The Life of Jesus

Then the chief priests and Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs.

If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

But one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all!

You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”

Caiaphas did not say this on his own. Instead, as high priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die for the nation,

and not only for the nation, but also for the scattered children of God, to gather them together into one.

So from that day on they plotted to kill Him.

As a result, Jesus no longer went about publicly among the Jews, but He withdrew to a town called Ephraim in an area near the wilderness. And He stayed there with the disciples.

Now the Jewish Passover was near, and many people went up from the country to Jerusalem to purify themselves before the Passover.

They kept looking for Jesus and asking one another as they stood in the temple courts, “What do you think? Will He come to the feast at all?”

But the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where He was must report it, so that they could arrest Him.

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, the hometown of Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.

So they hosted a dinner for Jesus there. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with Him.

Then Mary took about a pint of expensive perfume, made of pure nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was going to betray Him, asked,

“Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?”

Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to take from what was put into it.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “She has kept this perfume in preparation for the day of My burial.

The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me.”

Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews learned that Jesus was there. And they came not only because of Him, but also to see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.

So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well,

for on account of him many of the Jews were deserting them and believing in Jesus.

The next day the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.

They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting: “Hosanna!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”

Finding a young donkey, Jesus sat on it, as it is written: