Yohanes 1:22

1:22 Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us ¹  so that we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

Yohanes 2:11-12

2:11 Jesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs, ²  in Cana ³  of Galilee. In this way he revealed ⁴  his glory, and his disciples believed in him. ⁵ 

Cleansing the Temple

2:12 After this he went down to Capernaum ⁶  with his mother and brothers ⁷  and his disciples, and they stayed there a few days.

Yohanes 2:20

2:20 Then the Jewish leaders ⁸  said to him, “This temple has been under construction ⁹  for forty-six years, ¹⁰  and are you going to raise it up in three days?”

Yohanes 2:23

Jesus at the Passover Feast

2:23 Now while Jesus ¹¹  was in Jerusalem ¹²  at the feast of the Passover, many people believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing. ¹³ 

Yohanes 3:19

3:19 Now this is the basis for judging: ¹⁴  that the light has come into the world and people ¹⁵  loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil.

Yohanes 3:22

Further Testimony About Jesus by John the Baptist

3:22 After this, ¹⁶  Jesus and his disciples came into Judean territory, and there he spent time with them and was baptizing.

Yohanes 3:32

3:32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony.

Yohanes 3:36

3:36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects ¹⁷  the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath ¹⁸  remains ¹⁹  on him.

Yohanes 4:5

4:5 Now he came to a Samaritan town ²⁰  called Sychar, ²¹  near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ²² 

Yohanes 4:12

4:12 Surely you’re not greater than our ancestor ²³  Jacob, are you? For he gave us this well and drank from it himself, along with his sons and his livestock.” ²⁴ 

Yohanes 4:20

4:20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, ²⁵  and you people ²⁶  say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” ²⁷ 

Yohanes 4:23

4:23 But a time ²⁸  is coming – and now is here ²⁹  – when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks ³⁰  such people to be ³¹  his worshipers. ³² 

Yohanes 4:40

4:40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they began asking ³³  him to stay with them. ³⁴  He stayed there two days,

Yohanes 4:42

4:42 They said to the woman, “No longer do we believe because of your words, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this one ³⁵  really is the Savior of the world.” ³⁶ 

Yohanes 4:47

4:47 When he heard that Jesus had come back from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and begged him ³⁷  to come down and heal his son, who was about to die.

Yohanes 4:53

4:53 Then the father realized that it was the very time ³⁸  Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he himself believed along with his entire household.

Yohanes 6:19

6:19 Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, ³⁹  they caught sight of Jesus walking on the lake, ⁴⁰  approaching the boat, and they were frightened.

Yohanes 6:24

6:24 So when the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats ⁴¹  and came to Capernaum ⁴²  looking for Jesus.

Yohanes 6:52

6:52 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus ⁴³  began to argue with one another, ⁴⁴  “How can this man ⁴⁵  give us his flesh to eat?”

Yohanes 7:18

7:18 The person who speaks on his own authority ⁴⁶  desires ⁴⁷  to receive honor ⁴⁸  for himself; the one who desires ⁴⁹  the honor ⁵⁰  of the one who sent him is a man of integrity, ⁵¹  and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Yohanes 8:7

8:7 When they persisted in asking him, he stood up straight ⁵²  and replied, ⁵³  “Whoever among you is guiltless ⁵⁴  may be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Yohanes 9:3

9:3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man ⁵⁵  nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so that ⁵⁶  the acts ⁵⁷  of God may be revealed ⁵⁸  through what happens to him. ⁵⁹ 

Yohanes 9:17

9:17 So again they asked the man who used to be blind, ⁶⁰  “What do you say about him, since he caused you to see?” ⁶¹  “He is a prophet,” the man replied. ⁶² 

Yohanes 9:22

9:22 (His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jewish religious leaders. ⁶³  For the Jewish leaders had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus ⁶⁴  to be the Christ ⁶⁵  would be put out ⁶⁶  of the synagogue. ⁶⁷ 

Yohanes 9:30-31

9:30 The man replied, ⁶⁸  “This is a remarkable thing, ⁶⁹  that you don’t know where he comes from, and yet he caused me to see! ⁷⁰  9:31 We know that God doesn’t listen to ⁷¹  sinners, but if anyone is devout ⁷²  and does his will, God ⁷³  listens to ⁷⁴  him. ⁷⁵ 

Yohanes 9:41

9:41 Jesus replied, ⁷⁶  “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin, ⁷⁷  but now because you claim that you can see, ⁷⁸  your guilt ⁷⁹  remains.” ⁸⁰ 

Yohanes 10:3

10:3 The doorkeeper ⁸¹  opens the door ⁸²  for him, ⁸³  and the sheep hear his voice. He ⁸⁴  calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁸⁵ 

Yohanes 11:28

11:28 And when she had said this, Martha ⁸⁶  went and called her sister Mary, saying privately, ⁸⁷  “The Teacher is here and is asking for you.” ⁸⁸ 

Yohanes 11:32

11:32 Now when Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Yohanes 11:39

11:39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” ⁸⁹  Martha, the sister of the deceased, ⁹⁰  replied, “Lord, by this time the body will have a bad smell, ⁹¹  because he has been buried ⁹²  four days.” ⁹³ 

Yohanes 11:55

11:55 Now the Jewish feast of Passover ⁹⁴  was near, and many people went up to Jerusalem ⁹⁵  from the rural areas before the Passover to cleanse themselves ritually. ⁹⁶ 

Yohanes 12:19

12:19 Thus the Pharisees ⁹⁷  said to one another, “You see that you can do nothing. Look, the world has run off after him!”

