John 12:50 kjv
And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
John 12:50 nkjv
And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak."
John 12:50 niv
I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."
John 12:50 esv
And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me."
John 12:50 nlt
And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say."
John 12 50 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 3:34 | For he whom God has sent utters the words of God... | Divine Authority of Speaking |
| John 6:68 | Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. | Christ's Words = Eternal Life |
| John 7:16 | Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me." | His Teaching Not His Own |
| John 8:28 | So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but such things as the Father taught me I speak." | Speaking as Taught by Father |
| John 14:10 | Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. | Father Dwells Within Him |
| John 14:24 | Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me. | Word is from the Father |
| Acts 3:22 | Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet from your brothers. Everyone who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.' | Prophet Like Moses |
| 1 John 5:11 | And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. | Life in the Son |
| Matt 17:5 | He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." | Listen to Jesus |
| Luke 1:35 | And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God." | Son of God |
| Deut 18:18 | I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. | God Puts Words in Prophet's Mouth |
| Isa 55:10 | For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and return not thither, but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout... | Words of God Bring Life |
| Jer 23:29 | Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? | Word Like Fire |
| 1 Pet 1:23 | since you have been born anew, not ofcorruptible but incorruptible seed through the living and abiding word of God. | Word is Imperishable |
| Rom 10:17 | So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. | Faith Through Hearing the Word |
| 2 Cor 5:18 | All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ... | Reconciliation Through Christ |
| Heb 1:1-3 | Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke in the past to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son... | God Spoke Through Son |
| 1 John 1:1 | That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— | The Word of Life |
| Acts 2:42 | And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship... | Devoted to Teaching |
| John 1:1 | In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. | Jesus is the Word |
John 12 verses
John 12 50 Meaning
Jesus' words here in John 12:50 convey the ultimate purpose and source of His teachings. He affirms that His authoritative words are not His own invention but are divinely given by the Father, representing eternal life. This underscores the divine origin and life-giving power of His message.
John 12 50 Context
This verse concludes Jesus' discourse to a crowd at the feast of Tabernacles, following His claims to be the light of the world and to offer living water. The preceding verses detail His interactions and the division His message caused. He speaks after announcing His imminent departure. This statement summarizes His entire ministry: He faithfully conveyed the Father's message, which is inherently life-giving. The context is one of rejection and fulfillment, as Jesus' actions and words align perfectly with His divine mission, and those who truly "seek" will find the Father through Him.
John 12 50 Word Analysis
- I (Egō): Emphasizes Jesus' personal agency in speaking.
- know (oida): Refers to a deep, experiential, and certain knowledge, not mere intellectual understanding.
- that (hoti): Introduces the content of His knowledge.
- what (ha): Refers to the specific nature or content of His words.
- I (egō): Again, emphasizes Jesus' speaker.
- speak (lalō): The act of communicating by utterance.
- is (esti): Affirmative presence.
- not (ou): Negation of inherent origin.
- I (egō): Pronoun for the speaker.
- myself (aph’ heautou): From his own self, independently.
- but (alla): A strong contrast or correction.
- as (kathōs): In the same manner, according to.
- the (to): Definite article.
- Father (Pater): Refers to God the Father.
- gave (dedōken): Past tense perfect, indicating a completed action with present result; the Father has given.
- me (moi): Dative case, indicating the recipient.
- commandment (entolen): An authoritative instruction or precept.
- I (egō): Speaker.
- also (kai): Connecting conjunction.
- speak (lalō): Uttering words.
- His (autou): Possessive pronoun, referring to the Father.
- so (houtos): Thus, in this manner; refers to the following consequence or characteristic.
- that (hina): Purpose clause; "in order that."
- I (egō): Speaker.
- may (deiknuō): Present subjunctive; conveys possibility or a goal, showing.
- speak (lalō): Utter words.
- eternal (aionios): Pertaining to an age, unending, eternal.
- life (zoē): Life, living.
Words-Group by Words-Group Analysis
- "I know that what I speak is not I myself": This highlights Jesus’ absolute reliance on divine revelation for His teaching. It is a direct counterpoint to self-reliance or human opinion.
- "but as the Father gave me commandment, I speak": This establishes a direct, unbroken chain of communication from the Father to Jesus. His speaking is obedience to divine instruction.
- "So I speak": This connects His speaking directly to the Father's commandment, showing His consistency and faithfulness.
- "even as the Father has told me, so I speak": This reinforces the immediate and ongoing nature of the Father's guidance. His communication style and content perfectly mirror the Father's will.
- "that which I speak is eternal life": This is the crucial proclamation: His words are not mere human rhetoric but are the very substance of eternal life, the life of God. This links the Father's commandment and Jesus' speech to their ultimate purpose.
John 12 50 Bonus Section
This verse serves as a definitive summary of Jesus’ entire ministry as presented in the Gospel of John. It is consistent with His claims in John 8:28 and John 14:10, where He similarly states that He speaks what the Father has taught Him and that the Father who dwells in Him does His works. The concept of God’s word conveying life is a consistent theme from the Old Testament (Genesis 1, Psalm 119:130) to the New Testament (1 Peter 1:23). Jesus' statement also anticipates the disciples' commission to carry His message, which carries the same divine authority and life-giving power (Matthew 28:18-20). The phrase "eternal life" itself, first introduced as the gift from the Father through Jesus in John 3:16, finds its perfect expression in the Father’s communication through Jesus.
John 12 50 Commentary
Jesus’ declaration here is paramount to understanding His unique identity and mission. It’s not just about having good advice; it's about communicating the very essence of God’s eternal plan and being. His words possess inherent divine authority because they are directly imparted by the Father. This underscores that true spiritual life is found through hearing and obeying Jesus’ divine message. This means the gospel message carries the power to impart eternal life because it originates from God Himself through Jesus. This also implies that genuine faith is not in the speaker, but in the divine source of the spoken word. To believe Jesus is to believe God who sent Him.
- Practical Application: When we share spiritual truths, our effectiveness comes from aligning our words with God’s Word and the Spirit’s leading, not our own efforts.
- Trust in Jesus' Words: Believers are called to place their complete trust in Jesus’ teachings as the foundation for their understanding of God and their path to eternal life.