Chapter: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21
THE WORD OF GOD
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was by God, and the Word was God. He was by God in the very beginning. 3 Everything came into being through him, and no existence was created apart from him. 4 In him there was life, and that life was the Light of men. 5 That Light shines in the darkness. But the darkness cannot overpower it.
HIS MISSION
6 A man whose name was John was sent by God. 7 He came as a witness to bear testimony to the Light, and to help all men to believe through him. 8 He was not the Light. He came only to bear testimony to the Light. 9 The true Light is that which enlightens every man coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him. Yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own home. Yet his own people did not receive him. 12 But he empowered all those who received him and who believed in his name to become children of God, 13 because they owe their rebirth not to human blood nor to the will of the flesh, but to God.
HIS INCARNATION
14 So the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We have seen his glory, such as belongs to the only-begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testified to him when he cried: “This is the one of whom I said: ‘He comes after me, but he is above me, because he existed before me.'” 16 We have all received from his abundance grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses. But grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No man has ever seen God. The only-begotten Son, who abides in the Father’s bosom, revealed him to us.
JOHN’S TESTIMONY
19 Here is the testimony of John when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and asked him: “Who are you?” 20 He asserted, he did not dissemble, he asserted openly: “I am not the Messiah.”
21 For the second time, they asked him: “Who are you then? Are you Elijah?” He answered: “I am not.” For the third time, they asked him: “Are you the Prophet?” He answered: “No.”
22 For the fourth time they asked him: “Who are you then? Tell us, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What have you to say for yourself?” 23 He replied: “I am preaching in the desert: ‘Straighten out the road of the Lord,’ as the Prophet Isaiah said.”
24 Now, those who had been sent were Pharisees. 25 At last, they asked him: “Then why do you baptize, if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 He answered them: “I baptize with water. But in your midst is standing one whom you do not recognize. 27 He comes after me, but he is so superior to me that I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal.” 28 These events took place in Bethany, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29 On the following day, John saw Jesus coming to him, and said: “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of mankind. 30 This is the one of whom I said: ‘After me comes a man who is above me, because he existed before me.’ 31 I did not know him myself. But I came to baptize with water for this purpose, that he might be manifested to Israel.”
32 So John testified saying: “I saw the Holy Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and remain over him. 33 I did not know him myself. But God who sent me to baptize with water, said to me: ‘The man on whom you see the Holy Spirit descend and remain, is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 Now I have seen him and I am testifying that he is the Son of God.”
THE FIRST APOSTLES
35 On the next day, John was standing with two of his Disciples. 36 He looked at Jesus, as he walked about, and said: “Here is the Lamb of God.”
37 The two Disciples heard his remark and followed Jesus. 38 He turned around, saw them following, and asked them: “What do you want?” They answered him: “Rabbi, which translated means Master, where are you staying?” 39 He replied: “Come and see.” So they went to see where he was staying, and stayed with him the rest of that day. It was then about four o’clock in the afternoon.
40 One of the two Disciples, who had heard John’s remark and followed Jesus, was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. 41 The first thing he did was to find his brother Simon and tell him: “We have found the Messiah,” which translated means Christ.
42 Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said: “You are Simon, the son of John; your name will be Kephas,” which translated means Peter.
43 On the following day, Jesus decided to leave for Galilee, where he found Philip, and told him: “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the home town of Andrew and Peter.
45 Philip found Nathanael, and said to him: “We have found the man of whom Moses and the Prophets wrote in the Scriptures, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael replied: “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip told him: “Come and see.”
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, and said of him: “Here is a genuine Israelite, in whom there is no guile.” 48 Nathanael asked him: “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him: “Even before Philip called you, I saw you while you were under the fig tree.”
49 Nathanael said: “Rabbi you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.” 50 Jesus said to him: “You believe, because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree. You will see greater wonders than that.”
51 Then he added: “Well, well, I assure you, from now on, you will see heaven open wide and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Messiah.”
THE WEDDING AT CANA
1 On the third day, a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. The Mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his Disciples were also invited to the wedding.
3 As the wine ran short, the Mother of Jesus told him: “They have no wine left.” 4 Jesus answered her: “Mother, what does it matter to me and to you? My time has not yet come.” 5 Then his Mother said to the servants: “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Now there were six stone water-jars standing there ready for the Jewish custom of ritual purification, each one of them containing two or three measures apiece.
7 Jesus said to the servants: “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. 8 Then he added: “Now, draw some of it off, and give it to the master of ceremonies.” They did so.
9 The master of ceremonies tasted the water which had been turned into wine. But he did not know where it came from. Only the servants who had drawn the water, knew. So he called the bridegroom 10 and told him: “Everybody serves the good wine first, and the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.”
11 This miracle at Cana in Galilee was the first one which Jesus performed and through which he manifested his glory. Then his Disciples believed in him. 12 After this incident, he went to Capernaum with his Mother, his brethren, and his Disciples. They remained there for a few days.
CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE
13 Then, as the Jewish Passover was drawing near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found the merchants selling oxen, sheep, and pigeons, and the money-changers busy with their trade. 15 So he made a whip of cords, and drove them all out of the temple with their sheep and oxen. He scattered the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 He said to the pigeon-sellers: “Take these birds away. Do not turn my Father’s house into a market.” 17 Then his Disciples remembered the Scriptural passage: “I am consumed by zeal for your house, O Lord.”
18 Thereupon, the Jews approached him and asked him: “What evidence of authority can you show us for your acts?” 19 Jesus answered them: “Tear down this temple, and in three days I will rebuild it.”
20 The Jews replied: “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to rebuild it in three days?” 21 But what he was speaking of was the temple of his body. 22 Therefore, when he had risen from the dead, his Disciples recalled what he had said, and believed the Scriptures and the prophecy Jesus had made.
23 While he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles he had performed. 24 But Jesus did not trust them. He knew all men, 25 and did not need any information about them. He could guess their thoughts.
NICODEMUS
1 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Pharisee, and a leader of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus at night, and said to him: “Master we know that you have been sent by God to teach us. For without divine power you could not perform the miracles you do.”
3 Jesus answered him: “Well, well, I tell you, no man can see the Kingdom of God unless he is reborn from above.”
4 Nicodemus asked him: “How can a man be reborn when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born over again.”
5 Jesus replied: “Well, well, I tell you, no man can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is reborn through water and through the Holy Spirit. 6 Whoever is born of the flesh is physical, and whoever is born of the Holy Spirit is spiritual.
7 “Do not be surprised when I tell you that you must be reborn. 8 The Holy Spirit blows like the wind wherever it chooses. You hear its sound. But you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with every man who is born of the Holy Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus asked him: “How can such a rebirth take place?” 10 Jesus answered him: “You are a teacher of Israel and you should be able to understand it. 11 Well, well, I tell you, I speak of what I know, and I proclaim what I have seen. But you do not accept my testimony. 12 If you do not believe me when I speak to you about earthly trifles, how can you believe me when I speak to you about heavenly doctrines?
13 “The Messiah, who descended from heaven is the only one who ascended into heaven, where he is dwelling. 14 Now, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Messiah be lifted up also. 15 Then whoever believes in him will not perish, but will find everlasting life.
16 “God loved men so much that he gave up his only-begotten Son for them. For whoever believes in him will not perish, but will find eternal life. 17 God did not send his Son to mankind to condemn them, but to save them through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned. Whoever does not believe in him, has already been condemned. Because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
19 “The reason of the condemnation is that the Light has come into the world, and men preferred darkness to Light. Because their deeds were evil. 20 For anyone who does evil hates Light and will not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever acts righteously comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be seen clearly. For he has acted according to the commandments of God.”
JOHN AND JESUS
22 After this incident Jesus, accompanied by his Disciples, went to the land of Judea where he stayed with them and baptized. 23 John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim. There was plenty of water there. So people came to him and were baptized. 24 For John had not yet been imprisoned.
25 Then a dispute arose between some of John’s Disciples and a Jew about purification. 26 So they came to John and told him: “Rabbi, the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, and to whom you bore testimony, is now baptizing, and everybody is going to him.”
27 John answered them: “No one can receive any authority unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves are my witnesses. I have told you that I am not the Messiah, but only his forerunner. 29 Whoever has the bride is the bridegroom. The bridegroom’s friend, who stays, by him and listens to him, is filled with joy at the bridegroom’s voice. Now this joy of mine is complete. 30 He must go up, and I must go down.
31 “He who comes from above is above all others. He who springs from earth belongs to earth and speaks the language of earth. But he who comes from heaven is above all those springing from earth. 32 He bears testimony to what he has seen and heard. Yet no one accepts his testimony. 33 But whoever accepts his testimony, has declared that the Gospel is true.
