John 11:47-12:11: “The Sadducees And Pharisees Plot To Kill Jesus / Jesus Has A Dinner In His Honor And Mary Anoints His Feet With Perfume”

By

Jim Bomkamp

Back          Bible Studies                Home Page

 

1.                  INTRO:

 

1.1.         In our last study we looked at verses 1-46 of chapter 11.

 

1.1.1.  We saw that Jesus’ public ministry had now ceased (John 1-10) after His last confrontation with the Jews at the Temple during the Feast of Dedication.  Jesus is now the rejected Messiah and in this second half of the gospel of John Jesus continues to minister but He has now entered the second half of His ministry which is comprised of His Personal Ministry to people.

 

1.1.2.  Jesus received a message from sisters Mary and Martha of Bethany that their brother Lazarus, whom Jesus loved, had become very ill and was fading fast.  Jesus delayed two days before going to Bethany, but did so because He planned to raise Lazarus from the dead and in the process declare that He is the resurrection and the life.

 

1.1.3.  We saw that this miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead was the greatest of all of Jesus’ miracles. 

 

1.1.3.1.In the previous miracles of Jesus where He raised someone from the dead, the person had just died, and thus though Jesus’ miracle is great there could be speculation that the person had not died but merely was resuscitated by Jesus.

 

1.1.3.2.In the case of Lazarus his body had been the tomb for four days and significant decay and putrification must have occurred before Jesus raised him from the dead.

 

1.1.4.  We saw that Jesus performed this miracle to also teach that He is the resurrection and the life and that one day He is going to resurrect every single person who has ever lived back to life, for there will be a resurrection of the unrighteous as well as the unrighteous.

 

1.2.         In our study today, we are going to look at verses 47 of chapter 11 through verse 11 of chapter 12.

 

1.2.1.  In our previous study, we saw that Jesus had performed this greatest of His miracles by the raising of Lazarus from the dead.   We saw how that the performing of this miracle should have once and for all settled it in everyone’s mind that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, the Messiah, who had been sent into the world.

 

1.2.1.1.We know from the scriptures how that the Lord only works in a mighty way and answers peoples’ prayers because they are doing His will and being obedient to Him, for instance :

 

1.2.1.1.1.Proverbs 28:9, “9 He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.” 

 

1.2.1.1.2.Psalm 66:18, “18 If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear.” 

 

1.2.1.1.3.Proverbs 15:29, “29 The Lord is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.” 

 

1.2.1.1.4.1 John 3:22, “22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.” 

 

1.2.1.1.5.John 15:7, “7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

 

1.2.1.2.We Christians need to take heart from these promises from God’s word and recognize how that if we desire to have our prayers answered and be used mightily by God that we too must be obedient to the Lord and do the things that He wants us to do in our life.

 

1.2.2.  It was interesting in our last study that there was no recording in this gospel of the glorious reunion that the sisters had with the resurrected Lazarus, whether or not Jesus hung around after performing the miracle or left quickly, etc.  In the scriptures we see that the Lord’s purpose is not to satisfy our curiosities, but rather to reveal to us what we need to know and hear in order to have faith in Him and grow spiritually.  However, what the Lord did provide us with in this gospel is the response this miracle produced in Jesus’ enemies.  The chief priests (and Sadducees) along with the Pharisees now enter into a pact to put Jesus to death. 

 

1.2.3.  We will look in this study at the formation of this plot to murder Jesus.

 

1.2.4.  In chapter 12, verses 1-11, we see that a Jesus will have a banquet held in His honor because of His having raised Lazarus from the dead.  At this banquet that will be held at the home of Simon, Lazarus (who had been raised from the dead by Jesus in our previous study) will be seated for dinner with Jesus, Martha will be preparing the meal, and Mary the sister of Lazarus will use a very costly vial of perfume to anoint Jesus’ feet, preparing Him for burial.

