Mary Pours Perfume on Jesus at Bethany
1It was six days before the Passover Feast. Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived. Lazarus was the one Jesus had raised from the dead. 2A dinner was given at Bethany to honor Jesus. Martha served the food. Lazarus was among the people at the table with Jesus. 3Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard. It was an expensive perfume. She poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the sweet smell of the perfume.
4But Judas Iscariot didn’t like what Mary did. He was one of Jesus’ disciples. Later he was going to hand Jesus over to his enemies. Judas said, 5“Why wasn’t this perfume sold? Why wasn’t the money given to poor people? It was worth a year’s pay.” 6He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor. He said it because he was a thief. Judas was in charge of the money bag. He used to help himself to what was in it.
7“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “The perfume was meant for the day I am buried. 8You will always have the poor among you. But you won’t always have me.”
9Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there, so they came. But they did not come only because of Jesus. They also came to see Lazarus. After all, Jesus had raised him from the dead. 10So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus too. 11Because of Lazarus, many of the Jews were starting to follow Jesus. They were believing in him.
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
12The next day the large crowd that had come for the feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13So they took branches from palm trees and went out to meet him. They shouted,
“Hosanna!”
“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Psalm 118:25,26)
“Blessed is the king of Israel!”
14Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it. This is just as it is written in Scripture. It says,
15“City of Zion, do not be afraid.
See, your king is coming.
He is sitting on a donkey’s colt.” (Zechariah 9:9)
16At first, Jesus’ disciples did not understand all this. They realized it only after he had received glory. Then they realized that these things had been written about him. They realized that these things had been done to him.
17A crowd had been with Jesus when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead. So they continued to tell everyone about what had happened. 18Many people went out to meet him. They had heard that he had done this sign. 19So the Pharisees said to one another, “This isn’t getting us anywhere. Look how the whole world is following him!”
Jesus Tells About His Coming Death
20There were some Greeks among the people who went up to worship during the feast. 21They came to ask Philip for a favor. Philip was from Bethsaida in Galilee. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” 22Philip went to tell Andrew. Then Andrew and Philip told Jesus.
23Jesus replied, “The time has come for the Son of Man to receive glory. 24What I’m about to tell you is true. Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only one seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25Anyone who loves their life will lose it. But anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it and have eternal life. 26Anyone who serves me must follow me. And where I am, my servant will also be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
27“My soul is troubled. What should I say? ‘Father, keep me from having to go through with this’? No. This is the very reason I have come to this point in my life. 28Father, bring glory to your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven. It said, “I have brought glory to my name. I will bring glory to it again.” 29The crowd there heard the voice. Some said it was thunder. Others said an angel had spoken to Jesus.
30Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31Now it is time for the world to be judged. Now the prince of this world will be thrown out. 32And I am going to be lifted up from the earth. When I am, I will bring all people to myself.” 33He said this to show them how he was going to die.
34The crowd spoke up. “The Law tells us that the Messiah will remain forever,” they said. “So how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
35Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light. Do this before darkness catches up with you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. 36While you have the light, believe in it. Then you can become children of light.” When Jesus had finished speaking, he left and hid from them.
Some Jews Believe and Some Don’t
37Jesus had performed so many signs in front of them. But they still would not believe in him. 38This happened as Isaiah the prophet had said it would. He had said,
“Lord, who has believed what we’ve been saying?
Who has seen the Lord’s saving power?” (Isaiah 53:1)
39For this reason, they could not believe. As Isaiah says in another place,
40“The Lord has blinded their eyes.
He has closed their minds.
So they can’t see with their eyes.
They can’t understand with their minds.
They can’t turn to the Lord. If they could, he would heal them.” (Isaiah 6:10)
41Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
42At the same time that Jesus did those signs, many of the Jewish leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees, they would not openly admit they believed. They were afraid they would be thrown out of the synagogue. 43They loved praise from people more than praise from God.
44Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only. They also believe in the one who sent me. 45The one who looks at me sees the one who sent me. 46I have come into the world to be its light. So no one who believes in me will stay in darkness.
