John Chapter 12

¹ Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.

² There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.

³ Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

⁴ Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,

⁵ Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

⁶ This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

This was who Judas Iscariot was… his focus was on money. What I’m thinking on the topic of Christians being drawn more toward money than Jesus…and if you happen on this, I implore you to think about this prayerfully because as I said, these are just my thoughts….and even if my thoughts sound well put together, I could still be off base… so prayerfully read and consider my words here.
There is a modern day version of this betrayal going on… where people follow money and wealth in the Church and not so much follow Jesus… even thought they have the same confession of faith, it’s like this part of their belief remains underdeveloped, but their knowledge on the prosperity verses are always at the forefront. They become less about saving the lost and more about teaching others how to get rich and live in luxury right now. They are experts at using Jesus to enrich themselves and teaching others that we are to be rich right now on this earth.
Judas wanted money here… he was thinking how this act of worship in the anointing of the feet of Jesus with the valuable oil was taking money out of his bag… this speaks volumes about the condition of his spirit at this point.

⁷ Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.

⁸ For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.

⁹ Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.

I can see this! Like, if I had a loved one or friend who died and was risen again from the dead by Jesus…. I’d want to go see them… and I’d have lots of questions too… like, “When you were dead, what were you thinking… where were you… was it like you went to sleep and woke up when Jesus called you…. were you freaked out to find you were buried? ” And I’d also want to thank Jesus for raising my loved one and to listen to this obvious Son of God. This event would be the most exciting thing I’d ever heard of so far.

¹⁰ But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;

Well, I wonder what would cause the chief priest to think that they could kill Lazarus right after he was risen from the dead by the Son of God. Was it because they were completely blinded to who Jesus was and that they were using their “logic” to explain everything away? People who don’t believe today do this all the time… they explain everything that God is doing away and attribute the workings of God to chance, coincidences, false reports…. anything and everything just to stop from having to believe. They think they are so much smarter than Christians who do believe… an attitude we also see in the Pharisees and the Jews here.

¹¹ Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.

¹² On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

¹³ Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.

¹⁴ And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written,

¹⁵ Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt.

¹⁶ These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.

¹⁷ The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record.

¹⁸ For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle.

¹⁹ The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.

²⁰ And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:

²¹ The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.

²² Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.

²³ And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

²⁴ Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

One seed does not only produce one seed, it produces a large harvest of seeds.

²⁵ He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

²⁶ If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

Jesus is telling his disciples and those listening to him to follow him….and Jesus knew when he said this that he was heading to the cross. Look at the Chief Priest, who were so desperately trying to save their way of doing things when people were deciding to follow Jesus. They hatched a plan, to kill Jesus…. they think this will save their religion… and their positions. Instead, what happened was, they killed Jesus and their positions of Chief Priest were no longer needed in order for man to reach God….the veil of the Temple tore down the center… opening the Holiest of Holy to anyone who would call out to God in the name of Jesus… anyone who used Jesus’s blood to pay for their sins and no longer relied on the sacrifice of animals to make atonement. Instead of stopping Jesus to keep their way of doing things unchanged, their actions directly caused it to change because it was in the death on the cross that Jesus paid for the sins of mankind and rendered their positions as the gatekeepers of the relationships people had with God, unnecessary because now all mankind could go boldly to the throne of grace and receive forgiveness for sins. In seeking to save their position, they lost it. If we seek to save this life we will lose it too… if we invest all of our faith in the things we can see and feel and experience right now on this earth, we will lose everything… but, if we place our faith in the promises of God and follow Jesus ENTIRELY… meaning, following him to the cross, we will gain eternal life. And what an exchange that is…. a life that has a run of time that is uncertain and that from the start is moving towards an end… for a life that heads toward the cross to die to this world to gain a life that is eternal. A person needs faith to follow Jesus… because we are believing in the promise and not in what we can see and hear and feel which takes no faith to do.

²⁷ Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

Jesus had complete understanding of what was going to happen next. He knew he would die on the cross, he knew he would rise again… he knew he would be tried… he knew who would betray him… he knew exactly what was coming…including the part where he redeems all of mankind and would be returning to the right hand of God…. and here he says his soul is troubled. Then he says that he could ask God to save him, but he knows that this is why he came here… he affirms God’s plan… now look what God did next.

²⁸ Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

After affirming that he was here to glorify his Father, God…. God responds with… “I have both glorified it, and will glorify is again.” And let us remember here… that all of this is happening because God loves US.

²⁹ The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.

³⁰ Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.

God spoke here to let us all know that Jesus is his Son, so we can believe in him.

³¹ Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

³² And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

In dying, all mankind can be saved.

³³ This he said, signifying what death he should die.

³⁴ The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?

³⁵ Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

³⁶ While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

³⁷ But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:

³⁸ That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?

³⁹ Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,

⁴⁰ He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

⁴¹ These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

⁴² Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:

⁴³ For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

There is a thing, more now that ever before… where you know that just saying that you are a Christian openly or posting about it on social media can lead you to be ostrazied, ridiculed and unfriended. A lot of us feel this pressure… I know I do… and actively have to lay that down at the cross and die to it. I want to be liked… but I decided that I’d rather have Jesus like me, than that person or even relative who openly rejects God and Jesus… because Jesus is the one who died for me. The love of man is nice, but the love of God is better than nice, it’s eternal. It’s a choice we make from day to day that we are willing to lose friends and relatives because we love God and serve Jesus. Does it feel good? No, it hurts because we love these people who walk away…. but that’s the price we pay… thats the crosses we take up. Crosses are for dying… and if we follow Jesus we will put lots of things on that cross because they are contrary to our beliefs and walk with the Lord. But we also have a promise… He that seeks to save his life shall lose it and he that loses his life will save it… what we lose in this current life can not be compared to the things God has for us in the next life.

⁴⁴ Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.

⁴⁵ And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.

⁴⁶ I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

⁴⁷ And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

⁴⁸ He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

⁴⁹ For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

⁵⁰ And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.