Bible Gateway passage: John 12:20-50 - New International Version (2024)

Jesus Predicts His Death

²⁰Now there were some Greeks^(A) among those who went up to worship at the festival. ²¹They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida^(B) in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” ²²Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

²³Jesus replied, “The hour^(C) has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.^{(D) 24}Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies,^(E) it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it^(F) for eternal life.^{(G) 26}Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.^(H) My Father will honor the one who serves me.

²⁷“Now my soul is troubled,^(I) and what shall I say? ‘Father,^(J) save me from this hour’?^(K) No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven,^(L) “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” ²⁹The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

³⁰Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit,^(M) not mine. ³¹Now is the time for judgment on this world;^(N) now the prince of this world^(O) will be driven out. ³²And I, when I am lifted up^[a] from the earth,^(P) will draw all people to myself.”^{(Q) 33}He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.^(R)

³⁴The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law^(S) that the Messiah will remain forever,^(T) so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man^(U) must be lifted up’?^(V) Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”

³⁵Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light^(W) just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light,^(X) before darkness overtakes you.^(Y) Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. ³⁶Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.”^(Z) When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.^(AA)

Belief and Unbelief Among the Jews

³⁷Even after Jesus had performed so many signs^(AB) in their presence, they still would not believe in him. ³⁸This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:

“Lord, who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”^[b](AC)

³⁹For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

⁴⁰“He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
nor understand with their hearts,
nor turn—and I would heal them.”^[c](AD)

⁴¹Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory^(AE) and spoke about him.^(AF)

⁴²Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him.^(AG) But because of the Pharisees^(AH) they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue;^{(AI) 43}for they loved human praise^(AJ) more than praise from God.^(AK)

⁴⁴Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me.^{(AL) 45}The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me.^{(AM) 46}I have come into the world as a light,^(AN) so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

⁴⁷“If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.^{(AO) 48}There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them^(AP) at the last day. ⁴⁹For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me^(AQ) to say all that I have spoken. ⁵⁰I know that his command leads to eternal life.^(AR) So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”^(AS)

Footnotes

1. John 12:32 The Greek for lifted up also means exalted.
2. John 12:38 Isaiah 53:1
3. John 12:40 Isaiah 6:10

Cross references

1. John 12:20 : Jn 7:35; Ac 11:20
2. John 12:21 : S Mt 11:21
3. John 12:23 : S Mt 26:18
4. John 12:23 : Jn 13:32; 17:1
5. John 12:24 : 1Co 15:36
6. John 12:25 : Mt 10:39; Mk 8:35; Lk 14:26; 17:33
7. John 12:25 : S Mt 25:46
8. John 12:26 : Jn 14:3; 17:24; 2Co 5:8; Php 1:23; 1Th 4:17
9. John 12:27 : Mt 26:38, 39; Jn 11:33, 38; 13:21
10. John 12:27 : S Mt 11:25
11. John 12:27 : ver 23
12. John 12:28 : S Mt 3:17
13. John 12:30 : Ex 19:9; Jn 11:42
14. John 12:31 : Jn 16:11
15. John 12:31 : Jn 14:30; 16:11; 2Co 4:4; Eph 2:2; 1Jn 4:4; 5:19
16. John 12:32 : ver 34; Isa 11:10; Jn 3:14; 8:28
17. John 12:32 : Jn 6:44
18. John 12:33 : Jn 18:32; 21:19
19. John 12:34 : S Jn 10:34
20. John 12:34 : Ps 110:4; Isa 9:7; Eze 37:25; Da 7:14
21. John 12:34 : S Mt 8:20
22. John 12:34 : Jn 3:14
23. John 12:35 : ver 46
24. John 12:35 : Eph 5:8
25. John 12:35 : 1Jn 1:6; 2:11
26. John 12:36 : ver 46; S Lk 16:8
27. John 12:36 : Jn 8:59
28. John 12:37 : S Jn 2:11
29. John 12:38 : Isa 53:1; Ro 10:16
30. John 12:40 : Isa 6:10; S Mt 13:13, 15
31. John 12:41 : Isa 6:1-4
32. John 12:41 : Lk 24:27
33. John 12:42 : ver 11; Jn 7:48
34. John 12:42 : S Jn 7:13
35. John 12:42 : Jn 9:22
36. John 12:43 : 1Sa 15:30
37. John 12:43 : S Ro 2:29
38. John 12:44 : S Mt 10:40; Jn 5:24
39. John 12:45 : S Jn 14:9
40. John 12:46 : S Jn 1:4
41. John 12:47 : S Jn 3:17
42. John 12:48 : Jn 5:45
43. John 12:49 : Jn 14:31
44. John 12:50 : S Mt 25:46
45. John 12:50 : S Jn 14:24