How The World Will Be Judged

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John 12:44-50

44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

 
 

Jesus is about to conclude His public ministry; in chapter 13 He will pivot to mainly private teaching of the twelve disciples as He prepares them for His departure. Here, He again states that people who believe in Him—the Son—are also at the same time believing in the Father. (And vice versa—see 6:45–46).

44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me” [John 12:44–45].

As we have seen, the public ministry of Jesus seems in many ways to be a failure, as the Jewish people on the whole refuse to believe in Jesus. But Jesus again stresses that His purpose in coming is to save, not to judge. Nevertheless, if Jesus is the lifeguard and is there to save people from drowning, those who refuse will end up going under — but that’s their choice, not His. By not believing, they are condemning themselves.

46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day [John 12:46–48].

The world will be judged by the words of Jesus—those who turn toward Him in repentance will receive life, but those who reject His invitation to life will be judged by the fact that they rejected that invitation.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
The Father sent the Son so that those who believe will receive the life of the Spirit. This is the gospel, and it is good news! But this also means that those who refuse to believe will not receive life. This is why it is so urgent that we share the gospel with all who will hear it, before it is too late.

 

Why Did The Jews Reject Jesus?

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John 36b-43

36b When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
40 “He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”
41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

 
 

36b When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them [John 12:36b].

This marks the end of Jesus’s public ministry. From now on, He will withdraw from public view and spend His last few days speaking to His disciples in private.

37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him [John 12:37].

In earthly terms, Jesus’s ministry is a failure. Though He has matched His words with deeds and performed many signs for the people, they have still failed to believe in Him. Why? Why didn’t more of the Jews believe?

Isaiah was an Israelite living in Jerusalem in the decades around 775 B.C. One day he had a vision of God’s heavenly temple:

6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke [Isaiah 6:1–4].

Isaiah is stricken with fear when he sees the majesty and glory of God’s throne room—he knows he is unworthy to be anywhere near it.

5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” [Isaiah 6:5].

But the Lord makes atonement for Isaiah’s sin, in a mysterious way involving an angel and a burning coal:

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for” [Isaiah 6:6–7].

After this, Isaiah hears the Lord asking if anyone would be willing to obediently carry out a divine mission, and he eagerly volunteers:

8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me” [Isaiah 6:8].

If you have more than a passing familiarity with the Old Testament or have been around church for a number of years, you are probably familiar with Isaiah’s story so far. But what’s fascinating (and nearly always overlooked) is what happens next.

Verse 8 ends with Isaiah saying, “Here I am!”

Verse 9 begins like this:

9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:
“‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
10 Make the heart of this people dull,
and their ears heavy,
and blind their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed” [Isaiah 6:9–10].

Isaiah’s commission from God is to go to the Israelites and speak to them and have them guaranteed to ignore him! The passage is deeply ironic. The Lord basically says to Isaiah, “Your job is to talk to people who won’t hear or see or be curious, and the reason this is so bad is because if they would only just listen, things would go well with them.”

It’s as if Isaiah says to the people, “You know what? You should just keep on not listening. Great idea. I mean, it’s not as if God would want you to actually listen to what He’s telling you, is it? It’s not as if God has good things planned for those who actually change the way they are living.”

The point is not that God wants the people to have hard hearts— the point is that God is preparing Isaiah for the painful task of the prophet: to talk to people who refuse to listen to an invitation to repentance.

One of the ways we know that Isaiah did preach a message of repentance is because of what happens in the very next chapter, Isaiah 7. There Isaiah tells the king to repent, and that if he does, everything will be okay, and the king ignores him.

This passage is quoted in each of the four Gospels as well as the Book of Acts, because the early Christians saw that Isaiah’s prophetic words perfectly captured the hard-heartedness of so many of the Jews in the time of Jesus. Despite the signs that Jesus did—culminating in the ultimate sign of the resurrection itself—many of the Jews refused to accept Jesus as Messiah.

Now, John wants us to know that, of course, there were Jews who believed, rather, it was just that, as a whole, the Jews were willfully blind to what was happening in front of them.

42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God [John 12:42–43].

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Yes, as a whole, Israel rejected the Messiah. However, God used the rejection of Israel to bring about salvation, because the Messiah died in the place of His unfaithful people.

28 In all things God works together with those who love him to bring about what is good [Romans 8:28].

 

Sooner Or Later, Everyone Has To Respond

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John 12:27-36a

27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36a While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

 
 

Remember that we have broken up longer passages for easier daily reading. So, today’s reading is part of a longer passage (see last Friday) in which Jesus, having been told by Philip and Andrew that some Greeks want to see Him, says:

23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him [John 12:23–26].

