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Chapter 11

The Raising of Lazarus.[a] Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany,(A) the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and dried his feet with her hair; it was her brother Lazarus who was ill. So the sisters sent word to him, saying, “Master, the one you love is ill.” When Jesus heard this he said, “This illness is not to end in death,[b] but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”(B) Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was. Then after this he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and you want to go back there?”(C) Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in a day? If one walks during the day,(D) he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.(E) 10 But if one walks at night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”[c] 11 He said this, and then told them, “Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him.” 12 So the disciples said to him, “Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved.” 13 But Jesus was talking about his death, while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep.(F) 14 So then Jesus said to them clearly, “Lazarus has died. 15 And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called Didymus,[d] said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go to die with him.”(G)

17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles[e] away. 19 And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother.(H) 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.(I) 22 [But] even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.”(J) 25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,(K) 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 [f](L)She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”

28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, “The teacher is here and is asking for you.” 29 As soon as she heard this, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 For Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still where Martha had met him. 31 So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her saw Mary get up quickly and go out, they followed her, presuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed[g] and deeply troubled, 34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Sir, come and see.” 35 And Jesus wept.(M) 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.” 37 But some of them said, “Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?”

38 So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay across it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father,[h] I thank you for hearing me. 42 I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.”(N) 43 And when he had said this, he cried out in a loud voice,[i] “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.”

Session of the Sanhedrin. 45 Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him.(O) 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs.(P) 48 If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come[j] and take away both our land and our nation.” 49 (Q)But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year,[k] said to them, “You know nothing, 50 nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, 52 and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.[l] 53 So from that day on they planned to kill him.(R)

54 So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews, but he left for the region near the desert, to a town called Ephraim,[m] and there he remained with his disciples.

The Last Passover. 55 Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before Passover to purify[n] themselves.(S) 56 They looked for Jesus and said to one another as they were in the temple area, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast?” 57 For the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should inform them, so that they might arrest him.

Chapter 12

The Anointing at Bethany.(T) [o]Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.(U) They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him.(V) Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus[p] and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.(W) Then Judas the Iscariot, one [of] his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages[q] and given to the poor?” He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions.(X) So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial.[r] You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”(Y)

[The] large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.(Z) 10 And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, 11 because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.(AA)

The Entry into Jerusalem.[s] 12 (AB)On the next day, when the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 they took palm branches[t] and went out to meet him, and cried out:

“Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,
    [even] the king of Israel.”(AC)

14 Jesus found an ass and sat upon it, as is written:

15 “Fear no more, O daughter Zion;[u]
    see, your king comes, seated upon an ass’s colt.”(AD)

16 His disciples did not understand this at first, but when Jesus had been glorified they remembered that these things were written about him and that they had done this[v] for him.(AE) 17 [w]So the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from death continued to testify. 18 This was [also] why the crowd went to meet him, because they heard that he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the whole world[x] has gone after him.”(AF)

The Coming of Jesus’ Hour.[y] 20 Now there were some Greeks[z] among those who had come up to worship at the feast.(AG) 21 [aa]They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.”(AH) 22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.(AI) 23 [ab]Jesus answered them,(AJ) “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 [ac]Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat;(AK) but if it dies, it produces much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life[ad] loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.(AL) 26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.(AM)

27 “I am troubled[ae] now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour.(AN) 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.”(AO) 29 The crowd there heard it and said it was thunder; but others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”(AP) 30 Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come for my sake but for yours.(AQ) 31 Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world[af] will be driven out.(AR) 32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”(AS) 33 He said this indicating the kind of death he would die. 34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever.[ag] Then how can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”(AT) 35 Jesus said to them, “The light will be among you only a little while. Walk while you have the light, so that darkness may not overcome you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going.(AU) 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of the light.”(AV)

Unbelief and Belief Among the Jews. After he had said this, Jesus left and hid from them. 37 [ah](AW)Although he had performed so many signs in their presence they did not believe in him, 38 [ai]in order that the word which Isaiah the prophet spoke might be fulfilled:

