35 Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.
36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.
37 But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him,
38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
“They Did Not Believe in Him”
After the people questioned Jesus in verse 34, Jesus told them that the light would be with them a little longer. We all know who light is. God is light (1 John 1:5, Psalm 27:1). Since Jesus is God, then Jesus is light (John 1:1, 14, John 8:12). John 1:4 says that Jesus is the light of all of us. If light is within us, it is because we have Jesus in us through obedience to His Word. Jesus pleaded with the people to come into His light so they wouldn’t be blind. He wanted them to believe in Him and become sons (and daughters) of light. If they refused to believe in the light, then the darkness would overtake them, and they would be spiritually lost. This could be us as well. If we don’t stay on Jesus’ lighted path, then we will lose our way. Then comes the sad reality in verse 37. Even though Jesus had done all these signs in front of them, they still did not believe in Him.
In verse 38, John quotes Isaiah 53:1. The questions Isaiah posed in that verse were not used as questions in John 12:38. John was not asking, “Who will believe our report?” He used this prophecy to show that God knew this would happen. Who will believe in Jesus? Very few of Jesus’ own countrymen will believe. To whom has Jesus been revealed? He has been revealed to everyone, yet they won’t believe in Him. God knew this would happen. He knew the world would reject His Son, but God loved the world anyway. He loves the world now. God’s love towards every human on earth is immeasurable. We can’t fathom it. Because God loves all of us so much, He doesn’t want any one of us to be lost (2 Peter 3:9). Think about how much we love our husbands, our children and grandchildren, our parents, and other loved ones and friends. We love them so much that we feel like we could burst, don’t we? We would do anything for them. But… the love we have towards our loved ones pales in comparison to the love that Jesus has for them and for each of us. No matter how much we love our people, Jesus loves them more. Let’s lay the people we love at Jesus’ feet. Let’s lay the world at Jesus’ feet. It’s the best thing we can do for them.
God’s Plan of Salvation
Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible.
We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17)
Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16)
Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32)
Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19)
Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)
Then, we must remain faithful until death or until Jesus returns, whichever comes first. (Rev. 2:10)
God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out.
I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!
31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”
33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die.
34 The people answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”
“The Prince of this World will be Cast Out”
In the previous verses, God spoke through thunder. In verse 30, Jesus said God did not speak for His sake, but for the people. This statement leads into the next verse. In verse 31, Jesus says that judgment is coming to the world, and that the “ruler of this world” will be cast out or defeated. The world belongs to Satan. Therefore, Satan is the “ruler of this world” who is going to be defeated. This is why Jesus said that God spoke for the people’s sake in verse 30 of the previous verses… because if they don’t follow Jesus, then they will be judged along with the world. What is interesting about this whole scenario is that the unbelieving Jews think that they are the ones passing judgment on Jesus, when in reality, Jesus is the one who is passing judgment on them. What is going to bring about this judgment?
In the next verse, Jesus tells us that He will be “lifted up from the earth”. This was referencing the cross. Verse 33 confirms that Jesus was “signifying by what death He would die”. Jesus will be lifted up on the cross to die as the sacrificial Passover lamb for the sins of the world. Jesus has referred to being “lifted up” once before in John 3:14-15 when He was speaking privately to Nicodemus…“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus’ death on the cross brought judgment on the world. The world is everyone who is outside of Christ. Jesus defeated death and Satan when He died and rose again. Everyone who does not look at the “lifted-up” Jesus and obey Him will die a spiritual death, just like everyone who didn’t look at Moses’ bronze serpent died a physical death. Those people who refused to obey Moses and look at the bronze serpent died from the serpent bites, and everyone who does not obey Jesus, who was lifted up on that cross, will die from the venomous bite of sin… sin that cannot be forgiven without Jesus’ blood to wash it away. That is the judgment Jesus is speaking of in verse 31. When Jesus says that He will be “lifted up” in verse 32, He means that He will be exalted. His death on the cross will glorify and exalt Him in the eyes of all humanity, past, present, and future. Jesus’ sacrifice is still the most important event in human history. Jesus was and still is exalted because of what He did for all of us 2,000-ish years ago. Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 52:13, “Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.”
So Jesus’ death on the cross brought judgment on the world, defeated Satan, and brought about His exaltation. What else did His exaltation do? It drew all people to Him… all people, not just the Jewish nation, but every nation under heaven. All people, no matter their nationality, will gain eternal life if they believe in and obey Jesus. In John 6:44, Jesus said that no one comes to Him unless God draws Him. It is our belief that causes God to draw us to Jesus. Jesus has already won the battle against Satan. All we have to do is give Jesus our best effort in this life. Satan is just out there grasping at straws to get all the people He can to follow him. He’ll go to any lengths to do it. He’ll disguise himself in any way possible to trick us. He’ll even make himself look like an angel of light. Satan is desperate, because he knows that he has lost the battle. He knows where his home is going to be, and he wants as many people as he can possibly get to suffer the way he is going to suffer. We should be as desperate as Satan is in our mission. We should be desperate to win souls to Christ.