He goes on to say:

27a “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? [John 12:27a].

Jesus has been speaking of death, and He is troubled by the thought. So, should He pray that He doesn’t have to die? No, He rejects this idea:

27b But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28a Father, glorify your name.” [John 12:27b–28a].

Instead, He prays a version of the Lord’s Prayer: “hallowed be thy name.” This prayer prompts the Father to reply audibly from heaven:

28b Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again” [John 12:28b].

The people hear the voice but are confused.

29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die [John 12:29–33].

In John’s Gospel, the phrase “lifted up” means “crucified” when applied to Jesus. So, Jesus explains here how He is going to die.

All of this connects back to His earlier statement about the seed falling to the ground to die. Rather than “falling,” Jesus explains that He will die by being “lifted up.” And just like the grain of wheat, His death will yield a rich harvest:

32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself [John 12:32].

This is a puzzling verse. Does Jesus imply that everyone will be saved? The entirety of the Gospel of John makes that interpretation an impossibility, as many people throughout the Gospel account will come to Jesus and then turn away from Him. (See John 6:66, e.g.). No, what Jesus means is that, by way of the cross, Jesus confronts the world, and the world has to respond—the only way to have life is to have faith in Jesus as the crucified Messiah.

The reason we know about Jesus is because of His crucifixion and resurrection. It is Jesus, “crucified under Pontius Pilate” who is Lord of the world.

After the crowds on Palm Sunday, the Pharisees imply that the whole world is paying attention to Jesus.

19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him” [John 12:19].

Then, some Greeks want to see Jesus:

20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus” [John 12:20–21].

Jesus’s response is that the Pharisees are right. The whole world will be drawn to Jesus, but not as Jesus the teacher, but as Jesus the crucified Lord:

32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself [John 12:32].

So, in v. 32 we get a response to the desire of the Greeks to see Jesus, mentioned in 12:21, that they want to see Jesus. Jesus tells them they will see Him—the world will see Him—but only when He is lifted up on the cross.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Sooner or later and in one way or the other, everyone must respond to Jesus. (If you choose not to respond, that’s still a response.) Sooner or later, Jesus says, “all” will have to decide how they will respond to the crucified Lord.

 

Dostoevsky's Epigraph

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John 12:20-26

20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

 
 

As usual, someone has come forward to Jesus with a question or a remark, and as usual, Jesus replies cryptically in a way that seems to be a non sequitur or otherwise irrelevant. Philip and Andrew tell Jesus that some God-fearing Greeks want to see the man that everyone is talking about, but instead of directly addressing that request, Jesus says:

23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified [John 12:23].

Remember, in the Gospel of John, Jesus’s “glorification” is actually His crucifixion. He will be “lifted up” on the cross. So, whenever you read “glory” or “glorified” or “lifted up” or “glorification” in John, you need to think of the crucifixion.

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit [John 12:24].

Here, Jesus makes a profound point about how life comes through death. If the seed stays attached to the stalk, there will be no new life. It’s when the seed “dies” and is detached from the stalk that new life is possible.

25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life [John 12:25].

Jesus then applies this point to His followers—the people that are willing to lose their lives for Jesus will, paradoxically, actually keep their lives, whereas those who hold on to their lives will ultimately lose them.

26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him [John 12:26].

Jesus then tells His followers that they will have to go where He goes, and that if they do that, the Father will reward them.

The Greeks want to see Jesus, but Jesus doesn’t seem to answer their request. (His answer comes in v.32). Then, Jesus says that His followers will have to go where He is going, but Jesus doesn’t specify where that is.

We’ll have to read on to see how He ties His response to the Greeks’ request with information as to where He is heading.

QUESTION OF THE DAY
Why does Jesus make the point that life often comes through death?

P.S. The little spiritual aphorism from Jesus about the grain of wheat (vv. 24–25) is the epigraph to Fyodor Dostoevsky’s great novel The Brothers Karamazov, and whenever I see John 12:24–25 quoted anywhere, it always makes me think of that book. (Highly highly recommended, by the way.)

 

Everything Only Makes Sense In Retrospect

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John 12:16-19

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

 
 

It is only after Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection that the disciples really understand what Palm Sunday meant. The crowd hailed Jesus as the deliverer of Israel—and He was—but the way Jesus defeated His enemies was not through killing them, but by dying for them.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Our lives will only make sense in light of the cross and resurrection, and ultimately only in retrospect. The things that seem so painful and puzzling now will one day be revealed as a part of God’s gracious plan.

