John 2:13 kjv
And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
John 2:13 nkjv
Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
John 2:13 niv
When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
John 2:13 esv
The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
John 2:13 nlt
It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem.
John 2 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 12:1-14 | The Lord said to Moses... on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb... It is the Lord's Passover. | Institution of the Passover feast |
| Exod 23:14-17 | "Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me... all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD." | Command for annual pilgrimage festivals |
| Deut 16:16 | Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord your God in the place he will choose... | Law requiring pilgrimage to Jerusalem for festivals |
| Num 9:1-5 | The Lord spoke to Moses... The Israelites are to celebrate it at its appointed time. | Details of Passover observance and timing |
| Isa 53:7 | He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter... | Prophecy of Messiah as a suffering lamb |
| Zech 9:9 | Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey... | Prophecy of Messiah's entry into Jerusalem |
| Mal 3:1 | "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple..." | Foretelling Messiah's sudden arrival at the Temple |
| John 1:29 | The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" | Jesus introduced as the ultimate Passover Lamb |
| John 2:14-22 | In the temple courts he found people selling cattle... "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." | Temple cleansing immediately following, foreshadowing Christ's body as new temple |
| John 6:4 | The Passover, a Jewish festival, was near. | Another Passover mention, providing ministry chronology |
| John 7:2 | But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near... | Jesus attending other key Jewish festivals |
| John 11:55-57 | When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem... | Context of the final Passover before Jesus' crucifixion |
| John 12:12-15 | The next day the great crowd... took palm branches and went out to meet him... "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!" | Triumphal entry into Jerusalem before final Passover |
| Matt 20:17-19 | Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them... | Jesus' purposeful journey to Jerusalem for His crucifixion |
| Luke 9:51 | As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. | Jesus' intentional ascent to Jerusalem for His mission |
| 1 Cor 5:7 | Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. | Christ's role as the fulfilling Passover sacrifice |
| Heb 9:11-14 | But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle... | Christ's superior sacrifice superseding animal offerings |
| Heb 10:1-10 | The law is only a shadow of the good things to come—not the realities themselves... | The Law (including Passover) as a shadow, Christ as the reality |
| Gal 4:4 | But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law... | Divine timing of Christ's advent |
| Rom 5:6 | You see, just at the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. | Divine timing in Christ's atoning work |
| Matt 21:12-13 | Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there... | Synoptic parallel to the Temple cleansing |
| Mark 11:15-17 | On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. | Synoptic parallel to the Temple cleansing |
John 2 verses
John 2 13 Meaning
John 2:13 establishes the crucial temporal and geographical setting for the initial phase of Jesus' public ministry within the Gospel of John. It states that the Jewish festival of Passover was approaching, prompting Jesus to journey to Jerusalem. This verse underscores the divine orchestration of events, positioning Jesus at the heart of Jewish religious observance precisely when profound spiritual realities, prefigured by the Passover, were to be revealed and ultimately fulfilled through His person and work. It sets the immediate context for Jesus' authoritative acts and teachings, notably the cleansing of the Temple, revealing His role as the one who fulfills and supersedes the Old Covenant rituals and institutions.
John 2 13 Context
John chapter 2 begins with Jesus' first public miracle at the wedding in Cana, where He transformed water into wine (John 2:1-11), leading His disciples to believe in Him. Following this private manifestation of His glory, verse 13 transitions to Jesus entering a crucial public setting. The mention of "Passover" sets a significant festival context. This annual pilgrimage festival, mandated in the Old Testament, required all Jewish males to travel to Jerusalem to observe it and offer sacrifices, commemorating the exodus from Egyptian slavery. Jerusalem, as the religious and national capital with its central Temple, would be thronged with pilgrims from across Judea and beyond. John's distinctive phrase "the Jews' Passover" not only identifies the feast but subtly contrasts it with its true fulfillment in Jesus, setting the stage for His demonstration of divine authority that would challenge and redefine the very purpose of such festivals and the Temple itself.
John 2 13 Word analysis
- And (kai): A conjunction serving to connect the preceding narrative from Cana to this new, significant phase of Jesus' public ministry. It denotes continuity in God's unfolding plan.
