John 12:1

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John 12:1 · World English Bible (WEB)

“Then six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.”

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Overview Confusing Elements Cultural Context Theological Insights Original Language Related Passages

Overview

Theme

Jesus deliberately comes near Jerusalem as Passover approaches, returning to the place associated with Lazarus’s resurrection.

Core Message

John places Jesus in Bethany, near the shadow of the cross, with Lazarus standing as living testimony to His power over death. The verse quietly joins two great realities: Passover is near, and the One who raises the dead is moving toward His own death.

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Difficulty Level

What Makes This Verse Confusing?

Explanation

This is not a casual timestamp. John is marking the final approach to Jesus’ crucifixion. Passover was the feast when Israel remembered the Lord’s deliverance from Egypt through the blood of the lamb, and John wants the setting of Jesus’ final days to be read in that holy light.

Why Confusing

The verse does not spell out how close Bethany was to Jerusalem, how Passover shaped the movement of pilgrims, or how John’s Gospel has already connected Passover with Jesus’ approaching death.

Why It Matters

Jesus is not merely traveling; He is coming to the Passover as the true Lamb of God, moving willingly toward the hour appointed by the Father.

Cultural & Historical Context

Original Audience

John writes to believers who know Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, and who are being led to see His signs as revelations of His glory.

Historical Situation

Passover was drawing near, and Jerusalem would be filling with worshipers. Bethany lay close to Jerusalem, making Jesus’ arrival there a deliberate move toward the center of rising opposition and toward His appointed death.

Relevant Customs

✦Passover was the great remembrance of God’s deliverance through the blood of the lamb. John’s timing invites the faithful reader to see Jesus’ final week in connection with God’s saving purposes revealed in Israel’s redemption.

Theological Insights

christology

Theological Truth

Jesus approaches His death as the Lord who has already demonstrated authority over death.

Application

Faith can look at the cross without despair, because the One who goes to die is also the Resurrection and the Life.

Original Language

Strong’s G3957πάσχαpascha(greek)

Meaning

Passover lamb — πάσχα , τό indecl. (Aram. טַּסְחָא), [in LXX for פֶּסַח ;] __1. the festival of the Passover : Mat.26:2 , Mrk.14:1 , Luk.22:1 , Jhn.2:13, 23 6:4 11:55 12:1 18:39 19:14 , Act.12:4 , Heb.11:28 ; .ἡ ἐορτὴ τοῦ π., Luk.2:41 , Jhn.13:1 . __2. By meton., __(a) the paschal supper : ἑτοιμάζειν τὸ π., Mat.26:19 , Mrk.14:16 , Luk.22:8, 13 ; ποιεῖν τό π., Mat.26:18; __(b) the pasohal lamb : θύειν τό π. ( Exo.…

Why it matters

In this setting, “Passover” carries more than a calendar meaning. It places Jesus’ coming death under the holy pattern of deliverance through sacrifice, preparing the reader to behold Him as the fulfillment of what Passover proclaimed.

Lexicon & word tagging: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0)