Desire to Meet Jesus

Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip came and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus. (John 12:20-22)

I see a number of things I want to look into here.

Greeks – non-Jews – were coming to worship the God of the Jews at the most important festival in the Jewish religion. Were these just Jews living in Greece or were they actually Greeks? I tend to believe that they were really gentiles who had become influenced by Jews they knew and were genuinely interested in learning more about their religion and wanted to know their God better. They saw validity in the teachings of the Jews and were coming to sense the superiority of the Jewish religion over all others. They had decided to come to Jerusalem possibly along with their Jewish friends to see first-hand the religion of the Jews, but in the process they became aware of reports about a radical Jewish teacher who was rocking the whole country with His teachings and miracles. They became so intrigued by these reports that they decided to seek Him out for themselves and investigate Him personally.

These Greeks had not just come as casual observers of a different religion; they had come with the purpose of personally worshiping God. What they didn't know was that they were about to encounter God personally in a way that not even the disciples had experienced. Their honesty of heart, their sincerity, their openness to truth unlike that of the prejudiced Jews allowed Jesus to in turn open up to them new revelations about God that He could not share with the unbelieving religious people around Him. Like the woman at the well in Samaria, Jesus could be more transparent and direct with these Greeks because they were not seeking to distort everything He said and taught about His Father.

These Greeks found Philip likely as part of their process of trying to track down Jesus. How did they know that Philip could lead them to Jesus? Very likely someone else had steered them in his direction informing them that this man was one of Jesus' disciples. Obviously Philip was not with Jesus at the time but was somewhere alone when these Greeks introduced themselves to him. I find this to be interesting as well as instructive.

Philip did not immediately take these men to Jesus but went to look up his partner and friend Andrew. Andrew is most known for being a person who loved to introduce people to Jesus. Philip is more known for asking questions than for bringing people to Jesus, but he also had learned from Jesus that it is important to work in teams, especially when it comes to working with souls. Jesus had sent out His disciples several times to do evangelism and He always sent them out in pairs. He did this for their benefit and protection so that they could compliment each other's weaknesses with their own strengths. Just as God saw that it was not good for Adam to be alone He knows that it is not good for us to work for Him in the rescuing of lost souls alone. A lone disciple is too vulnerable to work with deceived minds and darkened hearts and it is very important that we learn this lesson ourselves.

“We wish to see Jesus.” I looked up the Greek word for wish and found something interesting. This word implies that they may have really said, “We would be delighted to meet Jesus! We would love to see Jesus.”

This really grabs my attention. I experience those same feelings myself many times. It is a symptom of the drawing power of Jesus and His reputation working on the heart when anyone expresses this kind of urge to meet Jesus personally. It is the main purpose of true evangelism to awaken in hearts this very desire. But it is also important to connect with another friend of Jesus in order to successfully escort such a hungry, curious person to meet Jesus in person for themselves rather than offering to answer their questions ourselves.

How often we spoil or dampen the hunger of people yearning to meet Jesus and to experience His power in their own lives by directing attention to ourselves, our opinions, our answers rather than leading them to Jesus directly to let Him teach them. How sad that churches and religious leaders tend to get people to depend on them to find truth and direction in life rather than showing people how to form a direct connection with Jesus and learn from Him personally. Imagine what would have been lost to these men and to all of us if Philip and Andrew had not taken them to Jesus but had rather tried to answer their questions themselves. One of the most surprising affirmations of the divinity of Jesus would not have occurred if these disciples had treated these seekers like we too often do today.

I notice as well that when the disciples arrived with these men in Jesus' presence they did not tell the men about Jesus but talked to Jesus about these seekers. How does this translate into our own practices in religion? Do we find ourselves talking to people about God more than we talk to God about people? Why do we find it so hard to encourage others to talk to God themselves without us interfering and trying to stay in the center of their attention? The reason God is drawing all unto Himself is to have a personal relationship with each one, not to have us act as constant intermediaries for others.

Certainly there is a period of time when we need to act our part in bringing people to Jesus. They usually meet one of God's friends first in their quest to know Him better and we certainly can share our own testimony as we are guiding them to meet Him in person. But if we fail to take them directly to Jesus and instead try to nurture them ourselves, we in essence are replacing Jesus in their lives and may actually be endorsing a false form of religion that has all the appearances of piety and truth.

