Hunting a Miracle

John 11:45-12:8

The human spirit ever sees Jesus as a threat to self. The religious leaders see a threat to their power both in Jesus and the resurrected Lazarus. Judas sees a threat to his wallet. The sin of men large and small sends Jesus towards the cross... yet he walks willingly.

A Good Reason, a Real Reason

My kids love one food above all others. Ramen. The crazy cheap kind. Arabelle says she can’t wait to be a college student because she heard someone say that that is what college students live on.

So there is a repeated discussion in my house.

“Can I have Ramen for dinner.”

“No, we are having [fill in the blank]. It could be anything. Spaghetti with Meatballs.”

Anyone know what’s coming next? “I HATE spaghetti and meatballs!” “I HATE salmon.” Really? You loved it last time we had it.

See, in their minds, if they “hate” the thing that they are having, that’s a good reason to look for an alternative. And man, what alternative food could they possibly find? And that’s the real reason: they want the Ramen.

There is a good reason, there is a real reason.

Now we have this duality ALL the time. We learn growing up very quickly that our REAL reason isn’t always very convincing. I don’t want to get the doorbell because I feel lazy. So I give what I think is a good reason “You’re closer.”

We do this with every aspect of our life, including (perhaps especially) our spiritual life. We have our real reasons, and our good reasons. The ones we say out-loud, the ones we hide inside. And every person we encounter as we share the good news of Jesus does this too.

There are the real reasons they reject God or Jesus, and the good reasons.

We have this in the immediate aftermath of the resurrection of Lazarus. People often say if they just saw something incontrovertible, just total and complete evidence, then they would believe in God.

Are they hunting a miracle? Are you hunting a miracle?

Or perhaps, maybe, there is something deeper rooted in the human heart>

Encountering the best good possible, a sincerely good man who has now raised someone from the dead, what would drive someone to hate and reject him? What good reason could they possibly have? What real reason could they possibly have?

The Book

Remember, Jesus has just healed Lazarus. “Lazarus, come forth” and Lazarus comes walking, hopping out of the tomb. Cut scene.

Kill the Miracle Man

John 11:45-57

45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

It's for the greater good, yes? It’s for everyone’s good. And forget the fact that we are the ones in power and we are the ones Jesus preaches against, abusing their religious power. This is for the good of all of us, and for the good of all of us, Jesus must DIE.

Kill the MIracle

Not just the miracle giver, but any evidence of the miracle… Lazarus himself.

John 12:9-11

9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

But it wasn’t just these distant religious leaders looking to purge Jesus from their lives and nation. In the very heart of Jesus’ disciples, this same instinct lies.

John 11:54-57

54 Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.

55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

John 12:1-8

Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table.

No chairs at the table, they are lying down at a low table. So, the body of Jesus is lying down there on the ground and…

3 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.

A pound of this stuff. Three hundred denarii we will see it is worth. One denarii was a worker’s daily wage, so this is maybe $30,000 bottle of perfume. This Nard is made in India, purified at great expense, shipped across the continent of Asia, and purchased in Israel. We are talking about a treasured family heirloom most likely, passed down, probably used in tiny drips at a time. She breaks all of it, a pound of it open, and pours it over Jesus.

And the wave of scent, just overwhelming, like walking into Macy’s and they spray you in the face with Badger sweat. The whole house fills with this scent.

Mary with this beautiful act of worship. Marth and Martha… and there’s Lazarus. Evidence enough for worship.

And Mary, overcome with gratitude… and Mary isn’t a talker, she is an emoter, and she takes some of the most expensive stuff she has around, and just pours it out on Jesus feet.

She anoints him, forecasting what is going to occur in just two weeks time, she doesn’t know it, but Jesus does.

4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”

Now that is a good reason. A rational reason. But John gives us insight now into his real reason. Into his heart.

6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

And we see Judas’ good reason… and we see Judas’ real reason.

Now Jesus answers the good reason… but in his answer to the good reason is also a calling out of Judas’ real reason, his real true heart. The death is coming, the betrayal is coming. It is worthy to serve and sacrifice for and give to the poor… but this is a very special occasion and the end of this time of ministry and teaching here on earth is coming.

I find Judas absolutely amazing. That someone could walk with Jesus all that time, so closely, hear all the things, the messages of the greatest teacher ever… and still this is his heart. Still he sees his gain rather than Jesus’ glory.

There is the capacity within man to reject God… even given the most beautiful persuasive message, the most perfect example of life-with-God. There is the capacity within man to simply say no and choose self over God.

That is heart-breaking… but that is the world we live in. And that means that you and I have friends who may have a heart and mind of Caiaphas, or one of Judas. They may give all the reasons in the world… but there is their good reasons and their real reasons. And I think at the deepest level, it comes down to choosing self. Jesus teaches self-sacrifice.

These two things are incompatible. There is one throne in your life. Caiaphas says, it will be me and my religious and political power. Judas says it will be me and my purse. It comes down to self, in all its disguises.

Judas and Caiaphas in You

But the truth is that these are not ludicrous crazy motivations. There is that in me that seeks to protect my own power and authority, my own social influence, my own social standing. There is that in me that seeks to guard and protect my pocket-book, that seeks financial gain. And I am just as susceptible to this whole mixed purposes, mixed motivations as they are… and as you are.

I do things… and I have my good reasons… and I have my real reasons. Sometimes they are similar. Sometimes they aren’t. So I get Caiaphas and Judas because I too am prone to do right things for wrong reasons and wrong things for right things, and I wrestle with my

Mixed Motives – One Purpose

Here is the message of hope. Jesus’ takes all of these mixed motives and purposes and layers of deceptions and partial truths and twisted logic, and all of it weaves together to accomplish the purpose of God. And that purpose is to Save. To Rescue. To Redeem and to Resurrect.

Human beings have the capacity to choose self over God.

God has the ability to work through us to save us anyway.

And listen to how Caiaphas’ twisted words speak so much better than he knows. Here the truth of God’s purposes coming right through despite Caiaphas’ meaning.

50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

Jesus takes the evil and selfishness in Caiaphas’ heart and uses it to accomplish his mission to Save his people.

Jesus takes the evil and selfishness in Judas’ heart and uses it to accomplish his mission to Save his people.

Maybe Jesus can take even the confused and mixed sin and stupid in me and use it to accomplish his mission to Save his people.