How Did that Happen? (John 12:1-19)
Transcript.
Imagine you lived some time before the New Testament was even written and the only scripture you had was the Old Testament, but remember there was no printing press, so we would not have copies of these scriptures in your home. If we wanted to hear the Word of God, you would have to go to the synagogue where it was read aloud every Sabbath day.
Remember also they is no television, no radio, no internet. There was no mass media as we know it today and no modern transportation.
In that kind of setting, suppose a visitor came into your small town or village and told you that the Messiah promised in those Old Testament scriptures had arrived. This Messiah claimed to be the Son of God, spoke incredible words, and performed impossible miracles.
They told you that this man they had seen claimed to be not just the Messiah but equal with God
He also made such startling statements, such as.
· “I am the Light of the world. “
· “He that follows me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.”
· He also said, "I am the Good Shepherd, and the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
· Additionally, he said, "I am the Resurrection and the Life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."
We were told that he healed a lame man, then he multiplied a few loaves and fishes and fed 5,000 people. He healed a blind man, and he even raised a dead man.
These stories might seem like something out of an Old Testament story to you.
Then, suppose the visitor told you that this amazing, seemingly sinless, apparently supernatural Son of God was crucified by the Roman soldiers.
You see, the problem we have today with all know this story and we can’t un hear it or unknow it. Most of us have heard it before and maybe even know about it since childhood.
But if you can just imagine what it would be like to live 2,000 years ago without the printing press, without books, without radio, without television, without mass media, and then hear that story.
At that point, our number one question would probably be, "Why on earth did something like that happen, why did they want to kill him?"
Well let’s try and wind the clock back today and find out together, how this all came to be, in the context of what it means for someone who hears it for the first time, or hears it anew in the 21-century world we live in.
Let’s try and do that today in today’s edition of TBPDP….
So, Jesus is taken to a hill and nailed to a cross, how did this all come to be, why did they want to kill him?
Now, of course, if I were to ask that question today, some of you might tell me immediately how it happened: God planned it before the foundation of the world and it worked its way out in history, right?
But you see, that's because we know this story from hindsight, we have four written accounts to draw upon.
But without all the advantages that you have over those people who lived 2,000 years ago, let me ask you the question:
How was it that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to be crucified?
Apart from the fact that God had planned it before the foundation of the world, how could such a thing happen.
What motivated the people responsible at the time to do such a thing.
What I'd like to do this morning is share with you that I have discovered in studying the Gospel of John, in some depth recently in preparing this podcast series. I’m going to share this reason because I think John himself, in writing his gospel, wanted to make this point. It is evidently something he wanted all his readers to understand.
So, with that in mind, would you turn with me to John chapter 12, and let's look at the first 19 verses
Remember I believe the real point of what we are about to read through together is John’s attempt to tell us how it all came about that he should be crucified.
So, let's begin by looking at the anointing at Bethany.
John begins this passage by telling us.
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honour. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 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: 1-3)
If the Lord was crucified on Friday, that means these events in Bethany occurred on the Sabbath before the final week of his life.
Bethany was a small village about two miles from Jerusalem. The people made him a dinner there, possibly as a gesture of gratitude for what he had done for Lazarus or for the town itself. (Previous chapter)
So, they threw an appreciation dinner for Jesus, and he attended. Other gospels indicate that this dinner was held in Simon the Leper's house. John also tells us Lazarus was one of the guests at this event.
Martha served, while Lazarus sat at the table with Jesus, indicating his place of honour. Martha was busy serving, which is a common portrayal of her when she appears in gospel accounts, suggesting she did this with a servant attitude and dedication.
She performed what some might call the menial tasks, prepared the meal, served it, and likely cleaned up afterward. Often, we think of spirituality as something grandiose, like spending hours in prayer. However, true spirituality can often be found in simply serving others, with a heart devoted to the Lord.
Not only did Martha serve, but Mary also showed her devotion by anointing Jesus' feet. We see, "Mary taking a pint of costly perfumed ointment and anointed the feet of Jesus and wipes his feet with her hair’. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment we are told.
Anointing the head of an honoured guest was customary, but Mary went further by anointing Jesus' feet in this way showed her deep devotion.
The ointment was very expensive, costing a year's wages, we are told. So, Mary takes a perfume of great value and poured it on Jesus' feet, then wiped his feet with her hair.
Today it would be equivalent to pouring out over £30,000 worth of Chanel No 5 on Jesus' feet.
Mary's by using such costly ointment, shows the depth of her love and reverence for Jesus. She not only gave her best but also humbled herself by using her hair to wipe his feet.
Let me tell you something else about the women of that time. From the moment they were married, they kept their hair bound up on top of their heads. It was a mark of honour and modesty to keep their hair bound. To loosen it and let it fall was considered a sign of immorality.
