seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
John 12:1 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[a] 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.[b]” 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,[c] but you will not always have me.”
9 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.
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
“Hosanna![d]”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[e]
“Blessed is the king of Israel!”
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:
16 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 these things had been done to him.
17 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. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”
20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, 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. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
27 “Now my soul 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. 28 Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
30 Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up[g] from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
34 The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
35 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. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. 36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 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?”[h]
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”[h]
39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
40 “He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
nor understand with their hearts,
nor turn—and I would heal them.”[i]
and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
nor understand with their hearts,
nor turn—and I would heal them.”[i]
41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God.
44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
47 “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”
a. John 12:3 Or about 0.5 liter
b, John 12:5 Greek three hundred denarii
c. John 12:8 See Deut. 15:11.
d. John 12:13 A Hebrew expression meaning “Save!” which became an exclamation of praise
e. John 12:13 Psalm 118:25,26
f. John 12:15 Zech. 9:9
g. John 12:32 The Greek for lifted up also means exalted.
h. John 12:38 Isaiah 53:1
i. John 12:40 Isaiah 6:10
I started with reading the enduringworld.com site commentary.... but that just didn't explain everything for me. I had more questions than answers. So I went to the easy English.... and of course it was plain English.
When Jesus returned for the Passover, he stayed again with his friends called Mary, Martha and Lazarus. They had a special meal and Jesus was the most important guest there. Probably, they wanted to thank him because of what he did on behalf of Lazarus.
In some ways, the situation was similar to a different occasion that Luke described in his Gospel (Luke 10:38-42 John 11:17-27). In Luke’s account, Martha was busy with practical tasks. But Mary sat with Jesus. She listened to him as he spoke. She was learning from him. Martha complained to Jesus because Mary was not helping her. But Jesus said that Mary was right. She knew what was more important.
In John’s account of this other occasion, Martha was doing practical tasks again. But this time she did not complain about Mary. However, Mary did something that would have caused shock to everybody there. She took a very expensive bottle of perfume and she poured it over Jesus’ feet. It was the custom to put perfume on a guest’s head. But it was not usual to pour a whole bottle of perfume over a guest’s feet. And this particular perfume was worth as much as some workers earned in a year!
Then Mary did something else that was very unusual. She uncovered her hair and she wiped Jesus’ feet with it. Jewish women always covered their hair in public. Only prostitutes (women who sold their bodies for sex) did not cover their hair. So for Mary to show her hair like this would have offended people, too.
Yesterday I read that Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead and I wondered if he would always stink from the rot of the grave. Well..... today Mary is pouring a whole bottle of very expensive perfume on the feet of her guest, Jesus. So maybe it was to perfume His air so He could eat without the smell of rot...... I wonder.... was she just being a kind disciple.... or was she using that perfume to make the meal after the raising of Lazarus edible for her special guest. Her hair would have acted like a wick to releasing the perfume constantly. [The commentary continues with Judas throwing a temper tantrum]
Jesus did not agree with Judas. This probably surprised Judas and the other people there because Jesus always helped poor people. But Mary’s act of love had a spiritual meaning. It was like a prophecy. People poured expensive perfume over a dead body before they put the body in a grave. So, although she probably did not realise it, Mary was prophesying about Jesus’ death. Also, she was showing in public that she had faith in him. She was giving him the best and most precious thing that she possessed.
Jesus was not telling people to spend money on him. And he did not tell people that they should not give to poor people. But Jesus was praising Mary because of what she did on this particular occasion. And he warned the people that, soon, he would not still be with them. But there would always be opportunities to help poor people.
The Jewish leaders wanted to kill Jesus. They did not believe that he is God. So they thought that they had a reason to kill him. But Lazarus had not done anything! However, the fact that he was alive was evidence of Jesus’ power over even death. Nobody could deny the miracle that Jesus had done. Lazarus himself was the chief witness. So the leaders wanted to murder Lazarus, too. This wrong attitude to Jesus had caused them to plot another evil act.
This passage records the final words that Jesus spoke to the people about himself. The next time that he spoke in public was at his trial.
He repeated the most important parts of his message. He told them again that God had sent him to the earth. And when people looked at him, they were really seeing God. He reminded them that he was like a light for everybody. He gave them a choice. They could believe in him and have his light to guide them. Otherwise they could remain in their sinful ways, which is like darkness.
Jesus emphasised that he had not come to judge people. Instead, he had come to save people. Everybody had sinned. Therefore everybody deserves that God condemns them. But Jesus came to save us from this punishment.
Maybe it wasn't the cost of the perfume that got to Judas. Maybe Judas was like the Sadducees who didn't believe in resurrection. Maybe Judas was upset by the whole Lazarus raising event. Maybe Judas was one of those who believe it's wrong to go messing with the dead. Maybe Judas was not as upset about the idea of using perfume to cover the rotten smell Lazarus was letting out..... but with the idea that Lazarus is alive at all. Maybe Judas was saying to himself "If He would just stick to preaching and passing the hat.... everything would be just fine".... Maybe Judas was saying "But Noooohhh.... Jesus had to go raising a stinky corps out of a tomb.... and then Jesus wants us to go eat in that stinky place.... it'll cost a fortune to get rid of that stench"......
Jesus had a Mission. He was here to deliver the antidote to death. He had to be arrested, beaten, hung on a cross, crucified, laid in a borrowed tomb.... and then the antidote could be tested.... allowing Him to walk out.... alive and well. Jesus had to keep His eye on the Mission. Raising Lazarus could have messed things up for Jesus. I bet Jesus might have given a nanosecond to consider giving Lazarus the antidote...... but Jesus didn't stop the death of Lazarus [like I think He did with the little girl and the Roman officer's servant]. Lazarus was stinky rotten in the grave.... and Jesus brought him back. It wasn't eternal life.... that antidote was not tested or delivered yet.... it was a miracle.... plain and simple.
Jesus said there will always be poor people.... sick people... dying people.... and Jesus just could not visit every single one of them. It would have been easy for Jesus to pick up those who believed in Him and His Mission.... and transport them to Heaven for an eternal life right where they stand.... He is after all the Son of the Living God, who created everything... including the space where everything resides.
Jesus said there will always be people who didn't accept His Mission. They would hate anything He did.... even though He did it for them. He knew there were always going to be mean, doubting, pathetic creatures.... addicted to money, pride, power, and self centered egos..... as long as people lived and died.... with no future... no hope.... no Salvation.... there would be demons whispering in the ears of humans..
Yep.... I figure all this was laid out for Him.... while God was still counting the hairs to put in Mary's scalp as He sculpted her..... God told Jesus that she would be in Bethany and that she would be integral.... she would be part of starting the ball rolling.....