We must learn the lesson that we have failed to learn for so long, that Jesus is to be the main focus of attention in every true believer's life. It is essential that we get this straight or we will fall into the scheme of the enemy who is always waiting to enhance our pride and make us the center of attention. God and the truth about His character is the focal point of all true religion. Anything other than this is a needless distraction and can easily lead all of us into a subtle form of religion while denying its power; and the true power of genuine religion can only be found in a personal encounter with the Son of God.

It is not enough that we may know Jesus personally and have a long-term relationship with Him. We must learn the importance of duplicating ourselves by teaching and modeling to others how they can know Him personally themselves. Philip and Andrew modeled the right way to lead people to Jesus and we could learn a great deal from their example. I am saddened by how far from this model we act in relating to those around us who are hungry and seeking to meet Jesus too.

I confess that I am often guilty of drawing too much attention to myself instead of focusing on helping others know Jesus for themselves. It is so easy to want to display how much I am learning about God without taking the time and carefulness to help others get into right relationship with Him so they can be taught of God too. I also need to team with other disciples in order to be more balanced and be more successful in leading curious hearts to know Jesus for themselves.

But the wonderful benefits of getting it right is that we can then share even greater joy as more and more people become personal disciples of our best friend. We do not lose these new friends by making them intimate friends with Jesus; rather, as we encourage them to connect with Jesus directly they become even better friends with us than if we had tried to tell them all about the truth ourselves.

I have been learning that the true nature of the rewards Jesus talks about that we will enjoy in heaven, and even here today, have to do with the joy we experience as we bond with those we have helped to encounter Jesus personally for themselves. This is the kind of investment that will last for eternity and is how we can store up fuel for our ever-increasing joy forever. It is up to us now how much fuel we are willing to invest in to produce these future and even present joys.

Perspective After Death

The large crowd of the Jews then 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 planned to put Lazarus to death also; because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus. (John 12:9-11)

Things in my life seem to be transitioning over the past few months. And although I don't know what the future looks like exactly, I sense more and more that trouble is looming ahead for me because of the things I have been learning and sharing with those around me. The more truth that I learn about God and about the revelation of God through the life and teachings of Jesus, the more out of sync I find myself with those whom I once shared harmony with in confused beliefs about God.

I keep seeing more clearly how mistaken ideas about religion have kept me from really knowing God and from being able to worship Him in both spirit and truth. I now find myself repeatedly confronted with decisions as to whether I will continue to believe things I have been taught all of my life about religion or whether I will embrace fresh revelations of truth that are more consistent with the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. And as I keep embracing increased light as the Spirit reveals it to me from His Word and from others who are likewise discovering truth, the Spirit confirms these revelations in various ways. At the same time I sense growing resistance from those who once supported me and with whom I shared more traditional views about reality and religion.

It truly is our perception of reality, not just about religion but about how God really relates to sinners that defines how we react to circumstances. As my internal perceptions of God continue to be transformed through the renewing of my own mind I find that my feelings and my interpretations of events and God's messages in written form are becoming very different than ever before. I also see that my view of reality is becoming more and more of a minority view, that very few people are really willing to embrace the real truth about God for fear of what their church will think of them or how their friends and family will treat them.

I feel the same growing pressures myself as I share these exciting, liberating truths that I have been learning and experiencing with those around me. A few are becoming fascinated, intrigued and are starting to explore these things for themselves. But sadly many, even those who are well respected and who have been given positions of trust and leadership over the spiritual direction of others too often react to these new things with fear and suspicion. Rather than choosing to investigate these things through prayer and careful examination of the evidence from the Word of God they often use Scripture simply to reinforce their own dogmas and traditions. They rely on the long established technique of proof-texting which is itself sometimes heavily dependent on using only one version of the Bible to arrive at rather shaky conclusions.

As I read again this passage about Jesus and Lazarus this morning I wondered what might have been going on in the mind of Lazarus as he began to hear about the threats against his life because of his close association with Jesus. I find it rather confusing to even have a clue as to how the mind of a person might operate if they had already died once and been buried for several days to the point of their body beginning to rot away. Then they had been raised to full, vibrant life again and viewed reality and all their relationships through totally different context than any of us have ever experienced. How can I wrap my mind around what that might feel like?