47“I don’t judge a person who hears my words but does not obey them. I didn’t come to judge the world. I came to save the world. 48But there is a judge for anyone who does not accept me and my words. These words I have spoken will judge them on the last day. 49I did not speak on my own. The Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have said. 50I know that his command leads to eternal life. So everything I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”
香膏抹腳
1逾越節前六天，耶穌來到伯大尼，就是祂叫拉撒路從死裡復活的村子。 2村裡有人為耶穌預備了晚飯，拉撒路也與耶穌同席，瑪大在旁邊伺候。 3瑪麗亞拿出一瓶12·3 「一瓶」希臘文是「一羅馬磅」，約325克。珍貴的純哪噠香膏來抹耶穌的腳，又用自己的頭髮去擦，屋裡頓時充滿了香氣。
4有一個門徒，就是將要出賣耶穌的加略人猶大說： 5「為什麼不把香膏賣三百個銀幣12·5 「三百個銀幣」相當於當時一個人一年的工錢。去賙濟窮人呢？」 6他這樣說不是因為他真的關心窮人，其實他是個賊，常常藉管錢的機會中飽私囊。
7耶穌說：「由她吧！她這是為我安葬作預備。 8因為你們身邊總會有窮人，可是你們身邊不會總有我。」
9有許多猶太人知道耶穌在那裡，就來看祂，不單是為了看耶穌，也想看看從死裡復活的拉撒路。 10於是，祭司長計劃連拉撒路也殺掉， 11因為有許多猶太人因為拉撒路的緣故離開他們，去信了耶穌。
光榮進聖城
12第二天，很多上來過節的人聽見耶穌快到耶路撒冷了， 13就拿著棕樹枝出去迎接祂，並且高聲歡呼：
「和散那12·13 「和散那」原意是「拯救我們」，此處有「讚美」的意思。！
奉主名來的以色列王當受稱頌！」
14那時，耶穌找到一頭驢駒，就騎上牠，正如聖經記載：
15「錫安的居民啊，不要害怕！
你的君王騎著驢駒來了。」
16起初門徒不明白這些事，後來耶穌得了榮耀，他們才想起聖經上這些有關耶穌的記載果然在祂身上應驗了。 17那些親眼看見耶穌叫拉撒路復活、走出墳墓的人不斷傳揚這件事。 18許多聽過耶穌行這神蹟的人都去迎接祂。 19法利賽人彼此議論說：「我們真是枉費心思！你看，整個世界都跟著祂跑了。」
耶穌預言自己的死
20有幾個希臘人也上耶路撒冷過節。 21他們找到了加利利的伯賽大人腓力，請求說：「先生，我們想見見耶穌。」 22腓力把這件事告訴安得烈，二人去轉告耶穌。
23耶穌說：「人子得榮耀的時候到了。 24我實實在在地告訴你們，一粒麥子如果不落在地裡死了，仍是一粒，如果死了，就會結出許多麥粒來。 25愛惜自己生命的，必會失掉生命；憎惡自己今世生命的，才能保住生命，直到永生。 26誰要事奉我，就要跟從我。我在哪裡，事奉我的人也要在哪裡。我父必尊重事奉我的人。
27「我現在心裡憂傷，說什麼才好呢？求父救我離開這個時刻嗎？然而，我原是為這個時刻來的。 28父啊！願你使自己的名得榮耀！」
當時天上有聲音說：「我已使自己的名得了榮耀，並且還要得榮耀。」
29站在那裡的人群中有人聽見就說：「打雷了！」也有人說：「是天使在跟祂說話。」
30耶穌說：「這聲音不是為我發出的，是為你們發出的。 31現在是這世界受審判的時候，世界的王12·31 「世界的王」指「魔鬼，又名撒旦」，參見路加福音10·18；歌羅西書2·15；約翰一書3·8。要被趕出去了。 32至於我，當我從地上被舉起來時，必吸引萬人歸向我。」 33耶穌這句話指的是祂會怎樣死。
34眾人問：「我們從律法書上知道，基督是永遠長存的，你怎麼說『人子要被舉起來』呢？這人子是誰呢？」
35耶穌對他們說：「光在你們中間照耀的時候不多了，你們要趁著有光的時候走路，免得黑暗來臨後，走在黑暗裡的人不知道要往哪裡去。 36所以你們當趁著有光的時候信從光，好成為光明的兒女。」
耶穌說完後，便離開他們，隱藏起來。
猶太人不信祂
37耶穌雖然在他們面前行了許多神蹟，他們還是不信祂。 38這是要應驗以賽亞先知的話：
「主啊，誰相信我們所傳的呢？主的能力12·38 「主的能力」希臘文是「主的臂膀」，參見以賽亞書53·1。向誰顯現呢？」
39接著，以賽亞又說出他們不能信的緣故：
40「主使他們眼瞎、心硬，
免得他們眼睛看見，
心裡明白，回心轉意，
就得到我的醫治。」
41以賽亞看見了祂的榮耀，所以才這樣說。 42雖然這樣，仍有很多猶太的官員信了耶穌，只是在法利賽人面前不敢公開承認，因為害怕會被趕出會堂。 43因為他們愛從世人而來的榮耀，勝過愛從上帝而來的榮耀。
耶穌的道要審判人
44耶穌高聲說：「信我的，其實不只是信我，而是信差我來的那位。 45人看見了我，就是看見了差我來的那位。 46我來是要作世界的光，好叫信我的人脫離黑暗。 47聽了我的話卻不遵守的人，我不審判他，因為我來不是要審判世人，而是要拯救世人。 48棄絕我、不接受我話的人將受到審判，我講過的道在末日要審判他， 49因為我不是憑自己講的，我說什麼、講什麼都是差我來的父吩咐的。 50我知道祂的命令能帶來永生。所以祂怎麼告訴我，我就怎麼說。」
