04-23-2022, 04:33 PM
We come to a rough spot in the chronology. Sometime during this period between Tabernacles and the Passover that last year of Jesus' ministry, He had to leave Jerusalem for a time. John tells us that around the Feast of Dedication or Lights, early December on our calendar, Jesus was walking along Solomon's Porch and encountered a delegation of the Sanhedrin, demanding that Jesus state clearly whether He was the Messiah.
John doesn't mention it in the narrative, but the Twelve were with Him, and perhaps others. During the argument, Jesus said that He and the Father were One. The officials were ready to stone Him, but after a little more debate, they decided to arrest Him. Yet, He evaded capture and headed down to the Jordan River near where He was baptized, Bethany beyond Jordan (outside of Judea). He and his disciples stayed there for a good while. The crowd that followed Him grew again. This was not the kind of folks who would desert Him for using parables; this crowd had far more genuine faith.
After a month or so, Jesus decided it was time to go back across the Jordan into Judea. The disciples reminded Him that the Pharisees were ready to stone Him when He left. Jesus said something cryptic indicating He was the Light of the World, and they should take advantage of His light while He was there, and not stumble around in the darkness of their human reasoning. The plans of the Sanhedrin made no difference against the Father's plans.
Then there was the discussion about how His dear friend Lazarus was dying. The disciples continued stumbling around in their literal-minded reaction to what Jesus was telling them. Finally, He told them flat out that there was a divine purpose at work here. Lazarus had to die so that Jesus could raise him again. So the delay insured Lazarus was dead, and then had been buried.
Jesus and His entourage arrived in the other Bethany, upon the Mount of Olives, after Lazarus had lain in the tomb four days. It's not that Jesus suffered any myths about dead bodies and roaming spirits, but He knew that on the fourth day, everyone who witnessed this event would have no doubt Lazarus was truly dead. A large number of Jews came up from Jerusalem to comfort Mary and Martha over the death of their brother. This would naturally include some of those Pharisees hostile to Jesus and even some members of the Sanhedrin, since Lazarus had been rather wealthy.
Martha got wind of His approach, coming up the backside of the mountain from the Jordan Valley. She went out to meet Him just outside the village of Bethany. There was an uncomfortable discussion between them, with Martha missing the point, just as the rest of His disciples often did. She affirmed her conviction that He was the Messiah, the Son of God. Anything He asked, the Father would grant, though it never occurred to her that Jesus intended to raise her brother.
Martha went back to the house and got Mary to come out with her. Jesus was still standing outside the village. Everybody attending the wake saw Mary leave quickly and assumed she was going to the tomb site. They decided to follow at a respectful distance. Martha and Mary met Jesus, and Mary fell at His feet. Oh, if only He had been there to heal Lazarus!
Everyone was moved at the scene, but didn't understand what was going on in Jesus' mind. He was deeply offended at the whole thing, perhaps most of all for the sad state of those who had completely forgotten the ancient Hebrew otherworldly outlook. Lazarus was far better off, and Jesus was going to jerk him back into this fallen world. For this, He wept, but also because they simply didn't understand. They kept chattering about how Jesus could have kept Lazarus alive, as if He had ever been worried about that. Still deeply troubled at the hardness of their heads and hearts, Jesus stood before the tomb.
He told them to remove the stone cover. Martha, ever practical, objected. Even with a good load of burial spices, the body would stink badly at this point. Jesus insisted He was only going to keep His promise that they would see the glory of God this very day. Jesus prayed out loud, driving home the point for those listening that this was to show them the Father's glory. They needed to know beyond all doubt that He held such unprecedented authority in His hands.
He yelled for Lazarus to come out of the tomb. Lazarus came hobbling out, wearing the full body covering of winding strips. His arms were pinned down and his legs strapped together, so that he could just barely move his feet. The face cloth was tucked under the strips at his neck. He ordered some folks standing by to cut Lazarus loose. (There would have been young men there whose job it was to accept the defilement of touching dead bodies so everyone else could still be ritually clean and enter the Temple, etc.)
At this point, too many of those who doubted Jesus had no place to flee intellectually. It didn't necessarily change their hearts, but it was impossible to dispute the power Jesus wielded. Quite a few folks were changed, but by no means all of them. Several of them reported the whole incident to the Pharisees.