P.S. V. 18 is a specific reference to Jesus’s sixth sign, the raising of Lazarus.

 

Why "Palm" Branches?

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John 12:12-15

12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!”

 
 

John is the only one of the Gospel writers who specifically mentions “palm” branches, and so it is from John’s Gospel that we get the name Palm Sunday. The crowd goes out to meet Jesus and the implication is clear: He is entering Jerusalem as a conquering hero.

Some background: In 167 B.C., about 200 years before Palm Sunday, a priestly family of Jewish military and religious leaders called the Maccabees started a revolt in Israel. A pagan Greek king had taken over Jerusalem and had defiled the Temple, and in the subsequent revolt (which lasted several years) the Maccabees and the resistance fighters succeeded in driving the Greeks out of Jerusalem. The Jews only had a small amount of oil to use in the temple rededication ceremony, but it miraculously lasted for eight days. (This is where Hannukah comes from.) What’s relevant to Palm Sunday is what happened when the Maccabees entered Jerusalem:

51 On the twenty-third day of the second month, in the one hundred and seventy-first year, the Jews entered it with praise and palm branches, and with harps and cymbals and stringed instruments, and with hymns and songs, because a great enemy had been crushed and removed from Israel [1 Maccabees 13:51].

The palm branch became a symbol of Jewish nationalism and so it is significant that when Jesus entered Jerusalem the crowd greeted Him with palm branches—the crowd sees Jesus as the deliverer of Israel.

QUESTION FOR THE DAY
If the crowd so rapturously greeted Jesus on Palm Sunday, why were they so quick to turn on Him and cry out “Crucify Him, crucify Him” on Friday?

 
 

The Plot To Kill Lazarus

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John 12:9-11

9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

 
 

In chapter 11, we saw that Jesus’s decision to go back to the area around Jerusalem to save Lazarus would lead directly to His own death—life for Lazarus would mean death for Jesus. Here, we see that the leaders of the Jews would also like to have Lazarus murdered as well, since his very existence meant that people were believing in Jesus.

The reason the crowd’s arrival is important is because it shows the chief priests that they won’t be able just to grab Jesus in broad daylight—they will need another way to get at Him when the crowds aren’t around. Judas will be the one who gives them what they need; he betrays Jesus on the night of the Last Supper, when everyone in Jerusalem is preparing for the Passover meal.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
The chief priests would rather commit murder than have the people believe in Jesus, even though believing in Jesus would mean life for Israel. It is a remarkable statement of human wickedness—we would rather kill than admit we were wrong.

 

Is This The Reason Judas Betrayed Jesus?

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This is where we left off:

Jesus has had to flee Jerusalem because the Jewish authorities are seeking to kill Him. However, hearing that His friend Lazarus is deathly sick, Jesus makes the decision to return to Bethany (a small village situated on the Mount of Olives, just outside the city limits of Jerusalem) to save him. This decision to come back to danger to save His friend will end up costing Jesus His own life. This is where things stand as we begin part four.

In this final volume, we will cover the week of Jesus’s life that leads up to His crucifixion, and then we will read the delightful and moving accounts of His resurrection appearances. We will conclude with what, I believe, might be the sweetest and most perfect chapter in all the Bible: John’s epilogue, chapter 21.

John’s Gospel has covered three years of Jesus’s ministry, but about half of the Gospel is concerned with just one week of Jesus’s life. So, we will see the narrative slow way down and give more space to the teachings of Jesus about the reality of life and death and love. The insights that John provides in this section are breathtaking and deep, particularly as we read what Jesus has to say about the Trinity itself, and the life that the Father, Son, and Spirit share.

So, as we conclude our six-month study through the Gospel of John, I’ll say it one final time:

If you read the Gospel of John with an open mind and an unhurried spirit, it will change your life and bring you joy. Amen.

P.S. Asbury is a Bible-reading church. To that end, I’ve divided up John’s Gospel into manageable readings for each weekday and written brief commentary to help us get the most out of our reading.

 
 

John 12:1-8

12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

 
 

It is one week until the crucifixion, and everything we read from John 12:1 through 20:25 will take place in the next eight days.

Jesus has had to flee Jerusalem because the Jewish authorities are seeking to kill Him. However, hearing that His friend Lazarus is deathly sick, Jesus made the decision to return to Bethany (a small village situated on the Mount of Olives, just outside the city limits of Jerusalem) to save Him. This decision to come back to danger to save His friend will end up costing Jesus His own life.

The reference to Passover marks the third Passover that John has specifically mentioned (see 2:13 and 6:4), and this detail is why we traditionally think of Jesus as having a three-year ministry.