34 “For the Messiah who has been sent by God proclaims the divine doctrines, and distributes the rich gifts of the Holy Spirit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given everything into his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son possesses everlasting life. But whoever disobeys the Son will never inherit life, because the retribution of God hangs over him continually.”
THE SAMARITAN WOMAN
1 The Lord knew that the Pharisees were alarmed. They had been told that Jesus was making and baptizing more converts than John. 2 As a matter of fact, it was not Jesus himself, but his Disciples who baptized them. 3 So he left Judea and returned again to Galilee.
4 He was obliged to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the tract of land which Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, tired after his journey, sat down at the spring. It was then about noon.
7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her: “Give me a drink.” 8 For his Disciples had gone to the city to buy food.
9 The Samaritan woman asked him: “How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan, to give you a drink?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered her: “If you knew the gift of God and the man who has told you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
11 The woman said: “My Lord, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our Father Jacob who gave us this well and drank from it himself as well as his sons and his cattle?”
13 Jesus answered her: “Anyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give him, will never be thirsty any more. 14 The water I give him will be a fountain of water leaping up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him: “My Lord, give me that water so that I may never be thirsty, nor come all the way here to draw water.”
16 Jesus said to her: “Go home, call your husband, and come back here.” 17 The woman answered him: “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her: “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband.’ 18 You have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. You have told me the truth.”
19 The woman replied: “My Lord, I see that you are a prophet. 20 Now our ancestors have worshipped on this mountain. But you say that the proper place for worship is Jerusalem.”
21 Jesus said to her: “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You worship something you do not know. We worship what we do know, for salvation comes from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and it has come already, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for these are the worshippers that the Father wants. 24 God is a spirit, and his worshippers must worship him in spirit and truth.”
25 The woman replied: “I know that the Messiah, namely Christ, is coming. When he comes, he will tell us everything.” 26 Jesus said to her: “I who speak to you am the Messiah.”
27 Thereupon, his Disciples returned, and were surprised that he was talking to a woman. Yet no one asked: “What is it?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
28 Then the woman left her water-jar, went off to the city, and said to the people: 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done. He may be the Messiah.” 30 So they left the city and went to find him.
31 In the meantime, his Disciples were urging him: “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 Jesus answered them: “I have food to eat of which you know nothing.” 33 The Disciples said to one another: “Somebody may have brought him food.”
34 Jesus replied: “My food is to do the will of the Father who sent me, and to accomplish his work. 35 You say: ‘After four months comes the harvest.’ But I tell you, lift up your eyes, look, the fields are already white for harvesting. 36 The reaper is receiving his wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life. Then sower and reaper rejoice together. 37 Here the proverb holds true: One sows, and another reaps. 38 I sent you to reap a crop for which you did not labor. Others have labored and you reap the harvest of their labor.”
39 Many Samaritans of that town believed in him on account of the woman who testified: “He told me everything I have ever done.” 40 So after the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them.
41 He stayed there for two days, and many more believed on account of what he told them. 42 Then they said to the woman: “We no longer believe on account of your report. For we have heard him ourselves, and we know that he is really the Messiah, the Savior of mankind.”
RETURN TO GALILEE
43 After two days Jesus departed from Samaria and proceeded to Galilee. 44 He himself had declared that a prophet is not respected in his own country. 45 Nevertheless, when he returned to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. For they had seen the mighty deeds he had performed in Jerusalem during the festival which they had attended.
THE OFFICIAL’S SON
46 So Jesus came back to Cana of Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son was ill at Capernaum. 47 Having learned that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son who was dying.
48 Jesus said to him: “Unless you see miracles and wonders, you will not believe.” 49 The official asked him again: “My Lord, come down, before my child is dead.” 50 Jesus answered him: “Go, your son is alive and well.” The man believed what Jesus had told him and went away.
51 As he was on his way home, his servants met him and told him that his son was alive and well. 52 He asked them at what time he began to improve. They replied: “Yesterday at one o’clock the fever left him.”
53 Then the father realized that this was the very time when Jesus had told him: “Your son is alive and well.” Then he and all his household believed. 54 This was the second miracle which Jesus performed after coming from Judea to a Galilee.
THE PARALYTIC
1 After this incident there was a Jewish festival. So Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porches. 3 In these lay a crowd of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the disturbance of the water.
4 For an Angel of the Lord came down from time to time into the Pool and disturbed the water. Thereupon the first man who went down into the pool after the agitation of the water recovered from whatever disease he had been afflicted with.
5 Now there was a man there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there for a long time. So he said to him: “Do you want to become well?”
7 The sick man answered him: “My Lord, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is disturbed For while I am on my way, someone else steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him: “Rise, take up your bed, and walk” 9 At once, the man was healed. He took up his bed and went away. Now that was the Sabbath day.
10 Therefore the Jews told the man who was cured: “It is the Sabbath day. It is not lawful for you to carry your bed.” 11 He answered them: “The man who healed me told me to take up my bed and walk.”
12 They asked him: “Who is the man who told you to take up your bed and walk?” 13 But the man who had been cured did not know who it was. For Jesus had slipped away, as there was a crowd in that place.
14 Afterward, Jesus came across him in the temple, and said to him: “Look, now you are well. Do not sin any more. Otherwise, something worse will happen to you.” 15 Then the man went off and reported to the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.
THE SON OF GOD
16 The Jews persecuted Jesus and tried to kill him, because he did not observe the Sabbath day. 17 But he answered them: “My Father has been working until now, and I also work.” 18 Therefore the Jews wanted all the more to put him to death. For he not only broke the Sabbath day, but also called God his Father, and made himself equal to God.
19 So Jesus answered them: “Well, well, I tell you, the Son can do nothing of himself. He can do only what he sees his Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. 20 The Father loves the Son and shows him everything he himself does. He will show him still greater deeds, which will amaze you. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and revives them, so the Son also revives whomsoever he pleases.
22 “Likewise, the Father does not judge anyone. He has left all judgment to the Son. 23 Thus all men will honor the Son as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son, does not honor the Father who sent him.”
RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD
24 “Well, well, I tell you that whoever listens to my Gospel and believes in the Father who sent me, inherits everlasting life. He does not come to judgment. For he has already passed from death to life.
25 “Well, well, I tell you that the hour is coming, and it has come already, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear it will rise from the dead.
26 “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 Moreover, he gave him authority to execute judgment, for he is the Messiah.
28 “Do not wonder at this. For the hour is coming when all those who are in the tombs will hear his voice. 29 Then they will all rise, those who have done good to a resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to a resurrection of judgment. 30 I can do nothing of myself. As I hear I judge, and my judgment is just. Because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me.”
THE TESTIMONY OF THE FATHER
31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. 32 There is another who testifies about me, and I know well that the testimony which he gives about me is true. 33 You yourselves have sent to John, and he testified to the truth. 34 I do not depend on human testimony, but I mention it for your salvation. 35 He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were ready for a while to enjoy his light.
36 “But the testimony I have is greater than that of John. For the works which the Father has given me to accomplish, these very works which I am performing, testify that the Father has sent me.
37 “Moreover, the Father who sent me has himself testified about me. You have never listened to his voice. You have never seen his face. 38 You have never kept his message with you. That is why you do not believe in him whom the Father has sent. 39 You search the Scriptures, because you think you will find eternal life in them. They also testify about me. 40 Yet you are not willing to come to me and find life.
41 “I do not accept glory from men. 42 I know that you have not the love of God in you. 43 I have come in the name of my Father, and you do not receive me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe? You accept glory from one another, and do not seek the glory which comes from the only God.
45 “Do not imagine that I will accuse you before my Father. Your accuser will be Moses, the very man on whom you set your hope. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me. For he wrote about me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you ever believe my Gospel?”
THE FIVE THOUSAND
1 After this incident, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee, or Tiberias. 2 A large crowd followed him, because they had seen the miracles which he had performed over the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up to a mountain where he sat with his Disciples. 4 The Jewish festival of the Passover was drawing near.
5 When Jesus raised his eyes, he saw a large crowd coming toward him, and said to Philip: “Where can we buy food for these people to eat?” 6 He made this remark to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him: “Two hundred silver pieces worth of bread would not be enough for each one of them to get even a little.” 8 One of his Disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, observed to him: 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and a couple of fish. But what is that among so many people?”
10 Jesus said to them: “Have the people sit down.” Now there was plenty of grass in the place. So they sat down, about five thousand in number. 11 Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and handed them to his Disciples. They distributed them to the people who were resting on the ground. Likewise, they distributed the fish, giving them as much as they wanted.