“Lord, who has believed our preaching,
    to whom has the might of the Lord been revealed?”(AX)

39 For this reason they could not believe, because again Isaiah said:

40 “He blinded their eyes
    and hardened their heart,
so that they might not see with their eyes
    and understand with their heart and be converted,
and I would heal them.”(AY)

41 Isaiah said this because he saw his glory[aj] and spoke about him.(AZ) 42 Nevertheless, many, even among the authorities, believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not acknowledge it openly in order not to be expelled from the synagogue.(BA) 43 For they preferred human praise to the glory of God.(BB)

Recapitulation. 44 Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me,(BC) 45 and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.(BD) 46 I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.(BE) 47 And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.(BF) 48 Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day,(BG) 49 because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.(BH) 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So what I say, I say as the Father told me.”

Footnotes

  1. 11:1–44 The raising of Lazarus, the longest continuous narrative in John outside of the passion account, is the climax of the signs. It leads directly to the decision of the Sanhedrin to kill Jesus. The theme of life predominates. Lazarus is a token of the real life that Jesus dead and raised will give to all who believe in him. Johannine irony is found in the fact that Jesus’ gift of life leads to his own death. The story is not found in the synoptics, but cf. Mk 5:21 and parallels; Lk 7:11–17. There are also parallels between this story and Luke’s parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus (Lk 16:19–31). In both a man named Lazarus dies; in Luke, there is a request that he return to convince his contemporaries of the need for faith and repentance, while in John, Lazarus does return and some believe but others do not.
  2. 11:4 Not to end in death: this is misunderstood by the disciples as referring to physical death, but it is meant as spiritual death.
  3. 11:10 The light is not in him: the ancients apparently did not grasp clearly the entry of light through the eye; they seem to have thought of it as being in the eye; cf. Lk 11:34; Mt 6:23.
  4. 11:16 Called Didymus: Didymus is the Greek word for twin. Thomas is derived from the Aramaic word for twin; in an ancient Syriac version and in the Gospel of Thomas (80:11–12) his given name, Judas, is supplied.
  5. 11:18 About two miles: literally, “about fifteen stades”; a stade was 607 feet.
  6. 11:27 The titles here are a summary of titles given to Jesus earlier in the gospel.
  7. 11:33 Became perturbed: a startling phrase in Greek, literally, “He snorted in spirit,” perhaps in anger at the presence of evil (death).
  8. 11:41 Father: in Aramaic, ’abbā’. See note on Mk 14:36.
  9. 11:43 Cried out in a loud voice: a dramatization of Jn 5:28; “the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice.”
  10. 11:48 The Romans will come: Johannine irony; this is precisely what happened after Jesus’ death.
  11. 11:49 That year: emphasizes the conjunction of the office and the year. Actually, Caiaphas was high priest A.D. 18–36. The Jews attributed a gift of prophecy, sometimes unconscious, to the high priest.
  12. 11:52 Dispersed children of God: perhaps the “other sheep” of Jn 10:16.
  13. 11:54 Ephraim is usually located about twelve miles northeast of Jerusalem, where the mountains descend into the Jordan valley.
  14. 11:55 Purify: prescriptions for purity were based on Ex 19:10–11, 15; Nm 9:6–14; 2 Chr 30:1–3, 15–18.
  15. 12:1–8 This is probably the same scene of anointing found in Mk 14:3–9 (see note there) and Mt 26:6–13. The anointing by a penitent woman in Lk 7:36–38 is different. Details from these various episodes have become interchanged.
  16. 12:3 The feet of Jesus: so Mk 14:3; but in Mt 26:6, Mary anoints Jesus’ head as a sign of regal, messianic anointing.
  17. 12:5 Days’ wages: literally, “denarii.” A denarius is a day’s wage in Mt 20:2; see note on Jn 6:7.
  18. 12:7 Jesus’ response reflects the rabbinical discussion of what was the greatest act of mercy, almsgiving or burying the dead. Those who favored proper burial of the dead thought it an essential condition for sharing in the resurrection.
  19. 12:12–19 In John, the entry into Jerusalem follows the anointing whereas in the synoptics it precedes. In John, the crowd, not the disciples, are responsible for the triumphal procession.
