JOHN LESSON 34


     We will begin this lesson in John 12:1.

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

     The Lord Jesus was last with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, when He
raised Lazarus from the dead.  We learned in a previous lesson, that
Lazarus had been dead four days when Jesus raised him.  This great
miracle caused many to believe that Jesus was the Christ.  The Jewish
leaders held council and sought to kill Jesus, and Jesus left the Jews
and went into a city called Ephraim.  The length of His stay in
Ephraim is unknown, but it was probably more than a few days.  Now,
Jesus has come back to His friend Simon's home in Bethany which is
just two miles from Jerusalem.

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

     These last few days, He enjoyed being with His apostles and good
friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.  Many assume that this Simon spoken
of, in connection with this, is Simon the Leper.  Lazarus, Mary, and
Martha were guests here.  In Luke chapter 8 verse 44, it appears this
is in Simon's home.  It seemed Martha served Jesus.  Some believe this
Simon was the husband of Martha.  When Jesus came to this area there
were most probably several families He could stay with.  Simon had
been healed of leprosy and Lazarus raised from the dead, so you know
Jesus would have been welcome in either home.

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

     In other gospels, it seemed Mary had anointed Jesus head, as well
as His feet.  This perfume possibly cost a year's wages.  Mary loved
Jesus so much that she humbled herself and wiped His feet with her
hair.  She had plenty of reasons to adore Him.  He had raised her
brother from the dead.  A pound of ointment would have been a very
large container.  Mary did not realize that she was anointing Him for
His burial.

     V-4, "Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's
son, which should betray him,"

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

     A pence was a man's wages for one day, so you can see the cost of
the perfume.  Judas Iscariot was not really concerned about the poor.
Judas was the one who carried the bag of money used for their
expenses, and he wanted that three hundred days work of money in the
bag, so he could help himself to some of it.

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

     John left no doubt why Judas said this.  John loved Jesus so
much, and John could see right through Judas' motive.

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

     V-8, "For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not
always."

     This most all of the disciples did not understand, but Jesus was
speaking of preparing His body for death.  It is true that there are
always the poor to help.  Even in a fluent society like the U.S.,
there are always the poor around.  There will never stop being a time
when you can help them, but very shortly Jesus would be crucified and
His body laid in the tomb.

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

     Some of the Jews believed when Jesus raised Lazarus.  Many of
them came to see Jesus (the Miracle Man) and Lazarus, also, who was
raised from the dead.  This was a real curiosity with all the people.

     V-10, "But the chief priests consulted that they might put
Lazarus also to death;"

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

     These chief priests were losing the respect of the people..  They
were no longer thought of as God's representative on earth.  They
wanted to kill Jesus, so they could get their power back so they could
rule over the people.  Lazarus was a constant reminder of the super-
natural power of Jesus.  They had to get rid of him, so the people
would forget this miracle.  They were losing followers, and they felt,
if they could get rid of Jesus and Lazarus, they would get their
followers back.

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

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

     Palm trees symbolize Israel.

     Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell this with much more detail than the
account here.  They tell of the colt of an ass being acquired and
Jesus riding on it.  Many of the details of how they got it are not
included here.  Read the accounts in these other Bible studies.  We do
see here, that Jesus enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday with shouts of
adoration from the people.

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

     Jesus actually sent disciples to get the colt of an ass and told
them where it would be tied.

     V-15, "Fear not, daughter of Sion:  behold, thy King cometh,
sitting on an ass's colt."

     This was prophesied in the Book of Zechariah 9:9, "Rejoice
greatly, O daughter of Zion: shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold,
thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly,
and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass."

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

     You see, the disciples had no idea, even though Jesus had told
them many times that He was to be crucified.  They did not make any of
the connection with these fulfillments of prophecy until after Jesus
rose from the grave.  Looking back on the thing s that happened, they
understood why each thing happened.

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

     This is saying, that much more connection was made with Old
Testament prophecy after Jesus rose from the dead, than when it was
happening.  They could see clearly after they knew for sure who He
was.

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

     This great multitude of people was following Jesus, because He
had raised Lazarus from the dead.

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

     The Pharisees are saying, here, that the whole world has gone
after Jesus, and these Jewish leaders are not making any ground.


                                 Notes



                           John 34 Questions


1.  How long before Passover did Jesus come to Bethany?
2.  Who had Jesus raised from the dead at Bethany?
3.  Where had Jesus gone when He left the last time?
4.  Whose home was Jesus in?
5.  How far is Bethany from Jerusalem?
6.  Who actually served Jesus?
7.  Some believe this Simon was whose husband?
8.  How much ointment did Mary pour on Jesus?
9.  If you put all four gospels' account together, what two places did
    she put the ointment?
10. What did she wipe the ointment with?
11. Who complained about Mary putting this expensive ointment on
    Jesus?
12. How much did he say the ointment could have been sold for?
13. How much was a pence?
14. Why had he complained, really?
15. How long did Jesus say the poor would be with us?
16. What two reasons had the people come for?
17. Why did the Jews want to get rid of Lazarus?
18. What did the people take with them to strew the path of Jesus
    with?
19. What did the Pharisees think would happen, if they could get rid
    of Jesus and Lazarus?
20. What do palm trees symbolize?
21. What was the cry of the people?
22. What did Jesus ride on going into Jerusalem?
23. What Sunday did Jesus enter Jerusalem?
24. Where was it prophesied in the Old Testament that Jesus would ride
    the colt of an ass?
25. When did the disciples remember all of this?
26. Who bear record of all this?
27. Why did these people follow Jesus?

                                 Notes