The contrast between the unmistakable joy in the last chapter surrounding the resurrection of Lazarus and the dark forebodings created by the hatred of the religious leaders in this passage is unavoidably clear. Yet how does a person feel who has already died once and who is now being threatened with death again at the hands of others? Does fear have the same power over such a person as it does with us or do they have a unique perspective of reality through their connection and experience with Jesus that insulates them against the petty threats of those who refuse to embrace the truth about God and who see them as the problem rather than themselves? Maybe there are wonderful advantages to having died and being resurrected to give one a completely different frame of reference.

As I opened a devotional book this morning with some of these thoughts of impending trouble ahead circulating through my mind, I found words directed at me from the Spirit confirming that I need to more intentionally embrace these truths in my own life. I must not waver from the direction God has been directing me toward out of fear of those who feel threatened by my testimony about a God who loves us in contrast to the fearful, arbitrary, intimidating God that they believe in. As I read I listened and asked God to impress these instructions and affirmations deep into my heart and mind so that they can provide strength and courage for me when I do face more open opposition to my testimony for Him.

Possibly one of the most important things I have been learning lately is God's attitude of always respecting each person's freedom. God insists that each person needs to be fully convinced in their own heart and mind about what is true without any coercion or threats of punishment on His part if they fail to view things His way. While He gives abundant warnings as to the consequences of choosing other versions of reality or religion, those consequences are in no way to be viewed as arbitrary punishments imposed by an angry God in retaliation for not believing in Him. Rather they are the natural consequences of living out of harmony with the underlying principles of true reality as created by God. Only in harmony with Him can be found true safety and life.

I am becoming increasingly amazed at the grace of God and the perfect harmony of His principles and how merciful He is in holding back so many consequences already that should be destroying our lives. He is seeking in every way possible to get us to know the truth about Him and allow Him to heal our perverted minds and hearts. The dark views of God that pervade the whole world including most people in my own church are full of misconceptions about Him that we have inherited from others and some of these ideas have even been woven into every translation of His Word over the years. Yet we are not left without true witnesses of the real truth about God for it still glows through the pages of Scripture, from nature and particularly from the life of Jesus Christ when it is properly understood and appreciated.

I will close with the message that God gave me this morning as I meditate on the implications of how taking this to heart will influence my future and my destiny.

We need now to arise and shine, for our light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon us. We have no time to talk of self, no time to become like the sensitive plant, that cannot be touched without shrinking. In Jesus Christ is our sufficiency. Will we talk faith? Will we talk of the glorious hope, of the full and abundant righteousness of Jesus Christ, provided for every soul? . . .

The whole heavenly universe is interested, and the love of God is exercised in behalf of His faithful, commandment-keeping people. It is God in whom we must trust. . . . God has the world in His hand. We have God on our side. All heaven is waiting and longing for our cooperation. The Lord is supreme. Why then should we fear? The Lord is almighty; why should we tremble? In the past God has delivered His people, and He will be our helper if we will arise in His strength and go forward.

The Bible and the Bible only is to be our refuge. God is in His Word. {TMK 342}

I Need More Fragrance

Mary then 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 12:3)

Each time I have read this verse over the past week or so I have been impressed with this phrase about the fragrance filling the house. I have felt conviction that my life is far too devoid of the kind of fragrance that would attract attention, at least the kind of attention that would cause others to want to become better acquainted with Jesus for themselves.

It has been coming to my attention increasingly over the past few years is that far more important than obsessing over getting my behavior in line with the law of God, the real issue has to do with the condition of my spirit and the atmosphere surrounding me that affects others. It is far too easy to just keep up appearances and work hard at looking like a good church Christian while failing to grow in true grace and making my life a genuine blessing to others.

Observing the messy kind of life that Mary had and yet seeing how her passion for Jesus seemed to connect her with His heart more than anyone else in the Bible has really piqued my interest. My heart wants to experience some of the passion that I see in Mary's story. Sometimes I have wondered if having that kind of depth and intensity of passion for God requires that I first be involved in a life of sin equivalent to hers. I have considered that option at times in my past but decided that it probably wasn't worth the risk of plunging into sin just to have the perspective of being rescued dramatically. What if I didn't make it back to God for some reason? Choosing to indulge in intense pleasures of sin not only would permanently damage and scar my own life but would endanger and wound many other hearts as well. I don't believe God favors this kind of option.

