Great and Holy Wednesday

Now about that time, King Herod stretched out his hands to oppress some of the assembly. ²He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. ³When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This was during the days of unleavened bread. ⁴When he had arrested him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. ⁵Peter therefore was kept in the prison, but constant prayer was made by the assembly to God for him. ⁶The same night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. Guards in front of the door kept the prison.

⁷And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Stand up quickly!” His chains fell off his hands. ⁸The angel said to him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” He did so. He said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” ⁹And he went out and followed him. He didn’t know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he saw a vision. ¹⁰When they were past the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

¹¹When Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I truly know that the Lord has sent out his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from everything the Jewish people were expecting.”

The multitude therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead was testifying about it. ¹⁸For this cause also the multitude went and met him, because they heard that he had done this sign. ¹⁹The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him.”

²⁰Now there were certain Greeks among those who went up to worship at the feast. ²¹Therefore, these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” ²²Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus.

²³Jesus answered them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. ²⁶If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

²⁷“Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this time’? But I came to this time for this cause.

²⁸Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came out of the sky, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”

²⁹Therefore the multitude who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”

³⁰Jesus answered, “This voice hasn’t come for my sake, but for your sakes. ³¹Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out. ³²And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ³³But he said this, signifying by what kind of death he should die.

³⁴The multitude answered him, “We have heard out of the law that the Christ remains forever. How do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

³⁵Jesus therefore said to them, “Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness doesn’t overtake you. He who walks in the darkness doesn’t know where he is going. ³⁶While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become children of light.” Jesus said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them. ³⁷But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they didn’t believe in him, ³⁸that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

³⁹For this cause they couldn’t believe, for Isaiah said again: ⁴⁰“He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them.”

⁴¹Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory, and spoke of him. ⁴²Nevertheless, even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t confess it, so that they wouldn’t be put out of the synagogue, ⁴³for they loved men’s praise more than God’s praise.

⁴⁴Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me. ⁴⁵He who sees me sees him who sent me. ⁴⁶I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness. ⁴⁷If anyone listens to my sayings and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. ⁴⁸He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke will judge him in the last day. ⁴⁹For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me gave me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak. ⁵⁰I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak.”