1 ARST Jesus arrived in the village of Bethany six days before the Jewish Passover celebration began.{ Bethany was the village} where Lazarus dwelled. He was the man whom Jesus made alive again after he had died. BSB BSB: Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, the hometown of Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.
2 ARST There in Bethany, some of Jesus’ friends gave a dinner to honor Jesus. Martha served the food to the guests, and Lazarus was among those who were sitting together and eating with Jesus. BSB BSB: So they hosted a dinner for Jesus there. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with Him.
3 ARST Mary then took a bottle that contained about half a liter of very expensive perfume, which was pure oil from nard plants, and she poured it out on Jesus’ feet and then wiped his feet with her hair. The pleasant scent of the perfume filled the entire house. BSB BSB: Then Mary took about a pint of expensive perfume, made of pure nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 ARST However, Judas Iscariot{ objected}.(He was the one among Jesus’ disciples who would soon help the Jewish leaders arrest Jesus.) He said, BSB BSB: But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was going to betray Him, asked,
5 ARST “We should have sold this perfume for the money that a man can earn in 300 days of work. Then we could have given that money to poor people!” BSB BSB: “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?”
6 ARST (Judas did not say this because he cared about poor people. Rather,{ he said this} because he was a thief. He kept charge of the bag that held their money, but he would steal the money that people gave him to put in the bag.) BSB BSB: Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to take from what was put into it.
7 ARST So Jesus said,“Leave her alone! She saved the perfume in order to keep it to prepare me for the time when I{ die and} am buried. BSB BSB: “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “She has kept this perfume in preparation for the day of My burial.
8 ARST { She did the right thing} because poor people will always be among you{ whom you can help}, but I will not be with you much longer.” BSB BSB: The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me.”
9 ARST A large crowd of Jews heard that Jesus was{ in Bethany}, so they went there.{ They came} not only because Jesus was there, but also because they wanted to see Lazarus. He was the man whom Jesus made alive again after he had died. BSB BSB: Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews learned that Jesus was there. And they came not only because of Him, but also to see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.
10 ARST By contrast, the ruling priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well as Jesus. BSB BSB: So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well,
11 ARST { The ruling priests wanted to kill Lazarus} because he was the reason why many of the Jews were no longer believing what they were teaching and were trusting in Jesus instead. BSB BSB: for on account of him many of the Jews were deserting them and believing in Jesus.
12 ARST The next day the large crowd of people that had come{ to Jerusalem} to{ celebrate} the Passover celebration found out that Jesus was on his way there. BSB BSB: The next day the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.
13 ARST So they cut branches off of palm trees and went out to the road to welcome him{ as he came into the city}. They were shouting,“Please, save us! May God bless the one who comes with his authority. That one is the King of Israel!” BSB BSB: They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting: “Hosanna!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”
14 ARST When Jesus came near to Jerusalem, he found a young donkey and sat on it{ in order to ride it into the city}.{ By doing this,} he fulfilled what some prophets had written in Scripture: BSB BSB: Finding a young donkey, Jesus sat on it, as it is written:
15 ARST “Do not be afraid, you who live in Jerusalem. Look! Your King is coming. He is riding on a donkey’ s colt!” BSB BSB: “Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion. See, your King is coming, seated on the colt of a donkey.”
16 ARST When these events happened, his disciples did not understand that they were a fulfillment of what those prophets had written. However, after God glorified Jesus{ by bringing him back to life}, they remembered what the prophets had written about him and that people had done those things to him. BSB BSB: At first His disciples did not understand these things, but after Jesus was glorified they remembered what had been done to Him, and they realized that these very things had also been written about Him.
17 ARST The crowd of people that was following along with Jesus kept telling others that they had seen Jesus summon Lazarus to come out of the tomb and had seen Jesus make him alive again after he had died. BSB BSB: Meanwhile, many people who had been with Jesus when He called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify.
18 ARST A different crowd of people went out of the city gate to meet Jesus.{ They did so} because they heard that he had done the miraculous sign of{ making Lazarus alive again}. BSB BSB: That is also why the crowd went out to meet Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign.
19 ARST So the Pharisees said to each other,“See! We are failing to stop him. Look! Everyone is becoming his disciples!” BSB BSB: Then the Pharisees said to one another, “You can see that this is doing you no good. Look how the whole world has gone after Him!”
20 ARST Some people who were not Jews were among the people who went up{ to Jerusalem} in order to worship God during the Passover celebration. BSB BSB: Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the feast.
21 ARST They came to Philip, who was from the city of Bethsaida, which is in the region of Galilee. They asked him,“Sir, would you introduce us to Jesus?” BSB BSB: They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested of him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”
22 ARST Then Philip reported this to Andrew, and they both went and told Jesus{ about the Greeks}. BSB BSB: Philip relayed this appeal to Andrew, and both of them went and told Jesus.
23 ARST Jesus answered Philip and Andrew,“It is now the time for God to show everyone how great I, the Son of Man, am. BSB BSB: But Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
24 ARST I am telling you the truth:{ My life is like a seed.} Unless a seed of wheat is planted in the ground and dies, it will only be one seed. But if it dies in the ground, then it will grow and produce much wheat. BSB BSB: Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.
