2. A meal had been prepared for Jesus. Martha was doing the serving, and Lazarus himself was there.
3. Mary took a very expensive bottle of perfume and poured it on Jesus' feet. She wiped them with her hair, and the sweet smell of the perfume filled the house.
4. A disciple named Judas Iscariot was there. He was the one who was going to betray Jesus, and he asked,
5. “Why wasn't this perfume sold for three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor?”
6. Judas did not really care about the poor. He asked this because he carried the money bag and sometimes would steal from it.
7. Jesus replied, “Leave her alone! She has kept this perfume for the day of my burial.
8. You will always have the poor with you, but you won't always have me.”
9. A lot of people came when they heard that Jesus was there. They also wanted to see Lazarus, because Jesus had raised him from death.
17-18. A crowd had come to meet Jesus because they had seen him call Lazarus out of the tomb. They kept talking about him and this miracle.
19. But the Pharisees said to each other, “There is nothing that can be done! Everyone in the world is following Jesus.”
20. Some Greeks had gone to Jerusalem to worship during Passover.
21. Philip from Bethsaida in Galilee was there too. So they went to him and said, “Sir, we would like to meet Jesus.”
22. Philip told Andrew. Then the two of them went to Jesus and told him.
23. Jesus said:The time has come for the Son of Man to be given his glory.
24. I tell you for certain that a grain of wheat that falls on the ground will never be more than one grain unless it dies. But if it dies, it will produce lots of wheat.
25. If you love your life, you will lose it. If you give it up in this world, you will be given eternal life.