John 12 - EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

John 12:1-50

¹ Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.

² There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.

³ Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

John tells the Good News about Jesus

Gospel of John

Marion Adams

Chapter 12

Mary pours expensive *perfume over Jesus’ feet 12:1-11

v1 Six (6) days before the *Passover, Jesus returned to Bethany. Lazarus lived there. (He was the man whom Jesus had made alive again.) v2 So Lazarus’s family made a special dinner for Jesus. Martha was serving them. And Lazarus was among the people who ate with Jesus.

v3 Mary took a bottle of very expensive *perfume. She poured all of it over Jesus’ feet. Then she wiped his feet with her hair. The sweet smell of the *perfume filled the house.

v4 A *disciple called Judas Iscariot was there. (This was the *disciple who would soon *betray Jesus.) v5 He said, ‘That *perfume was worth 300 pieces of silver! You should have sold it. Then we could have given the money to poor people.’

v6 But Judas did not really care about poor people. He was a thief. He looked after the money for Jesus and the *disciples. But Judas would take the money for himself.

v7 Jesus answered, ‘Do not argue with her! She did this to prepare for the time when people will put me in a grave. v8 You will always have poor people among you. But you will not always have me here with you.’

v9 Meanwhile, a large crowd of *Jewish people found out that he was there. So they came. But they did not come to see Jesus only. They also wanted to see Lazarus, whom Jesus had made alive again. v10 So the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus, too. v11 Lazarus was the reason why many of the *Jewish people had *rejected their leaders. The people were *believing in Jesus instead. That is why the chief priests wanted to kill Lazarus.

Verses 1-3 When Jesus returned for the *Passover, he stayed again with his friends called Mary, Martha and Lazarus. They had a special meal and Jesus was the most important guest there. Probably, they wanted to thank him because of what he did on behalf of Lazarus.

In some ways, the situation was similar to a different occasion that Luke described in his *Gospel (Luke 10:38-42 – see note on John 11:17-27). In Luke’s account, Martha was busy with practical tasks. But Mary sat with Jesus. She listened to him as he spoke. She was learning from him. Martha complained to Jesus because Mary was not helping her. But Jesus said that Mary was right. She knew what was more important.

In John’s account of this other occasion, Martha was doing practical tasks again. But this time she did not complain about Mary. However, Mary did something that would have caused shock to everybody there. She took a very expensive bottle of *perfume and she poured it over Jesus’ feet. It was the custom to put *perfume on a guest’s head. But it was not usual to pour a whole bottle of *perfume over a guest’s feet. And this particular *perfume was worth as much as some workers earned in a year!

Then Mary did something else that was very unusual. She uncovered her hair and she wiped Jesus’ feet with it. *Jewish women always covered their hair in public. Only prostitutes (women who sold their bodies for sex) did not cover their hair. So for Mary to show her hair like this would have offended people, too.

Verses 4-6 Judas was very angry. He considered that Mary had wasted the *perfume on Jesus. Judas thought that she should have sold it. Then poor people could have money from the sale of the *perfume.

However, Judas did not say this sincerely. He did not really care about poor people. He just loved money. Actually, he was stealing it from Jesus and the *disciples. Judas had many opportunities to steal because he looked after all their money. (Later, the *Jewish leaders paid him 30 pieces of silver to hand Jesus over to them.)

Verses 7-8 But Jesus did not agree with Judas. This probably surprised Judas and the other people there because Jesus always helped poor people. But Mary’s act of love had a *spiritual meaning. It was like a *prophecy. People poured expensive *perfume over a dead body before they put the body in a grave. So, although she probably did not realise it, Mary was *prophesying about Jesus’ death. Also, she was showing in public that she had *faith in him. She was giving him the best and most precious thing that she possessed.

Jesus was not telling people to spend money on him. And he did not tell people that they should not give to poor people. But Jesus was praising Mary because of what she did on this particular occasion. And he warned the people that, soon, he would not still be with them. But there would always be opportunities to help poor people.

Verses 9-11 The *Jewish leaders wanted to kill Jesus. They did not believe that he is God. So they thought that they had a reason to kill him. But Lazarus had not done anything! However, the fact that he was alive was evidence of Jesus’ power over even death. Nobody could deny the *miracle that Jesus had done. Lazarus himself was the chief witness. So the leaders wanted to murder Lazarus, too. This wrong attitude to Jesus had caused them to plot another evil act.