In verse 34, the people propose an argument. Paraphrasing, they ask, “How can you say that the Son of man will be ‘lifted up’ when the scriptures say that the Christ will remain forever? Who is this Son of man anyway?” This comes from Psalm 89:36 and Psalm 110:4. Psalm 89:36 says, “His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before Me”. Psalm 110:4 says, “The Lord has sworn and will not relent, ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.’” This is also quoted in Hebrews 7:17, 21. The people are still thinking of things from an earthly/physical standpoint. They are thinking, “How can He remain forever if He dies on the cross?” What they are not realizing is that Jesus is speaking in terms of the spiritual, not the physical. Jesus’ kingdom is a spiritual kingdom, and He will be the High Priest of that kingdom forever as He sits at the right hand of God. They don’t want to believe. They don’t want to understand. Jesus’ disciples didn’t fully understand, but they believed in Jesus and trusted Him so much that they didn’t have to fully understand at that point. Isn’t it that way with us? We can’t fully comprehend God’s plans. We don’t fully understand the why behind everything that God has done or will do. However, because He is our Creator and Savior, we trust Him with our lives. We believe He will take care of us and keep His promises. We know all we need to know. We have all we need in His Word.
God’s Plan of Salvation
Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible.
We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17)
Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16)
Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32)
Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19)
Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)
Then, we must remain faithful until death or until Jesus returns, whichever comes first. (Rev. 2:10)
God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out.
I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!
27 “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.
28 Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”
29 Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.”
30 Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.
“Father, Glorify Your Name”
In verse 27, Jesus said His “soul is troubled”. God in the flesh said that He was distressed. But…in Matthew 6:25, Jesus told us not to worry about anything in our lives. In Philippians 4:6, Paul tells us to “be anxious for nothing”. So…is Jesus’ troubled soul a contradiction to what He teaches us in His Word? Not at all. In fact, it is helpful to know that Jesus had these feelings. He was human even though He was God. We are human beings, and we all have emotional responses to disturbing or distressing situations just as we do to happy or joyous situations. But how do we handle our emotions? That is the key. Do we allow our emotions to cloud our judgment? Do we allow our emotions to hinder our work for the Lord? Did Jesus allow His “troubled” soul to keep Him from His purpose? No, He did not. Here is what Jesus said in verse 27, paraphrased: “Now I am distressed in My soul, but what should I say? Should I ask My Father to save Me from what is about to happen to Me? I can’t do that, because this is My purpose for being here. So, because this is My purpose, I say, ‘Father, glorify Your name.’” Jesus’ only purpose was to glorify God through whatever was happening to Him. Whether He was troubled or not… whether He was in pain or not…whether He was stressed out or not… it was all about glorifying God.
It is perfectly normal for us to be troubled, in pain, or stressed out at times, just like our Savior was. But if we can stop and remember the attitude that Jesus had, and say to ourselves, “Let God be glorified through this”, maybe we will have a little bit of an easier time bearing whatever it is.
Let’s fast forward to the night of Jesus’ arrest, when He was praying in the garden. We see Jesus ask God to “let this cup pass from” Him. Jesus was saying, paraphrasing, “Father, if there is any other way to accomplish Your will, I don’t want to go through this.” Did Jesus do wrong by saying this to God? No! He did not, because He also said, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39) Then, in Matthew 26:42, Jesus says, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” Jesus knew this was the only way for God to be glorified through Him. It was the only way to save humankind.
After Jesus said, “Father, glorify Your name”, a voice came from heaven saying, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” What did God mean by this statement? God meant that He was glorified by Jesus’ sinless life and all that He had accomplished while on earth, but that He would be glorified again when Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross for the sins of all humankind. That would be the ultimate glorification.
But listen to verse 28. The people standing around heard what they thought was thunder, and others heard what they thought was an angel speaking to Jesus. It makes perfect sense that they heard thunder, because God’s voice is thunder. In Exodus 19:19, when God spoke at Mt. Sinai, it said this: “And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.” The word “voice” in that verse is translated as “thunder”. In fact, the ESV uses the word “thunder” instead of “voice”. “And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder.” (Exodus 19:19 ESV)
Then in verse 30, Jesus says, paraphrasing, “This voice did not come on account of Me, but for Your sake.” Jesus knows who He is, and what His purpose is. He didn’t need God to do that for Him. But the people needed to sit up and take notice. Whether they heard thunder or thought it was an angel of God, it was obvious that God was giving His Son His stamp of approval, just as He did at His baptism. God was saying, “This is my Son who is glorifying Me, and He is about to glorify Me again by dying for all of you. Pay attention to Him.” Are we paying enough attention to Jesus in our lives today? Are we letting our emotions guide us, or are we letting Jesus guide us? Are we allowing our emotions to hinder our purpose of glorifying God? I pray that in my worst moments, I can say, “Father, glorify Your name through this moment.” But I am so weak, though. Lord, help me.
God’s Plan of Salvation
Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible.
We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17)
Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16)
Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32)
Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19)
Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)
Then, we must remain faithful until death or until Jesus returns, whichever comes first. (Rev. 2:10)
God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out.
I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!
7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.
8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”
9 Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.
10 But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also,…..
11 … because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.
12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!”
14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:
15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.”
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.
17 Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness.
18 For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign.
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.
“Fear Not… Your King is Coming!”
Jesus set Judas straight, “Leave her alone, she had saved this for My burial. You will always have the poor to minister to, but you will not always have Me here with you.” Mary’s heart was pure. Her motives were pure. And she was criticized for her pure heart. Isn’t that the way it is in the world today? People with the purest of motives are criticized, simply because others are either greedy for the attention to be on them, or they are convicted within themselves and don’t want to admit they are wrong and need to change. Have you ever seen someone doing something so kind and generous, and asked within yourself, “Why is she doing that? What’s in it for her?”? That is called questioning a person’s motives when we have no reason to do that. We really should be thinking, “What a wonderful thing that person is doing. This makes me realize that I need to be doing more than I’m doing.” We are to let others spur us to good works. Our good works should spur others to want to do good works. We are examples to each other in everything that we do. Mary was a wonderful example to everyone around her on this day so many years ago. She makes me want to be better as do so many other wonderful Christian women that I am privileged to be around.
