New Testament

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.

I’m feeling off-set that I haven’t spent time with the Book of John lately, so on this dreadly rainy day when I should be planning out my world war study with the lad, I find myself instead drawn to spending time in John.  Last time we met Lazarus was raised from the dead.  In John 11:45-57 we see a plot to kill Jesus. 

⁴⁵ Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, ⁴⁶ but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷ So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. ⁴⁸ If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” ⁴⁹ But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. ⁵⁰ Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” ⁵¹ He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, ⁵² and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. ⁵³ So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

⁵⁴ Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.

⁵⁵ Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves.⁵⁶ They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” ⁵⁷ Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

Do you recall the people that had followed Mary out when she went to see Jesus?  All those Jews who had come to comfort her and Martha in their time of loss.

Well, you know they saw what Jesus did eh?   They saw Lazarus called forth out of the tomb, they saw him weep, they saw him pray (not in the order mind you).   But they saw ALL that Jesus had done.   Some of those people, seeing this, believed in Jesus.  Isn’t that awesome?

But some of them didn’t.  Instead they went running to the Pharisees and “told them what Jesus had done.”  Therefore the chief priests and Pharisees called a council and asked this: “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. ⁴⁸ If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” Do you see their fear?  The leadership walked a fine line eh?  Knowing the Romans left them free to practice their religion yet not being masters of the land they lived on.  How do they maintain their peace and status?   How do they prevent Jesus from running amuck, running against what they believed, raising folk from the dead and basically causing a stir?   They were so uncertain until…..

Caiaphas, the high priest that year, said “You know nothing at all. ⁵⁰ Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.”   Verse 51 puts a different spin on it, without it you’d think he was just a nasty man.  BUT it was a prophesy that spoke saying the Jesus would die for the nation, but not just the nation but all of God’s children around the world.  Reading that it was a prophesy, I wonder what Caiaphas thought after he said those words.  Did they ring true for him, or was he horrified at what he just said?   I know we aren’t told, but we don’t see him saying no no, that’s not what I meant instead we see the following…

The Jewish leadership was no longer uncertain about what to do.  Their plans were simple, centered around this solution: how do we put Jesus to death?

The end result is that Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, instead went to Ephraim where he stayed with the disciples. 

Passover was coming, Jewish folks came from all over to Jerusalem to prepare themselves, as they did so, they looked around for Jesus.  Word would have spread about him, and the curiousity of people would bring out the wondering.  “Where is Jesus, will he show up, what do you suppose he’ll do, will he do Passover at all you suppose?”   Those questions would have been stirred up by the news the Pharisees and chief priests wanted him arrested.   All the more reason for people to be curious. 

What’s my take home?

God’s word is met in ways unexpected.  Like Caiaphas’ prophesy of Jesus’ death.  The fears of the Jewish leadership that made taking Caiaphas’ prophecy and turning into something they could use for their own benefit (and supposedly for the benefit of Israel).  

AND YET, people believed in Jesus.  Despite the turmoil and upset, people believed in Jesus.   And that is so very very awesome, isn’t it?

Jesus wept the last time we met, today we see him raise Lazarus from the dead in John 11:38-44

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Jesus cried with Mary and her mourners, now he has come to the tomb and again he is deeply moved.  It’s a hard thing when a friend dies.   Now the tomb that Lazarus was in was a cave with a stone laid against it. 

Then Jesus did the unexpected “Take away the stone.”

This cause the obvious hesitation.   Martha was the one who spoke up “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.”

Jesus stopped her though with a gentle reminder.  “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” Such a nice reminder eh?   You will see the glory of God.  Oh.. I wish I was a fly on Martha’s mind.   To know what she thought at that exact moment.  

But the people listened, they  took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” I read these words and I got to thinking, when I pray, do I pray only to God or do I pray to benefit those around me as well.   Jesus thanked God for hearing him, even though he knew that God always did hear him, but he said it so that those gathered there would know it as well.   His goal?  That they would believe that God sent him (Jesus) to them.   It’s always comes down to that with Jesus eh?  He does what he must to encourage true faith in him. ALWAYS.   I have so much to learn from him. 

Anyways, getting back to the passage again.  🙂  Jesus next move was to cry out with a loud voice “Lazarus, come out.” Did Jesus have to use a loud voice?  He probably could have whispered, but by talking loudly everyone present could hear him clearly. Remember his end goal is to develop faith in those listening.  And miracles of miracles, Lazarus came out of the tomb.  Hands and feet all bound up in linen strips, face wrapped in cloth. But out he came. This man Lazarus who had died CAME OUT.