The Sanhedrin and subsidiary councils met as one and decided it was necessary to have Jesus executed by any means they could find. Further, we know that they also were plotting to kill Lazarus and put him back in his tomb, because the mere fact this man lived again was a fiery condemnation against them.
John doesn't mention it in the narrative, but the Twelve were with Him, and perhaps others. During the argument, Jesus said that He and the Father were One. The officials were ready to stone Him, but after a little more debate, they decided to arrest Him. Yet, He evaded capture and headed down to the Jordan River near where He was baptized, Bethany beyond Jordan (outside of Judea). He and his disciples stayed there for a good while. The crowd that followed Him grew again. This was not the kind of folks who would desert Him for using parables; this crowd had far more genuine faith.
After a month or so, Jesus decided it was time to go back across the Jordan into Judea. The disciples reminded Him that the Pharisees were ready to stone Him when He left. Jesus said something cryptic indicating He was the Light of the World, and they should take advantage of His light while He was there, and not stumble around in the darkness of their human reasoning. The plans of the Sanhedrin made no difference against the Father's plans.
Then there was the discussion about how His dear friend Lazarus was dying. The disciples continued stumbling around in their literal-minded reaction to what Jesus was telling them. Finally, He told them flat out that there was a divine purpose at work here. Lazarus had to die so that Jesus could raise him again. So the delay insured Lazarus was dead, and then had been buried.
Jesus and His entourage arrived in the other Bethany, upon the Mount of Olives, after Lazarus had lain in the tomb four days. It's not that Jesus suffered any myths about dead bodies and roaming spirits, but He knew that on the fourth day, everyone who witnessed this event would have no doubt Lazarus was truly dead. A large number of Jews came up from Jerusalem to comfort Mary and Martha over the death of their brother. This would naturally include some of those Pharisees hostile to Jesus and even some members of the Sanhedrin, since Lazarus had been rather wealthy.
Martha got wind of His approach, coming up the backside of the mountain from the Jordan Valley. She went out to meet Him just outside the village of Bethany. There was an uncomfortable discussion between them, with Martha missing the point, just as the rest of His disciples often did. She affirmed her conviction that He was the Messiah, the Son of God. Anything He asked, the Father would grant, though it never occurred to her that Jesus intended to raise her brother.
Martha went back to the house and got Mary to come out with her. Jesus was still standing outside the village. Everybody attending the wake saw Mary leave quickly and assumed she was going to the tomb site. They decided to follow at a respectful distance. Martha and Mary met Jesus, and Mary fell at His feet. Oh, if only He had been there to heal Lazarus!
Everyone was moved at the scene, but didn't understand what was going on in Jesus' mind. He was deeply offended at the whole thing, perhaps most of all for the sad state of those who had completely forgotten the ancient Hebrew otherworldly outlook. Lazarus was far better off, and Jesus was going to jerk him back into this fallen world. For this, He wept, but also because they simply didn't understand. They kept chattering about how Jesus could have kept Lazarus alive, as if He had ever been worried about that. Still deeply troubled at the hardness of their heads and hearts, Jesus stood before the tomb.
He told them to remove the stone cover. Martha, ever practical, objected. Even with a good load of burial spices, the body would stink badly at this point. Jesus insisted He was only going to keep His promise that they would see the glory of God this very day. Jesus prayed out loud, driving home the point for those listening that this was to show them the Father's glory. They needed to know beyond all doubt that He held such unprecedented authority in His hands.
He yelled for Lazarus to come out of the tomb. Lazarus came hobbling out, wearing the full body covering of winding strips. His arms were pinned down and his legs strapped together, so that he could just barely move his feet. The face cloth was tucked under the strips at his neck. He ordered some folks standing by to cut Lazarus loose. (There would have been young men there whose job it was to accept the defilement of touching dead bodies so everyone else could still be ritually clean and enter the Temple, etc.)
At this point, too many of those who doubted Jesus had no place to flee intellectually. It didn't necessarily change their hearts, but it was impossible to dispute the power Jesus wielded. Quite a few folks were changed, but by no means all of them. Several of them reported the whole incident to the Pharisees.
The Sanhedrin and subsidiary councils met as one and decided it was necessary to have Jesus executed by any means they could find. Further, we know that they also were plotting to kill Lazarus and put him back in his tomb, because the mere fact this man lived again was a fiery condemnation against them.
