John 12

1Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived in Bethany, where Lazarus was, the man Jesus had raised from the dead. 2So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha was serving, and Lazarus was one of the guests who reclined at table with him. 3Then Mary took about 12 ounces of very costly perfumed oil, pure nard, and anointed Jesus’s feet and wiped his feet with her hair. The fragrance of the oil filled the house. 4But one of his disciples spoke up: Judas Iscariot, who was soon to betray him. 5“Why was this oil not sold for about a year’s wages and the money given to the poor?” 6He said this, not out of any care for the poor, but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the money box, and he used to take for himself what people put in it. 7Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She was to keep it for the day when my body is prepared for burial. 8There will always be poor people among you, but I will not always be with you.”

9When a large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only for Jesus’s sake; they wanted to see Lazarus as well, the man he had raised from the dead. 10The chief priests, however, resolved to put Lazarus to death as well, 11because on his account many of the Jews were leaving them and believing in Jesus.

12The next day the large crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way into Jerusalem. 13They took branches from the palm trees and went out to meet him. They were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, Israel’s King!” 14Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as Scripture says: 15“Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion! Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.” 16At first his disciples did not understand what these things meant. But when Jesus had been glorified, they remembered that these things had been written about him, and that they had done these very things for him. 17Meanwhile the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead kept on testifying to what they had seen. 18That was also why the crowd went out to meet him: they had heard that he had done this sign. 19So the Pharisees said to one another, “You can see for yourselves that you are getting nowhere. Look, the whole world has gone off after him!”

20Among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 21These men came to Philip, whose home was Bethsaida in Galilee, and made a request of him: “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” 22Philip went and told Andrew, and then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23Jesus answered them, “The hour has come when the Son of Man is to be glorified. 24Truly, truly, I tell you, if a grain of wheat does not fall into the ground and die, it stays just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25Whoever loves their life is losing it, and whoever hates their life in this world will keep it safe for eternal life. 26Anyone who serves me must follow me, and my servant will be where I am. The Father will honor anyone who serves me.

27Now my soul is troubled, and what should I say? Father, save me from this hour. But it was for this very reason that I came to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.” 29The crowd that stood there and heard it said it had thundered. Others were saying, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30Jesus answered, “This voice came for your sake, not for mine. 31Now is the time of judgment for this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32As for me, when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.” 33He said this to show what kind of death he was going to die. 34The crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. So how can you tell us that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35So Jesus told them, “The light is among you for only a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, so that darkness does not overtake you. Anyone who walks in the darkness does not know where they are going. 36While you have the light, believe in the light, and so become children of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he went away and hid himself from them. 37Although Jesus had done so many signs before their eyes, they did not believe in him. 38It happened this way so that the word the prophet Isaiah spoke would be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed our message? And to whom has the Lord’s arm been revealed?” 39This is why they could not believe, because in another place Isaiah said: 40“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” 41Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke about him. 42Even so, many even among the rulers believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not say so openly, so that they would not be expelled from the synagogue. 43For they loved the glory that people give more than the glory that God gives. 44Then Jesus called out, “Anyone who believes in me believes not just in me, but in the one who sent me. 45And anyone who sees me sees the one who sent me. 46I have come as a light into the world, so that whoever believes in me will not remain in the darkness. 47If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not condemn them. For I did not come to condemn the world, but to save the world. 48Anyone who rejects me and does not accept my words has a judge: the very word I have spoken will judge them on the last day. 49For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak. 50And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So whatever I say, I say just as the Father has told me.”