Mary anoints Jesus' feet12:0 This incident must not be confused with the one recorded in Matthew 26:6 and Mark 14:3. Here Mary anoints His feet on Saturday (March 30, 30), while in Matthew and Mark an unidentified woman anoints His head on Wednesday (April 3, 30). The houses are also different.

1Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was (the deceased whom He raised from the dead).

2So they gave a dinner for Him there—Martha was serving, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him.

3Then Mary, bringing a pound of pure oil of nard, very costly, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped His feet with her hair! ³⁵⁸And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

Judas has a problem

4Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son (who was about to betray Him), said,

5“Why wasn't this oil sold for 300 denarii ³⁵⁹and given to the poor?”

6(Now he did not say this because the poor mattered to him, but because he was a thief and had the money box; and used to pilfer what was put in it.) ³⁶⁰

7So Jesus said: “Let her be; she has performed this with a view to my burial.

8For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

Lazarus is a problem

9Then a large crowd of the Jews learned that He was there; and they came, not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.

10So the chief priests decided to kill Lazarus as well, ³⁶¹

11in that because of him many of the Jews were defecting and believing into Jesus.

The Triumphal Entry

12The next day a large crowd that had come to the feast, ³⁶²when they heard ³⁶³that Jesus was coming into Jerusalem,

13took branches from palm trees and went out to meet Him. And they started shouting: “Hosanna!”
“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” ³⁶⁴
“King of Israel!” ³⁶⁵

14And finding a young donkey Jesus sat on it; just as it is written:

15“Fear no more, daughter of Zion. Look, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!” ³⁶⁶

16(Now His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him, and they had done them to Him.) ³⁶⁷

17So the crowd that had been with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify.

18That is also why the crowd met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign.

19So the Pharisees said among themselves: “You can see that you are not making any difference! Just look, the world has gone off after Him!”

Some Greeks

20Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the feast. ³⁶⁸

21So these men approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested of him saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” ³⁶⁹

22Philip goes and tells Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.

23But Jesus answered them saying: “The hour has come for the Son of the Man to be glorified. ³⁷⁰

24Most assuredly I say to you, if a grain of wheat, having fallen into the ground, does not die, it remains alone; ³⁷¹but if it dies it bears a lot of fruit. ³⁷²

25The one ‘loving’ his life will waste it, and the one ‘hating’ his life, in this world, will preserve it into eternal life. ³⁷³

26If anyone would serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, my servant will be too. ³⁷⁴Further, if anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. ³⁷⁵

A Voice out of Heaven

27“Now my soul is distressed, and what should I say—‘Father, rescue me from this hour’? But this is why I came to this hour—

28‘Father, glorify your name!’ ” Then a Voice came out of Heaven, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again!”

29So the crowd that was standing by and listening said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.” ³⁷⁶

30Jesus answered and said: “It was not for my sake that this Voice came, but for your sakes.

31Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be thrown out. ³⁷⁷

32While I, if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.”

33(Now He said this to indicate by what kind of death He was about to die.) ³⁷⁸

34The people answered Him: “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah remains forever; and so how can you say, ‘The Son of the Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘the Son of the Man’?” ³⁷⁹

35Then Jesus said to them: “The Light will be with you just a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that darkness does not overtake you; ³⁸⁰the one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.

36While you have the Light, ³⁸¹believe into the Light, so that you may become sons of light.” ³⁸²Jesus said these things, and going away He was hidden from them.

An editorial comment

37Although He had performed so many signs in their presence, they were not believing into Him;

38so that the word spoken by Isaiah the prophet should be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what we heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord really been revealed?” ³⁸³

39Therefore they were unable to believe, in that Isaiah said again:

40“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, ³⁸⁴lest they should see with their eyes
and understand with their hearts and should turn around, and I would heal them.”

41Isaiah said these things when ³⁸⁵he saw His glory ³⁸⁶and spoke concerning Him.

42Nevertheless, even among the rulers many believed into Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, so they would not be expelled from the synagogue; ³⁸⁷

43for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. ³⁸⁸

The last public word

44Jesus called out and said: “The one believing into me believes not into me but into Him who sent me.

45And the one seeing me sees Him who sent me.

46I, Light, ³⁸⁹have come into the world so that everyone who believes into me will not remain in the darkness. ³⁹⁰

47Also, if someone hears my words and does not believe, I do not judge him; because I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. ³⁹¹

48The one who rejects me and does not receive my sayings has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken, that is what will judge him on the last day; ³⁹²

49because I have not spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me, He gave me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.

50And I know that His command is eternal life. So whatever I say, I say it just like the Father told me.” ³⁹³