Reflective Bible Study

As we have moved through our year looking at John’s gospel, we are just a little over half way through the year, but with how John’s gospel is written, we are about to slow down and focus in on the series of events leading Jesus to the cross. While Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead prompts the latest wave of religious opposition to Jesus, we now arrive at the week leading up to Jesus’ death. To start this week off, we find Jesus returning to Bethany and enjoying a special meal.

Within this meal, we discover several of the final pieces moving into place regarding Jesus being hoisted onto the cross a mere six days later.

Let’s read our passage and discover what happened. Our passage is found in John’s gospel, chapter 12, and we will read it from the God’s Word translation. Starting in verse 1, John tells us that:

¹ Six days before Passover, Jesus arrived in Bethany. Lazarus, whom Jesus had brought back to life, lived there. ² Dinner was prepared for Jesus in Bethany. Martha served the dinner, and Lazarus was one of the people eating with Jesus.

³ Mary took a bottle of very expensive perfume made from pure nard and poured it on Jesus’ feet. Then she dried his feet with her hair. The fragrance of the perfume filled the house.

⁴ One of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was going to betray him, asked, ⁵ “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for a high price and the money given to the poor?” ⁶ (Judas didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the moneybag and carried the contributions.) ⁷ Jesus said to Judas, “Leave her alone! She has done this to prepare me for the day I will be placed in a tomb. ⁸ You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me with you.”

⁹ A large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was in Bethany. So they went there not only to see Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom Jesus had brought back to life. ¹⁰ The chief priests planned to kill Lazarus too. ¹¹ Lazarus was the reason why many people were leaving the Jews and believing in Jesus.

During this dinner, we can see three huge ideas present that are key details laying the foundation leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion.

The first detail we’ll focus on is the last one present in our passage, but the one that may have prompted this entire event. Verses 10 and 11 draw our attention onto an interesting side note: “The chief priests planned to kill Lazarus too. Lazarus was the reason why many people were leaving the Jews and believing in Jesus.”

In an interesting twist, the religious leaders want to not only kill Jesus, but they also decide they should kill the most significant person Jesus raised from the dead. Not only is this funny in my mind, since these religious leaders want to kill someone God wanted alive, but this detail also stresses how far these religious leaders were willing to break God’s law to suit their own purposes. If you’re wondering how I know God wanted Lazarus alive, I arrive at this conclusion using this simple logic: If God didn’t want Lazarus alive, Jesus would not have raised Lazarus from the dead.

However, the least contested commandment in all of God’s Ten Commandments is the command telling us to not kill, or in some translations, the command is to not murder. While warfare presents a unique situation in the Bible, the religious leaders plotting to kill both Jesus and Lazarus is a direct violation of this commandment, especially when framed in the way Jesus framed breaking the law in His famous Sermon on the Mount. I have no idea whether the religious leaders succeeded or followed through with their plans to kill Lazarus, but by plotting for Lazarus’ death, these religious leaders display a complete disregard for God and God’s Law even if they believed it was the only way to save the nation. In this event, John draws our attention to how far the religious leaders would be willing to go against the clearest commandment in God’s law.

However, not only this, but in this event, the stage is also set for Judas Iscariot’s betrayal. While John does not include the details of Judas Iscariot’s meeting with the religious leaders to set up his betrayal, John does tell us how offended Judas Iscariot was at Jesus reprimanding him for speaking out against Mary’s gift.

There is some speculation over what may have prompted Mary to give Jesus this gift. While Jesus uses it to foreshadow His upcoming death, Mary may have believed she was anointing Jesus before He would step into kingly glory – specifically into the Messiah that the first century Jewish culture believed the Messiah would take.

However, I wonder if Mary’s gift, which all the gospels describe as being a very expensive gift, was also subtly a way of saying “Thank You” to Jesus for returning Lazarus back to life. Jesus did not raise Lazarus from the tomb in order to be paid, however, there was no taking this gift back, and Mary knew it. In a powerful way, Mary’s gift to Jesus said thank you to Him for all of Jesus’ kindness, generosity, mercy, and help that He had given to Martha and her. It is very possible that Jesus had healed Mary from demon possession, Jesus had taken a personal interest in their family, and Jesus had raised her brother from death. Mary knew this perfume was the best she had, but even her best gift could not come close to repaying Jesus for everything He had done for her.