12 When they had eaten their fill, he said to his Disciples: “Gather up the pieces left over, so that nothing may be wasted.” 13 Accordingly, they collected them and filled twelve baskets with pieces of the five barley loaves, which were left over after the people had eaten. 14 When the people saw the miracle Jesus had performed, they exclaimed: “This is indeed the Prophet who was to come into the world.” 15 Therefore Jesus, knowing that they meant to carry him off and proclaim him their King, withdrew again to the mountain alone.
WALKING ON THE SEA
16 When evening came his Disciples went down to the shore, 17 boarded a ship, and started across the Sea for Capernaum. But darkness had already fallen, and Jesus had not reached them yet. 18 Meanwhile, a strong wind was blowing, and the Sea was growing rough. 19 After rowing for three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the Sea and approaching their ship. They were terrified. 20 But he told them: “It is I. Do not be afraid.” 21 So they were glad to take him aboard. Then the ship instantly reached the shore they were making for.
THE BREAD OF LIFE
22 On the following day, the crowd which had stayed on the other side of the Sea noticed that there was only one boat there, that the Disciples had left by themselves, and that Jesus had not gone aboard with them.
23 Other boats from Tiberias, however, were coming in near the spot where they had eaten bread after the Lord’s thanksgiving. 24 When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his Disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.
25 When they found him on the other side of the Sea, they asked him: “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus answered them: “Indeed, I know, you are looking for me, not because you have seen my miracles, but because you have eaten the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, and which the Messiah will give you. For he has been ordained for this ministry by God the Father.”
28 They asked him: “How can we serve God?” 29 Jesus answered: “You can serve God by believing in the Son he has sent.” 30 They asked him again: “What miracle can you perform? We must see it before we believe you. What can you show us? 31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert, as it is written in the Scriptures: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'”
32 Jesus replied: “Well, well, I tell you, the bread from heaven was not what Moses gave you. The real bread from heaven is given only by my Father. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to mankind.” 34 They said to him: “Lord, give us always this bread.”
35 Jesus answered: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry. And whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But, as I told you, though you have seen me, yet you do not believe. 37 All those whom the Father gives me will come to me. And those who come to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me. 39 Now the will of the Father who sent me is that I must lose none of those he has given me. On the contrary, I must raise them all up on the last day.
40 “The will of the Father who sent me is that all those who see the Son and believe in him will have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.”
41 Now the Jews grumbled at him, because he said: “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 They asked: “This is Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know. How can he now claim that he came down from heaven?”
43 Jesus answered them: “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me, and I will raise him up on the last day.
45 “It is written in the Prophets: ‘They all will be taught about God.’ Everyone who has listened to the Father and has understood him, comes to me. 46 Of course, no one has seen the Father except the one who comes from God.
47 “Well, well, I tell you, whoever believes in me inherits everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert and they died. 50 But those who eat the bread which comes down from heaven will never die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. Those who eat this bread will live forever. And this bread is my flesh which I will give for the life of mankind.”
52 Then the Jews wrangled with one another, and asked: “How can he give us his flesh to eat?” 53 Jesus answered them: “Well, well, I tell you, unless you partake of the flesh and the blood of the Messiah, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever partakes of my flesh and my blood inherits everlasting life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
55 “My flesh is the true food, and my blood is the true drink. 56 Whoever partakes of my flesh and my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, likewise whoever partakes of me will also live because of me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate the manna and died none the less. But whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
59 Jesus preached this sermon in the synagogue at Capernaum. 60 Many of his Disciples, on hearing it, said: “This doctrine is strange. Who can accept it?”
61 Jesus knew that his Disciples were complaining about it, and said to them: “Does this doctrine upset you? 62 What will you do when you see the Messiah ascending to the place where he was dwelling before?
63 “It is the Spirit which gives life. The flesh cannot help at all. The words I am speaking to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who the unbelievers were and who his future betrayer was. 65 Then he added: “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless he is allowed by my Father.”
66 Consequently, many of his Disciples went away and did not associate with him any longer. 67 Then Jesus asked the twelve Apostles: “Do you want to go away also?”
68 Simon Peter answered him: “My Lord, to whom should we go? You preach eternal life. 69 We believe and we know that you are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
70 Jesus said to them: “I have chosen all of you twelve. But one of you is a devil.” 71 He meant Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. For he was one of the Twelve who was going to betray him.
JESUS IN JERUSALEM
1 After this incident Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not stay in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. 2 Now the Jewish festival of Tabernacles was near.
3 Therefore his brethren told him: “Leave this place, go to Judea, and let your Disciples witness the miracles you are performing. 4 Nobody acts in secret who is looking for public recognition. If you are able to achieve these deeds, manifest yourself to the world.” 5 For even his brethren did not believe in him.
6 Jesus answered them: “My time has not come yet. But your time is always at hand. 7 Men have no reason to hate you, but they hate me, because I denounce their evil deeds. 8 Go up to the festival yourselves. I am not going to this festival, because my time has not come yet.” 9 Acting on his words, he stayed behind in Galilee.
10 But after his brethren had left, he went up to the festival also, not publicly, but as it were privately. 11 Consequently, the Jews were looking for him at the festival and kept asking: “Where is he?”
12 There was a great deal of whispering about him among the crowds. Some said: “He is a good man.” But others said: “No, he is misleading the people.” 13 No one, however, spoke openly about him for fear of the Jews.
14 About the middle of the festival of Tabernacles, Jesus went up to the temple and began to preach. 15 The Jews were astonished, and asked: “This man has never studied in a school. How can he read the Scriptures?”
16 Jesus answered them: “My doctrine is not mine, but that of the Father who sent me. 17 Anyone who desires to do his will can tell whether my doctrine comes from God, or whether I am teaching it on my own authority. 18 The man who speaks on his own authority is seeking his own glory. But whoever seeks the glory of the Father who sent him is sincere and honest.
19 “It was Moses who gave the Law. Yet none of you observes the Law. Why do you want to kill me?” 20 The crowd answered him: “You are mad. Who wants to kill you?”
21 Jesus said to them: “I have performed only one deed, and you are all surprised at it. 22 Moses gave you the ritual of circumcision. It did not originate with Moses, but with the Patriarchs. Well you perform this ritual on a Sabbath day.
23 “Now if it is lawful for a man to receive circumcision on a Sabbath day, according to the Law of Moses, why are you angry at me because I healed a man on a Sabbath day? 24 Do not judge me superficially, but judge me righteously.”
25 Thereupon some of the people of Jerusalem remarked: “Is not this the man they want to kill? 26 Yet there he is preaching in public, and they have nothing to say to him. Have the authorities really made up their minds that this man is indeed the Messiah? 27 However, we know where this man comes from. But when the Messiah does come, no one will know where he comes from.”
28 Then Jesus cried aloud as he went on preaching in the temple: “You know me and you know where I come from. I have not come of myself. I have been sent by the supreme authority. You do not know him. 29 But I know him, because I come from him, and I was sent by him.” 30 Therefore they sought to arrest him. But no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come.
31 In the meantime, many of the people believed in him. They said: “Even the Messiah, when he comes, is not expected to perform more miracles than this man has done.”
32 The Pharisees heard these whispers of the people about him. Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.
33 Then Jesus said: “I will stay with you a little longer. Then I will go back to the Father who sent me. 34 You will seek me. But you will not find me. For you cannot come where I am going.”
35 The Jews asked one another: “Where is he going that we cannot find him? Is he going to the Greek-speaking Jews of the Dispersion and preach to them? 36 What does he mean by saying that we will seek him, but will not find him, and that we cannot come where he is going?”
37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood up and exclaimed: “Whoever is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 As the Scripture says, streams of living water will flow from the heart of the man who believes in me.” 39 He made this remark about the Spirit which those who believed in him were to receive. Now the Holy Spirit had not yet come, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
40 Some of the people who heard these words said: “This is certainly the Prophet.” 41 Some said: “This is the Messiah.” Others said: “What! Does the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 No. For the Scripture says that he comes from the house of David, and from Bethlehem where David lived.” 43 So a dissension arose among the crowd about him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him. But no one laid hands on him.
45 Then the officers went back to the high priests and Pharisees, who asked them: “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers replied: “No man ever preached like this man.”
47 The Pharisees retorted: “Are you also led astray? 48 Has any one of the leaders or of the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But these common people who do not know the Law are cursed.”
50 Nicodemus, who came to Jesus by night and was one of his followers, asked them: 51 “Does our Law condemn a man without giving him a hearing and finding out what he has done?” 52 They answered him: “Are you also from Galilee? Study the Scriptures and you will find that no prophet has ever arisen from Galilee.” 53 Then everyone of them went home.
