Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King(A)

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(B) and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna![a]

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

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”(D)

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.”[c](E)

16 At first his disciples did not understand all this.(F) Only after Jesus was glorified(G) 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(H) 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,(I) 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!”(J)

Jesus Predicts His Death

20 Now there were some Greeks(K) among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida(L) 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(M) has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.(N) 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies,(O) 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(P) for eternal life.(Q) 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.(R) My Father will honor the one who serves me.

27 “Now my soul is troubled,(S) and what shall I say? ‘Father,(T) save me from this hour’?(U) No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.

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Footnotes

  1. John 12:13 A Hebrew expression meaning “Save!” which became an exclamation of praise
  2. John 12:13 Psalm 118:25,26
  3. John 12:15 Zech. 9:9

16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.(A)

The Crucifixion of Jesus(B)

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross,(C) he went out to the place of the Skull(D) (which in Aramaic(E) is called Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others(F)—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth,(G) the king of the jews.(H) 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city,(I) and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”(J)

22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

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