Chapter 12

 

1 Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

 

2 They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him.

 

3 Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

 

4 Then Judas the Iscariot, one (of) his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said,

 

5 "Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days' wages and given to the poor?"

 

6 He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions.

 

7 So Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. 

 

8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."

 

9 (The) large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.

 

10 And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too,

 

11 because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.

 

12 On the next day, when the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

 

13 they took palm branches and went out to meet him, and cried out: "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, (even) the king of Israel."

 

14 Jesus found an ass and sat upon it, as is written:

 

15 "Fear no more, O daughter Zion; see, your king comes, seated upon an ass's colt."

 

16 His disciples did not understand this at first, but when Jesus had been glorified they remembered that these things were written about him and that they had done this 8 for him.

 

17 So the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from death continued to testify.

 

18 This was (also) why the crowd went to meet him, because they heard that he had done this sign.

 

19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the whole world has gone after him."

 

20 Now there were some Greeks among those who had come up to worship at the feast.

 

21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, "Sir, we would like to see Jesus."

 

22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.

 

23 Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

 

24 Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.

 

25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.

 

26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.

 

27 "I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour.

 

28 Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it and will glorify it again."

 

29 The crowd there heard it and said it was thunder; but others said, "An angel has spoken to him."

 

30 Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come for my sake but for yours.

 

31 Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.

 

32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself."

 

33 He said this indicating the kind of death he would die.

 

34 So the crowd answered him, "We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. Then how can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?"

 

35 Jesus said to them, "The light will be among you only a little while. Walk while you have the light, so that darkness may not overcome you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going.

 

36 While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of the light."  After he had said this, Jesus left and hid from them.

 

37 Although he had performed so many signs in their presence they did not believe in him,

 

38 in order that the word which Isaiah the prophet spoke might be fulfilled: "Lord, who has believed our preaching, to whom has the might of the Lord been revealed?"

 

39 For this reason they could not believe, because again Isaiah said:

 

40 "He blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, so that they might not see with their eyes and understand with their heart and be converted, and I would heal them."

 

41 Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke about him.

 

42 Nevertheless, many, even among the authorities, believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not acknowledge it openly in order not to be expelled from the synagogue.

 

43 For they preferred human praise to the glory of God.

 

44 Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me,

 

45 and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.

 

46 I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.

 

47 And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.

 

48 Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day,

 

49 because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.

 

50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So what I say, I say as the Father told me."