Part 37

When Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already lain in the grave for four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem and many of the Jews came to Martha and her sister, Mary, to comfort them over the loss of their brother. As soon as she heard that Jesus was on His way, Martha went and met Him, but Mary remained in the house. Martha then said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died. But I know, even now, whatever you ask of God, God will give it to you.

Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again. Martha said, I know he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, even if he is dead, still will live. And whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? She said, Yes, Lord. I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God come into this world. And when she said this, she went and called Mary, her sister, saying, The Master has come and calls for you.

As soon as Mary heard, she got up quickly and went to Him. Jesus was not yet in the town but was where Martha met Him. Some of the Jews who were comforting her in the house saw Mary hastily rise up and go out. They followed her, saying, She goes to the grave to weep there.

When Mary saw Jesus, she fell down at His feet saying to Him, Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died. When Jesus saw her weeping, and those who came with her also weeping, He became troubled and was very upset. He said, Where have you laid him? They said, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept.

Then the Jews said, Look how much He loved him! And some of them said, Could He, who opened the eyes of the blind, not have prevented this man's death? Jesus, again upset, went to the grave. It was a cave and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of Lazarus, said, Lord, by this time there will be a stench, he has been dead for four days. Jesus said to her, Did I not tell you that, if you believe, you would see the glory of God? They removed the stone from the grave.

Then Jesus lifted His eyes and said, Father, I thank you for hearing me. And I know that you hear me always. For the sake of those standing here, I say this so they may believe that you sent me. Then Jesus cried out in a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. Now he who was dead came forth bound hand and foot with graveclothes and his face was wound about with a scarf. Jesus said to them, Loose him and let him go.

Many of the Jews who saw the things Jesus did, believed in Him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what was done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, What can we do? This man does many miracles? If we leave Him alone, everyone will believe in Him and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.

One of them, named Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year, said to them, You know nothing at all, nor do you consider it expedient that one man should die so the whole nation does not perish. He said this not of himself, but as high priest, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation, and not for that nation only, but also for the children of God who were scattered abroad. Then, from that day, they were in agreement to put Him to death. Jesus, therefore, no longer walked openly among the Jews but went to a country near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim. He stayed there with His disciples.

Passover was near at hand. Many people went to Jerusalem in order to purify themselves. Then they looked for Jesus. As they stood in the temple, they said to eachother, What do you think? Will He stay away from the feast? The chief priests and Pharisees had given an order that, if any man knew where Jesus was, he should speak out so they could arrest Him.

12. Six days before the passover, Jesus went to Bethany where He had raised Lazarus from the dead. There they made Him a supper. Martha served. Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly ointment of spikenard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.

Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, who would betray Him, said, Why was this ointment not sold for its great worth and the money given to the poor? He said this, not out of concern for the poor but, because he was a thief who held their money bag and controlled what was put in it. Jesus said, Leave her alone. She has saved this toward the day of my burial. And, as for the poor, you always have them to care for, but you will not always have me.

Many of the Jews knew that He was there. But they did not come for Jesus' sake only, but also to see Lazarus whom He had raised from the dead. The chief priests considered putting Lazarus to death also because he was the reason many of the Jews left and believed in Jesus.

The next day, many people who had come for the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. They took branches of palm trees and went to meet Him. They cried, Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel that comes in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when He had found a young colt, sat upon it; for it is written: Fear not, daughter of Sion. Behold, thy King comes, sitting on an ass's colt.

His disciples did not at first understand this. But when Jesus was glorified, they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. The people who were with Him when He called Lazarus from his grave and raised him from the dead, bore record. Other people went to see Him because they heard He had done this miracle. The Pharisees, therefore, said among themselves, Do you see that we do not prevail? Look, the whole world is gone after Him.

There were certain Greeks among those who came to worship at the feast. Some of them went to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him if they could meet Jesus. Philip went to Andrew. Then together, Andrew and Philip went to Jesus. Jesus said to them, The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. Verily, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone. But if it dies, it brings forth much fruit. He who loves his life in this world will lose it; and he who hates his life will have life eternal.

If any man will serve me, let him follow me. Where I am, there also will my servant be. If any man serves me, my Father will honor him. Now my soul is troubled. But what will I say? Father, save me from this hour? But this hour is the reason I came into the world. Father, glorify thy name. Then a voice came from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

The people that stood by and heard it said that it thundered. Others said, an angel spoke to Him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sake. Now is the judgment of this world. Now will the prince of this world be cast out. And I, being lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to me. He said this to signify the death He was to die.

The people said, We have heard from the law that Christ lives forever. What do you mean, The Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man? Then Jesus said to them, Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness fall upon you. For he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have light, believe in the light, so you may be called the children of light.

Jesus said these things and then departed and hid Himself. Even though He had done many miracles before them, they still did not believe Him. Thus it was that the saying of Isaiah the prophet was fulfilled: Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore, they could not believe because Isaiah also said: He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart and be converted, and I should heal them. Isaiah said this when he saw His glory and spoke about Him.

Nevertheless, among the chief rulers many believed in Him. But, because of the Pharisees, they did not say anything lest they be put out of the synagogue. They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Jesus said, He who believes in me, believes not in me, but in the one who sent me. He who sees me sees Him who sent me. I came into the world as a light so that whoever believes in me will not dwell in darkness.

If anyone hears my words and does not believe, I do not judge him, because I came not to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects me and does not accept my words has one who judges him. He whose words I have spoken will be the judge on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own, but for the Father who sent me. He gave me a commandment of what I should say and what I should speak. I know that His commandment is for life everlasting. Whatever I speak, I speak as the Father spoke to me.

13. It was before the feast of the passover. Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. Supper was ended. The devil now put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray Him. Jesus knew that the Father had given all things into His hands and that He came from God and went to God.

He arose from supper, laid aside His garments, took a towel, and girded Himself. After that He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet. He then wiped them with the towel with which He had girded Himself.

When He came to Simon Peter, he said to Him, Lord, do you wash my feet? Jesus answered, What I do you do not know now but you will understand later. Peter said, You will never wash my feet. Jesus replied, If I do not wash you, then you have no part of me. Peter then said, Lord, then not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus said, He who is washed does not need to wash more than his feet, for every part of him is clean. You are clean. But not all of you are clean. Jesus said this to indicate that He knew who would betray Him.

He washed their feet, put on His garments, and sat down again. He said to them, Do you know what I have done? You call me Master and Lord. And you speak correctly for so I am. Now if I, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash one another's feet also. For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. Truly, I say to you, The servant is not greater than his lord. And He who was sent is not greater than He who sent Him. If you understand these things, you will be happy to do them.

I do not speak about all of you. I know whom I have chosen. But this scripture must be fulfilled: He that eateth bread with me has lifted up his heel against me. So I tell you before it comes so, when it happens, you may believe who I am. I tell you, He who receives whomever I send, receives me. He who receives me, receives the one who sent me.

Jesus said He was troubled in spirit and testified saying, One of you will betray me. Then the disciples looked at eachother, wondering who He meant. There was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter beckoned to that disciple and said he should ask Jesus who was the betrayer. The disciple said, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, He it is to whom I will give a sop when I have dipped it. When He had dipped the sop He gave it to Judas Iscariot. Then Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, What you do, do it quickly.

No one at the table knew why Jesus said this to him. Some of them thought, because Judas held the money, that Jesus said to him, Buy those things that we need for the feast, or that he should give something to the poor. Judas, then, having received the sop, went immediately out. It was night. After he was gone, Jesus said, Now the Son of man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself.