John 12:26

John 12:26 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
• New International Version (NIV)Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
• English Standard Version (ESV)If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

Context of John 12:26

24I tell you this: A seed of wheat continues to be only a single seed unless it falls into the ground. It must fall into the ground and then it must die. If it dies like that, it will grow to give a lot of seeds. 25Anyone who loves his own life will lose it. But anyone who hates his life in this world will have true life for ever with God. Anyone who wants to be my servant must follow me. Then he will be with me, where I am. My Father will praise anyone who is my servant. 27Now I have trouble in my mind. What will I say? I might say, “Father, save me from this time of trouble!” But this difficult time is the purpose for which I came to the world. 28So I will say, “Father, show how great and how good you are.” ’ Then a voice spoke from heaven and said, ‘I have shown how great and how good I am. And I will do it again.’

John 12:26 word by word

Ἐὰν ἐμοί τις διακονῇ, ἐμοὶ ἀκολουθείτω· καὶ ὅπου εἰμὶ ἐγώ, ἐκεῖ καὶ ὁ διάκονος ὁ ἐμὸς ἔσται. ἐάν τις ἐμοὶ διακονῇ, τιμήσει αὐτὸν ὁ πατήρ.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• any manτιςtis · oneG5100
• serveδιακονέωdiakoneō · to serveG1247
• meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• let him followἀκολουθέωakoloutheō · to followG190
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• whereὅπουhopou · where(-ever)G3699
• amεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• thereἐκεῖekei · thereG1563
• myἐμόςemos · mineG1699
• servantὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• servantδιάκονοςdiakonos · servantG1249
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• willτιμάωtimaō · to honorG5091
• Fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962

Cross-references for John 12:26

• John 13:16I tell you this: No servant is more important than his master is. No messenger is more important than the person who sent him with a message.
• John 14:15Jesus then said, ‘If you love me, do what I have told you to do.
• John 15:20Remember what I told you: “No servant is more important than his master is.” If they have caused trouble for me, they will also cause trouble for you. But if they have obeyed my message, they will also obey your message.
• Luke 6:46Jesus said, ‘If you refuse to obey me, do not call me, “Master, Master.”
• Romans 1:1This letter is from me, Paul. I am a servant of Christ Jesus. God chose me to be his apostle. He sent me to tell his good news to people.
• Romans 14:18If anyone serves Christ in that way, they will make God happy. And other people will respect them.
• 2 Corinthians 4:5We do not speak a message about ourselves. We tell people that Jesus Christ is our Lord. Because we belong to Jesus, we have become your servants, not your masters.
• Galatians 1:10When I say these things, I am not trying to please people. No, it is God that I want to please. If I only wanted to make people happy, then I would not be a servant of Christ.
• Colossians 3:24You know that you will receive the good things that the Lord has promised to his people. He will give you what is right for you. The Lord Jesus Christ is the master that you serve.
• Colossians 4:12Epaphras says ‘hello’ to you. He is also one of your people, and he is Jesus Christ's servant. He always prays very strongly for you. He prays that you will continue to grow as believers. He prays that you will completely understand everything that God wants you to do.
• 2 Peter 1:1This letter is from me, Simon Peter. I am Jesus Christ's servant and his apostle. I am writing to you people who believe in Jesus Christ, as we do. That is a valuable gift that God has given to us all. He has done this because Jesus is completely good and right. Jesus is the one who saves us. He is the God that we serve.
• 1 John 5:3Because, if we really love God, we will obey his commands. And those commands are not difficult for us to obey.
• Jude 1:1This letter is from me, Jude. I am Jesus Christ's servant and I am James's brother. I am writing to you people that God, the Father, loves. God has chosen you to be his own people. He is keeping you safe until the time when Jesus Christ returns.
• John 10:27My sheep recognize my voice. I know them and they follow me.
• John 21:22Jesus answered him, ‘Perhaps I might want him to live until I return to this earth. But that should not matter to you. You must follow me!’
• Numbers 14:24But my servant Caleb has thought differently, and he has obeyed me completely. So I will bring him into the land that he explored. It will belong to his descendants.

Commentaries on John 12:26

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 26If any man serve me - Christ is a master in a twofold sense: To instruct men. To employ and appoint them their work. He who wishes to serve Christ must become: His disciple or scholar, that he may be taught: His servant, that he may be employed by and obey his master. To such a person a twofold promise is given: He shall be with Christ, in eternal fellowship with him; and He shall be honored by the Lord: he shall have an abundant recompense in glory; but…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 26Serve me - Will be my disciple, or will be a Christian. Perhaps this was said to inform the Greeks John 12:20 of the nature of his religion. Let him follow me - Let him imitate me; do what I do, bear what I bear, and love what I love. He is discoursing here particularly of his own sufferings and death, and this passage has reference, therefore, to calamity and persecution. “You see me triumph - you see (me enter Jerusalem, and you supposed that my kingdom…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-26Verses 20-26 In attendance upon holy ordinances, particularly the gospel passover, the great desire of our souls should be to see Jesus; to see him as ours, to keep up communion with him, and derive grace from him. The calling of the Gentiles magnified the Redeemer. A corn of wheat yields no increase unless it is cast into the ground. Thus Christ might have possessed his heavenly glory alone, without becoming man. Or, after he had taken man's nature, he…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-50In this part of John’s Gospel, two stories move forward at the same time. First, more and more people begin to praise Jesus. Their excitement reaches a high point when crowds welcome him into Jerusalem with shouts of joy (12:12–13). Second, the religious authorities become more determined to arrest Jesus and put him to death. As public support grows, their opposition grows as well. John's Gospel describes three events that happened only days before…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 23-2623-26. Jesus answered them, The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified--that is, They would see Jesus, would they? Yet a little moment, and they shall see Him so as now they dream not of. The middle wall of partition that keeps them out from the commonwealth of Israel is on the eve of breaking down, "and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, shall draw all men unto Me"; I see them "flying as a cloud, and as doves to their cotes"--a glorious…Read the comment

Topics related to John 12:26

• Deacon
• God
• Heaven
• Jesus Continued
• Obedience
• Righteous

In the dictionaries

• Chief
• Consult
• Costly
• Prince
• Andrew
• Christ, Offices of
• Jesus Christ
• John, Gospel of
• King, Christ As
• Ministry

Commentaries on John 12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings