Study Desk

Then Jesus said to his followers, "Let's go back to Judea."

Jesus meant that Lazarus was dead, but his followers thought he meant Lazarus was really sleeping.

But Mary went to the place where Jesus was. When she saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with pieces of cloth, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take the cloth off of him and let him go."

So Jesus no longer traveled openly among the people. He left there and went to a place near the desert, to a town called Ephraim and stayed there with his followers.

Mary brought in a pint of very expensive perfume made from pure nard. She poured the perfume on Jesus' feet, and then she wiped his feet with her hair. And the sweet smell from the perfume filled the whole house.

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

It was almost time for the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that it was time for him to leave this world and go back to the Father. He had always loved those who were his own in the world, and he loved them all the way to the end.

Jesus and his followers were at the evening meal. The devil had already persuaded Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to turn against Jesus.

So during the meal Jesus stood up and took off his outer clothing. Taking a towel, he wrapped it around his waist.

Jesus said, "After a person has had a bath, his whole body is clean. He needs only to wash his feet. And you men are clean, but not all of you."

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and sat down again. He asked, "Do you understand what I have just done for you?

I tell you the truth, a servant is not greater than his master. A messenger is not greater than the one who sent him.

When Judas was gone, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man receives his glory, and God receives glory through him.

Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say to you don't come from me, but the Father lives in me and does his own work.

I have obeyed my Father's commands, and I remain in his love. In the same way, if you obey my commands, you will remain in my love.

The greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing. But I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I heard from my Father.

Remember what I told you: A servant is not greater than his master. If people did wrong to me, they will do wrong to you, too. And if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours, too.

But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth. He will not speak his own words, but he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is to come.