Yet coming to know God with the depth of intensity that I perceive in Mary's passion for Jesus is a very enviable thing. How can I, a person who grew up religious, taught the right doctrines and trained to do the 'right thing' and keep up the right appearances – how can I come to know Jesus and have my own heart catch on fire like what I see in Mary's experience? It has always seemed to me that it is far more difficult for a Pharisee-type person like me to come into intimacy with Jesus than for an open sinner to come into a passionate relationship with Him. While this may not be impossible it seems to be much more difficult. But that is the path that I have chosen and I want to be drawn into a much deeper relationship with the heart of God than I have yet experienced.

This morning I opened the devotional I have been reading this year only to find reinforcement for the conviction I have been receiving about this issue of personal fragrance. I don't think it is a coincidence as God has been faithful to communicate regularly to me things relevant to my needs for growing in grace. I find a number of significant elements that I have been learning over the past few years in this quotation that I would like to incorporate into my own life as well as addressing things that need correcting.

Love is the principle that underlies God's government in heaven and on earth, and this love must be interwoven in the life of the Christian. The love of Christ is not a fitful love; it is deep, and broad, and full. Its possessor will not say, "I will love only those who love me." The heart that is influenced by this holy principle will be carried above everything of a selfish nature.

Even among professing Christians there are persons who are always on the watch for something at which to take offense. If their friends are absorbed in matters that require their attention and have no time to devote to them, they feel slighted and injured.... Their lives are like the gorgeous flowers which possess no fragrance. Much to be preferred is the simple, unpretending blossom that blesses with its sweet odor those who come in contact with it.

Instead of finding fault with others, these persons should seek to become lovely by putting on Christ.... The character of Christ is the standard which the Christian is to keep before him. His aim should be to possess those graces that were exemplified in the life of Christ in humanity....

The religion of Jesus Christ is not merely to prepare us for the future immortal life; it is to enable us to live the Christ life here on earth. Jesus is not only our pattern, He is also our friend and our guide, and by taking hold of His strong arm and partaking of His Spirit, we may walk "even as he walked." {TMK 298}

I keep coming back to an awareness that one of my greatest weaknesses that I inherited from my family is the habit of fault-finding. It comes so naturally to me that it is difficult to stop, at least internally. My default reaction to many situations is to look for the negative, to play the devil's advocate. At the same time I often find it hard to feel spontaneously grateful, to appreciate the good in others and to affirm them liberally. I don't like this weakness at all and I want to become free of the selfishness that underlies it and reinforces it. Yet this tendency is extremely deep-rooted in my nature and I have to struggle against it constantly.

What I see in these references is admonition for me personally. I can see that my life is largely devoid of the fragrance of Jesus and that I need much more of Jesus inside of my own heart. Learning all kinds of wonderful truths certainly has its value, but unless these insights work into the deeper regions of my heart and begin to produce fruit that looks more like Jesus, they can become liabilities. I want much more of the spirit and disposition that was seen in the way Jesus treated people. I need the kind of spirit and atmosphere that attracted people like Mary, one whom nearly everyone scorned and marginalized, to feel safe to come close to and be around. I want the sensitivity and kindness, gentleness, compassion and forgiving spirit that will cause wounded people to feel safe to come close and develop trust. I want to exhibit the attributes that people saw in Jesus but were so rare in religious people.

Unfortunately right now I feel more like the description of the gorgeous flower devoid of fragrance, but even that hardly fits me for I certainly am not even gorgeous in any respect. I live a respectable life, try to stay out of trouble pretty much and seek to imitate Jesus' life by treating others fairly. Many look at me and believe I am a reasonably decent Christian, but that is not what I want to be. I want to become a passionate friend of Jesus, a person obsessed with devotion to Him like I see in Mary's example. I am tired and dissatisfied with mediocre living and yet I feel trapped in it. I want a radical personal encounter with Jesus that will open my eyes, soften my heart and help me to escape the average. I want to quit living in the rut and move into a high-risk life of faith out on the edge where the real excitement is and where I can feel like I am really thriving and bearing a more authentic testimony for the kind of God I have been coming to discover.

