No one is taking it from me; I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This is what my Father has commanded me."

There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.

for many of them said, he is possess'd with a demon, and is mad; why do you mind him?

Others said, "These are not the sayings of one possessed by a demon. It isn't possible for a demon to open the eyes of the blind, is it?"

but ye do not believe, for ye are not of my sheep, as I told you.

Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

If he designated those men gods, for whom the word of God came to be (and the scripture cannot be broken),

[if that is true] then do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and set apart for Himself and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

And he went again to the other side of the Jordan, to the place where John first gave baptism; and he was there for a time.

The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, "Lord, behold, he for whom you have great affection is sick."

When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

Now Jesus had love in his heart for Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

So when the news came to him that Lazarus was ill, he did not go from the place where he was for two days.

he still remained where he was for two days; then after that he said to his disciples, "Let us go back again to Judea."

upon which his disciples said, master, it is not long since the Jews attempted to stone you; and are you for going thither again?

Jesus answered: Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any one walks during the day,, he does not stumble, for he sees the light of this world.

but if one walks during the night he does stumble, for the light is not in him."

Then said Jesus to them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sake I was not there, that ye may believe:

And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

Now Bethany was close to Jerusalem, [being] fewer than two miles away,

And many of the Jews came to those with Martha and Mary, to console them for their brother.

And even now I know that whatever you ask God for, God will give you."

And whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall not die for ever.

She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed and continue to believe that You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of God, He who was [destined and promised] to come into the world [and it is for You that the world has waited].”

And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.

& 31] Now as Bethany is not far from Jerusalem, only about two miles away,

When Jesus saw her and her Jewish friends, who had come with her, crying, He felt distressed in His spirit and [visibly] troubled [Note: This last word means to shake with emotion, and seems to have been caused by His deep sympathy for these grieving people],

The Jews therefore said, "See how much affection he had for him!"

Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

So they took away the stone. And Jesus, looking up to heaven, said, Father, I give praise to you for hearing me.

I knew that You always hear Me and listen to Me; but I have said this because of the people standing around, so that they may believe that You have sent Me [and that You have made Me Your representative].”

Out came the man who had been dead, his hands and feet tightly wrapped in burial cloths (linen strips), and with a [burial] cloth wrapped around his face. Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and release him.”

Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.

For this man doth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him, and the Romans will come and subvert both our place and nation.

But, a certain one from among them, Caiaphas, being, High-priest, for that year, said unto them - Ye, know, nothing at all;

Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

For that reason Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but left there and went to the district that borders on the uninhabited wilderness, to a town called Ephraim; and He stayed there with the disciples.

But the Jewish Festival of the Passover was near; and many people had gone up from the country to Jerusalem, for their 'purification,' before the Festival began.

Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?

For the high priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where he was should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

So they gave a dinner for Him there; Martha was serving them, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him.

Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

Jesus therefore said, Suffer her to have kept this for the day of my preparation for burial;

For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.

Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.

for the chief priests had resolved to put even Lazarus to death;

for because of him many of the Jews left them and became believers in Jesus.

The day after, a great number of people who were there for the feast, when they had the news that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

[So], they took branches from palm trees and went out to meet Him, shouting, "Hosanna [Note: See Matt. 21:9 for the meaning of this word], may He, the King of Israel, be praised, for He comes in the name [i.e., by the authority] of the Lord!"

Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.

These things, his disciples noticed not, at the first; but, when Jesus was glorified, then, remembered they that, these things, had, for him, been written, - and that, these things, they had done unto him.

For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle.

And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified and exalted.

The one who loves his life [eventually] loses it [through death], but the one who hates his life in this world [and is concerned with pleasing God] will keep it for life eternal.

Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

But for this cause I came, for this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then a voice came from heaven, I have both glorified, and I will glorify it again.

Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.

Now is the time for the judgment of this world to begin. Now the ruler of this world will be thrown out.

As for Me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to Myself.”

The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?

Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

In so far as you have the light, put your faith in the light so that you may become sons of light. With these words Jesus went away and for a time was not seen again by them.

Now for all the Signs he had performed before them, they did not believe in him ??38 that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: Lord, who has believed what they heard from us, And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For this cause they could not believe, for that Isaiah said again,

He has made their eyes blind, and their hearts hard; for fear that they might see with their eyes and get knowledge with their hearts, and be changed, and I might make them well.

Nevertheless, even many of the leading men believed in Him [as Savior and Messiah], but because of the Pharisees they would not confess it, for fear that [if they acknowledged Him openly] they would be put out of the synagogue (excommunicated);

For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

Whoever rejects Me and refuses to accept My teachings, has one who judges him; the very word that I spoke will judge and condemn him on the last day.

For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

Now before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that His hour had come [and it was time] for Him to leave this world and return to the Father. Having [greatly] loved His own who were in the world, He loved them [and continuously loves them with His perfect love] to the end (eternally).

When He came to Simon Peter, he said to Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?”

"What I am doing," answered Jesus, "for the present you do not know, but afterwards you shall know."

Jesus told him, "Whoever has bathed is entirely clean. He doesn't need to wash himself further, except for his feet. And you men are clean, though not all of you."

For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

So when he had washed their feet and taken his outer clothing and reclined at table again, he said to them, "Do you understand what I have done for you?

Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

If then I, the Lord and the Master, have made your feet clean, it is right for you to make one another's feet clean.

For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

not concerning you all do I speak; I have known whom I chose for myself; but that the Writing may be fulfilled: He who is eating the bread with me, did lift up against me his heel.

For the future I shall tell you of things before they take place, so that, when they take place, you may believe that I am what I am.

So Simon Peter gestured for this one to inquire who it was about whom he was speaking.

Jesus therefore answereth, He it is, for whom I shall dip the sop, and give it him. So when he had dipped the sop, he taketh and giveth it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.

Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.

For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.

Little children, I am with you [only] a little longer. You will look for Me and, as I told the Jews, so I tell you now, ‘Where I am going, you are not able to come.’

I give you a new law: Have love one for another; even as I have had love for you, so are you to have love one for another.

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples--if you have love for one another."

Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.

Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Thomas said unto him, "Lord we know not whither thou goest. Also how is it possible for us to know the way?"

If you had recognized me, you would have known my Father also; for the future you will recognize him, indeed you have already seen him."