26 ARST Anyone who wants to serve me must be my disciple. My servant will be with me{ in heaven}. My Father will honor anyone who serves me. BSB BSB: If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be as well. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
27 ARST At this moment I feel greatly distressed. I should surely not say,‘Father, prevent me from experiencing this time{ when I will suffer and die!}’ No,{ I will not do that,} because this is the very reason I have lived up to this time{ when I will suffer and die}. BSB BSB: Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? No, it is for this purpose that I have come to this hour.
28 ARST Father, show how great you are!” Then God spoke from heaven,“I have already shown how great I am; I will do it again!” BSB BSB: Father, glorify Your name!” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
29 ARST The crowd of people that was standing there heard the voice of God as well. Some of them said it was just the sound of thunder. Some other people said that an angel had spoken to Jesus. BSB BSB: The crowd standing there heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said that an angel had spoken to Him.
30 ARST Jesus replied to them,“The voice that you heard was God’ s voice.{ He did not speak} for my benefit, but for yours! BSB BSB: In response, Jesus said, “This voice was not for My benefit, but yours.
31 ARST Now is the time for God to judge the people in this world. Now is the time when he will throw out{ Satan, who is} the one who rules this world. BSB BSB: Now judgment is upon this world; now the prince of this world will be cast out.
32 ARST As for me, when people raise me high{ on a cross}, I will cause all peoples to come to me.” BSB BSB: And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw everyone to Myself.”
33 ARST (He said this to let the people know the way he would soon die.) BSB BSB: He said this to indicate the kind of death He was going to die.
34 ARST The crowd of people then replied to him,“We have learned from Scripture that the Messiah will live forever. So why do you say that the Son of Man will be lifted up{ to die on a cross}? Who is this‘Son of Man’ you are speaking about?” BSB BSB: The crowd replied, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever. So how can You say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”
35 ARST Jesus told them,“I am the light{ that reveals God’ s truth and goodness}. I will be with you only a little longer. Live according to my example while I am still here in order to prevent the darkness{ that is sin and evil} from controlling you. Those who live sinfully are like people who wander around in darkness, not knowing where they are going! BSB BSB: Then Jesus told them, “For a little while longer, the Light will be among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.
36 ARST Trust in me, the light{ that reveals God’ s truth and goodness}, while I am still with you.{ Do this} in order to be God’ s people,{ those who know his truth and goodness}.” After he said those things, Jesus left them and hid himself from the people. BSB BSB: While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of light.” After Jesus had spoken these things, He went away and was hidden from them.
37 ARST Even though Jesus had done many miraculous signs in front of the people, most of them did not trust in him. BSB BSB: Although Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still did not believe in Him.
38 ARST Their unbelief happened in order to make come true what Isaiah the prophet had written{ long ago}:“Lord, no one has believed what we said!{ It seems like} no one has seen the power that the Lord has revealed!” BSB BSB: This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39 ARST They could not trust in Jesus for this reason: Isaiah had also written, BSB BSB: For this reason they were unable to believe. For again, Isaiah says:
40 ARST “The Lord has made them unable to perceive what they see, and he has made them stubborn.{ He has done this} in order that they would not perceive what they see, and would not truly understand, and would not turn away from sin to God, and I would not forgive them.” BSB BSB: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.”
41 ARST Isaiah wrote that{ long ago}, because he saw how great Jesus is and spoke concerning him. BSB BSB: Isaiah said these things because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about Him.
42 ARST Although this was true, many members of the highest Jewish governing council trusted in Jesus. Nevertheless, they did not tell others{ that they trusted in Jesus}, because they feared that the Pharisees would ban them from entering the Jewish meeting place. BSB BSB: Nevertheless, many of the leaders believed in Him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue.
43 ARST { They feared this} because they preferred that other people honor them rather than that God would honor them. BSB BSB: For they loved praise from men more than praise from God.
44 ARST Jesus spoke loudly{ to a crowd of people},“Those who trust me are not only trusting me but also{ are trusting my Father}, who sent me. BSB BSB: Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in Me does not believe in Me alone, but in the One who sent Me.
45 ARST Those who see me are also seeing my Father, who sent me. BSB BSB: And whoever sees Me sees the One who sent Me.
46 ARST I came into this world as the light{ that reveals God’ s truth and goodness} to everyone in the world in order that anyone who trusts in me will not stay in the darkness{ that is sin and evil}. BSB BSB: I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness.
47 ARST I do not condemn anyone who listens to my teachings but refuses to obey them, because I did not come into this world in order to condemn the people in the world. Rather, I came into this world in order to save them{ from being punished for their sins}. BSB BSB: As for anyone who hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
48 ARST Anyone who rejects me and does not accept{ and obey} my teachings will be condemned according to the very teachings I have spoken. On the last day{ when God judges everyone,} God will judge that person on the basis of my teachings. BSB BSB: There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not receive My words: The word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
49 ARST { This will happen} because I did not speak on my own authority. Rather, my Father himself, who sent me, commanded me regarding what I should say and how I should say it. BSB BSB: I have not spoken on My own, but the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it.
50 ARST I am certain that what my Father has commanded me to say is what people must believe in order to live forever{ in heaven}. So I say exactly what my Father has told me to say.” BSB BSB: And I know that His command leads to eternal life. So I speak exactly what the Father has told Me to say.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.