John 12

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

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

3Then Mary took a pound of very expensive perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, the one who was going to betray him, said,

5“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?”

6He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. He kept the money bag and used to help himself to what was put into it.

7So Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.

8You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.”

9When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.

10So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well,

11because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

12The next day the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.

13So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!”

14Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

15“Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

16His disciples did not understand these things at first. But when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.

17The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead kept testifying about it.

18That is also why the crowd went out to meet him, because they heard that he had done this sign.

19So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are getting nowhere. Look, the world has gone after him!”

20Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival.

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

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

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

24Truly, truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains just a single grain. But if it dies, it produces much fruit.

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

26If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

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 from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

29The crowd standing there heard it and said it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”

30Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine.

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

32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, 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 Messiah remains forever. So how can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”

35So Jesus said to 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. Whoever walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.

36While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he went away and hid himself from them.

37Even though he had done so many signs in their presence, they still did not believe in him,

38so that the word spoken by Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

39This is why they could not believe, because Isaiah also 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.

42Yet even among the rulers many believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue.

43For they loved the glory that comes from people more than the glory that comes from God.

44Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me, but in the one who sent me.

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

46I have come into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me would not remain in the darkness.

47If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.

48Whoever rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge: the word I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

49For I have not spoken on my own. The Father who sent me has himself given me a command about what to say and what to speak.

50And I know that his command is eternal life. So whatever I speak, I speak just as the Father has told me.”