John 12:50 Meaning and Explanation
“And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus knows that the Father's commandment is life everlasting, and so he speaks exactly as the Father has told him.
What Does John 12:50 Mean?
These are the final words of Jesus' public ministry in this Gospel. They end not with a threat but with a sum: the commandment the Father gave him to deliver is life everlasting.
The command of God and the gift of God are one here; what the Father ordered spoken is precisely what brings unending life to those who receive it. So Jesus speaks it faithfully to the last syllable. The public preaching of the Son of God closes on the words life everlasting, which is what all of it was for, and what he now goes to the cross to secure.
John 12:50 in the Original Language
zoe (ζωή), 'life' -- life in its fullness, John's word for the unending life God gives.
Frequently Asked Questions About John 12:50
What does John 12:50 mean?
Jesus knows that the Father's commandment is life everlasting, and so he speaks exactly as the Father has told him.