John 12:27-50

Easy-to-Read Version

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. ²⁸ Father, do what will bring you glory!”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have already brought glory to myself. I will do it again.”

²⁹ The people standing there heard the voice. They said it was thunder.

But others said, “An angel spoke to him!”

³⁰ Jesus said, “That voice was for you and not for me. ³¹ Now is the time for the world to be judged. Now the ruler of this world will be thrown out. ³² I will be lifted up^[a] from the earth. When that happens, I will draw all people to myself.” ³³ Jesus said this to show how he would die.

³⁴ The people said, “But our law says that the Messiah will live forever. So why do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”

³⁵ Then Jesus said, “The light^[b] 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. ³⁶ So put your trust in the light while you still have it. Then you will be children of light.” When Jesus finished saying these things, he went away to a place where the people could not find him.

Some Jews Refuse to Believe in Jesus

³⁷ The people saw all these miraculous signs Jesus did, but they still did not believe in him. ³⁸ This was to give full meaning to what Isaiah the prophet said:

³⁹ This is why the people could not believe. Because Isaiah also said,

⁴¹ Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ divine greatness. So he spoke about him.

⁴² But many people believed in Jesus. Even many of the Jewish leaders believed in him, but they were afraid of the Pharisees, so they did not say openly that they believed. They were afraid they would be ordered to stay out of the synagogue. ⁴³ They loved praise from people more than praise from God.

Jesus’ Teaching Will Judge People

⁴⁴ Then Jesus said loudly, “Everyone who believes in me is really believing in the one who sent me. ⁴⁵ Everyone who sees me is really seeing the one who sent me. ⁴⁶ I came into this world as a light. I came so that everyone who believes in me will 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 who judges those who hear my teaching and do not obey. ⁴⁸ 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. ⁴⁹ That is because what I taught was not from myself. The Father who sent me told me what to say and what to teach. ⁵⁰ And I know that whatever he says to do will bring eternal life. So the things I say are exactly what the Father told me to say.”