Jn. 12:1 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”
We see the injunction to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” The term leaven to the Jewish ear of the first century was a sign of second best, therefore, corruption and hypocrisy. Usually the ancient Jews fermented their dough by taking the yeast from a previous baking and kneaded it with the new dough. On occasions when they did not use leaven or yeast, it was considered second best because of the part the leaven played in the history of Passover. If a Jew mixed yeast in the baking during the annual feast, it was considered unacceptable and a desecration. The yeast was invisible, yet it permeated the whole loaf. Yeshua used this term, His listeners recognized the insult of second best and unacceptable.
Notice the consistency of His methodology of teaching. When the many thousands of the multitude gathered together, in so much that they trampled on one another, He began to talk to His disciples first of all. Regardless of the multitudes, the ones He is teaching is His disciples. To the masses then the parables hide the truth, but they are teaching tools for His disciples.
Jn. 12:2 “For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.”
Jn. 12:3 “Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.”
Jn. 12:4 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.”
Jn. 12:5 “But I will show you whom you should fear; fear Him who, after He has killed you, has the power to cast you into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him.”
Jn. 12:6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God.”
Jn. 12:7 “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows.”
Jn. 12:8 “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.”
Jn. 12:9 “But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.”
Mt. 12:31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.”
Mk. 3:28, 29 “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”
Jn. 12:10 “And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.”
(Mt. 12:31, 32; Mk. 3:28,29)
Jn. 12:11 “Now when they bring you to the synagogue and magistrates, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.”
Jn. 12:12 “For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Mt. 10:19, 20; Mk. 13:9)
Jn. 12:13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
The laws of inheritance are clearly defined in Judaism. This person was probably trying to get Yeshua to violate the Law in order to help him get what did not belong to him. Regardless, this man should have went to an appointed judge with his problem, not Yeshua.
Jn. 12:14 But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”
When a man from the multitude asked Yeshua to pass judgment, and demanded his brother to divide the inheritance, Yeshua quoted Exodus 2:14, "Who made me a judge and divider over you?” Now there is a reason, because these words were the words used against Moses when he offered himself the first time as Israel’s deliverer, and the people rejected his authority. This is one of the things that led to Moses’ flight from Egypt to Midian, and a passing of forty years. Only when Moses returned a second time was his authority accepted. So, here we have a picture of the first and second coming of the Messiah.
Jn. 12:15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of the covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
Yeshua used the occasion to warn the crowd to “beware of covetousness.” The Jews would have been familiar with the tenth commandment “Thou shalt not covet” (Exodus 20:14). Failure to obey this commandment, however, was always a weakness in the lives of God’s people. The problem of covetousness is that what is coveted is or becomes the focus of one’s life. Our priorities in this life will related to whatever is coveted. These priorities will determine our attitudes, our thoughts, and what will consume our time.
Jn. 12:16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.”
Jn. 12:17 “And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’”
Jn. 12:18 “So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and I will store all my crops and my goods.’”
Jn. 12:19 “‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’”
Jn. 12:20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’”
Eccl. 11:18, 19 says, “There is a man who is rich through his diligence and self-denial, and this is the reward allotted to him. When he says, “I have found rest, and now I shall enjoy my good’ he does not know how much time will pass until he leaves them to others.”
Jn. 12:21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God.”
Eccl. 29:12 says, “Store up almsgiving in your treasury, and it will rescue you from all affliction.” In this story, Yeshua is speaking to the masses and does so in a parable. The point of this parable is defining the danger of caring for things beyond our present need. The man in the parable did not do wrong in planning ahead. It is alright to do that. Where he went wrong is that he left God out of his plans. The lesson for the disciples was fourfold. First, God will feed us. Secondly, God will clothe us. Thirdly, of we seek God’s Kingdom, that being the primary factor in our lives, then food and clothing will be given to us in abundance. And fourthly, we will be storing up treasure for ourselves in Heaven.
Jn. 12:22 And He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about your body, what you will put on.”
Mt. 6:25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than and the body more than clothing?"
Jn. 12:23 “Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.”
Mt. 6:26 "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more than they?"
Jn. 12:24 “Consider the raven, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouses nor barns; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?”
Mt. 6:27 "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?"
Jn. 12:25 “And which one of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?”
Jn. 12:26 "If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the best?”
Mt. 6:28 "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin;"
Mt. 6:29 "Ad yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."
Jn. 12:27 “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”
Mt. 6:30 "Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"
Jn. 12:28 “If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown in the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?”
Mt. 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
Jn. 12:29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.”
Mt. 6:32 "For aftr all these things the Gentiles seek. For your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these hings."
Jn. 12:30 “For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.”
M. 6:33 "But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
Jn. 12:31 “But seek the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Yeshua told the crowd, “Seek first the Kingdom of God.” As important as our relationship with other people is, a right relationship with them will not be established until we have right relationship with God. The Shema (Deut. 6:4) quoted each day by the Jews, suggests this: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deut. 6:5).
Jn. 12:32 “Do not fear, littler flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.”
One of the purposes of the Law was to teach how to be happy and prosper here on earth by manifesting the power and authority of God’s reign in our lives.
Jn. 12:33 “Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches, nor moth destroys.”
Jn. 12:34 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Jn. 12:35 “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning.”
Jn. 12:36 “And you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.”
Jn. 12:37 “Blessed are those whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, ans will come and serve them.”
Jn. 12:38 “And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are these servants.”
Jn. 12:39 “But know this, that if the master of the house had known what house the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.”
