John 12 - Introduction

"Blessed Is The King Of Israel" John Twelve

Just before the last Passover that Jesus observed He spent some time in Bethany with His friends Lazarus, Martha and Mary. At supper Martha served and Lazarus sat with Jesus. Mary anointed Jesus with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair. Mary was a spiritual woman and this act is fitting for her character. This was an action that proved her love for Jesus. She loved the Lord and wanted to give her best to him and she even wanted to give more. She was a very humble person. Observe that she anointed his feet and wiped them her hair. Judas Iscariot criticized her because he was a thief and desired access to the worth of the perfume. Sadly, Judas is remembered in many bad ways in the New Testament. Jesus reprimanded him and said, "Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this." Mary was a person with love for the Master and devotion to His cause. Judas said he wanted to help the poor. Jesus shared a truth that was first stated in Deuteronomy 15:11. "For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land." Jesus wanted it understood that some opportunities are there only one time and for a brief moment.

The Jewish leaders desire to put both Lazarus and Jesus to death. They realized that as long as Lazarus was around they would have to deal with Jesus. Jesus wanted the people to understand that real life was not the few years that we live on earth but real life is eternal life in heaven. The purpose of Jesus' earthly life and death was to provide eternal salvation. That is why He came to the earth. Jesus said, "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." Jesus was lifted up on the cross and later lifted up from the grave. Our faith in Jesus must be strong. We must not allow the praise of men to keep us from the praise of God. We must love the Lord and keep His commandments. "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." (John 12:48)