Jesus's Triumphal Entry and Final Discourse with the People

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(John 12:1) Then six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead whom He raised from the dead, (2) There they made Him a supper and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.

At the end of the last chapter, Jesus had left Bethany and went out into the country to steer clear of the Jews who wanted to kill Him.  As the Passover was near, Jesus went back to Bethany to have supper with Lazarus, Martha, and Mary.  Lazarus sat with Jesus at the table with others who had been invited, and Martha served.

(3) Then Mary took 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 odor of the ointment.

Mary took a pound of an ointment of spikenard, which was a very costly and fragrant oil, and anointed Jesus's feet with it and then wiped His feet with her hair.  The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.

(4) Then said one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, (5) "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred pence and given to the poor?"

One of Jesus's disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, saw what Mary did and considered it wasteful.  He asked why the ointment hadn't been instead sold with the proceeds going to the poor.

(6) This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and had the bag and lifted what was put in it.

It's not that Judas really cared for the poor, but he was actually a thief.  He held the money bag for Jesus and the disciples and often stole from it for himself.  He desired for himself that three hundred pence the ointment could have brought.

(7) Then Jesus said, "Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burying."

Jesus told Judas to leave Mary alone.  She had saved that ointment for the purpose of anointing Jesus before His death and burial.  Of course, Mary did not know that Jesus was soon to die, but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit she had chosen this time to anoint Jesus with it.

(8) "For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always."

Jesus went on to say that there would always be poor to be helped, but He Himself would not always be there.  Therefore the time to anoint Him was right then, as there would be soon no more chance to do so.  It's not that Jesus did not believe in giving to the poor; He taught that we should (Matthew 25:35-36, Mark 10:21, Luke 14:13-14).  However, I believe Jesus was teaching a proper order of things.  If two good duties are in competition with each other, then it makes sense to do the one that needs to be done immediately as there may be no chance to do it later.  Additionally, God and Jesus come first in our lives.  It's always right to do the things of God over other things we may perceive as good.  I can't help but think of some of the extreme environmental things like ones that are done to save a toad that harm God's people.  God gave His people dominion over the animals (Genesis 1:26-28).  That does not mean that we should torture and kill animals for no good reason.  However, when it comes to the needs of animals versus the needs of humans, humans come first.

(9) Many people of the Jews therefore knew that He was there, and they came, not for Jesus's sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom He had raised from the dead.

Many of the Jews knew that Jesus was there and came, not just to see Jesus, but also to see Lazarus as he had been raised from the dead.

(10) But the chief priests deliberated that they might put Lazarus to death also, (11) Because on account of him, many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

However, the chief priests discussed how they should also put Lazarus to death; because of what had been done for him, many of the Jews were deserting them and turning to Jesus.

(12) On the next day many people who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, (13) Took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet Him, and cried, "Hosanna! Blessed the King of Israel who comes in the name of the Lord!"

The next day, many people who had arrived early for the Passover Feast, when they heard Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took palm tree branches and went out to meet Jesus, crying, "Hosanna!" which was an exclamation of adoration that meant "Oh save!"  Then they quoted Psalm 118:26, "Blessed He who comes in the name of the Lord..."  The palm tree branches signified victory and triumph.

(14) And Jesus, when He had found a young ass, sat on it; as it is written, (15) "Fear not, daughter of Zion, behold your King comes sitting on an ass's colt."

The other gospel writers told us that Jesus directed two of His disciples to go into the village and there they would find the colt of a donkey and they were to bring it back to Jesus.  Jesus sat upon the young donkey, and that fulfilled prophecy from Zechariah 9:9 which said, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey."

(16) These things His disciples did not understand at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and they had done these things to Him.

At that time, Jesus's disciples did not understand what Jesus was doing and saying, but after His ascension, they remembered the things said about Him in the Old Testament prophecies and they fully comprehended the fulfillment of that prophecy at that time.  They remembered the things the people had done to and for Him, the taking of palm tree branches and crying "Hosanna," putting Jesus on the donkey's colt, and then as the other gospels told us, laying their clothes and branches under Him and before Him, paving His way into Jerusalem.

(17) The people therefore who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his grave and raised him from the dead, bore record.

The Jews who had gone from Jerusalem to Bethany to comfort Lazarus's sisters, had been there to witness Jesus calling Lazarus out of the grave and raising him from the dead.  Therefore, they were able to bear witness of Jesus to the others in Jerusalem.

(18) For this reason the people also met Him, for they had heard that He had done this miracle.

That is why the people in Jerusalem met Jesus as He was coming into the city, because they had heard about what He had done for Lazarus.

(19) The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, "Do you perceive how you prevail nothing? Behold, the world has gone after Him."

However, the Pharisees were greatly dismayed at what they saw, and discussed among themselves how they had so far accomplished nothing to stop the people from believing in Jesus.  In fact, it looked to them like the whole world had gone after Him.

(20) And there were certain Greeks among them who came up to worship at the feast.

There were some Greeks who had come to worship at the Passover Feast.  They may have been Jews who had been living in Greece, or perhaps converts to the Jewish religion, or it's even possible they were Gentiles who came to worship in the outer court of the temple that was called the court of the Gentiles.

