November 14

John 11:1 — 12:50

11 Now there was a certain man sick, Lazarus of Bethany, of the village of Mary and of Martha her sister. 2 It was, in fact, the Mary that greased the Lord with perfumed oil and wiped his feet dry with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 Therefore his sisters dispatched word to him, saying: “Lord, see! the one for whom you have affection is sick.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said: “This sickness is not with death as its object, but is for the glory of God, in order that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 However, when he heard that he was sick, then he actually remained two days in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples: “Let us go into Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him: “Rabbi, just lately the Judeans were seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered: “There are twelve hours of daylight, are there not? If anyone walks in daylight he does not bump against anything, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he bumps against something, because the light is not in him.”

11 He said these things, and after this he said to them: “Lazarus our friend has gone to rest, but I am journeying there to awaken him from sleep.” 12 Therefore the disciples said to him: “Lord, if he has gone to rest, he will get well.” 13 Jesus had spoken, however, about his death. But they imagined he was speaking about taking rest in sleep. 14 At that time, therefore, Jesus said to them outspokenly: “Lazarus has died, 15 and I rejoice on YOUR account that I was not there, in order for YOU to believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Therefore Thomas, who was called The Twin, said to his fellow disciples: “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

17 Consequently when Jesus arrived, he found he had already been four days in the memorial tomb. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem at a distance of about two miles. 19 Accordingly many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary in order to console them concerning their brother. 20 Therefore Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming, met him; but Mary kept sitting at home. 21 Martha therefore said to Jesus: “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died. 22 And yet at present I know that as many things as you ask God for, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her: “Your brother will rise.” 24 Martha said to him: “I know he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her: “I am the resurrection and the life. He that exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life; 26 and everyone that is living and exercises faith in me will never die at all. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him: “Yes, Lord; I have believed that you are the Christ the Son of God, the One coming into the world.” 28 And when she had said this, she went off and called Mary her sister, saying secretly: “The Teacher is present and is calling you.” 29 The latter, when she heard this, got up quickly and was on her way to him.

30 Jesus had not yet, in fact, come into the village, but he was still in the place where Martha met him. 31 Therefore the Jews that were with her in the house and that were consoling her, on seeing Mary rise quickly and go out, followed her, supposing that she was going to the memorial tomb to weep there. 32 And so Mary, when she arrived where Jesus was and caught sight of him, fell at his feet, saying to him: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 Jesus, therefore, when he saw her weeping and the Jews that came with her weeping, groaned in the spirit and became troubled; 34 and he said: “Where have YOU laid him?” They said to him: “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus gave way to tears. 36 Therefore the Jews began to say: “See, what affection he used to have for him!” 37 But some of them said: “Was not this [man] that opened the eyes of the blind man able to prevent this one from dying?”

38 Hence Jesus, after groaning again within himself, came to the memorial tomb. It was, in fact, a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said: “TAKE the stone away.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to him: “Lord, by now he must smell, for it is four days.” 40 Jesus said to her: “Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41 Therefore they took the stone away. Now Jesus raised his eyes heavenward and said: “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 True, I knew that you always hear me; but on account of the crowd standing around I spoke, in order that they might believe that you sent me forth.” 43 And when he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice: “Lazarus, come on out!” 44 The [man] that had been dead came out with his feet and hands bound with wrappings, and his countenance was bound about with a cloth. Jesus said to them: “Loose him and let him go.”

45 Therefore many of the Jews that had come to Mary and that beheld what he did put faith in him; 46 but some of them went off to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. 47 Consequently the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the Sanhedrin together and began to say: “What are we to do, because this man performs many signs? 48 If we let him alone this way, they will all put faith in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them: “YOU do not know anything at all, 50 and YOU do not reason out that it is to YOUR benefit for one man to die in behalf of the people and not for the whole nation to be destroyed.” 51 This, though, he did not say of his own originality; but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was destined to die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but in order that the children of God who are scattered about he might also gather together in one. 53 Therefore from that day on they took counsel to kill him.

54 Hence Jesus no longer walked about publicly among the Jews, but he departed from there to the country near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there he remained with the disciples. 55 Now the passover of the Jews was near, and many people went up out of the country to Jerusalem before the passover in order to cleanse themselves ceremonially. 56 Therefore they went looking for Jesus and they would say to one another as they stood around in the temple: “What is YOUR opinion? That he will not come to the festival at all?” 57 As it was, the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone got to know where he was, he should disclose [it], in order that they might seize him.


