John 11:49-12:3
Notes
Transcript
vv 49-52)The counsel of Caiaphas
vv 49-52)The counsel of Caiaphas
Caiaphas was high priest from A.D. 26 to 36. He presided at the religious trail of Jesus and was present when Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin in:
with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family.
He was not a believer in Jesus, in spite of the words which he here uttered.
“you know nothing at all” According to Josephus, sadducees had a reputation for rudeness, even among one another.”
He thought logically but nor morally. It was logical that one man should die for the people, but it was not moral to reject the Messiah and seek the death of an innocent man.
I love how the Lord works. Caiaphas gave an unconscious and involuntary prophecy.
John was careful to give the credit to the office, not the man.
John explained that the unconscious prophecy of Caiaphas was greater than he could have ever imagined. The death of Jesus would also gather into one the sheep of another fold.
And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
vv 53-54) The plot
vv 53-54) The plot
Before it was mostly lesser religious officials who wanted Jesus dead. But now at this point the men with real political power decided to murder Jesus. The allotted time was drawing closer.
Jesus did not walk openly because of fear, but because His hour had not yet come.
So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.
The city of Ephraim was north of Jerusalem, close to Samaria.
vv 55-57) Looking for Jesus at the Passover feast
vv 55-57) Looking for Jesus at the Passover feast
[55] This announcement that the Passover feast was near reminds us that we are coming to the close of Jesus’ public ministry.
This will the Passover that would lead to the crucifixion of Jesus.
The people were required to purify themselves beforehand. For instance, if a Jew had touched a dead body, it was necessary for him to go through a certain ritual in order to be cleansed from ceremonial defilement.
Some purifications required a week, others consisted only of shaving the head and washing the clothes.
This purifying was done through various types of washings and offerings . The Sad thing is that the Jewish people were thus seeking to purify themselves, while at the same time planning the death of the Passover Lamb. This exposes the terrible wickedness of their hearts.
[56-57] As the people gathered in the temple, they began to think about Jesus and the miracles He preformed.
Their second question seems to show that they expected Jesus not to come. They probably considered it unlikely that in view of the circumstances Jesus wouldn’t be so foolhardy as to put in an appearance.
Most of the chief priest were Sadducees and normally they were uncooperative with the Pharisees. Both groups found common cause in their opposition to Jesus.
Ch 12 vv 1-2) Lazarus and family
Ch 12 vv 1-2) Lazarus and family
John gives us a time maker, telling us that this was the last week before the death and burial of Jesus.
We still almost have half of the book left still. Matthew used more than 30% of his gospel , Mark nearly 40% and Luke over 25%- devoted to the last week of Jesus’ life.
Jesus i’m sure loved to visit this family. There He probably enjoyed sweet fellowship with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha.
In coming to their home, He was, exposing Himself to danger because nearby Jerusalem was headquarters for all the forces that were arrayed against Him.
In spite of all of those opposed to Him, There were still a few hearts that loved Jesus.
The Scripture doesn’t say anything about what Lazarus saw or heard from the time he died until he was raised again.
Perhaps he had been forbidden by God to divulge any such information.
When you hear stories about people going to heaven… be careful. Test the spirits. If their focus is on them i would be wary
What I find incredible about this two verses is the fact that Jesus attended this dinner, probably put on because of the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
With all Jesus had on His mind, knowing His fate as He came to Jerusalem for Passover, it is remarkable that He attended this dinner at all. I know I wouldn’t feel like socializing.
It seems that this dinner was the home of Simon the Leper
Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,
And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head.
His friends Martha, Lazarus, and Mary were also in attendance.
Because Martha seems to be the hostess, some think that Simon the Leper was related to the family. Perhaps he was Martha’s husband.
If common customs were followed this dinner was for the men of the village and Martha and the other women served.
It is easy to imagine Martha bringing the best dishes first to Jesus, pressing Him to eat more and more. She was so grateful and so happy to serve Jesus. And Her service was appreciated and valued.
Do not be afraid to serve Jesus.
v 3) Mary anoints Jesus
v 3) Mary anoints Jesus
Several instances are recorded in the Gospels where Jesus was anointed by a woman. No two incidents are exactly alike, but this incident is generally thought to parallel: Mark 14:3-9
Mary gave a remarkable gift to Jesus. It wasn’t unusual to wash the feet of a guest,
But what was unusual was doing it during the meal, using costly ointment and wiping His feet with here hair.
Pure nard: Both John and Mark’s gospels describe it by the adjective pistikos (Mark 14:3). Oddly enough, no one really knows what that word means.
There are four possibilities for “pure”
It may come from the adjective pistos which means faithful or reliable, and so may mean genuine.
It may come from the verb pinein which means to drink, and so may mean a liquid.
It may be a kind of trade name, and may have to be translated pistic nard.
It may come from a word meaning the pistachio nut, and be a special kind of essence extracted from it.
It was very costly, but it had not cost a penny too much now that it could be used upon Him. There was a pound of it, but there was none too much for Him. It was very sweet, but not too sweet for Him.” - Spurgeon
What do you notice about this gift?
Her gift was remarkably humble. Normally when a guest entered the home, the guest’s feet were washed with water and the guest’s head was anointed with a dab of oil or perfume.
She considered her precious ointment only good enough for His feet. Also to attend to the feet was the task of the most lowly slave. Thus Mary’s action denoted great humility as well as great devotion.
Her gift was extreme. Spices and ointments were often used as an investment because they were small, portable, and could be easily sold. Judas believed this oil was worth 300 denarii, nearly a year’s worth of wages.
Her gift was unselfconscious. Not only did she give the gift of the expensive oil, she also wiped His feet with her hair. This means that she let down her hair in public. This act is striking in that a Jewish lady never unbound her hair in public. It apparently was a mark of loose morals. Mary didn’t not stop to calculate public reaction. Her heart went out to her Lord and she gave expression to something of her feelings in this beautiful and touching act.
Each time we meet Mary, she is at the feet of Jesus. Here she is wiping His feet with her hair. Since a woman’s hair is her glory, she was laying her glory, at it were, at His feet.
When Christ is worshiped, the worshipers themselves carry away something of the fragrance of that moment. No house is so filled with pleasant aroma as the house where Jesus is given His rightful place.
The life of Mary is painted for us, in three memorable pictures:
And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.
Mary Sat at Jesus’ feet and learned.
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.”
Mary fell at Jesus’ feet and surrendered.
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.
Mary anointed Jesus’ feet and honored Jesus.
“You must sit at his feet, or you will never anoint them; He must pour His divine teaching into you, or you will never pour out a precious ointment upon Him.” - Spurgeon