Mary's act of unbinding her hair and using it to wash Jesus' feet was a profound gesture of humility and devotion. She set aside her pride to honour Jesus sacrificially. Mary believed no sacrifice was too great and no service too low for her Lord.
This opening part of the story is meant to challenges us reader to reflect on our own willingness to serve. Often, we serve the Lord only when it's convenient or comfortable. But true service, as shown here by Mary and Martha, involves sacrifice and humility. It's about doing the menial tasks, it about out of devotion to Jesus Christ, and it is not about doing it for recognition or honour.
Let's continue looking at what happens next.
But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 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.
(John 12: 4-6)
So, Judas Iscariot, objected. He asked, "Why wasn’t this ointment sold for 300 pence and given to the poor?" John also tells us that Judas didn’t actually care about the poor; he was a thief and wanted the money for himself. Judas' objection sounded pious, but his real motive was greed. He controlled the groups finances and would have been able to steal from them.
Judas was not concerned about the poor at all, his objection was a cover for his own selfish interests. There is perhaps an insight to be gained here in that sometimes when someone criticizes a sacrificial act of service of another person it often reveals more about their own heart and motives than the act itself.
Judas' criticism of Mary’s act of devotion shows his lack of true commitment to Jesus. He was more interested in money than in serving the Lord. This story again reminds us that genuine devotion to Jesus requires sacrifice and humility, not just lip service or as a hidden motivation to garner attention or wealth.
Verse 7 then continues.
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.” 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 believing in him.
(John 12: 7-11)
Jesus said, "Let her alone. She has kept this for the day of my burial." This indicates that Mary understood He was about to die. And that’s the core of this story:
Mary grasped what was coming and anointed Him in preparation for His death and burial. Then Jesus added, "The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me." He was telling Judas that if he truly cared about the poor, he could continue to help them even after Jesus was gone. But Jesus knew, as did John, that Judas had ulterior motives.
This story of Mary anointing Jesus’ feet is often preached to highlight service and sacrifice, and that is definitely part of it. But John’s main intention in recording it, I would suggest, was not just to illustrate these virtues.
We know this because John continues beyond the act itself to describe its aftermath. Because he goes on to say, "A large crowd 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."
But note he adds, “The chief priests then plotted to kill Lazarus as well because his resurrection was drawing people to Jesus”.
This reaction highlights the significant impact of Lazarus' resurrection on what follows.
The resurrection of Lazarus was a turning point in Jesus' ministry. The chief priests saw the increasing influence of Jesus and intensified their plans to kill Him.
The next section of John's account describes Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and the firming up of the plot against him.
Starting in verse 12, we read.
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
“Hosanna!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Blessed is the king of Israel!”
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:
15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
see, your king is coming,
seated on a donkey’s colt.”
16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him. 17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”
(John 12: 12-19)
On this day, the day before Jesus’ crucifixion, Jerusalem was packed with people. One historian I read estimating there could have been as many as 2 1/2 million people in Jerusalem for Passover.
So, when verse 12 mentions a large crowd coming to the feast, we’re talking about possible millions of people. The word spread rapidly through this crowd that the person who raised Lazarus from the dead was coming into town. So they took palm branches and went out to meet Jesus, shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel who comes in the name of the Lord."
Let me explain why the people spontaneously acted as they did.
What they sung is a section from the Psalms. You will find it in Psalm 113 through to Psalm 118, and it was considered a complete unit of praise songs.
They believed these psalms where written during Nehemiah's time when they experienced a revival after rebuilding the city walls, a celebration as recorded in that book of the Bible.
These psalms are known as the ‘Songs of a Conqueror’, and a few decades earlier during the Maccabean period, these psalms were quoted when the Jewish people led by Maccabeus entered and recaptured Jerusalem. At the time of Christ, these psalms were among the first songs every Jewish boy had to memorize.
When the people were quoting and singing from Psalm 118 here, they were acknowledging Jesus as the Conqueror
Now, on this day as Jesus was coming into the city, they took up palm branches and sang Psalm 118, signifying that the Conqueror was entering Jerusalem. By waving the palm branches and singing the psalm, they were symbolically and vocally recognizing Jesus as the Messiah. They saw Him as the one who resurrected Lazarus, and they spontaneously acclaimed Him as the coming Messiah, the one they believed would come as a conquering king.
Throughout the Gospel of John so far, Jesus had carefully avoided public outcry. We are often told that He often slipped through crowds and disappeared. But on this occasion, Jesus did something very different.
He takes a young donkey and rides into Jerusalem, allowing the city to acclaim Him. John then quotes Zechariah 9:9, saying, "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt."
It is as if Jesus was finally acknowledging to the crowd that He was indeed the Messiah. For the first time, He supported this public recognition of who He was.
