Then Jesus' [half-] brothers said to Him, "You should leave here and go to Judea so your disciples [there] can see the [supernatural] deeds you are performing.

So, Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come [i.e., to be revealed to the world as its Savior], but it is always your time [i.e., they could go to the festival anytime without rousing opposition].

And there was much whispering about Him among the crowds. Some were saying, "He is a good man," [but] others said, "No [he is not], he is [just] deceiving the crowd."

However, no one said anything about Him openly for fear of the Jews.

Some of the people of Jerusalem said [about Jesus], "Is not this person the one they are trying to kill?

As Jesus was teaching in the Temple, He spoke out, and said, "You people [think you] know who I am and where I come from. I have not come on my own authority, but God, who sent me, is true and you do not know Him.

Therefore, Jesus said, "I will be with you for a little while longer, then I will go to the Father who sent me.

Now He said this about the Holy Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive [See Acts 2:38]. For [at that time] the Holy Spirit had not yet been given, since Jesus had not yet received splendor [in heaven].

When they heard these words some people in the crowd said, "Truly, this man is the prophet." [See note on 1:21].

Others said, "He is the Christ." But [still] others said, "What [do you mean]? The Christ will not come from Galilee, [will he]?

[Now] Nicodemus (being a leading Pharisee, and the one who went to talk to Jesus one night), said to them,

They said to Jesus, "This woman was caught in the very act of sexual immorality.

They said this to test Him, in order to have a charge to bring against Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote [something] on the ground [i.e., in the dirt] with His finger.

But when they continued asking Him [about the woman], He stood up and said to them, "That person among you who has never sinned should be the first one to throw a stone at her."

And when they heard [what He had said], they [all] left, one at a time, beginning with the oldest men. So, Jesus was left alone with the woman [still standing] there where she was.

So, Jesus stood up [again] and said to her, "[My dear] woman, where are the men? Did not any of them [stay to] condemn you?"

She replied, "No sir, no one did." Then Jesus said, "[Well], I do not condemn you either. Go on your way and from now on, do not sin anymore."}}

The Pharisees then said to Him, "[Since] you are giving testimony about yourself, your testimony is not true."

So, the Jewish authorities said to Him, "Where is your father?" Jesus answered, "You people do not know me or my Father. If you [did] know me, you would know my Father also."

Jesus again said to them, "I am going away and you will look for me, but you will die [condemned] in your sins. You cannot go where I am going."

So, the Jews asked [one another], "Will he kill himself, because he said, 'You cannot go where I am going'?"

Therefore I said to you that you will die [condemned] in your sins. For unless you believe that I am [the Messiah, who came from above. See verse 23], you will die [condemned] in your sins."

So, they said to Him, "Who are you?" Jesus answered, "Why am I even speaking to you at all? [Note: The Greek words of this difficult passage are not real clear]

So, Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of man [i.e., to crucify Him], then you will know that I am [the Messiah] and that I do not do anything on my own authority, but I speak [only] those things that the Father has taught me.

When He said these things, many people believed in Him.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who had believed [in Him], "If you people continue [obeying] my message, then you are truly my disciples.

You people are doing what your father does." They said to Him, "We were not born illegitimately; the only Father we have is God."

The Jews answered and said to Jesus, "Were we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan [See note on 4:9], and are dominated by an evil spirit?"

So, the Jews said to Him, "You are not even fifty years old [yet] and have you seen Abraham?"

After He had said this, He spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then He put the mud on the man's eyes

and said to him, "[Now] go and wash in the pool of Siloam (which means "sent"). So, the man left and washed [in the pool], and [when he] returned, [he was] able to see.

Then the neighbors, who had seen the man begging previously, said, "Is not this the man who [used to] sit there and beg?"

Other people said, "[Yes], that is him," while [still] others said, "No, [it is not]; he [just] looks like him." The man said, "I am the one, [all right]."

So, they said to him, "How was your sight restored, then?"

He answered, "That man called Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes; then He said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash [yourself].' So, I went and washed and my sight was [miraculously] restored."

Then the people said to the man, "Where is he?" "I do not know," he replied.

So, the Pharisees also asked him again how his sight was restored. He said to them, "He put mud on my eyes; I washed [myself], and [now] I can see."

Some of the Pharisees then said, "The man who did this is not from God, because he does not observe the Sabbath day. But other people said, "How could a man who is a sinner do such [miraculous] signs?" And the people were divided among themselves [over the issue].

So, they said to the [former] blind man again, "What do you have to say about the man, since [you say] he restored your sight?" The man replied, "He is a prophet."

His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities who had already decided that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Christ would be expelled from the synagogue.

So, his parents said, "He is old enough, ask him."

So, they called the [former] blind man a second time, and said to him, "Give honor to God [Note: In Jewish idiom this phrase meant "Tell the truth." See Josh. 7:19]; we know this man is a sinner."

The Pharisees said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he restore your sight?"

Jesus said to him, "You have seen Him and He is the One who is talking with you."

And the man said, "Lord, I believe." And he knelt in front of Jesus [i.e., in reverence].

And Jesus said, "I came to this world to judge [it], so that people who can not see [spiritually] will [be able to] see; and those who [think they can] see [spiritually] will become blind."

Jesus said to them, "If you were [really] blind [i.e., unable to see spiritually], you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim, 'We can see [fine],' you remain guilty of sin."

So, Jesus said to them again, "Truly, truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep [i.e., to enter the corral].

Many of them said, "This man is dominated by an evil spirit; he is crazy, why listen to him?"

