April 10, 2017
The Plot to Kill Jesus
45 nMany of the Jews therefore, owho had come with Mary and phad seen what he did,believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus haddone. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees qgathered rthe council and said, s“Whatare we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyonewill believe in him, and tthe Romans will come and take away both our uplace and ournation.” 49 But one of them, vCaiaphas, wwho was high priest that year, said to them, “Youknow nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that xit is better for you that one manshould die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this ofhis own accord, but ybeing high priest that year zhe prophesied that Jesus would die forthe nation, 52 and anot for the nation only, but also bto gather into one the children of Godwho are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they cmade plans to put him to death.
54 Jesus therefore dno longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there tothe region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with thedisciples.
55 Now ethe Passover of the Jews was at hand, and fmany went up from the country toJerusalem before the Passover gto purify themselves. 56 hThey were looking for Jesusand saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he willnot come to the feast at all?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given ordersthat if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.
Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany
12 Six days before ithe Passover, jJesus therefore came to Bethany, kwhereLazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner forhim there. lMartha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table.3 mMary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, andanointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with thefragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about tobetray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii andngiven to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because hewas a thief, and nhaving charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was putinto it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”
The Plot to Kill Lazarus
9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not onlyon account of him but also to see Lazarus, owhom he had raised from the dead. 10 pSo thechief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because qon account of himmany of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
The Triumphal Entry
12 The next day rthe large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus wascoming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of spalm trees and went out to meet him,crying out, t“Hosanna! Blessed is uhe who comes in the name of the Lord, even vthe Kingof Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
15 w“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey's colt!”
16 xHis disciples did not understand these things at first, but ywhen Jesus was glorified,then zthey remembered that these things had been written about him and had been doneto him. 17 aThe crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb andraised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went tomeet him bwas that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to oneanother, c“You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, dthe world has gone after him.”
