1. Six days before the Passover Feast, Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazarus lived. (Lazarus is the man Jesus raised from death.)
2. There they had a dinner for Jesus. Martha served the food. Lazarus was one of the people eating with Jesus.
3. 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.
4. Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ followers, was there. (He was the one who would later turn against Jesus.) Judas said,
5. “This perfume was worth an entire year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.”
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 money box, and he often stole money from it.
7. Jesus answered, “Let her alone. It was right for her to save this perfume for today—the day for me to be prepared for burial.
8. The poor will always be with you, but you will not always have me.”
9. A large crowd of Jews heard that Jesus was in Bethany. So they went there to see not only Jesus but also Lazarus. Lazarus was the one Jesus raised from death.
10. So the leading priests made plans to kill Lazarus, too.
11. Because of Lazarus many Jews were leaving them and believing in Jesus.
12. The next day a great crowd in Jerusalem heard that Jesus was coming there. These were the people who had come to the Passover Feast.
13. They took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Jesus. They shouted,“Praise God!God bless the One who comes in the name of the Lord!God bless the King of Israel!” Psalm 118:25-26
14. Jesus found a colt and sat on it. This was as the Scripture says,
15. “Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem!Your king is coming.He is sitting on the colt of a donkey.” Zechariah 9:9