The Plot to Kill Lazarus

Lesson #189

We come to a short section, defined by John 12:9 – 11, where we learn about plans the Jews have to kill Lazarus. “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” (John 12:9 ESV). Two reasons are given to explain the large crowd of Jews. First, they learned that Jesus was there and as a result of his ability to raise Lazarus from being dead for several days, he was now even more famous. Second, they came to see Lazarus, who Jesus had raised. They probably wondered if he was any different now than before dying and they probably wondered if he would have anything to say about the experience of being dead and now alive again. But I think there is a third reason why the crowd has gathered; would Jesus do or say something spectacular. I believe that most in the crowd came out of respect, not to seize him or to cause trouble. Jesus claims to be the Christ, the Messiah and where he is people will gather. Jesus also claims to be a king and where a king is there is a court.

If we were to sit back and think of reasons why you might be encouraged to come, you might come up with reasons like, being curious, or maybe you have some question to ask them since they are both there, or maybe it will be a time to strengthen your faith. Maybe you are hoping to learn something about the other side of death. There can be many reasons why you might take the time to go.

“So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus” (John 12:10 – 11 ESV). Seeing Jesus and Lazarus together caused many of the Jews to leave believing in Jesus. This did not sit well with Jewish leaders so they made plans to put Lazarus to death to remove the evidence of a miracle. It is hard to believe that in the face of such undeniable facts these religious leaders are unwilling to allow their beliefs to change. They would rather destroy the evidence than change their minds. This is not rational behavior, but that is what sin is capable of producing. Let this be a warning for us to keep short accounts. Always keep before you Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (NASB). Simply put, I must get out of the way to allow Jesus Christ to live in and through me. That must be the goal of every believer.

Enough said about this short section. Next time we will begin the next section, which covers the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

Prayer

Father, I pray for my readers, that they will take enough time to understand what Jesus is trying to teach; that they would be willing to set aside tradition or incorrect beliefs, when necessary, and out love for God be willing to obey the word that is before them. Father, I pray for any needs my readers might have, that you would provide for those needs is such a way that they would grow spiritually and that their walk with the Lord would be closer. I pray for your blessing upon them for their love and obedience before you. I pray that what I write in these lessons is worth the time to read and will be a benefit to them and help prepare them for eternity. 

Jesus Rebukes Judas

Lesson #178

Before moving ahead to the next verse, let us stop and think about the difference between Mary and Judas. Mary’s response to the worth of Jesus was with a heart full of wonder, thankfulness and joy overflowing in lavish demonstrations of affection.  Judas felt none of that but valued money more than he valued Jesus; Mary loved Jesus; Judas loved money.

After Judas dishonored Mary for her costly, precious act of devotion toward Jesus, “Jesus [then] said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”” (John 12:7 – 8 ESV). Jesus quickly speaks up in defense of Mary and instructs Judas to leave her alone. The words of Judas were hurtful words toward Mary and they were words that revealed the sinful heart of one not devoted to Jesus. I think Judas is beginning to realize that Jesus is not who he thought he was; a Messiah to establish an earthly kingdom to free the Jews from the control of Rome. As treasurer, Judas had a growing interest in such a kingdom because it would fuel his greed. This excessive devotion to Jesus by Mary was seen by Judas as a waste and misdirection of resources. Mary sees this as a time of worship; Judas sees it as a business opportunity gone wrong. As the Jews plot to kill Jesus, Judas sees his dream of a position of wealth in this earthly kingdom fading and as a result his heart is growing cold and hard against Jesus.

The next phrase, “so that she may keep it for the day of my burial,” is difficult to explain because of disagreement among commentaries. John did not make it clear what Jesus meant by this statement, and as a result commentators have different views. To use the whole amount to anoint the feet of Jesus and then wipe them with her hair would seem to be way too ointment for feet and hair. To anoint his feet now and then his head several days later at Simon’s house would still seem to be too much. So maybe she used it to anoint his feet here at their home, then used some to anoint his head at Simon’s house and then used the remaining amount for his burial. Only in the Gospel of Mark is it reported that she broke the flask. It is this one detail that causes commentators to ignore the day difference and location difference and opt for one event. Since Mark is the only one that reports this detail and since it causes so much trouble I have to set it aside for now and say that I don’t know what Mark actually saw.

