June 6th, 2026

This Sunday’s title is the Second Sunday after Pentecost, and that type of title will continue for a significant amount of time. And since this year we are going through the so-called “A Series”, we will also be looking at the Gospel according to Matthew for a significant amount of time. The Gospel Reading for this Sunday is Matthew 9:9-13. From this point on in time, until the end of the church year, a section of the Gospel according to Matthew will usually be taken, some parts may be skipped, and the church year will end when the reading gets somewhat near the end of that Gospel account (at chapter twenty-five).

Within the writings of this website, we have been going through the Gospel according to John for a significant amount of time. We are taking a little bit at a time, in the order in which it has been laid out, and we are not skipping any parts. We are also hoping that, by the end of the church year, we would be close to finishing a special translation of that Gospel account.

We are translating that text in a very unique way, what we are currently calling an EXTREMELY literal translation. And we are currently in what is called chapter twelve of that Gospel account. If you are familiar with this style of translation, then you may bypass the next two paragraphs.

The first significant thing to mention regarding the description of this type of translation is that the verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. Both the chapter numbers and verse numbers were added quite later after the text was written, and they are certainly helpful when someone is searching for a particular text, but the structure they imply is not always helpful. These numerical designations tend to focus the reader on the very beginning of the text, where the writer started, and that is usually not be the most important thing that the writer wants the reader to remember. The writers basically wanted the readers to focus on Jesus and not themselves. And the words are much more important than the numbers, and often those words lead the reader near the middle and/or the end of the text in some way.

It should also be noted that the words with hyphens occur when more than one English word is used to describe a single word of the ancient Greek. And some of the words chosen below are meant to point out the close connection that often occurs between the English and Greek languages. (A point could be made in this regard that the meanings of words can change over the centuries.) It is also important to mention that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. This may help to show the important words, especially when another word besides the verb is first in the sentence or phrase. Sometimes this emphasis is shown with a “(!)”. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words (like “therefore”, “now”) that are usually second in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. And although it should be obvious, it should be said that repetition of words should be noted as another type of emphasis. One more thing to mention is that, although this does not occur in the text below, the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS. That is when a verb in a past tense is expected, but a verb in the present tense is given. This special characteristic of some of the verbs has been explained elsewhere in these writings, and it may be helpful to read some of the other writings of this website. With all of the above things to consider, it will probably be helpful to have another translation or a study bible nearby as you read the text below.

It is not a coincidence that commentaries end at John 12:50. This is a significant point. There are some significant events before this verse. In this Gospel account, before Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, he had recently raised Lazarus from the dead. It was laid out in the text that this miracle resulted in a conspiracy to kill Jesus … and Lazarus as well! Jesus is anointed by Mary, and he enters Jerusalem.  At that point the Pharisees said to each other that the world had gone after him (12:19). And this point is further attested in that Greeks are asking to see Jesus (12:21). In response to that request, Jesus predicts both his death and his glorification, his being lifted up on a cross (12:32). His being lifted up is something that was mentioned very early in the account (3:14). Some significant things are being brought together as Jesus comes to his cross.

So what follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of the last part of what has been called the twelfth chapter of the Gospel according to John (12:37-50). And since we are getting near Jesus’ death and resurrection, and at the end of this reading is a very important combination of words that will be discussed:

Now  so-many(!),  he,  signs  having-done  in-front-of  them,  not  they-were-believing  into  him,  in-order-that  the  word  of-Isaiah,  the  prophet,  it-might-be-fulfilled,  which  he-said,  “Lord,  who  believed  the  report  of-us?  And  the  arm  of-the-Lord,  to-whom  was-it-apocalypsed?”  On-account-of  this,  not  they-were-able  to-believe,  because  again  he-said,  Isaiah,  “He-has-blinded  of-them  the  eyes,  and  he-hardened  of-them  the  cardiac,  in-order-that  not  they-might-see  with-the  eyes,  and  they-might-understand  with-the  cardiac,  and  they-might-turn,  and  I-will-cure  them.”  These-things(!)  he-said,  Isaiah,  because  he-saw  the  doxa  of-him,  and  he-spoke  concerning  him.  Nevertheless  however,  even  out-of  the  rulers,  many  believed  into  him,  but-on-the-contrary,  on-account-of  the  Pharisees,  not  they-were-confessing,  in-order-that  not  out-of-synagogue  they-might-become,  for  they-agaped  the  doxa  of-the  anthropoid  more  than  the  doxa  of-the  God.