Yohanes 13:5

13:5 He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel he had wrapped around himself. ⁹⁸ 

Yohanes 13:10

13:10 Jesus replied, ⁹⁹  “The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, ¹⁰⁰  but is completely ¹⁰¹  clean. ¹⁰²  And you disciples ¹⁰³  are clean, but not every one of you.”

Yohanes 16:24

16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive it, ¹⁰⁴  so that your joy may be complete.

Yohanes 18:3

18:3 So Judas obtained a squad of soldiers ¹⁰⁵  and some officers of the chief priests and Pharisees. ¹⁰⁶  They came to the orchard ¹⁰⁷  with lanterns ¹⁰⁸  and torches and weapons.

Yohanes 18:25

Peter’s Second and Third Denials

18:25 Meanwhile Simon Peter was standing in the courtyard ¹⁰⁹  warming himself. They said to him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” ¹¹⁰  Peter ¹¹¹  denied it: “I am not!”

Yohanes 18:31

18:31 Pilate told them, ¹¹²  “Take him yourselves and pass judgment on him ¹¹³  according to your own law!” ¹¹⁴  The Jewish leaders ¹¹⁵  replied, ¹¹⁶  “We cannot legally put anyone to death.” ¹¹⁷ 

Yohanes 19:12

19:12 From this point on, Pilate tried ¹¹⁸  to release him. But the Jewish leaders ¹¹⁹  shouted out, ¹²⁰  “If you release this man, ¹²¹  you are no friend of Caesar! ¹²²  Everyone who claims to be a king ¹²³  opposes Caesar!”

Yohanes 19:26-27

19:26 So when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, ¹²⁴  look, here is your son!” 19:27 He then said to his disciple, “Look, here is your mother!” From that very time ¹²⁵  the disciple took her into his own home.

Yohanes 19:35

19:35 And the person who saw it ¹²⁶  has testified (and his testimony is true, and he ¹²⁷  knows that he is telling the truth), ¹²⁸  so that you also may believe.

Yohanes 19:39

19:39 Nicodemus, the man who had previously come to Jesus ¹²⁹  at night, ¹³⁰  accompanied Joseph, ¹³¹  carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes ¹³²  weighing about seventy-five pounds. ¹³³ 

Yohanes 20:12

20:12 And she saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’ body had been lying, one at the head and one at the feet.

Yohanes 20:26

20:26 Eight days later the disciples were again together in the house, ¹³⁴  and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, ¹³⁵  Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

Yohanes 20:31

20:31 But these ¹³⁶  are recorded ¹³⁷  so that you may believe ¹³⁸  that Jesus is the Christ, ¹³⁹  the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. ¹⁴⁰ 

Yohanes 21:11

21:11 So Simon Peter went aboard and pulled the net to shore. It was ¹⁴¹  full of large fish, one hundred fifty-three, ¹⁴²  but although there were so many, the net was not torn.

Yohanes 21:24-25

A Final Note

21:24 This is the disciple who testifies about these things and has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. 21:25 There are many other things that Jesus did. If every one of them were written down, ¹⁴³  I suppose the whole world ¹⁴⁴  would not have room for the books that would be written. ¹⁴⁵ 

[1:22]  ¹ tn The words “Tell us” are not in the Greek but are implied.

[2:11]  ² tn This sentence in Greek involves an object-complement construction. The force can be either “Jesus did this as,” or possibly “Jesus made this to be.” The latter translation accents not only Jesus’ power but his sovereignty too. Cf. also 4:54 where the same construction occurs.

[2:11]  ³ map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.

[2:11]  ⁴ tn Grk “in Cana of Galilee, and he revealed.”

[2:11]  ⁵ tn Or “his disciples trusted in him,” or “his disciples put their faith in him.”

[2:12]  ⁶ sn Verse 12 is merely a transitional note in the narrative (although Capernaum does not lie on the direct route to Jerusalem from Cana). Nothing is mentioned in John’s Gospel at this point about anything Jesus said or did there (although later his teaching is mentioned, see 6:59). From the synoptics it is clear that Capernaum was a center of Jesus’ Galilean ministry and might even be called “his own town” (Matt 9:1). The royal official whose son Jesus healed (John 4:46-54) was from Capernaum. He may have heard Jesus speak there, or picked up the story about the miracle at Cana from one of Jesus’ disciples.