THE ADULTERESS
1 Then Jesus went up to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he returned to the temple. All the people came to him. He sat down and preached to them.
3 Thereupon the Scribes and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They placed her in the center, 4 and said to him: “Master, this woman has been caught in the very act of adultery. 5 Moses commanded us in the Law to stone such women. Now what do you say?”
6 They asked him this question to test him so that they could have an accusation to bring against him. Jesus stooped down and wrote upon the ground with his finger.
7 But as they persisted in asking him, he looked up and said to them: “Whoever is without a sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” 8 And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 When they heard him, they crept out one by one, beginning with the oldest. So Jesus was left alone with the woman standing in the center.
10 When Jesus looked up and saw none but the woman, he asked her: “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Did no one stone you?”
11 She answered: “No one, my Lord.” Jesus said to her: “Well, I am not going to stone you either. Go, and do not sin any more.”
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
12 Then Jesus preached to the people and said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
13 Then the Pharisees told him: “You are testifying about yourself. Therefore your testimony is not valid.” 14 Jesus answered them: “Though I am testifying on my own behalf, my testimony is valid. I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I came from and where I am going.
15 “You judge after your worldly fashion. I judge no one. 16 But even if I judge, my judgment will be righteous, because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me. 17 Moreover, in your Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. 18 Well, I am one, testifying about myself, and the Father who sent me is another, testifying about me.”
19 Then they asked him: “Where is your Father?” He answered them: “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 Jesus spoke thus in the treasury, as he was teaching in the temple. Nevertheless no one arrested him, because his hour had not come yet.
THE SON OF GOD
21 Then Jesus added: “I am going away, and you will search for me. But you will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come.” 22 Therefore the Jews began to ask: “Is he going to kill himself? For he says: ‘Where I am going you cannot come.'”
23 Jesus answered them: “You are from below, I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. 24 That is why I told you before and I am telling you now: You will die in your sins unless you believe that I am the one you are looking for.”
25 Then they asked him: “Who are you?” Jesus answered them: “I am what I told you from the beginning. 26 I have much to say about you and condemn you. Certainly the Father who sent me is true. So I tell mankind what I have learned from him.”
27 They could not understand why he called God his Father. 28 Therefore Jesus said: “When you have lifted up the Messiah, then you will know that I am the one you are waiting for. I do nothing of myself, and I am speaking as the Father taught me. 29 Now the Father who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone. For I am doing what is pleasing to him.” 30 After he made this statement, many believed in him.
THE DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM
31 Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him: “If you abide in my Gospel, you are really my Disciples. 32 You will know the truth. And the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered him: “We are descendants of Abraham, and we have never been in slavery to anyone. What do you mean by saying that we will become free?”
34 Jesus replied: “Everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 Now the slave does not remain in the house permanently. But the Son remains forever. 36 Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you will be really free.
37 “I know that you are descendants of Abraham. Yet you want to kill me, because my message has no place in you. 38 I preach what I have heard from my Father. You do what you have heard from your father.”
39 They answered him: “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus replied: “If you were the children of Abraham, you would act as Abraham did. 40 But you want to kill me, because I tell you the truth which I heard from God. This is not what Abraham would do. 41 You act as your real father does.” They replied: “We are no bastard children. We have only one Father, God.”
42 Jesus said to them: “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have proceeded and I have come from God. I have not come of myself. I was sent by him. 43 You do not understand my language. You are unable to listen to my Gospel. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the very beginning. He has never stood for truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he expresses his own nature. Because he is a liar and the father of falsehood.
45 “You do not believe me, because I tell you the truth. 46 Who among you can convict me of sin? 47 Whoever belongs to God listens to the words of God. For this reason you do not listen to them. Because you do not belong to God.”
JESUS AND ABRAHAM
48 The Jews answered him: “We are certainly right in saying that you are a Samaritan and that you are mad.” 49 Jesus replied: “I am not mad. But I honor the Father, and you dishonor me. 50 I do not seek my own glory. It is the Father who seeks it, and he will be the judge. 51 Well, well, I tell you, whoever keeps my commandments will never see death.”
52 The Jews replied: “Now we know that you are mad. Abraham and the prophets are dead, and you declare that whoever keeps your commandments will never see death. 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, and the prophets who are dead? Who do you claim to be?”
54 Jesus answered them: “If I should glorify myself, my glory would be nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me. You say he is your Father. 55 But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I should be a liar like you. But I know him, and I keep his commandments. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day. He saw it, and was glad.”
57 Then the Jews told him: “You are not yet fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus answered them: “Well, well, I tell you, I existed before Abraham was born.” 59 Thereupon, they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus disappeared, passed through them unseen, and went out of the temple.
THE BLIND MAN
1 As Jesus was passing along, he saw a man blind from his birth. 2 His Disciples asked him: “Master, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 Jesus replied: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned. But he will provide an opportunity for the manifestation of the miracles of God. 4 I must work in the service of the Father who sent me while it is day. Because the night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 After this remark he spat on the ground, made clay with the saliva, anointed the blind man’s eyes with it, 7 and said to him: “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam,” which means Sent. So he went, washed his eves, and came back with his eyesight restored.
8 The neighbors and those who had seen him blind before began to ask: “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said: “This is the man.” Others said: “No, he resembles him.” But he himself said: “I am the man.”
10 Therefore they asked him: “How is it that your eyes were opened?” 11 He replied: “A man called Jesus made clay, anointed my eyes, and told me to go to the pool of Siloam and wash them. So I went, I washed them, and I recovered my eyesight.” 12 They asked him: “Where is he?” He answered: “I do not know.”
13 They brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees. 14 It was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 So the Pharisees again asked the man how he had recovered his eyesight. He answered them: “He put clay on my eyes, then I washed them, and now I can see.”
16 Some of the Pharisees remarked: “This man does not come from God, because he does not observe the Sabbath day.” But others said: “How can a sinner perform such miracle?” Thus there was a division of opinion among them. 17 Then they asked the blind man again: “What do you think about the man who opened your eyes?” He replied: “He is a prophet.”
18 But the Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had recovered his eyesight. Therefore they called his parents, 19 and questioned them: “Is this your son who was born blind? How is it that he can see now?”
20 His parents answered them: “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind. 21 But we do not know how he can see now, and we do not know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age, let him speak for himself.”
22 His parents gave this reply because they were afraid of the Jews, who had already agreed to expel from the synagogue anyone who acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah. 23 For this reason his parents replied: “He is of age, ask the man himself.”
24 For the second time, they called the man who had been blind, and said to him: “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He replied: “I do not know whether he is a sinner or not. All I know is that I was blind and now I can see.”
26 Then they asked him again: “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them: “I have already told you, but you do not listen to me. Why do you want to hear it over again? Do you want to become his disciples?”
28 They reviled him, and said to him: “You are his disciple. We are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses. But we do not know where that man comes from.”
30 The man replied: “Well, this is astonishing. You do not know where he comes from. Yet he has opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not answer the prayers of sinners. He answers only the prayers of devout men who obey his will. 32 Since the world began, it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 Now, if this man did not come from God, he could do nothing.”
34 They answered him: “You were born in utter sin, and you presume to give us lessons?” And they cast him out.
35 When Jesus heard that they had cast him out, he went to find him, and asked him: “Do you believe in the Son of God?” 36 He answered: “My Lord, I believe in him, but where is he?” 37 Jesus replied: “You have seen him already. He is now talking with you.” 38 Then he said: “My Lord, I believe.” And he worshipped him.
39 Then Jesus said to the people: “I came into this world with this mission: to make the blind see, and to prove that the seeing are blind.”
40 Some Pharisees who were present, heard this remark, and asked him: “Are we blind also?” 41 Jesus answered them: “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim to have eyesight, your sin remains.”
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
1 “Well, well, I tell you, whoever does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in another way, is a thief and a bandit. 2 But whoever enters by the gate is the shepherd of the flock. 3 The watchman opens the gate for him. The sheep obey his voice. He calls them by name, and leads them out.
4 “When he has brought out all his sheep, he goes in front of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger. On the contrary, they will run away from him, because they do not know the voice of a stranger.”
6 Jesus told them this allegory, but they did not understand what he meant. 7 So Jesus said to them again: “Well, well, I tell you, I am the gate of the sheep. 8 All those who came before me have been thieves and bandits. So the sheep did not obey them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. He will go in and out, and he will find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal, to kill, and to destroy. I have come to give life, and to give life in abundance.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. 12 But the hireling who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, when he sees a wolf coming, he leaves the sheep and flees. So the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hireling, and does not care about the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep. My sheep know me. 15 The Father knows me. I know the Father. And I lay down my life for my sheep.