Judas Iscariot, who John tells us was only thinking selfishly, doesn’t care about the gift Mary gives to Jesus, only the amount that he could have pocketed while the other disciples were not paying attention. Because Jesus validates Mary’s gift and insults him in the process, Judas Iscariot then seeks out the religious leaders in order to betray Jesus.

However, Judas Iscariot likely wasn’t paying very close attention, because Jesus attributes Mary’s gift in this event to something that none of those present would have guessed. With Mary’s expensive gift, Jesus attributes this sacrifice to preparing His body for burial, which logically only happens after one has died. This is significant, because regardless of when this death and burial would happen, the Jewish culture believed the Messiah would last forever, and lasting forever does not include death and burial.

Except that in Jesus’ case, lasting forever does include a death and burial, because following Jesus’ death and burial is a resurrection. While the disciples should have known this, the gospels tell us that they were too afraid to ask the questions they needed to ask to understand this truth. The disciples missed knowing God’s plan for Jesus’ life before Jesus died, was buried, and was raised from the dead.

As followers of Jesus, we have foreshadowing in Jesus’ experience. In our own lives, we may face death and burial, but if we do, when we fall asleep with our faith in Jesus, we rest in peace awaiting a resurrection. Jesus defeated death, and when we have allied with Jesus, death cannot and will not defeat us. With Jesus, even if we rest in His peace, our lives are safe waiting for resurrection when we place our trust in Him!

While this event sets the stage for Jesus’ crucifixion on a number of levels, we are also assured that through Jesus’ death, we can have a new life with God, and our new life with God can begin today and extend into eternity!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally seek God first in your life, and choose to place your faith, your hope, your trust, and your belief in Him. Trust that regardless of what happens in this life, when we have allied with Jesus, our future is safe with God. Our future is eternity with Jesus!

Also, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself to learn, grow, and move closer to God. Through regular prayer and Bible study, develop a solid foundation for your relationship with God and discover what God wants to teach you personally through His Word. While other people can have interesting ideas, filter what you read, see, and hear through the truth found in the Bible.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

As we continue looking at the parables Jesus shared, we come to one of the more familiar parables in all the gospel record. However, when I was putting together this year of podcasts, I did not realize that the two times this parable was shared each had a slightly different focus. For this reason, and because it appears as though Jesus told two similar parables in two different settings, we will split up these very similar parables into two episodes and focus our attention on one of the key details that makes these parables different.

Our parable in this episode comes immediately following Jesus inviting children to spend time with Him and Jesus teaching the disciples that we should love and accept those that are considered the least in the world because when we do, we are inviting God into our midst.

Immediately following this is our passage and parable. Our passage is found in Matthew’s gospel, chapter 18, and we will read it from the New American Standard Bible translation. Starting in verse 12, Matthew continues telling us Jesus’ message:

¹² “What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? ¹³ If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. ¹⁴ So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

In this passage, the context of the sheep refers to the sheep being children, like children, or simply being those who are the least in the world’s eyes. In this parable, what we might write off as a loss is not forgotten in God’s eyes. God loves the smallest, least significant child who has chosen to love and accept Him, and according to Jesus’ words in this parable, God is not going to let a child under His watch and care be lost.

This is an amazing theme and truth for us to consider. The last verse in this passage states “it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.”

God is passionately interested in saving His children and keeping them safe. This not only refers to keeping His children safe for the time we spend in heaven, it also references keeping us safe during the time we spend on earth in this life.

But wait. What about all the bad things that happen to people who are clearly following God? Why do bad things happen to good people?

Many people have used this argument to discredit God because they cannot see a God of love allowing pain, hurt, and death if He could stop it and has promised protection. This is a rational, logical argument built on a flawed foundation. This argument assumes that God wants us to have comfortable, or average, lives in a sinful world. This argument ignores the future, subtly assuming that this life is all there is.

To challenge this argument, we look to one word in our parable. It is the very last word. It is the word “perish”. “It is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.”

While perish means to die, more often than not, when used in a Biblical context, the word perish does not mean the first death that has a future resurrection. The word perish refers to a death where there is no future resurrection. It is most famously contrasted with eternal life in one of the most famous verses in the entire Bible, John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

This contrast is important for us to pay attention to because it tells us that God’s primary goal is to keep us safe for eternity, or specifically, for eternal life. He wants to keep us safe from the death that has no resurrection. That is His goal. God’s goal is not for us to have a good or great life in a sinful world; His goal is to have us redeemed into an eternal life in a perfect, new heaven and new earth.

While a sinful earth is all we truly know, God doesn’t want us to be so sheltered from the sin that defines it that we would prefer it over the new sinless heaven and earth He has promised us in the future. God’s goal is a future where sin no longer exists, and in order for that to happen, those who are saved and redeemed from this sinful world must experience the consequences of sin.

I am certain that God protects us from way more than we could ever realize. I’m sure Satan would kill anyone and everyone he could for simply acknowledging Jesus. Satan is trying to build a kingdom and world that is united against God. This kingdom is a kingdom of sin. We can be thankful that God is stronger than Satan and that God protects us from a countless number of bad things that could happen.

That doesn’t mean that God protects every one of His children from every negative thing in our sinful world. Stopping all sin would be trying to force sinlessness onto this world where Satan is tempting people to turn away from God. If the world, specifically God’s people in the world, don’t experience the effects of sin, then there would be no reason to look forward to a new heaven and a new earth.

God wants to save all of His children for eternity. As our parable concluded by saying, “It is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.” God knows that in the timeframe of eternity, the history of sin is insignificant. Instead of protecting His people from every bad thing that could happen, He protects us from most things while allowing things to happen that help us desire the end of sin.

God’s goal for us is not an easy life in a sinful world; His goal for us is a sinless, eternal life in a perfect world. That means that if bad things happen in our lives, or if people we love die, we have reasons to look forward to the sinless new heaven and new earth where there will be no more pain, hurt, disease, or death.

Remember that death in this life awaits a resurrection. This means that the death we might experience has no real power over us. Jesus conquered this death, and because He conquered this death, we can see it as simply a stepping stone on our way into eternity.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As always, continue to seek God first in your life and trust that He knows what He is doing in the world today. While things might feel like they are spinning or spiraling out of control, remember that God is still in control, and His goal is redeeming His people for eternity while also being sure sin will never reappear in the new heaven and new earth.

Also, as I always challenge you to do, pray and study the Bible for yourself to learn and grow closer to God each day. Intentionally set aside time for growing closer to God and be sure to make your relationship with God personal. Don’t let me or anyone else get in between you and God.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or deviate away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Over our last two episodes, we looked closely at Jesus’ miracle raising Lazarus from the dead. In many ways, this was an unprecedented miracle, because Lazarus had been dead and buried longer than any resurrection miracle prior to this. And this miracle serves as a powerful foundation for us to place our faith on that when we have chosen Jesus, He will be able to raise us from the grave just like He raised Lazarus.

Because this miracle was so powerful and amazing, we come to our passage for this episode, which focuses on what happened because Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. In this passage, we see not only the response of the people present and those they told, but also of the religious leaders who already disliked Jesus.

Our passage is found in John’s gospel, chapter 11, and we will read it using the Good News Translation. Starting in verse 45, John tells us:

⁴⁵ Many of the people who had come to visit Mary saw what Jesus did, and they believed in him. ⁴⁶ But some of them returned to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷ So the Pharisees and the chief priests met with the Council and said, “What shall we do? Look at all the miracles this man is performing! ⁴⁸ If we let him go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Roman authorities will take action and destroy our Temple and our nation!”

⁴⁹ One of them, named Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, said, “What fools you are! ⁵⁰ Don’t you realize that it is better for you to have one man die for the people, instead of having the whole nation destroyed?” ⁵¹ Actually, he did not say this of his own accord; rather, as he was High Priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish people, ⁵² and not only for them, but also to bring together into one body all the scattered people of God.

⁵³ From that day on the Jewish authorities made plans to kill Jesus. ⁵⁴ So Jesus did not travel openly in Judea, but left and went to a place near the desert, to a town named Ephraim, where he stayed with the disciples.

⁵⁵ The time for the Passover Festival was near, and many people went up from the country to Jerusalem to perform the ritual of purification before the festival. ⁵⁶ They were looking for Jesus, and as they gathered in the Temple, they asked one another, “What do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?” ⁵⁷ The chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where Jesus was, he must report it, so that they could arrest him.

In this passage, from how the events are framed, we could conclude that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead a few weeks before the annual Passover celebration.