In verse 9, it says that many of the Jews knew that Jesus was there, but they didn’t really come to see Jesus. They came to get a glimpse of the man who was raised from the dead. They wanted to lay eyes on Lazarus. I mean…..who wouldn’t want to see the man who was raised from the dead. But who was really the one who was to be glorified here? Jesus Christ was the one who raised Him up. Verse 10 just blows my mind! The chief priests were plotting to kill, not only Jesus, but Lazarus as well! What did Lazarus do to deserve this death plot?
Well… the chief priests were plotting to kill Lazarus because they blamed him for so many of the Jews going away from them and believing in Jesus. But was that Lazarus’ fault? First of all, Lazarus didn’t choose to get sick and die. And he didn’t choose to be brought back to life. That has to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of. I guess they wanted to reverse what Jesus had done in resurrecting Lazarus by murdering him. I assume they hoped that doing that would take away Jesus’ credibility, and maybe they could get all their followers back. Wow.
The day after Jesus ate Martha’s supper and Mary anointed His feet, He went to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. A huge number of people came to the feast because they heard that Jesus was coming. In my Bible, above these verses, it says “The Triumphal Entry”. I don’t think that truly describes it. Jesus was coming to Jerusalem to be the sacrificial Passover lamb. I guess it is “triumphal” because of how the people reacted when He came into town. The people did not know that Jesus was marching towards His death when He came into town. He was acknowledged as “King of Israel” when He came into town. He found a donkey and rode across the palm branches that the people had laid down in honor of His arrival. The palm branch symbolized victory to these people. The palm branch was on the coins from the Maccabean revolt, where Israel successfully defeated King Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who persecuted the Jews and tried to force them to give up their religion. “Hosanna” means “save us” or “save, we pray”. This comes from Psalm 118:25 which says, “Save now, I pray, O Lord.” The people quoted Psalm 118:26 when they said, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” His arrival on a donkey fulfills the prophecy from Zechariah 9:9 which says, “…..Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.” This “triumphal entry” happened about six days before Jesus was arrested, tried unfairly, scourged, beaten, mocked and nailed to a cross to die between two thieves. When the people gathered that day to lay palm branches down to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem, they had no idea that this man they called their king would be murdered in the span of a week. The man to whom they cried out “Hosanna!”… which means, ”Save us!”… would indeed save them very soon… just not in the way they thought.
This account of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem is recorded in all four gospels. All of them except Luke’s account quote parts Zechariah 9:9, which reads, ““Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.” John uses the words, “Fear not, daughter of Zion” in his account where the other gospels don’t record the phrase “fear not”! Zechariah 9:9 says “rejoice greatly”! They mean the same thing. Rejoice…..because you have no reason to fear! Your King Jesus is here! He is bringing salvation to you! Verse 16 says that His disciples didn’t understand these things, but remembered later what was written about Him in the Old Testament. They remembered these things when Jesus was “glorified” which means they remembered after His death on the cross. Every time I read about the disciples remembering things later on, I think of the “helper” that Jesus said would come to help them remember everything they needed to know to fulfill their purpose for Jesus after He ascended back to the Father (John 14:26). Imagine the scene. The people who witnessed Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead were present, and were shouting and bearing witness of what they saw Jesus do. This caused more people to “come and see” Jesus and believe in Him. I am to bear witness for Jesus today. No one who is alive today saw Jesus, but we fully believe everything we have read about Him in God’s Word. We have studied, and the evidence is overwhelming. We are commissioned by Jesus to be His witnesses today. We must present the evidence to others, and try with all our might to help them understand and know the truth before it’s too late.
The Pharisees had tried so hard to discredit and undermine Jesus, but the harder they tried, the more popular He seemed to become! In frustration they said, paraphrasing, “What good are we doing? Look at this! The whole world is following him!” This made them want to kill Him all the more. Little did they know that they, like Caiaphas in previous verses, had just made another prophetic statement. The world would always recognize Jesus in one way or another. To this day, whether one chooses to follow Him or not, Jesus Christ is the most important person to ever walk the face of the earth. His coming into the world is our time marker. Everything that has ever happened in history either happened before His birth or after His birth. His birth is the ultimate time marker for this world. How amazing is that! It is 2026 because of Him!
Until I began this in-depth study of John, I never realized what an important set of verses John 12:20-22 was. The Greeks were non-Jewish people who had come to the feast for one purpose…..to meet Jesus. Non-Jewish people didn’t normally attend the Jewish Passover feast. What would it mean to them? It wouldn’t have any significance to them. These people had heard about Jesus, and wanted to meet Him and learn more about Him. This was important because it shows that Jesus’ actions and words had spread outside of the Jewish community. This was exactly what God wanted. Jesus was to be preached to the Jews first, and then to the Gentiles. The Greeks were Gentiles. These Greeks were drawn to the Messiah. People are still being drawn to Him every single day in 2026. They just need to be taught the truth of how to become Christians, and so many times that is not happening today. Sadly, the truth is getting twisted.
