The Death of Lazarus

1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister ⁱMartha. 2 It was Mary who ^janointed the ^kLord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, ^lso that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus¹ was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea ^magain.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, ⁿthe Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the ^olight is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen ^pasleep, but I go to ^qawaken 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 ^rplainly, “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 ^sSo Thomas, called the ^tTwin,² said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that 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 four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles³ off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, ^ushe went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, ^vif you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection ^won the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, ^x“I am the resurrection and the ^ylife.^{4 z}Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet 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; I believe that you are the Christ, the ^bSon of God, who is coming into the world.”

Jesus Weeps

28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The ^cTeacher 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 who 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, “Lord, ^dif 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 was deeply moved⁵ in his spirit and greatly ^etroubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he ^fwho opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus Raises Lazarus

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a 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 he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see ^gthe glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may ^hbelieve that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

45 ⁱMany of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but ^jsome of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, ^k“What are we to do? For this man performs many ^lsigns. 48 If we let him go on like this, ^meveryone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and ⁿtake away both our place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, ^oCaiaphas, who was high priest ^pthat year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that ^qit 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 being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and ^rnot for the nation only, but also ^sto gather into one ^tthe children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they ^umade plans to put him to death.

54 Jesus therefore ^vno 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 ^wNow the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover ^xto purify themselves. 56 They were ^ylooking for⁶ 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 ^zarrest him.

Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany

1 ^aSix days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, ^bwhere Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. ^cMartha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound⁷ 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 ^ddenarii⁸ and ^egiven to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having 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^{9 f}for the day of my burial. 8 For ^gthe 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 Jesus¹⁰ was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death ^has well, 11 because on account of him ⁱmany of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

The Triumphal Entry

12 ^jThe next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of ^kpalm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ^l“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the ^mKing of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was ^oglorified, then they ^premembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 ^qThe 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 was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, ^rthe world has gone after him.”

Some Greeks Seek Jesus

20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some ^sGreeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, ^t“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, ^uunless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it ^vbears much fruit. 25 ^wWhoever loves his life loses it, and whoever ^xhates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must ^yfollow me; and ^zwhere I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up

27 ^a“Now is my soul ^btroubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, ^csave me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a ^dvoice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 ^eThe crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. ^fOthers said, ^g“An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come ^hfor your sake, not mine. 31 Now is ⁱthe judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am ^jlifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 ^kHe said this ^lto show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains ^mforever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, “The ⁿlight is among you ^ofor a little while longer. Walk ^pwhile you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who ^qwalks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become ^rsons of light.”

The Unbelief of the People

When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 ^sThough he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be ^tfulfilled:

39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,

41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, many even of ^xthe authorities believed in him, but ^yfor fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be ^zput out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the ^aglory that comes from God.

Jesus Came to Save the World

44 And Jesus cried out and said, ^b“Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And ^cwhoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as ^dlight, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, ^eI do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but ^fto save the world. 48 The one who ^grejects me and ^hdoes not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not ⁱspoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—^jwhat to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. ^kWhat I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

With God We Shall Do Valiantly

A Song. A Psalm of David.