  20. 12:13 Palm branches: used to welcome great conquerors; cf. 1 Mc 13:51; 2 Mc 10:7. They may be related to the lûlāb, the twig bundles used at the feast of Tabernacles. Hosanna: see Ps 118:25–26. The Hebrew word means: “(O Lord), grant salvation.” He who comes in the name of the Lord: referred in Ps 118:26 to a pilgrim entering the temple gates, but here a title for Jesus (see notes on Mt 11:3 and Jn 6:14; 11:27). The king of Israel: perhaps from Zep 3:14–15, in connection with the next quotation from Zec 9:9.
  21. 12:15 Daughter Zion: Jerusalem. Ass’s colt: symbol of peace, as opposed to the war horse.
  22. 12:16 They had done this: the antecedent of they is ambiguous.
  23. 12:17–18 There seem to be two different crowds in these verses. There are some good witnesses to the text that have another reading for Jn 12:17: “Then the crowd that was with him began to testify that he had called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead.”
  24. 12:19 The whole world: the sense is that everyone is following Jesus, but John has an ironic play on world; he alludes to the universality of salvation (Jn 3:17; 4:42).
  25. 12:20–36 This announcement of glorification by death is an illustration of “the whole world” (Jn 12:19) going after him.
  26. 12:20 Greeks: not used here in a nationalistic sense. These are probably Gentile proselytes to Judaism; cf. Jn 7:35.
  27. 12:21–22 Philip…Andrew: the approach is made through disciples who have distinctly Greek names, suggesting that access to Jesus was mediated to the Greek world through his disciples. Philip and Andrew were from Bethsaida (Jn 1:44); Galileans were mostly bilingual. See: here seems to mean “have an interview with.”
  28. 12:23 Jesus’ response suggests that only after the crucifixion could the gospel encompass both Jew and Gentile.
  29. 12:24 This verse implies that through his death Jesus will be accessible to all. It remains just a grain of wheat: this saying is found in the synoptic triple and double traditions (Mk 8:35; Mt 16:25; Lk 9:24; Mt 10:39; Lk 17:33). John adds the phrases (Jn 12:25) in this world and for eternal life.
  30. 12:25 His life: the Greek word psychē refers to a person’s natural life. It does not mean “soul,” for Hebrew anthropology did not postulate body/soul dualism in the way that is familiar to us.
  31. 12:27 I am troubled: perhaps an allusion to the Gethsemane agony scene of the synoptics.
  32. 12:31 Ruler of this world: Satan.
  33. 12:34 There is no passage in the Old Testament that states precisely that the Messiah remains forever. Perhaps the closest is Ps 89:37.
  34. 12:37–50 These verses, on unbelief of the Jews, provide an epilogue to the Book of Signs.
  35. 12:38–41 John gives a historical explanation of the disbelief of the Jewish people, not a psychological one. The Old Testament had to be fulfilled; the disbelief that met Isaiah’s message was a foreshadowing of the disbelief that Jesus encountered. In Jn 12:42 and also in Jn 3:20 we see that there is no negation of freedom.
  36. 12:41 His glory: Isaiah saw the glory of Yahweh enthroned in the heavenly temple, but in John the antecedent of his is Jesus.

The Death of Lazarus

11 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany,(A) the village of Mary and her sister Martha.(B) (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.)(C) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love(D) is sick.”

When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory(E) so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”(F)

“But Rabbi,”(G) they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you,(H) and yet you are going back?”

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light.(I) 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend(J) Lazarus has fallen asleep;(K) but I am going there to wake him up.”

12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.(L)

14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

16 Then Thomas(M) (also known as Didymus[a]) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus

17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.(N) 18 Now Bethany(O) was less than two miles[b] from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.(P) 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.(Q)

21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.(R) 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”(S)

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection(T) at the last day.”(U)

25 Jesus said to her, “I am(V) the resurrection and the life.(W) The one who believes(X) in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing(Y) in me will never die.(Z) Do you believe this?”

