New Testament · Gospel

John 12:18

The Hour Has Come

That is also why the crowd went out to meet Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign. John 12:18 · Berean Standard Bible
What It Means

John 12:18, in plain English

People rushed out to meet Jesus because they heard about the incredible miracle with Lazarus. News like that travels fast, and curiosity is a powerful thing.

Why it's here

This wasn't just the people who saw the miracle; this was a whole new crowd drawn by the report. The raising of Lazarus was the tipping point that made Jesus impossible to ignore.

Who's speaking

John explains why so many people turned out for Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem.

Where it sits in the story

Imagine hearing that someone nearby had just raised a dead man back to life. You would want to see this person for yourself. That is exactly what happened as crowds poured out of the city gates to find Jesus.

A Closer Look

The scholarly reading

The crowd's motivation for meeting Jesus is explicitly linked to the sēmeion (sign) of Lazarus' resurrection. In Johannine theology, signs point beyond themselves to Jesus' identity.

Language and setting

John distinguishes between the crowd who witnessed the miracle and this second crowd drawn by the report. The sign functions as both attraction and test of faith.

Voice

John explains the crowd's motivation in narrative commentary.

Significance

A second wave of people surged out from Jerusalem to meet Jesus on the road, drawn by the electrifying report that He had raised a dead man. The miracle served as a catalyst, though many were drawn more by spectacle than by genuine belief.

In context

John 12:16–20

16At first His disciples did not understand these things, but after Jesus was glorified they remembered what had been done to Him, and they realized that these very things had also been written about Him.

17Meanwhile, many people who had been with Jesus when He called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify.

18That is also why the crowd went out to meet Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign.

19Then the Pharisees said to one another, “You can see that this is doing you no good. Look how the whole world has gone after Him!”

20Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the feast.

Read all of John 12 — Mary anoints Jesus' feet with costly perfume, the crowds wave palm branches, and Jesus announces that his hour has finally arrived.

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