Prayer: Abba Father – we return to Your Word today in awe of You. You tell us that You will not turn away any who turn to You. Some of us are slow in coming… tentative, at best, in staying… most of us are just confused in accepting such a wonderful message. We have been too hurt… too damaged… by this world that we are slow to accept this good news as true. Help us to fight the lies and deceit around us – open our hearts to hear what you are speaking to us today. Your words, Lord, bring life to us. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. 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.
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.
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, [Deuteronomy 15:11] 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.
Points to ponder: In the last study we considered Jesus as our Good Shepherd – opening the gate and leading His sheep back to eternal life. We also saw His authority to do such a thing… with a word, He called one of His own, Lazarus, back from the dead.
But the Passover feast is coming… it’s a rescue story; a freedom story. Lazarus’ sister, Mary, seems to understand what is about to happen. Jesus is moving forward as the Lamb of God – who takes away the sin of the world. But before Jesus moves forward in the most extravagant display of love, Mary displays her own love for Him in an extravagant way. (Maybe $55,000 worth of perfumed oil.)
John 3:16… God so loved the world… Mary loved Jesus… Judas did not. Judas loved money. We should be careful when thinking about 🖤LOVE🖤 as always being a good thing.
Scripture tells us to love God so we can love other PEOPLE! People are made in His image… not animals, not money, not ourselves, not chocolate, not wine, not even pleasure or comfort… these things are good gifts from the Father, but they are not to be the objects of our love. [1 Corinthians 13:4-7]
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
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!” [Psalm 118:25,26]
“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.” [Zechariah 9:9]
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!”
Points to ponder: Shouts of triumph are raised as Jesus enters Jerusalem. Surely this is a mixture of tradition and wishful thinking. It’s been over 400 years since a prophet spoke to the Jewish nation. But the palm branches being waved and laid down was an ancient custom for the Near East and Mediterranean nations, symbolizing victory and peace for a king, conqueror, or winning athlete!
Jesus is prophesying in action here. He rides a donkey into town before He is triumphant over death and revealed to be The King. His disciples did not understand at the time.
Jesus Predicts His Death
20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
27 “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
30 Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
34 The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
35 Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. 36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
Points to ponder: But what about the Greeks? They wanted to see Jesus. One of the most fascinating parts of Christian life is to sort out what is best from what is good. And Jesus models this for us in this section. Jesus is not being offensive or dismissive when He did not meet those Greek visitors… It was just time for Him to shift from rabbi/teacher to the Son of Man, the Lamb of God. He could not remain a single seed, but must die to produce many seeds – His Church.
He loves all people… died for all… invites all to come to Him, but Jesus came first to the Jews – the nation chosen by God to be entrusted with the very Word of God. It is from these Jews that His Church is born. The preview of this is found in Jesus’ response after God speaks… This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.
Remember the Faith of the Canaanite Woman in Matthew 15:22-28 or the Faith of the Roman Centurion in Matthew 8:5-13. During His ministry on earth Jesus was often found to bless those with faith. Jump forward now to Acts 11:26 to see that it was first in Antioch that the disciples were called Christians… Antioch is a Greek city, along with Corinth and Philippi, Smyrna and Pergamon, and many others.
Jesus did not forget the faith of these Greek visitors. God just doesn’t always work the way we expect Him to. 😊 Isaiah 55:8-9
(This is THE verse when I need to be humbled and remember that He is God and I am not.)
Oh, but He’s not done showing the faith of the people who were eyewitnesses to this event.
Belief and Unbelief Among the Jews
37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:
“Lord, who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” [Isaiah 53:1]
39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
40 “He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
nor understand with their hearts,
nor turn—and I would heal them.”[Isaiah 6:10]
41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God.
44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
47 “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”
Points to ponder: Interesting words here, reminiscent of Pharoah as Moses pronounced the plagues on Egypt. At first, we read that there were Jews who WOULD NOT believe. Then we see that they COULD NOT believe. It is an interesting paradox of where God’s providence plays out and where our responsibility kicks in. I have an uncomfortable thought that when we choose to ignore, reject, and scoff at God repeatedly, we may lose our capacity to choose otherwise. It would not surprise me. Even if I can’t fully understand, I can accept that it is good.
We read that many Jews did believe, but in secret. Jesus gives us fair warning. This first time, when Jesus walked on earth, was to entreat all to follow Him, out of the darkness and into the light. His death and resurrection opens the way into His Kingdom. But we must recognize His authority and worship Him for who He is and what He’s done for us. His next trip will be different.
These two ideas tell us: (1) if you hear His words, keep them. Believing in Jesus may be the most important choice you make. But the belief must be genuine. If you have questions, find someone and ask. Pray to Jesus to open your eyes, your mind, and your heart to the truth revealed in Scripture. At some point, when you realize that you are a sinner in need of a savior, you also realize that God loves you so much, He died for you. Confess your sins and ask Jesus to forgive you… those sins go to the cross and you begin a new life. Nice. (2) if you hear His words and reject them… perhaps you think there will be a better, more convenient time to consider them… you are actually choosing NOT to believe. Like some of the Jews here, YOU WOULD NOT. It seems that there may come a time when this becomes… YOU COULD NOT. (If that is the case, we cannot blame God.)
It is this second possibility that both breaks my heart and makes me incredibly grateful. I rejected God for decades, but in His mercy, I had the time to repent, confess, and resolve myself to faithfully follow my Lord and Savior. 💖 [Hebrews 3:13]
Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
Points to ponder: There’s a lot in these first three sentences. Look at what JESUS KNEW. And what is His response? To get up and serve His disciples… even Judas. Dang!
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
Points to ponder: Unless I wash you, you have no part with me. Jesus’ words are pretty clear – not just for Peter, but for us. Never assume you are good enough that Jesus didn’t need to go to the cross for you.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Points to ponder: Our culture has demonized the terms servant and master. Jesus modeled a whole new perspective of these terms. Jesus is our Lord – He is our Master, yet He served His disciples. We are told that we are blessed if we repeat this model. I like this – this is fantastic leadership on display. A great leader never asks his followers to do something he is not willing to do himself. This builds trust, confidence, and a stronger team.
Jesus Predicts His Betrayal
18 “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’ [Psalm 41:9]
19 “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. 20 Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”
21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”
22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”
25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
Points to ponder: Again, Jesus knew and still stayed the course. As bad as the upcoming betrayal is, Jesus used it to strengthen the rest of the disciples by telling them before it happened. And, reminding them that Scripture had already recorded it prophetically.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
36 Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”
Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”
37 Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
38 Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
Points to ponder: Right in-between the kickoff of the betrayal by Judas and the pronouncement of the denial by Peter, Jesus gives His disciples a new command: LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Sounds so simple, until you read the next five words… AS I HAVE LOVED YOU. Now it’s a tall order. It’s not rocket science; we understand what He means. We are just incapable of loving like that. That is, without His Spirit within us, we are incapable of real love. [1 Corinthians 13:4-7]
Summary: In these chapters we are beginning to see what love really looks like. And it looks like nothing we see in the movies!
🙏 Lord, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for giving us the greatest love story of all time. Thank You for loving us enough to show us what restoring broken relationships might cost. And thank You for strengthening and encouraging us to do the work required in order to glorify You. Let us walk in a manner each day that draws more people to ask how they, too, can enter Your Kingdom. Help us… to help You… help them… reach the kingdom! We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen