Christmas Plan

³¹Then taking the twelve [disciples] aside, He said to them, "Listen carefully: we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that have been written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled and completed.

³²He will be betrayed and handed over to the Gentiles (Roman authorities), and will be mocked and ridiculed and insulted and abused and spit on,

³³and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and on the third day He will rise [from the dead]."

³⁴But the disciples understood none of these things [about the approaching death and resurrection of Jesus]. This statement was hidden from them, and they did not grasp the [meaning of the] things that were said [by Jesus].

²⁰Now there were some Greeks (Gentiles) among those who were going up to worship at the feast;

²¹these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."

²²Philip came and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.

²³And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified and exalted.

²⁴I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone [just one grain, never more]. But if it dies, it produces much grain and yields a harvest.

²⁵The one who loves his life [eventually] loses it [through death], but the one who hates his life in this world [and is concerned with pleasing God] will keep it for life eternal.

²⁶If anyone serves Me, he must [continue to faithfully] follow Me [without hesitation, holding steadfastly to Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]; and wherever I am [in heaven's glory], there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

²⁷"Now My soul is troubled and deeply distressed; what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour [of trial and agony]'? But it is for this [very] purpose that I have come to this hour [this time and place].

²⁸[Rather, I will say,] 'Father, glorify (honor, extol) Your name!'" Then a voice came from heaven saying, "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again."

²⁹The crowd of people who stood nearby and heard the voice said that it had thundered; others said, "An angel has spoken to Him!"

³⁰Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine.

³¹Now judgment is upon this world [the sentence is being passed]. Now the ruler of this world (Satan) will be cast out.

³²And I, if and when I am lifted up from the earth [on the cross], will draw all people to Myself [Gentiles, as well as Jews]."

³³He said this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die.

⁸After oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation [His contemporaries], who [among them] concerned himself with the fact That He was cut off from the land of the living [by His death] For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke [of death] was due?

⁹His grave was assigned with the wicked, But He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

¹⁰Yet the LORD was willing To crush Him, causing Him to suffer; If He would give Himself as a guilt offering [an atonement for sin], He shall see His [spiritual] offspring, He shall prolong His days, And the will (good pleasure) of the LORD shall succeed and prosper in His hand.

¹¹As a result of the anguish of His soul, He shall see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge [of what He has accomplished] the Righteous One, My Servant, shall justify the many [making them righteous—upright before God, in right standing with Him], For He shall bear [the responsibility for] their sins.

¹²Therefore, I will divide and give Him a portion with the great [kings and rulers], And He shall divide the spoils with the mighty, Because He [willingly] poured out His life to death, And was counted among the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore and took away the sin of many, And interceded [with the Father] for the transgressors.