Discovering Jesus Pt 28 - John 11:45-12:11

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Discovering Jesus in the Gospel of John Pt 28

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

John 11:45 – 12:11

20/02/2011

Intro – How has Jesus changed your life?  How would you describe your response to who He is and what He has done?

In the story today we will get to know a range of characters who each have different responses to Jesus due to the condition of their hearts.  It’s an opportunity for us to assess our own lives – what role would you play if you were part of this story?    

Outline:

⁴⁵ Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.

What had they seen? 
            - His love for people (“Jesus wept” v. 35.  Response of the                             people in v36)
            - His outrage at sin & death (v38 – “deeply moved” lit. “snort                           with anger”)
            - His power over death (raising Lazarus)

Contrast John 11:35 with Revelation 21:1-4 (written by the same author – John)

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

God still hurts with us in the midst of our pain.  He is still outraged at the evil that is present in our world.  As our story through the gospel of John continues we will see what Jesus does to defeat evil and to rescue us from sin and death.  He then tells His followers to spread that good news so that people can choose to accept His offer of new life.  Until He comes back to make everything new we still have the struggle of a world full of suffering, but we also have the opportunity to offer people the chance for a better future.

Many Jews saw Jesus’ character and His power over death and put their faith in Him, and many people today continue to do so.  Sadly, many people reject Him also.  This is a major theme of the Gospel of John.  Right through the gospel John writes about the fact that as Jesus does all these incredible things some believe in Him and others do not, and you can almost hear the cry of his heart “Please believe in Jesus!  Please accept new life in Him – there’s no other way for you to be saved.”

Remember the key verse of the gospel?

John 20:31
“But these are written that you may a believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

I hope today that all of you are like the Jews of verse 45 who put their faith in Jesus, but the story continues…

⁴⁶ But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷ Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. ⁴⁸ If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

What is it that’s bothering the religious leaders?  They’re worried that the people will try make Jesus a king – it’s becoming obvious that many people believe He is the promised Messiah, so making Him king and rebelling against the Roman authorities seems the likely next step.

These leaders are worried that an uprising will begin that will cause the Romans to come in and destroy the Temple (“take away our place”) and destroy the nation as a whole – or at least remove the existing leaders from their positions of authority.

⁴⁹ Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰ You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”

⁵¹ He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, ⁵² and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. ⁵³ So from that day on they plotted to take his life.

I want to spend a few minutes helping you to get to know this character Caiaphas.  He’s going to be important to the story of Jesus as we look at it in the months ahead.

Caiaphas was the son-in-law of a man named Annas. 

About 20 years earlier the Romans had shaken up the political scene and created the province called “Judea”.  They appointed Annas, who was 26 at the time, to be high priest, which was the top religious and civil position.  Annas held the job for 10 years before he got the sack, because he had ordered some people to be executed, which he was not supposed to do.  Only the Romans were allowed to execute criminals.

Under the Old Testament system Annas would have been high priest for life, but since the Romans ruled the roost he was deposed and his job eventually was given to Caiaphas, who was High Priest for 18 years.  Caiaphas was therefore very conscious of the fact that the Romans were in charge and needed to be kept happy.  He knew that he couldn’t simply have Jesus executed, but he is well aware that it would be better for them and for the nation if Jesus were killed, and he gets the Sanhedrin plotting for how this could be brought about.

There’s a really interesting twist here.  Caiaphas is someone who is all about politics, power and wealth.  He is possibly very arrogant, having told the 70 most senior leaders in the country that they know nothing at all!

Yet God uses Caiaphas to deliver a true prophecy, that Jesus would indeed die for the nation, and not only for the nation of Israel but as John explains in verse 52, “also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one”. 

Caiaphas would have had no idea what this was all about.  He was thinking that Jesus was a threat to be eliminated, and if He was then all would be well.  He and his cronies would stay in power, and the Romans would have no cause to get upset with them.

In actual fact it would be the death of Jesus for our sins that made it possible for us to be reconciled to God and each other, and join together in one eternal family.  Jesus’ death would save us, just not in the way that Caiaphas thought.

Jesus, however, knew all about it – it was His mission.  However the time wasn’t quite right for it to be completed, so…

⁵⁴ Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the Jews. Instead he withdrew to a region near the desert, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.

