intentional approach to Jerusalem marks a critical turning point towards the Passion week. It contrasts with His earlier cautious movements (John 7:1, 10), signaling that "His hour has come" (John 12:23).

John 12 12 Bonus section

The choice of Jerusalem as Jesus' final destination for His public ministry and His confrontation with the religious establishment is highly symbolic. Jerusalem, often referred to as Zion, was prophesied to be the place where the King would come, and also the place where prophets were killed. The immense multitude's eager reception sets the scene for a fulfillment of Messianic prophecy (like Zech 9:9), even if their understanding of Jesus' kingship was temporal. Their excitement indicates the readiness of the "fields... for harvest" (John 4:35) of faith among the populace, which deeply troubled the religious leaders (John 11:47-48, 12:19). This public entry, fueled by the collective memory of the Passover and the miraculous power of Jesus, directly precedes His crucifixion, making His kingship supremely evident through sacrifice, not worldly power.

John 12 12 Commentary

John 12:12 provides the crucial immediate backdrop to the Triumphal Entry, emphasizing its popular enthusiasm. It portrays a scene teeming with pilgrims, drawn to Jerusalem for the Passover, who become the initial heralds of Jesus' arrival. The swift spread of the news ("when they heard") and the immediate response ("they went out to meet him" in verse 13) signify Jesus' immense public appeal, which had been significantly amplified by the recent resurrection of Lazarus. This verse is key to understanding the contrast between the spontaneous adoration of the common people and the increasing animosity of the religious authorities, who saw Jesus' popularity as a threat to their established order. It demonstrates how widespread belief, though perhaps misguided in its immediate expectations of a political king, paved the way for Jesus to openly declare His messianic identity by fulfilling Old Testament prophecies.