Philip and Andrew did their jobs as disciples. These Greeks wanted to meet Jesus, and Philip and Andrew went straight to Jesus and told Him. What should we do today when people want to meet Jesus? Well, in a way, we do the same thing that Philip and Andrew did. We go straight to Jesus. How do we do that? Well…..we go straight to His Word. It might look a little different than it did so many years ago when Jesus was on earth in the flesh, but it is really not that different. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus is the Word as John 1:14 confirms with the words, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. Let’s take them straight to Jesus…..straight to His Word……where the one and only pure gospel truth is found.
The title of this post is: “Fear Not… Your King is Coming”. Our King is coming. We don’t have anything to fear as long as we are living for King Jesus and His purpose. Are we ready for His arrival?
God’s Plan of Salvation
Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible.
We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17)
Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16)
Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32)
Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19)
Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)
Then, we must remain faithful until death or until Jesus returns, whichever comes first. (Rev. 2:10)
God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out.
I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!
56 Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, “What do you think—that He will not come to the feast?”
57 Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.
12:1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead.
12:2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.
3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said,
5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii 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 money box; and he used to take what was put in it.
“The House Was Filled With the Fragrance of the Oil” and… the Glory of Jesus
What will Jesus do? Will He show up to the feast? The people wondered what would happen next. Jesus was the talk of the town. The Pharisees and the chief priests had commanded that anyone who saw Jesus report it to them so they could arrest Him. Jesus was a wanted man. He was considered a criminal. Isaiah 53:12 prophesied that Jesus would be numbered with the transgressors. The word transgressors is translated as those who rebel or revolt. So Jesus was considered a rebel. But what laws had He transgressed or rebelled against? None at all. The rebels were the ones who wanted to kill Him. Everyone who has sinned is a rebel against God. Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. So…..I am the rebel. I am the transgressor. He was wounded for my rebellion against God. When I think about that, it breaks my heart, but I am also so thankful at the same time. I am so thankful for a God who provided a way to save such a rebellious person as me. Thank you, Jesus… for loving us enough to fulfill the prophecy in Isaiah 53.
Jesus visited Bethany six days before the Passover, where Martha served Him supper along with her brother, Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. It was dangerous for Jesus to show His face in Bethany, where so many people had witnessed Him raise Lazarus. Bethany was only two miles from Jerusalem, where the chief priests and Pharisees had ordered Jesus’ arrest on sight. But Jesus knew that His time to become the Passover lamb for the sins of the world was almost upon Him. Jesus would soon fulfill His purpose for being on earth.
While at this supper, Martha served Jesus in her own way by preparing a supper, while Lazarus sat and talked with Him at the table. In verse 3, we see Mary serving Him in her own way as well. She poured expensive spikenard oil on His feet, and even used her own hair to wipe the oil on His feet. The text says the house was filled with the fragrant odor of the oil. Can you picture this scene? Here is a family who loved Jesus so much and was blessed so much by Jesus’ presence in their lives. They were blessed because they fully accepted Jesus for who He was, and treated Him like the royalty that He was as the Son of the Almighty God.
I’d like to pause right here for a side note, and focus on the word “fragrance” for a moment. The house was filled with the “fragrance” of the oil that Mary used to anoint Jesus’ feet. Fragrance… “a sweet, pleasant, or distinctive smell”. Another word for fragrance is aroma. In 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, Paul writes, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?” Is my life filled with the fragrance of Christ? Am I a diffuser of the aroma of Christ as I go about each day? If I am living my life for Christ, then I send up a sweet fragrance that God enjoys. I smell good to God! My life is an offering that sends up a sweet, pleasant fragrance. The burnt offerings of the Old Testament sent up a fragrance to God that satisfied Him for the moment, but that fragrance was nothing like the fragrance that we send up as we walk in His Son’s image as best we can. Also, we give off a fragrance to the people around us. To other members of the Lord’s church and to those who have open hearts for God, our fragrance is sweet and appealing. To those who reject the gospel, our fragrance is foul. How do you think we smell to Satan? If we are walking in Christ’s image, then we stink to him. What if we are lukewarm Christians? How do we smell to God? Well, if He would spew us out of His mouth, then I would say we taste pretty bad. And if we taste bad, then we also smell bad. This word, “fragrance”, made me think today. I want to be that sweet fragrance to God that reminds Him of His Son. And I hope I smell foul to the devil so he will stay away from me! Let’s think about it today. Does the world smell the aroma of Christ coming from us? Are our lives filled with that sweet fragrance that is pleasing to God, kind of like the sweet fragrance of the oil that filled Mary’s house?
So, here was this beautiful scene between Mary and Jesus with this sweet fragrance filling the house. And suddenly, a foul smell of negativity dampened this beautiful moment. Judas Iscariot piped up and said, “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” Three hundred denarii would have been about 30 to 40 thousand dollars. Oh, how righteous Judas sounds, doesn’t he? “We should be helping the poor with the money that we could make from this oil!” However, John, inspired by the Holy Spirit, lets us know that Judas’ motives were not pure. First, he reminds us in verse 4 that Judas was the one who would betray Jesus. Then, he tells us that Judas was not concerned at all with helping the poor, but was a thief who took money from the money box that he was in charge of. Judas only wanted the oil sold so that he would have more money to skim from the money box. Jesus, who knew everyone’s heart, knew Judas was stealing from the money box, so why did He allow Judas to be in charge of it in the first place? I believe it was for this moment. We are studying the difference between people who prioritize Jesus over everything else in their lives and people who don’t prioritize Jesus at all. Jesus always wanted people to make their own decisions about following Him. He wanted them to choose Him over anything else they treasured in this life. Judas obviously loved money/wealth more than Jesus. Therefore, Jesus allowed him to carry the money, giving him the choice… money or Him. Sadly, Jesus already knew what Judas would choose.