While Jesus is dining in Bethany with Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus, Mary does something recklessly extravagant: she anoints the feet of Jesus with very expensive perfume. This is the first of two anointings of the body of Jesus for burial. (The second anointing is when Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus anoint the body of Jesus again when they place it in the tomb on Saturday evening—see 19:38–42.)

Judas objects to what he claims is the poor stewardship in using expensive perfume in this way, but John tells us that the true reason for Judas’s objection is because Judas liked skimming money out of the group’s funds.

Jesus approvingly praises Mary’s action: there will always be time to help the poor, but Jesus’s bodily presence with His disciples will not last forever.

QUESTION OF THE DAY
There can be a utilitarian temptation for the church to focus on the concerns and needs of this world at the expense of honoring God. (There can be a temptation in the other direction, too, whereby the church only seeks to honor God and neglects the poor.) I think, though, that when the church spends money on making something beautiful that will honor God in future generations, that that is the right approach. Can you imagine how sad the world would be without the magnificent cathedrals of Europe, or the breathtaking works of art created for the glory of God?

How can you extravagantly honor Jesus today?

P.S. I wonder if this act by Mary and Jesus’s approval of it is what finally set Judas off on his decision to betray Jesus.

 

The Reason They Decide To Kill Jesus

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John 11:45-57

45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.
54 Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.
55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

 
 

The news of the raising of Lazarus provokes the Jewish leadership to have a damage control meeting. What’s at stake is the delicate agreement the leaders have with the Romans, namely that the Romans will allow the Jewish leadership a certain level of autonomy and authority, so long as they keep the peace among the people. With more and more people beginning to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Jewish leaders realize He will have to be dealt with once and for all, or else they will lose their position and possibly their nation.

This is how Caiaphas the chief priest puts it:

49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish” [John 11:49–50].

John the author can’t believe what Caiaphas has said:

51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad [John 11:51–52].

THOUGHT FOR GOOD FRIDAY
Without knowing it, Caiaphas has preached the gospel. I hope today’s Good Friday services help us all better experience the joy of Easter Sunday and the reality of the empty tomb.

 
 

Resuscitation Vs. Resurrection

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John 11:38-44

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

 
 

Earlier, Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice and follow Him. Here, it’s just a simple command—“Lazarus, come out”—and Lazarus comes back from the dead!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
What happens with Lazarus is different than what will happen with Jesus. Lazarus is merely resuscitated—that is, he is brought back from the dead and then goes on living a normal human life before he (presumably) eventually dies. Jesus, on the other hand, goes through death and comes out the other side, so to speak. He is part of the new creation, living in a different reality. (This is why the post- resurrection appearances are so important—they can tell us a lot about the future reality that is coming.)

 

Why Would Jesus Weep?

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John 11:28-37

28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

 
 

Haven’t you ever wondered why Jesus weeps at the death of Lazarus?

If you knew that you could bring back your friend from the dead, you wouldn’t weep, would you? Wouldn’t you say, “Everybody, STOP CRYING AND WATCH THIS!”?

QUESTION OF THE DAY
Why does Jesus weep?

 

How To Defeat Death

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John 11:17-27

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

 
 

Jesus says that:

25b Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die [John 11:25b–26].

In light of His previous remark calling death “sleep” (11:11), Jesus implies that, for those who believe in him, death is not final but temporary: just as you rise again in the morning after sleep, so those who are in Christ will be raised from the dead.

So, Jesus is not here saying that those who believe in Him will never die physically; rather, Jesus is saying that death is not the end for those who believe in Him.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Believing in Jesus doesn’t defeat death—Jesus defeats death on His own, and those who trust in Him receive the benefits of what He has achieved.

 

"So..."

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John 11:5-16

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

 
 

John knows exactly what he’s doing:

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus [John 11:5].

After telling us of Jesus’s affection for the family in Bethany, this is John’s very next sentence:

6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was [John 11:6].

Wait, what?!

That’s the point. The very fact that Jesus delays is part of something better that will be given to Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

P.S. I love the way Jesus refers to death as “sleep.”

P.P.S. That last line from Thomas cracks me up—I can almost hear his note of resignation about accompanying Jesus back into danger: “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

QUESTION OF THE DAY
Why does Jesus refer to death as “sleep?”

 

The Moment That Leads Directly To The Death Of Jesus

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John 11:1-4

11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

 
 

If this were a movie, the soundtrack would include some ominous notes here, because this is the event that will directly lead to Jesus’s death. Lazarus will die in Bethany, which is right outside Jerusalem.

