Joh 12 | HCSB | STEP | Six days before the Passover , Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was , the one Jesus had raised from the dead .

John 12

The Anointing at Bethany

1 Six days before the ^{▼▼Passover: The Israelite festival celebrated on the fourteenth day of the first month in the early spring. It was a celebration of the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, commemorating the final plague on Egypt when the firstborn were killed.}Passover, Jesus came to Bethany ^b where Lazarus ^{▼▼Other mss read Lazarus who died} was, the one Jesus had raised from the dead. ^d 2 So ^e they gave a dinner for Him there; Martha ^f was serving them, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of fragrant oil – pure and expensive nard – anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped His feet with her hair. ^g So the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

4 Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot ^h (who was about to betray Him), said, 5 “Why wasn’t this fragrant oil sold for 300 ^{▼▼denarius: A small silver Roman coin, which was equal to a day's wage for a common laborer}denarii ^{▼▼This amount was about a year’s wages for a common worker.
,} ^k and given to the poor?” 6 He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. ^l He was in charge of the money-bag and would steal part of what was put in it.

7 Jesus answered, “Leave her alone; she has kept it for the day of My burial. ^m 8 For you always have the poor with you, ⁿ but you do not always have Me.”

The Decision to Kill Lazarus

9 Then 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. ^o 10 Therefore the ^{▼▼chief priest(s): A group of Jewish temple officers that included the highpriest, captain of the temple, temple overseers, and treasurers}chief priests decided to kill Lazarus also 11 because he was the reason many of the Jews were deserting them ^{▼▼Lit going away} and believing in Jesus.

The Triumphal Entry

12 The ^r next day, when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 they took palm branches ^s and went out to meet Him. They kept shouting: “ ^{▼▼Hosanna: A term of praise derived from the Hebrew word for save}Hosanna! ^uHe who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One ^{v
,} ^w – the King of Israel!” ^x

14 Jesus found a young donkey ^y and sat on it, just as it is written: 15 Fear no more, ^z Daughter ^{▼▼Zion: Originally a term for the fortified section of Jerusalem and then, by extension, used for the temple and the city of Jerusalem both in the present time and in the future}Zion. Look, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt. ^{ab
,} ^ac

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first. However, when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about Him ^ad and that they had done these things to Him. 17 Meanwhile, the crowd, which had been with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb ^ae and raised him from the dead, continued to testify. ^{▼▼Other mss read Meanwhile the crowd, which had been with Him, continued to testify that He had called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead.} 18 This is also why the crowd met Him, because they heard He had done this sign.

19 Then the ^{▼▼Pharisee(s): In Judaism a religious sect that followed the whole written and oral law}Pharisees said to one another, “You see? You’ve accomplished nothing. Look – the world has gone after Him!” ^ah

Jesus Predicts His Crucifixion

20 Now some Greeks were among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 So they came to Philip, ^ai who was from Bethsaida ^aj in Galilee, ^ak and requested of him, “Sir, ^al we want to see Jesus.”

22 Philip went and told Andrew; ^am then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 Jesus replied to them, “The hour has come for the ^{▼▼Son of Man: The most frequent title Jesus used for Himself; Dn 7:13}Son of Man ^ao to be glorified.

24 “ ^{▼▼I assure you: This is a phrase used only by Jesus to testify to the certainty and importance of His words; in Mt, Mk and Lk it is literally Amen, I say to you, and in Jn it is literally Amen, amen, I say to you.}I assure you: Unless a grain of wheat ^aq falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces a large crop. ^{▼▼Lit produces much fruit
,} ^as 25 The one who loves his life will lose it, ^at and the one who hates ^au his life ^av in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me. Where I am, there My servant ^aw also will be. ^ax If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor ^ay him.

27 “Now My soul is troubled. What should I say – Father, save Me ^az from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name!” ^{▼▼Other mss read Your Son
,} ^bbThen a voice ^bc came from heaven: ^bd “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again!” ^be

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

30 Jesus responded, “This voice came, not for Me, but for you. ^bf 31 Now is the judgment of this world. ^bg Now the ruler of this ^{▼▼world: The organized Satanic system that is opposed to God and hostile to Jesus and His followers. The non-Christian culture including governments, educational systems, and businesses}world ^bi will be cast out. ^bj 32 As for Me, if I am lifted up ^{▼▼Or exalted} from the earth I will draw all people to Myself.” ^bl 33 He said this to signify what kind of death He was about to die. ^bm

34 Then the crowd replied to Him, “We have heard from the scripture that the ^{▼▼Messiah: Or the Christ; the Greek word Christos means "the anointed one".}Messiah will remain forever. ^bo So how can You say, ‘The Son of Man ^bp must be lifted up’? ^{▼▼Or exalted} Who is this Son of Man?”

35 Jesus answered, “The light will be with you only a little longer. ^br Walk while you have the light ^bs so that darkness doesn’t overtake you. ^bt The one who walks in darkness doesn’t know where he’s going. ^bu 36 While you have the light, ^bv believe in the light so that you may become sons of light.” Jesus said this, then went away and hid from them. ^bw

Isaiah’s Prophecies Fulfilled

37 Even though He had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in Him. 38 But this was to fulfill ^bx the word of Isaiah ^by the prophet, who said: ^{▼▼Lit which he said}

Lord, who has believed our message?
And who has the arm ^ca of the Lord
been revealed to? ^{cb
,} ^cc

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

40 He has blinded ^cd their eyes
and hardened their hearts, ^ce
so that they would not see with their eyes
or understand with their hearts,
and be converted, ^cf
and I would heal them. ^{cg
,} ^ch

41 Isaiah said these things because ^{▼▼Other mss read when} he saw His glory ^cj and spoke about Him.

42 Nevertheless, many did believe in Him even among the rulers, ^ck but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, so they would not be banned from the ^{▼▼synagogue(s): A place where the Jewish people met for prayer, worship and teaching of the Scriptures}synagogue. 43 For they loved praise from men ^cm more than praise from God. ^{▼▼Lit loved glory of men more than glory of God; v. 41; Jn 5:41
,} ^co

A Summary of Jesus’ Mission

44 Then Jesus cried out, “The one who believes in Me ^cp believes not in Me, but in Him who sent Me. 45 And the one who sees Me sees Him ^cq who sent Me. 46 I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me would not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears My words and doesn’t keep ^cr them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world ^cs but to save the world. ^ct 48 The one who rejects Me ^cu and doesn’t accept My sayings has this as his judge: ^{▼▼Lit has the one judging him} The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day. ^cw 49 For I have not spoken on My own, but the Father ^cx Himself who sent Me has given Me a command as to what I should say and what I should speak. 50 I know that His command is eternal life. ^cy So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.” ^cz