Jesus knows what choice any of us will make when it comes to how we prioritize Him in our lives. Mary gave up 30 to 40 thousand dollars that she could have had for herself and her family if she had chosen to sell that oil instead of anointing the Savior’s feet with it. Judas, however, chose to sell Jesus out to the Sanhedrin for around 10 thousand dollars. What a lesson! How important is Jesus to each of us? Judas was dishonest and greedy, and this was the only reason that he complained about the “wasting” of the oil. If I look at myself, I have to ask myself if I am like Judas. Am I greedy like Judas? It doesn’t have to be with money, even though it could be. Am I greedy with my time? Do I value my time more than working in the kingdom for Jesus’ glory? It is not just about money; it is about anything that we put ahead of Jesus. As I type this, I realize that if I’m not careful, I could, and most definitely do, betray Jesus in much the same way that Judas did simply by not prioritizing my time wisely. Do I keep a running total of how much time I and others spend, and set a limit for myself? I should never be counting up how much I do for Jesus’ kingdom, and saying to myself or others, “Well I helped with _______, so I’m not helping with_______. Someone else can do that since they don’t do as much as I do.” Is that what Mary or Martha would have done? No, I don’t think so. Jesus set Martha straight about that when she complained that her sister wasn’t helping her in the kitchen, and I bet Martha never complained again. That was probably an attitude adjustment for Martha (Luke 10:38-42).
I wonder… did Martha consider asking Mary to help her with a kind tone in her voice? Instead of complaining, why not ask her to help out a little if she was struggling to get everything done? As sisters in Christ, we are all different. Some people just pick up and do things without being asked. Others don’t have that personality and need to be asked to help or guided in what to do. Instead of talking about how a person never does anything to help, how about we start asking them if they would mind helping? They would probably be glad to help. All they can say is, “No, I’m not available to help that day”, or “Yes, I would be happy to help with that”. I truly believe this would be more pleasing to God than complaining about all that we “have” to do. Complaining about the time we give to Jesus and His kingdom sort of negates the purpose of doing it, doesn’t it? Think about it this way… the time we spend working in Jesus’ kingdom is like Mary anointing Jesus’ feet. It is like Martha working in the kitchen to prepare the meal for Jesus. These women were honoring Jesus. We honor Jesus when we do things solely for Him and His church. Do I treat Jesus the way Mary and Martha treated Him? Like the royalty that He is? Or am I unknowingly betraying Him by being selfish with my time? Am I complaining about having to do things for Him? Just some food for thought…
God’s Plan of Salvation
Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible.
We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17)
Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16)
Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32)
Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19)
Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)
Then, we must remain faithful until death or until Jesus returns, whichever comes first. (Rev. 2:10)
God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out.
I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!
48 “If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.”
49 And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all,
50 nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.”
51 Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,
52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.
53 Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.
54 Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.
55 And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.
“One Man Should Die For the People”
“What do we do about this man who performs these miraculous signs? He is causing us so many problems!” I can just hear the Pharisees and chief priests all gathered together with the council. Paraphrasing, this was what they said: “If we let Him continue like this, then everyone will believe in Him, and we will lose our positions of power as spiritual leaders over the nation. If Jesus’ popularity grows, it will cause the Romans to rise up against us and destroy our religion and our nation.” They were not looking at the wonderful things that Jesus was doing for others. They were not considering that only God could perform the signs that Jesus was doing. They were only thinking about themselves and their status as “spiritual” leaders in the community… although they were far from leading anyone spiritually. They were blind people leading other blind people, and heading straight for the ditch. These people’s evil hearts are so overwhelming to me. Jesus had healed countless people, including a man who was blind from birth, and then had raised a person from the dead, and all they are worried about is their earthly position and power. How very sad. Then in verses 49 and 50, it gets even sadder, but also prophetic. Caiaphas, the high priest, blatantly says, paraphrasing, “It is better for one man to die for all the people, than for the entire nation to be destroyed because of this one man.” In verse 51, John reveals that this statement was prophetic, because Jesus would actually die for the Jewish nation and every other nation on earth past, present, and future. Caiaphas did not realize that he had just foretold the future. His statement held a much deeper meaning than he intended. Caiaphas wanted Jesus to die, so he and the other Jewish leaders could go on doing what they were doing…..which was going through the motions of the old law. He didn’t realize that his words were prophetic, and tied like an invisible thread to Isaiah 53. Jesus was literally going to die for the Jewish people, but not so they could all keep their exalted positions, and not so they could keep the Romans at bay. Jesus was going to die so that the very people who rejected Him, Caiaphas included, could have the chance to be forgiven and live eternally in heaven. Jesus would die to bring in a new law… a law of grace and truth……a law that, when obeyed, would provide the complete forgiveness of sins through the perfect sacrifice of the sinless Son of God. If only Caiaphas knew the magnitude of the statement that he made, “If we kill Him, we will save our nation.” WOW! I wonder… what did these Pharisees and chief priests think when Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”? A man who healed people and raised a person from the dead had been executed, and what did He do while hanging in agony? He asked God to forgive the very people who put Him there. I wonder if any of them gave that a second thought. Surely some of them changed their minds about Him at that point. I would hope so anyway.
