One of the “Jews” (or religious leaders) prophesied that one person would die for the nation this year.
This explains something I’ve often marveled and wondered at for years. I used to wonder, “How did the crowd in Jerusalem turn from adoring Jesus and appreciating the light He was bringing into their world (like the parade of palm leaf waving throngs on “Palm Sunday”) to the ugly and murderous mob hatred that got Him killed? This prophecy kind of explains that. And, like a lot of events that happened with the birth, life and death of Jesus, it was a God-ordained thing.
Think about it. It is not presented as a “supposed prophecy,” but as a foregone conclusion or at least in passing. It was written down as understood that this prophecy, this word, came from God to one of His high priests. The Bible even says, “…he didn’t say this on his own accord.” Isn’t that amazing? God the Father would set in motion a domino that would take His only Son’s life. It sounds tragic and crazy if you think about the death of Jesus as some sort of unjust event where the world turned upside-down. It’s like a crime against the brightest “star” or person that ever walked the earth (or at least someone in the top ten of all-time greatest people – depending on who’s making the list). But that’s not the case. This wasn’t injustice. As hard as it sounds and as much as it hurts our beings and makes us ache inside our hearts to think about it, Jesus was supposed to die. His whole purpose on earth was to die. It wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t a response to circumstances. It wasn’t God thinking, “Well, I’ll guess we’ll go to Plan B now…” It was the intention all along.
It just struck me as odd how God set this passionate chain of events in motion. He gave a “word from the Lord” to one of His people. This “word” surely took root in the hearts of the Jewish leaders and allowed them to justify in their hearts that it would be best if this so-called prophet Jesus was put to death. He was causing them lots of worry and trouble. To eliminate Him would surely resolve the issues they were facing. You can see how this “word” might have helped them sleep at night and not wrestle so much with the conflict of condemning an innocent man to die, can’t you?
It really sucks how they were adding Lazarus to their hit list, though. So many people were putting their trust in Jesus that they saw themselves losing control. Their very real and practical worry was that the Romans would come in, squash the rebellion and put an end to the way of the life the Jewish leaders had in Israel. It was kind of a survival instinct that was pushing them (in a sense).
In reading the account of Lazarus being raised from the dead, a question came up in my mind. Most of us have seen the verse “Jesus wept.” It’s the shortest verse in the Bible (John 11:35). Most of us probably respond the same way the Jews did. (You see? We’re so Jewish!) They said, “See how he loved him!” I like to think that Jesus was moved by compassion. I think that’s why He did most of His miracles of healing. What’s interesting, though, which might point even stronger to His humanity, was that there were “professional mourners” all around him and Mary … and they were all weeping. These professional weepers were probably musicians, too, playing some sad music. I bet you that the emotional power of music moved Him at this point as well. I think music has that powerful factor that helps push our emotions one way or the other. It somehow has the ability to magnify what’s going on inside. I totally believe that is a wonderful thing and a gift God gave us.
Later on, in John 13, we read of Jesus doing something that John the Revelator describes as “…He now showed them the full extent of His love.” What did He do? It was an incredible display of love … and He did this with Judas Iscariot in His presence … and He did it for Judas, too. He took off His clothes (the Bible says “He took off His outer clothing”) and wrapped a towel around His waist. Then He washed His disciples’ feet. Like many of us, Simon Peter protested this foot washing. It’s kind of a personal space – your bare feet. Jesus insisted. Then He took the towel off and dried their feet. This is such a picture of humility. Imagine someone drying your just-washed feet with a towel as they bent over in their BVDs!
I love the command and directive Jesus gave to His disciples after this. He said, “Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
Have you ever washed someone’s feet? I’d like to suggest in no small way (without spiritual condemnation, of course) that you set about to wash someone’s feet as soon as possible. Wouldn’t you like to be able to say that you actually did what Jesus asked you to do? Isn’t it better to know that you’ve done such and such instead of blowing it off or counting it as some sort of misunderstood thing that we are no longer obligated to do? I tell you what? I personally feel an obligation to wash feet. It’s also a desire that I have. I’ve done it a few times. It’s kind of awkward in our socks and shoes culture, but it’s also kind of beautiful. I wish that it was a more accepted and practiced tradition.
I like how this final dinner with the disciples that Jesus shares with them how He’s about to depart. He’s going to miss hanging with them. He probably also knows that it’ll be hard for them and that they’ll miss Him, too. It’s in this context where that one misunderstood verse about the poor is shared in another Gospel. John didn’t include it here. He just emphasized what Jesus was telling the disciples about His soon departure. It’s a drag that so many of us have taken that “…the poor you will have with you always…” as some sort of pronouncement/lesson about poverty. It’s one of those strong statements that’s easy to remember, but it’s silly to think that He was using that moment to lay down some sort of universal truism about poverty. On the contrary, He was saying He was about to leave. If He meant it to be a permanent pronouncement, why would the Bible be filled with references to helping the poor? Why would God paint a picture of His heart as one inclined to help the poor constantly and then turn around and say, “It’s a problem that you’re always gonna have, so why not just blow it off?” Ya know what I mean? And then why would He promise in another verse that He’s always gonna be with them and then here say “I won’t be with you always?” That whole passage should not be applied to the problem of poverty as a catch-all forget about the poor escape card.
Ahh, I love the Bible. I wish I really did read it every day.
Resource:
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