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. 

Power of the Spoken Word

Lesson #183

We ended the last lesson at John 11:43: “When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.”” (ESV). In the beginning God said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3). The universe came into existence by God speaking it into existence.  “He (Jesus) was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:2 – 3 ESV). It appears that Jesus was the one who spoke and out of nothing came everything. “He was in the world, and the world was made through him” (John 1:10a ESV). God created everything, but the Father and the Spirit worked through Jesus who spoke the words; he who is known as the Word of God (John 1:1). Getting closer to our text, “Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way” (John 4:50 ESV). Jesus who spoke the universe into existence can surely speak a person back to life. Here, Jesus cries out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” Should we not expect Lazarus to come out?

“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.”” (John 11:44 ESV). John is rather short on words here, saying only that the man who had died came out. Nothing was recorded about Lazarus’s reaction or any of the aftermath of his raising. Nothing was said about how Lazarus came out with his hands and feet bound with linen strips and his face wrapped with a cloth, but in reality these are but details we can live without. The important thing is that Jesus spoke and that which was decomposing is now alive and well. Jesus, as the resurrection, will speak and the decomposed bodies of those in Christ will rise to inherit perfect bodies to house our perfect souls and conclude our salvation. Jesus then gives one last instruction to unbind Lazarus and let him go.

You can imagine the divided response that occurred as a result of this miracle? Let us start the next section of this chapter, defined by John 11:45 – 53, and see what the reactions are. “Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done” (John 11:45 – 46 ESV). As we have seen in the past, when Jesus performs a miracle we have those who believe in him and we have those who do not and oppose him. This division exists even to this day and is so clear in many countries in the world where persecution continues to grow in intensity.

Prayer

Father, I pray for my readers that you would bless them through the word that is contained in each lesson. I pray that it would not return empty, but that it would accomplish that purpose for which it was sent. I pray that along with me, these lessons would draw us closer in our walk with the Lord; that we would learn more about who the real Jesus is and his love and provision for us. 

The Preparation and the Call

Lesson #182

In our last lesson we started the next section, defined by John 11:38 – 44. The section begins with Jesus giving instructions to remove the stone that blocked the entryway to the tomb followed by Martha’s concern that maybe that was not such a good idea because surely by this time the body would begin to smell or as some translations say, “stink.” We will pick up the conversation at this point.

“Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”” (John 11:40 ESV). Jesus reminds Martha of their earlier conversation in which they talked about he being the resurrection, but Martha did not form a sufficient hope to expect some kind of miracle at this point. It seems that Jesus and Martha had more conversation than John recorded and from that conversation Jesus made it clear that if Martha believed what Jesus said, then she should now be expecting to see the glory of God. Are we not often like Martha when we read certain promises in the Bible? There is so much in our natural life, especially here in the west, that tends to interfere with our faith being able to live out the promise.

“So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 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.”” (John 11:41 – 42 ESV). Not knowing what to expect, the people are obedient and took away the stone. As Jesus lifts up his eyes toward heaven there must have been dead silence to hear and see what he was going to do. Jesus begins by addressing God as his Father and thanks him for being readily available to hear him. But Jesus said, “you have heard me” implying that Jesus has already been in prayer about what is soon to take place. Jesus and his Father are clearly on the same page and are about to do something very revolutionary. This preliminary conversation with his Father is for the benefit of the people standing around, that they would have a stronger understanding that Jesus is the Son of God and that he was sent by his Father to accomplish the necessary work to secure our salvation. The demonstration that is about to take place is to advance the understanding of what that work involves.

Having establish communication with his Father, in the hearing of the people, Jesus then “cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.”” (John 11:43 ESV). We will stop here and start the next lesson at this point.

Prayer

Father, the point that stood out for me in this lesson was the question, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” Lord, in our western culture in which we have so much it seems we seldom have no other options but to call out to you for help and then watch your hand provide. As I read the testimonies of those under persecution, I realize their walk with you is very different than my walk with you is. Persecution provides so many opportunities to believe and see your glory that we don’t have here. 