Hidden Odor

Mary then 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. 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 given to poor people?" (John 12:3-5)

This disturbs me.

This exposes me.

This challenges me.

I see in this passage a very clear contrast between two attitudes that run very deep and that are in total antagonism with each other. And what bothers me is that I see far too much of the negative attitudes of Judas in my own heart more than the sweet fragrance that emanated from the heart and the hands of Mary in this story.

John crafted this story about the anointing far differently than any other version of it in the other gospel accounts. He left out nearly all of the negative aspects of the story and presented it almost idealistically. But it was not because he was trying to gloss over the ugliness of some of the characters involved but I believe because he wanted to make some of the most important points even more emphatic and clear.

I have started to see that John may well have been suggesting an alternative narrative to the previous story by paralleling these two chapters so closely. In doing so he wanted to suggest in the way he presented this story how things could have gone if Martha and Mary and others involved would have chosen to focus on the goodness of Jesus even in the midst of their grief instead of being so overwhelmed by doubting attitudes of the unbelieving Jews around them. If that had happened this feast could have happened in Martha and Mary's house and might have been recorded in the last chapter in connection with the resurrection of Lazarus. That scenario presents some very real and exciting alternatives to how that story might have unfolded differently than it did.

There is another aspect of this story that is very easy to miss in our distance from it. It is very hard for us to imagine the popularity that Judas enjoyed among the disciples before his true character was exposed at the very last minute. It is the same issues we have trying to wrap our minds around how so many people could have been so enamored with Hitler before his true nature was finally exposed. If one carefully studies history or talks with someone who lived before World War 2 they would learn that Hitler was extremely popular, not only in his own country but with many of the nations that later went to war against him. He presented hope for the people of Germany when it seemed all hope was lost. He launched expansive programs to rebuild a devastated country and improved the economy dramatically. He started the Volkswagen company – the car of the people – which still thrives to this day. He began building the superhighways still popular in Europe and did many other things to improve the lives of his countrymen.

It is hard for us now to imagine supporting Hitler because of what we know about him after the war. But before his true character became evident he did a masterful job of manipulating the media and keeping up appearances to solicit massive public support for his ideas and programs. Even his own perceptions evolved over time. He did not start out as a desperately wicked tyrant bent on murdering millions of people, but the effects of his selfish choices one after another had the effect of leading him down a path that ended in producing one of the negative icons of history.

So too, Judas was not an obvious candidate for a person lined up to join Hitler and other ruthless dictators of history when the disciples knew him as one of their trusted friends. He was actually the most promising candidate for success in their eyes and they often looked to him for guidance and were influenced by his political astuteness. Judas was more educated than possibly all the other disciples combined and wasn't afraid to let people know of his superiority. He was gifted in many ways and had natural advantages that the other disciples did not enjoy. Because of this he was strategically positioned to be a natural leader and could have in fact been a great asset to Jesus except for one thing.

Judas' downfall was not that he was a naturally bad person more than anyone around him. All of us have the same capacity and bent toward betraying Jesus just as much as Judas whether we perceive it or not. If we think we are in less danger of making the same choices as Judas we deceive ourselves and are in desperate need of serious conviction by the Spirit of God. Peter too, denied Jesus when things came down to desperate conditions and he consequently felt that it was no longer possible for him to be considered a disciple ever again until Jesus dramatically restored confidence in him after the resurrection. I believe Peter came very close to suicide after Jesus died and was only prevented from doing so through direct intervention from Jesus though this is scantly recorded.

The difference between Judas and Peter was the inner condition of their heart, not the outward actions or mistakes they made. Judas repeatedly resisted the tenderness, the humility, the true picture of God that Jesus sought to impress upon him. Repeatedly his heart was warmed and moved by the incredible kindness and compassion of Jesus in various situations, yet because of his deep-rooted selfishness and pride and his refusal to give up his preconceived ideas about what God was like, he, like the other Jewish leaders that he wanted to impress, disqualified his own heart and destroyed his own capacity to repent in the end. By continuing to choose over and over his own way instead of responding to the love of Jesus repeatedly offered him, Judas hardened his heart and the end result was the betrayal that emerged to the shock and surprise of all who had known him except for Jesus.

