Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this Friday which leads us to Palm Sunday weekend,
We’re traveling these days with Jesus and His disciples and other friends, as they’re on their way to Jerusalem for that historic Passover/Easter weekend about 2000 years ago! Yesterday I left you watching the children of two towns Bethany and Bethpage, come running to greet Jesus as they could see the little crowd coming down the road.
It’s not difficult for me to imagine kids in every town so excited to see Jesus and of course asking Jesus the questions only kids can ask. Questions like… “Hey Jesus, what great miracle are you going to do in our town today?” or “Hi Jesus, we’ve missed you, where have you been and what exciting things did you do there?” or maybe “Hey Jesus, have you walked on the water lately, or maybe flown like a bird up in the sky?” Kids, don’t you love their fun loving, innocent ways of looking at life with all its problems?
John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, tells us when they arrived in Bethany, Jesus and these traveling friends with Him were welcomed once again at the home of their dear friends Mary, Martha and their brother Lazarus. This time, of course, the reunion would have been very special for only a few weeks before, on His last visit to this town, Jesus had called Lazarus out of his death tomb where his dead body had been laid several days before! (John 11:38-44)
No one who had been present that day would ever forget it, and by now the story had spread with great enthusiasm to every person in Bethany, young and old. Lazarus was famous and whenever he stepped out of his house to go and do anything I imagine little children running up and taking his hands, walking along with him, shouting ‘here he is, Lazarus, the miracle man!”
No one wanted the kids to stop, everyone was living in awe that dead Lazarus, whom they had buried, was fully alive and healthy! Was there any greater evidence of the powers Jesus had?
John tells us a dinner party was held for Jesus. John writes: “Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the dinner table with Jesus. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, a very expensive perfume, and she poured it on Jesus’ feet wiping them with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” (John 12:1-3) What an amazing moment!
Of course, Jesus and His disciples had taken off their sandals and washed their feet when they first entered the house. They’d walked many miles on very dirty roads that day. So this remarkable act of adoration was not for the purpose of washing Jesus’ feet. Rather, can you imagine Mary’s thankfulness to God that THIS Jesus had raised her dear brother Lazarus from the dead?
There is no indication Mary or Martha were married, and thus Lazarus as their brother was everything to them. He worked hard to provide, he watched carefully to protect them and every person in Bethany knew that if you mess with Mary or Martha, Lazarus will be at your door very soon. This very generous act of pouring expensive perfume on Jesus was a profound act of love and gratitude.
But it was more, much more and Jesus recognized the significance of this moment even though no one else in the room did. In fact, one disciple, Judas Iscariot objected to this outrageous act of adoration. John tells us Judas said “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a whole year’s wages!”
But then John did as he often does and John gives us his commentary: “Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief and as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.” (John 12:4-6) John gives us a special insight here. Evidently as Jesus went from place-to-place preaching, showing the love and compassion of God and doing many miracles of healing the sick, people responded spontaneously, and some wanted to give Jesus money in their deep gratitude for how His life was impacting theirs.
So evidently when that happened, the money was put into a bag that was used to buy food for all the disciples or other things they may need. After all, they had all left their jobs to follow Jesus. I also notice in Luke 8:1,2 that Luke tells us several women followed Jesus and helped care for his needs and I presume that means washing His clothes, shopping for groceries and cooking meals for Him and His friends.
Back at the dinner party, John tells us Jesus responded to the accusatory and hypocritical words of Judas by saying: “Leave her alone, it was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of My burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have Me.” (John 12:7,8) Look around the room, look at both the disciples and Lazarus reclining with Jesus at the dinner table, but also others in the room serving. Do you see the confused looks on their faces? Once again Jesus was making it very clear that He was soon to die and be buried. Of course, they didn’t want to hear that horrifying news so no one said anything, they only looked at each other in disbelief.
John finally gives us some shocking news, one other very important thing which happened at that dinner party: “Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of Lazarus many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and were believing in Him.” (John 12:9-11)
Word had evidently spread throughout Bethany and even Bethpage, and all the area, that Jesus was in town and having a special dinner at Mary’s home. Look, can you see them, a huge crowd of people filling the courtyard of their home, standing outside the door, filling up the windows, people pushing and pulling to get even a glimpse of Jesus and His disciple, and the famous Lazarus.
If cell phones had been invented by then can you imagine everyone with their cell phones out taking pictures and sending those pictures to family and friends all over Palestine and the Roman Empire?
But do you also see the growing hatred the religious leaders had for Jesus and His rapidly spreading fame. This night, this weekend, behind closed doors, both in Bethany but especially nearby Jerusalem, dreadful meetings were being held, plans were being developed, and a growing number of religious people ,who should have been making final plans for the great Passover week long celebration of God and His deliverance of their ancestors from Egyptian slavery, those very leaders were instead devising plans to eliminate Jesus, Lazarus and anyone else who might be influential followers of Jesus. The Light of the world, Jesus, must be extinguished, they thought!
Let’s pause here friends, on the eve of Palm Sunday weekend, and look around our world. Do you see people and places determined to extinguish the Light of God’s hope, God’s truth Jesus? And let’s look deeply into our own hearts today?
Are we like the children running to greet Jesus; or adults scowling in disdain; or like Mary with our hearts overflowing in adoration of Jesus; or like Judas the hypocrite, sarcastic of those pursuing a deeper relationship with Jesus; or like those determined to extinguish any mention of Jesus this Easter?
Here’s a powerful video song calling us to reflect on the miraculous, remarkable life of Jesus. What is your heart response to Jesus today my friends?
Today’s Scripture is John 12:1-11.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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