12 Accordingly Jesus, six days before the passover, arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus was whom Jesus had raised up from the dead. 2 Therefore they spread an evening meal for him there, and Martha was ministering, but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with him. 3 Mary, therefore, took a pound of perfumed oil, genuine nard, very costly, and she greased the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet dry with her hair. The house became filled with the scent of the perfumed oil. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, who was about to betray him, said: 5 “Why was it this perfumed oil was not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor people?” 6 He said this, though, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief and had the money box and used to carry off the monies put in it. 7 Therefore Jesus said: “Let her alone, that she may keep this observance in view of the day of my burial. 8 For YOU have the poor always with YOU, but me YOU will not have always.”

9 Therefore a great crowd of the Jews got to know he was there, and they came, not on account of Jesus only, but also to see Lazarus, whom he raised up from the dead. 10 The chief priests now took counsel to kill Lazarus also, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going there and putting faith in Jesus.

12 The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival, on hearing that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took the branches of palm trees and went out to meet him. And they began to shout: “Save, we pray you! Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah’s name, even the king of Israel!” 14 But when Jesus had found a young ass, he sat on it, just as it is written: 15 “Have no fear, daughter of Zion. Look! Your king is coming, seated upon an ass’s colt.” 16 These things his disciples took no note of at first, but when Jesus became glorified, then they called to mind that these things were written respecting him and that they did these things to him.

17 Accordingly the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus out of the memorial tomb and raised him up from the dead kept bearing witness. 18 On this account the crowd, because they heard he had performed this sign, also met him. 19 Therefore the Pharisees said among themselves: “YOU observe YOU are getting absolutely nowhere. See! The world has gone after him.”

20 Now there were some Greeks among those that came up to worship at the festival. 21 These, therefore, approached Philip who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and they began to request him, saying: “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” 22 Philip came and told Andrew. Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus.

23 But Jesus answered them, saying: “The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. 24 Most truly I say to YOU, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains just one [grain]; but if it dies, it then bears much fruit. 25 He that is fond of his soul destroys it, but he that hates his soul in this world will safeguard it for everlasting life. 26 If anyone would minister to me, let him follow me, and where I am there my minister will be also. If anyone would minister to me, the Father will honor him. 27 Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me out of this hour. Nevertheless, this is why I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Therefore a voice came out of heaven: “I both glorified [it] and will glorify [it] again.”

29 Hence the crowd that stood about and heard it began to say that it had thundered. Others began to say: “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 In answer Jesus said: “This voice has occurred, not for my sake, but for YOUR sakes. 31 Now there is a judging of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And yet I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw men of all sorts to me.” 33 This he was really saying to signify what sort of death he was about to die. 34 Therefore the crowd answered him: “We heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever; and how is it you say that the Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?” 35 Jesus therefore said to them: “The light will be among YOU a little while longer. Walk while YOU have the light, so that darkness does not overpower YOU; and he that walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While YOU have the light, exercise faith in the light, in order to become sons of light.”

Jesus spoke these things and went off and hid from them. 37 But although he had performed so many signs before them, they were not putting faith in him, 38 so that the word of Isaiah the prophet was fulfilled which he said: “Jehovah, who has put faith in the thing heard by us? And as for the arm of Jehovah, to whom has it been revealed?” 39 The reason why they were not able to believe is that again Isaiah said: 40 “He has blinded their eyes and he has made their hearts hard, that they should not see with their eyes and get the thought with their hearts and turn around and I should heal them.” 41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory, and he spoke about him. 42 All the same, many even of the rulers actually put faith in him, but because of the Pharisees they would not confess [him], in order not to be expelled from the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory of men more than even the glory of God.

44 However, Jesus cried out and said: “He that puts faith in me puts faith, not in me [only], but in him [also] that sent me; 45 and he that beholds me beholds [also] him that sent me. 46 I have come as a light into the world, in order that everyone putting faith in me may not remain in the darkness. 47 But if anyone hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I came, not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He that disregards me and does not receive my sayings has one to judge him. The word that I have spoken is what will judge him in the last day; 49 because I have not spoken out of my own impulse, but the Father himself who sent me has given me a commandment as to what to tell and what to speak. 50 Also, I know that his commandment means everlasting life. Therefore the things I speak, just as the Father has told me [them], so I speak [them].”