[2:12]  map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.

[2:12]  ⁷ sn With respect to Jesus’ brothers, the so-called Helvidian view is to be preferred (named after Helvidius, a 4th-century theologian). This view holds that the most natural way to understand the phrase is as a reference to children of Joseph and Mary after the birth of Jesus. Other views are that of Epiphanius (they were children of Joseph by a former marriage) or Jerome (they were cousins). The tradition of Mary’s perpetual virginity appeared in the 2nd century and is difficult to explain (as J. H. Bernard, St. John [ICC], 1:85, points out) if some of her other children were prominent members of the early church (e.g., James of Jerusalem). But this is outweighed by the natural sense of the words.

[2:20]  ⁸ tn See the note on this phrase in v. 18.

[2:20]  ⁹ tn A close parallel to the aorist οἰκοδομήθη (oikodomhqh) can be found in Ezra 5:16 (LXX), where it is clear from the following verb that the construction had not yet been completed. Thus the phrase has been translated “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years.” Some, however, see the term ναός (naos) here as referring only to the sanctuary and the aorist verb as consummative, so that the meaning would be “this temple was built forty-six years ago” (so ExSyn 560-61). Ultimately in context the logic of the authorities’ reply appears to fit more naturally if it compares length of time for original construction with length of time to reconstruct it.

[2:20]  ¹⁰ sn According to Josephus (Ant. 15.11.1 [15.380]), work on this temple was begun in the 18th year of Herod the Great’s reign, which would have been ca. 19 b.c. (The reference in the Ant. is probably more accurate than the date given in J. W. 1.21.1 [1.401]). Forty-six years later would be around the Passover of a.d. 27/28.

[2:23]  ¹¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:23]  ¹² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:23]  ¹³ sn Because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing. The issue here is not whether their faith was genuine or not, but what its object was. These individuals, after seeing the miracles, believed Jesus to be the Messiah. They most likely saw in him a political-eschatological figure of some sort. That does not, however, mean that their concept of “Messiah” was the same as Jesus’ own, or the author’s.

[3:19]  ¹⁴ tn Or “this is the reason for God judging,” or “this is how judgment works.”

[3:19]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “and men,” but in a generic sense, referring to people of both genders (as “everyone” in v. 20 makes clear).

[3:22]  ¹⁶ tn This section is related loosely to the preceding by μετὰ ταῦτα (meta tauta). This constitutes an indefinite temporal reference; the intervening time is not specified.

[3:36]  ¹⁷ tn Or “refuses to believe,” or “disobeys.”

[3:36]  ¹⁸ tn Or “anger because of evil,” or “punishment.”

[3:36]  ¹⁹ tn Or “resides.”

[4:5]  ²⁰ tn Grk “town of Samaria.” The noun Σαμαρείας (Samareias) has been translated as an attributive genitive.

[4:5]  ²¹ sn Sychar was somewhere in the vicinity of Shechem, possibly the village of Askar, 1.5 km northeast of Jacob’s well.

[4:5]  ²² sn Perhaps referred to in Gen 48:22.

[4:12]  ²³ tn Or “our forefather”; Grk “our father.”

[4:12]  ²⁴ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end. In this instance all of v. 12 is one question. It has been broken into two sentences for the sake of English style (instead of “for he” the Greek reads “who”).

[4:20]  ²⁵ sn This mountain refers to Mount Gerizim, where the Samaritan shrine was located.

[4:20]  ²⁶ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the Greek verb translated “say” is second person plural and thus refers to more than Jesus alone.

[4:20]  ²⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[4:23]  ²⁸ tn Grk “an hour.”

[4:23]  ²⁹ tn “Here” is not in the Greek text but is supplied to conform to contemporary English idiom.

[4:23]  ³⁰ sn See also John 4:27.

[4:23]  ³¹ tn Or “as.” The object-complement construction implies either “as” or “to be.”

[4:23]  ³² tn This is a double accusative construction of object and complement with τοιούτους (toioutous) as the object and the participle προσκυνοῦντας (proskunounta") as the complement.

[4:23]  sn The Father wants such people as his worshipers. Note how the woman has been concerned about where people ought to worship, while Jesus is concerned about who people ought to worship.

[4:40]  ³³ tn Following the arrival of the Samaritans, the imperfect verb has been translated as ingressive.

[4:40]  ³⁴ tn Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the sequencing with the following verse, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[4:42]  ³⁵ tn Or “this.” The Greek pronoun can mean either “this one” or “this” (BDAG 740 s.v. οὗτος 1).

[4:42]  ³⁶ sn There is irony in the Samaritans’ declaration that Jesus was really the Savior of the world, an irony foreshadowed in the prologue to the Fourth Gospel (1:11): “He came to his own, and his own did not receive him.” Yet the Samaritans welcomed Jesus and proclaimed him to be not the Jewish Messiah only, but the Savior of the world.

[4:47]  ³⁷ tn The direct object of ἠρώτα (hrwta) is supplied from context. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[4:53]  ³⁸ tn Grk “at that hour.”

