John 12: 1-11, Messiah Anointed

After the winter festival, Lazarus became ill and Jesus was contacted.  Waiting a few days, he eventually visited Mary and Martha in Bethany, after Lazarus has died, and there raised Lazarus from the dead.  At a later dinner (weeks later? months later?), Just before the spring festival of Passover, he is invited to a dinner in his honor. 

The Hebrew word "Messiah" and the Greek word "Christ" mean the same thing, "Chosen One" or "Anointed One".  The Messiah should be anointed....

John 12: 1-8, Anointment by Mary
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 
2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 
3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 
5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 
6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 
8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

It is, of course, very natural for Lazarus's family to hold a meal in his honor!  Mary and Martha show up in the other gospels but in John's gospel, they do not appear until chapter 11, where they are introduced as a backdrop to Lazarus.

Mary anoints Jesus with expensive perfume.  Judas protests.  The statement by Judas is purest hypocrisy; John records the true motives of Judas.

Verse 8 is often taken out of context, as if Jesus were dismissing the poor, or were supporting the continuation of poverty. If one puts the passage in context of the general messages about Jesus and the gospel, this is surely not true. It is a statement about Mary's worship and the preparation for  the upcoming crucifixion and burial.

The word translated "pint" was a quantity of about half of a liter, say the NIV footnotes. The amount translated "a year's wages" is literally 300 denarii.  The quote about the poor is from Deuteronomy 15:11.

John 12: 9-11, Angry priests
Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 
10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 
11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

So the priests want to kill a resurrected man??

According to John's gospel, the raising of Lazarus accelerates the scheming of the religious leaders and the end of Jesus' ministry.

John 12: Messiah, Christ, Anointed (Overview)

Jesus has just raised Lazarus from the dead.  It is now spring in Palestine. Time for the Passover.

The Hebrew word "Messiah" and the Greek word "Christ" mean the same thing, "Chosen One" or "Anointed One".  The Messiah should be anointed....

John 12: 1-8, Anointment by Mary
Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

"Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "[It was intended] that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."

It is, of course, very natural for Lazarus's family to hold a meal in his honor!  Mary anoints Jesus and Judas protests.  John records the true motives of Judas.  Meanwhile Jesus makes a comment that has long been misunderstood, for his comment is not about the poor (among whom he has lived and ministered) but about the upcoming crucifixion and burial.

John 12: 9-11, Angry priests
Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.

So the priests want to kill a resurrected man??

John 12: 12-19, The last week begins
The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, 
  "Hosanna!"
  "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"  
  "Blessed is the King of Israel!"

Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.

Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.

The other gospels have this story; John provides additional details.  And the disciples first miss the prophetic nature of this event.

According to John's gospel, the resurrection of Lazarus is a major reason for the crowd's reaction on his entry to Jerusalem.

NIV Footnotes: "Hosanna" is a Hebrew expression meaning "Save!", which became an exclamation of praise. The quote in verse 13 is from Psalm 118:25-26 and the quote in verse 15 is from Zechariah 9:9.

John 12: 20-22 Pharisees and Greeks
So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!"

Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

John reports some Greeks visiting Jesus.  These men would certainly not be Jews.  But little else is reported about this meeting.  John's point seems to be that non-Jews were beginning to hear about Jesus and were attracted to him.

John 12: 23-26, The Seed must die
Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

Eternal life requires dying.  The seed is a metaphor.

John 12: 27-33, Struggling with death and evil

"Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? `Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" 

Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again."

The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.  Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

The prince of this world is a demonic being opposed to God, often called Satan, Lucifer, the devil.

John reports that in the midst of angst and anxiety, Jesus admits that it is for this very event that he entered the world.

John 12: 34-41, What Isaiah saw
The crowd spoke up, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, `The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this `Son of Man'?"

Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.  This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: "Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" [66] For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them." [67]

Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.

The Messiah (Christ) was to reign forever.  So said the Old Testament prophets.  So why is he going to die?

