John 12:15-40

¹⁵“Don't be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, riding a donkey's colt.”

¹⁶At the time, Jesus' disciples did not understand what these things meant. It was only later when he was glorified that they realized what had happened had been prophesied and applied to him.

¹⁷Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb and raise him from the dead and were telling the story.

¹⁸That was the reason so many people went to meet Jesus—because they had heard about this miracle.

¹⁹The Pharisees said to one other, “Look, we're getting nowhere. Everyone's running after him.”

²⁰Now some Greeks had come to the festival to worship.

²¹They came to Philip of Bethsaida in Galilee, and said, “Sir, we'd like to see Jesus.”

²²Philip went and told Andrew. Then they both went to Jesus and told him.

²³Jesus replied, “The time has come for the Son of man to be glorified.

²⁴I tell you the truth: unless a grain of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains just one grain. But if it dies, it produces many more grains of wheat.

²⁵If you love your own life you will lose it, but if you don't love your own life in this world you will keep your life forever.

²⁶If you want to serve me you need to follow me. My servants will be where I am, and my Father will honor anyone who serves for me.

²⁷Now I am troubled. What should I say? ‘Father, save me from this coming time of suffering?’ No, for this is why I came—to go through this time of suffering.

²⁸Father, show the glory of your character.” A voice came from heaven, saying, “I have shown its glory, and I will show it again.”

²⁹The crowd that was standing there heard it. Some said it thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

³⁰Jesus told them, “This voice spoke not for my sake, but for yours.

³¹Now is the judgment of this world; now the prince of this world will be thrown out.

³²But when I am lifted up from the earth I will attract everyone to me.”

³³(He said this to point out the kind of death he was going to die.)

³⁴The crowd responded, “The Law tells us that the Messiah will live forever, so how can you say the Son of man must be ‘lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of man’?”

³⁵Jesus replied, “The light is here with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light so that the darkness doesn't overtake you. Those who walk in the dark don't know where they're going.

³⁶Put your trust in the light while you still have it so that you can become children of light.” When Jesus had told them this, he left and hid himself from them.

³⁷But despite all the miracles he had done in their presence, they still did not trust in Jesus.

³⁸This fulfilled the message of Isaiah the prophet who said, “Lord, who has believed what we told them? To whom has the Lord's power been revealed?”

³⁹They were not able to trust him, and as a result they fulfilled what Isaiah also said:

⁴⁰“He blinded their eyes, and made their minds dull, so that their eyes would not see, and their minds would not think, and they would not turn to me—for if they did I would heal them.”