16 “I have other sheep also which do not belong to this fold. I must bring them in also, and they will hear my voice. Then they will all become one flock with one shepherd.
17 “The Father loves me, because I lay down my life. But I will regain it afterwards. 18 No one can take my life. On the contrary, I lay it down of my own accord, because I am free to lay it down, and I am free to regain it. These are the orders my Father has given me.”
19 Dissension broke out again among the Jews because of these remarks. 20 Many of them said: “He is possessed and mad. Why do you listen to him?” 21 Others said: “These are not the words of a man who is possessed. Can a madman open the eyes of blind men?”
THE DEDICATION FESTIVAL
22 At that time, the festival of the Dedication was taking place at Jerusalem. It was winter. 23 Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. 24 The Jews surrounded him and asked him: “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us openly.”
25 Jesus answered them: “I have already told you. But you do not believe me. The miracles I am performing in my Father’s name testify about me.
26 “But you do not believe me, because you do not belong to my flock, as I have told you before. 27 My sheep obey my voice. I know them. They follow me. 28 And I give them everlasting life. They will never be lost, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father who gave them to me is greater than all. No one is able to tear them away from my Father’s hand, 30 and I and the Father are one.”
31 Thereupon, the Jews took up stones again in order to stone him. 32 Jesus replied: “My Father has enabled me to perform many deeds of mercy in your presence. For which one of these deeds will you stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him: “We are not stoning you for any good deed, but for blasphemy. Because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
34 Jesus answered them: “It is written in your Scriptures, ‘I say you are gods.’ 35 Now the Scripture gave the title of gods to those who received the Lord’s message. The Scripture cannot be overruled. 36 So you cannot accuse me of being a blasphemer, because I have told you I am the Son of God. For the Father has consecrated me and sent me to mankind.
37 “If I do not perform the miracles of my Father, then do not believe me. 38 But if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the miracles. They will help you to understand and believe that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”
39 Therefore the Jews tried to arrest Jesus. But he escaped from their hands. 40 Then he went again across the Jordan to the place where John used to baptize at first and he remained there.
41 Many came to him and said: “John performed no miracle. But everything he said about this man was true.” 42 Therefore many believed in him there.
LAZARUS
1 Now a man called Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany, in the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 This Mary, whose brother had now fallen sick, was the woman who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair. 3 Therefore the sisters sent word to Jesus, saying: “Lord, your friend is sick.”
4 When Jesus heard it, he said: “This illness is not going to end in death. It is for the glory of God. For the Son of God will be glorified through it.” 5 Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. 6 Therefore, when he heard that he was sick, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
7 Afterward, he said to his Disciples: “Let us go back to Judea.” 8 His Disciples replied: “Rabbi, the Jews were lately trying to stone you, and you are going there again?” 9 Jesus answered them: “The day is twelve hours long. Whoever walks in the day will not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But whoever walks in the night will stumble, because he has no light.”
11 After these words he said to them: “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. But I am going there to wake him from sleep.” 12 His Disciples replied: “If he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Jesus had referred to his death. But they supposed that he meant taking rest in sleep.
14 Then Jesus told them plainly: “Lazarus is dead. 15 For your sake I am glad that I was not there. For now you will believe. So let us go to him.” 16 Then Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow Disciples: “Let us go and die with him also.”
17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been buried for four days. 18 Now Bethany is only about two miles from Jerusalem. 19 Therefore many Jews had come from that city to console Martha and Mary about their brother.
20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, while Mary remained at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus: “My Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask him.”
23 Jesus said to her: “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha answered him: “I know that he will rise at the resurrection on the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even if he dies. 26 And whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe these doctrines?” 27 She answered him: “Yes, my Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God who was to come into the world.”
28 After these words she returned and called her sister Mary, whispering to her: “The Master is here and is calling for you.” 29 When she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 For Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him.
31 The Jews who were sitting in the house and consoling her noticed that Mary got up quickly and went out. They followed her. For they thought that she had gone to the tomb to weep there.
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said: “My Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her and the Jews who had accompanied her weeping, he was deeply moved and troubled in spirit.
34 Then he asked: “Where have you laid him?” They answered him: “Lord, come and see.” 35 Thereupon, Jesus burst into tears. 36 Therefore the Jews said: “See how much he loved him!” 37 But some of them said: “Since he opened the eyes of the blind man, he could have prevented this man from dying.”
38 Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid upon it. 39 Jesus said: “Take away the stone!” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him: “My Lord, the odor must be offensive by now, for he is four days dead.”
40 Jesus replied: “I have told you that, if you believe, you will see the glory of God.” 41 Thereupon, they removed the stone from the cave where the dead man was laid. Jesus lifted up his eyes and said: “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I know that you always hear me. But I made this remark for the sake of the people standing around. Now they will believe that you have sent me.”
43 After these words, he cried aloud: “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out bound hand and foot with bandages, and his face was wrapped up in a napkin. Jesus said to them: “Unbind him and let him move.”
45 Many of the Jews, who had come to visit Mary and had seen the miracle he performed, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and reported to them the miracle Jesus had performed.
CAIAPHAS
47 Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convoked the council, and asked them: “What are we going to do? For this man is performing many miracles. 48 If we let him go on like this, everybody will believe in him. Then the Romans will come and destroy both our temple and our nation.”
49 But Caiaphas, one of them who was high priest that year, said to them: “You know nothing about it. 50 You do not understand that it is in your interest that one man should die for the people and not let the whole nation perish.”
51 He did not make this remark of his own accord. As he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was to die for the nation, 52 and to unite all the scattered children of God.
53 So from that day they plotted to put him to death.
IN EPHRAIM
54 Therefore Jesus did not appear in public among the Jews any longer. He left the city and went to a town called Ephraim, in the district near the desert where he stayed with his Disciples.
55 Now the Jewish Passover was approaching. Therefore many pilgrims went up to Jerusalem from the country to purify themselves before the Passover. 56 As they stood in the temple, they were looking for Jesus and were asking one another: “Do you think that he will come to the Festival?”
57 They knew that the Pharisees wanted to arrest him. So they had given orders that everyone who knew his whereabouts should report to them immediately.
THE ANOINTMENT
1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead, was living. 2 They gave him a dinner there. Martha was waiting on them, while Lazarus sat at the table with him.
3 Then Mary took a pound of costly perfume of pure nard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, one of his Disciples who was going to betray him, said: 5 “This perfume could have been sold for ten pounds and distributed to the poor.” 6 He made this remark, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and he kept the purse with the money as the treasurer.
7 Jesus answered: “Let her alone! She has kept it for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.”
9 When the great crowd of Jews learned that he was there, they came to see not only Jesus, but also Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the high priests plotted to murder Lazarus also, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were seceding and believing in Jesus.
THE MESSIANIC ENTRY
12 On the following day, a great crowd who had come to the festival, heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees, went out to meet him, and shouted: “Hosanna, blessed is the King of Israel who comes in the name of the Lord!”
14 Jesus had found a young donkey and was seated upon it, as it is written in the Scriptures: 15 “Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion! Look, your king is coming seated on a donkey’s colt.”
16 The Disciples did not understand these events at first. But when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that they occurred as they had been prophesied in the Scriptures. 17 Moreover, the crowd which had been with him, when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, testified as eye-witnesses. 18 For this reason the crowd went out to meet him, because they heard that he had performed this miracle. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another: “You see that you can do nothing about it. Look, the people are all following him.”
THE GENTILES
20 Now, among those who had come up to worship at the festival there were some Gentiles, 21 who applied to Philip from Bethsaida in Galilee, and appealed to him, saying: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew. Then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.
23 Jesus answered them: “The hour has come for the Messiah to be glorified. 24 Well, well, I tell you, unless the grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains a single grain. But if it dies, it bears rich fruit.
25 “Whoever loves his life will lose it. And whoever hates his life will save it for life eternal. 26 Whoever serves me, let him follow me. Then where I am, my servant will be also. My Father will honor everyone who serves me.”
THE GLORIFICATION
27 “Now my soul is troubled. But I cannot say: ‘Father, save me from this hour.’ No, I have come to this hour to say: 28 ‘Father, glorify your name.'” A voice out of heaven replied: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd who stood by and heard it, said that it had thundered. Others said: “An Angel has spoken to him.”
30 Jesus said: “This voice has not come for me, but for you. 31 Now the judgment of this world is taking place. Now the tyrant of this world will be cast out. 32 Now I am going to be lifted up from the earth, and I will attract all men to myself.”