 

1.2.5.  We will look at the fact that what we give to the Lord in worship and of our substance is never a waste. 

 

1.2.6.  We will look at the interesting details of this story that the Holy Spirit has provided for us. 

 

2.                 VS 11:47-48  - “Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, ‘What are we doing?’  For this man is performing many signs.  If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation’.” – The chief priests convene a council to determine what they are going to have to do to get rid of Jesus

 

2.1.         As a result of the report of Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead, the Sanhedrin convenes an emergency meeting.  The reason for the meeting is that something needed to be done because Jesus was performing too many ‘attesting works.’ 

 

2.2.         It is amazing that the governing religious body over God’s people convened a meeting because there were too many wonderful miracles that were occurring through a man’s ministry, let alone one who claimed to be the Messiah of God.  Notice that neither the Sadducees nor the Pharisees were trying to disprove that Jesus had performed great miracles, nor do they deny that He had done these things.  You could almost say from what is written in the gospels that these leaders actually believed at this point that Jesus had performed these great miracles, miracles such as no man had ever performed.  But, these men were not interested in truth nor establishing the truth.  They were only interested in expediency.  Jesus needed to be dealt with swiftly.

 

2.3.         The Sadducees and Pharisees were concerned that if too many came to follow Jesus that this might cause a disturbance such that the Romans would come and intervene and, ‘take away both our place and our nation.’

 

2.4.         The ‘chief priests’ were Sadducees, and the Sadducees and Pharisees normally were enemies, however they unite together for the purpose of putting to death the Lord Jesus.  We see in Luke 23:11,12 that Pontius Pilate and Herod had been enemies also, however when they join together in trying Jesus and unjustly condemning him to death they become friends.  Isn’t it interesting that the only thing that can unite some groups is opposing Christ and Christianity?

 

2.5.         What is happening here is typical of man made religion, as it happens all of the time.  Obvious works of God are suppressed because they are causing too much of a ruckus of some sort.  In this case, the religious leaders feared that all men might believe that Jesus was the Messianic king, and that as a result the Romans might come and destroy their nation and their place (i.e. their rule as the Sanhedrin!).  They were afraid of the Messiah building His kingdom because their kingdom would have to go away.

 

3.                 VS 11:49-50  - “But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all, nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and the whole nation should not perish’.” -  Caiaphas, the high priest, told the group that it was expedient that one man would die for the people so that the people might not perish

 

3.1.         Caiaphas, a Sadducee, who was the high priest for the nation, stood up and uttered one of the most wicked speeches of all time. 

 

3.1.1.  First of all, in the grossest of arrogance Caiphas tells these leaders that they do not know anything at all. 

 

3.1.2.  Secondly, he tells them that if they were to think about it, killing Jesus might be expedient and be what would save their very nation. 

 

3.1.2.1.This word by Caiphas won over the whole crowd, since by saying this he had appeased every conscience, as everyone became convinced that the death of just one man was a mere political necessity which would save their nation.

 

3.1.2.2.It is horrible in governments when innocent lives are sacrificed because of political expediency, however when this occurs in the Name of God this is the greatest of evils.

 

4.                 VS 11:51-52  - “Now this he did not say on his own initiative;  but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.” -  John tells us that Caiphas was unknowingly prophesying for the nation saying that Jesus was going to die for the nation

 

4.1.         John adds this little comment to the story that adds a different perspective.  In spite of the wickedness of Caiaphas, the designated high priest of the Jewish nation at this time, he had actually spoken a prophecy that was true concerning Jesus dying for the Jews, and also Jesus’ bringing together all of God’s children wherever they have been spread.

 

4.2.         This is an example of the Lord using even evil men, creatures and events for the carrying out of His own purposes.  We see occasionally in the scripture that the Lord does this.  For instance, in the book of Revelation we see in one place that the Lord unleashes wicked angels who have been chained in the center of the earth so that they can crawl out of the abyss and begin to torture the wicked who are on the earth at that time.