Jesus makes reference to the poor that Judas mentioned; “the poor you will always have with you,” points back to Deuteronomy 15:11: “For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore, I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’” (ESV). Jesus is not discouraging helping the poor, but the focus now is to be on Jesus, who doesn’t have much time left before the cross. Mary seems to know the time is short and she is at work helping to prepare the stage for coming events. Time is short and Jesus still has much to do before the cross.

Prayer

Father, I see Mary in a state of worship and Judas as a disruption. We were created to worship God, and the powers of darkness are constantly at work to distract us. I find the more committed we are to a life of obedience, the greater the pressure from the enemy. I notice that as my brothers and sisters, in other countries, are obedient in sharing the Gospel, they face danger, possible loss of all earthly possessions, and possibly even the loss of life. This tension I see between the activities of Mary and of Judas is a reality for the one who faithfully walks with the Lord. Father, have mercy on believers here in the west as we try to live in safety and comfort in the face of this tension. Help us stay focused, as Jesus demonstrates in his rebuke to Judas, and be willing to pay the price of obedience. 

Mary’s Heart of Devotion

Lesson #178

I thought I was finished with verse 3 at the end of the last lesson, but when I opened my Bible I looked at the note in the margin and noticed that reference was made to another anointing in both Matthew 26:7 and Mark 14:3. The margin note claims that the unnamed woman in both the Matthew and the Mark account was Mary and that she anointed both the head and the feet of Jesus. I decided to check the references and see and when I did I saw a problem; both the time of the anointing and the location was different. It appears that Mary anointed the feet of Jesus six days before Passover at their home and in the Matthew and Mark account, the event occurred two days before Passover and in the house of Simon the leper. From what Bible scholars say, I agree that the woman was Mary, but I don’t think I can accept the general consensus that it was the same event. I don’t think Martha would be serving dinner at Simon’s home and I have a problem with the day difference. I think there were two events, to show respect at both homes and I think the same container of ointment was used for both.

I wanted to include these thoughts at the beginning of this lesson to point out the importance of careful Bible study. This lack of careful study seems to be normal in BFG Bible studies and, I believe, has produced a generation of Christians that do not know how to study the Bible and as a result know only the popular, pleasant events at the surface level covered in their study guide. As a result, we are not living as Biblical Christians, but as western cultural Christians and, I believe, this is going to result is Christians suffering greatly at the Judgment seat of Christ or disaster in the face of persecution. Enough on this, we need to return to our text.

With a complete lack of respect for what Mary has done, Judas speaks up and in so doing reveals the kind of person he was. “But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”” (John 12:4 – 5 ESV). Judas was one of the disciples, but not the same nature. Hidden under the disguise of having been chosen by Jesus to be trained by him, we find Judas with a very selfish heart. He has no intent to serve or to honor Jesus, but will look for opportunities to serve his own wants and desires. Here is one of those opportunities. With the great value of the ointment, estimated by some to be about $25,000 in today’s value, Judas felt Mary should have given the ointment to Jesus to be sold and the value given to the poor. I am sure he didn’t care about the poor, but since he took care of the money this would give him a chance to benefit financially. It seems that Mary had been saving up for this and indicates the depth of her devotion to Jesus. This was truly a sacrifice and an exceptional expression of love and honor.

John clarifies what we just said about Judas: “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” (John 12:6 ESV). Having lost this opportunity to have access to such wealth, Judas will be looking for another opportunity. John hints at this in verse 4 by saying that he will betray Jesus and that would involve money, as we will soon see.

Prayer

Father, what a powerful example Mary was in her devotion to Jesus. The focus of her heart’s devotion was so pure that she felt compelled to sacrifice in extravagance. There was no thought to hold back for herself. On the other hand, Judas had no intentions to honor Jesus, but only to gather value to himself. Father, how clear this lesson is for us to evaluate our heart and see if it is fully devoted to Jesus, or are we holding back some honor for ourselves. 

Mary Anoints Jesus

Lesson #187

With this lesson we will begin the first section of chapter 12, defined by John 12:1 – 8. We open this chapter with the anointing of Jesus by Mary of Bethany, which casts a long shadow over the imminent arrest of Jesus, his trial, condemnation, crucifixion and burial. Let us return to our text and watch the drama unfold.

“Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead” (John 12:1 ESV). We are just six days before the Passover, the time when Jesus will die. In John 11:57, the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders for his arrest and Jesus and his disciples left the area for some down time. Now Jesus is back in the general region in which he was condemned to die. Since Jesus has moved from his hiding place of safety to a place of increased danger, we know that time is near for the event his Father sent him to attend; his crucifixion.

Upon his return to Bethany he went to see Mary, Martha and Lazarus, whom Jesus rad raised from the dead; “So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table” (John 12:2 ESV). This dinner appears to be a time to thank Jesus for raising Lazarus from the dead, but through the guidance of the Spirit it will turn to focus on the amazing power of Jesus, who raised Lazarus from the dead, who is reclining at the table with them. As expected, we find Martha in her usual place of organizing the meal and making sure everyone is well served. We find Mary preparing to express her heart in a lavish way by anointing Jesus and we find Lazarus quietly watching the one who gave him life to see what will happen next.

“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” (John 12:3 ESV). When you encounter the word “therefore” you must stop and ask, “What is it there for?” In this case the therefore points back to the purpose of the dinner, which was to thank Jesus for raising Lazarus from the dead. On this side of therefore we see Mary expressing her thanks by pouring on the feet of Jesus a rather large amount of expensive ointment and then wiping his feet with her hair.

In their own way, each sister expressed their thanks to Jesus. Martha by organizing the meal and making sure everyone is well served and Mary in her loving fashion, anointing the feet of Jesus. Here is a good reminder for us to look back and remember what we are thankful for and in our own unique way thank God for what he has done for us.

Not everyone at the dinner was pleased over what Mary did: “But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, . . .” What he said and why we will look at in our next lesson.

Prayer

Father, this lesson reminds me of the importance to thank those who have been a blessing in my life. I need to consider all that God has done for me and out of love for him I need to graciously thank him. Father, as I continue to think about what Mary did, I notice that her thanks pointed to the death of Jesus and also cost her a great deal. Her thanks reflected a sincere and mature heart and set an example for us. 

Be On the Lookout

Lesson #186

With this lesson we will cover the last section of chapter 11, defined by John 11:54 – 57. Now that the Jewish leaders have decided to make plans to put Jesus to death; “Thus Jesus no longer went around publicly among the Judeans, but went away from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples” (John 11:54 NET). Now that the Jews had already determined to put Jesus to death, they only needed to determine how and when they would do it. As a result, Jesus kept a lower public profile by leaving the area and going to a region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim. It is not clear where Ephraim was located at that time. The important point is that Jesus went there with his disciples to get away from the public, particularly the Jews.

“Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves” (John 11:55 ESV). This is the third and final Passover mentioned by John; the first was at John 2:13 and the second was at John 6:4. It seems that many people voluntarily went up to Jerusalem to purify themselves to prepare themselves for the Passover celebration. They went up to Jerusalem, not simply to Jerusalem because Jerusalem was higher in elevation than the country side around it.

As people arrived; “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?”” (John 11:56 ESV). Because of the miracles Jesus has performed and the things he has said, he had become a famous person among the people and as a result they are always on the lookout for him. This time is no exception as John says the people were looking for Jesus there in Jerusalem and since they didn’t find him they were wondering whether he would come or not since the Jews had determined to kill him.

“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” (John 11:57 ESV). The chief priest and the Pharisees had formulated a plan to arrest Jesus when he arrives. They had given orders for people to be on the outlook and if anyone sees him they are to notify them. What they plan to charge him with is not yet clear.

Prayer

Father, we have kind of come to a break in the drama, to an intermission, waiting for the stage to be reset and the curtain to be drawn back and the drama to press on in intensity as we draw closer and closer to the cross. Jesus had come to die, not to live so that through his death and resurrection we could have eternal life. You called us out of darkness into your marvelous light to receive mercy; to go forth as your chosen people to proclaim your excellencies to those around us. Lord, show me mercy as I endeavor to do this with a surrendered life. 

The Prophetic Words of Caiaphas

Lesson #185

In out last lesson, Caiaphas presented a plan that would sacrifice one man and thus protect them and the whole nation from danger at the hands of the Romans. “He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad” (John 11:51 – 52 ESV). When Caiaphas spoke he spoke as with two tongues. With one tongue he spoke of a cruel design, which he had formulated in his mind, of putting Christ to death, but the words spoken were influenced by God, as a second tongue, to utter a prediction. God chose Caiaphas, who was high priest at the time, to say that Jesus would die for the people.