[6:19]  ³⁹ tn Grk “about twenty-five or thirty stades” (a stade as a unit of linear measure is about 607 feet or 187 meters).

[6:19]  sn About three or four miles. The Sea of Galilee was at its widest point 7 mi (11.6 km) by 12 mi (20 km). So at this point the disciples were in about the middle of the lake.

[6:19]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in v. 16. John uses the phrase ἐπί (epi, “on”) followed by the genitive (as in Mark, instead of Matthew’s ἐπί followed by the accusative) to describe Jesus walking “on the lake.”

[6:24]  ⁴¹ tn Or “embarked in the boats.”

[6:24]  ⁴² map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.

[6:52]  ⁴³ tn Grk “Then the Jews began to argue.” Here the translation restricts the phrase to those Jews who were hostile to Jesus (cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e.β), since the “crowd” mentioned in 6:22-24 was almost all Jewish (as suggested by their addressing Jesus as “Rabbi” (6:25). See also the note on the phrase “the Jews who were hostile to Jesus” in v. 41.

[6:52]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “with one another, saying.”

[6:52]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “this one,” “this person.”

[7:18]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “who speaks from himself.”

[7:18]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “seeks.”

[7:18]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”

[7:18]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “seeks.”

[7:18]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”

[7:18]  ⁵¹ tn Or “is truthful”; Grk “is true.”

[8:7]  ⁵² tn Or “he straightened up.”

[8:7]  ⁵³ tn Grk “and said to them.”

[8:7]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “sinless.”

[9:3]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “this one.”

[9:3]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “but so that.” There is an ellipsis that must be supplied: “but [he was born blind] so that” or “but [it happened to him] so that.”

[9:3]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “deeds”; Grk “works.”

[9:3]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “manifested,” “brought to light.”

[9:3]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “in him.”

[9:17]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “the blind man.”

[9:17]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “since he opened your eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[9:17]  ⁶² tn Grk “And he said, ‘He is a prophet.’”

[9:17]  sn At this point the man, pressed by the Pharisees, admitted there was something special about Jesus. But here, since prophet is anarthrous (is not accompanied by the Greek article) and since in his initial reply in 9:11-12 the man showed no particular insight into the true identity of Jesus, this probably does not refer to the prophet of Deut 18:15, but merely to an unusual person who is capable of working miracles. The Pharisees had put this man on the spot, and he felt compelled to say something about Jesus, but he still didn’t have a clear conception of who Jesus was, so he labeled him a “prophet.”

[9:22]  ⁶³ tn Or “the Jewish religious authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Twice in this verse the phrase refers to the Pharisees, mentioned by name in John 9:13, 15, 16. The second occurrence is shortened to “the Jewish leaders” for stylistic reasons. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish religious leaders” in v. 18.

[9:22]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “confessed him.”

[9:22]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[9:22]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[9:22]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “would be expelled from.”

[9:22]  ⁶⁷ sn This reference to excommunication from the Jewish synagogue for those who had made some sort of confession about Jesus being the Messiah is dismissed as anachronistic by some (e.g., Barrett) and nonhistorical by others. In later Jewish practice there were at least two forms of excommunication: a temporary ban for thirty days, and a permanent ban. But whether these applied in NT times is far from certain. There is no substantial evidence for a formal ban on Christians until later than this Gospel could possibly have been written. This may be a reference to some form of excommunication adopted as a contingency to deal with those who were proclaiming Jesus to be the Messiah. If so, there is no other record of the procedure than here. It was probably local, limited to the area around Jerusalem. See also the note on synagogue in 6:59.

[9:30]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “The man answered and said to them.” This has been simplified in the translation to “The man replied.”

[9:30]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “For in this is a remarkable thing.”

[9:30]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “and he opened my eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[9:31]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “God does not hear.”

[9:31]  ⁷² tn Or “godly.”

[9:31]  ⁷³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:31]  ⁷⁴ tn Or “hears.”

[9:31]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “this one.”

[9:41]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”

[9:41]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “you would not have sin.”

[9:41]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “now because you say, ‘We see…’”

[9:41]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “your sin.”

[9:41]  ⁸⁰ sn Because you claim that you can see, your guilt remains. The blind man received sight physically, and this led him to see spiritually as well. But the Pharisees, who claimed to possess spiritual sight, were spiritually blinded. The reader might recall Jesus’ words to Nicodemus in 3:10, “Are you the teacher of Israel and don’t understand these things?” In other words, to receive Jesus was to receive the light of the world, to reject him was to reject the light, close one’s eyes, and become blind. This is the serious sin of which Jesus had warned before (8:21-24). The blindness of such people was incurable since they had rejected the only cure that exists (cf. 12:39-41).

[10:3]  ⁸¹ tn Or “porter” (British English).

[10:3]  sn There have been many attempts to identify who the doorkeeper represents, none of which are convincing. More likely there are some details in this parable that are included for the sake of the story, necessary as parts of the overall picture but without symbolic significance.

