JohnChapter 12
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1Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany. This was the hometown of Lazarus. Jesus had raised him from the dead. 2So they gave a dinner for Jesus there. Martha served the food. Lazarus was one of the people reclining at the table with him. 3Then Mary took about a pint of costly perfume. It was made of pure nard. She poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair. The whole house was filled with the sweet smell of the perfume. 4But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, spoke up. He was the one who would later betray Jesus. He asked, 5"Why wasn't this perfume sold? It was worth three hundred denarii. The money could have been given to the poor."a 6Judas didn't say this because he cared about the poor. He said it because he was a thief. He was in charge of the money bag. He used to take some of the money that was put into it. 7"Leave her alone," Jesus answered. "She has saved this perfume to get ready for the day of my burial. 8You will always have the poor with you. But you will not always have me." 9Meanwhile, a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there. They came not only because of Jesus. They also came to see Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 10So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus too. 11Because of Lazarus, many of the Jews were leaving them and believing in Jesus. 12The next day the great crowd that had come for the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13They took palm branches and went out to meet him. They shouted, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!" 14Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it. This was just as it is written: 15"Do not be afraid, Daughter of Zion.
Look, your King is coming,
sitting on a donkey's colt." 16At first his disciples didn't understand these things. But later, after Jesus was glorified, they remembered what had been done to him. Then they saw that these very things had also been written about him. 17Many people had been with Jesus when he called Lazarus out of the tomb. They saw him raise Lazarus from the dead. These people kept telling others what they had seen. 18That is also why the crowd went out to meet him. They had heard that he had done this miraculous sign. 19Then the Pharisees said to each other, "You can see this is getting you nowhere. Look, the whole world is following him!" 20Some Greeks were among the people who went up to worship at the feast. 21They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They asked him, "Sir, we want to see Jesus." 22Philip went and told Andrew. Then both of them went and told Jesus. 23Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24I tell you the truth. Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it stays only one seed. But if it dies, it makes much fruit. 25Anyone who loves his life will lose it. But anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26Anyone who serves me must follow me. And where I am, my servant will be too. My Father will honor anyone who serves me. 27Now my soul is troubled. What should I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, this is the very reason I came to this hour. 28Father, bring glory to your name!" Then a voice came from heaven. "I have brought glory to it, and I will bring glory to it again." 29The crowd standing there heard it. Some said it had thundered. Others said an angel had spoken to him. 30Jesus answered, "This voice was not for my good. It was for yours. 31Now is the time for this world to be judged. Now the prince of this world will be thrown out. 32And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself." 33He said this to show what kind of death he was going to die. 34The crowd answered, "We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will live forever. So how can you say the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?" 35Then Jesus told them, "The Light will be with you only a little while longer. Walk while you have the Light. Then darkness won't catch you. The one who walks in the dark doesn't know where he is going. 36Believe in the Light while you have the Light. Then you may become children of light." After Jesus said these things, he went away and hid from them.b 37Jesus had done so many miraculous signs right in front of them. But they still didn't believe in him. 38This happened to make the words of Isaiah the prophet come true:
"Lord, who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been shown?" 39This is why they could not believe. For Isaiah also says: 40"He has blinded their eyes
and made their hearts hard.
So they can't see with their eyes
or understand with their hearts
or turn, so that I would heal them." 41Isaiah said these things because he saw Jesus' glory. He spoke about him. 42Still, many of the leaders believed in him. But they were afraid of the Pharisees. So they did not say openly that they believed. They were afraid they would be thrown out of the synagogue. 43This was because they loved praise from people more than praise from God. 44Then Jesus called out, "Anyone who believes in me doesn't believe in me alone. He also believes in the One who sent me. 45And anyone who sees me sees the One who sent me. 46I have come into the world as a light. So no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. 47Someone may hear my words and not obey them. I do not judge that person, because I did not come to judge the world. I came to save the world. 48There is a judge for the one who turns away from me and won't accept my words. The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49I have not spoken on my own. The Father who sent me commanded me what to say. He told me how to say it. 50And I know that his command leads to eternal life. So I say exactly what the Father has told me to say."