The Death of Lazarus
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of aMary and her sister Martha. 2 aIt was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, ahe whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, a“This illness does not lead to death. It is for bthe glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
5 Now aJesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, ahe stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, a“Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, a“Rabbi, bthe Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, a“Are there not twelve hours in the day? bIf anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But aif anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not ain him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus ahas fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 aSo Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, bthat we may die with him.”
I Am the Resurrection and the Life
17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb afour days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary ato console them concerning their brother. 20 aSo when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to aJesus, “Lord, bif you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, aGod will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 aMartha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in bthe resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, a“I am the resurrection and bthe life. Whoever believes in me, cthough he die, dyet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me ashall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; aI believe that byou are the Christ, the Son of God, cwho is coming into the world.”
Jesus Weeps
28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, a“The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews awho were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, a“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 also weeping, he awas deeply moved in his spirit and bgreatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 aJesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See ahow he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he awho opened the eyes of the blind man balso have kept this man from dying?”
Jesus Raises Lazarus
38 Then Jesus, adeeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was ba cave, and ca stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for ahe has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, a“Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see bthe glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus alifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 aI knew that you always hear me, but I said this bon account of the people standing around, cthat they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 aThe man who had died came out, bhis hands and feet bound with linen strips, and chis face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
The Plot to Kill Jesus
45 aMany of the Jews therefore, bwho had come with Mary and chad seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees agathered bthe council and said, c“What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and athe Romans will come and take away both our bplace and our nation.” 49 But one of them, aCaiaphas, bwho was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that ait is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but abeing high priest that year bhe prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and anot for the nation only, but also bto gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they amade plans to put him to death.
54 Jesus therefore ano longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.
55 Now athe Passover of the Jews was at hand, and bmany went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover cto purify themselves. 56 aThey were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.
Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany
Six days before athe Passover, bJesus therefore came to Bethany, cwhere Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. aMartha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 aMary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and agiven to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and ahaving charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”
The Plot to Kill Lazarus
9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, awhom he had raised from the dead. 10 aSo the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because aon account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
The Triumphal Entry
12 The next day athe large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of apalm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, b“Hosanna! Blessed is che who comes in the name of the Lord, even dthe King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
15 a“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
16 aHis disciples did not understand these things at first, but bwhen Jesus was glorified, then cthey remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 aThe crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him awas that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, a“You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, bthe world has gone after him.”
Some Greeks Seek Jesus
20 Now aamong those who went up to worship at the feast were some bGreeks. 21 So these came to aPhilip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told aAndrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, a“The hour has come bfor the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, aunless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 aWhoever loves his life loses it, and bwhoever chates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must afollow me; and bwhere I am, there will my servant be also. cIf anyone serves me, dthe Father will honor him.
The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up
27 a“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, bsave me from cthis hour’? But dfor this purpose I have come to cthis hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then aa voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, a“An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, a“This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 aNow is the judgment of this world; now will bthe ruler of this world cbe cast out. 32 And I, awhen I am lifted up from the earth, bwill draw call people to myself.” 33 He said this ato show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that athe Christ remains forever. How can you say that bthe Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, a“The light is among you bfor a little while longer. cWalk while you have the light, lest darkness dovertake you. eThe one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become asons of light.”
When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.
The Unbelief of the People
37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 aso that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
b“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39 Therefore they acould not believe. For again Isaiah said,
40 a“He has blinded their eyes
and bhardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”
41 Isaiah said these things because ahe saw his glory and bspoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, amany even of the authorities believed in him, but bfor fear of the Pharisees they did not cconfess it, so that they would not be cput out of the synagogue; 43 afor they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
Jesus Came to Save the World
44 And Jesus cried out and said, a“Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but bin him who sent me. 45 And awhoever bsees me sees him who sent me. 46 aI have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone ahears my words and does not keep them, bI do not judge him; for cI did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 aThe one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; bthe word that I have spoken will judge him con the last day. 49 For aI have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father bwho sent me has himself given me ca commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”