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John 12:1-13:30
We are in the Christ Stream reading from the New American Standard Bible.
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Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis
Lord Jesus, you are worth pouring ourselves out for. You serve us so that we may serve others for your Kingdom and glory. May we be wholly yours. Amen.
Just a bit of review before we proceed in John: a week ago was Jesus’ last miracle found in John. Excluding Jesus’ own Resurrection, these are the seven miracles that John weaves into his “story of Jesus”. There are 41 total healing events that Jesus performed in his three-year ministry. John included four of these 41 in his gospel plus three nature miracles. John is employing just enough to prove who Jesus is. These are enough to inform the world that Jesus is sent from God and is The Savior of the world. Jesus is also the Master over the World. Here is how Jesus shows his mastery as described in John:
Jn. 2 – Turning Water to Wine Jesus has mastery over quality
Jn. 4 – Healing the Official’s son Jesus has mastery over distance (the child was 20 miles away)
Jn. 5 – Healing LameMan [38 years] Jesus has mastery over time
Jn. 6 – Feeding Multitude Jesus has mastery over quality
Jn. 6 – Walking ON the water Jesus has mastery over gravity
Jn. 9 – Healing the Man born blind Jesus has mastery over misfortune [and light]
Jn 11 – Raising Lazarus from Dead Jesus has mastery over death
And with that, John proceeds to tell us the rest of the story. The first 11 chapters of John cover 35 months. The last 10 chapters take place during the final seven weeks of Jesus’ time on earth.
12 – After Jesus’ healed Lazarus it became expedient to escape for a couple of weeks and let the hub-bub die down. [By now the Pharisees wanted to kill Jesus and Lazarus.] But when Jesus returned to Bethany, there were still many many people who simply wanted to meet this man who was brought back to life. When in the house, Mary anoints Jesus with 12 oz. of very expensive perfume that cost a year’s wages. What do you make per year? $40K? $110K? Will you pour out an amount like that into God’s kingdom so that Christ is glorified? Most everybody will not. We carry on like Judas and start doing critical math and make sure that Jesus only gets a little bit of it. We can scuttle and skate and excuse all we want, but our priorities are very evident to God. And we ask Him to bless us … hmm When He enters Jerusalem the word spread as if 100,000 text messages got forwarded and everyone came to welcome Him into the city. The praise was ecstatic – … and the Pharisees only grew more anxious. Some Greeks had come from Galilee too and wanted a moment with Jesus. Jesus uses such a moment to teach that Jesus was not just ‘the next man along the trail’ of life. Meeting Him was a fork in the road. If they wanted to just use meeting Jesus to add to their list of “selfies’ with a star” they were mistaken. Today people still need to decide what they are going to do about Jesus in their own lives. As Jesus tells again of His imminent death, He makes statements that are epic to put it lightly. Jesus would be lifted up on a Cross. The battle of darkness against Light would rage as never before. As Calvary draws closer and closer, sentiments about Jesus would be deeply divided. What side of reality would the men of Jerusalem find themselves on?
Choose wisely. Eternity is at stake.
13 – The time for their last supper had arrived. The spiritual battle was thick as a cloud in the room. Judas had already negotiated to trade in his friendship with God for a handful of coins. The other 11 were committed to stay with Jesus but hadn’t yet realized how frail their spirits were. Jesus uses the occasion of them being enraptured with Him (they were that locked in focus upon Him) to teach that they are to be servants to all; to the whole world. Every leader who has gone amok on earth has forgotten this story that Jesus demonstrated. It hits so hard and cuts to the core. Peter doesn’t know what to do except to be come sarcastic. Jesus calmly finished the task however. Jesus knows that his betrayer is still in the room. The events ensue and eventually Judas is at the point of no return. He leaves into the night – truly the man was more committed to darkness than anything. Once someone leaves Jesus, they step into darkness that only grows darker and darker until the grip of Darkness is inescapable.
