John 12:1-11
Notes
Transcript
Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
is a timeline of less than 3 years. is over about a week. is about 3 days.
Each paragraph in builds the narrative towards the final farewell discourse, the passion, and the resurrection.
Here, this is 6 days before the the crucifixion.
The other gospels speak of a Pharisee named Simon hosting a supper in honor of Jesus. ; ; .
Some scholars think this is the same dinner.
It is worth looking at all these passages.
Simon- A Pharisee
Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.
A Leper
While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper,
Matthew 26:
While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
Was he one of the lepers healed by Jesus?
Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.
Each para
There is some controversy of whose house it was as there are many Simon’s mentioned in the Bible. However, it very well could have been the same story portrayed in the other gospels.
In this story, Lazarus was dining with Jesus. He had been raised and made to sit together with Jesus. Notice the parallel found in .
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
Spending time with Jesus, Lazarus was showing gratitude for His love and mercy. What would you show?
What do you think Lazarus experienced?
Do you think Lazarus learned lessons from Christ’s words and actions?
Then Mary took about a pint 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.
John 12:3
It would have required a year’s wages from a common laborer to purchase that ointment.
But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”
So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them.
Speaks of an offering that is a sacrifice.
Mary was providing a great offering. Her beautiful act of worship brought a fragrance to the whole house. Does your act of worship bring a fragrance or a stink offering?
Jesus said
I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
Mary’s actions will be taught around the world.
Notice that Mary, Martha and Lazarus resemble the Christian life:
Mary is found at the feet of Jesus. Martha is a picture of a servant. Lazarus is a testimony of a daily walk that leads others to Christ.
Together we see WORSHIP, WORK, AND WALK.
Mary gave an act of love. She was generous with her love. She laid out the best she had for Him.
She had a serving love. She poured out the perfume with her own hands.
She has a believing love. Her actions showed that by consenting to Christ as King, we are complying to the very design of God.
Notice the fragrance: the smell, the odor.
Throughout the Bible fragrances were used to please God.
The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.
Then burn the entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the Lord by fire.
“Give this command to the Israelites and say to them: ‘See that you present to me at the appointed time the food for my offerings made by fire, as an aroma pleasing to me.’
Numbers 28:2
I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will show myself holy among you in the sight of the nations.
Ezeke
Mary’s offering brought a sweet fragrance to her Lord. How can we bring a sweet fragrance to the Lord?
But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,
Judas had been cultivating a double life for months and perhaps even years. Although Judas is listed as one of the disciples, he obviously was not of the same nature.
His very name indicates his position. Iscariot means “bag-bearer.” He served as the treasurer as we learn later in .
Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor.
Jo
He had everyone fooled that he cared for the poor. Part of the Passover was giving an offering to the poor.
John previously mentions Judas in
(He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)
The other gospels have others in agreement with Judas about the misuse of such expensive perfume:
Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume?
When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked.
Evil spreads.
reveals the reason why John reveals that Judas was to betray Jesus:
They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
“Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”
These are the first recorded words of Judas found anywhere in the gospels.
His last words by the way are found in .
“I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”
So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
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.
This is obvious based on John’s hindsight. Judas became an example of
The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
Judas cared nothing for the sheep as a hired hand.
This is the only place in scripture where Judas is called a thief.
The phrase, “help himself to what was put in it” shows that the other disciples had no idea what Judas was up to until a few minutes before he betrayed the Lord and then he separated himself from the disciples forever.
Judas did not care for the poor. He was about personal gain. Some followers of Jesus seek purity while still others seek power.
The perfume was designed for the MASTER but Judas sought it for the MONEY.
How do you think Judas was assigned the task of being the bag-bearer?
Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church!
So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.
“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.
Do you see this as a rebuke of Judas?
An anointing was usually festive. However, Jesus was showing this anointing was in anticipation of His burial. Jesus was well aware he was the Suffering Servant:
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
Reference to ?
There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.
Jesus is referencing in bodily form. However, there is the precedence of opportunity. We need to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.
shows us that this sharp rebuke prompted Judas to finally act.
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
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.
Some were perhaps pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem in preparation for Passover.
They wanted to see the miracle.
So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.
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