(21) The same came therefore to Philip, who was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired of Him, saying, "Sir, we want to see Jesus."

Those Greeks went to Philip and asked if they could see Jesus.  The reason they may have gone to Philip is probably answered in the fact that John told us Philip was of Bethsaida in Galilee.  They could have been from the Greeks who dwelt on the borders of Tyre and Sidon, which was not far from Bethsaida.  Perhaps they had had occasion to see or know Philip.  Additionally, as Philip is a Greek given name, some have thought it plausible that Philip's parents may have been from the Jews living in Greece.  They had apparently heard the fame of Jesus and wished to see Him and thought Philip could help.

(22) Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Philip and Andrew told Jesus.

Philip went and told Andrew of the Greeks' request, probably because Andrew was from the same place and may have known of the Greeks, also.  Then they both went and told Jesus.

(23) And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified."

The scripture does not say whether or not the Greeks were with them when they asked Jesus, nor whether or not He directly acknowledged and agreed to their request, but the fact that John mentioned it, must mean Jesus spoke in the presence of them.  He told all within His hearing that the hour had come for Him to be glorified, which of course, we understand to mean His ascension into heaven after His death and resurrection.

(24) "Verily, verily, I say to you, except a corn of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit."

Jesus likened His life on earth to a kernel or grain of wheat.  It's just a lonely grain of wheat unless it falls to the ground and dies and then shoots forward with much fruit.  So although Jesus was just one Man, when He died, He would bring forth a huge harvest of Christians.

(25) "He who loves his life shall lose it, and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal."

Jesus's point was that whoever loved his temporal life so much that they did everything in their power to preserve it, would ultimately lose it.  The one who hated his temporal life in the world, realizing he was only passing through to true life in Christ, who did nothing to preserve his life, but lived it for God and for heaven, he would have eternal life.

(26) "If any man serves Me, let him follow Me, and where I am, there shall also My servant be. If any man serves Me, him My Father will honor."

Perhaps Jesus was saying this for the benefit of the Greeks.  Even though they may not have been Jews who could fully partake of the Passover, if they followed Him, imitating Him, following His Word, then they would also be with Him where He went, to heaven.  His Father God in heaven would honor them, as well.

(27) "Now is My soul troubled and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this cause, I came to this hour."

Jesus admitted He was troubled in His human soul about what was about to happen to Him.  However, could He really ask His Father to save Him from it?  After all, that was His purpose in coming into the world, to suffer and die for our sins, and be resurrected again for the salvation of the world.

(28) "Father, glorify your name." Then came a voice from heaven, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again."

Jesus asked His Father to glorify His own name.  A voice came from heaven saying that He had already glorified it, obviously in the life and work of Jesus up to that point, and that He would glorify it again in Jesus's resurrection and ascension.

(29) The people therefore who stood by and heard, said that it thundered; others said, "An angel spoke to Him."

Some of the people who stood by and heard the voice misunderstood it as thunder, as it probably did come forth in thunder.  Others heard the voice and assumed that an angel had spoken to Jesus.  They may have understood it as the word of God, but they may have assumed He spoke through angels.

(30) Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sakes."

Jesus answered the people's confusion and confirmed it was a voice and it had not come in answer to His prayer, at least not chiefly, as it was not necessary, for Jesus knew the mind of His Father and vice versa.  The voice had come for their sakes, that they might know that He was indeed the Messiah, the Son of God.  I can't help but think about what an honor and a privilege it was to the Greeks, Gentiles, to hear all this.  They not only saw Jesus but heard from God confirming just who He was.  What a beautiful picture of how Jesus is for all of us, no matter what our background or religion.

(31) "Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out."

Jesus went on to say that that particular time was the judgment of the world, and that the prince of the world would be cast out.  He said, "Now," because He knew His death was very near.  The original word translated as "judgment" is "krisis."  How similar it is to our "crisis."  And this would certainly be a crisis point in the lives of the people.  It would be a turning point.  On one hand, Jesus will have defeated death and Satan, the prince of the world.  No longer would people have to die in their sins.  However, Satan would still be around for those who would not receive Jesus's gift of salvation.  One of the definitions of "krisis" is "justice."  There would be justice for the world when Jesus saved it from death and Satan was cast out.

(32) "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all to Me."

Jesus's meaning was more likely just His death lifting Him out of the earth.  However, He would of course, be lifted up into the heavens in His resurrection and ascension.  If He was killed, which He knew He would be, He would draw all people to Him.  He would have power over death and would save those who came to Him through His drawing.

(33) This He said, signifying what death He would die.

John explained that Jesus was describing what type of death He would die by what He said.  Being lifted up on a cross, He would draw all people to Himself.  We do look up to the cross to be saved, just "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness" (John 3:14), and all who looked up to it were saved from the deadly bites of the fiery serpents, "even so must the Son of man be lifted up" (John 3:14 cont.) and those who look to Him will be saved.

(34) The people answered Him, "We have heard out of the law that Christ abides forever, and how do You say, 'The Son of man must be lifted up.'? Who is this Son of man?"

The people answered Jesus saying that they knew from the law that Christ abides forever, so how was it that Jesus said the Son of man must be lifted up from the earth, meaning He must die?  They asked Him who was the Son of man.