[10:3]  ⁸² tn The words “the door” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.

[10:3]  ⁸³ tn Grk “For this one.”

[10:3]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “And he.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:3]  ⁸⁵ sn He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. Some interpreters have suggested that there was more than one flock in the fold, and there would be a process of separation where each shepherd called out his own flock. This may also be suggested by the mention of a doorkeeper in v. 3 since only the larger sheepfolds would have such a guard. But the Gospel of John never mentions a distinction among the sheep in this fold; in fact (10:16) there are other sheep which are to be brought in, but they are to be one flock and one shepherd.

[11:28]  ⁸⁶ tn Grk “she”; the referent (Martha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:28]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “in secret” (as opposed to publicly, so that the other mourners did not hear).

[11:28]  ⁸⁸ tn Grk “is calling you.”

[11:39]  ⁸⁹ tn Or “Remove the stone.”

[11:39]  ⁹⁰ tn Grk “the sister of the one who had died.”

[11:39]  ⁹¹ tn Grk “already he stinks.”

[11:39]  ⁹² tn Or “been there” (in the tomb – see John 11:17).

[11:39]  ⁹³ sn He has been buried four days. Although all the details of the miracle itself are not given, those details which are mentioned are important. The statement made by Martha is extremely significant for understanding what actually took place. There is no doubt that Lazarus had really died, because the decomposition of his body had already begun to take place, since he had been dead for four days.

[11:55]  ⁹⁴ tn Grk “the Passover of the Jews.” This is the final Passover of Jesus’ ministry. The author is now on the eve of the week of the Passion. Some time prior to the feast itself, Jerusalem would be crowded with pilgrims from the surrounding districts (ἐκ τῆς χώρας, ek th" cwra") who had come to purify themselves ceremonially before the feast.

[11:55]  ⁹⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:55]  ⁹⁶ tn Or “to purify themselves” (to undergo or carry out ceremonial cleansing before participating in the Passover celebration).

[12:19]  ⁹⁷ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[13:5]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “with the towel with which he was girded.”

[13:10]  ⁹⁹ tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”

[13:10]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Grk “has no need except to wash his feet.”

[13:10]  ¹⁰¹ tn Or “entirely.”

[13:10]  ¹⁰² sn The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet. A common understanding is that the “bath” Jesus referred to is the initial cleansing from sin, which necessitates only “lesser, partial” cleansings from sins after conversion. This makes a fine illustration from a homiletic standpoint, but is it the meaning of the passage? This seems highly doubtful. Jesus stated that the disciples were completely clean except for Judas (vv. 10b, 11). What they needed was to have their feet washed by Jesus. In the broader context of the Fourth Gospel, the significance of the foot-washing seems to point not just to an example of humble service (as most understand it), but something more – Jesus’ self-sacrificial death on the cross. If this is correct, then the foot-washing which they needed to undergo represented their acceptance of this act of self-sacrifice on the part of their master. This makes Peter’s initial abhorrence of the act of humiliation by his master all the more significant in context; it also explains Jesus’ seemingly harsh reply to Peter (above, v. 8; compare Matt 16:21-23 where Jesus says to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan”).

[13:10]  ¹⁰³ tn The word “disciples” is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb. Peter is not the only one Jesus is addressing here.

[16:24]  ¹⁰⁴ tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[18:3]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Grk “a cohort.” The word σπεῖραν (speiran) is a technical term for a Roman cohort, normally a force of 600 men (one tenth of a legion). It was under the command of a χιλίαρχος (ciliarco", v. 12). Because of the improbability of an entire cohort being sent to arrest a single man, some have suggested that σπεῖραν here refers only to a maniple, a force of 200. But the use of the word here does not necessarily mean the entire cohort was present on this mission, but only that it was the cohort which performed the task (for example, saying the fire department put out the fire does not mean that every fireman belonging to the department was on the scene at the time). These Roman soldiers must have been ordered to accompany the servants of the chief priests and Pharisees by Pilate, since they would have been under the direct command of the Roman prefect or procurator. It is not difficult to understand why Pilate would have been willing to assist the Jewish authorities in such a way. With a huge crowd of pilgrims in Jerusalem for the Passover, the Romans would have been especially nervous about an uprising of some sort. No doubt the chief priests and Pharisees had informed Pilate that this man Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah, or in the terms Pilate would understand, king of Israel.

[18:3]  ¹⁰⁶ tn The phrase “officers of the chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive name for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:32, 45; 18:3, 12, 18, 22; 19:6. They are different from the Levites who served as “temple police” according to K. H. Rengstorf (TDNT 8:540). In John 7:32ff. these officers had made an unsuccessful attempt to arrest Jesus, and perhaps this is part of the reason why their leaders had made sure they were accompanied by Roman soldiers this time. No more mistakes were to be tolerated.

[18:3]  sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[18:3]  ¹⁰⁷ tn The words “to the orchard” are not in the Greek text but are repeated from v. 1 for clarity.