Others said, "These are not the words of someone dominated by an evil spirit. Can an evil spirit restore sight to a blind person?"

Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many good deeds [i.e., miracles], performed through the Father. Which one of them are you stoning me for?"

Jesus replied to them, "Is it not written in your law [Psa. 82:6], 'I said, you people are gods'?

how can you people say to Him, whom the Father set apart and sent into the world, 'You are speaking abusively [i.e., about God],' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? He is the One whom the Father set apart [i.e., for His service] and sent into the world.

Many people came to Him and were saying, "It is true that John did not perform any [miraculous] signs, but everything he said about this man was true."

But when Jesus heard this, He said, "This illness will not result in [his] death, but was intended to bring honor to God, so that the Son of God would be honored by it."

Then, after this, He said to His disciples, "Let us go [back] to Judea again."

After saying these things He said to His disciples, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going to wake him up."

But the disciples said to Him, "Lord, if he is [only] asleep, he will get well."

So, Jesus said plainly, "Lazarus is dead.

Then Thomas, which means, "The Twin," said to his fellow disciples, "Let us go too, so we can die with Him." [i.e., by being stoned to death with Jesus. See 11:8].

Then Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if [only] you had been here, my brother would not have died.

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again [from the dead]."

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; the person who believes in me will live on, even though he dies [physically].

After saying this, she left and called her sister Mary and said to her privately, "The Teacher is here and is asking for you."

So, when Mary arrived at where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell down at His feet and said, "Lord, if [only] you had been here, my brother would not have died."

and said, "Where have they laid his body?" They answered Him, "Lord, come and see."

[Some of] the Jewish friends then said, "Look how [much] he loved him!" [See verse 3].

But others of them said, "Could not this man, who restored sight to a blind person, have kept Lazarus from dying?"

Jesus said, "You people, take the stone away." [But] Martha, the dead man's sister, said to Jesus, "Lord, his body is decomposing by now, for he has been dead four days."

So, they removed the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, thank you for hearing me. [Note: Jesus had already prayed for and been assured of Lazarus' resurrection].

I know that you always hear me, but I said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so they would believe that you sent me."

And after He had said this, He called out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"

[Immediately] the man who had died came out [of the cave] with his hands and feet [still] wrapped in bandages, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to his Jewish friends, "Unwrap him and let him go."

So, the leading priests and the Pharisees assembled the Council [Note: This was the Jewish governing body called "the Sanhedrin"] and said, "What should we do, for this man is performing many [miraculous] signs?

But a certain member of the Sanhedrin, [named] Caiaphas, who was head priest that year, said to [the rest of] them, "You do not know what you are talking about.

But one of Jesus' disciples named Judas Iscariot, who later turned Him over [i.e., to the Jewish authorities], said,

So, Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Let her keep [the rest of] it for [use on] the day of my burial.

Then Jesus said to [all of] them, "The time has come for the Son of man to be glorified [i.e., by His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension].

The crowd that was standing around heard this [i.e., the sound of the Father's voice], but said it was thunder. Others said, "An angel spoke to Him [i.e., Jesus]."

Jesus said to them, "This voice did not speak for my sake, but for yours.

Now He said this to indicate the kind of death He was about to experience [i.e., of being lifted up on a cross].

So, Jesus said to them, "The Light will be among you for only a little while [longer]. Walk around while you [still] have the Light [with you], before darkness surrounds you. For the person who walks around in darkness does not know where he is going.

[So], believe in the Light [i.e., Jesus is speaking of Himself] while you [still] have the Light [with you], so that you can become enlightened people." After Jesus said these things, He left there and hid Himself from them.

They were not able to believe because Isaiah also said [Isa. 6:10],

Isaiah had said these things because he saw the [coming] glory of Jesus, and [so] was speaking about Him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet, [too]?"

Peter said to Him, "[No], you will never wash my feet." Jesus replied to him, "If I do not wash you, you will not be able to participate with me [i.e., as a disciple]."

Simon Peter [then] said to Him, "Lord, do not [just] wash my feet only, but my hands and head, too."

For Jesus knew who would betray Him; that is why He said, "Not every one of you is [spiritually] clean."

So, after Jesus had washed His disciples' feet and put His [outer] clothing back on, He reclined again [at the dinner table] and said to them, "Do you understand what I have done to you?

After Jesus said this, He felt disturbed in His spirit and declared, "Truly, truly, I tell you, one of you will turn me over [to the Jewish authorities]."

So, Simon Peter motioned [to John] and said, "Ask Jesus which one [of us] He is talking about."

Then after [he ate] the piece of bread, Satan entered Judas' heart. So, Jesus said to him, "Do what you are going to do, and do it quickly."

Now, no one at the table knew why He had said this to him.

Then after Judas left, Jesus said, "Now the Son of man is [being] glorified [Note: Being "glorified" involved Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. The first step of this had now begun]. And God is [being] glorified through the Son's life.

Simon Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus answered, "You cannot follow me where I am going now, but you will [be able to] follow later."

Peter [then] said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow you [there] even now? I am willing to die for you."

Thomas said to Jesus, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how could we [possibly] know the way [to get there]?"

Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father and it [will] be enough for us."

[Then] Judas (not the betrayer) [Note: This was the son of James, See Luke 6:16. He is also called Thaddaeus, See Matt. 10:3], said to Jesus, "Lord, what has happened [i.e., to your original plans to be seen by everyone when you came. See Luke 21:27], that you will reveal yourself to us apostles [only] and not to the [whole] world?"