John Chapter 12

 (John Chapter 12)

Less than a week before the Passover, Jesus and his disciples were in Bethany again, having dinner with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, who had recently been raised from the dead. While Martha served, Mary anointed Jesus’s feet with costly perfume and wiped his feet with her hair. This was an act of amazing devotion and love but as we'll see, some didn't appreciate such extravagant sacrifice for Jesus. The same is true today.

Mark records Jesus as saying that Mary's act of love would be remembered throughout history and around the world.

(Mark:14v9) says Truly I tell you, Wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.

Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would betray Jesus, was Upset regarding Mary's gift. He criticized her for using such expensive perfume, saying it could have been sold for a large amount of money and given to the poor. However, John explains that Judas was not really concerned about helping the poor. But John tells his readers the truth, something that the disciples apparently didn't know until after the fact: Judas didn't care about the poor. He was a thief. He was in charge of the disciples’ money-bag and used to steal from it. 

Adding 300 denarii to the Piggy Bank would have meant more cash in Judas's pocket.

(Brittany’s part) While one person shows her Godly devotion, the other is demonstrating their unGodly deviation.

Judas often dipped into the disciple’s money bag for his own use. Jesus would have known what Judas was doing but he did not do or say anything about it. Just like when we choose the way of sin, God may not immediately do anything to stop us, but this does not mean he approves of our actions. We will get what we deserve. Think Of Jonah*

Judas used a godly-sounding reason to hide his true motives. But Jesus knew what was in his heart. Judas's life had become a lie, and the devil was gaining more and more control over him. Satan is the father of lies, and the person like Judas with a lion character opens the door to his influence. Jesus's knowledge of us should make us want to keep our actions consistent with our words. Because we have nothing to fear with him, we should have nothing to hide.

Jesus rebuked Judas, telling him to leave Mary alone. Her actions had prepared his body for burial which was only a few days away. For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me. Providing for the poor is a biblical mandate for God's people.

(Lev:19v9) says When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reach to the very edge of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners. I am the Lord your God.

So, the scripture is saying when you harvest your crops, don't collect every last bit. Leave some for poor and needy people so they can have food too. God's purpose: That's to teach his people to: be generous: care for the poor and needy: share their blessings with others.

(Deut:15v10) says Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hands to. *( what is a grudging heart?-doing or giving something unwillingly, resentfully, or out of obligation rather than genuine desire. )

(Prov:14v31) says Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

(Prov:19v17) says Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and here we'll reward them for what they have done.

(Prov:28v27) says Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.

(2Cor:9v7) says Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

(Eph:4v28) says Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

 Of course, the Bible is talking about those who are legitimately poor, not those who are poor through their own laziness;

(2Thess:3v10) says for even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: the one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.

But Jesus reminded them that dealing with poverty is an unending reality in this sinful, fallen world. And this reality was not to prevent them from honoring their long-awaited Lord and Messiah who would only be with them a short while longer.

When they learn that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, crowds of people wanted to get a glimpse of the ex-corpse. Because of Jesus’s miraculous deed, many of the Jews were deserting the Jewish religious leaders and believing in Jesus. How did the chief priest respond to this? They decided to kill Lazarus too! Their wickedness knew no bounds.

(Brittany’s part) Their ultimate motivation for wanting to kill Lazarus also, was because of him, many were withdrawing from the jewish leaders. Lazarus was undeniable, walking proof of Jesus's messianic power. Because Lazarus was publicly alive after being undeniably dead, people were flocking to see him. The massive public interest caused many Jewish people to leave the religious establishment and put their faith in Jesus. The religious leaders viewed Lazarus as a walking threat to their power, influence, and status. Lazarus was not preaching against them. He was not trying to lead some kind of revolution. He was a man of no importance, but he was alive. He was irrefutable evidence that Jesus was telling the truth about resurrection and the reality of His resurrection and the resurrection of the dead. Lazarus made the council fear that they were in danger of losing their power and their position. 

A large crowd heard that Jesus was about to enter Jerusalem. With palm branches in hand, they met him shouting in a language from( Psalm 118v25-26) Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord-the king of Israel! Hosanna is Hebrew for save us; it's a Cry of deliverance. By applying the Psalm to Jesus and identifying him as their king, they were hailing Jesus as the Messiah who would deliver them from Roman domination.

Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, the prophets Zachariah said that Isreal’s King would come riding on a young donkey. Jesus fulfilled that prophecy when he entered Jerusalem on a donkey. At the time, His disciples did not fully understand what was happening, but after his resurrection, they remembered and understood. 

Prophecy shows that God's word is true and trustworthy, encouraging believers to have confidence in the Bible.

(Zach:9v9) says Rejoice greatly, daughters Zion! Shout, daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey colt, the foal of a donkey.

The many Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah were written hundreds of years before his birth, yet they were fulfilled in his life accurately and in detail. This should encourage all believers to trust that the Bible is indeed the true word of God.

Those who had witnessed Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead were testifying to the rest of the crowds, so Jesus’s following grew even larger. All of this made the Pharisees furious. More followers for Jesus meant fewer followers for them! The gospels make clear that the religious leaders in Jerusalem were motivated in their hatred of Jesus by jealousy.

(Matt:27v18) says for he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

(Mark:15v10) says Knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him.

Some Greeks were also in Jerusalem for the Passover. Although they were gentiles, they believed in and worshipped the God of Israel. Earlier Jesus had said, I have other sheep*(who are the other sheep?) that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also. By “other sheep” he meant gentiles. Jesus came to be the savior of the world. And now the world was starting to come to him, saying, we wanna see Jesus.