Jesus has had to leave Jerusalem because the Jewish leadership has decided to kill Him. But, when He gets word of Lazarus’s death, He goes right back into danger in order to save His friend, and then events move quickly until His death on the cross.

QUESTION OF THE DAY
Jesus sees the difficulty regarding Lazarus as an opportunity for God’s glory. What are you worried about today? How could you see that present difficulty as an opportunity for God’s glory to be revealed?

 

Pay Attention To What Is Actually Happening

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John 10:31-42

31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. 40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. 41 And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in him there.

 
 

The Jews accuse Jesus of blasphemy for calling Himself the Son of God, but He makes the point that the Old Testament scriptures speak of spiritual beings called “gods” (see Psalm 82), so why should they be scandalized by the idea of the Son of God?

Then, once again, He makes the point He keeps making: forget about titles, pay attention to works. This makes them angry and Jesus has to escape to the wilderness.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
The people remark: “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true” (v. 41). Once again, we have the basic idea: pay attention to what is actually happening and make your judgments accordingly. This principle applies to all of life.

 

Jesus Goes To Hanukkah

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John 10:22-30

22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

 
 

In 168 B.C., Jerusalem was controlled by a Greek regime. There was a revolt led by the family of the Maccabees, and Jerusalem was freed from its pagan rulers. The Temple was rededicated to the Lord, and miraculously the oil in the Temple lamps did not run out.

The Jews began to commemorate that event and called the holiday the Feast of Dedication or Hanukkah.

Here, Jesus visits the temple during the Feast of Dedication and is confronted again by people seeking to know if He is the Christ. His reply is simple: “it should be obvious from what I’m doing! Everyone who listens to me will receive eternal life.”

 

Why Are People So Reluctant To See What's Right In Front Of Them?

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John 10:19-21

19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

 
 

Once again, we come back to the very simple idea that Jesus articulates elsewhere:

“You know the tree by its fruit.” (See Matthew 7:15–20.)

In other words, what matters is what people do. Here the Jews are arguing about Jesus, and some are discounting the obviously miraculous works He’s doing, while others point out:

21“These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” [John 10:21].

QUESTION FOR THE DAY
Why are people so reluctant to actually see what’s right in front of them?

 

Jesus The Door

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John 10:7-18

7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

 
 

If you come with the intention of harming the sheep, Jesus is a closed door in front of you:

7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them [John 10:7–8].

The image is of thieves and robbers standing in front of a closed door, unable to get at the sheepfold.

But, if you come seeking life, then Jesus is an open door:

9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly [John 10:9–10].

Note the key word anyone: “if anyone enters by me, he will be saved.”

This has been a repeated invitation of Jesus:

  • I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh [John 6:51].

  • If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority [John 7:17].

  • Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death [John 8:51].

The thief wants to steal the sheep to slaughter them, whereas the true shepherd will protect them. In fact, that’s how you can tell a true shepherd from a hired hand—the true shepherd will fight for his sheep, whereas the hired hand will just simply abandon them:

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep [John 10:10–13].

Then Jesus makes a reference to non-Jewish believers who will hear and respond to the gospel message:

16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd [John 10:16].

And He does all this freely, in accordance with the Father’s mission:

17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father” [John 10:17–18].

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Jesus is here speaking of Himself as the savior of the world, but the principles He gives can also help us discern true and false leaders in our time—the true leaders are the ones who sacrifice themselves for their people; the false leaders are the ones who run at the sight of trouble, seeking to save their own skin.

 

The Parable About The Climbing Robber

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John 10:1-6

10 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

 
 

Context matters. This is the immediately preceding passage:

39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains [John 9:39–41].

Then, Jesus tells this brief little parable about the sheep and the shepherd. The metaphor has changed from sight to hearing, but the result is the same: if you don’t hear correctly, you won’t know the shepherd.

Jesus is driving home the point that the Pharisees’ refusal to acknowledge what’s right in front of them make them unable to recognize the true shepherd when He arrives.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Lord, help us to hear your voice today—we don’t want to miss your guidance.

 

The Problem Is Thinking You Aren't Blind

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John 9:35-41

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

 
 

The man born blind is wiser than the Jewish leaders, and when presented with the opportunity to believe in Jesus, he does so.

The problem with the Jewish religious establishment is not that they are blind so much as the fact that they are convinced they “see.”

41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains [John 9:41].

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
The same is true for us—our problem is not our weakness, but when we lie or cover up our weakness. All that God is asking us to do is confess our need for Him, and He’ll take care of the rest. But when we refuse to acknowledge our dependence and need, we become like the hard-hearted Pharisees who are blind to the life and light right in front of them.