Studies in John's Gospel. Pt 62 Burial preparations, powerful testimonies & growing concerns.

Good morning and welcome back to our studies of John's gospel. 

The photo below is a 2,500 year old alabaster jar with a lid similar to the one we will be reading about today. 

A supper, an anointing, a beautiful gesture. 

John 12:1-3  Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 2) There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. 3)  Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. 

John 11 ended with Jesus avoiding the religious leaders in Jerusalem and ministering to people in a more remote area while the time for the Passover approached. Six days before the Passover Jesus returned to Bethany where a meal had been prepared. Lazarus and his sisters were in attendance. 

Mark's gospel tells us that the location was at the home of Simon, a leper. If Simon still had leprosy then he would not have been able to host a dinner in his home. He would have been unclean and living outside the city walls. It is very likely that Simon is one of the many lepers that Jesus healed during His ministry. 

Simon must have been close friends with Lazarus and his sisters because Martha was the one cooking & serving in Simon's home. 

Remember, Mary was quiet and a bit introspective compared to Martha. Yet, when Martha told her Jesus called for her she jumped up and ran to her Master. In this text Mary does an extravagant act upon Jesus.

She had an alabaster jar filled with a very fragrant oil. Such jars were valuable but the spikenard was very costly. It was produced from the roots and stems of an aromatic herb found in India. Spikenard was typically exported in alabaster containers which preserved and protected the oil. 

Mary's alabaster box had about one pint of the oil and since the text tells us the value was about 300 denarius which was equal to an entire years wages. Mary took the ointment and anointed the feet of Jesus and rubbed it in with her hair. Mark's gospel tells us that she also poured it on Jesus' head. This sweet, woody fragrance filled the whole house. 

Why did Mary do such an extravagant thing? She loved the Lord and the fact that He raised her brother from the dead. Mary had also been a rebel but now was a believer born into the family of God.

An angry betrayer berates Mary

John 12:4-6  Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, 5) Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 6) This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. 

Judas the betrayer demanded to know why the expensive ointment was not sold and distributed to the poor. John lets us know that Judas did not care about the poor. He was the treasurer and a thief. He just wanted more money at his disposal.

Jesus rebuked Judas; Mary's act linked to His burial.

John 12:7-8  Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. 8) For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always. 

Jesus was quick to rebuke Judas and defended Mary's action. He said that Mary had kept this jar for a special occasion of anointing Jesus for His burial. Jesus said that you will always have the poor with you but you will not always have the Son of God with you. Jesus was not endorsing poverty, nor did He tell them to ignore it. Rather, He wanted them to see that there will always be opportunities to help the poor but being with Christ on earth is a rare, temporary event.

He was also referring to His death on the cross and His ascending to heaven to be with His Father after Christ's resurrection. 

Mary gave this lavish gift openly and freely but Judas wanted to keep the money for himself to use it secretly and selfishly. The text does not tell us if Mary understood that Jesus came to earth to die as God's perfect Lamb. However, Jesus spoke about this subject many times and she may have heard Him and realized that death was looming very soon for Jesus. 

Many Jews came to see Lazarus and believed.

John 12:9-11  Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. 10) But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; 11) Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus. 

Many people knew that Jesus was at the home of Simon with Lazarus and his sisters. Many Jews came to see Lazarus for themselves because he had been raised from the dead by Jesus. The chief priests decided that they needed to murder Lazarus also because many people believed on Jesus because of Lazarus' resurrection.

Jesus' triumphal entry to Jerusalem.

John 12:12-16  On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13) Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. 14)  And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, 15)  Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. 16) These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him. 

Word got out quickly that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was full of people who made the trip for the Passover observance. Many of them previously heard Jesus' words, seen His works and believed on Him. 

Palm branches were a symbol of victory and the word "hosanna" originally meant "save us" or "save now" but later became a word of exuberant praise to Jehovah. Their loud cries of "Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord" is a quotation from Palm 118:26  which is a Messianic Psalm telling about Israel's future King. 

Jesus riding into Jerusalem on an ass is prophecy fulfilled (Zechariah 9:9). Riding on an ass was a symbol of peace meaning their King was a King who would establish peace. 

John adds a side note that the disciples did not understand all of the events taking place until after Jesus resurrection when He was glorified. Then, they remembered the Messianic prophecies Jesus fulfilled and their participation in the events. 

Large crowds; growing concerns by Pharisees.

John 12:17-19  The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. 18)  For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle. 19) The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him. 

The crowd size kept increasing and all the Jews who saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead were testifying of what they saw and heard Jesus do. It was a compelling testimony of truth regarding the words and works of Jesus that could not be denied. This caused more people to join the thronging crowds as they heard about Jesus. 

The Pharisees and religious leaders  became greatly alarmed and panicked. "The whole world has gone after Him" they exclaimed. Their plans to secretly arrest and murder Jesus and Lazarus could never be carried out if He was surrounded by such great crowds. Remember, although John's gospel has much more material to study through, this day is one week before Jesus would be crucified on the cross. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

First, we see the loving and sacrifical giving of Mary as she anointed the head and feet of Jesus. Although Judas and others were angry with her for doing that, Jesus rebuked them and made it clear that the expensive oil was anointing Him for His burial. Somewhere around a week after the anointing is when Jesus was crucified. 

Second, we see that many Jews believed on Jesus because He raised Lazarus from the dead. It was a resounding affirmation of Christ's declaration that "I Am the resurrection and the life." 

Third, we see that massive crowds gathered around Jesus when He arrived at Jerusalem. This is an example of temporary euphoria because a week later many of the same people would shout out "Crucify Him!"

Last, we see the mounting frustration of Jesus' enemies, the Pharisees, Saducees and scribes. We saw the anger of Judas over Mary's lavish gift to Christ because He wanted the money in his hands since he was a thief. Later during this week, Judas would meet with the enemies of Christ to betray Him for money.

What does this mean to us? We are encouraged because we see prophecy being fulfilled each step of the way as Jesus moves closer to the cross. We are blessed because Jesus was totally committed to doing His Father's will and pleasing Him always. We are strengthened because we saw powerful testimony proving beyond any doubt that Jesus Christ is all He claimed to be: Son of God, Son of Man, King, Creator and Jehovah in the flesh. 

I pray that the Spirit of God will help us grow in our understanding of all that Jesus did in order to rescue us from our sins and grant us eternal life. May our hearts and minds be filled with rejoicing because our Lord lives and His enemy is defeated!

Bob