Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The New Agreement

³¹ This is what the Lord said, “The time is coming when I will make a new agreement with the family of Israel and with the family of Judah. ³² It will not be like the agreement I made with their ancestors. I made that agreement when I took them by the hand and brought them out of Egypt. I was their master, but they broke that agreement.” This message is from the Lord.

³³ “In the future I will make this agreement with the people of Israel.” This message is from the Lord. “I will put my teachings in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. ³⁴ People will not have to teach their neighbors and relatives to know the Lord, because all people, from the least important to the most important, will know me.” This message is from the Lord. “I will forgive them for the evil things they did. I will not remember their sins.”

To the director: A song of David written when Nathan the prophet came to him after David’s sin with Bathsheba.

Beth

⁵ It is the same with Christ. He did not choose himself to have the honor of becoming a high priest. But God chose him. God said to him,

⁶ And in another part of the Scriptures God says,

⁷ While Jesus lived on earth he prayed to God, asking for help from the one who could save him from death. He prayed to God with loud cries and tears. And his prayers were answered because of his great respect for God. ⁸ Jesus was the Son of God, but he still suffered, and through his sufferings he learned to obey whatever God says. ⁹ This made him the perfect high priest, who provides the way for everyone who obeys him to be saved forever. ¹⁰ God made him high priest, just like Melchizedek.

Jesus Talks About Life and Death

²⁰ There were some Greeks there too. These were some of the people who went to Jerusalem to worship at the Passover festival. ²¹ They went to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.” ²² Philip went and told Andrew. Then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.

²³ Jesus said to them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to receive his glory. ²⁴ It is a fact that a grain of wheat must fall to the ground and die before it can grow and produce much more wheat. If it never dies, it will never be more than a single seed. ²⁵ Whoever loves the life they have now will lose it. But whoever is willing to give up their life in this world will keep it. They will have eternal life. ²⁶ Whoever serves me must follow me. My servants must be with me everywhere I am. My Father will give honor to anyone who serves me.

Jesus Talks About His Death

²⁷ “Now I am very troubled. What should I say? Should I say, ‘Father save me from this time of suffering’? No, I came to this time so that I could suffer. ²⁸ Father, do what will bring you glory!”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have already brought glory to myself. I will do it again.”

²⁹ The people standing there heard the voice. They said it was thunder.

But others said, “An angel spoke to him!”

³⁰ Jesus said, “That voice was for you and not for me. ³¹ Now is the time for the world to be judged. Now the ruler of this world will be thrown out. ³² I will be lifted up^[a] from the earth. When that happens, I will draw all people to myself.” ³³ Jesus said this to show how he would die.