(35) Then Jesus said to them, "Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while you have light lest darkness come upon you, for he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going."

Jesus did not answer their question directly, but called Himself the light, the Light of the world, and urged the people to walk with that Light and learn from Him while they had the Light because it would only be with them a little while longer.  Once the Light was extinguished, darkness would come upon them, and they would not see the pits and snares that awaited them and would eventually destroy them.

(36) "While you have Light, believe in the Light, that you may be the children of Light." These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and hid Himself from them.

Jesus finally urged the people to believe in that Light while they had it, that they might become the children of Light and knowledge.  He then left and hid Himself away from them.

(37) But though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they did not believe in Him.

John tells us that even though Jesus had done so many miracles in the presence of these people, they still did not believe in Him.

(38) That the saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, "Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"

John went on to say that this fulfilled a prophecy of Isaiah in Isaiah 53:1, "Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?"  Who believed Jesus's words and the miracles and works He did by the arm of the Lord?

(39) Therefore they could not believe because Isaiah said again, (40) "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart that they should not see with eyes nor understand with heart, and be converted and I should heal them."

Because they refused to see the truth no matter how many things they had heard and seen, God left them in their blindness and hardness of hearts, and they could not believe Jesus.  Again John quoted prophecy in Isaiah 6:9-10, "And He said, Go, and tell this people, hear you indeed, but understand not; and see you indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed."  Because they would not listen to the Lord and see His great works, God would leave them with their hard and stupid hearts, ears, and eyes, and they would not be able to be converted and saved as they could have been if they had only listened and opened their hearts to what they saw.

(41) These things Isaiah said when He saw His glory and spoke of Him.

John explained that Isaiah had spoken those things when he had seen a vision of the Messiah in the temple (Isaiah 6:1-13).

(42) Nevertheless, among the chief rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess, lest they should be put out of the synagogue, (43) For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

However, there were those (it says many, in fact) among the chief rulers who did believe in Jesus, but they would not publicly admit it for fear the Pharisees would put them out of the synagogue.  At first I wondered if that was always a bad thing.  You certainly never reject Jesus if confronted, but do you always broadcast your belief, if by not doing so, you could do more good in the synagogue to open people's eyes to the truth?  However, that objection was put to rest by the next verse that stated those men loved the praise of men more than they loved God's praises.  God knows the truth of one's heart and His Holy Spirit will guide Christ's follower in what he should do.

(44) Jesus cried and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me!"

Verse 36 said that Jesus had left and hid Himself from the people, so either this was said at another time, or as He was, by what follows, still talking about the Light, perhaps He cried out as He left the unbelievers, or perhaps He had even said the words before He actually left.  Jesus cried out that anyone who believed in Him as Jesus the man, was actually believing in the One who sent Him, God Himself, who came down to earth in the human form of Jesus to save the world.

(45) "And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me."

Jesus said more directly that anyone who saw Him was seeing the One who sent Him, God Himself in heaven.  It was perhaps a difficult concept to grasp, but at the very least, they should have faith that He was one with God.

(46) "I am come a light into the world that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness."

Jesus explained that He was the Light that came into the world that whoever believed in Him would not stay in their darkness of sin and unbelief.

(47) "And if any man hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him, for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world."

Jesus said that if anyone heard Him and did not believe in Him, He was not there to judge them.  They had actually already been judged and condemned; He had come to save them and the entire world from that condemnation.

(48) "He who rejects Me and does not receive My words has one that judges him; the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day."

However, those who do not believe in Jesus and reject Him and will not receive His word, that Word of God spoken by Jesus will be the judgment against him in the great Judgment Day.  That is the truth that the one who rejected Christ will come to know was true all along.  In the end, every knee will bow and every tongue shall confess, everyone will know the truth (Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10-11), and those who rejected Christ will be judged by that truth that they will know themselves.

(49) "For I have not spoken of Myself, but the Father who sent Me gave Me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak."

Jesus did not speak on His own human accord, but God who sent Him told Him what He was to say.  Actually, as Jesus was God come down to the world, He spoke the words of God.  It was God and His very Word that people who rejected Christ were rejecting.

(50) "And I know that His commandment is life everlasting; whatever I speak therefore, just as the Father said to Me, so I speak."

That commandment or commission that God gave Jesus was the path to everlasting life, and everything God had purposed in sending Jesus was for that end, that all be saved.  As Jesus was God, He spoke God's words and was there to fulfill God's purpose in saving all people from their sin and from Satan and his workers of iniquity.

The Biblical commentators that I study tell me that this was the end of Jesus's public ministry.  From this point on, He would spend His time teaching His disciples.  What a beautiful summation Jesus gave to the people.  Jesus cried it out to them!  Believe in Him because He said and did the very works of God; He was the very mind of God.  He was God!  In the end, all would know it, and those who had rejected Him rejected God's gift of salvation and would be judged by what they would know was true. 

Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(John 11:1) Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister, Martha.

At the end of the last chapter, Jesus had departed from the Feast of the Dedication in Jerusalem to a place beyond the Jordan River.  Sometime afterward, a man named Lazarus of Bethany, fell ill.  We are told later that Mary and Martha are his sisters.

