Jesus Talks About His Death

²⁷"Now I am very troubled. What should I say? Should I say, 'Father save me from this time [of suffering]'? No, I came to this time so that I could suffer. ²⁸Father, bring glory to your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have brought glory to that name. I will do it again." ²⁹The people standing there heard the voice. Those people said it was thunder. But other people said, "An angel spoke to Jesus!" ³⁰Jesus said to the people, "That voice was for you and not for me. ³¹Now is the time for the world to be judged. Now the ruler of this world (the devil) will be thrown out. ³²I will be lifted up from the earth. And when this happens, I will bring all people to me." ³³Jesus said this to show how he would die. ³⁴The people said, "But our law says that the Christ* will live forever. So why do you say, 'The Son of Man* must be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?" ³⁵Then Jesus said, "The light will be with you for only a short time more. So walk while you have the light. Then the darkness (sin) will not catch you. The person that walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. ³⁶So put your trust in the light while you still have it. Then you will become sons of light." When Jesus finished saying these things, he left. Jesus went to a place where the people could not find him.

The Jews Refuse to Believe in Jesus

³⁷Jesus did all these many miracles.* The people saw these things, but they still did not believe in him. ³⁸This was to make clear the full meaning of what Isaiah the prophet* said: "Lord, who believed the things we told them? Who has seen the Lord's power?" Isaiah 53:1

³⁹This is why the people could not believe. Because Isaiah also said, ⁴⁰"God made the people blind. God closed their minds. God did this so that they will not see with their eyes and understand with their minds. Then I would heal them." Isaiah 6:10

⁴¹Isaiah said this because he saw his (Jesus') glory. So Isaiah spoke about him (Jesus). ⁴²But many people believed in Jesus. Even many of the Jewish leaders believed in Jesus. But they were afraid of the Pharisees.* So they did not say openly that they believed. They were afraid that they would be put out of the synagogue.* ⁴³These men loved praise from people more than praise from God.

Jesus' Teaching Will Judge People

⁴⁴Then Jesus said loudly, "The person that believes in me is really believing in the One (God) who sent me. ⁴⁵The person that sees me is really seeing the One who sent me. ⁴⁶I am light, and I came into this world. I came so that every person that believes in me would not stay in darkness. ⁴⁷"I did not come into the world to judge people. I came to save the people in the world. So I am not the one that judges the people who hear my teaching but don't obey. ⁴⁸There is a judge for the person that refuses to believe in me and does not accept what I say. The message I have taught will judge that person on the last day. ⁴⁹Why? Because the things I taught were not from myself. The Father (God) who sent me told me what to say and what to teach. ⁵⁰And I know that eternal life comes from what the Father commands. So the things I say are what the Father told me to say."

Christ The "anointed one" (Messiah) or chosen one of God. Son of Man A name Jesus used for himself. In Dan. 7:13-14, this is the name for the Messiah, the one God chose to save his people. miracle(s) Miracles are amazing works done by God's power. prophet A person that spoke for God. Sometimes a prophet told things that would happen in the future. Pharisees The Pharisees were a Jewish religious group that claimed to follow carefully all Jewish laws and customs. synagogue(s) Synagogues were places where Jews gathered for prayer, study of the Scriptures, and other public meetings.