Faith

Yesterday we learned of the plot to kill Lazarus, our next reading is from John 12:12-19.

12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
15
“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

In the ESV this section is called the Triumphal Entry, yet in this passage we don’t read of a triumphal entry, we only read that Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it. We know from other scripture that it is the time when Jesus came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey and we get to hear the whole story of the donkey colt, but in John we aren’t given all that detail.  

We are given these facts:

• a large crowd heard that Jesus was coming
• They took palm branches and went to meet him
• they called out “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel”
• Jesus sat on a young donkey thus fulfilling scripture.

I wondered at the palm branches, why choose them?

I found this article that told me the following: There are a couple of explanations. One is that it was common practice in the ancient world to welcome home a king or war hero by laying out a path of branches for him to ride/walk on – similar to rolling out the red carpet today in English-speaking countries. Others suggest that Romans honored champions of the games and the military with palm branches Another explanation is that it is a reminder of the Festival of the Booths commanded in Leviticus and Deuteronomy.

This tells me the crowd thought that Jesus was pretty important.  Can you imagine the stir it would have caused?  People climbing up these palm trees to get the branches.   From what I can tell a mature Judean palm tree would be at least 9 feet tall.  So it’s not like you could just reach up and pull a frond off! 🙂  And oh…the noise they would have generated as they called out their hosannas. Combine that with the regular noise and bustle of people coming into Jerusalem to prepare for Passover. It would have been a madhouse.

The excitement over Jesus was helped along by the people who saw Lazarus raised from the dead.  They kept talking about it, it was the news of the day for them!

It’s no wonder that the Pharisees saw the futility in working against Jesus.  They “said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”  I wonder if they just felt overwhelmed by the support that Jesus was being given.  Would it have made them more determined to see their plans to kill him come to fruition?  Perhaps some of them would have questioned the decision seeing this popularity among the populace.   I don’t know, I just hope for the latter eh?

Part of what I find interesting in this passage is this didn’t all make sense to the disciples at the time.  The whole thing with the donkey, fulfilling scripture, the palm branches.   They didn’t understand it but they remembered it, for we are told “when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.“

My Take Home:

People kept talking about what they saw what Jesus had done.  They kept talking long after it had happened and because of it, others came to believe.   Oh that I would open my mouth more often so that people could know the things Jesus has done in my life.  I know.. Nothing earth-shattering like being raised from the dead, but God, oh, I know he has been active in my life. But I find myself shying away from wanting folks to know or to try to have them understand how shattered I was in my past and it is totally by God’s grace that I write to you today.  But everyone who is a person of faith has stories. Things we’ve seen, things we know deep in our hearts, and things we’ve experienced personally.   We need to talk about those things (and yes I say that boldly while inwardly cringing!). 

Perhaps I just need to find the right mode and therein grow my comfortableness with speaking out more of the truths of God eh?  What say you?

Perhaps I just need to find the right mode and therein grow my comfortableness with speaking out more of the truths of God eh? What say you? Share on X

The other thing that I am drawn to is this: The disciples remembered and then later on put all the pieces together.  Don’t you find that so true in your life.  Things happen, and you don’t get it, and then afterwards you go AH! >>>  That was a GOD moment.  DO you see how I was delayed from leaving for my appointment and then I avoided that accident?   Or… God put me here so I could help that lady who fell down, or hold the door open for that fellow who needed my help, or like today, we got to the grocery store just in time to take a cart from an older fellow who honestly didn’t look like he had it in him to take it over to the grocery corral.  If only you could have heard his heart-felt thank you.  Warms the soul to be there at just the right time. 

We need to remember, we need to see these things, we do.  It’s good for us and it’s good for the gospel of Christ. 

Yesterday we saw Jesus’ Acceptance of Mary’s offering, today we continue learning in John 12:9-11.

