John 11:55-12:50 11/10/13
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1 Ted Kirnbauer John 11:55-12:50 11/10/13 11:55 Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover to purify themselves. 11:56 So they were seeking for Jesus, and were saying to one another as they stood in the temple, "What do you think; that He will not come to the feast at all?" 11:57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it, so that they might seize Him. John once again establishes the time frame by placing it at the Feast of Passover. This is the third Passover he mentions. The first one (Jn. 2:13ff) took place during the overlap of Jesus’ ministry with the ministry of John the Baptist. The second one was during Jesus’ Galilean ministry (Jn. 6:3 ff.) when Jesus did not go to Jerusalem to celebrate. This would make Jesus’ public ministry a little over two years (Carson, 424). The law required ceremonial cleansing before Passover began in case someone was defiled during their travels (Num. 9:6ff). Due to the large number of people that would come to the feast, the time required for this took longer than usual, so many pilgrims made their way to Jerusalem early. The Jews had already decided to kill Jesus (Jn. 11:53), and so they were continually seeking Him. They had also commanded that anyone who knew His whereabouts should turn Him in or they would be incriminated and face punishment themselves (Jn. 11:57). The question "What do you think; that He will not come to the feast at all?" in Greek assumed that He would not show up to the feast. INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTER 12 Chapter 12 concludes Jesus’ public ministry; Chapter 13 will begin the final discourses given to the disciples in the upper room which is followed by His suffering and death. Thus, this chapter contains Jesus’ last words to the general public. John selects three events to wrap this section up: the anointing by Mary at Bethany, the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and the visit of the Greeks. After these, there is an explanation as to why the masses don’t believe and an appeal to put their faith in Him (Morris, 571). Jesus Final week (John 12-19) March 27 – April 3, 33AD Friday at dusk Jesus arrives in Bethany 11:55-12:1 Saturday after dusk Dinner with Lazarus 12:2-11 Sunday Triumphal entry 12:12-20 Monday – Wednesday Cursing fig tree, temple cleansing synoptic gospels temple controversy, Olivet discourse Thursday Passover (begins Thurs evening), betrayal, arrest 13:1-18:11 Friday Trials, crucifixion, burial 18:12-19:42 2 Ted Kirnbauer John 11:55-12:50 11/10/13 THE ANOINTING AT BETHANY 12:1 Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 12:2 So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. 12:3 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. 12:4 But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, 12:5 "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?" 12:6 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. 12:7 Therefore Jesus said, "Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial. 12:8 "For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me." “Therefore” of verse 1 ties this section to what preceded. Jesus came back to the very town He had just left to go into hiding. Though Jesus was not trying to run headlong into death, He is moving into danger, not away from it. The gospel conveys very clearly that Jesus had come to die for men, so in the set plan of God Jesus arrived in Bethany where He would be delivered over to crucifixion. Six days before the Passover in the year of our Lord’s death was the Sabbath. The day began at dusk on Friday and ended at dusk on Saturday according to Jewish reckoning. Thus, Jesus must have arrived just after dusk on Friday, for He would have been breaking Sabbath law if He exceeded the distance permitted to travel on that day. A dinner was made for Jesus, and Martha was serving while Lazarus was reclining with the guests. It is possible that this dinner (which is a word used for a meal at any time of the day) actually occurred on Saturday night (after the Sabbath had ended), not the night Jesus arrived (see the chronological discussion in the notes on John 13). In other words, it was after the Sabbath ended at dusk on Saturday that a large crowd gathered (Jn. 12:9-11). The next day was Sunday, the day that the triumphal entry began. Martha took scented oil (pure nard, v. 3) that was normally poured on the head during festive occasions and poured it upon Jesus. John, as an eyewitness to the event, comments on how the whole house was filled with the fragrance. The amount used by Mary (about a pint), the quality (it was “pure”, that is, undiluted), and type (“nard”) of the perfume made this act quite costly. Nard, also known as spikenard, was derived from a plant that grows in the mountains of northern India and was red in color and sweetly scented (Kostenberger, 361). The fact that Mary poured it on Jesus’ feet is probably to be taken as an act of humility (Morris, 576) and the recognition of His greatness. John the Baptist had said, “He who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie" (Jn. 1:27). In the next chapter of John, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, which was considered a menial task done by the household 3 Ted Kirnbauer John 11:55-12:50 11/10/13 servant or hostess. Mary had done what the disciples failed to do, and even wiped the perfume off with her hair. In a Jewish context this is alarming since women never let their hair down in public, for it seemed to indicate loose morals (Morris, 577). Mary was not concerned about what others were thinking. The response was indignation over the cost of the perfume, not only by Judas, but by others as well (Jn. 12:4; Mk. 14:4; Matt. 26:8). Three hundred denarii was about a year’s wages for a laborer. Mary and her family were either wealthy or it was an heirloom passed down to them. Judas suggested it could be better spent by giving the proceeds to the poor, but it is clear that his real interest was that the money be put in the money box where it would be accessible for his own use, for he used to pilfer from the monies he was supposed to keep track of. The contrast between Mary’s devotion and that of Judas is obvious. Mary gave a year’s wages in worship; Judas would sell Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Jesus defends Mary, saying, "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." Clearly, Jesus’ impending death is looming in His mind, but the wording is a bit difficult to figure out. It seems that Mary had already poured the perfume out, so in what sense was she to keep it for Jesus’ burial? It is probable that the words include an ellipsis (an omission from a sentence that would complete or clarify what is meant). It could very well mean something like “Let her alone, [she did not sell it] so that she may keep it for the day of My burial.” “According to Jesus, Mary had kept the perfume – unwittingly no doubt, but in the providence of God – for just this purpose: the anointing of Jesus’ body in anticipation of His burial” (cf. 19:39-40; Kostenberger, 364). Without knowing what lay ahead, this had to be a strange comment for those who heard it, for no one ever prepared a body for burial before the person was dead. Jesus then concludes that His presence and the events to take place are far more significant than feeding the poor; the Word was made flesh and was dwelling among them (Jn 1:14). The time where the presence of God in Christ, walking among man was almost over; the poor will always be present. Carson wisely comments, “social activism, even that which meets real needs, sometimes masks a spirit that knows nothing of worship and adoration” (Carson, 429). NOTE: All four gospels mention an anointing of Jesus by a woman, though the details are different (see Mark 14:3-9; Matt. 26:6-13; Lk. 7:36-50). When all four accounts are compared, it becomes obvious that Luke is speaking of a different event, while those in Matthew, Mark, and John are the same.