Jesus enters *Jerusalem 12:12-19

v12 There were many people in *Jerusalem. They had come for the *Passover. The next day, this large crowd heard that Jesus was coming to *Jerusalem. v13 They went out of the city to meet him. They picked branches from palm trees. (The palm is a kind of tree. It has large leaves.) They shouted:

‘Hosanna! (Save us now!)

God *bless the King of *Israel!

Our king is coming in the name (authority) of the *Lord!’

v14 Jesus found a young *donkey and he rode on it. The *scriptures say this:

v15 ‘Do not be afraid, people in *Jerusalem!

Look, your king is coming.

He is riding on a young *donkey.’

v16 At this time, Jesus’ *disciples did not understand that this *prophecy was actually happening in front of them. But later, after Jesus had received *glory, they remembered the *scriptures. And they realised what had happened. Everything had happened *exactly as the *scriptures said!

v17 Some people in the crowd had seen Jesus make Lazarus alive again. They were telling other people about it. v18 That was why so many people went out to meet Jesus. It was because they heard about this *miracle.

v19 The *Pharisees said to each other, ‘We can do nothing about it! Look, everybody in the world is following him!’

Verses 12-19 Many people had seen Jesus call Lazarus out of the grave. The news had spread quickly into *Jerusalem. So a large crowd went out to meet Jesus as he entered the city for the *Passover. They waved branches from a kind of tree called a palm. They shouted some words from the *scriptures, too (Psalms 118:25-26). The *Jews used the word ‘hosanna’ when they were asking a king to help them. It actually meant ‘save us now’. They used this phrase when they wanted the king to save them from their enemies.

So, when the crowd shouted, ‘hosanna!’ they were really greeting Jesus as their king. They were greeting Jesus as their *Messiah. They were showing that they expected him to defeat their enemies, the *Romans. But Jesus was not the kind of *Messiah that they were expecting! They expected somebody who would make *Israel become an important and powerful nation again. But Jesus did not enter *Jerusalem like a powerful leader. Instead, he was riding on a mere *donkey. The *donkey is an animal like a horse, but a donkey is much smaller. Poorer people rode on *donkeys instead of horses, because *donkeys were much cheaper. Jesus came to the people humbly, not proudly. The *prophet Zechariah had *prophesied that their king would come to them in this way. Verse 15 repeats his words (Zechariah 9:9). At that time, the *disciples were not thinking about Zechariah’s *prophecy. Jesus would ‘receive *glory’ (verse 16) when God made him become alive again. Then, later, Jesus returned to heaven. After this, the *disciples realised what this *prophecy meant.

Jesus had become very popular. But many of the people who greeted him that day did not remain loyal to him. They did not try to prevent his death a few days later. Probably, some of them even shouted, ‘*Crucify him!’ (John 19:15).

However, the *Pharisees were very worried because Jesus was so popular. It seemed that everybody was following him. So they said that ‘everybody in the world’ was following him! The *Pharisees choice of words shows their despair. But in fact, like Caiaphas’s words in John 11:50, the *Pharisees’ words were more accurate than they realised. This was because, in the future, people from countries all over the world would follow Jesus. But the *Pharisees were not trying to say that people in all nations would follow him. Instead, the *Pharisees were angry because so many people were following Jesus already.

Jesus explains why he must die 12:20-36

v20 There were some *Greeks in *Jerusalem. They had come to *worship God during the *Passover. v21 Philip, who came from Bethsaida in *Galilee, was also there. The *Greeks went to Philip.

They said, ‘Sir, we would like to meet Jesus.’

v22 Philip told Andrew about this. Then Andrew and Philip went to Jesus and they told him.

v23 Jesus answered, ‘The time has come for the Son of Man to receive his *glory. v24 I tell you the truth! A seed of wheat must fall into the soil and it must die. If it does not do this, it will remain just one seed. But if it dies, it will produce lots of wheat. It will produce many more seeds! v25 If you love your life in this world, you will lose it. But if you do not love your life in this world, you will receive *eternal life. v26 If you want to work for me, you must follow me. My servants will be with me wherever I am. If you serve me, the *Father will respect you greatly.’

Verses 20-21 Some *Gentiles followed the *Jewish religion. They believed in *Israel’s God and they *worshipped him at the important *Jewish *festivals.

Some of these *Gentiles who were *Greeks wanted to meet Jesus. Although Philip was a *Jew, he had a *Greek name. Perhaps that is why these *Greeks came to him.

Verses 22-23 Jesus’ reaction to Philip and Andrew’s request seems strange. He did not even mention the *Greeks. But he was answering them. He began to talk about his death and to explain it to them.

Jesus’ death was the only way that people could enter God’s *kingdom. And God’s *kingdom is for everybody who *believes in Jesus. It is not just for the *Jews. When Jesus died on the *cross, he provided the way for all people to receive *eternal life. He had spoken before about his ‘time’ (John 2:4). That time had come.

Verse 24 Jesus used a familiar situation in nature to explain why he had to die. There is only one way for a seed to produce more seeds. The seed must fall into the ground. Jesus compared this to his death. If the seed does not die, it will not produce more seeds. So Jesus had to die as a *sacrifice. He had to receive the punishment that we all deserve. Also he had to show that he had power over death. His *resurrection proved that he had *eternal life. He gives this *eternal life to everybody who *believes in him. These people are like the new seeds that the original seed’s ‘death’ produces.

Verse 25 This verse does not mean that we should want to die. It does not mean that we should not enjoy our lives. It means that we should live to serve God. We should not live just for our own pleasure and comfort. We should not find security in the things of this world.

Instead, we should want to do only what Jesus wants. We should not be selfish. We should not try to control our lives. We should let Jesus control our lives. Then we will be really free. We will be really happy. We will receive the gift of *eternal life. This wonderful *life begins when we first *believe in Jesus. And it continues after our death.

Verse 26 Jesus knew that he would suffer. People would *reject him and they would hate him. They would kill him in the cruellest way. We must expect some people to *reject us and to hate us. We may even have to die because of our beliefs. But when we follow Jesus sincerely, God will reward us. He will greatly respect all who are loyal to his Son. This is worth more than anything that this world could offer us.

v27 ‘Now I feel very upset (opposite of calm) in my heart. I do not know what to say. But I do not ask my *Father to save me from this time when I will suffer. No! In fact, that is why I have come into the world. I have come here to suffer. v28 So, *Father, bring *glory to yourself.’

Then a voice spoke from heaven. The voice said, ‘I have brought *glory to myself already. And I will do it again!’

v29 The crowd who were standing there heard the voice. Some people thought that it was thunder (the loud sound that you hear during a storm). Other people said that an *angel had spoken to Jesus.

v30 Jesus said, ‘That voice spoke to help you. It was for your benefit, not mine. v31 It is time for this world to receive a judgement. The ruler of this world will have to leave. v32 People will lift me above the earth. Then, I will give everybody the desire to come to me.’ v33 Jesus said this to show how he would soon die.

v34 The crowd said, ‘But the *Messiah will live *forever. The *scriptures teach this. But you say that people will lift up the Son of Man. Who is this Son of Man?’

v35 Jesus answered. ‘The *light will remain with you for a short time only. While you have the *light, you must walk in it. Walk in the *light so that the darkness will not overcome you. A person who walks in the darkness cannot see. That person does not know where he is going. v36 Have *faith in the *light while it is with you. Then you will become children of the *light.’

After he had said this, Jesus went away. He hid himself from the people.

Verses 27-30 Jesus knew what would happen to him. He knew that he had to suffer a cruel and painful death. He was a human person, like us. So it was natural for him to feel strong emotions at this time. But he also knew that he had to suffer. He had come to save us from the punishment that we deserve because of our *sins. There was only one way to do this. He had to receive our punishment instead of us. He had to pay the price for our *sins. That price was death.

Jesus was not afraid only of physical pain and death. He was afraid because he had to suffer *spiritually, too. Like the animals that the *Jews *sacrificed in the *Temple, he was dying on behalf of other people. Jesus was innocent, but he was suffering instead of guilty people. And everyone is guilty of sin. Jesus took upon himself every person’s *sins, whether they are past, present or future.

God is completely *holy. He cannot have a relationship with anything *sinful. So while Jesus was on the *cross, he was not united with God. Jesus had always been united with God. To be separate from God would cause him extreme pain in his spirit.

But Jesus obeyed his *Father completely. He wanted to do what his *Father wanted. This is what would bring *glory to God. When Jesus said this aloud, his *Father spoke from heaven. The *signs that Jesus had done had always brought *glory to God. Jesus did not need to hear the voice speak aloud. He heard his *Father’s voice in his spirit always. But the voice spoke aloud so that the crowd could hear God, too.