The quote in verse 38 is from Isaiah 53:1, and the quote in verse 40 Isaiah 6:10.

John 12: 42-50, Speaking for the Father
Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.

Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

"As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."

This is a strong condemnation: that the religious people loved the praise of men more than God.

John 11: 45-57, Plots

Jesus is outside the tomb of Lazarus.  There he insists on praying about the unthinkable and raises Lazarus from the dead.

This is a remarkable story. Of course many of the observers put faith in Jesus.  But not all.

John 11: 45-53, But still some are not happy

Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 
46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 
47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 
48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”

49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 
50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”

51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 
52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 
53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.

The Pharisees always come across as sour religious legalists, opposed to any pleasure. Even today, this is the stereotype of the religious fundamentalist.  (There is good reason for this stereotype.)

Caiaphas, in suggesting that they kill Jesus to protect the nation, prophesies.

John 11: 54-57, Passover approaches
Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.

55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. 
56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” 
57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.

Tension builds.  Surely the Messiah will come to the Passover.  Then events will get very interesting!

John 11: 38-45, A Resurrection

Jesus is with Mary and Martha in the town of Bethany, after the death of the women's brother, Lazarus.

John 11: 38-42, Before the tomb
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 
39 “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 
42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

Jesus is outside the tomb of Lazarus.  There he insists on praying about the unthinkable.

John 11: 43-45, Resurrection

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 
44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

This is a stunning result. Of course the observers put faith in Jesus.

But some are not happy....

John 11: 28-37, Jesus Wept

Lazarus has just died and Jesus has just been speaking to his sister, Martha, about the resurrection.

John 11: 28-31, Jesus calls for Mary
After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 
29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 
30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 
31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

Lazarus has just died and Jesus has just been speaking to his sister, Martha, about the resurrection.

John 11: 32-37, Jesus wept
When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 
34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

35 Jesus wept.

36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Why does Jesus weep?  Why is he moved?  Evil and death are painful.  Even if they have a purpose, there is pain and suffering to be endured and Jesus appears to endure it with Mary and Martha.

John 11: 17-27, In Bethany

Jesus, aware that Lazarus is sick, has journeyed to Bethany, outside Jerusalem.

John 11: 17, In the tomb

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 

Jesus had deliberately delayed his trip for several days, apparently so that his power here would be clear.

John 11: 18-24, In Bethany

Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 

19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 

20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 

22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Martha's response demonstrates a common Jewish belief -- "Yes, in the Last Day the dead will be resurrected." It is a statement of faith, but also a statement of grief and acceptance of her brother's death.

John 11: 25-27, The resurrections and the life

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 

26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

Although "the resurrection and the life" has become a Christian phrase, one should ask here what it really means.  Both seem to be singular -- the resurrection is a future event.  To the Jews it would have been viewed as a very physical event, the revival and renewal the physical body.  As to "the life" -- are we talking about "the eternal life" or "the only life worth living?"  Jesus elaborates on this a little and Martha gives a clear affirmation of her commitment to this.

In the next passage, Jesus demonstrates his power over the resurrection.

John 11: 11-17, Death of Lazarus

Mary and Martha, of Bethany, have contacted Jesus with news that their brother, Lazarus, is very sick. Jesus has waited two days to respond.

John 11: 11-17, A fool's errand

After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 

13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 

15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Jesus tells the disciples that Lazarus is "asleep" and that he goes to wake him up. Of course, the disciples misunderstand, as Jesus means to raise Lazarus from death. Since this scene will be near Jerusalem and the Jewish leaders intend to kill Jesus, there is danger.

The disciples' concern and commitment to Jesus is touching. I understand the response of Thomas; it is one of loyalty, submission and -- possibly -- desperation. Thomas says, "What else is there?"

The NIV footnotes say that Thomas (Aramaic) and Didymus (Greek) both mean "twin."