Wednesday in the Word...John 12:1-11...how hypocritical we can be...sermon too

(For those following our ministry of interim pastoring, I had my first meeting with a 10 member transition team last night.  This is the start of stage 3 of the 5 stage intentional interim process.  I have been looking forward to part of the plan.  What love for the church I heard around the table and the elders of this church did well with their selection of voices to hear from and work with to see greater church health.  I can't thank you enough for your prayers for us and this ministry.)

Today's Wednesday in the Word will cover John chapter 12 and verses 1 through 11.  

v.1 - Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

Lazarus has been raised from the dead and now Jesus makes a house call.  Bethany is just a few miles outside of Jerusalem and during the time of the Passover the population of the Holy City would swell well beyond its city walls.  The town of Bethany would have been a neighboring town that handled some of the overflow of pilgrims for the upcoming festival.  Jesus and His disciples would have a great base camp for traveling into the temple in the morning and back to Bethany each evening.

v.2, 3 - So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him.  Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

Martha is the cook.  Lazarus is maybe having his first meal after a four day fast in the tomb.  Maybe the food never tasted so good.  They did not sit at the table as we do in an upright position.  The dinner mates would be in a laying down position with their feet away from the table.  Maybe a possible pillow under the arm propping themselves up with a free arm to eat with and pass on food and drink.

Jesus' feet would have been accessible for Mary to anoint with her personal supply of this perfume.  Perfume was used to cover the scene of smelly feet but a whole pound would have been excessive.  A little would have been suffice but Mary liberally pours and the fragrance fills the house.  Wiping Jesus' feet with her hair would also carry the scent wherever she went.  This action would have been seen beyond the customary practice for a visiting dinner guest and go into the realm of worship.

v.4-6 - But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor people?"  Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.

We learn a lot about Judas Iscariot in these few verses.  First, we a given the information that he is the one who is going to betray Jesus.  Second, we see that he knows the value of what has been poured out.  A denarii was one day's wage and therefore it was about a year's worth of wages spilt on Jesus' feet and wiped up in Mary's hair.  Third, we see that he gives a seemingly concerning statement for the poor but then fourth, he really didn't mean it.  Fifth, we have the statement that Judas was actually a thief who had his hand in the cookie jar many times.  Lastly, he was in charge of the cookie jar.  He was the treasurer of the group that was embezzling money from the ministry.  

Why did Jesus have this guy around?  Why did He name Judas as one of the twelve when He came down the mountain after spending all night in prayer?  Maybe that is why Jesus spent all night in prayer.  It makes me think of Jesus' telling of the parable of the wheat and tares and the instruction not to pull up the tares because it could uproot the wheat.  Judas was a tare and would be burned some day but not just yet and so at this time he still resides among the wheat.

v.7, 8 - Therefore Jesus said, "Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial.  For you always have the poor with you but you do not always have Me."

Apparently Mary did not pour out all the nard.  Because the Jewish people did not embalm their dead like the Egyptians, perfumes were used on the dead bodies to cover their smell while grievers visited the tomb.  Jesus is proclaiming that He is going to die and the rest of the perfume would be used on Him.  What was probably her inheritance, wedding dowry, or substance for living, was being used up on Jesus' life and death.  

Jesus also addresses Judas' fake concern for the poor.  They will need to provide for the poor and this will be an ongoing concern thinking of the widows mentioned in Acts chapter 6 but again Jesus speaks of His upcoming death.  He is not always going to be with them the way He is right now.  While He was here, the worship of Him through this act of devotion and use of material substance to enhance its effect was justified by Jesus.  There would be other resources to continue to give to the poor.

One last thing here that strikes me is that Judas had an opinion about how other people used their resources.  He stated it could have been used for the poor while he was dipping his hands as a thief into the money box for himself.  It is hard to cover up hypocritical practices.  May Jesus be so kind to point out when I am saying one thing and doing another.  

v.9-11 - The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there, and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead.  But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; because on account of him, many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus.

The problem is that it was a "large" crowd.  The numbers are going in Jesus' favor and the chief priests are taking note.  Now they not only need to get rid of Jesus but the once dead man four days in the grave needs to go too.  Lazarus was a draw as many came to see if it was really true and it was great that he was only a few miles outside of Jerusalem.  This means that this miracle was easy access for hundreds of thousands.

"Many," which is another word the chief priests would not have liked, were making the switch.  They were leaving the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees and also their opinions of who Jesus was as of the devil, and believing He was the King of Israel.  They would say these words in a joyous chant, the next day when Jesus rides into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey.  Maybe you can feel the desperation of the authorities to do something, anything, to get rid of this Jesus who was taking away their position and power over the people of Israel.

John will really slow down with each day leading up to the cross and the grave.  We will get many details not given in the other 3 gospel accounts.  Some of what we have learned about Judas Iscariot in today's lesson will come to light in the following pages.  I am thinking that these chapters may prepare us for a better understanding and celebration of His first coming, our Christmas time of year.  Maybe a study of the cross will help us see the Babe in the manger in a new light.  Let us pray.

"Heavenly Father may we see more clearly the Holy Week in light of all that You will say and all that You will do.  May our senses be heightened to pick up things we have never seen before so that we can give even more glory to what You have done for us.  And Lord help us to spot when we are doing a 'Judas' by criticizing one action of another while rationalizing our own sinful behavior.  Amen."

Pastor Adam