Now  Jesus(!),  he-cried-out,  and  he-said,  “The-one  believing  into  me,  not  he-believes  into  me,  but-on-the-contrary,  into  the-one  having-sent  me;  and  the-one  beholding  me,  he-beholds  the-one  having-sent  me.  I(!),  a-light  into  the  cosmos,  I-have-come,  in-order-that  every  the-one  believing  into  me,  in  the  darkness  not  he-may-remain.  And  if  anyone  of-me  he-hears  the  sayings,  and  not  he-guards,  I,  not  do-judge  him,  for  not  I-came  in-order-that  I-might-judge  the  cosmos,  but-on-the-contrary,  in-order-that  I-might-save  the  cosmos.  The  one  setting-aside  me  and  not  receiving  the  sayings  of-me,  he-has  the-one  judging  him.  The  word  which  I-spoke,  that  it-will-judge  him  in  the  eschaton  day.  Because  I,  out-of  myself  not  did-I-speak,  but-on-the-contrary,  the-one  having-sent  me,  Father,  he  to-me,  a-commandment  it-has-been-given,  what  I-may-say  and  what  may-I-speak.  And  I-know  that  the  commandment  of-him,  life  eternal  it-is;  therefore  what-things  I,  I-am-speaking,  even-as  he-has-said  to-me,  the  Father,  thus  I-am-speaking. 

With such a significant person as One who is both God and Man, and at such a significant turning point in the life of Jesus, it is not at all inappropriate to ask this question: Why are there four Gospel accounts? To have just one account would make the life of Jesus like a history lesson. Four accounts mean that Jesus was AND STILL IS important. It is like having four people sitting around someone EXTREMELY important and each one giving his or her perspective. And it is not every day that the true God comes down and becomes a true man as well.

When it comes to the structure of the Gospel according to John, there is a definite progression of Jesus toward Jerusalem, and during that journey there is a structure that follows the Jewish festivals of the year, from Passover in the spring to Hanukah in the winter. And then obviously it comes back to that special spring when Jesus is doing Passover and his crucifixion.

The Jewish influence on Jesus is obviously significant. That may be seen in the Old Testament. And what may also be seen as a Jewish influence is the similarity of this Gospel account to what is called a “Word of Exhortation”. It is a special type of sermon, given at the synagogue. A word of exhortation was given by St. Paul when he was at Pisidian Antioch, in a synagogue. (See Acts 13:15 and what follows for that particular sermon.) Another writing that has been termed a word of exhortation is what is known as the Epistle of the Hebrews. (See Hebrews 13:22 for that title.)

All three “words of exhortations” have “thus … he has said” at some point. It is in Acts 13:34 and Hebrews 4:4. And that combination also appears here in the last few words above. Why would that be?

It would be good to consider the bigger context. The Gospel according to John does not appear in manuscripts separately from the other accounts. The four are there, almost always in the usual order that is most familiar to everyone. The only other significant order is that of a more Jewish one, with the disciples first and the secretaries second, in the order in which the longer one is before the shorter one. This order is essentially Matthew, John, Luke, Mark, and this is where the longer ending of Mark is found. It seems as though the four accounts were meant to be together.

Paper, actually papyrus, was expensive back then, and so it was a commitment to have all the accounts together.

The first three accounts are so similar that they have been called the “synoptic” accounts, those of a similar perspective. But they do have some important differences that are significant. And it is not too much a stretch to think of the Gospel according to Matthew as emphasizing the Father, the Gospel according to Mark emphasizing the Son, and the Gospel according to Luke, with the connection to Acts, as emphasizing the Holy Spirit.

In a word of exhortation, the person speaking is saying something important, then the point is made that something should be done, or more specifically, what should NOT be done, in light of what was said. The first part of such a “word” has already been put forward, that of, “thus he has said”. The second part is “therefore, do not”. This appears in Acts 13:40 and Hebrews 10:35. The word “therefore” is abundant in the Gospel according to John, but not with the word “do not” (and it could be noted at this point that “do not” is actually one word in the Greek language).

The Gospel according to John may be seen as a partial word of exhortation. To have Jesus say some things is good. Are they commands? Not too often. Looking at these Gospel accounts as a whole, they certainly emphasize what the Christ has done for his followers, even for his present-day followers.

More will be said about this as the study gets to the end. But the writer continues to emphasize the talking of Jesus. And he definitely was an important person. And he had some important words to say. And those words make a BIG difference.