[18:3]  ¹⁰⁸ tn These were lamps that had some sort of covering to protect them from wind and rain. In earlier usage the word meant “torch” but by NT times it apparently meant a lamp designed to be used outdoors, so “lantern” is a good contemporary English equivalent.

[18:3]  sn Mention of the lanterns and torches suggests a detail remembered by one who was an eyewitness, but in connection with the light/darkness motif of John’s Gospel, it is a vivid reminder that it is night; the darkness has come at last (cf. 13:30).

[18:25]  ¹⁰⁹ tn The words “in the courtyard” are not in the Greek text. They are supplied for the benefit of the modern reader, to link this scene to the preceding one in John 18:15-18.

[18:25]  ¹¹⁰ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are you?”).

[18:25]  ¹¹¹ tn Grk “That one denied it and said”; the referent of the pronoun (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:31]  ¹¹² tn Grk “Then Pilate said to them.”

[18:31]  ¹¹³ tn Or “judge him.” For the translation “pass judgment on him” see R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:848).

[18:31]  ¹¹⁴ sn Pilate, as the sole representative of Rome in a troubled area, was probably in Jerusalem for the Passover because of the danger of an uprising (the normal residence for the Roman governor was in Caesarea as mentioned in Acts 23:35). At this time on the eve of the feast he would have been a busy and perhaps even a worried man. It is not surprising that he offered to hand Jesus back over to the Jewish authorities to pass judgment on him. It may well be that Pilate realized when no specific charge was mentioned that he was dealing with an internal dispute over some religious matter. Pilate wanted nothing to do with such matters, as the statement “Pass judgment on him according to your own law!” indicates. As far as the author is concerned, this points out who was really responsible for Jesus’ death: The Roman governor Pilate would have had nothing to do with it if he had not been pressured by the Jewish religious authorities, upon whom the real responsibility rested.

[18:31]  ¹¹⁵ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12.

[18:31]  ¹¹⁶ tn Grk “said to him.”

[18:31]  ¹¹⁷ tn Grk “It is not permitted to us to kill anyone.”

[18:31]  sn The historical background behind the statement We cannot legally put anyone to death is difficult to reconstruct. Scholars are divided over whether this statement in the Fourth Gospel accurately reflects the judicial situation between the Jewish authorities and the Romans in 1st century Palestine. It appears that the Roman governor may have given the Jews the power of capital punishment for specific offenses, some of them religious (the death penalty for Gentiles caught trespassing in the inner courts of the temple, for example). It is also pointed out that the Jewish authorities did carry out a number of executions, some of them specifically pertaining to Christians (Stephen, according to Acts 7:58-60; and James the Just, who was stoned in the 60s according to Josephus, Ant. 20.9.1 [20.200]). But Stephen’s death may be explained as a result of “mob violence” rather than a formal execution, and as Josephus in the above account goes on to point out, James was executed in the period between two Roman governors, and the high priest at the time was subsequently punished for the action. Two studies by A. N. Sherwin-White (Roman Society and Roman Law in the New Testament, 1-47; and “The Trial of Christ,” Historicity and Chronology in the New Testament [SPCKTC], 97-116) have tended to support the accuracy of John’s account. He concluded that the Romans kept very close control of the death penalty for fear that in the hands of rebellious locals such power could be used to eliminate factions favorable or useful to Rome. A province as troublesome as Judea would not have been likely to be made an exception to this.

[19:12]  ¹¹⁸ tn Grk “sought.”

[19:12]  ¹¹⁹ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin, and their servants (mentioned specifically as “the chief priests and their servants” in John 19:6). See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 7.

[19:12]  ¹²⁰ tn Grk “shouted out, saying.”

[19:12]  ¹²¹ tn Grk “this one.”