Verse 31 When Jesus spoke about ‘the ruler of this world’, he was referring to the devil. The devil is an evil *angel. A long time ago, he opposed God. He continues to oppose God and he is our enemy. He persuaded Eve, the first woman, not to obey God (see Genesis chapter 3). The devil tried to persuade Jesus to *sin. But Jesus refused (see Matthew 4:1-11).

The devil is powerful. But Jesus has much more power. When we *believe in Jesus, the devil does not rule us. We become God’s children and we belong to God’s *kingdom.

Jesus defeated the devil by means of his (Jesus’) death and *resurrection. He paid the price for our *sins by means of his *sacrifice on the *cross. He defeated death, which came into the world because of Adam and Eve’s *sin.

Verses 32-34 ‘People will lift me above the earth’ (verse 32). Jesus was referring to his physical death, when he hung on a *cross (John 3:14 and John 8:29). But the crowd did not want to believe that Jesus would die. Certainly, they did not want to believe that he would die like a criminal. They wanted him to lead them and to defeat their enemies.

Certain *scriptures promised that the *Messiah would live *forever (Psalms 110:4; Psalms 89:29; Psalms 89:36; Isaiah 9:7). So the people thought that he would never die. But the people misunderstood the meaning of these *scriptures. That is not what those *scriptures actually said. However, the *scriptures were true. Jesus is alive and he will always be the ruler of everything. Also, there were other *prophecies about how the *Messiah had to suffer and to die (for example Isaiah 53:5-9). But the crowd did not want to believe this.

‘The Son of Man’ (verse 34). See note on John 1:51.

Verses 35-36 ‘The *light’ that Jesus referred to meant himself. Soon, his time on earth as a man would end. Like a light, he guided people. He showed them the truth and he pointed them towards God. He wanted the people to benefit from this short time that he was among them.

The people refuse to *believe in Jesus 12:37-43

v37 Jesus had done many *miracles. The people had seen these *signs but still they did not *believe in him. v38 This was so that the *prophet Isaiah’s words would be true.

Isaiah wrote:

‘*Lord, you have shown your strength and power.

But the people have not believed our report.’

v39 For this reason, the people could not *believe.

Isaiah wrote also:

v40 ‘The *Lord has caused his people to become like blind people.

He has closed their minds so that they cannot think properly.

Otherwise, they would realise what they have seen.

Their minds would understand.

And they would change their attitudes so that I (the *Lord) would cure them.’

v41 Isaiah wrote this because he saw Jesus’ *glory. So he spoke about Jesus. v42 However, many people did *believe in Jesus. Some of them were important leaders. But they did not tell anybody that they *believed in Jesus. This was because they were afraid of the *Pharisees. The *Pharisees would order anybody who *believed in Jesus not to attend the *synagogue. v43 Also these leaders liked people to praise them. They wanted people to praise them more than they wanted to please God.

Verse 37 The people had actually seen Jesus do *miracles. They were *Jews, so they prayed to God. They expected him to hear their prayers. They expected the *Messiah to come. But still they refused to *believe in Jesus.

In some ways, it is the same today. God has given to people the freedom to choose what they believe. People see that God answers prayers. They hear the good news about Jesus. But still they refuse to *believe in him. It is important to remember this when we tell other people about our *faith. We must tell people about Jesus and that they can only receive *salvation by means of him. That is our duty as *Christians. But people can choose to *believe in Jesus or to *reject him.

Verse 38 Isaiah lived about 750 years before Jesus was born. At that time also, the *Jews had many rules that they obeyed. These rules had become very important to them. Sometimes, it seemed that the rules had become more important to them than God himself. This verse is from Isaiah 53:1. The people at that time *rejected Isaiah’s message about God’s judgement and *salvation. They did not recognise God’s power in this message.

Verses 39-40 Isaiah’s words (Isaiah 6:10) are difficult to understand. It seemed as if God himself caused the people to *reject him. But that is not really what Isaiah meant. Isaiah had obeyed God. He had told the people *exactly what God had said about judgement and *salvation. And God had allowed them to *reject that message. Their decision was very foolish. But God did not force them to change their minds.