Why does John record all of this? His text gives us clue: "The people who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the grave and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness." Adding, "For this reason, the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign."
John, writing years after these events, is explaining that the resurrection of Lazarus was the pivotal moment in motivation this reaction. It united the crowd in Bethany which then sparked the huge crowd in Jerusalem. When the people heard that Jesus, the one who had raised Lazarus, had come to town, they spontaneously proclaimed Him as the Messiah.
Now e see how the Pharisees respond to all this.
The Pharisees respond by saying, "Look, the whole world has gone after Him!" They realized that all their plotting and planning had failed to quench Jesus’ effect on the people. Now, seeing the massive crowds in Jerusalem following Jesus, they are provoked into action. They decided immediately that Jesus must now die.
This point marks a significant turn in the Gospel of John. Jesus, seeing the response of the people followed by the determination of the Pharisees to kill him means Jesus withdraws from public view.
He will now move into the upper room to prepare His disciples for His departure. But we will discuss that in tomorrow’s episode.
You cannot read the Gospel of John without seeing that John is labouring to make a crucial point here You can’t but fail to see how the resurrection of Lazarus provoked the Pharisees and the leaders to talk about killing Jesus.
We’ve just witnessed the anointing of His feet by Mary, unto death—and then the conclusion of that story is that it irritated and provoked the leaders to immediately set the plan in motion to crucify Christ.
As we read the triumphal entry, again we can note that John concludes that it is the culmination of these events that provoked the Pharisees to have Jesus killed.
· All this started back in Chapter 5 when Jesus said, He was equal with God, “I and the Father am one”.
· He agitated them further in Chapter 7 when He said, "If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink."
· There was further salt in the wound in Chapters 8 and 9, where He said He was. “The light of the world.
· And still further in Chapter 10, when He said He was the Good Shepherd who would lay down His life for the sheep.
You cannot read the Gospel of John without seeing that, in John's mind, the raising of Lazarus back to life meant, in very simple terms, the going of Christ to the cross to die.
So, if we draw a principle out of all of this. If you want the total, complete picture of what caused the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It was the resurrection of Lazarus.
But it wasn’t just the resurrection of Lazarus that provoked the leaders to have Him crucified by the Roman soldiers. Though it's true, that happened, but there's more to this story.
As I said at the beginning, and as most of you well know, God planned it from the foundation of the world. So, there’s a sense in which the people caused it, the leaders caused it, and the resurrection of Lazarus caused it, and God the Father planned it. But that’s still not the complete picture.
The simple truth is, if you want to really understand it, you and I caused it.
You did it. And I did it. We all did it.
This is much more than just a historical event.
The spiritual significance of that historical event is that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for sin. The Bible tells us that God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That’s how it came to happen.
Every lie you have ever told, every item you ever stole, every sin that you have ever committed, Jesus Christ died for those.
That’s why God planned it, and that’s why God allowed it. The religious leaders of the day had their plan.
But, you see, my friend, that’s what God intended. He did that so you and I could be forgiven of our sins, so you could have eternal life, and live forever with Him.
Some of you listening to me have walked around with guilt in your heart long enough. I’ve talked with people in their 80’s who are still carrying around a load of guilt for sins they committed back when they were teenagers.
I’ve talked to teenagers who are carrying around guilt from sins they committed as children. And I’ve talked to dozens in between.
Now listen to me, friend: You don’t have to feel guilty because you can be forgiven. Whether it was in your mind a small sin or a big thing doesn’t matter, Jesus Christ died for every single sin you have ever committed.
You can have the forgiveness of sin and eternal life because of His death on the cross.
So, if you want the complete picture of the death of Jesus Christ, you need to include the fact that it was also the plan of God.
Yes there was the hatred of the Jewish leaders, and the vagaries of the ordinary people who on one day would hail him as Messiah, and the next day call for his crucifixion. As Johns Gospel demonstrates it was a multiplicity of factors that contributed to His ultimate demise.
But you need to put yourself in the picture too.
Don’t just sub-contract it out to just the historical agents and bad actors in the historical story. You need to put yourself in the picture also.
Rembrandt, the famous artist, once painted a picture of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In that painting, he tried to depict the anguish of Christ’s suffering. He also painted a crowd around the cross, showing various attitudes of the people—some with glee, some with sadness, some believing He was the Messiah, and others rejecting Him as the Son of God.
But Rembrandt did a clever thing with that painting: just on the edge of the crowd, in the shadows at the foot of the cross he painted a picture of himself.
If you want the total picture of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, if you want to understand what really happened, you also need to put yourself in the picture and see that your sin caused His death, and by acknowledging that and why he really died, you can be free of the not only the guilt of sine., but the power and the penalty of sin.
And one day even free of the presence of sin in heaven itself.