When John here contrasts the spirit of Mary and the spirit of Judas in these verses I believe he is seeking to put into sharp relief the difference between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light. Judas at that time was still very popular among the disciples and they much admired him. On the other hand they were also influenced by his hypocrisy and shared some of his disgust and disdain for others who did not measure up to his supposedly high standards. Like the religious leaders, most of the people in this story still had suspicion for Mary who had spent so much of her life prostituting herself and living shamefully. It was no secret how immorally Mary had spent much of her life and that kind of reputation has a way of clinging to one's reputation particularly around professedly religious crowds.

What most people in this story failed to see was the true character of Jesus as well as the transformation that had happened in Mary's life. They failed almost completely to perceive the power of Jesus' love to transform a person from any level of hopelessness, wickedness or weakness to a child of God free of their past life of sin. What they failed to perceive was that most of them were actually far more guilty of sin and were resisting the truth about God far more than Mary was at this point. What most of them did not realize was that Simon the Pharisee in whose house this feast was taking place had likely been the very one who had first exploited Mary as a young, pretty woman that resulted in her plunging her into a life of immorality in the first place. It is also possible that Judas, the son of Simon, was likely infected to a great degree by his father's hypocrisy but like his father was able to manipulate public perceptions to make them look good compared to people like Mary.

John may be seeking in these passages to rise above the confusion and intrigue behind what was going on here to get to the real issues involved. The greater issues are still ones that we often miss yet today when we read these stories without heavenly perception. The way heaven views these things is much more oriented around the condition of the spirit of each person, not the history of their past failures. The previous chapter reveals the struggles that Mary and her sister went through in their desire to believe in Jesus and how they were growing in their trust in Him. Now when Jesus came back to town after their brother had been raised to life it only made sense to want to throw Him a party in gratitude for who He was and what He had just done for them.

In parallel to the beginning of chapter 11 I see all three individuals from this family mentioned here again. Martha is doing her usual taking care of the hospitality part and making sure all the food is in order. Lazarus is fellowshipping with Jesus and simply enjoying being alive again, obviously indebted to Jesus for his very existence. And the way John presents it Mary is doing what she does best as expressed through her personality – she is worshiping Jesus and showering affection and appreciation on Him far beyond what anyone else is willing to do.

Each of these people are relating to Jesus positively but in their own unique individuality. That is what God wants all of us to do. Until Judas inserts his dump of shame on Mary and injects his evil insinuations into the story things are looking like a well-planned celebration of the goodness of God. I don't think it is a mistake to see John's version of this story from this viewpoint. I believe John wanted to convey something important to us about how each one of us can relate to Jesus in our own context but in a spirit that is united with each other in love, gratitude and deep appreciation for our very lives.

The sharp contrast that is suddenly brought into view with the introduction of Judas into the story is even more ugly when compared with the spirit of these three siblings. The insinuations Judas makes are actually shocking if one stops to think about it. Judas is in effect saying that Jesus is not worthy of such an expensive gift and that Mary is stupid for making the choice to waster her money on Him like this. He also wants to shame her publicly, humiliate her, putting her down in order to make himself look better by contrast. This is always what happens when we lose perspective of reality due to pride and selfishness. We fail to appreciate the true value of life as revealed in Jesus and His character and instead focus on money, on influence, on political advantage and power and prestige.

Selfishness had so infected the heart of Judas by this point that he was nearly past the point of no return. He had become blinded to reality and had infected the other disciples to a great extent with his perverted views of what is important. As he saw Jesus receiving the affections of Mary without resistance, his own selfishness and ingratitude became so exposed that he felt compelled to divert any possible attention away by shifting everyone's focus to questioning the motives of Mary.

