The Anointing at Bethany and the Entry into Jerusalem

The Gospel of John is the most theological of the four Gospels — written last (c. 90-100 A.D.), with the explicit purpose of deepening the understanding of the identity of Jesus as the incarnate Son of God. John uses rich symbolic language (light/darkness, water/thirst, bread/hunger, life/death), the seven signs (semeia), the seven 'I Am' statements with predicate, and the long discourses of Jesus that do not appear in the Synoptics. Chapter 12 fits within this carefully constructed theological framework, revealing yet another facet of the identity and mission of Jesus Christ.

Three themes dominate the Gospel of John: (1) the identity of Jesus as the eternal Logos incarnate — the only begotten Son who reveals the Father; (2) eternal life as both present and future — whoever believes in Jesus already has eternal life (5:24), but there will also be a future resurrection (5:28-29); (3) the Holy Spirit as the Comforter who continues Jesus’ presence after the ascension. In this chapter, we see how these themes intertwine in the Johannine narrative, always with the declared purpose of the Gospel: "but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31).