Study Desk

After Martha said these things, she went back to her sister Mary. She talked to Mary alone and said, "The Teacher is here. He is asking for you."

It is better for one man to die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed. But you don't realize this."

Caiaphas did not think of this himself. As that year's high priest, he was really prophesying that Jesus would die for the Jewish people.

Yes, he would die for the Jewish people. But he would also die for God's other children scattered all over the world. He would die to bring them all together and make them one people.

It was almost time for the Jewish Passover festival. Many people from the country went to Jerusalem before the Passover. They went to do the special things to make themselves pure for the festival.

The people looked for Jesus. They stood in the Temple area and asked each other, "Is he coming to the festival? What do you think?"

There they had a dinner for Jesus. Martha served the food, and Lazarus was one of the people eating with Jesus.

But Judas did not really care about the poor. He said this because he was a thief. He was the one who kept the moneybag for the group of followers. And he often stole money from the bag.

Jesus answered, "Don't stop her. It was right for her to save this perfume for today—the day for me to be prepared for burial.

The followers of Jesus did not understand at that time what was happening. But after he was raised to glory, they understood that this was written about him. Then they remembered that they had done these things for him.

Jesus said to them, "The time has come for the Son of Man to receive his glory.

Jesus said, "That voice was for you and not for me.

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

Then Jesus said, "The light will be with you for only a short time more. So walk while you have the light. Then the darkness will not catch you. People who walk in the darkness don't know where they are going.

But there is a judge for all those who refuse to believe in me and do not accept what I say. The message I have spoken will judge them on the last day.

It was almost time for the Jewish Passover festival. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go back to the Father. Jesus had always loved the people in the world who were his. Now was the time he showed them his love the most.

When Jesus finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and went back to the table. He asked, "Do you understand what I did for you?

I did this as an example for you. So you should serve each other just as I served you.

Since Judas was the one in charge of the money, some of them thought that Jesus meant for him to go and buy some things they needed for the feast. Or they thought that Jesus wanted him to go give something to the poor.

When Judas was gone, Jesus said, "Now is the time for the Son of Man to receive his glory. And God will receive glory through him.