9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

I read these words and I was stunned. How have I missed these verses all my life?  I KNOW I’ve read them before but I was stunned to read that the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus because too many people were believing in Jesus as a result of Lazarus’ resurrection. 

I can totally see people heading out to see Jesus and Lazarus.  After-all that kind of news is a bit of a stunner eh?  Therefore crowds would be drawn in.   They’d want to see the living proof and they’d want to know what Jesus was up.

But the chief priests?  There sole desire… stop people from believing in Jesus.  Ergo… kill Lazarus, that will help solve the problem. 

It’s horrible you know?  Even though I’m understanding their reasoning, it’s still horrible that men sworn to serve God their whole lives are plotting to kill people. it just sets wrong you know?

My Take Home?

Honestly I dunno.  I’m just stunned here is all.  The murderous chief priests… I just want to slap them all, I want to remind them of their first calling. 

Oh hold on… maybe that’s my take home.

Do I remember my first calling?  Do I ever get distracted or sidetracked from remembering the Lord?  I’m shamed to admit it, I do.  I get sidetracked.  I forget my first love, my first calling and I start seeing all these other things.

Like the chief priests forgetting their service to the Lord in the quest to save the Israelite nation from the Romans all because of the threat of one man…the Son of God.    Stop that threat, save the nation, return to serving God.  That would be the order of the day for them.  (at least in my eyes).

But God’s order is a bit different isn’t it?

Remember him first and then let the rest play out as it should.  Easier said then done, but doing what is good and right isn’t for the faint of heart is it?

Last time we met we learned about the plan to kill Jesus. Today we learn from John 12:1-8.

 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. ³ Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ⁴ But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, ⁵ “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” ⁶ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. ⁷ Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. ⁸ For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

Do you remember that Jesus had retired to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim. His fellow Jews wondered if he was going to show up for the Passover.  Today we learn that six days before the Passover Jesus traveled to Bethany.  He spent time there with his friends, gathered there with his disciples.

We learn that Martha served the meal, Lazarus sat with them, and Mary…oh Mary.   Mary took a pound of expensive ointment (a oil) of pure nard.  Nard comes from the Spikenard plant and is an expensive oil normally used for anointing people on the head.   Usually only a bit is used at a time due to the expense and the nature of it’s use.   

Mary took a full bottle and poured it over his feet and wiped it with her hair. The whole house smelled of the perfume.

Judas, who was all about the money, challenged her decision to do so, saying this perfume could have been sold for 300 denari and used to help the poor.  Now we’re told his challenge was not based in his concern for the poor, but for his own pocketbook. “He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. “

Jesus denied his challenge though, saying, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. ⁸ For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

Jesus acknowledged specialness of what Mary had done.  She anointed his feet.  She spent time just for him.  The poor would always be there, but for right now, the focus was on Jesus.  Afterall, he would not always be with them.  His time with them was not permanent. 

My Reaction:

I read Judas’ reaction and I have two thoughts in my head.  One… YEAH.. huge waste of money and TWO.. JUDAS!!!   Don’t be a jerk!

The latter tends to be my stronger reaction especially once I read Jesus’ response, but for me, the first is still there too. And then she puts it on his feet!   I wonder why Mary chose to wipe his feet?  Putting pretty smelling oil on someone’s feet (especially in a day and age when people walked everywhere) seems like a waste of resources.  It makes me wonder why Mary chose to do his feet? 

This, of course, made me think of the song “How beautiful are the feet of him who brings good news” and I wondered if that was part of it.  This song comes from Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!“  We can’t know Mary’s thinking, but I can’t help but wonder.  Jesus had saved Lazarus, he always talked about the good news of God, and Mary knew he spoke truth, she believed in him.  So expensive oil on his feet… totally makes sense don’t you think? 

And Jesus acknowledged what she did.  Her anointing of his feet was accepted. And if Jesus accepted her action, so should we.  That’s enough reason for me to reject thinking like Judas and to just see the good of it.