John 12
12
Mary anoints Jesus’ feet
1Six days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, home of Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2Lazarus and his sisters hosted a dinner for him. Martha served and Lazarus was among those who joined him at the table. 3Then Mary took an extraordinary amount, almost three-quarters of a pound,#12.3 Or a litra, a Roman pound, approximately twelve ounces of very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She anointed Jesus’ feet with it, then wiped his feet dry with her hair. The house was filled with the aroma of the perfume. 4Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), complained, 5“This perfume was worth a year’s wages!#12.5 Or three hundred denaria Why wasn’t it sold and the money given to the poor?” (6He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He carried the money bag and would take what was in it.)
7Then Jesus said, “Leave her alone. This perfume was to be used in preparation for my burial, and this is how she has used it. 8You will always have the poor among you, but you won’t always have me.”
9Many Jews learned that he was there. They came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10The chief priests decided that they would kill Lazarus too. 11It was because of Lazarus that many of the Jews had deserted them and come to believe in Jesus.
Jesus enters Jerusalem
12The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13They took palm branches and went out to meet him. They shouted,
“Hosanna!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! # 12.13 Ps 118:26
Blessings on the king of Israel!”
14Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
15 Don’t be afraid, Daughter Zion.
Look! Your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt.#12.15 Zech 9:9
16His disciples didn’t understand these things at first. After he was glorified, they remembered that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.
17The crowd who had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead were testifying about him. 18That’s why the crowd came to meet him, because they had heard about this miraculous sign that he had done. 19Therefore, the Pharisees said to each other, “See! You’ve accomplished nothing! Look! The whole world is following him!”
Jesus teaches about his death
20Some Greeks were among those who had come up to worship at the festival. 21They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and made a request: “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” 22Philip told Andrew, and Andrew and Philip told Jesus.
23Jesus replied, “The time has come for the Human One#12.23 Or Son of Man to be glorified. 24I assure you that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it can only be a single seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25Those who love their lives will lose them, and those who hate their lives in this world will keep them forever. 26Whoever serves me must follow me. Wherever I am, there my servant will also be. My Father will honor whoever serves me.
27“Now I am deeply troubled.#12.27 Ps 6:2 What should I say? ‘Father, save me from this time’? No, for this is the reason I have come to this time. 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 and said, “It’s thunder.” Others said, “An angel spoke to him.”
30Jesus replied, “This voice wasn’t for my benefit but for yours. 31Now is the time for judgment of this world. Now this world’s ruler will be thrown out. 32When I am lifted up#12.32 Or exalted from the earth, I will draw everyone to me.” (33He said this to show how he was going to die.)
34The crowd responded, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Human One#12.34 Or Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Human One?”#12.34 Or Son of Man
35Jesus replied, “The light is with you for only a little while. Walk while you have the light so that darkness doesn’t overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness don’t know where they are going. 36As long as you have the light, believe in the light so that you might become people whose lives are determined by the light.” After Jesus said these things, he went away and hid from them.
Fulfillment of prophecy
37Jesus had done many miraculous signs before the people, but they didn’t believe in him. 38This was to fulfill the word of the prophet Isaiah:
Lord, who has believed through our message?
To whom is the arm of the Lord fully revealed? # 12.38 Isa 53:1
39Isaiah explains why they couldn’t believe:
40 He made their eyes blind
and closed their minds
so that they might not see with their eyes,
understand with their minds,
and turn their lives around—
and I would heal them. # 12.40 Isa 6:10
41Isaiah said these things because he saw Jesus’ glory; he spoke about Jesus. 42Even so, many leaders believed in him, but they wouldn’t acknowledge their faith because they feared that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. 43They believed, but they loved human praise more than God’s glory.
Summary of Jesus’ teaching
44Jesus shouted, “Whoever believes in me doesn’t believe in me but in the one who sent me. 45Whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. 46I have come as a light into the world so that everyone who believes in me won’t live in darkness. 47If people hear my words and don’t keep them, I don’t judge them. I didn’t come to judge the world but to save it. 48Whoever rejects me and doesn’t receive my words will be judged at the last day by the word I have spoken. 49I don’t speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me regarding what I should speak and say. 50I know that his commandment is eternal life. Therefore, whatever I say is just as the Father has said to me.”
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John 12: CEB
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