What is the meaning of John 12:18? That is also why • The phrase ties directly back to John 12:17, where “the people who were with Jesus when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify.” • Scripture is showing a clear cause-and-effect: the testimony about Lazarus’s resurrection spurred the next wave of interest. Compare the flow in Acts 2:6, where a report causes another crowd to gather. • God often works through eyewitness accounts to draw people (John 1:45-46; John 4:29-30). the crowd went out to meet Him • John 12:12-13 pictures an eager multitude waving palm branches and crying, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” • This outward movement fulfills Zechariah 9:9—“See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey.” • Similar scenes of crowds seeking Jesus appear in Matthew 14:13-14 and Luke 19:37-40, underscoring that public excitement often swells when people sense God at work. • Yet the Gospels also caution that a crowd’s enthusiasm can be fickle (John 6:66; Matthew 27:22-23). because they heard that He had performed this sign • “This sign” points to the raising of Lazarus (John 11:43-44), a miracle so undeniable that even Jesus’ enemies admitted its impact (John 11:47-48). • John’s Gospel consistently labels miracles as “signs,” not mere wonders, because they point to Jesus’ identity (John 2:11; John 20:30-31). • Hearing preceded seeing: news of the miracle traveled ahead of Jesus, proving Romans 10:17—“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” • Contrast genuine belief that matures (John 11:25-27) with curiosity that fades when expectations are unmet (John 6:26-27). summary John 12:18 explains the surge of people greeting Jesus during His triumphal entry. Eyewitness testimony about Lazarus’s resurrection sparked public excitement, fulfilling prophecy and highlighting how God uses proclamation to draw seekers. The verse reminds us that signs authenticate the Savior, yet each hearer must move from momentary enthusiasm to settled faith in the One those signs reveal. |
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