At the Tomb

Lesson #181

When Jesus saw Mary weeping at his feet and the Jews also weeping, he was greatly troubled and he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” (John 11:34 ESV). The pieces are coming together, emotions are sober, and Jesus has a gathering of people around him. He asks where they laid Lazarus and they told him to follow them and they would show him. As they near the tomb where Lazarus lay, the emotions of Jesus bubbled over and “Jesus wept” (John 11:34 ESV). This is the shortest verse in the Bible, but it demonstrates the humanity of Jesus.

As Jesus wept, “the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”” (John 11:35 – 36 ESV). Again the Jews are divided into two groups. The first group speaks with candor and modesty and point out the love Jesus had for Lazarus, but the second group maliciously slander him for not healing Lazarus to keep him from dying. If Jesus had the power to give sight to a man born blind, then surely, they reason, he could have prevented this death. They had expectations of what Jesus should have done and since he failed to meet these expectations, they now turn against him with complaint. Have you ever expected God to do something for you and when he didn’t your expectation turned into a complaint? We need to be careful not to subject God to the desires of our flesh and limit him from doing greater things for us in his time.

“Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it” (John 11:38 ESV). Jesus knows what he is going to do with Lazarus and as a result Lazarus will again have to experience physical death. Jesus also knows the hatred that will increase against him when he links the raising of Lazarus to him being the resurrection and he knows the extreme suffering he must endure when he takes upon himself our sin and drinks completely the cup of God’s wrath and then dies in our place to defeat the power of death.

“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.”” (John 11:39 ESV). Jesus moves into action and gives orders to take away the stone that sealed the tomb where Lazarus lay and when he does, Martha cries out in shock and disbelief. Her thoughts go to the decomposing body of her brother and wants things left as they are to take their natural course. There is no thought, based on her earlier conversation with Jesus about the resurrection, that Jesus could take his decomposing body and raise it again to good health. Her course of action is to leave things as they are, but in so doing she limits Jesus in the work he was sent to do. She fails to grasp the fact that standing before her is the eternal Son of God who spoke the universe into existence. Beyond this, Jesus must demonstrate and convince those present that he is the resurrection and that he has the power to raise from the grave all who die in him. Jesus needed this decomposing body of Lazarus as a means of demonstrating to all of us that one day our decomposed bodies will be raised as a perfect eternal body to house our eternal soul. What a glorious day that will be and being in Jesus we will experience that resurrection.

Prayer

Father, as I write about what Jesus is about to do with the decomposing body of Lazarus and realize that he will raise each one of our decomposed bodies to perfect eternal bodies to house our eternal souls, I get real excited. What Jesus is about to do is such a clear example that he is the resurrection and what he will do for us in the end. Praise the Lord! Thank you Jesus! 

Mary Goes to Meet Jesus

Lesson #180

In our last lesson, Martha had just informed Mary that Jesus was calling for her and quickly rose to go to him. “When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there” (John 11:31 ESV). I believe it was Martha’s intent to have Mary be alone with Jesus, but that wasn’t going to happen as the Jews who were in the house consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out so they followed her. They assumed she was going to the tomb to weep, but they soon found out differently. This may have been what Jesus was planning on because he wants the Jews to witness another miracle, designed to further their understanding of who he really is and why his Father sent him to earth.

“Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”” (John 11:32 ESV). Notice the difference in the approach of these two sisters when meeting Jesus. Martha faces Jesus and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”, but Mary fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” They both said the same thing, but their body language was quite different. I think Martha was showing more pride and that Jesus didn’t care enough to be there to meet their need. Mary shows some disappointment, but her posture reflects love and a measure of forgiveness.

“When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled” (John 11:33 ESV). Another difference between these two sisters is how they are affected by the death of their brother. Maratha doesn’t show much emotion and is very businesslike during this family tragedy. Mary, on the other hand, is deeply moved by the death of Lazarus; was the one morning and is the one now weeping at the feet of Jesus. The emotion of Mary was felt by the Jews and they weep along with her. This weeping caused Jesus to be deeply moved in his spirit and deeply troubled him. Maratha seems to stand out as being different from those gathered there. She is clearly the one in charge and seems to feels responsible to take care of things during this time of trial for the family. With Mary and the Jews, Jesus feels the emotion of the situation and that greatly troubles him.

