Open English Translation YHN (JHN) Chapter 12

12 Because of this, Yeshua went to Bethany six days before the Passover. This was where Lazarus lived, the one he had brought back to life. 2 So they prepared dinner for him there and Martha was serving and Lazarus was among those sitting with Yeshua. 3 [ref]Then Maria took about 300g of very expensive nard oil and smeared it on Yeshua’s feet, and then wiped off his feet with her own hair, and the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4 But Yudas, one of Yeshua’s apprentices (the one who would eventually turn him in) complained, 5 “How come this lotion wasn’t sold for almost a year’s wages and then the money given to the poor?” 6 But he didn’t say this because he cared for poor people, but because he carried the purse for the group and used to steal from it.

7 But Yeshua responded, “Let her continue. She has kept this for the time of my burial. 8 [ref]You’ll always have poor people with you, but you won’t always have me here.”

9 When it was discovered that Yeshua was there in Bethany, many Yudeans started arriving, not only because of Yeshua, but also to see Lazarus who’d been dead and Yeshua had brought him back to life. 10 But the chief priests decided in a meeting that they should also have Lazarus killed, 11 because many people were ignoring them and instead were believing that Yeshua came from God.

12 The next day a large crowd of people who had come for the celebrations and had heard that Yeshua was coming to Yerusalem 13 [ref]took long branches from palm trees and brought them out as they went to meet him. They called out, “Honoured saviour! The one coming in the authority of the master has been blessed by God. This is Israel’s king.”

14 Now Yeshua had found a young donkey and rode it into the city just like it was written in the scriptures,

15 [ref]“Don’t be worried you children of Zion. Your king is coming mounted on a donkey’s foal.”

16 (Yeshua’s apprentices didn’t realise all these things at the time, but it was later after Yeshua was lifted up to heaven that they were reminded that these things had been written about him, and that they had indeed happened to him.)

17 People in the crowd were telling each other about how they’d been with Yeshua when he’d called Lazarus out from the burial chamber and brought him back to life, 18 So because of this, others also wanted to met Yeshua because they’d heard that he’d done that miracle. 19 So the Pharisees discussed this together, “We’re getting nowhere with this. Look, it seems like the whole world wants to follow him.”

20 And some Greek people were also going to Yerusalem to worship God at the celebrations 21 and they approached Philip from Bethsaida (up in Galilee) and asked him, “Mister, we’d like to meet this Yeshua.” 22 So Philip went and told Andrew, and the two of them went and told Yeshua.

23 Now Yeshua told them, “The time has come for humanity’s child to be honoured. 24 I can assure you that unless a wheat seed drops into the ground and dies, it will stay just as it is, but if it dies, it’s able to produce a harvest. 25 [ref]Anyone who loves their life will lose it, but the person hating their life in this world will stay alive forever. 26 Anyone who wants to serve me needs to follow after me, so that wherever I am, my servant will also be there. Anyone who serves me will be honoured by the father.

27 Now, I’m very troubled. What else could I say other than, ‘Father, let me avoid what’s coming.’ But it was exactly this that I came for. 28 Father, may your authority and be honoured.”

And a voice from the sky answered, “I’ve already brought honour to it and will do so again.”

29 This caused some in the crowd standing there to say that they’d heard thunder while others said that a messenger must have spoken to Yeshua.

30 “That voice wasn’t for my sake,” Yeshua responded, “but for all of you. 31 This world is about to be judged and its ruler will be thrown out, 32 and when I’m lifted up[fn] from the earth, I will attract everyone towards me.” 33 By saying this, he was indicating how he was going to die.

34 [ref]So the crowd queried him, “We heard from the scriptures that the messiah will stay until the end of the age so why do you say that humanity’s child will be lifted up. And who is this ‘humanity’s child’?”

35 Yeshua answered them, “The light will be among you all for just a little bit longer, so get walking while you have the light so that you won’t have to deal with darkness. Anyone walking in the dark doesn’t know where they’re going. 36 While you still have the light, believe in the light so that you will become children of light.”

Yeshua said these things and then after leaving them, he was hidden from them.

37 Even though Yeshua had done so many miracles in front of the people, they didn’t believe that he was the messiah. 38 [ref]This fulfilled what the prophet Isayah wrote,

“Master, who believed our report?

And who was the master’s power revealed to?”

39 Because of this, they weren’t able to believe, and again as Isayah wrote,

40 [ref]“He has blinded their eyes and maimed their emotions,

so that they can’t see with their eyes and understand with their minds,

or they might be turned and then I would heal them.”

41 Isayah wrote this because he saw the messiah’s greatness and spoke concerning him. 42 Likewise, many of the Jewish leaders believed that Yeshua was the messiah, but they didn’t tell others because they didn’t want the Pharisee party to banish them from their services 43 as they valued the praise of people more than praise from God.

44 Then Yeshua called out, “Anyone who believes that I came from God is not just believing in me, but also believing in the one who sent me, 45 and anyone who watches me working, is watching the one who sent me. 46 I came into this world as light so that anyone who believes in me won’t have darkness residing in them. 47 I won’t be judging anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it, because I didn’t come to judge the world but rather to save it. 48 Anyone who rejects me and doesn’t accept my teaching does have a judge though—it’s the message that I spoke that will judge them at the end of time 49 because I wasn’t speaking from my own thoughts, but it was the father himself who sent me that told me what to say and what to teach. 50 And I’m fully aware that obeying his commands leads to living forever. Therefore whenever I speak, I just say whatever the father said to me.”