- the Jews' (ton Ioudaiōn): This genitive form, common in John's Gospel, describes the specific people group associated with the Passover. It may highlight the particularity of the Old Covenant feast in contrast to the new reality that Jesus, the "Lamb of God," brings for all people.
- Passover (Pascha): From the Hebrew Pesach, this central Jewish feast celebrates God's deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage, marked by the sacrificial lamb's blood. Theologically, its appearance here is profound, foreshadowing Jesus as the ultimate Paschal Lamb whose blood brings true redemption. John uniquely frames Jesus' ministry around several Passovers, providing a distinct chronology of His years of service.
- was at hand (engys en): This phrase indicates immediacy; the festival was near or imminent. This precise timing underscores the providential aspect of Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem, ready to reveal His divine identity and confront the established religious order during its most pivotal annual celebration.
- Jesus (Iēsous): The central figure of the Gospel, "Yahweh saves," indicating His identity as the promised Messiah and Savior. His actions are deliberate and driven by divine purpose.
- went up (anabē): The Greek verb for ascending, appropriate as Jerusalem is geographically elevated. This ascent also carries a spiritual connotation, representing a pilgrimage to the sacred center, where profound revelations and divine interactions historically occurred.
- to Jerusalem (eis Hierosolyma): The holy city, the site of the Temple and the center of Jewish worship and religious life. Jerusalem is destined to be the stage for Jesus' most significant teachings, confrontations, and ultimately, His crucifixion and resurrection, making His presence there during Passover immensely symbolic.
Words-group analysis:
- "the Jews' Passover was at hand": This phrase sets a critical moment in redemptive history. It positions Jesus' entry into His public ministry within the precise historical and cultural context of Israel's most significant feast. The phrase signals an impending fulfillment, implying that the ancient Passover ritual, rich in prophetic symbolism, is about to meet its ultimate meaning in the person of Jesus.
- "Jesus went up to Jerusalem": This conveys Jesus' intentional and decisive movement towards the very heart of Israel's religious and national identity. It is a purposeful pilgrimage, not a casual visit. His journey indicates that He is stepping into His role as the prophesied Messiah, prepared to challenge existing structures and declare the arrival of the Kingdom of God within the framework of Jewish tradition and expectation.
John 2 13 Bonus section
- John's Chronological Distinction: Unlike the Synoptic Gospels, which portray Jesus' Temple cleansing near the end of His ministry, John uniquely places this pivotal event at the very beginning, immediately following John 2:13. This thematic arrangement emphasizes Jesus' authority to cleanse and redefine worship from the outset of His public mission, establishing His sovereignty over Jewish institutions and foretelling the transition from the old covenant to the new.
- Purposeful Encounter: Jesus' decision to go up to Jerusalem was not passive but an active, deliberate move reflecting His divine consciousness of His mission. He purposefully enters the vibrant hub of Jewish life and religion at its most significant annual festival, ready to unveil truths that would challenge and fulfill centuries of tradition.
- Symbolic Pilgrimage: For pious Jews, going up to Jerusalem for Passover was a fundamental act of devotion and communal identity. Jesus, the Son of God, participating in this pilgrimage both affirms His Jewish heritage and prepares the ground for demonstrating that He is the culmination of all such devout anticipation and ritual.
John 2 13 Commentary
John 2:13 is not merely a temporal and geographical marker but a profound theological statement introducing the essence of Jesus' ministry. By strategically placing Jesus in Jerusalem at Passover, John immediately establishes the context of Jesus' self-revelation. The Passover, steeped in themes of sacrifice, liberation, and new beginnings, served as a foundational symbol pointing directly to Christ. Jesus' arrival amidst the feast subtly asserts His divine prerogative as the true Lamb of God, who will usher in the ultimate freedom from sin, thereby fulfilling and superseding the Old Covenant sacrifice. The following actions in the Temple will then further solidify Jesus' authority over and replacement of the traditional worship system with His own body as the true dwelling place of God and source of salvation.