Verses 1-8. What a beautiful picture we find here of what grace works in souls. The man who was raised from the dead is now seated at the table with the Lord. It pictures the restored remnant of Israel, brought back as from the dead; but also the place of communion of every believer. We are indeed blessed with all spiritual blessings, dead with Christ and risen with Him.
Bethany, the house of sweet fruit, tells of His delight to be in the company of His saints. They made Him a supper; they, too, delighted to be in His company. Martha served, without carefulness or cumberings now. Lazarus is there sitting with Him. And Mary’s ointment is worship. Have we not three parts of our Christian character seen here in their activity? communion, service and worship.
Mary’s affection produces her pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly. She has kept this for some time and now her spiritual discernment saw it the proper occasion to anoint the Lord against the day of His burying: She anointed His feet, and wiped them with her hair, and the house was filled with the sweet perfume. Precious it was to Him! He knew what it cost her, and why she did it.
Judas Iscariot, the one to betray Him, said, “Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?” And alas! others joined in with him. The influence of a bad man, pretending to be good, may, indeed, often does, lead saints wrong. How watchful we need to be! The natural mind does not rise above itself, or man’s good; can pass as a friend of the poor, sees everything waste that is expended on Christ, while at the bottom it is real selfishness. Judas wanted badly to get his hands on that money; he cared nothing for the poor, he was a thief.
The Lord said, “Let her alone: against the day of My burying hath she kept this.” Mary’s heart would certainly rejoice at this assurance of His approval. (See Matt. 26:10-1310When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. 11For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. 12For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. 13Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her. (Matthew 26:10‑13); Mark 14:6-96And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. 7For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. 8She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. 9Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. (Mark 14:6‑9).) She had learned by sitting at His feet, and there hearing His word, to do the best thing at the right time. She had taken it in to her soul that men were seeking His life, and that He was to die. How refreshing all this on her part was to the blessed Lord, when all about Him was coldness and rejection.
Verses 9-11. Much people of the Jews therefore knew that He was there, and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom He had raised from the dead. This stirs the wicked hearts of the chief priests, who consult to put the newly raised Lazarus again to death, because he is the means of others believing on Jesus. How true it is, “If the world hate you, we know that it hated Me before it hated you,” “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (John 15:1818If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. (John 15:18); 2 Tim. 3:1212Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (2 Timothy 3:12)). The natural man in his religiousness, is the great opposer of the truth (Rom. 8:77Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (Romans 8:7)).
Verses 12-19. The next day much people who heard that He was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet Him, and cried, “Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.” And Jesus comes in riding on the ass’s colt, as the prophet foretold. “Fear not, daughter of Zion: behold, thy king cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt.” At this time the disciples did not understand the meaning of these things, but when He was glorified, then they could see the significance of it. It was His presentation as Son of David, King of Israel, but it was as rejected we see Him. God moved their hearts to proclaim Him King, as a testimony to Israel.
The raising of Lazarus testified that He was the Son of God; the believing remnant in Bethany is His heart’s comfort; the multitude testify to His being King; the Romans remain silent; the Pharisees mourn that the world is gone after Him.
Verses 20-24. There were certain Greeks, that is, Gentiles, among them that came up to the feast to worship. They came to Philip, saying, “We would see Jesus.” Philip tells Andrew and both tell Jesus. Jesus answered saying, “The hour is come, that the Son of Man should be glorified.”
It is not the time yet for Him to receive the Gentiles. He will yet be the Head of the heathen (Psa. 18:4343Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me. (Psalm 18:43)), and a light to the Gentiles, Jehovah’s salvation to the end of the earth (Isa. 49:66And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. (Isaiah 49:6)). He must first die. “Except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” He was the corn of wheat that abode alone; the perfect One on whom death had no claim, but He would not be alone. And to have us there, He gave Himself to the death of the cross that we might live with Him, the fruit of His death. Men were dead, their works were dead works, and they were living in sin. They must die to what they were alive in, that they might live to what they were dead to—in trespasses and sins. And this only could be through Christ’s death and resurrection. The Lord Jesus knew and felt that death, the death of the cross, was what was before Him, to give us a place with Him in that resurrection glory and blessing.
Verse 25. “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” Those who turn from Him to enjoy this life shall be losers; those who turn from this life to Him shall enjoy eternal blessing.
Verse 26. “If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honor.” Is He rejected and despised of men? So will His servant be. Is He honored of the Father? So will those who serve Him be (Phil. 1:20; 2:5; 3:1020According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. (Philippians 1:20)
5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2:5)
10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; (Philippians 3:10)).
Verses 27-33. “Now is My soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify Thy name.” He will not pray to escape the dreadful hour when. God’s righteous judgment must be endured, if those purposes of grace are to be accomplished, and God is to be glorified and sinners saved.
But He will say, “Father, glorify Thy name.” An audible voice from heaven replied, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” He had glorified it in the raising of Lazarus, and would again in the resurrection of Jesus. The people said it thundered. The Lord said, “This voice came not because of Me, but for your sakes.” Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me. This He said, signifying what death He should die. The world is judged in the death of Christ; it would not have Him. Satan, its prince is cast out. His power is annulled. Christ has gained the victory when apparently defeated, and is become as lifted up upon the cross, the point of attraction for all men; that through Him they might be brought to God; that they come to Him there and obtain eternal life through the Saviour’s death.
Verses 34-36. The people talk about the Messiah abiding forever, and ask, “Who is this Son of Man” that must be lifted up? His answer is to take the opportunity while the light is with them, to believe in the light and become thus children of light.
Verses 42, 43. Many of the chief rulers believed on Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue, for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
Verses 44-50. Jesus cried, and said, “He that believeth on Me, believeth not on Me, but on Him that sent Me. And He that seeth Me, seeth Him that sent Me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear My words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 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. For I have not spoken of Myself; but the Father which sent Me. He gave Me a commandment what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that His commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto Me, so I speak.”
He was declaring the Father. To receive His testimony was to receive the Father; to reject Him was to reject His Father, and lose eternal blessing.