John

Lesson 12 w/AnswersJohn 12:1 – John 12:50

At the end of John Chapter 10, we observed that Jesus "went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing..." This location is also known as Ephraim, and Jesus concludes his earthly ministry there. When he arrived , he was well received by many. In this lesson’s study, it is now the following spring; and, as we noted in our last lesson, Jesus has left Ephraim and traveled to Bethany on his way to Jerusalem for Passover.

Bible

You will recall that Bethany, a village about an hour’s walk from Jerusalem, is where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and the mourners went back to Jerusalem to report all that Jesus had done. He now returns one final time, and he has been invited to a special dinner to honor him. Let’s pick up the story from there and read John Chapter 12.

Now consider the following:

  1. One of the reasons that we explore the "synoptic" gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) collectively is to give us a deeper picture than we would get in a single gospel. To demonstrate this, read Mark 14:1-11 and note exactly where the dinner for Jesus was held.
    1. ANSWER: We learn from Mark’s gospel that a dinner for Jesus was held in the home of Simon the Leper in Bethany, not at Lazarus’ home. Simon was probably a good friend of Lazarus; Martha and Mary clearly also loved Jesus.
  2. John 12:3-8 is a passage that well known to most of us who study the Bible. I have seen and heard various estimates regarding how expensive the perfume was that Mary used on Jesus’ feet. Clearly, what matters more is that she had the means to acquire it and knew that washing Jesus’ feet was more important than the cost of the perfume. Why do you think that she thought this way? What does Jesus tell us concerning why she did this? (See also Mark 14:8.)
    1. ANSWER: Jesus tells us that she is doing this in anticipation of his burial. In fact, Jesus says, "Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial."
  3. We learn something else these verses (John 12:3-8) that will set the stage for Jesus’ betrayal in the next chapter. What does this passage tell us about Judas? What motivates him? What did the disciples know about him?
    1. ANSWER: John 12:6 tells us that the disciples knew that the only thing motivating Judas to be a follower of Jesus was Judas’ love of money. The disciples also knew that he was a thief who "used to steal the contributions." His love of money is what will attract him to the Pharisees’ offer, which is coming in the next chapter.
  4. We know that Jesus knew who Judas was and what Judas would do (i.e., betray him), so why did Jesus include Judas in his inner circle? What does this show us about God and those intending evil?
    1. ANSWER: It shows us that God will sometimes use evil people to accomplish His purpose, His plan. Jesus would use Judas to accomplish God’s will. Judas will play a key part in the crucifixion of Jesus, the sacrifice of God’s only Son; but in the end it will be for the glory of God and the salvation of mankind. We must not let evil, and the worldly intentions of our enemies, keep us from doing the will of God. In the end, God will be glorified if we stay true to the Gospel and trust in Jesus, no matter the circumstance.
  5. Now we begin to see the importance of the mourners who first came to mourn the death of Lazarus and witness his resurrection. They had spread the news of the resurrection of Lazarus when it happened. Now, what is the result of this, as manifested at the evening dinner? (See John 12:9-11.)
    1. ANSWER: The result was that the mourners’ earlier testimony regarding Lazarus’ resurrection has now created a large crowd in Bethany. More importantly, the crowd has not come to only see the Savior; they have come to see Lazarus as well. Because he was raised from the dead, Lazarus has become a local celebrity to many who are curious. Meanwhile, in Jerusalem, the Pharisees’ hatred of Jesus has reached a boiling point, because many Jews have been "turning away and believing in Jesus." The stage is rapidly being set for Jesus’ betrayal at the hands of Judas.
  6. Now we move to the "Palm Sunday" arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem. Large crowds have gathered just outside the city with Palm Branches and are crying out "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel." Where do these large crowds come from, how would they know Jesus would be coming into the city right then, and how do they know that he is coming "in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel?" ( See John 12:12-18.)
    1. ANSWER: This crowd is the result of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead as recounted in the testimony of the mourners who witnessed it. They were aware that he would be coming into Jerusalem on this day because they were the people, the crowd, who had seen Jesus in Bethany the night before having dinner with Lazarus at the house of Simon the Leper.
  7. How did the Pharisees react when they saw that a large crowd was leaving the city to greet Jesus during his arrival? (See John 12:19.)
    1. ANSWER: They recognized that they were clearly losing control and power over the people. It becomes quite evident to them that because of Jesus’ ministry, "the whole world has gone after him."
  8. In the remaining verses of John Chapter 12, Jesus teaches us about what it means to be a follower of Christ. Read John 12:27-36 and list what he teaches his disciples, and us, about following him. (See also 1 Peter 5:8 and Ephesians 6:11)
    1. ANSWER 1: He tells them (and us) that we need to remain "in the light," and that we are not to live or walk in the dark, so that "darkness may not overcome you."
    2. ANSWER 2: We are to become "children of light." This means that we are to be on guard at all times (see 1 Peter 5:8 and Ephesians 6:11), and we are to stay in God’s word, spending each day in the light of God’s love and truth.
  9. In addition to observing Judas’ motives, we also see some other interesting motives among the believers in Jerusalem. What does the scripture tell us about the "authorities" who believed Jesus was the Messiah? What motivated their behavior? (See John 12:42-43.)
    1. ANSWER 1: Even though some of the authorities did believe Jesus was the Messiah, their true motivation was to receive the praise of humans, i.e., they valued being a praised member of the synagogue—as opposed to taking a personal stand in support of Jesus.
    2. ANSWER 2: I believe that we can also discern from this that simply believing that Jesus is the Messiah is not the same as putting our faith in him for our salvation. Even Satan and his demons know who Jesus is.
  10. John concludes Chapter 12 with more of Jesus’ revelations. Read John 12:44-50 and list the things that Jesus reveals about himself and the act of following him.
    1. ANSWER 1: If we believe in Jesus, we also believe in God. You cannot believe in one without the other, since Jesus came from God.
    2. ANSWER 2: Jesus was the physical manifestation of God. Those who saw Jesus also saw God in the flesh.
    3. ANSWER 3: Jesus came into the world to bring light, so that we would not live in darkness, especially regarding the importance of sin and its consequence of eternal separation from God. His light is the Gospel, our eternal hope for forgiveness of our sins, a heavenly home, and an eternity with our heavenly father.
    4. ANSWER 4: Rejecting Christ will result in judgment, eternal separation from God, and an eternity in the Lake of Fire.
    5. ANSWER 5: Jesus never spoke on his own behalf, "but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak." We should remember this when we read Jesus’ words in the Bible; they are God’s.

We are now at the point in our study where everything has been put in place for Jesus’ betrayal, arrest, trial, and crucifixion. Again, as John has pointed out all through his Gospel account, everything is done according to God’s timing and His plan, not man’s.

In the next lesson, we will begin examining events around Jesus and his disciples during the last several hours leading up to his betrayal and arrest.

Let’s conclude this lesson by reading Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Not only do these verses apply to Jesus’ ministry, but also to our lives.

So, here’s praying that you have a blessed week!

In Christ,

Wes

[2018]

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