No where in the Bible does it talk of the Lord coming “soon,” but actually speaks of the Son of Man coming as a “thief in the night,” indicating that His coming will be sudden, not soon. Rabbi Eliezer taught that since no one knew when the Lord would come, "you should repent one day before your death." This was a Jewish way of saying we should live in a constant state of repentance.
Jn. 12:40 “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
This story is a lesson in watchfulness. He said to His disciples to be as servants, watching for the coming of the Lord. Their duty was to keep on working while they were waiting. If they work as servants should work while they are waiting for the Lord to return, they will then be rewarded.
Jn. 12:41 Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us or to all people?”
Jn. 12:42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?”
Jn. 12:43 “Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.”
Jn. 12:44 “Truly I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.”
Jn. 12:45 “But if the servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink and be drunk.”
Jn. 12:46 The master of that servant will come in a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two, and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.”
Jn. 12:47 “And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.”
The number of lashes given in a flogging was a maximum of forty, as seen in the Scriptures (Deut. 25:3), as well as the N.T. The number normally given was “forty minus one,” to keep from exceeding the maximum number. The reason for this was that if the maximum number was exceeded, then when the person receiving them was healed, he was then allowed to administer the stripes to the one who made the mistake. The Rabbis had a certain way in which the lashes were given, with one-third being administered on the chest and two-thirds on the back.
Source: Deut. 25;3
Flogging was the general punishment given for violating a “negative” commandment when no specific mention is made of the death penalty. It was also used for severe violations of commandments where the punishment was traditionally decreed as karath or “cutting off.” Although there is no physical punishment for failure to carry out a “positive” commandment, Rabbinical authorities were given the power to administer judgment for the general welfare of the community in all cases where they saw fit, as often seen in the N.T.
Jn. 12:48 “But he who did not know, yet committed things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with a few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much is required; and to whom much has been committed, for him they will ask the more.”
Yeshua’s answer to the application of the parable is to anyone who knows the truth, and those who know the truth are to apply it in their lives. It is a lesson in faithfulness.
Jn. 12:49 “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled."
Jn. 12:50 “But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is finished.”
Yochanan haMatbil prophesied that the Coming One would baptize with the Ruach haKodesh and with fire (Matt. 3:11). As we learn from Acts 2:3, Yeshua did baptize His disciples with the Ruach haKodesh on the Feast of Shavuoth. At the same time, did He baptize with fire? Many Christians assume the answer is yes, that the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of fire took place simultaneously. They take for granted that the tongues of fire mentioned in Acts are the fulfillment of Yochanan’s prophecy about the baptism of fire.
What Yochanan meant by a baptism with fire or “in fire” he clarified in the very next verse (Matt. 3:12) through a very beautiful allegory. For Yochanan, as for other O.T. prophets, fire was a symbol of judgment (Isaiah 66:15, 16). Fire was a perfect symbol of destruction, thus a figure of destruction. Another interpretation of this verse might be “I have come to cast fire or judgment upon the earth, but how could I wish it (the earth) were already burned up?” I have a baptism to baptize (a judgment to judge), and how distressed I am till it is over! My task is to set the earth on fire. That I am doing. The earth is burning (spiritually). I have already begun to sow the seeds of judgment, and one day there will be a final judgment. But I do not look forward to that day, that final moment of My return – when men will no longer have a chance to accept Me as Lord. How could I wish for that? I am required to baptize the earth, to judge the world. But in the meantime, until the judgment is complete, how difficult it is for Me! How I agonize as men decide to become My disciples, while others decide to reject My Messianic claims.”
Source: Isaiah 66:15, 16
In this sense, the judgment of which Yeshua spoke, that baptism of fire which Yeshua predicted, had already begun. It began the moment Yeshua started calling men and women to join His movement, the Kingdom of God. The final Judgment would take place at His Second Coming. But, in the meantime, people were making decisions which would determine their eternal destiny.
This passage is extraordinary in still another way. It is a saying in which Yeshua indirectly claims to be God Himself. In the O.T. it is always the Lord who comes with fire (Isaiah 66:15, 16), or who kindles a fire of judgment. When Yeshua spoke in the first person of casting , or sending fire, His listeners must have been shocked. Nor is this the only instance in which Yeshua hints that He is Elohim. Yeshua never hesitates to speak or act like God.
Jn. 12:51 “Do you suppose that I come to give peace on earth? I tell you, not al all, but rather division.”
Jn. 12:52 “From now on five in one house will be divided; three against two, and two against three.”
Jn. 12:53 “Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
Verses 51-53 restate verses 49 and 50, explaining and amplifying them. Yeshua first speaks in allegory (49,50), and then repeats in more explanatory words (51-53).
The Hebrew word which must have stood in the original text (pduth) means disagreement, dissension, or dispute. Yeshua was not going to bring peace and harmony, but division and dissension. Even members of the same family would disagree about Him. To reinforce His point, He actually quotes Micah 7:6 here. One would become a disciple; another would not. This is undoubtedly the same dissension that righteous Simeon had prophesied about in the Temple (see segment #016).
Source: Micah 7:6
Jn. 12:54 Then He also said to the multitudes, “When you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘a shower is coming.’”
Jn. 12:55 “And when you see the south wind blow, you say, ‘there will be hot weather;’ and there is.”
Jn. 12:56 “Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?”
Yeshua tells them that they should have known the Messianic time had arrived. Up to the time of His rejection (segment #061), Yeshua had given them plenty of signs. Yeshua tells them to make their peace before it is too late. 66 - 73 C.E. will mark the point when it will be too late.
Jn. 12:57 “Yes, and why even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?”
Jn. 12:58 “When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.”
Jn. 12:59 “I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid every last mite.”
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