Fifth Sunday in Lent
John 12:10-33
So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was
on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing
in Jesus.
The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that
Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and
went out to meet him, shouting,
"Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord —
the King of Israel!"
Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written:
"Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion.
Look, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey's colt!"
His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was
glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him
and had been done to him. So the crowd that had been with him when he
called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to
testify. It was also because they heard that he had performed this sign
that the crowd went to meet him. The Pharisees then said to one another,
"You see, you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!"
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks.
They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him,
"Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and
Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for
the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of
wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but
if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and
those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be
also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.
"Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say — 'Father, save me from
this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour.
Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have
glorified it, and I will glorify it again." The crowd standing there
heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, "An angel has spoken
to him." Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for
mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will
be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all
people to myself." He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to
die.
