John 11:55-12:11 – A passage of hope? And or what to put our hope in.

Jesus had redrawn to the wilderness, because the Jews was trying to kill him, verse 53.

Then John writes that people are starting to prepare for the Passover, (Short explanation of Passover), they came up to Jerusalem to as part of in they purified them self. (Seemed like an outward cleansing with water that an inward cleansing).

But the people are seeking /looking for Jesus, - they might even be hoping that Jesus would come and teach again in the temple. The people are asking do you think he will come? 

Why would he not come, well the next verse explains that, that there was orders to say where Jesus was so he could be arrested. Then were is Jesus and is he coming?

Six days before the Passover, Jesus comes to Bethany where Jesus raised Lazarus, Martha serves, Lazarus, reclining at the table with Jesus. And Mary gives a very expensive gift to Jesus, pure nard, and anoint Jesus’ feet, and wiped his feet with her hair. (Strange why the hair no towel or to get the perfume in her hear and around the house?). Martha is serving again, she us using her gift, and Mary is using giving a gift form the family a very costly gift. (300 days work for a day labor) They are serving Jesus. They show where their treasure is.

Judas will now play religious / and ask why the money was not given to the poor, instead of being wasted on Jesus’ feet. On the surface it seems like a reasonable argument, but John knows Judas better and explains it is because of Judas’s greed that he said what he did. Not caring about Jesus, Mary or the poor, but about how he could exploit the poor and the disciples and Jesus for his own gain.  (Judas shows where he treasure is).

Religious people and other people that think they should tell people what to do, and how to spend their money, often don’t have any money, or are full of greed or think about them self or their cause more that the people they want to take money from. If you have an inclination to tell others what they should do with their money, - than ask do I gain form this? Does this worship Jesus, does this help the giver? Do I even care about the person? (Does it point to where my and their treasure is?).

Money can be a big problem. Money is not bad – money and wealth it neutral, it depends on how it is spent. The love of money leads to all kinds of evils (like in the text) And trust in money it dangerous, is not to trusted, our trust should be in Jesus, he does not change and become worthless at different times in history as money and riches has done. Different than Judas, Mary gives her and might be the family’s best to Jesus, she shows where her treasure is. That is in Jesus.

Judas instead is stealing his greed makes him betray his friends and Jesus, his treasure is in gaining money.

Okay but what does Jesus say, - Judas stop stealing and lying and not caring about me and the poor, stop being such a hypocrite. No, Jesus responds differently, he does in a sense put Judas in his place, whit a leave her alone, - and now Jesus gets a bit more specific, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. Getting the focus back on Jesus from Mary and Judas, - this what she is doing is about what is going to happen, I am not going to be with you I am going to die.

Verse 8 is not a verse that say well I should never give to the poor and only to Jesus, no, it is not like the Pharisees that: oh, if only I could help my parents but I have devoted it to God. No, if we really do care there will be plenty for opportunity to help the poor, there will always be people that need help, and we can share Jesus’ light as we give and serve people in need. (Our greatest treasure still should be Jesus in heaven).

As this is going on the word gets out that Jesus is in back in Bethany and the large crowd come to Jesus, and not only to see Jesus but to see Lazarus, who Jesus had raised from death. Is the crowd hoping, - that Jesus is the Christ? Hoping Jesus will show his self as the savior? (Next week).

The opposite reaction is from the chief priests, they don’t listen to the council given last week that one man should die, or they do, think if one is good 2 is better, they don’t have hope in Jesus being the Christ, they want to kill him so Jesus does not cause them to lose power and prestige and the romans don’t take the it all away. Therefore, because many believe in Jesus because of Lazarus being alive, the conclusion is he needs to die. This is evil logic, it threatens my power, greed, my control, influence, following, status, in other words all of our idols, - therefore the people that do that should die.

Or we should die to self and stop worshiping idols, and trust in Jesus as the greatest treasure.

I have spoken about this before, Jesus did it often some say 15-20% (Matthew, Mark Luke 1 out of 7 verses. John about 5 % speak about money) of the time, as I said before Money is not the problem – it is if we out our hope faith and trust in it, that is becomes an idol and if we love money it will cause many problems. Money is not just about money it is a worship issue, as we see in the text:

Mary worships Jesus with all she has, even submitting to wipe Jesus’ feet with her hair, culturally very inappropriate, (only a husband saw the woman’s hair). Martha serves Lazarus.

Judas: speaks out of his greed,

The Chief priests: well they want to kill Lazarus, to awoid people believing in Jesus and going away from them. 

What about you? What is your relationship with money? Like really not a religious answer.

How does it affect your worship of Jesus?

Have you experienced freedom from trust in money? Are you growing in generosity?  Because God and Jesus is so very generous. And all we have is Gods. 

Do you worship Jesus with all you have? Also, social status or lack of it? What does full devotion to Jesus look like for you?

God is good, and great an awesome, and Jesus leads us to true life in him, - Money is not the goal or god, - so let us put our hope and faith and trust in Jesus, and worship him, by the Holy Spirt to the glory of God.