33 He made this remark to show the kind of death he was going to suffer. 34 Then the crowd replied: “We have learned from the Scriptures that the Messiah will remain here forever. So how can you say that the Messiah will be lifted up? Who is this Messiah?”
35 Jesus answered them: “The light will be with you only a little while longer. Walk while you have the light. Then darkness will not overtake you. Because whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light. Then you will become sons of light.” After these words Jesus went away and concealed himself from them.
UNBELIEF
37 But although he had performed so many miracles before them, they did not believe in him. 38 Thus the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us? And to whom has the power of the Lord been revealed?” 39 For this reason they could not believe. Moreover, Isaiah elsewhere said: 40 “Their eyes are blinded, and their minds are dulled. Consequently they cannot see, they cannot understand, they cannot return to me and be healed.” 41 Isaiah made this prophecy concerning him because he had foreseen his glory.
42 Nevertheless, even some of the leaders believed in him. But they did not acknowledge it, because they were afraid that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. 43 They preferred the glory of men to the glory of God.
44 Then Jesus exclaimed: “Whoever believes in me, believes in the Father who has sent me. 45 And whoever sees me, sees the Father who has sent me. 46 I have come to mankind as a light. So whoever believes in me will not remain in darkness.
47 “Moreover, I am not going to judge anyone who hears my message and disregards it. For I have not come to judge, but to save mankind. 48 Whoever rejects me and does not receive my Gospel has a judge. The Gospel I have proclaimed will be his judge on the last day.
49 “For I have not spoken on my account. The Father who sent me has himself commanded me what to say and what to preach. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has ordered me.”
THE WASHING OF THE FEET
1 It was the eve of the Passover Festival. Jesus realized that the time had come for him to depart from this world and return to his Father. He wanted to give a final evidence of his love to his own Disciples who had to stay in the world after he had gone. 2 The Last Supper was over. Satan had already put it into the mind of Judas, son of Simon, the Iscariot, to betray him.
3 Jesus knew that the Father had given all authority into his hands. For he had come from God and was going back to God. 4 So he rose from the table, took off his coat, and girded himself with a towel. 5 He poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of his Disciples. Then he wiped them off with the towel with which he was girded.
6 When he came to Simon Peter, he said to Jesus: “My Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him: “You cannot understand now what I am doing. But you will understand it later on.”
8 Peter retorted: “I will never let you wash my feet.” Jesus said to him: “You will have no part with me unless I wash you.” 9 Then Simon Peter yielded: “My Lord, wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.”
10 Jesus said to him: “Whoever has bathed, needs only to wash his feet. Then indeed he is entirely clean. Now you are already clean, though not all of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him. That was why he said: “You are not all of you clean.”
12 When Jesus had washed the feet of his Disciples, he put on his coat, resumed his place, and said to them: “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me your Lord and Master. You are right, for so I am. 14 Now if I, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also must wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example in order that you may do as I have done to you.
16 “Well, well, I tell you, no servant is superior to his master, and no apostle is greater than he who sends him. 17 Now that you have this knowledge, you will be blessed if you act upon it.
18 “I do not mean all of you. For I know whom I have chosen. Thus the prophecy of the Scriptures will be fulfilled: ‘My companion who is sharing my bread has raised his arm against me.’
19 “I am foretelling this betrayal to you now. So when it actually happens you will believe that I am the Messiah. 20 Well, well, I tell you, whoever welcomes any of my messengers, welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me, welcomes the Father who sent me.”
THE BETRAYER
21 After these words Jesus was deeply moved, and declared solemnly: “Well, well, I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
22 The Disciples looked at one another and wondered which one of them he meant. 23 One of his Disciples, whom Jesus loved, was sitting next to him on his right side at the table. 24 So Simon Peter nodded to him and asked him: “Tell us whom he means.”
25 The beloved Disciple on the right side turned to Jesus and asked him: “My Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus answered: “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then he dipped the morsel in the dish and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon, the Iscariot.
27 Judas received the bread, and Satan took possession of his heart. Then Jesus said to Judas: “Do it quickly.”
28 No one at the table understood what Jesus meant by these words. 29 Some Disciples thought that, since Judas was the treasurer, Jesus told him to buy food for the festival, or to distribute money to the poor. 30 So, after receiving the morsel, Judas went out immediately. It was already night.
THE NEW COMMANDMENT
31 When Judas was gone, Jesus said: “Now is the Messiah glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once.
33 “My children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, but as I said to the Jews, so now I say to you: ‘You cannot come where I am going.’
34 “I give you a new commandment: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must love one another also. 35 Remember that all men will know that you are my Disciples by your love for one another.”
DENIALS PREDICTED
36 Simon Peter asked him: “My Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him: “You cannot follow me now where I am going. But you will follow me afterwards.”
37 Peter asked him again. “Why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus replied: “You will lay down you life for me? Well, well, I tell you, before the cock crows you will deny me three times.”
THE HEAVENLY MANSIONS
1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God and believe in me. 2 In my Father’s house there are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. For I am going to prepare a place for you. 3 After preparing a place for you, I will come again take you with me. Then you will be where I am. 4 Of course, you know where I am going, and you know the way.”
5 Thomas said to him: “My Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered him: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you know the Father also. From now on you know him, and you have seen him.”
THE COMFORTER
8 Philip said to him: “My Lord, show us the Father. That is all we want.” 9 Jesus answered him: “I have been so long with you, Philip. Yet you do not know me. Whoever has seen me, has seen my Father. So how can you tell me to show you my Father? 10 You know that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me. I am not speaking to you of myself. The Father who dwells in me speaks my words and performs my miracles. 11 Therefore believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or else believe me on account of the miracles themselves.
12 “Well, well, I tell you, whoever believes in me will perform the miracles I do, and even greater miracles. For I am going to my Father, 13 and I will grant whatever you ask in my name. Then the Father will be glorified in the Son. 14 Yes, I will grant whatever request you make in my name.
15 “If you love me, keep my commandments. 16 Then I will ask the Father to give you another Comforter, who will remain with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit of Truth, whom other men cannot receive, because they do not see him and do not know him. But you know him because he dwells in you and lives within you.
18 “I will not leave you unprotected. I am coming back to you. 19 In a little while the world will not see me any more. But you will still see me, because I live on, and you will live on also. 20 In that day you will know, that I am in the Father, that you are in me, and that I am in you. 21 Whoever loves me must observe the commandments he has received from me. Whoever loves me will be loved by the Father. I will love him also and I will manifest myself in him.”
22 Judas (not the Iscariot) said to him: “My Lord how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to other men?”
23 Jesus answered him: “Whoever loves me, will obey my commandments. My Father will love him. We will come to him and abide with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not obey my commandments. Now, the commandments which you hear are not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.
25 “I am giving you these instructions while I am still with you. 26 But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of everything that I have told you.”
PEACE
27 “I leave peace with you. I give you my peace. I do not give you the peace of the unbelievers. Let not your heart be troubled or dismayed.
28 “You have heard me tell you that I am going away and coming back to you. If you loved me, you would have been glad that I am going to my Father, because my Father is greater than I.
29 “I have told you of this mission before it takes place. So when it takes place, you will believe in me. 30 I will not talk much longer with you, because the tyrant of this world is coming. He has no power over me. But I do as the Father has commanded me. 31 Thus the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let us go away from here.”
UNION WITH CHRIST
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the cultivator. 2 He removes every branch which does not bear fruit in me. He prunes every branch which bears fruit to make it bear more. 3 You are pruned already through the Gospel I have preached to you.
4 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. But apart from me you can produce nothing.
6 “Whoever does not abide in me is cast off like the branch and withers up. Then they gather them, throw them on the fire, and burn them up. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you please, and you will have it.
8 “My Father will be glorified when you bear plenty of fruit and show yourselves to be Disciples of mine. 9 I have loved you as my Father has loved me. Abide in my love. 10 If you obey my commandments, you will abide in my love, as I have obeyed the commandments of my Father and abide in his love. 11 Now that I have given you all these instructions, you will have the joy that I have had, and your joy will be complete.
12 “This is my commandment: Love one another. 13 The greatest love a man can show is to lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants any longer. For the servant does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends. For I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father.
16 “You did not choose me. But I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit which will endure. Then every request you make of my Father in my name will be granted to you. 17 This is my commandment: Love one another.
18 “If the unbelievers hate you, remember that they hated me first 19 If you belonged to them, then they would love their own men. But because you do not belong to them, and because I chose you from them, therefore they hate you.
20 “Remember what I said to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my commandments, they will obey yours also. 21 Consequently, they will treat you thus for my name’s sake, because they do not know the Father who sent me.