(2) (It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

John made a parenthetical statement to explain to us who Mary was.  Although the incident of her anointing Jesus's feet with ointment and wiping His feet with her hair had not actually happened yet chronologically (as we will read about it in the next chapter), John wrote this account after both had happened, and chose an event he knew his listeners would know about to explain who Mary was.

(3) Therefore his sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." 

Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was sick.  Apparently, Lazarus was a dear friend of His.  We read of Jesus being a guest at the house of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-39.  It seems He had come to know and love Lazarus, as well.

(4) When Jesus heard, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby."

When Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, He told either the messengers or His disciples who were likely with Him, that Lazarus's sickness would not result in death, at least not permanently, but would be used for the glory of God and that His Son Jesus might also be glorified through it.

(5) Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. (6) When He had heard that he was sick, He abode two days still in the same place where He was.

Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus; yet after He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two more days.

(7) Then after that, He said to His disciples, "Let us go into Judea again."

After the two days Jesus tarried, He then told His disciples He wanted to go back to Judea.

(8) His disciples said to Him, "Master, the Jews of late sought to stone You, and You go there again?"

Jesus's suggestion surprised the disciples, and they reminded Him that the Jews there had sought to stone Him and wondered why He would want to go back there.

(9) Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walks in the day, he does not stumble because he sees the light of this world. (10) But if a man walks in the night, he stumbles because there is no light in him."

I believe Jesus's point was that He had an allotted time in which to do His work, represented by a twelve hour daytime.  As long as He worked in the day, He would not stumble or be stoned because He was walking and working in the time in which His Father's light protected Him.  But once that light left Him and it was dark, then would He be killed, but not until then.

(11) These things He said, and after that, He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may awake him out of sleep."

Jesus then told them that Lazarus was sleeping, and He wanted to go back to Judea (specifically to Bethany in Judea) to wake him.

(12) Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps, he shall do well." (13) However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought He had spoken about taking rest in sleep.

The disciples said that if Lazarus was sleeping, it was good for his healing, but of course, Jesus spoke of Lazarus as having died, not merely resting in sleep.

(14) Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. (15) And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent you may believe; nevertheless, let us go to him."

Jesus explained to His disciples that He meant that Lazarus was dead.  He then told them that for their sakes He was glad He had not been there before he died.  They would now be able to observe a far greater miracle than they had yet seen and would have no lingering doubts, if there were any, that He was the Messiah.

(16) Then Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go that we may die with Him."

Thomas, also called Didymus meaning Twin, must have had a twin sibling.  He said to his fellow disciples that they should go with Jesus to die with Him, expecting that the Jews would indeed succeed in killing Jesus this time.

(17) Then when Jesus came, He found that he had been in the grave four days already.

Lazarus must have died very soon after his sisters sent word to Jesus.  I imagine it took the messenger at least a day to reach Him, and then Jesus stayed two more days, and then probably it took at least a day to get to Lazarus.  He had now been dead four days.

(18) Now Bethany was near to Jerusalem about fifteen furlongs off.

Bethany was in Judea, near Jerusalem, about two miles east of Jerusalem.  This was probably mentioned to show that it was easy for Jews to come to the place.

(19) And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother.

Indeed, we are told that many Jews did come to Bethany to see Martha and Mary in order to try to comfort them after their brother had died.

(20) Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went out and met Him, but Mary sat in the house.

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she ran out to meet Him while Mary stayed behind in the house.

(21) Then Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. (22) But I know, that even now, whatever You ask of God, God will give You."

Martha told Jesus that if He had been there before Lazarus died, she knew he would not have died.  Then she demonstrated great faith in Jesus when she added that even then, after he had died, that she was sure whatever He asked of God, God would grant Him.  It may not be that she was certain of Jesus's deity, but she knew He was from God and that God provided miracles through Him.

(23) Jesus said to her, "Your brother shall rise again." (24) Martha said to Him, "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

Jesus told her that her brother would rise again.  Although she surely wished for Jesus to raise Lazarus from the dead at that moment in time, she may not have been certain about which resurrection Jesus meant.  She told Him she knew he would rise again in the resurrection in the last day.

(25) Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. (26) And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

Jesus told Martha that He Himself was the resurrection and the life.  As He had said before in John 5:21, just as God raised up the dead and gave them life, Jesus Himself could give life to whomever He wanted.  In addition, those who were spiritually dead and destined for death and hell, He could give life to and resurrect.  Jesus was life; whoever believed in Him, even though he had been spiritually dead, would then live forever.  All those living in Him would be resurrected and would live forever.  Jesus asked Martha if she believed that.

(27) She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who should come into the world."

Whether she had fully comprehended it or not before, Martha told Jesus she now firmly believed He was the Christ, the Son of God, the Messiah for whom they had been looking forward to.

(28) And when she had so said, she went her way and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, "The Master has come and calls for you." (29) As soon as she heard, she arose quickly and went to Him.

As Martha had gone out to meet Jesus on His way to her, she then left Jesus where she had met Him and went back to call her sister Mary.  She told her that Jesus had come and was looking for her.  Mary got up quickly and went out to meet Jesus.

(30) Now Jesus had not yet come into the town but was in that place where Martha met Him.

Jesus had not made it into town yet but was still in the place where Martha had met Him.