27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah,(AA) the Son of God,(AB) who is to come into the world.”(AC)

28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher(AD) is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him.(AE) 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her,(AF) noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”(AG)

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved(AH) in spirit and troubled.(AI) 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

35 Jesus wept.(AJ)

36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”(AK)

37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man(AL) have kept this man from dying?”(AM)

Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

38 Jesus, once more deeply moved,(AN) came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.(AO) 39 “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”(AP)

40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe,(AQ) you will see the glory of God?”(AR)

41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up(AS) and said, “Father,(AT) I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here,(AU) that they may believe that you sent me.”(AV)

43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”(AW) 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen,(AX) and a cloth around his face.(AY)

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary,(AZ) and had seen what Jesus did,(BA) believed in him.(BB) 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees(BC) called a meeting(BD) of the Sanhedrin.(BE)

“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs.(BF) 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”

49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas,(BG) who was high priest that year,(BH) spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”(BI)

51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.(BJ) 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.(BK)

54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea.(BL) Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.

55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover,(BM) many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing(BN) before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus,(BO) and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” 57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.

Jesus Anointed at Bethany(BP)

12 Six days before the Passover,(BQ) Jesus came to Bethany,(BR) where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served,(BS) while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint[c] of pure nard, an expensive perfume;(BT) she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair.(BU) And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him,(BV) objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.[d] He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag,(BW) he used to help himself to what was put into it.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.(BX) You will always have the poor among you,[e](BY) but you will not always have me.”

Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.(BZ) 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him(CA) many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.(CB)

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King(CC)

12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches(CD) and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna![f]

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[g](CE)

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”(CF)

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

15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
    see, your king is coming,
    seated on a donkey’s colt.”[h](CG)

16 At first his disciples did not understand all this.(CH) Only after Jesus was glorified(CI) did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

17 Now the crowd that was with him(CJ) when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign,(CK) went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”(CL)

Jesus Predicts His Death

20 Now there were some Greeks(CM) among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida(CN) in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

23 Jesus replied, “The hour(CO) has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.(CP) 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies,(CQ) it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it(CR) for eternal life.(CS) 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.(CT) My Father will honor the one who serves me.

27 “Now my soul is troubled,(CU) and what shall I say? ‘Father,(CV) save me from this hour’?(CW) No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven,(CX) “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

30 Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit,(CY) not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world;(CZ) now the prince of this world(DA) will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up[i] from the earth,(DB) will draw all people to myself.”(DC) 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.(DD)

34 The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law(DE) that the Messiah will remain forever,(DF) so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man(DG) must be lifted up’?(DH) Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”

35 Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light(DI) just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light,(DJ) before darkness overtakes you.(DK) Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. 36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.”(DL) When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.(DM)

Belief and Unbelief Among the Jews

37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs(DN) in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 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?”[j](DO)

39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

40 “He has blinded their eyes
    and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
    nor understand with their hearts,
    nor turn—and I would heal them.”[k](DP)

41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory(DQ) and spoke about him.(DR)

42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him.(DS) But because of the Pharisees(DT) they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue;(DU) 43 for they loved human praise(DV) more than praise from God.(DW)

44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me.(DX) 45 The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me.(DY) 46 I have come into the world as a light,(DZ) so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

47 “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.(EA) 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them(EB) at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me(EC) to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life.(ED) So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”(EE)

Footnotes

  1. John 11:16 Thomas (Aramaic) and Didymus (Greek) both mean twin.
  2. John 11:18 Or about 3 kilometers
  3. John 12:3 Or about 0.5 liter
  4. John 12:5 Greek three hundred denarii
  5. John 12:8 See Deut. 15:11.
  6. John 12:13 A Hebrew expression meaning “Save!” which became an exclamation of praise
  7. John 12:13 Psalm 118:25,26
  8. John 12:15 Zech. 9:9
  9. John 12:32 The Greek for lifted up also means exalted.
  10. John 12:38 Isaiah 53:1
  11. John 12:40 Isaiah 6:10