John 12

The Anointing at Bethany

12Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany ^awhere Lazarus ^bwas, the one Jesus had raised from the dead. ^c2So ^dthey gave a dinner for Him there; Martha ^ewas serving them, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. ³Then Mary took a pound of fragrant oil—pure and expensive nard—anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped His feet with her hair. ^fSo the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

⁴Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot ^g(who was about to betray Him), said, ⁵“Why wasn’t this fragrant oil sold for 300 denarii ^hiand given to the poor?” ⁶He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. ^jHe was in charge of the money-bag and would steal part of what was put in it.

⁷Jesus answered, “Leave her alone; she has kept it for the day of My burial. ^k8For you always have the poor with you, ^lbut you do not always have Me.”

The Decision to Kill Lazarus

⁹Then a large crowd of the Jews learned He was there. They came not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus the one He had raised from the dead. ^m10Therefore the chief priests decided to kill Lazarus also ¹¹because he was the reason many of the Jews were deserting them ⁿand believing in Jesus.

The Triumphal Entry

¹²The ^onext day, when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, ¹³they took palm branches ^pand went out to meet Him. They kept shouting: “Hosanna! ^q He who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One ^rs—the King of Israel!” ^t

¹⁴Jesus found a young donkey ^uand sat on it, just as it is written: ¹⁵Fear no more, ^vDaughter Zion. Look, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt. ^wx

¹⁶His disciples did not understand these things at first. However, when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about Him ^yand that they had done these things to Him. ¹⁷Meanwhile, the crowd, which had been with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb ^zand raised him from the dead, continued to testify. ^a18This is also why the crowd met Him, because they heard He had done this sign.

¹⁹Then the Pharisees said to one another, “You see? You’ve accomplished nothing. Look—the world has gone after Him!” ^b

Jesus Predicts His Crucifixion

²⁰Now some Greeks were among those who went up to worship at the festival. ²¹So they came to Philip, ^cwho was from Bethsaida ^din Galilee, ^eand requested of him, “Sir, ^fwe want to see Jesus.”

²²Philip went and told Andrew; ^gthen Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. ²³Jesus replied to them, “The hour has come for the ^•Son of Man ^hto be glorified.

²⁴“^•I assure you: Unless a grain of wheat ⁱfalls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces a large crop. ^jk25The one who loves his life will lose it, ^land the one who hates ^mhis life ⁿin this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me. Where I am, there My servant ^oalso will be. ^pIf anyone serves Me, the Father will honor ^qhim.

²⁷“Now My soul is troubled. What should I say—Father, save Me ^rfrom this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify Your name!” ^st

Then a voice ^ucame from heaven: ^v“I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again!” ^w

²⁹The crowd standing there heard it and said it was thunder. Others said that an angel had spoken to Him.

³⁰Jesus responded, “This voice came, not for Me, but for you. ^x31Now is the judgment of this world. ^yNow the ruler of this ^•world ^zwill be cast out. ^a32As for Me, if I am lifted up ^bfrom the earth I will draw all people to Myself.” ^c33He said this to signify what kind of death He was about to die. ^d

³⁴Then the crowd replied to Him, “We have heard from the scripture that the Messiah will remain forever. ^eSo how can You say, ‘The Son of Man ^fmust be lifted up’? ^gWho is this Son of Man?”

³⁵Jesus answered, “The light will be with you only a little longer. ^hWalk while you have the light ⁱso that darkness doesn’t overtake you. ^jThe one who walks in darkness doesn’t know where he’s going. ^k36While you have the light, ^lbelieve in the light so that you may become sons of light.” Jesus said this, then went away and hid from them. ^m

Isaiah’s Prophecies Fulfilled

³⁷Even though He had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in Him. ³⁸But this was to fulfill ⁿthe word of Isaiah ^othe prophet, who said: ^p

Lord, who has believed our message?

And who has the arm ^qof the Lord

been revealed to? ^rs

³⁹This is why they were unable to believe, because Isaiah also said:

⁴⁰He has blinded ^ttheir eyes

and hardened their hearts, ^u

so that they would not see with their eyes

or understand with their hearts,

and be converted, ^v

and I would heal them. ^wx

⁴¹Isaiah said these things because ^yhe saw His glory ^zand spoke about Him.

⁴²Nevertheless, many did believe in Him even among the rulers, ^abut because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, so they would not be banned from the synagogue. ⁴³For they loved praise from men ^bmore than praise from God. ^cd

A Summary of Jesus’ Mission

⁴⁴Then Jesus cried out, “The one who believes in Me ^ebelieves not in Me, but in Him who sent Me. ⁴⁵And the one who sees Me sees Him ^fwho sent Me. ⁴⁶I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me would not remain in darkness. ⁴⁷If anyone hears My words and doesn’t keep ^gthem, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world ^hbut to save the world. ⁱ⁴⁸The one who rejects Me ^jand doesn’t accept My sayings has this as his judge: ^kThe word I have spoken will judge him on the last day. ^l49For I have not spoken on My own, but the Father ^mHimself who sent Me has given Me a command as to what I should say and what I should speak. ⁵⁰I know that His command is eternal life. ⁿSo the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.” ^o