We've seen repeatedly in John's gospel that it was not jesus's time or that his hour had not yet come. Jesus operated on a divine clock. But when his disciples told him that these Greeks wanted to see him, Jesus finally said, it's time--the hour has come for the son of man to be glorified. The Son’s glorification involves his death, resurrection, and ascension back to the father .Up to this point, Jesus has consistently told people that “his hour had not yet come.

Jesus used something people knew about farming to help them understand spiritual things. Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit. Jesus had come into the world to die and give his life to pay the price for our sins. In the same way that a single grain produces much wheat Jesus’s death would yield much spiritual fruit--salvation and eternal life for all who will trust him.

Jesus was speaking first and foremost of himself. He is the grain of wheat. His death would produce much fruit and result in many lives for God. 

The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If you live a self-centered existence, you will lose the very thing you're trying to hold on to. If your life is all about you and finding yourself, you will not find the “you” that you're looking for. To hate your life means not living in a self-centered way but being a servant of others. The one who lives a life of service in the name of the Lord Jesus will be rewarded in this life and in the life to come.

So, Jesus is teaching that there are two ways to live.

When he says, the one who loves his life will lose it; he means that if a person lives only for themselves-their own comfort, desires, success, and plans-they will miss what truly matters. They may gain many things in this world but they will lose the eternal life and purpose that God offers.

When he says, the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life, he's not telling us to hate ourselves. He means that we should love God more than our own selfish desires. We should be willing to put God's will first, even when it costs us something.

If life is all about “me” you will never find true satisfaction.

If you give your life to God and serve others, you will discover the purpose and joy God created for you. 

(Luk:9v23) says Then he said to them all: whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

This verse is one of Jesus’s clearest teachings about what it means to be his disciple.

1. if anyone desires to come after me.

And Jesus is speaking to everyone, He is saying, if you want to be my follower, this is what it requires.

Following Jesus is more than believing facts about him. It means making him the Lord and leader of your life.

1. let him deny himself.

This does not mean hating yourself or thinking you have no value. It means saying no to your selfish desires and saying yes to God's will.

For example:

forgiving someone when you want revenge.

Telling the truth when lying would be easier.

Obeying God even when it costs you something.

Putting God's plan ahead of your own desires.

Denying yourself means saying;

Lord, what you want is more important than what I want.

Take up his cross daily:

in Jesus’ day, a cross was an instrument of death. The people listening knew that carrying your cross meant surrendering your own plans and accepting whatever came with following Jesus.

Jesus is saying.

Every day, choose to die to your selfish way of living and live for God instead.

Jesus knew he was about to suffer and die on the cross for the sins of the world, enduring separation from his father. Although he was troubled and grieved, he did not run from God's plan. Instead, he prayed, “father, glorify your name.” God answered from heaven, showing his approval of Jesus. The greatest glory would come through Jesus’s death and resurrection.

The crowd was divided about what they heard. Some believed God had spoken, while others thought it was only Thunder. Jesus explained that the voice was for their benefit, so they would believe that he was sent by God.

Jesus's death on the cross would be an act of judgment on the devil, the ruler of this world. In the garden, Adam and Eve were given the responsibility to rule the world on God's behalf. Instead, they chose to sin against God and thereby granted rule of the world to Satan.

(2Cor:4v4) says for everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

(Eph:2v2) says in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 

(1Joh:5v19) says We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

So, the son of God became a man to defeat the devil. The cross guarantees the enemy's defeat because Satan achieves victory through accusing sinners. But 

through the cross, Jesus Christ would deal with sin once and for all.

(Heb:7v26) says Such a high priest truly meets our need-one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.

(Heb:9v12) says he did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the most holy place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.

(Heb:10v10) says and by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all.

(1Joh:2v2) says He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Jesus came to defeat Satan and deal with sin once and for all. Through his death on the cross, he made forgiveness and salvation available to everyone who puts their faith in him. This is why we are called to share the gospel with all people.

Even after seeing many miracles many people still refused to believe in Jesus their hearts became 

hardened because they continually rejected God's light. Like pharaoh in the Old Testament those who repeatedly resist God can become so set in their ways that they no longer want his truth.

(Exod:4v21) says The Lord said to Moses, when you return to Egypt, see that you performed before pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.

Hardening pharaoh's heart does not mean God forced a good man to become evil. Pharaoh was already rebellious and stubborn. After pharaoh repeatedly rejected God, God confirmed him in the choice he had made and used the situation to show his power and glory.

Isaiah 6:9-10 

9 He said, “Go and tell this people: “’Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’

10 Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” [1] 

Some religious leaders did believe in Jesus, but they were afraid to admit it because they feared what others would think. They cared more about people's approval than God's approval. Jesus calls us to openly stand for him and not be ashamed of our faith.

(Matt:10v32-33) says Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my father in heaven.

Jesus explained that he came into the world not to condemn people, but to save them. However, those who reject him will face judgment because rejecting Jesus is also rejecting the father who sent him. We cannot claim to believe in God while rejecting his son. Jesus alone speaks the father's words and offers eternal life to all who believe in him.

Jesus came to save the world, defeat sin and Satan, and bring people into God's light. Those who trust him receive eternal life, while those who reject him remain in darkness. Therefore, we should follow Jesus, serve others, boldly share our faith, and walk in his light every day.