It is also interesting, that the religious leaders give orders that anyone with knowledge of where Jesus was must report it so they could arrest Jesus. This detail is interesting because during the week of the Passover celebration, Jesus speaks openly in the temple at least twice, and leading up to this, Jesus openly rides a donkey into Jerusalem. These events are prime events to arrest Jesus, but an arrest does not happen.

However, the most fascinating piece of this entire response to Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is what the high priest prophesies about Jesus. Caiaphas, the high priest that year, told the religious leaders in verse 50: “Don’t you realize that it is better for you to have one man die for the people, instead of having the whole nation destroyed?”

Even though John follows this quotation up with the powerful idea that this was a prophecy, in this statement itself, we have so much depth that it is hard to grasp it all.

On the surface, Caiaphas’ statement is relevant, because in their minds, Jesus’ presence and ministry was significant enough to threaten Rome, and Rome did not like to be threatened. However, it is also worth noting that any time Jesus drew a crowd of followers larger than a certain size, He began to challenge this crowd with difficult to accept spiritual truth prompting the crowd to leave and many in the crowd to doubt. This is recorded in the gospels on at least two occasions, though I suspect there were more. We don’t have to look very far in Jesus’ ministry to realize overthrowing Rome was not anywhere on His agenda.

However, while Caiaphas said these words as a defense against the threat of Rome, and primarily for self-preservation, these words have a much deeper meaning, also foreshadowing Jesus’ ultimate mission in this world.

In an ironic twist, the highest spiritual authority in the Jewish faith, who also happened to be Jesus’ most high-profile opponent, is led by God to give the most powerful prophecy describing Jesus’ mission and purpose for coming to this world.

Even though I’m sure Caiaphas did not fully grasp the full significance of His statement, God used Caiaphas, who was openly against Jesus, to give a true prophecy about what Jesus came to accomplish.

At that point in history, the set of prophecies that the religious leaders focused on were the ones where the Messiah overthrows Rome, and where the Messiah ultimately lasts forever. There were prophecies that describe a Messiah who suffers, is betrayed, and who is killed as a sacrificial lamb, but these prophecies were discounted, minimized, or outright ignored.

The last thing on these religious leaders’ minds was that Jesus was the Messiah God would send. Jesus didn’t fit their picture for the messiah, even if it was clear that Jesus was actively stepping into the role of Messiah.

Earlier this year, we saw that these religious leaders rejected Jesus because He was raised and from Nazareth. This was true, but it was a false assumption that Jesus was born in Nazareth. It is easy for us to see this in the scriptures, but perhaps more challenging for those in the first century who only knew of people being born and raised in one location. If it had not been for the census, Jesus’ wouldn’t have been born in Bethlehem, and I suspect if it had not been for Herod’s threat, Mary and Joseph may have raised Jesus in Bethlehem, being familiar with the prophecies about the Messiah.

In the first century, the religious leaders used plenty of reasons to reject Jesus as the Messiah. But even with their choice to reject Jesus, God used Jesus’ opponents in a powerful way to fulfill His prophecies about the Messiah. Topping this list is Caiaphas’ prophecy about Jesus’ mission into this world to die, and John’s side-note describes Jesus’ mission perfectly in verses 51 and 52. Caiaphas prophesied that “Jesus was going to die for the Jewish people, and not only for them, but also to bring together into one body all the scattered people of God.”

Jesus came to this earth to redeem not just one race, one religion, or one ideology. Jesus came to redeem and unite all of God’s people that were scattered throughout the world. Jesus’ mission is bigger than we could ever imagine, and I suspect that God’s people are more diverse than we could ever imagine either. Jesus came to unite and redeem God’s people, and that means for us living today that when we ally ourselves with Jesus, we join with the body that will be saved when Jesus returns! Allying with Jesus leads to eternal life.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, seek God first in your life and choose to place your faith, your hope, your trust, and your belief in Jesus, allying yourself with His plan, His mission, and His purpose for your life.

Also, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself to purposely grow closer to God each and every day. While God can use people for His purposes regardless of whether they have allied themselves for or against Jesus, only when we grow towards Jesus will we be saved for eternity, and the best place for us to find Jesus is within the pages of the Bible, and specifically in the pages of the gospel record. Through the gospels, we discover not only what Jesus is like, but what God is like as well.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or walk away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

One thing Jesus seemed to push back against in His ministry was the popularity trap. This trap is a trap for our egos and it happens when we know there are others following us. The bigger the group of followers results in the bigger the trap.