Sometimes people refuse to believe the truth during many years. So in the end it becomes impossible for them to believe it. It is as if their minds and their hearts have closed against it. God allowed these people to remain in this situation because it was the result of their own choice. And if people *reject God’s truth, they *reject God too. So God cannot help them. The *Jews who *rejected Jesus were like this. God allowed them to make a choice. He allowed them to remain in this situation.

Verse 41 Isaiah had a vision in which he saw God’s *glory. (See Isaiah chapter 6. A ‘vision’ is a special dream. This dream comes to a person when they are awake.) Jesus, God’s Son, shares God’s *glory. So when Isaiah saw God’s *glory, he saw Jesus’ *glory also.

Verses 42-43 But not everybody refused to *believe in Jesus. In fact, John recorded that many *Jewish leaders *believed in him. But they refused to tell anybody. They were afraid of the new rule that the *Pharisees had made (see note on John 7:10-13). They did not want the other *Jews to *reject them. They liked to be popular. They preferred to please people rather than to please God.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell people that we are *Christians. Our families and friends may *reject us. People may laugh at us. Some people may even hate us just because we *believe in Jesus. But Jesus expects us to be honest about our *faith in him. He expects us to tell other people. He will make us bold. He will tell us what to say. It is more important to please Jesus than to worry about other people’s opinions of us.

Jesus’ final words to the people 12:44-50

v44 Then Jesus spoke in a loud voice to the crowds. He said, ‘*Believe in me. If you do this, you are not just *believing in me. You are *believing in the *Father, who sent me. v45 When you look at me, you also see him. He sent me. v46 I have come to be like a light in this world. If you *believe in me, you will not remain in the darkness. v47 I will not be the *judge of those who refuse to obey me. I came to *save the world. I did not come to *judge it. v48 But those who *reject me and my words will receive a judgement. The truth that I have spoken will *judge them on the last day! v49 I did not speak with my own authority. The *Father, who sent me, told me what to say. And I obeyed his commands about what to say and how to say it. v50 I know that his commands bring *eternal life. So I say *exactly what the *Father has told me to say!’

Verses 44-50 This passage records the final words that Jesus spoke to the people about himself. The next time that he spoke in public was at his *trial.

He repeated the most important parts of his message. He told them again that God had sent him to the earth. And when people looked at him, they were really seeing God. He reminded them that he was like a *light for everybody. (See John 1:4-5; John 8:12; John 9:5.) He gave them a choice. They could *believe in him and have his *light to guide them. Otherwise they could remain in their *sinful ways, which is like darkness.

Jesus emphasised that he had not come to *judge people. Instead, he had come to *save people. Everybody had *sinned. Therefore everybody deserves that God *condemns them. But Jesus came to *save us from this punishment.

On the last day, everybody will receive a judgement. People will receive either *salvation and *eternal life, or punishment. That punishment will be permanent. People will suffer in a place where they are separate from God. But people can now choose whether to receive *eternal life or to suffer punishment. If they *believe in Jesus, God will not *condemn them. But if they *reject Jesus and his message, they have chosen to remain guilty. Their own choice *condemns them. They deserve to receive a punishment instead of God’s gift of *salvation by means of Jesus.

Jesus was not just a good man who taught people his ideas about God. God told him *exactly what to say. And he spoke only those words. Jesus’ words are the words of God himself.