Verse 52 states that Jesus wouldn’t just die for the Jewish nation, but for all people, Jews and Gentiles. Jesus brought everyone who believed in Him together in unity as one body (church) of children of God. All those who were of the Jewish lineage, and all who were scattered abroad, could be included as Jesus went to the cross for the salvation of every single person, but… they had to believe in and obey Jesus to be part of that body (church).
From that day forward, the Jewish leaders plotted to put Jesus to death. Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews because of this plot against Him. It was not the right time for Him to be glorified. He went to another country near the wilderness, to the city of Ephraim with His disciples and remained there. He would remain there until the Passover, which was coming up soon. Every male Jew was required to come to Jerusalem for the Passover. Many Jews went to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. It was time for the Passover lamb to be slain… a lamb without blemish… that would roll the people’s sins forward for another year. Little did they know that Jesus would be that lamb without blemish that would not just roll their sins forward, but would completely blot out their sins, IF… (and this is a big “if”), they believed that Jesus was the Son of God, and submitted their will to His will. Sin cannot be forgiven without true belief in and obedience to Jesus.
In verse 55, people were preparing for the Passover feast by purifying themselves. It was a physical purification. But what these people really needed was a heart purification… a spiritual purification. The flesh might be clean, but the soul can still be filthy. This was the condition of these Jews who were plotting to murder Jesus. What about us? When we are baptized, we get wet, right? Many people don’t understand the significance of water baptism. What good does the water do? Physical dirt might wash off as we go down and come up out of that water. But baptism is so much more than that. It is a spiritual cleansing of our souls. Our souls are filthy and have to be purified before God. The water represents Jesus’ blood that He shed for the remission of our sins. To be cleansed, we have to come in contact with that precious, sinless blood.
What other way do we come in contact with His blood other than water baptism? Water baptism connects us to the blood of Christ. In Acts 2:36, after the people were cut to the heart over what they had done in killing the Son of God, they asked Peter what they needed to do. “How do we fix what we have done?” They were heartbroken at that moment. Peter answered them in Acts 2:38 by telling them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ… why? “For the remission of sins.” In Matthew 26:26-29, when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, He made the statement, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” This says that Jesus’ blood was shed for the remission of sins, and Peter said that repentance and baptism were to be done “for” or “in order to have” the remission of sins. Many denominations teach that “for” means “because of”. But if you study the word “for”, you will find out that it does not. Hebrews 9:22 says that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. Where do we come in contact with the blood of Christ? We come in contact with it in the waters of baptism. There is no other way! If we put all the pieces together, it makes perfect sense. Water baptism = contact with Christ’s precious blood = remission of our sins = purification of our souls = salvation = eternal life! The puzzle is complete!
God’s Plan of Salvation
Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible.
We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17)
Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16)
Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32)
Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19)
Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)
Then, we must remain faithful until death or until Jesus returns, whichever comes first. (Rev. 2:10)
God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out.
I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!
37 And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?”
38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, 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 him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”
40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”
41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.”
43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!”
44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”
45 Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.
46 But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.
47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs.
“I Know That You Always Hear Me”
In verse 36, the Jews misinterpreted Jesus’ weeping. Did Jesus love Lazarus? Absolutely! But Jesus was not crying because Lazarus was dead. He was getting ready to resurrect him very soon. He was possibly crying for two reasons. Remember verse 33 when Jesus “groaned in His spirit and was troubled”. This meant that He was actually agitated. Then in verse 35, Jesus wept. He was agitated by the people’s lack of faith in who He was as God’s Son. This agitation turned into sorrow as He began to weep. He was also weeping with the sisters as they grieved for their brother. He was feeling empathy and compassion for them. Yes, Jesus loved Lazarus, but He wasn’t crying for Lazarus. He was saddened because of the spiritual blindness of these people, and He was moved with empathy and compassion for them in their blindness as they wept for their brother and friend. In verse 37, some of the people were questioning, “Couldn’t this man who healed the blind man also heal this man?” Of course He could have! But Jesus waited before coming to Bethany because He was going to do something to bring more glory to God than just healing the man!
In verse 38, Jesus groaned in Himself again as He went to the tomb. Then in verse 39, He told them to take the stone away. Martha tells Jesus that “by this time there is a stench”, because he has been dead for four days. Martha was saying, paraphrasing, “Lord, it’s too late. If only you would have gotten here sooner.” Even she, as faithful as she had been to Jesus, doesn’t hold out hope that Jesus can heal her brother. It has been four days! He is decomposing by now! By now, the smell will be awful! What is the point of taking away the stone? But there was hope…..because God in the flesh was standing before her!
As Jesus saw the people grieving over Lazarus, and heard Martha’s statement of hopelessness when He asked them to take the stone away, He asked her, “Did I not tell you that if you would only believe in Me that you would see the glory of God?” Jesus was pleading with Martha, and with all of them, to have faith in Him… to have faith in His Father. If only they would believe in Him. If only they could see who He really is. After all He had done to prove to them that He was the Messiah, how could they still not see? Why were they so blind?
I love verse 41 when Jesus lifts up His eyes and thanks His Father. “Father, thank you for hearing Me.” In verse 42, Jesus explains why He verbally thanked His Father by saying out loud, paraphrasing, “And I know that You always hear Me, but I wanted to thank you out loud so that everyone standing here will hear Me giving You the glory, and maybe then, they will believe that You sent Me.” Then in verse 43, we see Jesus cry out those famous words, “Lazarus, come forth!”
Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, whose flesh was already decaying, came out of the tomb still bound in graveclothes with a cloth around his face. Jesus told them to loosen the graveclothes so he could freely move. Lazarus’ body was lifeless, but Jesus, who is “the life”, put life back into his body again. Lazarus’ body was destroyed, but Jesus remade him so that he was whole again. Lazarus was dead, but Jesus, who is “the resurrection,” brought him back to life again. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25). Jesus resurrected Lazarus’ fleshly body and made him whole again. He gave Lazarus a new life that he wouldn’t have had otherwise. This is parallel to how Jesus remakes us when we are baptized into His death and raised to walk a new life. Before we are baptized, we are dead spiritually. Our soul has been destroyed by sin. Through God’s grace and our obedience, Jesus breathes life back into our dead and decayed souls, removing the sin that had destroyed us. He remakes us into His image. It is then up to us to remain in that new and remade state of being through continually allowing His Word to renew our minds. (Romans 12:2) It takes time, effort, and diligence. It takes study and prayer. It takes being involved in growing God’s kingdom… the Lord’s church. It takes a lifelong commitment. It is to be taken seriously, because people’s souls, including our own, are of the utmost importance to Jesus as they should be to us. It is also a parallel of the second coming of Jesus. Jesus will resurrect those who have died in the Lord, and give them a new life in heaven. Those who are alive when He returns will also be given that new life in heaven. We will all be changed. We won’t have our decaying fleshly body anymore. We will have a body that will never decay. We will have a new, incorruptible body that will stay perfect for eternity. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)
In verses 45 and 46, we see two different reactions to this event. Verse 45 says that many of the Jews who came to comfort Mary believed in Him. Verse 46 says that some of the ones who were there and witnessed this sign went and told the Pharisees about it. This sign that Jesus performed was meant to separate those who believed from those who didn’t (or refused to). It definitely fulfilled its purpose. When the Pharisees heard about what had happened, all they said was, paraphrasing, “What are we going to do about this man? He does perform many signs?” So… they were willing to admit that He performed many signs, but they wouldn’t swallow their pride and admit that only someone from God could perform such signs. It really made no sense. The people’s blindness is overwhelming to think about. But it is no different today. The world’s blindness today is just as overwhelming. The Bible is all the evidence anyone needs of who God is, and who His Son is. Every word contained in it is for the betterment of humankind while we live here on earth and await Jesus’ return. It is all for our own good. And every word contained in it leads to the salvation of our souls for eternity. It is hard to fathom why anyone would reject it. What is the alternative to believing in Jesus? What is the alternative to following the Bible? The answers to these questions are scary. They lead me to what I feel is one of the scariest passages in the Bible. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” That last part… ”there are few who find it”. Does that send chills down anyone else’s spine as it does mine? The alternative to following Jesus is being one of the majority who doesn’t find the way to eternal life. I want to be in the minority. Don’t you?
God’s Plan of Salvation
Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible.
We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17)
Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16)
Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32)
Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19)
Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)
Then, we must remain faithful until death or until Jesus returns, whichever comes first. (Rev. 2:10)
God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out.
I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!
32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.
34 And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”
35 Jesus wept.
“Jesus Wept”
Mary and Martha… such different people. Jesus loved them both. Both loved Jesus with all their hearts. But they are so very different in their personalities. Mary was more outwardly emotional while Martha seemed to internalize hers more. As Mary fell at Jesus’ feet sobbing, she said that her brother wouldn’t have died had He been there. It says that Jesus “groaned in the spirit and was troubled” when He saw Mary and the rest of the Jews who were with her crying. When I read this in the past without studying it, I just assumed that when it said Jesus “groaned and was troubled”, it meant He was sad. But when I looked up the phrase “He groaned” on “Blue Letter Bible”, it said the phrase actually means that He was angry. It means “to snort in anger”. The phrase “was troubled” means “agitated”. Why was Jesus agitated? He was agitated because the people still don’t really get it. They still don’t understand that He is the Son of God, the Messiah who was foretold about in the Old Testament. Instead of understanding that Jesus was God and had the power to not only heal Lazarus, but resurrect Him, they were all weeping because they thought they would never see him alive again. Jesus asked where Lazarus was laid, and the people showed Him. Then comes the shortest verse in the Bible. “Jesus wept.” (vs. 35) Jesus knows that He is going to raise Lazarus from the dead, so why did He weep?
With these two words, we see Jesus’ empathy and compassion. He felt sad for Lazarus’ sisters and the other people who are grieving and in so much pain over the loss of their loved one and friend. This shows us that Jesus also feels empathy and compassion for us when we grieve, struggle, and stumble through this life. He knows how we feel because He felt it. What began with Jesus feeling agitated (groaning in His spirit) over their spiritual blindness ended with Him weeping in empathy for the sisters that He loved so much. I’m sure He feels all these same emotions that He felt that day, about us when we go through difficult and sad times. And how does He feel when we fall away? How does Jesus feel when we choose the world over Him? Does He weep over our lost condition? I realize that I have caused my own anguish at times in my life when I was spiritually blind. I’m sure that Jesus “groaned in His spirit” over me at times. There is no doubt in my mind that I have agitated Him many times. However, I feel like He has wept with me in my times of grief as well…..even grief that I brought on myself by wrong choices. Jesus loves us so much. We can see it in those two words, “Jesus wept.”
God’s Plan of Salvation
Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible.
We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17)
Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16)
Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32)
Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19)
Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)
Then, we must remain faithful until death or until Jesus returns, whichever comes first. (Rev. 2:10)
God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out.