Jesus didn’t mind people following Him; He had even invited a dozen people specifically to follow. However, the size of the crowd following Jesus was also a sign of the sincerity of the following. Whenever the crowds seemed to get too big for Jesus, He would challenge them in some way that would subtly disperse those present.

As I say this, I wonder if this was because He didn’t want to attract too much Roman attention because it would affect His mission to those in Judea.

The parable-illustration in the passage we are looking at focuses in on one of these challenges Jesus uses to disperse the crowds. While it might seem like a strong statement for Jesus to make, the message Jesus shares is a challenge for everyone who calls themselves a follower of Jesus.

Our passage is found in Luke’s gospel, chapter 14, and we will be reading from the New International Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 25, Luke tells us that:

²⁵ Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ²⁶ “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

²⁸ “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? ²⁹ For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, ³⁰ saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

³¹ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³² If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. ³³ In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

³⁴ “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? ³⁵ It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.

“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

In this passage and illustration, Jesus clearly lays out the cost of being a disciple. From how Luke introduces us to Jesus’ words, and from what Jesus challenges those present with, it would appear that many in the crowd were following Jesus because they simply wanted to be near the popular person. These people likely enjoyed seeing miracles and hearing Jesus successfully win challenges that the religious leaders tried to discredit Him with. In the crowd’s eyes, Jesus was a celebrity and everything He did was God inspired entertainment.

But this is a problem. Jesus did not come to entertain us. Jesus came to give His life for us to redeem us from sin. There is a huge difference!

When deciding whether we should follow God or not, Jesus challenges us to count the cost. The cost of following Jesus is stated in verses 26 and 27: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

The cost of following Jesus is everything. This includes every “thing” we own, every relationship we have, every breath we take, and every challenge and trial that comes our way. If we are not 100% committed to Jesus, then we cannot be His disciple according to this passage.

Does this passage really teach us to hate our own family after we decide to follow Jesus?

This is what this passage appears to say on the surface. The challenge with the surface level understanding of this statement is that many of those we are challenged to hate are people God specifically brought into our lives. God brought us into the lives of our parents and our siblings, He directed the circumstances towards our finding a spouse, and He brought children into our lives. Everyone who is in our lives is in our lives because of God in some way, shape, or form.

Instead, I believe it is more correct to believe Jesus challenges us to count the true cost of being one of His followers. If we are to truly follow Jesus, we must put Jesus ahead of any and every other person in our lives. This means that if our decision to follow Jesus is met with disappointment from our parents, hostility from our spouse, and/or resentment from our children, then we should hold fast to our decision because the life Jesus has called us to is greater than we could imagine. If those in our lives don’t understand this, then they are breaking their relationship with us.

We are called to count the cost and if we determine the cost is worth it, we should choose Jesus over anyone and everyone else in our lives. This seems like a steep cost. What is the benefit that would ever outweigh this in our lives?

When we choose to follow Jesus, He offers us a new family, a family with God as our Father. Jesus offers us a place at God’s table in a new heaven and a new earth that doesn’t include pain, death, or sin. Jesus offers us a second chance at life when our first lives here in this earth have been messed up by sin.

Jesus does challenge us to give up some seemingly important things in our lives, but the rewards He offers to us extend into eternity.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, be sure to intentionally seek God first in your life. If you have not made the decision to follow Jesus, or if you believe the cost is too high, I invite you to take your worries, your fears, and your concerns to God in prayer and ask Him to help you understand both the risk and the rewards of choosing Jesus. Choosing Jesus doesn’t mean we will have an easy life in a sinful world, but it does mean we will be prepared for a perfect life in a sinless world when Jesus returns!

Also, as I always challenge you to do, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself to purposefully grow your relationship with God. Through prayer and studying the Bible, we can open our hearts to Jesus and we can let Him into our lives. As I regularly remind and challenge you to do, don’t let me or anyone else get between you and your relationship with God. While I can give you great things to think about, I want more than anything else that you take what I share with you and discover it for yourself through prayer and Bible study. God wants a relationship with you personally and directly, and I’m more than willing to help if you need help!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!