22 “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me, hates my Father also. 24 If I had not performed among them miracles which no one else did, they would not have been guilty of sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 “Thus the passage of their Scripture has been fulfilled: ‘They hated me without cause.’ 26 But when the Comforter comes, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me. 27 You must testify about me also, because you have been with me from the beginning.”
PERSECUTIONS
1 “I am giving you all these details to keep you from faltering. 2 They will expel you from their synagogues. Moreover, the hour is coming when anyone who murders you will think he is rendering a service to God. 3 They will act in that fashion, because they do not know the Father nor me.
4 “I have told you about all these persecutions, so that when the hour comes you will remember that I told you of them. I did not tell you of them from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going back to the Father who has sent me. Yet no one of you asks me where I am going, 6 because your heart is full of sorrow at what I have told you. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is better for you that I should go away. For if I do not go, the Comforter will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
8 “Now when he comes, he will challenge the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment. 9 About sin, because they do not believe in me. 10 About righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you will see me no longer. 11 About judgment, because the tyrant of this world is being judged. 12 I have still many things to tell you, but you cannot bear them now.
13 “When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you to all the truth. For he will not speak for himself. He will tell you what he has been instructed. He will announce to you the coming events. 14 He will glorify me. For he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything the Father has, is mine. Therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
16 “In a little while you will see me no longer. But in a little while you will see me again, because I am going back to my Father.”
17 Some of his Disciples asked one another: “What does he mean when he tells us that in a little while we will see him no longer, but in a little while we will see him again, and that he is going back to the Father?” 18 So they kept asking: “What does he mean, when he says in a little while? We do not understand what he is talking about.”
ASSURANCES
19 Jesus knew that they wanted to question him and told them: “Are you asking one another what I mean when I say that in a little while you will see me no longer, but in a little while you will see me again? 20 Well, well, I tell you that you will weep and lament while the unbelievers will rejoice. You will grieve. But your sorrow will be turned into joy.
21 “A woman in childbirth is suffering, because her hour has come. But when she has borne her child, she forgets her pain in her joy that a human being has been brought into the world. 22 So you also are sorrowful for the present. But I will see you again, your heart will rejoice, and no one can take that joy from you.
23 “In that day you will not need to ask anything of me. Well, well, I tell you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will grant it to you. 24 Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive. Thus your joy will be complete.
25 “I have told you this story figuratively. But the hour is coming, when I will not do so any longer. Then I will speak to you about the Father plainly. 26 In that day you will ask the Father in my name, and I will not need to intercede with the Father for you. 27 For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and you have believed that I have come from God. 28 I have come from the Father and I have entered the world. Now I am leaving the world, and I am going back to my Father.”
29 Then his Disciples said: “Why, now you are speaking plainly and not figuratively at all. 30 Now we are sure that you know everything, and we do not need to ask you about it. For this reason, we believe that you have come from God.”
31 Jesus answered them: “Do you believe it now? 32 Well, the hour is coming, and it has already come, when you will all be scattered to your homes, and you will leave me alone. But I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 33 I am giving you all these assurances, so that you may have peace in me. You will have tribulation in the world. But take courage, I have conquered the world.”
UNITY
1 After these words Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you have given him authority over all mankind, and empowered him to grant everlasting life to those you have entrusted to him.
3 “Everlasting life means to acknowledge you as the only true God, and to acknowledge Jesus Christ as your messenger. 4 I have glorified you on earth. I have accomplished the task you have given me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with that glory which I had with you before the world was created.
6 “I have manifested your name to the men you gave me from the world. They were yours. You have given them to me. And they obeyed your commandments. 7 Now they know that all my gifts come from you. 8 For I gave them your Gospel. They have received it, because they know that I have come from you, and they believe that you have sent me.
9 “I have a request to make for them. I do not make this request for strangers, but for those you have entrusted to me. For they are yours. 10 Now all that is mine is yours, and what is yours is mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 I will not remain in this world any longer. But they remain in this world, while I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep in your name those you have entrusted to me. Then they will be united also, as we are.
12 “As long as I was with them in this world, I kept and protected in your name those whom you entrusted to me. None of them was lost except the son of perdition, in fulfillment of the Scriptures. 13 But now I am coming to you. Therefore I make these requests, while I am still in this world. So they will have the full measure of my joy in themselves.
14 “I have given them your Gospel. The unbelievers have hated them, because they do not belong to them, even as I do not. 15 I do not ask you to take them away from the world, but to keep them from evil. 16 They do not belong to the world of unbelievers, even as I do not belong to them. 17 Sanctify them in your truth. Your Gospel is the truth. 18 As you have set me to mankind, so I send them to mankind also. 19 For their sake, I dedicate myself. So they also will be dedicated by truth.
20 “I do not make this request for them only, but also for those who will believe in me through their message. 21 Let them all be united with us, Father, as you are united with me, and I with you. Then all men will believe that you have sent me.
22 “I have given them the glory which you have granted to me. So they will be perfectly united as we are, 23 I with them, and you with me. Then all men will know that you have sent me and that you have loved them as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I wish that all those whom you have entrusted to me may be also with me where I am. Then they will see the glory which you have granted to me. For you have loved me before the foundation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, men have not known you. But I have known you, and these men have known that you have sent me. 26 For I have revealed and I will reveal your name to them. So the love with which you have loved me will be in them, and I in them.”
THE ARREST
1 After this sermon Jesus went with his Disciples across the Ravine of the Cedars, where there was a garden which he and his Disciples entered. 2 Judas who betrayed him knew the place also. For Jesus often met his Disciples there. 3 So Judas, leading a detachment of guards from the chief priests and Pharisees, went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
4 Jesus, as he knew everything that was going to happen to him, came forward and asked them: “Whom are you looking for?” 5 They answered him: “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them: “I am the man.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When he said to them: “I am the man,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 He asked them again: “Whom are you looking for?” They answered him: “Jesus of Nazareth.”
8 Jesus said to them: “I told you that I am the man. So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” 9 This was in fulfillment of what he had said: “I have not lost one of those whom you have given me.”
10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword with him, drew it and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. 11 Jesus said to Peter: “Put your sword back into its sheath. For I have to drink the cup which the Father has ordered me.”
BEFORE ANNAS AND CAIAPHAS
12 Then the detachment of guards, their captain, and the servants of the Jews arrested Jesus, bound him, 13 and took him first to Annas. He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. 14 It was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
15 Simon Peter and another Disciple followed Jesus. This other Disciple was an acquaintance of the high priest, and entered the courtyard of the high priest along with Jesus. 16 But Peter stood outside at the door. So this other Disciple, who was an acquaintance of the high priest, went out, spoke to the maid at the door, and brought Peter in.
17 The maid at the door asked Peter: “Are you also one of this man’s Disciples?” He answered: “I am not.” 18 As it was cold, the servants and attendants had made a charcoal fire, and stood around it warming themselves. Peter also stood with them and warmed himself.
19 The high priest questioned Jesus about his Disciples and his sermons. 20 Jesus answered him: “I have preached openly to the people. I have always preached in the synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews meet together. I have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me preach. They know what I preached.”
22 Thereupon, one of the attendants who stood near struck him and said: “Is that the way you answer the high priest?” 23 Jesus replied: “If I have spoken wrongly, prove it. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” 24 Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
THE DENIAL
25 In the meantime, Peter was standing and warming himself. Some bystanders asked him: “Are you also one of his Disciples?” He denied it and said: “I am not.”
26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said: “I saw you in the garden with him.” 27 Peter again denied it. At that moment the cock crowed.
28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the praetorium. It was early. They themselves did not enter the praetorium in order to avoid defilement and to eat the Passover Supper.
BEFORE PILATE
29 So Pilate went out and asked them: “What accusation do you make against this man?” 30 They answered him: “If he were not an evildoer, we would not have turned him over to you.” 31 Pilate said to them: “Take him yourselves and try him according to your Law.” The Jews said to him: “We have no authority to put anyone to death.” 32 This was in fulfillment of what Jesus said when he declared how he was to die.
33 Pilate went back into the praetorium, called Jesus, and asked him: “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered: “Do you ask this question of yourself, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate said: “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and your chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?”
36 Jesus answered: “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my soldiers would have fought to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this world.”
37 Pilate asked him: “Then you are a King?” Jesus answered him: “Yes, as you say yourself, I am a King. I was born and I have come to the world to give testimony for the truth. Whoever believes in the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate asked him: “What is truth?”
BARABBAS
With these words Pilate went out, and said to the Jews: “I do not find him guilty at all. 39 But it is your custom to have me release one man for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 40 They shouted back: “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a bandit.
