John 12 · Verse 26

John 12:26

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.
John 12:26, King James Version

John 12:26 in other translations

BSBIf anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be as well. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
WEBIf anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
ASVIf 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 the Father honor.
YLTif any one may minister to me, let him follow me, and where I am, there also my ministrant shall be; and if any one may minister to me--honour him will the Father.
DARBYIf any one serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there also shall be my servant. And if any one serve me, him shall the Father honour.
BBEIf any man is my servant, let him come after me; and where I am, there will my servant be. If any man becomes my servant, my Father will give him honour.
WebsterIf 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 honor.

What does John 12:26 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 12:23-26

23-26. 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…

Read the full comment on John 12:23-26 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 26. Serve me. Will be my disciple, or will be a Christian. Perhaps this was said to inform the Greeks (Jn 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 was to be set up without
opposition or calamity; but it is not. I am to die;
and if you will serve me, you must follow me even in
these scenes of calamity; be willing to endure trial
and to bear shame, looking for future reward."


Where I am. See Jn 14:3, 17:24. That is, he shall be in heaven, where the Son of God then was in his divine nature, and where he would be as the glorified Messiah. Jn 3:13. The natural and obvious meaning of the expression "I am" implies that he was then in heaven. The design of this verse is to comfort them in the midst of persecution and trial. They were to follow him to any calamity; but, as he was to be glorified as the result of his sufferings, so they also were to look for their reward in the kingdom of heaven, Rev 3:21: "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne."

(y) "If any man serve" Lk 6:46, Jn 14:15, 1Jn 5:3 (z) "Where I am" Jn 14:3, 17:24, 1Thes 4:17 (a) "if any man serve" 1Sam 2:30, Prov 27:18

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 26 If any man serve me - Christ is a master in a twofold sense: 1. To instruct men. 2. To employ and appoint them their work. He who wishes to serve Christ must become: 1. His disciple or scholar, that he may be taught: 2. His servant, that he may be employed by and obey his master. To such a person a twofold promise is given: 1. He shall be with Christ, in eternal fellowship with him; and 2. He shall be honored by the Lord: he shall have an abundant recompense in glory; but how great, eye hath not seen, ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive. How similar to this is the saying of Creeshna (an incarnation of the supreme God, according to the Hindoo theology) to his disciple Arjoon! "If one whose ways were ever so evil serve me alone, he soon becometh of a virtuous spirit, is as respectable as the just man, and obtaineth eternal happiness. Consider this world as a finite and joyless place, and serve me. Be of my mind, my servant, my adorer, and bow down before me. Unite thy soul unto me, make me thy asylum, and thou shalt go unto me." And again: "I am extremely dear to the wise man, and he is dear to me-I esteem the wise man even as myself, because his devout spirit dependeth upon me alone as his ultimate resource." Bhagvat Geeta, pp. 71 and 82. The rabbins have an extravagant saying, viz. "God is more concerned for the honor of the just man than for his own."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 12:20-26

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…

Read the full comment on John 12:20-26 →

John 12:26 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἘὰνEanIfG1437
ἐμοίemoiMe myselfG1473
τιςtisanyoneG5100
διακονῇ,diakonēashall serveG1247
ἐμοὶemoiMe myselfG1473
ἀκολουθείτω·akoloutheitōhe should follow;G190
καὶkaiandG2532
ὅπουhopouwhereG3699
εἰμὶeimiamG1510
ἐγώ,egōI myself,G1473
ἐκεῖekeithereG1563
καὶkaialsoG2532
ὁhotheG3588
διάκονοςdiakonosservantG1249
ὁho<the>G3588
ἐμὸςemosof MineG1473
ἔσται.estaiwill be.G1510
ἐάνeanIfG1437
τιςtisanyoneG5100
ἐμοὶemoiMe myselfG1473
διακονῇ,diakonēashall serve,G1247
τιμήσειtimēseiwill honorG5091
αὐτὸνautonhimG846
ὁhotheG3588
πατήρ.¶patērFather.G3962

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 12:26

  • Colossians 3:24

    Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

  • Galatians 1:10

    For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

  • 1 Samuel 2:30

    Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

  • John 10:27

    My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

  • John 17:24

    Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

  • 1 John 5:3

    For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

  • Romans 1:1

    Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

  • 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18

    Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

  • Psalms 91:15

    He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

  • 2 Corinthians 5:8

    We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

  • Proverbs 27:18

    Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.

  • 2 Peter 1:1

    Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
serve.
13:16; 14:15; 15:20; Lu 6:46; Ro 1:1; 14:18; 2Co 4:5; Ga 1:10
Col 3:24; 4:12; 2Pe 1:1; 1Jo 5:3; Jude 1:1
let.
10:27; 21:22; Nu 14:24; 32:11; Mt 16:24; Mr 8:34; Lu 9:23; Eph 5:1,2
Re 14:4
where.
14:3; 17:24; Ps 17:15; Mt 25:21; 2Co 5:8; Php 1:23; 1Th 4:17,18
him.
14:21-23; 1Sa 2:30; Pr 27:18

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • John 12:25

    He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

  • John 12:26

    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.

  • John 12:27

    Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

Read all of John 12

John 12:26 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Si alguno me sirve, sígame: y donde yo estuviere, allí también estará mi servidor. Si alguno me sirviere, mi Padre le honrará.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Si quelqu’un me sert, qu’il me suive; et où je suis, moi, là aussi sera mon serviteur: si quelqu’un me sert, le Père l’honorera.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wenn mir jemand dient, so folge er mir nach; und wo ich bin, da wird auch mein Diener sein. Wenn mir jemand dient, so wird der Vater ihn ehren.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Si quis mihi ministrat, me sequatur, et ubi sum ego, illic et minister meus erit. Si quis mihi ministraverit, honorificabit eum Pater meus.