(31) The Jews then who were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, "She goes to the grave to weep there."

Martha had spoken to Mary secretly about Jesus being there, so when she rose up quickly and went out of the house, the people who had been with her, comforting her, assumed she had gone to her brother's grave to weep for him.  They followed her.

(32) Then when Mary had come where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."

When Mary had come to Jesus, she fell down at His feet and told Him, like her sister had, that if He had been there earlier, her brother would not have died.

(33) When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping who came with her, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.

When Jesus saw Mary weeping and the people weeping with her, He was troubled in His human spirit and even showed some sign of it.  Jesus knew what He was about to do, yet He had love and sympathy for those hurting so at that moment, and human emotions came forth.  As the word "embrimaomai" that was translated as "groaned" always meant "to snort with anger, to have indignation, to blame, to sigh with chagrin, to murmur against," any sympathy He may have had was more because of the fact they all had such weak faith.

(34) And said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." (35) Jesus wept.

Jesus asked where they had laid Lazarus.  They told Him to go with them to see.  Then Jesus even wept.

(36) Then said the Jews, "Behold how He loved him!" (37) And some of them said, "Could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?"

The people who had been with Mary thought Jesus wept purely out of love for Lazarus, but of course, He knew what He was about to do for Lazarus, so his emotions were more for the sad state of his sisters and perhaps even for some of them who would not believe in Him and come to a similar state, only permanent.  I believe the sense of verse 37 is that while some people remarked at how much Jesus loved Lazarus, others were wondering out loud why Jesus wouldn't have prevented his death if he loved him so much, if after all, He was one who could open the eyes of the blind.

(38) Jesus therefore again groaning in Himself, came to the grave. It was a cave and a stone lay on it.

Jesus, knowing what these people were saying, again groaned in His spirit.  This time there is no doubt that it was more a groan of chagrin and irritation.  The same word "embrimaomai" translated as "groaning" from verse 33 is used here.  It is not the same word that was translated as "groanings" in Romans 8:26 where the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  That word was "stenagmos" and meant "a groaning or a sigh."  So Jesus groaned within Himself at what the people were saying and then came to the grave.  It was a cave with a stone on it.

(39) Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time he stinks for he has been dead four days."

Jesus told them to take away the stone.  Martha, the one who said that she believed Jesus was Christ and could do whatever He willed, now objected, saying that the smell would be too bad because Lazarus had been in the grave for four days.

(40) Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God?"

Jesus indeed reminded Martha that He had told her if she believed, she would see the glory of God in that though he were dead, he would live (verse 25).  She had said she believed He was the Christ and could do whatever He willed.

(41) Then they took away the stone where the dead man was laid. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me."

They took away the stone from the cave where Lazarus lay dead.  Jesus lifted His eyes toward heaven and thanked His Father for hearing Him.  I don't believe that Jesus had to ask the Father to raise up Lazarus, because as God Himself, Jesus had that power.  I believe the thanks was more broad, that He had been given that power when God first willed that Jesus come into the world.  It was predestined Jesus would be fully human, but He was also God and had the power of God.  I believe Jesus always wanted to be in communion with God.  Additionally, I'm sure He wanted the people to see His union with God.

(42) "And I knew that You hear Me always, but because of the people who stand by, I said it that they may believe that You have sent Me."

In fact, Jesus went on in His prayer to say that He knew God always heard Him, meaning He always had the authority to do the things He did in order to bring about God's purpose.  It was because of the people with Him that He said this, so that they would know His union with God and believe that He had indeed been sent by God.

(43) And when He had thus spoken, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"

After Jesus had finished His prayer, He called out to Lazarus in a loud voice and told him to come forth out of the cave.

(44) And he who was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes and his face was bound with a napkin. Jesus said to them, "Loose him and let him go."

Lazarus came forth out of the cave still bound with all his graveclothes and even his face wrapped in a napkin.  Jesus told the people to unwrap him and let him go free.

(45) Then many of the Jews who came to Mary and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed in Him.

Many of the Jews who had been with Mary at her house and followed her, saw what Jesus had done, and they believed in Him.

(46) But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees and told them what things Jesus had done.

It's incredible that some people could witness such a miracle and not be moved to Jesus!  Their cold hard hearts were set against Him and against truth and regardless of what He had done, they only wished to use it against Him, and they ran to tell the Pharisees what Jesus had done.  Raising the dead!  How can that be seen as anything other than what it was?  It was just as Jesus said in Luke 16:31, "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead."  We must see this as an important lesson about how we should never be so hard and set in our ways and have our minds so closed that we cannot see truth, especially the truth about Jesus.  If one's hard heart constantly pushes Jesus away, there will come a time when he will be blinded and unable to see the truth of Jesus (Psalm 81:12, Romans 1:21, John 7:34).

(47) Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, "What do we do? For this Man does many miracles."  

Then the Pharisees and the chief priests formed a council and discussed what they should do about Jesus.  Imagine!  Their problem was that He performed many miracles!  And they could not see the truth about how it was that Jesus could do miracles.

(48) "If we let Him thus alone, all will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation."

There we have it!  If they allowed Jesus to go on as He was, all the people would come to believe in Him, and they would lose their power!  Their lust for power blinded them to the truth of Jesus.  As Jesus said in Matthew 16:26, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

(49) And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that same year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, (50) Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people and that the whole nation not perish."

The high priest Caiaphas reproved their slow deliberation over Jesus.  Didn't they understand that one man should die for the good of the nation as a whole?  The end justified the means.

(51) And this he spoke not of himself, but being high priest that year, He prophesied that Jesus would die for that nation, (52) And not for that nation only, but also that He should gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.

Caiaphas spoke that not from himself, but by the Spirit of God, he unknowingly prophesied about Jesus, one Man dying in order to save the whole nation, and in fact, the world.  Jesus would gather together all His people from all over the world into one church.

(53) Then from that day forth they took counsel together to put Him to death.

From that day forward the Pharisees and chief priests deliberated about how they would put Jesus to death.

(54) Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews but went from there to a country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.

After that, Jesus did not walk openly among the Jews but went to a country near the wilderness to a town called Ephraim.  Biblical scholars are not sure exactly where this town was, but the point is that Jesus moved away from Jerusalem to a more remote place and stayed there with His disciples.

(55) And the Jews' Passover was near at hand, and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves.

Then came the time that the Passover was near, and many people went out of the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to prepare and purify themselves before the Passover meal.

(56) Then they sought Jesus and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, "What do you think, that He will not come to the feast?"

The chief priests and Pharisees looked for Jesus among the people making their way to Jerusalem for the Passover.  They wondered among themselves whether or not He would come to the feast.

(57) Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment that if any man knew where He was, he should show it that they might take Him.

The chief priests and Pharisees had given a commandment beforehand that if anyone knew where Jesus was, they must report it so that they could seize Him.  That is surely why they doubted that He might come.

The bulk of this chapter was centered around Jesus's raising Lazarus from the dead.  It is a beautiful picture of the resurrection and the life that is in Jesus.  Jesus can raise the most rotten sinful life to everlasting life when one believes in and gives his life over to Jesus for the atonement of his sins!

Jesus Sends Seventy Out and Tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Luke 10:1) After these things the Lord appointed another seventy also and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself would come.

At the end of the last chapter, Jesus had been discussing the cost of following Him.  Some people said they wanted to follow Him, but seemed to have excuses why they couldn't do it immediately.  It seems Jesus may have been winnowing the fair-weather followers away in order to appoint seventy faithful disciples, and He sent those seventy out in pairs into every city and place that He Himself would visit, to prepare the people to receive Him.

(2) Therefore, He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers few; pray therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into this harvest."

Jesus said to the seventy disciples upon sending them forth, that the harvest of souls was very great, but those willing to do the work of gathering souls to Christ were very few in comparison.  He told them to pray to God, the Lord of the great harvest of souls, that He would raise up and send forth more laborers into that harvest.  They should pray that the Lord send them to the people most likely to become those laborers who would rise up once they knew their mission.

(3) "Go your way; behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves."

Jesus told the seventy to go on their way, realizing there may be danger.  He was sending them forth as harmless, innocent, defenseless creatures, into a spiteful, malicious, and cruel world.

(4) "Carry neither purse nor bag nor shoes, and salute no one on the way."

Jesus told them not to carry any provisions, money, or extra shoes, and told them they should not salute anyone on the way.  Jewish salutations were more than just a wave or head nod, but would have entailed embracing, kissing, and much speech, so they were told not to engage in that, but to be about their business.

(5) "And into whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace to this house."

However, when they came into a city and into a private house, they then were to offer salutation and the blessing of peace to the house and its inhabitants.

(6) "And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon it; if not, it shall return to you again."

If a peaceable person, receptive to their message, was there in that house, then the blessing of peace would rest upon that house and those in it.  However, if there was no son of peace receiving them, then there would be no blessing of peace on that household.

(7) "And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house."

As Jesus had told the twelve when He sent them out, He told these seventy they were to remain in one house, the first house that received them, for the entirety of their visit in that city or place.  They were encouraged to eat and drink what was offered and not to think of it as charity, as they were deserving of it as payment for their labor in the salvation of souls.  They were not to move from house to house.

(8) "And into whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you."

Wherever they went, if they were kindly received, they were to graciously eat whatever was set before them.  They were not to consider whether it was clean or unclean, or to their liking or not, but to graciously accept what was offered.  No man's law should come before politeness.  Christ taught that the laws were made for man, not man made for laws.  Although there was good and health in God's dietary laws, for a small amount of time it was more important to regard the feelings of their hosts.  When those hosts came to accept Jesus, they would likely change and their desire to follow Him and His commands might cause them to make better dietary choices, but for the time being, that was not important.  They also shouldn't feel anything was too good for them, but again, graciously accept what was offered.

(9) "And heal the sick who are there, and say to them, "The kingdom of God is near to you."

Jesus instructed them to heal the sick there and tell all the inhabitants that the kingdom of God was near to them, as they prepared the way for Christ to come to them.

(10) "But into whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go your way out into the streets of that city and say, (11) 'Even the very dust of your city which clings to us, we wipe off against you; nevertheless, be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near to you.'"

Jesus told them that if they entered a city that would not receive them, they were to go their way on their streets while telling the inhabitants of that city that they were wiping the very dust of that city off their feet as a testimony against them, for the kingdom of God had come near to them and they had rejected it.

(12) "But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city."

Jesus went on to tell the seventy that it would be much worse for that city in the day of judgment than it would be for even Sodom.  Sodom had rejected Lot's warning, but rejecting the gospel and Christ Himself was a much more heinous crime.

(13) "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they would have a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes."

Jesus then pronounced woe to two cities that had already rejected Him, Chorazin and Bethsaida, cities in Galilee.  He declared that if the same message and miracles had been done in Tyre and Sidon, Gentile cities, as they had heard and seen done, Tyre and Sidon would have repented long ago, and displayed their repentance sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

(14) "But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you."

Just as He had declared for Sodom, Jesus said that it would be easier on Tyre and Sidon in the judgment day than it would be for Chorazin and Bethsaida, because they had had the benefit of Christ and His message and had rejected Him; Tyre and Sidon had not been given that benefit.  I believe this goes to show that God will have mercy on those who may not have had a chance to accept Jesus for their salvation.  I've often heard that argument against salvation in Jesus only.  What about those in third world or dictatorial countries who have not had the benefit of knowing Christ?  Luke 12:48 states that the one who unknowingly did things worthy of punishment would be given very little punishment, but the one given much more understanding would have much more required of him.  Also when you consider that God is always righteous and just, and that He knows what would have been, you can rest assured He will have mercy on such people who have not heard His word, or else He will put someone in their paths to give them His word.  

(15) "And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, shall be thrust down to hell."

Jesus then called out Capernaum, calling it exalted to heaven, probably because it was situated on a high hill and enjoyed good weather and good water and was a famous port.  Its inhabitants were probably prideful and high and mighty in their opinions of themselves, but Jesus said they would be cast down into hell for rejecting His message of salvation.

(16) "He who hears you hears Me, and he who despises you despises Me, and he who despises Me despises Him who sent Me."

Jesus told the seventy, that as they were His ambassadors, people who received them and their message, received Him.  On the other hand, those who despised His ambassadors, despised Him, as well.  Furthermore, those who despised Jesus despised Father God in heaven who had sent Jesus.

(17) And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, "Lord, even the devils are subject to us through Your name."

The seventy disciples went forth and then later returned very joyous as they had witnessed the fruits of their labors.  They discovered that not only could they heal the sick as Jesus had instructed them to do, but they were also able to cast out demons in Jesus's name, something they probably did not expect, but were joyful to discover.

(18) And He said to them, "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven."

Jesus told the seventy that He had seen Satan fall as quickly as lightning falling from heaven, meaning He had seen Satan's demons falling quickly at their commands, as He had sent them forth to do.

(19) "Behold, I give to you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you."

Jesus told them that He had given them that power that would even allow them to tread on serpents and scorpions and any other powerful instrument the enemy might use, and nothing would be able to hurt them.

(20) "Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

Jesus told them not to rejoice in the fact that demon spirits were subject to them.  Although it was an honor to be given talents and influence and the ability to work miracles, that was only because they were first believers and followers of Jesus, and they should instead rejoice in the fact that their names were written in the book of life in heaven.

(21) In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, "I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes; even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight."

Jesus rejoiced in His soul at the success of His disciples in bringing His word and miracles, and He thanked Father God in heaven for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom of God to these lowly people, thus giving them eternal life.  It's not that He was rejoicing that those mysteries were hidden from the wise and prudent, but that even though God had not yet revealed those mysteries to the wise and prudent, He saw fit to reveal them to the simplest humble people, and in that, He rejoiced.

(22) "All things are delivered to Me by My Father, and no man knows who the Son is but the Father, and who the Father is but the Son and anyone to whom the Son will reveal."

Jesus went on to say that all things had been given to Him by His Father, meaning all power in God the Father in heaven had been given to Jesus on earth.  Matthew 11:27 stated much the same thing, "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father; neither does any man know the Father except the Son and to whomever the Son will reveal Him."  However, I couldn't help but notice Luke stated something slightly differently, "...no man knows who the Son is..."  Who exactly is the Son?  He's more than what we would call the "Son" of God.  He was God on earth.  He is literally almighty God in heaven who came down to the earth to save His children.  He is the Word of God who has been a part of God from the beginning of time.  Our puny human minds can't understand the complexity of God, so I believe God came to earth through the womb of an earthly woman and called Him the Son of God so that we could comprehend.  God can be in all places at all times, and will be, unless He has turned His back on us because we have rejected Him.  Yes, in a way, it appears Jesus prayed to Himself in heaven.  As a man, He was subject to human temptations and worldly distractions, and He desired that heavenly power to strengthen His human soul.  Additionally, I believe His actions were to teach us how we ought to pray in difficult situations.  The Father in heaven was the only One who knew who the Son truly was, and Jesus the Son was the only one who knew who the Father was, except for anyone to whom He chose to reveal Him.

(23) And He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see."

It was if Jesus was saying that His disciples were those which He the Son had chosen to reveal His Father and the mysteries of heaven to, and they were very blessed to have been given that gift of being able to see the things that they saw.

(24) "For I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which you see and have not seen them; and to hear those things which you hear and have not heard them."

In detailing how blessed they were, He told them that there had been many prophets and kings before them who had desired to see what they saw.  People including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and Solomon, and many other prophets and kings looked forward to the day when the Messiah would come, and would have loved to see all that they looked and worked toward come to fruition; they would have loved to hear the teachings of the Messiah firsthand.  Jesus's twelve disciples were blessed among all men to be able to be in their place and time as the chosen apostles of Jesus.

(25) And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

It is not told to us at what point people other than His seventy disciples joined with Jesus, but at some point, a lawyer among other people stood up and asked Jesus a question.  It is said he "tested" Jesus.  I suppose that the fact that He was a lawyer and knew the law very well, he was testing what sort of answer Jesus would give to his question about what he should do to inherit eternal life.

(26) He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?"

Jesus, knowing that the lawyer was testing Him against the law, asked him what was written in the law and how he interpreted it.

(27) And he answering, said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."

The lawyer answered with what he had learned from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, that he was to love His Lord God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, and that he was to love his neighbor as himself.

(28) And He said to him, "You have answered right; do this and you shall live."

Jesus told the lawyer that he had answered correctly; those were the very things he needed to do to have eternal life.

(29) But he, willing to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

The lawyer, seeking to justify why he had asked a question he already knew the answer to, asked Jesus who it was that was considered his neighbor whom he should love as himself.

(30) And Jesus answering, said, "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves who stripped him of his clothing and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead."

Jesus answered the lawyer's question by telling him a parable.  He told of a man who journeyed from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves who stole his clothing, beat him, and left him on the road half dead.

(31) "And by chance there came down that way a certain priest, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side."

It just so happened that a priest was going the same way from Jerusalem to Jericho and saw the half dead man, but instead of helping him, passed by on the other side of the road to avoid him.

(32) "And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked and passed by on the other side."

Then a Levite, another supposedly pious person, of the tribe of those who served and assisted the priests, came to that same place, took the time to approach and see the condition of the man, yet also passed on the other side of the road.

(33) "But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion."

Then a Samaritan, of a group that the Jews most detested and with whom they would have no dealings, journeyed by the same place.  When he saw the man half dead on the road, he had compassion for him.  He had compassion for him as a human being, a child of God, and didn't see him as an enemy.

(34) "And went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him."

The Samaritan went to the injured man and doctored his wounds with a balm of oil and wine.  He set him up on his own animal and led him to an inn, where he took care of him.

(35) "And on the next day when he departed, he took out two pence and gave them to the host, and said to him, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'"

The next day, when the Samaritan left the wounded man, he gave the innkeeper two pence to pay the expenses of the man, and asked him to take care of him, and if he had to spend any more money than that to help him, the Samaritan would repay him when he passed by that way again.

(36) "Now which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?"

Having finished His parable, Jesus asked the lawyer who among the three men Jesus had described was a neighbor to the man who had fallen among the thieves.

(37) And he said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

The lawyer admitted that it was the Samaritan who had shown mercy to the man who would be considered neighbor to him.  Jesus told him that he should go and do the same sort of thing, meaning he should also regard every man as his neighbor, renouncing any bigotry he might have for a certain type of person.  We all have something within us that could be rejected by someone else, and if we could all see each other as human beings like ourselves and treat each one as we would like to be treated in such an instance, we would have peace in this world!

(38) Now it came to pass, as they went, that He entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house.

According to other passages in the Bible, this certain village Jesus came to was Bethany.  A woman named Martha received Him into her house.  It is deduced by Biblical scholars that Martha was a widow and her brother Lazarus and her sister Mary lived with her.

(39) And she had a sister called Mary who also sat at Jesus's feet and heard His word.

Martha's sister Mary was also in the house, and she sat at Jesus's feet listening to His word.

(40) But Martha was incumbered with much serving, and came to Him, and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her therefore to help me."

Martha was busy preparing food, possibly a feast, for her guest and very likely others who accompanied Him into her home.  It is plausible that Martha had urged Mary to help her, and when she wouldn't leave Jesus's feet, then she asked Jesus to tell her to help her.  I can relate to Martha.  I can hear myself asking Mary to come help me so we can hurry up and get this done so that I might be able to hear Jesus, too.

(41) And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. (42) But one thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her."

However, Jesus answered her by saying that she worried too much about little things that didn't really matter in the scheme of things.  Jesus didn't require as much preparation as she was making.  However, what was actually needed in that scheme of things was Jesus's word of life, and Mary had chosen that as the most important thing, and Jesus commended her for that and declared He would not pull her away from that to help Martha.  I can actually relate to that, as well.  I have often said, "Let's just grab a sandwich, so we'll have more time for visiting."  I believe Jesus would have felt that was enough in order that all could participate in listening to His word.  More than that, He was teaching us a lesson about what really matters in life, and how we should devote more time to that, and not worry so much about the little things that don't really matter in the big picture.

It occurs to me that this was the same type of message that Jesus gave the seventy when they were received into a city or house.  He told them to graciously accept anything that was set before them.  In that too, Jesus was telling us not to fret over the little things.  Whether or not the food we are served is within our dietary rules is certainly not the most important thing in the big picture.  In this case, it was the bringing of the Word and the saving of souls.