Aftermath - John 11:45-12:11
Intro: Summary Lazarus Being Raised From the Dead!
Point #1: God’s Glory Was Displayed Through Lazarus Being Raised from the Dead, and Many Believed!
Jesus’ revelation of Himself always produces two responses. For many of the Jews, this miracle was clear proof of Jesus’ claim. In response they trusted Him. But others were only hardened in sin or confused. They went to His enemies, the Pharisees, and reported what had happened. This miraculous sign was so significant that the chief priests and the Pharisees decided to call an emergency session of the Sanhedrin (see comments on 3:1 on the Sanhedrin). Doubtless they felt that Jesus was some kind of magician who by secret arts was deceiving the people.
Those in opposition to Jesus could not refute that Jesus was doing miracles! Jesus did miracles to affirm the message that He was God’s one and only Son, their Messiah!
TS: Continuing in John 11:49
Point #2: God is So Powerful That He Even Makes the Bad Guys Prophesy (communicate God’s future)!
Caiaphas was the high priest that year (cf. 18:13–14, 24, 28). Originally the high priest held his position for a lifetime, but the Romans were afraid of letting a man gain too much power. So the Romans appointed high priests at their convenience. Caiaphas had the office from A.D. 18 to 36. His contempt was expressed in his words, You know nothing at all! His judgment was that this Man must be sacrificed if the nation was to continue in Rome’s favor. The alternative was destruction of the Jewish nation in war (11:48). But their rejection of Jesus did not solve the problem. The Jewish people followed false shepherds into a war against Rome (A.D. 66–70), which did in fact destroy their nation.
As the high priest, Caiaphas pointed to the last sacrificial Lamb in a prophecy he did not even know he made. Caiaphas meant Jesus had to be killed, but God intended the priest’s words as a reference to His substitutionary atonement. Jesus’ death would abolish the old system in God’s eyes by fulfilling all its types and shadows. His death was not only for Jews but also for the world, thus making a new body from both (cf. Eph. 2:14–18; 3:6). The Sanhedrin then decided to kill Jesus.
TS: Continuing in John 11:54
Point #3: The Plot to Kill Jesus Moves Forward.
TS: John 12:1
Point #4: Mary Gives Jesus Her Best Gift!
The pure nard was a fragrant oil prepared from the roots and stems of an aromatic herb from northern India. It was an expensive perfume, imported in sealed alabaster boxes or flasks which were opened only on special occasions. Mary’s lavish gift (a pint) expressed her love and thanks to Jesus for Himself and for His restoring Lazarus to life. The house was filled with the fragrance. This is one of John’s many side comments which indicate that he was an eyewitness of much of Jesus’ ministry.
Normally anointing was something festive. But in this case the anointing was in anticipation of His burial. Living by God’s Word, Jesus knew that as the suffering Servant, He must endure pain, die, and be buried (cf. Isa. 53:9).
So He immediately defended Mary’s act of love and devotion. You will always have the poor among you is not a divine endorsement of poverty or an encouragement to do nothing about poverty. Instead, Jesus was saying that the causes of poverty are many and people will always have occasions to help the poor (Mark 14:7). But the opportunity to show love to Jesus on earth was limited. You will not always have Me, that is, here on earth (cf. John 12:35; 13:33; 14:3–4).