I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!
28 And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.”
29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.
30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.
31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”
“She Arose Quickly and Came to Him”
In verse 28, it says that Martha went secretly to Mary to tell her that Jesus had come and wanted to see her. Why secretly? I would assume that it was so as not to draw attention to Jesus. Jesus was still on the outskirts of town and hadn’t come into Bethany yet. I’m sure He was wanting to visit with the sisters without a crowd around Him. It seems that Mary dealt with things differently than Martha. Back in verse 20, we learned that when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out of the house to meet Him. No crowd followed Martha out of the house when she went out to meet Jesus. She got up discreetly and left the house. However, when Mary heard that Jesus wanted to see her, she got up abruptly……so abruptly that all the Jews who were in the house comforting her began following her. Why? They could have been following her out of concern for her emotional state. She may have been showing her emotions more than Martha. We all grieve differently. It seems that Mary may have been more openly distraught than Martha. Martha may have kept her emotions inside, while Mary may have openly expressed hers. Verse 31 says they thought she was going to her brother’s tomb to weep, so they followed her. These Jews were doing what any church family should do when a member has a tragic loss. They were surrounding this family with comfort, love, and support. They seemed especially concerned about Mary, since they were following after her to make sure she was not alone in her grief. This is what we as Christians should do for each other. Some people need more emotional support than others, but everyone needs their church family to show up for them in the wake of a tragedy. Losing their brother Lazarus was a tragedy for these two sisters. The Jewish community showed up for these sisters, and they were to be commended for that. We can learn from their example and be there for one another. 1 Corinthians 12:26 says this, “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” We should be there for one another in the good times and the bad times. Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” We should have no jealousy towards anyone for their good fortune. We should have only happiness for the good fortune of others. And we should take no joy in anyone else’s misfortune, but have empathy for them, and pray for them. Galatians 6:2 takes it a step further, saying that we should bear one another’s burdens. When we do this, we are fulfilling the law of Christ. When one member struggles, we all struggle. When one member falls under the weight of a heavy burden, we should all put our backs under that burden and help them carry it. I’ll end with 1 Peter 3:8, “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;”. I believe this verse says it all about how we are to treat not only each other as members of the Lord’s church, but all people. We always show compassion. We love as brothers and sisters. We are tenderhearted. We are courteous. And most of all, as brothers and sisters in Christ…..we must be of one mind through it all.
God’s Plan of Salvation
Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible.
We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17)
Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16)
Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32)
Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19)
Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)
Then, we must remain faithful until death or until Jesus returns, whichever comes first. (Rev. 2:10)
God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out.
I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!
24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
26 And whoever 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 to come into the world.”
“Yes, Lord, I Believe…”
“Your brother will rise again.” These were Jesus’ words to Martha as she was grieving for her brother. But Martha didn’t fully grasp what Jesus was saying as she thought He was talking about “the resurrection at the last day” when everyone would be raised. Martha was confident that her brother would be raised up at that last day. But this is not what Jesus was talking about in this instance. In verses 25 and 26, we see another one of Jesus’ “I am” statements. He says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.”
Jesus teaches us that physical death is not what really matters. We try so hard to keep our physical bodies alive. We do everything possible to keep our loved ones alive, because we want to keep them with us. And this is what we should do! We are supposed to take care of our physical bodies, because they are a gift from God. We are supposed to take care of our loved ones. Our bodies house our souls. But…..what if we tried just as hard to keep ourselves spiritually alive as we do to keep ourselves physically alive? It is our souls that will live forever. Jesus doesn’t just provide life. He is life (vs. 25). Without Him, there is no life. Jesus was not just resurrected. He is the resurrection. Without Him, our physical bodies would die, and everything would be over for us. If we believe in Jesus, we will never die. Our physical bodies may die, but our souls will live with Jesus forever. What does Jesus mean by “believe”?
Belief includes obedience. Belief is a total commitment to Jesus. It is living our lives as a “living sacrifice” in His honor for His glory. (Romans 12:1) If we truly believe in everything Jesus says, then we will obey Him in every sense of the word. We will live for Him. In Luke 6:46, Jesus asks, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” This is such a valid question. Why would I call Him “Lord”, but then ignore His commandments?
Then Jesus asks Martha the question that we have all been asked when we obeyed the gospel, “Do you believe this?” “Do you believe in who I am?” “Do you believe in what I am capable of doing?” “Do you trust Me?” Then Martha makes that great confession that we have all made if we are Christians, “Yes Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God… ” I remember being asked, “Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?” With all my heart… I answered… “yes”. We will see Martha someday if we remain faithful! What an example of faith! Sometimes Martha gets a bad rep, kind of in the same way the apostle Thomas gets a bad rep for doubting Jesus. Often, we are only shown a picture of Martha as “the frustrated sister,” who fussed to Jesus about her sister, Mary, not helping her prepare the meal for the guests. We remember her as the sister who was reprimanded somewhat by Jesus for her attitude towards her sister. But we are shown a different picture here… a picture of a woman of great faith and trust in Jesus. Martha had no idea what was about to happen at this point. Her brother was dead, and had been sealed in the tomb for four days. Lazarus was a disciple of Jesus, and Martha knew that her brother would be raised on the last day, but she certainly wasn’t expecting what would happen next!
God’s Plan of Salvation
Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible.
We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17)
Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16)
Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32)
Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19)
Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)
Then, we must remain faithful until death or until Jesus returns, whichever comes first. (Rev. 2:10)
God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out.
I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!
