6. But Judas did not really care about the poor. He said this because he was a thief. He was the one who kept the moneybag for the group of followers. And he often stole money from the bag.
7. Jesus answered, “Don’t stop her. It was right for her to save this perfume for today—the day for me to be prepared for burial.
8. You will always have those who are poor with you. But you will not always have me.”
9. Many of the Jews heard that Jesus was in Bethany, so they went there to see him. They also went there to see Lazarus, the one Jesus raised from death.
10. So the leading priests made plans to kill Lazarus too.
11. Because of him, many Jews were leaving them and believing in Jesus. That is why they wanted to kill Lazarus too.
12. The next day the people in Jerusalem heard that Jesus was coming there. These were the crowds of people who had come to the Passover festival.
13. They took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Jesus. They shouted, “‘Praise Him!’ ‘Welcome! God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Psalm 118:25-26 God bless the King of Israel!”
14. Jesus found a donkey and rode on it, as the Scriptures say,
15. “Do not be afraid, people of Zion! Look! Your king is coming. He is riding on a young donkey.” Zechariah 9:9
16. The followers of Jesus did not understand at that time what was happening. But after he was raised to glory, they understood that this was written about him. Then they remembered that they had done these things for him.
17. There were many people with Jesus when he raised Lazarus from death and told him to come out of the tomb. Now they were telling others about what Jesus did.
18. That’s why so many people went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign he did.