 

5.                 VS 11:53-54  - “So from that day on they planned together to kill Him.  Jesus therefore no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews, but went away from there to the country near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim;  and there He stayed with the disciples.” -  John tells us that from this point on that the leadership in Israel began to plan the murder of Jesus, but Jesus Himself stayed away from Jerusalem and Judea and instead went with His disciples to the city of Ephraim near the wilderness

 

5.1.         Again we see Jesus’ deity being displayed through His omniscience.  Knowing that the Sanhedrin had determined to kill Him, Jesus went and was spending time in Ephraim with His disciples, no longer walking ‘publicly among the Jews.’ 

 

5.2.         This being just a couple of weeks before the final Passover and Jesus’ upcoming  crucifixion, I am sure Jesus wanted to spend as much quality time with His disciples as He could.

 

6.                 VS 11:55-57  - “Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover, to purify themselves.  Therefore they were seeking for Jesus, and were saying to one another, as they stood in the temple, ‘What do you think;  that He will not come to the feast at all?’  Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.” -  John tells us that the Passover of the Jews was at hand and that many were going up to Jerusalem at this time to purify themselves, and that they were seeking for Jesus wondering if He would attend, but the chief priests had an order to seize Jesus on sight

 

6.1.         The time was now at hand for Jesus to be crucified and function as the Passover Lamb sacrificed for the sins of the world. 

 

6.2.         The “final confrontation” between Jesus and the Jews was imminent. Expectation was high in the air everywhere.  Many wondered whether or not Jesus would show up at this time or not, and the Sanhedrin (chief priests and Pharisees) had given orders to everyone that if Jesus was spotted, they were to immediately tell them so they could arrest Jesus.

 

6.3.         Isn’t it tragic and sad that the Jews head to the Temple for Passover were not going to miss an opportunity to perform some religious rite yet in the case of the leaders of the nation they were simultaneously plotting the death of an innocent man?  Does this not illustrate manmade religion?

 

7.                 VS 12:1-4  - “Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.  So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving;  but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him.  Mary therefore took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair;  and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” -  John tells us that six days before the Passover that Jesus came to the city of Bethany, where Lazarus was whom Jesus had raised from the dead, and Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with very costly perfume and wiped His feet with her hair

 

7.1.         I would have you consider for a moment if the first 16 verses of this chapter is not the fulfillment of a prophecy found in the scripture in Daniel 9:25.  In Daniel chapter 9, we have a timetable given to Daniel for the Lord to complete all things and bring in the end of days.  In there we see that there are 70 weeks in totality to complete the end of days.  Daniel tells us that each week is a period of seven years.  Daniel 9:25 mentions a decree to rebuild the Temple in Israel (The books of Ezra and Nehemiah discuss the rebuilding of the temple after the Babylonian captivity and we can read about this decree to rebuild the temple in Ezra 6:1-5).  From the time of that decree, which most scholars agree occurred around 458 BC (According to Parker and Dubberstein it was Sat 3 of 458BC), there will be a total of 69 weeks (69 x 7 years = 483 years), making Jesus entry into Jerusalem this last week before the Passover in the year 33 AD.  In verse 12, which we will cover in our next study, we will see that the people place palm branches in the road in front of Jesus as He makes His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, in fulfillment of Dan. 9:25.  Here are the prophecies in Daniel and Ezra to which I have referred: 

 

7.1.1.  Daniel 9:24-27, “24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. 25 “So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. 26 “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”” 

 

7.1.2.  Ezra 6:1-15, “1 Then King Darius issued a decree, and search was made in the archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon. 2 In Ecbatana in the fortress, which is in the province of Media, a scroll was found and there was written in it as follows: “Memorandum— 3 “In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: ‘Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the temple, the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt and let its foundations be retained, its height being 60 cubits and its width 60 cubits; 4 with three layers of huge stones and one layer of timbers. And let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. 5 ‘Also let the gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be returned and brought to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall put them in the house of God.’ 6 “Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and your colleagues, the officials of the provinces beyond the River, keep away from there. 7 “Leave this work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. 8 “Moreover, I issue a decree concerning what you are to do for these elders of Judah in the rebuilding of this house of God: the full cost is to be paid to these people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces beyond the River, and that without delay. 9 “Whatever is needed, both young bulls, rams, and lambs for a burnt offering to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and anointing oil, as the priests in Jerusalem request, it is to be given to them daily without fail, 10 that they may offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. 11 “And I issued a decree that any man who violates this edict, a timber shall be drawn from his house and he shall be impaled on it and his house shall be made a refuse heap on account of this. 12 “May the God who has caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who attempts to change it, so as to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree, let it be carried out with all diligence!” 13 Then Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues carried out the decree with all diligence, just as King Darius had sent. 14 And the elders of the Jews were successful in building through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 15 This temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.”

