The Joys of John

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Nice touch of humor there @unsafe. The woman in my mirror looks an awful lot like my mom. More and more each year. ;)

Interesting thought that God was using Caiaphas to prophecy the future. His words have always seemed like foreshadowing to me but in an odd way.
I would say Caiaphas was making a true political statement. Then followers of Jesus saw it differently, not sure GOd was directing his words as much as revealig a new meaning in light of Easter
 
John 12:1-11

Jesus comes to Bethany, where Lazarus lives, and they prepare a dinner for him.

Martha is serving and Lazarus is present at the table. Mary anoints Jesus' feet with expensive oil and dries them with her hair.

Judas is revealed to be a sneaky thief.

A large crowd of Judeans is attracted by Jesus and Lazarus. The chief priests are planning to kill both of them.
 
Does anyone else read this as a poignant story? Here is Jesus in considerable danger trying to enjoy a meal with his friends. Is it fair to assume the disciples are all there with him?

John lets the reader know that Judas will be the one to betray Jesus. He is revealed to be manipulative and untrustworthy. A thief, too.

John foreshadows the death of Jesus with the story's focus on burial oil. He has Jesus saying, "For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me " (v.8)

Jesus, it seems, knows exactly what's up.
 
John lets the reader know that Judas will be the one to betray Jesus. He is revealed to be manipulative and untrustworthy. A thief, too.
It's interesting that John calls out Judas for the theft here, because the complaint about the cost of the nard really shows he is a rather materialistic, money-focussed person who could be likely to do that. It kind of supports the contention he is a thief. And the theft seems to be what we would call embezzlement, stealing from their resources that he was supposed to be looking afte.

Does anyone else read this as a poignant story? Here is Jesus in considerable danger trying to enjoy a meal with his friends. Is it fair to assume the disciples are all there with him?
Yes, it's kind of a beautiful story, really. A quiet moment before all heck breaks loose, if you like.

The reference to the leaders planning to kill Lazarus made its way into Last Temptation of Christ, where Scorcese has the murder happen on-screen. Hey, it can't be a Scorcese film without at least one hit, eh. :cool:
 
So we see that Mary and Martha gave a supper for Jesus and the raised Lazarus was sitting with them -----

Now this supper here is significant cause it happens 6 days before the Passover ---which is when Jesus gets arrested -----So John is giving a time line for this event which will take place- -----
AI
Six days before Jesus's arrest, which was also six days before Passover, he came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, where he had been raised from the dead

We again see Jesus with that peace which surpasses all understanding ----knowing He has 6 days left before His demise comes to pass -----

How many of us could be so calm and collected knowing we had 6 days before we would be seized ---charged and executed ----this is remarkable to see Jesus enjoying A supper with His friends and Disciples -----

Mary anoints Jesus Feet with expensive perfume ----Showing her Humbleness and Humility --and wiped His feet with her Hair ----which was very unusual for Jewish women -----

AI

In John 12, Mary letting her hair down and using it to wipe Jesus' feet was unusual because in Jewish culture, a woman's hair was considered her "glory" and was typically kept covered, particularly in public. By letting down her hair and using it to wipe his feet, Mary was not only demonstrating humility and devotion but also defying societal norms and expectations of modesty. This act was a sign of love and respect, highlighting her willingness to make a public display of humility and service.

Then we see the Thief ---Judas complaining about what Mary is doing with this expensive perfume -----seeing the Dollar value not the Human or Spiritual value -----this of course is Spiritual Blindness and worldly Greed -----

Judas's darkened heart was hid from the other Disciples --but not Jesus

This show how many Christians put on the Name and talk the talk but can't walk the the walk cause their hearts are darkened and their sin nature is very present -----

Jesus says to Judas to leaver her alone ----and that they poor will always be there but He won't be ---

This statement about the poor has cause a stir with some people -----many take it as Jesus is talking about the poor people and having no concern for them ------and this is a misconception of His Statement here --

Jesus is actually quoting an Old Testament Scripture from Deuteronomy which the The Disciples would have been knowing ---


Deuteronomy 15:11 EXP B

11 There will always be poor people in the land, so I command you to ·give freely [L open your hand] to your ·neighbors [or relatives; or countrymen; L brothers] and to the poor and needy in your land.

I say ------I personally think the Spiritual message is that the poor are not to be seen as a burden --they are a reflection of the suffering that Jesus will soon endure and we are to keep our focus on Him not on the Suffering ----

So we see a large crown has gathered to see Lazarus and and the Chief Priests are very worried and concerned that they were loosing their grip on their Jewish followers ---so they plan to not just kill Jesus but Lazarus to -----

And they claim they are God's people ----- Great Teachers of God's word and laws -----

I can hear them saying -----and rightly So -----

1746801957861.png
 
It is, but is Jesus say ing the same thing in John?
AI

Yes, Jesus in John 12:8 is quoting a concept from Deuteronomy 15:11, which states, "For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you to open your hand to your brother, to the poor and needy, in your land." Jesus' statement, "The poor you will always have with you," acknowledges the persistent reality of poverty and emphasizes the need for compassion and charity.


While the phrase is often misinterpreted as justification for not caring for the poor, Jesus was not suggesting that poverty was a natural state of affairs. He was actually quoting Deuteronomy 15:11, which acknowledges the persistent need for compassion and charity, according to Bible Hub. The quote from Deuteronomy 15:11 instructs Israel to be open-handed to the poor, emphasizing the ongoing responsibility of believers to care for the less fortunate.
 
John seems pretty sure so I would bet there was something going around the community, maybe even from other Apostles. But, yeah, it's really probably a rumour or story without much basis rather than a known thing.
 
AI

Yes, Jesus in John 12:8 is quoting a concept from Deuteronomy 15:11, which states, "For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you to open your hand to your brother, to the poor and needy, in your land." Jesus' statement, "The poor you will always have with you," acknowledges the persistent reality of poverty and emphasizes the need for compassion and charity.


While the phrase is often misinterpreted as justification for not caring for the poor, Jesus was not suggesting that poverty was a natural state of affairs. He was actually quoting Deuteronomy 15:11, which acknowledges the persistent need for compassion and charity, according to Bible Hub. The quote from Deuteronomy 15:11 instructs Israel to be open-handed to the poor, emphasizing the ongoing responsibility of believers to care for the less fortunate.
Except it seems to me that Judas remembered Deuteronomy more accurately by saying the nard could have been used to raise money for the poor. Whereas Jesus' answer seems contrary by saying I'm more important....which actually doesn't sound like Jesus.
 
Except it seems to me that Judas remembered Deuteronomy more accurately by saying the nard could have been used to raise money for the poor. Whereas Jesus' answer seems contrary by saying I'm more important....which actually doesn't sound like Jesus.
Yes I see your logic here.

But there must have been obligations around burial of the dead that concerned Jesus.
 
Yes I see your logic here.

But there must have been obligations around burial of the dead that concerned Jesus.
It seems Mathew and Mark have a similar story to Johns' narrative and the disciples present asked the same question as Judas.
 
Whereas Jesus' answer seems contrary by saying I'm more important....which actually doesn't sound like Jesus.
That is right ---it doesn't ---and if you look at the Context of this scripture ----Judas is upset at the Money that is lost --that he could steal from ----

This is the Scripture here ---in context verse 6 tells you his motive -----

4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,

5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.

6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

Jesus here says ---Leave her alone -----Mary here with what she is doing is foreshadowing the preparation of Jesus' body for His burial ----that is the Spiritual message here -----

AI

Yes, in the New Testament accounts, particularly in the Gospel of John, Mary's anointing of Jesus' feet with expensive oil is widely interpreted as foreshadowing his burial and the anointing that would normally be done on a corpse. Jesus himself acknowledges this, saying that Mary is doing it in preparation for his burial.

Here's a more detailed explanation:
  • Theological Significance:
    The anointing of Jesus' feet with costly oil (nardo) was a gesture of great respect and honor, but it also carried a symbolic weight, suggesting that Mary was preparing his body for burial, which was traditionally done with fragrant oils.

  • Jesus' Response:
    When the disciples object to the waste of the precious oil, Jesus intervenes and confirms Mary's act is a preparation for his death and burial. He emphasizes that she is doing it for his sake, not her own.

  • Foreshadowing:
    By anointing Jesus' feet, Mary is symbolically preparing his body for its final resting place, which would be the tomb. This act foreshadows the anointing that would be done on his body after his death, as was customary for burials.

I say ----Jesus was actually rebuking what Judas was saying -----about feeding the poor cause Judas was more interested in the money and stealing from the poor and Jesus knew that ---
 
It seems Mathew and Mark have a similar story to Johns' narrative and the disciples present asked the same question as Judas.
Matthew and Mark have similar stories, also set in Bethany.
The location is the home of Simon the leper.
The woman is not identified as Mary and she anoints Jesus' head, not his feet.
In Matthew, it is the disciples who object to the waste. In Mark, it is 'some who were present.'

Luke also has an anointing story but the details vary even more and the timing is different.

Matthew 26:6-13
Mark 14:3-9
Luke 7:36-50
 
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