THE CROWN OF THORNS
1 Then Pilate gave orders to have Jesus flogged. 2 Afterwards, the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, placed it on his head, put on him a purple robe, 3 and saluted him: “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they slapped him.
4 Pilate went out again and said to them: “Look! I bring him out to you to show you that I do not find him guilty at all.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them: “Look! Here is the man.”
6 When the chief priests and their attendants saw him, they shouted: “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate answered: “Take him and crucify him yourselves. For I do not find him guilty.” 7 The Jews retorted: “We have a Law, and according to our Law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”
8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was more frightened than before. 9 So he went back into the praetorium, and asked Jesus: “Where do you come from?” But Jesus made no answer. 10 Then Pilate said to him: “Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to crucify you and authority to release you?” 11 Jesus answered him: “The authority you have over me has not been given you from above. Therefore the man who delivered me to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
12 From that moment Pilate tried to release him. But the Jews shouted: “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever calls himself a king is Caesar’s rival.”
13 Thereupon, Pilate brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called the Pavement, and in Hebrew Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. Then he said to the Jews: “Look! Here is your King!”
15 But they shouted: “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate asked them: “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered: “We have no king but Caesar!” 16 Then Pilate handed him over to the soldiers to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led him away.
THE CRUCIFIXION
17 Jesus went forth, carrying his Cross to the Place of the Skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him with two others, one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
19 Pilate wrote an inscription also, and placed it upon the Cross. It was written thus: “Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews.” 20 Many Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was close to the city. It had been written in Hewbrew, Greek, and Latin.
21 The chief priests asked Pilate to change the inscription on the Cross from “King of the Jews” to “Self-appointed King of the Jews.” 22 But Pilate answered: “I am through with that inscription.”
23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four shares, one for each soldier. But his tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. So they said to one another: “Let us not tear it. Let us cast lots to decide who will get it.”
24 Thus the prophecy of the Scripture was fulfilled: “They divided my garments among them, and they cast lots for my tunic.”
MOTHER AND SON
25 By the Cross of Jesus were standing his Mother, his Mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his Mother and the Disciple whom he loved standing by, he said to his Mother: “Here is your son.” 27 Then he said to his Disciple: “Here is your Mother.” From that hour the Disciple took her into his own home.
DEATH
28 Thereupon Jesus, knowing that everything was now accomplished, in fulfillment of the Scriptures, said: “I am thirsty.”
29 A bowl full of vinegar was standing there. The bystanders filled a sponge with vinegar, placed it on a hyssop-stalk, and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said: “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and expired.
31 As it was the day of the Preparation for the Passover, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the Cross on the Sabbath day. For it was a great festival. Therefore they requested Pilate to have the men’s legs broken and the bodies removed. 32 So the soldiers went and broke the legs of the first man and the other who had been crucified with him.
33 When they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear. Immediately blood and water flowed out.
35 The man who saw it testifies to it. His testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth to enable you also to believe. 36 For these events occurred in fulfillment of the Scriptures: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37 Again another Scriptural passage tells us: “They will see who is the man they have pierced.”
38 Then Joseph of Arimathea came. He was a secret disciple of Jesus because of his fear of the Jews. So he requested Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus down.
39 Nicodemus, who had at first met Jesus by night, came also bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a hundred pounds. 40 They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it up in linen cloths with the perfumes according to the burial custom of the Jews.
41 Now in the place where Jesus was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb where no one had ever been laid. 42 So, as that tomb was close at hand, they buried Jesus there because of the Jewish day of Preparation.
MARY MAGDALENE
1 Early in the morning of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb while it was still dark. She noticed that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb.
2 Therefore she ran to Simon Peter and the other Disciple, whom Jesus loved, and told them: “They have taken away the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
3 Therefore Peter and the other Disciple set out for the tomb. 4 The two were running together. But the other Disciple outran Peter and arrived first at the tomb. 5 He stopped down and saw the linen bandages lying on the ground. But he did not go inside.
6 Then Simon Peter came after him and saw the linen bandages lying on the ground also. 7 Furthermore he noticed that the napkin, which had been wrapped around the Lord’s head, was not to be found with the other bandages. It was folded up in a separate place by itself.
8 Thereupon, the other Disciple, who had arrived first at the tomb, went inside too. He saw for himself and believed. 9 For as yet they did not know that according to the Scriptures he should rise from the dead. 10 Then the Disciples returned home.
11 But Mary Magdalene stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she stooped down, 12 and saw two Angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had lain.
13 They asked her: “Woman, why are you weeping?” She answered them: “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
14 Thereupon, she turned back and saw Jesus standing, but she did not recognize him. 15 Jesus asked her: “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing he was the gardener, she answered: “Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will carry him off.” 16 Jesus said: “Mary!” She turned and exclaimed: “Rabbouni!” which is a Hebrew word meaning Master.
17 Jesus said to her: “Do not detain me. For I have not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brethren and tell them that I am going up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”
18 So Mary Magdalene went and announced to his Disciples: “I have seen the Lord!” Then she reported to them what Jesus had told her.
THOMAS
19 It was the evening of that first day of the week. The doors where the Disciples were assembled had been locked for fear of the Jews. Suddenly, Jesus came in, stood in their midst, and said to them: “Peace unto you.” 20 After these words he showed them his hands and his side. The Disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
21 Then Jesus said to them again: “Peace unto you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you also.” 22 Thereupon, he breathed on them, and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 Whatever sins you forgive they are forgiven. Whatever sins you retain they are retained.”
24 Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles, who was called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 Therefore the other Disciples told him: “We have seen the Lord.” But he answered them: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 Eight days later, the Disciples were indoors again. Thomas was with them this time. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came in again, stood in their midst, and said to them: “Peace unto you.”
27 Then he said to Thomas: “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Place your hand into my side, and do not doubt, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered: “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him: “You believe now, because you have seen me. Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet believe.”
30 Many other miracles, performed by Jesus in the presence of his Disciples, are not to be found in this Book. 31 But these few miracles have been recorded, because they will help you to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. This belief will enable you to inherit everlasting life in his name.
MANIFESTATION IN GALILEE
1 After this incident Jesus manifested himself to his Disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He did it in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathaniel from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his Disciples were all together.
3 Simon Peter said to them: “I am going fishing.” They replied: “We are going with you also.” They went out and boarded the ship. That night they caught nothing.
4 When day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach. But the Disciples did not recognize him. 5 Jesus asked them. “Young men, have you caught any fish?” They answered: “No.” 6 He told them: “Throw your net on the right side of the ship and you will get some.” They did so, and they could not haul it in because of the great quantity of fish. 7 Then the Disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter: “It is the Lord.” Simon Peter, when he heard that it was the Lord, put on his jacket, as he was stripped for work, and jumped into the Sea.
8 The other Disciples followed with the ship dragging the net full of fish. For they were not far from the shore, but only about a hundred yards away. 9 When they landed, they saw a charcoal fire burning, fish cooking on it, and some bread. 10 Jesus said to them: “Come and have breakfast.” None of the Disciples dared to ask him who he was. They knew well that it was the Lord. 13 Then Jesus came, took the bread, gave it to them, and the fish likewise. 14 This was the third time that Jesus had manifested himself to his Disciples after his Resurrection.
PETER AND JOHN
15 After the breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter: “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these others do?” He answered: “Yes, my Lord, you know well that I love you.” Jesus said to him: “Then feed my lambs.”
16 Again he asked him for the second time: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He answered him: “Yes, my Lord, you know well that I love you.” Jesus said: “Then tend my sheep.”
17 For the third time, Jesus asked him: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him for the third time. So he answered him: “My Lord, you know everything. You know well that I love you.” Jesus said to him: “Then tend my sheep. 18 Well, well, I tell you, when you were young, you put on your girdle and went wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go.” 19 Thus he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he added: “Follow me.”
20 Peter turned around and saw the Disciple whom Jesus loved following them. He was the one who leaned close to his breast at the Last Supper and asked him: “My Lord, who is the man who will betray you?” 21 Peter, when he saw him, asked Jesus: “My Lord, what about this man?”
22 Jesus answered him: “If I want him to remain until I return, what does it matter to you? You follow me.” 23 This remark started the rumor among the brethren that this Disciple was not to die. But Jesus did not tell him that he was not to die. He said merely: “If I want him to remain until I return, what does that matter to you?”
24 This is the Disciple who bears testimony to these facts and who wrote them down. As we know, his testimony is true. 25 There is much else besides that Jesus did. If all of it were recorded in detail, I do not think the world itself could contain the books which would be written. Amen.