 

7.2.         In Matt. 26:6-13 and Mark 14:1, those gospel writers write of an event that occurred two days before the last Passover, at the house of Simon the Leper in Bethany.  In that story, the woman’s name was not given, and it was the disciples who were credited with saying that the poor should have been given the money which the woman spent on this ointment.  In that incident, the woman poured the ointment on Jesus’ head.  However, this story in John occurred six days before the Passover, the woman who anointed Jesus was Mary, and she anoints His feet with the anointment.  Arthur Pink and many others believe that it is very likely that these two anointings of Jesus in Bethany during the last week of His life are actually the same event since the only discrepancy between the stories is the date for the event.    

 

7.3.         So, there is the possibility that the two events are the same, and if that is the case, then there must be some kind of explanation of the discrepancy between the dates for the event.  It would in that case also have to be admitted that John chose to include different though not contradictory detail concerning the event.  In that case, he must have desired to bring out the condescension of Mary in anointing Jesus’ feet, and that with her hair (she would then have anointed both Jesus’ feet along with His head).  Likewise, John must have desired to be more specific about the fact that Judas was the one who made the suggestion about the money being better spent upon the poor.  However, it would then be the case that the other disciples were influenced by Judas and were commenting themselves about how that the money should have been used to help the poor.

 

7.4.         In any case, Martha is again seen as preparing a meal for Jesus, as Luke tells the story of another meal, and Martha being upset that Mary was not helping with preparations, choosing instead to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to Him.  Martha must have received the previous rebuke from Jesus as being out of love, and instead of over-reacting to it, she now seems to be less obsessive about the extent of her preparation.

 

7.5.         It is noteworthy that the focus of this feast was to honor the one who had resurrected Lazarus from the dead, not to simply rejoice with Lazarus at his fortune of being resurrected.

 

7.6.         Mary’s has great devotion to the Lord, being one who is always found in the gospel stories to be at His feet.  In this story, Mary’s love for Jesus is condescending, as she anoints His feet, and that with her very hair. 

 

7.7.         Mary’s love for Jesus is also shown to be great in its generosity towards Him as she anoints Him with very costly spikenard, pure nard, a soothing aromatic ointment.  In John 12:5 we are told that the price of this perfume was 300 denarii which would have been the equivalent of one year’s wage. 

 

7.8.         The detail given us in this story is very interesting.  Note here that as a result of the deep act of devotion Mary performed for Jesus that John includes that the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  This fragrance that consumed this house reminds me of what Paul writes concerning the believer in Christ in 2 Corinthians 2:14-15 as he says that because Christ is in our life and working through us that we spread the fragrance of Christ wherever we go, “14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. 15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”

 

7.9.         It appears that Mary knew that she was anointing Jesus’ body for burial, as Jesus said in Mark 14:8, was the significance of her action.  Amos 3:7 states, “Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets.”  Mary had such a special devotion to the Lord, being found always at His feet, He revealed much more to her than Jesus’ other followers including even the apostles. 

 

7.9.1.  How much we Christians miss because we do not spend as much time at the feet of Jesus as we should.

 

7.9.2.  We need to be like Mary, and have a love for Jesus that causes us to condescend to the place of humility.  We ought to wash His feet with our hair.  Like Mary, we ought to be willing to humble ourselves before the Lord, and worship and serve Him sacrificially with abandon. 

 

7.9.3.  Like Mary, we Christians ought to not worry about what it costs us to worship and serve Jesus as He would have us to do.  It is never a waste to worship Jesus and give ourselves and our substance to Him.