[19:12]  ¹²² sn Is the author using the phrase Friend of Caesar in a technical sense, as a title bestowed on people for loyal service to the Emperor, or in a more general sense merely describing a person as loyal to the Emperor? L. Morris (John [NICNT], 798) thinks it is “unlikely” that the title is used in the technical sense, and J. H. Bernard (St. John [ICC], 2:621) argues that the technical sense of the phrase as an official title was not used before the time of Vespasian (a.d. 69-79). But there appears to be significant evidence for much earlier usage. Some of this is given in BDAG 498-99 s.v. Καῖσαρ. E. Bammel (“φίλος τοῦ καίσαρος (John 19:12),” TLZ 77 [1952]: 205-10) listed significant and convincing arguments that the official title was indeed in use at the time. Granting that the title was in use during this period, what is the likelihood that it had been bestowed on Pilate? Pilate was of the equestrian order, that is, of lower nobility as opposed to senatorial rank. As such he would have been eligible to receive such an honor. It also appears that the powerful Sejanus was his patron in Rome, and Sejanus held considerable influence with Tiberius. Tacitus (Annals 6.8) quotes Marcus Terentius in his defense before the Senate as saying that close friendship with Sejanus “was in every case a powerful recommendation to the Emperor’s friendship.” Thus it is possible that Pilate held this honor. Therefore it appears that the Jewish authorities were putting a good deal of psychological pressure on Pilate to convict Jesus. They had, in effect, finally specified the charge against Jesus as treason: “Everyone who makes himself to be king opposes Caesar.” If Pilate now failed to convict Jesus the Jewish authorities could complain to Rome that Pilate had released a traitor. This possibility carried more weight with Pilate than might at first be evident: (1) Pilate’s record as governor was not entirely above reproach; (2) Tiberius, who lived away from Rome as a virtual recluse on the island of Capri, was known for his suspicious nature, especially toward rivals or those who posed a political threat; and (3) worst of all, Pilate’s patron in Rome, Sejanus, had recently come under suspicion of plotting to seize the imperial succession for himself. Sejanus was deposed in October of a.d. 31. It may have been to Sejanus that Pilate owed his appointment in Judea. Pilate was now in a very delicate position. The Jewish authorities may have known something of this and deliberately used it as leverage against him. Whether or not they knew just how potent their veiled threat was, it had the desired effect. Pilate went directly to the judgment seat to pronounce his judgment.

[19:12]  ¹²³ tn Grk “who makes himself out to be a king.”

[19:26]  ¹²⁴ sn The term Woman is Jesus’ normal, polite way of addressing women (Matt 15:28, Luke 13:12; John 4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:15; see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1). But it is unusual for a son to address his mother with this term. The custom in both Hebrew (or Aramaic) and Greek would be for a son to use a qualifying adjective or title. Is there significance in Jesus’ use here? Jesus probably used the term here to help establish Mary and the beloved disciple in a new “mother-son” relationship. Someone would soon need to provide for Mary since Jesus, her oldest son, would no longer be alive. By using this term Jesus distanced himself from Mary so the beloved disciple could take his place as her earthly son (cf. John 2:4). See D. A. Carson, John, 617-18, for discussion about symbolic interpretations of this relationship between Mary and the beloved disciple.

[19:27]  ¹²⁵ tn Grk “from that very hour.”

[19:35]  ¹²⁶ tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[19:35]  ¹²⁷ tn Grk “and that one.”

[19:35]  ¹²⁸ sn A parenthetical note by the author.

[19:39]  ¹²⁹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:39]  ¹³⁰ sn See John 3:1-21.

[19:39]  ¹³¹ tn Grk “came”; the words “accompanied Joseph” are not in the Greek text but are supplied for clarity.

[19:39]  ¹³² sn Aloes refers to an aromatic resin from a plant similar to a lily, used for embalming a corpse.

[19:39]  ¹³³ sn The Roman pound (λίτρα, litra) weighed twelve ounces or 325 grams. Thus 100 Roman pounds would be about 32.5 kilograms or 75 pounds.

[20:26]  ¹³⁴ tn Grk “were inside”; the word “together” is implied.

[20:26]  ¹³⁵ tn Grk “the doors were shut”; “locked” conveys a more appropriate idea for the modern English reader.

[20:26]  sn See the note on the phrase locked the doors in 20:19.

[20:31]  ¹³⁶ tn Grk “these things.”

[20:31]  ¹³⁷ tn Grk “are written.”

[20:31]  ¹³⁸ tc ‡ A difficult textual variant is present at this point in the Greek text. Some mss (Ì^66vid א* B Θ 0250 pc) read the present subjunctive πιστεύητε (pisteuhte) after ἵνα (Jina; thus NEB text, “that you may hold the faith”) while others (א² A C D L W Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï) read the aorist subjunctive πιστεύσητε (pisteushte) after ἵνα (cf. NEB margin, “that you may come to believe”). As reflected by the renderings of the NEB text and margin, it is often assumed that the present tense would suggest ongoing belief (i.e., the Fourth Gospel primarily addressed those who already believed, and was intended to strengthen their faith), while the aorist tense would speak of coming to faith (i.e., John’s Gospel was primarily evangelistic in nature). Both textual variants enjoy significant ms support, although the present subjunctive has somewhat superior witnesses on its behalf. On internal grounds it is hard to decide which is more likely the original. Many resolve this issue on the basis of a reconstruction of the overall purpose of the Gospel, viz., whether it is addressed to unbelievers or believers. However, since elsewhere in the Gospel of John (1) the present tense can refer to both initial faith and continuation in the faith and (2) the aorist tense simply refrains from commenting on the issue, it is highly unlikely that the distinction here would be determinative for the purpose of the Fourth Gospel. The question of purpose cannot be resolved by choosing one textual variant over the other in 20:31, but must be decided on other factors. Nevertheless, if a choice has to be made, the present subjunctive is the preferred reading. NA²⁷ puts the aorist’s sigma in brackets, thus representing both readings virtually equally (so TCGNT 220).

