John 12 - Why Do Some People Prefer Darkness Over the Light?
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[a] 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.
It is pretty amazing that right after Lazarus is raised from the dead, he and his sisters throw a party for Jesus and his disciples. As usual Martha was attending to details, but Mary took a pint of expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus' feet. This was an extremely bold act for a woman to do for a man much less a rabbi in a public setting. Like today, someone's feet was a very personal part of their body.
Mary’s gift was remarkably humble. When a guest entered the home, usually the guest’s feet were washed with water and the guest’s head was anointed with a dab of oil or perfume. Here, Mary used this precious ointment and anointed the feet of Jesus. She considered her precious ointment only good enough for His feet. “To attend to the feet was the task of the most lowly slave. Thus Mary’s action denoted great humility as well as great devotion.” (Morris)
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.[b]” 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,[c] but you will not always have me.”
How hypocritical was it for Judas to accuse Mary of wasting money to worship Jesus, when he was about to sell Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver? You can cut the irony with a knife. Historians estimate the amount she spent to anoint Jesus was ten times more than Judas spent to betray him. We know that Judas was fond of dipping his hand into the moneybag so this behavior was not surprising.
Jesus commended Mary's gift saying that they would always have the poor with them, but this act of worship was fitting for the Son of God. In doing this Jesus wasn't minimizing helping the poor but revealing again who he was.
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.
A large crowd who had seen Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead found out where Jesus was and came to their house. This made the chief priests so mad they vowed to kill Lazarus as well. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, and the leaders wanted to reverse this miracle. Hard to believe these were actually religious leaders and cared SO LITTLE about their sheep. What made them so mad was that many Jews were believing in Jesus because of his greatest miracle.
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![d]” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[e] “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.”[f]
This is the day we call "Palm Sunday" in the church. It is the Sunday before Easter. A great crowd gathered to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem as a king. They gave a parade befitting of an earthly king. Little did they know the type of king they were celebrating. The term "Hosanna" meant "God save us". It was a term of deliverance from the Romans.
There are two Messianic passages that should have alerted the Jews that Jesus was fulfilling OT prophecy.
1. "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord" comes from Psalm 118:25, which is a Messianic Psalm. Most commentators view this as a kingly psalm from David, as pointing to the Messiah.
2. "Your king is coning, seated on a donkey's colt.", was a prophecy from Zechariah 9:9. Jesus did not come into Jerusalem on the customary "war horse" but a humble donkey. A donkey was a beast of burden. It demonstrated Jesus' humility and the true nature of his kingship.
In Mark 10:43=45 Jesus told his the disciples, "The greatest among you is a servant. Even the son of Man did not come to be served but give his life as a ransom for man."
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!”
Like many of the other prophecies which were fulfilled during Holy Week, the disciples didn't connect the donkey Jesus came riding on with Zechariah 9:9.
The word spread of raising Lazarus from the dead. After all that was a pretty big deal. Can you imagine if someone raised someone from the dead in our day. If somebody caught it on a Iphone it would become viral in minutes. Social media would be lit up.
The made the Pharisees madder. They became more and more paranoid and the people left them to follow Jesus.
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.
This is a great method for evangelism. The Greeks looked for Philip, because he was Greek speaking. They were interested in seeing Jesus. Philip told Andrew and Andrew told Jesus. It sounds like our modern day game of "telephone". When people want to see Jesus there is nothing wrong with bringing someone alongside of you to see Jesus. The goal of evangelism is to bring people to 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!”
Jesus announced publicly that his time had come. Jesus had said twice before his hour had not yet come, but now it had. Many of the Gentiles had now heard the gospel, and it appears to have some bearing.
Jesus used a metaphor to teach them the meaning of his impending death of a seed being planted. Jesus dying was like a seed dying and falling into the ground and bearing many more seeds. Unless this happened there would be no one to carry on his mission to reach the world with the love of God.
Jesus was also teaching his followers what it meant to follow him. He humbled himself and died, and his followers would also lose their lives in order to find them. When we follow Jesus, we go to the places he would go if he were us. This might be to an orphanage, the homeless shelter, or a business office. Our life and agenda are now his to choose.
Jesus closes by showing us that this is not any easy decision for him. He actually prays to the Father to save him from this hour. His soul is troubled.
"Jesus received this crucial hour, yet it troubled Him because He knew what the agonies of the cross would involve. John doesn’t tell us about the prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane, but the idea behind that prayer of Jesus is expressed in John 12:27-28. (Guzik)
I don't think I think enough about the emotional and spiritual agony Jesus faced before he underwent the physical agony of the cross. The agony had to do with realizing this was His Father's will and he could not change it.
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[g] from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
In this moment God spoke audibly. His voice was thunderous and some mistook it for an angel. Jesus knew this voice was for those gathered. Jesus' purpose in going to the cross was not only to forgive us of our sins, but also it was a judgement on the world.
Part of that judgment was for the evil one. The evil one thought he had the last laugh when he tempted Adam and Eve and led them to choose sin. But Jesus' work on the cross defeated the power of the devil. One day when Jesus returns, the devil will be extinguished for good when he is thrown in a lake of fire. Meanwhile his death on the cross would draw all people to himself. Notice it says all people. Not just the Jews, but the Jews and Gentiles. People of every nation and tribe.
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.
Instead of answering a question from the law of Moses, Jesus deflecting to the light and darkness, a familiar theme in John's gospel. The people tried to go back to the Law of Moses, but Jesus went back to one of his "I AM" statements when he said, "I am the light of the world!"
Jesus assured them that He would be with them only a short time longer. The light of His earthly ministry was about to go out. We must believe on Jesus while the light is there, because it won’t last forever. God’s Spirit will not always strive with man (Genesis 6:3), and we must answer His call while it rings to us. (Guzik)
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 prophets, “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”[h] 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.”[i] 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.
We often wonder why people don't believe in Jesus today after they have seen so much evidence of who he is and what he has done in thousands of people's lives. The evidence is historical, theological and millions of Christians who have believed in Jesus and been willing to die for their faith in him.
The prophet Isaiah reveals one of the reasons why people don't believe. (Isaiah 53:1 and 9:11). The passage says the Lord has hardened their hearts and blinded their eyes, otherwise they would turn and be healed and delivered from sin.
This brings up a theological question. Why would God intentionally harden someone's heart so they could not believe?
As always we need to answer this question by using the whole counsel of Scripture. We know from other passages that Jesus desires all people to be saved. I don't believe an all loving God would predestine someone to go to hell. This would not be just either. It would be unfair.
What I do believe is that when people reject Jesus long enough, their hearts will grow hard. Because God has given us free will, He can't make anyone love Him. Although faith is a gift it can be received or rejected.
How this happens is a mystery? All I know for sure is that every person has an equal chance to accept the Good News about Jesus and believe in Him as their Savior!
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.”
Jesus finishes this chapter by pointing out that believing in Him is the same as believing in the Father. They are the same. Jesus has come into the world as the light but many prefer darkness and chose it instead. Remember if Jesus was the light of the world, everybody has an equal chance to see him. As mentioned earlier, some accepted the light and some rejected it. It wasn't the desire of the One who came to bring the light to be rejected by men preferred darkness over light.
Jesus had told them everything the Father called him to do, so if they rejected him, they rejected the Father who sent him. To reject Jesus is to reject the Father!
If a person says Jesus is not another prophet or moral teacher, they clearly have not read or understood this passage. Jesus did not leave that option open to them!
Comments
Post a Comment