Jesus may have been deeply trouble for several reasons. Jesus is also human and in his spirit he is troubled because by allowing the death of his friend he has brought such grief and caused such suffering for his friends. Jesus may also feel some anger at the evil of death and have thoughts about his suffering, which is needed to allow the power of God to flow through him in overcoming death. Jesus knows his plans for Lazarus and how he will use the miracle of raising him to demonstrate that he is the resurrection. Jesus knows that this will bring him one big step closer to his death on the cross.

Let us stop here and finish up this section in our next lesson when we will try to answer the question, “Why did Jesus weep?”

Prayer

Father, I am touched by the difference in the approach of these two sisters toward Jesus. Maratha seems upset that Jesus failed to meet her expectations concerning Lazarus. Mary was disappointed, but in humility and love she was at his feet weeping. Martha seems to desire control and results, but Mary is willing to surrender and see what is next. Of these two, Mary is my encourager. I desire her humble, teachable spirit.  

The Conversation Between Martha and Jesus

Lesson #179

Up to this point, Jesus has raised people, who have died physically, back to physical life without any connection to their spiritual life. The time has now come when Jesus must include the spiritual dimension. He introduces this concept when he said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26 ESV). Notice the wording Jesus uses. He does not say he will bring about the resurrection or that he will be the cause of the resurrection, but he says something much stronger; he says, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Jesus is connecting the resurrection from the dead to an eternal fellowship with God and it occurs only through a relationship with him. This relationship with Jesus is established as of necessity by his statement, “Whoever believes in me.” This resurrection will not occur apart from Jesus Christ. The one who will experience the resurrection is the one who has eternal life before he or she dies, who lives on after physical death. The resurrection will then provide a new, perfect body to complete our salvation. If you are only born physically you will experience two deaths: spiritual and physical. If you are born both physically and spiritually you will experience only one death: physical death. You must be born twice in order to be a new creature in Christ to which a resurrection body can become a part of and that second birth occurs only in relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus asks Martha if she believes this to which she says, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” (John 11:27 ESV). She says she believes, but she limits her belief to Jesus being the Son of God the one who is coming into the world and does not include the aspect of he being the resurrection. We will see shortly that she still has more to learn.

We will finish this lesson by beginning the next section, which is defined by John 11:28-37.

After having this conversation with Jesus on the road into Bethany, Maratha “went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”” (John 11:28 ESV). From this verse it is easy to conclude that Martha is concerned about the safety of Jesus, because she went, not she and Jesus, to Mary and in private she told her about Jesus calling for her. It appears that Martha is trying to get Jesus and Mary together without a large crowd. Referring to Jesus as “The Teacher” was a natural way for any disciple of Jesus to refer to him at that time.

“And when [Mary] heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him” (John 11:29-30 ESV). Martha disrupts Mary’s grieving to inform her about Jesus, which prompts her to quickly go to meet him. As we suspected earlier, Jesus waited to meet Mary outside of the village, where he had talked with Martha.

We will see next time that Mary wasn’t alone when she went to meet with Jesus.

Prayer

Father, as I prepare this lesson I am touched by Martha’s struggle in trying to grasp the concept of Jesus being the resurrection, not just the one who will bring it about or cause it to happen. In thinking about this I realize that since he is the resurrection and the life, I have to be in him and he in me if I am to experience the resurrection. The resurrection is a process that occurs in him, not external to him. Apart from Jesus there is no resurrection; simply eternal death apart from God. 

Maratha Meets Jesus On the Road

Lesson #178

“Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days” (John 11:17 ESV). Since there is no mention that Lazarus was embalmed, as is sometimes the custom, and since Martha tells Jesus at the tomb that the body would stink by now, it is assumed that he wasn’t and that he was buried shortly after his death.

“Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother” (John 11:18 – 19 ESV). Since Bethany was so close to Jerusalem, many of the Jews went to Bethany to console Martha and Mary concerning the death of their brother. Word had also gotten back to Bethany that Jesus was on his way, “So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house” (John 11:20 ESV). We know from Luke 10:40, that Martha was entrusted with the management of the affairs of the family and as a result she felt responsible to go and meet Jesus, probably without notifying Mary. The fact that Mary remained seated in the house, the posture for grieving at that time, indicates she was totally absorbed in the grieving process.

Martha finally intercepts Jesus and immediately says to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”” (John 11:21 – 22 ESV). How do you suppose Martha said “Lord”? Was she upset; did her voice reflect that she was unhappy with Jesus for his lack of concern for Lazarus? Remember this and compare it with what Mary does and says when she meets Jesus. Martha, in a way, blames Jesus for the death of Lazarus when she said, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Surely, Martha had seen Jesus heal others and because of his love for them she easily concluded that had Jesus been there he would have healed him, restoring him back to good health, but Jesus wasn’t there and Lazarus died.

The rest of Maratha’s statement is rather interesting. It sounds as though she thinks he might, even at this late time, raise him up and restore his health. However, we will soon see that this thought is not supported by much faith on her part. Jesus picks up on this thought and said to her, “Your brother will rise again” (John 11:23 ESV). To Maratha, that statement did not suggest that Jesus would raise Lazarus now, but later, because she said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day” (John 11:24 ESV). Jesus then makes it clear that he is about to do something that will reveal more about who he is and what he is capable of doing. We will look at that in the next lesson.

Prayer

Father, as I think about Maratha’s responds to Jesus I sense that she hopes Jesus might, even at this late date, raise Lazarus and return him to good physical health, but in response to Jesus telling her that Lazarus would rise again, she lacks the faith to claim what she was hoping for and succumbs to him being raised at the resurrection on the last day. Father, this lack of faith, displayed by Martha, is quite like our western faith, which is quite lukewarm when compared to those who, in other cultures, are able to live out their faith. After teaching in China, I am painfully aware of this in my own life and seek your help in overcoming this weakness. 

We Go So that You May Believe

Lesson #177

We ended the last lesson with the disciples thinking that Lazarus was alive and having a restful sleep, but, “Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”” (John 11:14-15 ESV). There are some who question the death of Lazarus, but Jesus makes it very clear, “Lazarus has died” and his death was, I am sure, not an easy thing. Do you anticipate your death to be an easy thing, something you think will be a pleasant experience? Lazarus was sick and any sickness that snuffs our life is not something you would call pleasant. If Jesus loved this family so deeply, then why did he allow Lazarus to suffer unto death like this. How is this love to set Lazarus up to suffer and die and cause grief among family and friends?

Jesus also made it clear in his statement to his disciples, that he is glad that he was not there while Lazarus was sick, because if he was he would be expected to heal him. Jesus did not want to heal him, but wanted him dead because he wanted to demonstrate his power in physically raising Lazarus from the dead and use that as an illustration of his ability to raise all believers and provide them with perfect bodies in heaven. Jesus had planned this event to help his disciples, and others, believe. Now that we know that the death of Lazarus was planned for a purpose, we are ready to go visit the family of the deceased and learn from Jesus. But I am not so sure about the disciples: “So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”” (John 11:16 ESV). The disciples had no clue what Jesus was going to do. Their main concern was their safety. Think about their lack of faith. They were with Jesus in the boat in the midst of a mighty storm and witnessed his power in subduing the storm, so why couldn’t they believe he could protect them from an angry mob?

This brings us to the end of the first major section of chapter 11, defined by John 11:1 – 16. We will finish this lesson by starting the next major section of chapter 11, defined by John 11:17 – 27. In this section we find another I AM statement Jesus claims for himself. In John 11:25, Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life,” which is the fifth in a series of seven. For further information on the “I AM” statements of Jesus see Lesson #137.

Prayer

Lord, the thing that stood out in this lesson is how at times you allow us to go through suffering for various reasons. You may want to reveal something about what we are like, about how we are growing or maybe not growing; you may want to reveal to us something about yourself that we need to know; maybe you want to teach us something or grow our faith; maybe it is something else like what Job went through, but whatever it is, it will be for our benefit as we will see in coming lessons when you raise Lazarus from the dead.