It was easy to twist the actions of Mary in order to indict her in the eyes of those who were watching. But in doing so Judas (along with his father Simon) were actually attacking Jesus. In the comment of Judas it becomes evident that he had no corresponding appreciation for the character of Jesus like these three siblings had. The heart of Judas had become so hardened from repeated resistance to the goodness of God that he was unable to appreciate the value of forgiveness or even desire it for himself like Mary did. He had lived in deception for so long, both of others and of himself, that he had lost his ability to see reality the way others around him were beginning to see it. The spirit of fault-finding, criticism and negative thinking along with dark pictures of God shared by most around him had blinded Judas to the true condition of his own heart and he was about to commit high treason against the very Son of God without realizing what he was doing.

In other versions of this same story Jesus stated that this event would go everywhere in the world that the gospel would go through the very end of time. I believe that John wanted to make sure that this story was properly understood and that we would grasp the true nature of what took place and the true nature of the people involved. Instead of Mary being the bad person in this story with her identity linked to her dubious past, it was Judas who was the real problem, the one with an unconverted heart. History would soon show that Judas was the villain, not Mary like everyone thought at the time. Even John himself did not yet see this while the story was taking place but he wanted to make the point clear years later as he recorded his version of the life of Jesus.

Fabulous Feast

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 then 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 12:1-3)

I have been meditating on this story this morning and wondering why John reported it so benignly as it reads here. Given the scandalous, insulting way both Jesus and Mary were treated in what actually took place when seen from the perspective of the other gospels, why did John choose to present such a brief and almost idealistic version of this event?

As I meditated on it and listened for insights from the Spirit, it began to soak in that this is yet another revelation of how Jesus sees all of us and relates to us. John's version of this story is not a case of ignorance or apathy or seeking to manipulate facts to further a selfish agenda, but the reality is that God is fundamentally committed to drawing us to Him in every way possible with the greatest patience, kindness and tact. What purpose is served by exposing the faults of the guilty parties involved here? It is true that the feast was held in Simon's house and not in the home of Lazarus as in the story I wrote last time. I find this a little curious to start with and wonder what some of the background politics were involved in that decision. I suspect there was plenty of social maneuvering and influence manipulation going on behind the scenes and that the Lazarus' family may not have been completely satisfied with the outcome. Yet John quite likely aware of all this still chooses to portray this feast almost as if it were conducted with the purest motives, free of the tensions and gaffes more fully reported by the other writers.

If John's account were the only one we had we might easily be led to think that Mary had no stigma attached to her reputation. Aside from the rude comment of Judas which John notes, it might look like Mary's anointing of Jesus was just part of the scheduled proceedings that were designed to honor Jesus in every way possible. I had never noticed this before today and I find it curious that John so carefully masks out most of the intrigue and shame and censure that actually occurred.

I seriously wonder if John didn't portray this feast using this perspective to hint to the reader what could have taken place in the previous story if different choices had been made there. But beyond that I wonder what other lessons might be extracted from this idyllic picture involving each member of the family of Lazarus. This is such a positive story that stands in stark contrast to our penchant for wanting to know as much as possible about all the intrigue and the lurid details in stories that we hear. Our society is so addicted to airing the dirty laundry of others, we have such a strong appetite for drama and exposing the failings of others that we tend to view this version of the story as almost incomplete.

But I don't think it was an oversight on the part of John when he wrote this story the way that he did. John may be wanting to set the record straight about Mary after so many years of slights about her reputation. John may have been wanting to portray Mary from the perspective of heaven rather than to keep referring to her past life of prostitution as if that were the label that she would never be able to shake off.

From the other accounts of this story it appears that Jesus too, wanted to correct our thinking about Mary, for He seemed to indicate that Mary's grasp of the gospel and her relationship to Him was closer to what He has in mind for all of us than what most Christians tend to assume constitutes holiness. Religious people tend to think of religion in terms of outward behavior, of measuring the life by a list of do's and don'ts and looking at each other through critical eyes. But Jesus always seemed more intent on drawing out the heart and noting the condition of people's spirit.

What I find here is a story about a person who has such an overwhelming passion for Jesus that they are willing to expose themselves to any risk in order to pour out their love and affection on Him. Mary's passion for Jesus is reflective in some respects for her natural tendency toward passion in all of her life. In the past her passion had been abused and had become distorted. She had been terribly damaged and deeply wounded both by other's treatment of her and through her own choices to seek satisfaction and survival through immoral choices. But I sense that Mary was a person who could hardly hold herself back from living from her heart even after it had been abused and damaged repeatedly. And in that respect I admire her greatly.