I am sure Caiaphas saw that death as a means of providing safety for the Jewish people and their nation by removing a growing problem seen by the Romans, not what God intended to purchase with that death. Little did he understand that sacrificing Jesus on the cross would purchase the salvation of many, gathering into one body, the church, the children of God. God’s plan was to send his Son into the world as Jesus, who would reveal who he was through the spoken word backed up with miracles. He knew that sinful people would turn against one who lived a sinless life and would thus provide the means of delivering Jesus to his death on the cross to complete the work necessary for our salvation. As we have followed Jesus in our lessons, we see God’s hand insuring that his plan would be carried out exactly. In the beginning when God the Father decided who he would choose for salvation, he also determined what we would be at the end of our life. We have the freedom to determine how we will walk with God through life, but the course we take will be under his guidance and control. As Jesus was sent into the world to accomplish work for God, he likewise sends us into the world to accomplish work. The end points of Jesus and us has been determined and assured by God. The clearer I see this through these studies, the more desirous I am to do his work.

“So from that day on they made plans to put him to death” (John 11:53 ESV). The evil workers of darkness would be employed by God to provide the means to get Jesus to the cross, but as we will see later, they did not have the authority to actually kill him. Jesus would, at the point his work was finished, voluntary give up his life at the time appointed by God.

Prayer

Father, in preparing this lesson I realize how little is said today about the sovereignty of God. In the western church it seems as though we are focused on ourselves, not on what work God had planned for us to do. We seem to think that life is for our pleasure and comfort, not in possible hard work and suffering to advance the kingdom of your beloved Son. With these studies I learn more and more about your plan for Jesus and as I look back in my life, I see how your plan was for me to teach Bible in China over an eight-year period. Never in my wildest dreams could I have ever imagined doing that, but it was part of your sovereign will for me. Thank you for the experience and the joy of spending that time with you and people in a foreign culture. 

The Decision to Kill Jesus

Lesson #184

At the end of our last lesson, we were told that some of the Jews “went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.” “So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 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.”” (John 11:47 – 48 ESV). The religious leaders come together and prove that they are controlled by the powers of darkness by what they say. They confess that Jesus performs many signs that demonstrate his divine power, but they do not accept the fact that God is in their midst and desires to reveal great and marvelous things to them. They do not consider what God wants to accomplish in and through them, but instead they think of the potential loss of power and prestige as people believe in and follow Jesus in this new expression of religion. Clearly they are not true shepherds because they are not interested in leading people to God, but to keep them under their control. They are afraid that if people leave Judaism and establish this Christian form of worship and witness under Jesus Christ, that the Romans will come and remove their temple and control in their nation. These Jewish leaders are willing to oppose God and what he wants to accomplish in the hearts and lives of people to maintain their own position of glory. Clearly they have given up God’s call for them to represent him to the people they were asked to shepherd. They clearly are not willing to humble themselves to serve the people, as Jesus is, but to seek glory that is rightfully God’s.

As they make fools out of themselves, “. . . one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 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.”” (John 11:49 – 50 ESV). What Jesus is doing is unconventional; it is radical. It is a behavior that is outside of their belief and their comfort zone. Their religion is neatly packages in a box with secure walls and provides them with a measure of safety. It is Jesus who has the potential of unsetting the Romans and thus their wrath against them. Since Jesus is the problem, Caiaphas presents a brilliant plan; eliminate that which has the potential of upsetting the Romans; kill Jesus. With this plan, only one person needs to die, the trouble makes, bringing the situation back to normal, thus protecting them and the people from possible destruction. This is indeed a brilliant plan as it eliminates the one they all hate so much.

Prayer

Father, I see a similar thinking with the radical Islam believers, who are convinced that Allah is the one true God, who believe Muhammad is the true prophet and teacher of Islam, and who feel threatened by Christians. Just as the Jews decided to eliminate Jesus and his threat to them, these terrorists have decided to eliminate Christians. Father, the persecution that Jesus experienced and that Christians experience today I see as a normal expression of the sinful nature of humans. The normal expression of sin is to hate God and without your intervention in our lives, I am convinced that no one has the ability on his own to come to Christ. Father, thank you for your provision, in Jesus Christ, for our salvation.