 

7.9.4.  Like Mary, we ought also to have a love for Jesus that is generous and gives of our time and resources to the Lord.

 

8.                 VS 12:4-6  - “But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, ‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii, and give to poor people?’  Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.” -  John tells us that Judas Iscariot asked the question at this time of why this expensive perfume was not sold and the money given to the poor?

 

8.1.         The great display of affection for Jesus which Mary performed in anointing Jesus feet and wiping them with her hair, produced a bad effect upon Judas.  It is a terrible thing when those who are religious authorities forbid great devotion to the Lord because there are more important things to be doing.  Judas, one of the twelve, declares that this money spent on the perfume to anoint Jesus’ feet should instead have been spent upon the poor. 

 

8.2.         Judas was only concerned about the money not being in the bag he was in charge of because from time to time he pilfered that money for his own use.  Judas had absolutely no genuine care for the poor, he merely observed an opportunity for profit fade on him.

 

8.3.         Jesus teaches us in this story that it is never a waste of time to worship Him or give of yourself or your resources to Him, for He rebukes Judas and tells him to leave Mary alone. 

 

9.                 VS 12:7-8  - “Jesus therefore said, ‘Let her alone, in order that she may keep it for the day of My burial.  For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have Me’.” -  Jesus answered Judas telling him to leave Mary alone in order that she may keep it for the day of His burial for the poor they will always have with them but they will not always have Him

 

9.1.         Jesus never tried to dissuade anyone from worshipping Him, and in this story He defends Mary’s extravagant display of affection and devotion for Him.  Jesus was honored by Mary doing this.  We might not know this if Judas hadn’t made his comment and received this rebuke. 

 

9.2.         It is very interesting the details that are revealed to us in the gospel accounts of this story.  In Matthew 25:12-13, Matthew writes, “When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”  If indeed John’s story here is the same story as that told by Matthew and Mark, then Jesus says that Mary was preparing His body for burial by this act.   Matthew also writes that because of this special act, her story would be told in every place in which the gospel would later spread.  Does this not also show how that the Lord is please when we worship Him?

 

9.3.         We the church will never be able to meet the material needs of this world.  We never have been able to, and we will never be able to.  However, we must always be people who seek to show our honor and devotion to the Lord.  We should try to meet some of the material needs that land upon our doorsteps, however we must never neglect the worship of God, the preaching of the Word, and winning of souls, for the purpose of trying to meet every material need which we encounter.

 

10.            VS 12:9-11  - “The great multitude therefore of the Jews learned that He was there;  and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead.  But the chief priests took counsel that they might put Lazarus to death also;  because on account of him many of the Jews were going away, and were believing in Jesus.” -  John tells us that a great multitude of the Jews came together, but not so that they could see Jesus, but that they might see Lazarus whom Jesus had raised from the dead, yet, the Pharisees began to plot to kill Lazarus

 

10.1.    The news of Lazarus being raised from the dead had spread near and far, and multitudes came to view one who had been raised from the dead after four days, as well as the one who had raised him from the dead. 

 

10.2.    The great wickedness of the chief priests is seen in that they wanted to also kill Lazarus because of what Jesus had done in his life.  They shall suffer the full condemnation for their sins since they should have sought out Lazarus and rejoiced with him, and sought also to know how it was that Jesus was able to bring him back from the dead. 

 

10.3.    The multitude did not come to Jesus at this time in order to hear Jesus teaching, but only to get a glimpse of Lazarus.  This speaks of the hearts of the people and their lukewarm affection for God and the things of God.

 

11.            CONCLUSIONS:

 

11.1.    Learn to be like Mary and seek the Lord and be ever at His feet for as you do He will reveal more of Himself to you than you can imagine right now of His plan and will.

 

11.2.    It is never a waste to worship the Lord and be extravagant in that worship and devotion to Him.

 

11.3.    Though we as a church may get involved in many ministries in helping others, we must never do so at the expense of worshipping the Lord.

 

Back          Bible Studies                Home Page