⁵⁵ When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. ⁵⁶ They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple area they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the Feast at all?” ⁵⁷ But the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone found out where Jesus was, he should report it so that they might arrest him.

So Jesus has moved out of the reach of Caiaphas and his crew, but the Passover is drawing near.  That’s a time when all devout Jews would make the journey to Jerusalem to get ready for the feast and everyone expected Jesus to be there.  Some people are hoping to see and hear him, others are planning to arrest Him as soon as they can do it quietly to avoid a riot (Matthew 26:3-5…. “in some sly way”).

12     Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honour. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. ³ 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.

Why did Mary do this?  We don’t know!  We know that she loved Jesus, that she loved to be taught by Him and that she was grateful to Him for raising her brother.  Was this just a way for her to express her devotion to Him, or did she understand something more?

What the Holy Spirit wants to emphasise here is not what’s going on in Mary’s heart & mind, but Judas’!

⁴ But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ⁵ “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” ⁶ 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.

Judas’ objection seems reasonable – is it not a waste to pour a year’s salary on someone’s body when the money could be given to the poor?  Evidently some of the other disciples can see his point, because in Matthew’s gospel it’s not just Judas but the disciples as  a group who become indignant with Mary (Matt 26:8).  What the other disciples don’t yet realise is that while Judas may sound very pious and caring for the poor, he’s actually just looking out for himself.  He’s a thief who’s looking for a payday.

I wonder how often we get led astray by people who sound as though they are talking sense or even teaching the Bible, but they are doing it for selfish motives and are out of tune with God.  Jesus was not fooled by Judas.  He knows that what Mary has done has been in response to the prompting of God through His Spirit.  She may not have completely understood why she needed to anoint Jesus with oil, but she did it.  Jesus was the One who knew the reason.

⁷ “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. ”It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. ⁸ You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

Some people feel that Jesus is being a bit callous toward poor people here – “There will always be poor people around, there’s not much you can do about that”, or, “don’t be too concerned about that, it’s just the way things are”.

In actual fact Jesus is teaching them in usual rabbinic style.  He starts the quote from Scripture and expects them to finish it themselves.

Deuteronomy 15:11

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 affirms the need for ongoing generosity to the poor, but there is something even more important happening here.  Jesus’ death is moving rapidly closer.  They needed to understand what would take place over the next week. 

⁹ 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. ¹⁰ So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, ¹¹ for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.^[1]

Application:  Who in the story will you most be like?

• Caiaphas – saw Jesus as a threat to his own position and power and to the way he wanted things to work in his nation.  Therefore he rejected Him.  Still used by the Sovereign God to accomplish His purpose, but did not receive life from Jesus.  Maybe you’re someone who opposes Jesus or cannot acknowledge who He really is because it would mean giving up control or your own selfish desires.  Please don’t miss out on eternal life because of your pride.
• Judas – travelled with Jesus and hung out with Jesus’ followers, but his heart was never changed.  He saw Jesus as a meal ticket – a way to prosperity and power – and betrayed Jesus when a better offer presented itself.  Don’t think that hanging out with the Christian crowd somehow makes you a Christian.  Don’t think that Jesus is just your ticket to the things you selfishly crave.  He offers much more than that, but you must submit to Him as Saviour and Lord and trust that what He gives you is really what satisfies.
• The other disciples – truly loved Jesus and belonged to Him, but were led astray in this story because of right-sounding arguments of someone they trusted.  Needed to listen to Jesus’ correction.  Maybe you’ve followed others but have missed seeing what God is actually doing, and Jesus needs to correct you and bring you back into line with what He is doing in and around you.  Listen to Him – the truths of Scripture, the quiet promptings of His Spirit and the counsel of people who show Christ-like character.  Don’t let yourself be led astray.  Don’t become a criticiser of others who are worshipping in Spirit and in truth.
• Lazarus – Jesus has worked powerfully in your life and you now have an opportunity to witness to His saving power.  How will you share your story?  On account of Lazarus’ story many put their faith in Jesus.  Your story of how Jesus has brought new life could make a much bigger impact than you may realise.
• Mary – Maybe God is prompting you to worship Him in an act of devotion that may be misunderstood or criticised.  Maybe you’d like to pour out your love in a public display of adoration, but you are too concerned about what others may think.  Will you be brave, and will you make your worship all about Jesus and not about other people or even yourself?

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^[1]All Scriptures from The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.