[20:31]  ¹³⁹ tn Or “Jesus is the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[20:31]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[20:31]  ¹⁴⁰ sn John 20:31. A major question concerning this verse, the purpose statement of the Gospel of John, is whether the author is writing primarily for an audience of unbelievers, with purely evangelistic emphasis, or whether he envisions an audience of believers, whom he wants to strengthen in their faith. Several points are important in this discussion: (1) in the immediate context (20:30), the other signs spoken of by the author were performed in the presence of disciples; (2) in the case of the first of the signs, at Cana, the author makes a point of the effect the miracle had on the disciples (2:11); (3) if the primary thrust of the Gospel is toward unbelievers, it is difficult to see why so much material in chaps. 13-17 (the last meal and Farewell Discourse, concluding with Jesus’ prayer for the disciples), which deals almost exclusively with the disciples, is included; (4) the disciples themselves were repeatedly said to have believed in Jesus throughout the Gospel, beginning with 2:11, yet they still needed to believe after the resurrection (if Thomas’ experience in 20:27-28 is any indication); and (5) the Gospel appears to be written with the assumption that the readers are familiar with the basic story (or perhaps with one or more of the synoptic gospel accounts, although this is less clear). Thus no account of the birth of Jesus is given at all, and although he is identified as being from Nazareth, the words of the Pharisees and chief priests to Nicodemus (7:52) are almost certainly to be taken as ironic, assuming the reader knows where Jesus was really from. Likewise, when Mary is identified in 11:2 as the one who anointed Jesus’ feet with oil, it is apparently assumed that the readers are familiar with the story, since the incident involved is not mentioned in the Fourth Gospel until 12:3. These observations must be set over against the clear statement of purpose in the present verse, 20:31, which seems to have significant evangelistic emphasis. In addition to this there is the repeated emphasis on witness throughout the Fourth Gospel (cf. the witness of John the Baptist in 1:7, 8, 15, 32, and 34, along with 5:33; the Samaritan woman in 4:39; Jesus’ own witness, along with that of the Father who sent him, in 8:14, 18, and 18:37; the disciples themselves in 15:27; and finally the testimony of the author himself in 19:35 and 21:24). In light of all this evidence it seems best to say that the author wrote with a dual purpose: (1) to witness to unbelievers concerning Jesus, in order that they come to believe in him and have eternal life; and (2) to strengthen the faith of believers, by deepening and expanding their understanding of who Jesus is.

[21:11]  ¹⁴¹ tn The words “It was” are not in the Greek text. Here a new sentence was begun in the translation in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences. For this reason the words “It was” had to be supplied.

[21:11]  ¹⁴² sn Here the author makes two further points about the catch of fish: (1) there were one hundred fifty-three large fish in the net, and (2) even with so many, the net was not torn. Many symbolic interpretations have been proposed for both points (unity, especially, in the case of the second), but the reader is given no explicit clarification in the text itself. It seems better not to speculate here, but to see these details as indicative of an eyewitness account. Both are the sort of thing that would remain in the mind of a person who had witnessed them firsthand. For a summary of the symbolic interpretations proposed for the number of fish in the net, see R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:1074-75), where a number are discussed at length. Perhaps the reader is simply to understand this as the abundance which results from obedience to Jesus, much as with the amount of wine generated in the water jars in Cana at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry (2:6).

[21:25]  ¹⁴³ tn Grk “written”; the word “down” is supplied in keeping with contemporary English idiom.

[21:25]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Grk “the world itself.”

[21:25]  ¹⁴⁵ tc Although the majority of mss (C² Θ Ψ Ë¹³ Ï lat) conclude this Gospel with ἀμήν (amhn, “amen”), such a conclusion is routinely added by scribes to NT books because a few of these books originally had such an ending (cf. Rom 16:27; Gal 6:18; Jude 25). A majority of Greek witnesses have the concluding ἀμήν in every NT book except Acts, James, and 3 John (and even in these books, ἀμήν is found in some witnesses). It is thus a predictable variant. Further, excellent and early witnesses, as well as a few others (א A B C*^,3 D W 1 33 pc it), lack the particle, rendering no doubt as to how this Gospel originally ended.

[21:25]  sn The author concludes the Gospel with a note concerning his selectivity of material. He makes it plain that he has not attempted to write an exhaustive account of the words and works of Jesus, for if one attempted to do so, “the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” This is clearly hyperbole, and as such bears some similarity to the conclusion of the Book of Ecclesiastes (12:9-12). As it turns out, the statement seems more true of the Fourth Gospel itself, which is the subject of an ever-lengthening bibliography. The statement in v. 25 serves as a final reminder that knowledge of Jesus, no matter how well-attested it may be, is still partial. Everything that Jesus did during his three and one-half years of earthly ministry is not known. This supports the major theme of the Fourth Gospel: Jesus is repeatedly identified as God, and although he may be truly known on the basis of his self-disclosure, he can never be known exhaustively. There is far more to know about Jesus than could ever be written down, or even known. On this appropriate note the Gospel of John ends.