Can you just imagine the shock?  I can just imagine the stunned silence, followed by Jesus filling it with a needed command “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Would have been necessary eh?   To get those tightly wrapped burial clothes off him, help him to breathe and move?  Have the light of day shine on him again after being sick and then dead. 

Jesus took care of them all.  Helping Martha realize more of who he is, sympathizing with Mary and then raising Lazarus from the dead. 

Lazarus died, God’s glory to be seen and Thomas is ready to die with the Lord Jesus was the topic of the first part of John 11. Our passage today is John 11:17-27.

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Jesus delayed two days going to see Lazarus but today’s passage tells us the Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days already.   This makes me wonder if Lazarus died shortly after he got the call to come.  Would it take Jesus four days to walk to their place?   I don’t know how long it would have taken.  Even if it took two days, that puts Lazarus’ death shortly after he got sick. 

Regardless of how long it took, by the time he got there many of the Jews in the area had come to console Mary and Martha.  It’s hard when a loved one dies and so folks where coming to offer their sympathies.  They would have had a houseful of folk, but Martha saw him coming.  She didn’t sit and wait for him to come but went out to meet him.  Mary stayed behind. 

Remember Martha?  She’s the one who liked to take action, and here she is again, taking action.  She wanted to let Jesus know that he could have saved Lazarus if he had come.  Even now she knows that God will do whatever he asks.  

Jesus surprises her I think though when he says “Your brother will rise again.”  For Martha says, indeed he will, in the resurrection.  Jesus corrected her though.   Telling her that HE is the resurrection and the life.   He went on to explain that  “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”  And then asked her  “Do you believe this?”  The beauty of this passage is this: she clearly stated her faith in him, as Christ, the Son of God. 

Isn’t that a great statement?   To be able to clearly say that you know that Christ is the Son of God.  When you’ve just heard him say that he is the resurrection and life, belief in him means eternal life.   Oh, Martha knew it!  She believed it, and it’s a grand thing to hear. 

Don’t you just love reading statements of faith?

Last time we saw that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who will lay down his life for his sheep.   Today we’ll be discussing John 10:22-41.

²² At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³ and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. ²⁴ So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”²⁵ Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, ²⁶ but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. ²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”

³¹ The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. ³² Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” ³³ The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” ³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? ³⁵ If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken—³⁶ do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? ³⁷ If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; ³⁸ but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” ³⁹ Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.

⁴⁰ He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. ⁴¹ And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” ⁴² And many believed in him there.

Did you know that The Feast of Dedication, was once called the Feast of the Maccabees?  It is an eight-day winter festival celebrated by the Jews in the month of December or sometimes late November, depending on the  Jewish calendar. Today, this festival is called Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights.

Anyways, we aren’t told where in the Festival timeline we are at, only that it’s being held in Jerusalem.  It’s winter and Jesus was walking in the temple. The Jewish people gathered around him with a question “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 

Jesus continues with the sheep/shepherd picture. Again emphasizing that he and God the Father are one.  He gives eternal life to his sheep, his sheep follow him, and they will remain his sheep forever.  No one will be able to take them away from him.

^{As before, such a statement had the Jews wanting to stone him.  This blasphemy (in their eyes) because of a man making himself out to be God.   That was worth stoning a man for.} 

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? ³⁵ If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken—³⁶ do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? ³⁷ If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; ³⁸ but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

I find that an interesting line.  Even if “you don’t believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”   Brings back to mind a story about a devout Christian, who despite the actions and attitudes of those around him, continued to live out his faith, being kind to folks and showing basically Christ to them in how he lived.  When finally, after years of being mocked, someone finally listened to him, asking why he did what he did regardless… his actions proved Christ to the person asking.

I don’t know, It just kinda screams out at me here how important it is to actually ACT like a believer.  To actually do what God would have us go even if those around us don’t want to hear the words we speak.  If they won’t listen, at least they can watch right?

I do knoe the Jewish people there in the mob weren’t happy with Jesus, wanting him to be arrested.   They just couldn’t do so since Jesus escaped from them.

Anyways, he went over the Jordan to where John the Baptizer had first been working.  He stayed there a spell being visited by many people, some of those folks believed in him,. partily because of the testimony of John the Baptizer.