I have swollen lymph nodes in front of the ears and down the jaw. i also have a big lump on the cranium bottom left side. what can it be?

See below: It depends on the cause. Symptoms like these can only be adequately diagnosed through a thorough evaluation by your doctor.

Monitoring Centers: Lymphatic system absorbs/carries things too big to go into the arteries/veins like bacteria eaten by white cells and digested food. Lymph nodes "taste" the lymph for anything bad like bacteria/viruses/cancers, etc. When it detects a problem, it alerts the immune system and your body reacts. They enlarge in response to the inflammation they create when they react. They shrink when all is well.