^aSix days before ^bthe Passover, Jesus went to ^cBethany, where Lazarus was, whom He had raised from the dead. Matt 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9 2 So they gave a supper for Him there. ^aMartha was serving, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. 3 ^aThen ¹Mary took a pound of ^bvery expensive perfume of pure ²nard, and she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But ^aJudas Iscariot, one of His disciples, the one who was going to betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this perfume not sold for ¹three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” 6 Now he said this, not because he cared about the poor for he had never cared about them, but because he was a thief; and since he ^ahad the money box serving as treasurer for the twelve disciples, he used to pilfer ^bwhat was put into it. 7 So Jesus said, “Let her alone, so that she may keep the rest of it for ^athe day of My burial. 8 ^aYou always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.”

9 A ^alarge crowd of Jews learned that He was there at Bethany; and they came, not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, ^bwhom He had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests planned to kill Lazarus also, 11 because ^aon account of him ^bmany of the Jews were going away from the teaching and traditions of the Jewish leaders and believing in Jesus following Him as Savior and Messiah.

12 The next day, when ^athe large crowd who had come to ^bthe Passover feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Matt 21:4-9; Mark 11:7-10; Luke 19:35-38 13 they took branches of palm trees in homage to Him as King and went out to meet Him, and they began shouting and kept shouting “^aHosanna! BLESSED (celebrated, praised) IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the ^bKing of Israel!” Ps 118:26 14 And Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; just as it is written in Scripture, 15 “^aDO NOT FEAR, DAUGHTER OF ZION; BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY’S COLT.” Zech 9:9 16 ^aHis disciples did not understand the meaning of these things at first; but when Jesus ^bwas glorified and exalted, they remembered that these things had been written about Him and had been done to Him. 17 So ^athe people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to tell others about Him. 18 For ^athis reason the crowd went to meet Him, ^bbecause they heard that He had performed this miraculous sign. 19 Then the Pharisees argued and said to one another, “You see that your efforts are futile. Look! The whole world has gone running after Him!”

20 Now there were some ^aGreeks (Gentiles) among those who were going up to worship at ^bthe feast; 21 these came to ^aPhilip, who was from ^bBethsaida in Galilee, with a request, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip came and told ^aAndrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, “^aThe hour has come for the Son of Man to ^bbe glorified and exalted. 24 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, ^aunless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone just one grain, never more. But if it dies, it produces much grain and yields a harvest. 25 ^aThe one who loves his life eventually loses it through death, but the one who ^bhates his life in this world and is concerned with pleasing God will keep it for life eternal. 26 If anyone serves Me, he must continue to faithfully follow Me without hesitation, holding steadfastly to Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me; and ^awherever I am in heaven’s glory, there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will ^bhonor him.

27 “^aNow My soul is troubled and deeply distressed; what shall I say? ‘^bFather, save Me from ^cthis hour of trial and agony’? But it is for this very purpose that I have come to this hour this time and place. 28 Rather, I will say, ‘^aFather, glorify (honor, extol) Your name!’” Then a ^1bvoice came from heaven saying, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd of people who stood nearby and heard the voice said that it had thundered; others said, “^aAn angel has spoken to Him!” 30 Jesus answered, “^aThis voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 31 ^aNow judgment is upon this world the sentence is being passed. Now ^bthe ruler of this world (Satan) will be cast out. 32 And I, if and when I ^aam lifted up from the earth on the cross, will ^bdraw all people to Myself Gentiles, as well as Jews.” 33 He said this ^ato indicate the kind of death by which He was to die. 34 At this the crowd answered Him, “¹We have heard from ^athe Law that ^bthe Christ is to remain forever; how then can You say, ‘The ^cSon of Man must be ^dlifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” Ps 110:4 35 So Jesus said to them, “^aThe Light is among you only ^ba little while longer. ^cWalk while you have the Light keep on living by it, so that darkness will not overtake you. He who ^dwalks in the darkness does not know where he is going he is drifting aimlessly. 36 While you have the Light, ^abelieve and trust in the Light have faith in it, hold on to it, rely on it, so that you may become ^bsons of Light being filled with Light as followers of God.”

Jesus said these things, and then He left and ^chid Himself from them. 37 Even though He had done so many signs (attesting miracles) right before them, yet they still did not believe and failed to trust Him— 38 This was to fulfill what Isaiah the prophet said: “^aLORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR MESSAGE? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM (the power) OF THE LORD BEEN SHOWN (unveiled, revealed) ?” Is 53:1 39 Therefore they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, 40 “^aHE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE ^bHARDENED THEIR HEART, TO KEEP THEM FROM SEEING WITH THEIR EYES AND UNDERSTANDING WITH THEIR HEART AND BEING CONVERTED; OTHERWISE, I their God WOULD HEAL THEM.” 41 Isaiah said these things because ^ahe saw His glory and ^bspoke about Him. Is 6:9, 10 42 Nevertheless, even ^amany of ^bthe leading men believed in Him as Savior and Messiah, but ^cbecause of the Pharisees they would not confess it, for fear that if they acknowledged Him openly they would be ^dput out of the synagogue (excommunicated) ; 43 ^afor they loved the approval of men more than the approval of God.

44 But Jesus loudly declared, “^aThe one who believes and trusts in Me does not believe only in Me but also believes in Him who sent Me. 45 And ^awhoever sees Me sees the One who sent Me. 46 ^aI have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes and trusts in Me as Savior—all those who anchor their hope in Me and rely on the truth of My message will not continue to live in darkness. 47 If anyone hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for ^aI did not come to judge and condemn the world that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world, but to save the world. 48 ^aWhoever rejects Me and refuses to accept My teachings, has one who judges him; ^bthe very word that I spoke will judge and condemn him on ^cthe last day. 49 ^aFor I have never spoken on My own initiative or authority, but the Father Himself who sent Me ^bhas given Me a commandment regarding what to say and what to speak. Deut 18:18, 19 50 I know that ^aHis commandment is eternal life. So the things I speak, I speak in accordance with His exact instruction, ^bjust as the Father has told Me.”