March 28th, 2026

The season of Lent continues on into Holy Week. This Sunday is known as Palm Sunday / Sunday of the Passion. There are actually two Gospel Readings, one that deals with Palm Sunday and one that deals with the Passion of Jesus. The first one is quite short (John 12:12-19), and the second one is huge (Matthew 26:1-27:66; since this year is the A Series, it focuses on the Gospel according to Matthew). It should also be noted that there are two alternative and shorter readings, that of Matthew 27:11-66 and John 12:20-43.

With the writings of this website, in the past three years we went through the first three Gospel accounts, and this past year we have been going through the ENTIRE Gospel according to John, a section at a time. No verses have been skipped. And there is certainly no need to stand during ANY part of the reading of this Gospel account.

Currently we are dealing with what is called chapter eight of the text. Within that chapter, there were initially some enemies of Jesus, but after hearing Jesus’ words, the text relates that many have been turned around. The last part of the last reading had the statement that MANY Jews BELIEVED in Jesus. That is a significant turnaround. Now there will also be some positive things that in this reading turn around and become negative. SPOILER ALERT!

If you are familiar with the translations of this writing, you may skip this and the following paragraph. Because of the EXTREMELY literal translation, a study bible or at least another translation would be helpful to have nearby.

The first thing to mention regarding the description of this EXTREMELY literal translation is that the verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. Hopefully that is not too great of an inconvenience. It should also be noted that the words with hyphens occur when more than one English word is used to describe a single word of the ancient Greek. And some of the words chosen below are meant to point out the close connection that sometimes occurs between the English and Greek languages. It is also important to mention that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. This may help to show the important words, especially when another word besides the verb is first in the sentence. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words (like “therefore” and “now”) that are usually second in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. It should be said that repetition of words is somewhat frequent in the text below and should be noted as an emphasis. One more thing to mention is that the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS. That is when a verb in a past tense is expected, but a verb in the present tense is given. These have been explained elsewhere, and it may be helpful to read some of the other writings of this website.

What follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of John 8:31-59:

Therefore  he-was-saying,  the  Jesus,  toward  the  having-believed  him  Jews,  “If  you,  you-remain  in  the  word,  the  my,  truly  disciples  of-me  you-are,  and  you-will-know  the  truth,  and  the  truth  will-liberate  you.”

They-answered  toward  him,  “Sperm  of-Abraham  we-are,  and  to-no-one  we-have-been-enslaved,  ever;  how  you,  do-you-say  that  liberated  you-will-become?”

He-answered  them,  the  Jesus,  “Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you  that  every  the-one  doing  the  sin,  a-slave  he-is  of-the  sin.  Now  the  slave,  not  does-he-remain  in  the  house  into  the  age;  the  son  remains  into  the  age.  Therefore  if  the  Son,  you,  he-liberates,  indeed  liberated  you-will-be.  I-know  that  sperm  of-Abraham  you-are;  but-on-the-contrary,  you-are-seeking,  me  to-kill,  because  the  word,  the  my,  not  it-finds-room  in  you.  The-thing  I,  I-have-seen  from  the  Father  I-am-speaking,  therefore  you  also,  what  you-have-heard  from  the  father,  you-do.”

They-answered,  and  they-said  to-him,  “The  father  of-us,  Abraham  he-is.”

HE-SAYS  to-them,  the  Jesus,  “If  children  of-the  Abraham  you-are,  the  works  of-the  Abraham  you-would-do.  Now  presently  you-are-seeking,  me  to-kill,  an-anthropoid  who  the  truth  to-you  I-have-spoken,  which  I-heard  from  the  God;  this  Abraham  not  he-did.  You,  you-are-doing  the  works  of-the  father  of-you.”

Therefore  they-said  to-him,  “We,  out-of  fornication,  not  we-have-been-born;  one  father  we-have,  the  God.”

He-said  to-them,  the  Jesus,  “If  the  God,  Father  of-you  he-was,  you-have-loved,  would,  me;  for  I,  out-of  the  God,  I-came-out,  and  I-am-present;  for  not  from  myself  I-have-come,  but-on-the-contrary,  that-one,  me,  he-sent-out.  On-account-of  what,  the  speech,  the  my,  not  do-you-know?  Because  not  you-are-able  to-hear  the  word,  the  my.  You,  out-of  the  father,  the  diabolical-one  you-are,  and  the  desires  of-the  father  of-you,  you-want  to-do.  That-one,  an-anthropoid-killer  he-was  from-the  beginning,  and  in  the  truth,  not  he-was-standing,  because  not  is  truth  in  him.  When  he-speaks  the  pseudo,  out-of  the  own-things  he-speaks,  because  a-pseudo-one  he-is  and  the  father  of-it.  Now  I,  because  the  truth  I-am-saying,  not  do-you-believe  me.  Who  out-of  you  he-convicts  me  concerning  sin?  If  truth  I-am-saying,  on-account-of  what  you,  not  do-you-believe  me?  The-one  being  out-of  the  God,  the  messages  of-the  God  he-hears;  on-account-of  this  you,  not  do-you-hear,  because  out-of  the  God,  not  you-are.”
​
They-answered,  the  Jews,  and  they-said  to-him,  “Not  well  do-we-say,  we,  that  a-Samaritan  you-are,  you;  and  a-demon  you-have?”

He-answered,  Jesus,  “I,  a-demon,  not  do-I-have,  but-on-the-contrary,  I-honor  the  Father  of-me,  and  you,  you-dishonor  me.  Now  I,  not  do-I-seek  the  glory  of-me;  he-is  the-one  seeking  and  judging.  Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you,  if  anyone,  the  my  word  he-is-keeping,  death  certainly  not  he-will-behold  into  the  age.”

Therefore  they-said  to-him,  the  Jews,  “Presently  we-have-known  that  a-demon  you-have.  Abraham  died  and  the  prophets,  and  you,  you-are-saying,  ‘If  anyone,  the  word  of-me,  he-is-keeping,  certainly  not  he-will-taste  of  death  into  the  age.’  Not  you  greater,  you-are  of-the  father  of-us,  Abraham,  who  he-died?  And  the  prophets  died.  Whom  yourself  do-you-make?”
He-answered,  Jesus,  “If  I,  I-glorify  myself,  the  glory  of-me,  nothing  it-is;  he-is,  the  Father  of-me,  the-one  glorifying  me;  whom  you,  you-say  that  God  of-us  he-is,  and  not  you-have-known  him;  now  I,  I-know  him.  And-if  I-say  that  not  I-know  him,  I-will-be  like  you,  a-pseudo-one;  but-on-the-contrary,  I-know  him,  and  the  word  of-him  I-keep.  Abraham,  the  father  of-you,  he-exulted  that  he-would-see  the  day,  the  my;  and  he-saw,  and  he-rejoiced.”

Therefore,  they-said,  the  Jews,  toward  him,  “Fifty  years  not-yet  you-have,  and  Abraham  you-have-seen?”

He-said  to-them,  Jesus,  “Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you,  before  Abraham  to-become,  I,  I-am.”  Therefore  they-lifted-up  stones  in-order-that  they-might-throw  upon  him;  now  Jesus  was-hidden,  and  he-came-out,  out-of  the  temple.

ANOTHER SPOILER ALERT! The plan was not for Jesus to die under a pile of rocks. He was lifted up on a cross. That is a significant difference. And that is a significant death. And it was for us and for our salvation.