perfume ~ a substance that has a lovely smell.
Passover ~ an important holy day for the Jews. They eat a special meal on this day every year. This is to remember that God freed them. Before God freed them, they were slaves in the country called Egypt. This happened at the time of Moses. So Passover became an important holiday. At the time of Jesus, the Jews came to Jerusalem to pray in the Temple. And families shared a special meal together.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel. It was the place where Israel’s early kings ruled. Later, the kings of the southern kingdom called Judah ruled in Jerusalem.
temple ~ a building where people went to worship God. Jesus referred to his body as a temple. This was because God was living among people in his Son, Jesus.
Temple ~ the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews went to worship God.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
kingdom ~ a place or country that a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules. God is the king of all Christians and all Christians are in his kingdom.
worship ~ to give thanks and honour to God and Jesus. To show to him that we love him very much.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
disciple ~ a person who wants to do the same things as another person and to learn from them. Jesus had disciples. John the Baptist had disciples, too.
Baptist ~ a person who baptises people.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the Jewish *scriptures. The writers wrote this before the birth of Jesus.
Jewish ~ the word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews. The ‘Jewish leaders’ were a group of important Jews who lived in Judah.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
prophesy ~ to speak or to write God’s words.
faith ~ to *believe in someone or something; to be really sure about the things of God and Jesus.
miracle ~ wonderful works that only God can do by his power. A wonderful event that shows that a person’s message is from God.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel. It was the place where Israel’s early kings ruled. Later, the kings of the southern kingdom called Judah ruled in Jerusalem.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
kingdom ~ a place or country that a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules. God is the king of all Christians and all Christians are in his kingdom.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
bless ~ to say or to do good things for someone. To guard and to protect from evil things.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
donkey ~ a small animal that people can ride, like a horse.
glory ~ everything that makes God great and beautiful. A bright light that comes from God or Jesus to show that they are beautiful and holy.
holy ~ what God is like. God’s character: perfect, completely good with nothing bad in it. Separate from sin.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
exactly ~ completely right; completely the same; without any difference.
Pharisees ~ a group of Jews who thought that they obeyed all God’s commands.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Messiah ~ the Jews’ name for the special servant of God. It means the person whom God sent to save people from the results of their sins. Jesus is the Messiah.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Roman ~ a person from Rome. Rome was an important city. The Emperor and the government lived in Rome. Roman describes everything that belonged to Rome.
Emperor ~ the chief Roman ruler.
prophet ~ a person who hears God’s words and tells them to other people. Some prophets wrote books in the Old Testament. Sometimes, they told about events before they happened.

baptise/baptism ~ to put a person into water, or to put water on a person; it is to show that the person wants to obey God. Christians receive baptism as a sign that they want to follow Jesus.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Father ~ God. Jesus taught us to call God ‘Father’. All Christians are God’s children.
father ~ someone whom a person respects and follows; an ancestor. The Jewish leaders said that Abraham was their father. But Jesus said that the devil was their father, instead!
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
ancestor ~ person in the past from whom one’s parents came.
Jewish ~ the word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews. The ‘Jewish leaders’ were a group of important Jews who lived in Judah.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Gentile ~ any person who is not a Jew.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
festival ~ when people meet together in public for a happy party to remember a special day or event.
kingdom ~ a place or country that a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules. God is the king of all Christians and all Christians are in his kingdom.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
cross ~ two pieces of wood that someone has fixed together. Roman soldiers fixed people to crosses in order to kill those people as a punishment. Jesus died on a cross. The cross is now the sign of the Christian church.
Roman ~ a person from Rome. Rome was an important city. The Emperor and the government lived in Rome. Roman describes everything that belonged to Rome.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Emperor ~ the chief Roman ruler.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
sacrifice ~ a gift to God to ask him to forgive sins; or a gift to thank him for something. The Jews killed animals as sacrifices. This word also means to make a sacrifice.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
resurrection ~ to come back to life after death.
life ~ the quality that a person has, because that person is alive. In John’s Gospel, it means to be completely alive in our spirits. When we *believe in Jesus, we receive this life as a special gift. When we have this life, we can live to please God. It is the best way to live.
Gospel ~ one of the 4 books at the beginning of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They record Jesus’ life.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus on the earth. It is about the things that Jesus did. And it is about the things that he taught. It is also about the church and what Christians should believe.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
temple ~ a building where people went to worship God. Jesus referred to his body as a temple. This was because God was living among people in his Son, Jesus.
Temple ~ the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews went to worship God.
worship ~ to give thanks and honour to God and Jesus. To show to him that we love him very much.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel. It was the place where Israel’s early kings ruled. Later, the kings of the southern kingdom called Judah ruled in Jerusalem.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
kingdom ~ a place or country that a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules. God is the king of all Christians and all Christians are in his kingdom.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
holy ~ what God is like. God’s character: perfect, completely good with nothing bad in it. Separate from sin.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
sign ~ the word that John often uses in his Gospel to mean a miracle. A sign gives evidence and it points to something beyond itself.
Gospel ~ one of the 4 books at the beginning of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They record Jesus’ life.
miracle ~ wonderful works that only God can do by his power. A wonderful event that shows that a person’s message is from God.

'prophecy/prophecies ~ the words that a prophet speaks or writes by God’s power. Often, they tell about events before they happen.
prophet ~ a person who hears God’s words and tells them to other people. Some prophets wrote books in the Old Testament. Sometimes, they told about events before they happened.

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