What I have observed over the years is that the idea of living from the heart seems to produce the greatest resistance in people. There is such enormous pressure, particularly in religion, to keep up appearances, to conform to social or legalistic expectations and living from the heart is not viewed very favorably. But God designed us to live passionately from our hearts and to do anything else is to be less than truly human. To live from our head without having our hearts fully engaged is to live a damaged and severely handicapped existence from heaven's perspective. Jesus received the greatest resistance from those who had perfected the art of living by rules while suppressing and hardening their hearts.

Mary, on the other hand, was one of the rare examples of a person who was willing to live out on the edge. All of her life she had felt compelled to live a raw, exciting life full of passion that cannot be hidden. This kind of living full of passion for love and life is so electrifying and compelling to others who are unwilling themselves to live in the same way that such a one is often is viewed as a threat. How many times have we been warned against hanging around people who have this kind of charisma and who are almost irresistible? Yet this very magnetic attraction may be a God-given trait that is largely missing from most of our lives.

As I have noted before, I sense that Martha was much more of a person who was a thinker more than a person full of passion like her sister. Yes, Martha was certainly a performer and spent much of her life trying to do the right thing. But her sister had a very different personality that likely often got her into trouble. Her passion for life and even the look on her face and the sparkle in her eye must have constantly conveyed messages of a passion for living that few people show. This presents a real problem when that passion is taken advantage of by others and exploited for selfish, debased desires.

Yet with all the problems that Mary experienced throughout her life, Jesus saw her as one of the best examples of what He desires all of us to experience in our lives. Jesus designed us to live in joy and passion more than many of us are willing to admit. We tend to gravitate toward a far more conservative position and like to portray God as one who is more intent on squeezing us into a mold of proper performance and submission to rules rather than experiencing a passionate love affair with other hearts. Even to speak in such ways tends to scandalize many people trapped in typical religious thinking.

But in this story I see John trying to make the record more balanced and accurate. John may be suggesting here that we all have different personalities that are acceptable to God and that complement each other. Martha was not a person to pour out her affections publicly on Jesus like Mary, yet in her own way she was showing her love to Him in ways that fit her individuality. Likewise Lazarus was not sitting at Jesus' feet weeping over Him and splashing perfume all over the place but was sitting with Him in a seat of honor. Yet that does not imply in the least that his own heart was not just as connected in love to the heart of Jesus as was Mary's.

In this version of the story John seems to want us to see this feast more from the perspective of heaven and to see each of these siblings on an equal basis by not mentioning Mary's former reputation like the other accounts bring out. Only Judas is mentioned in a negative light here, and that too is part of John's seeking to set the record straight and to help us perceive that heaven views things very different than how we see them.

In contrast to Mary, Judas had been very highly esteemed in the minds of all the other disciples the whole time they had known him. We struggle to wrap our minds around this idea because we are so accustomed to thinking of Judas as the bad guy in the story. Yet in contemporary public perception up until the very last moments of his life, Judas was considered one most likely to succeed. He was talented, suave and had great people skills. He had natural and acquired capabilities that ensured he would be successful in life and he had good political connections he could use for his advantage. All of these things elicited the admiration of the other disciples who looked up to him.

Interestingly Jesus was likely the only one who really knew the condition of the heart of Judas most of that time, and yet Jesus never sought to expose the hypocrisy and failings of Judas or to publicly humiliate him. This is one of the clearest examples of how God relates to sinners in consistent kindness rather than resorting to shame and condemnation like so many of us tend to do. These words to Judas were actually the very first time in all their association together that Jesus had ever rebuked Judas, but even then it only served to trigger Judas to become resentful and angry rather than appreciate the kindness Jesus had shown him for so long. If anything reinforces the kindness and graciousness of God it is the history of how Jesus related to Judas and even allowed him a place of high trust even while he was completely unworthy of that trust.

In his account of this story, John is really reversing the common assumptions about both Mary and Judas from what people thought they were like. Publicly Mary could not escape the tenacious grip of her past reputation as people always thought of her based on her previous identity as a slut, an immoral woman of the streets. Yet in contrast Judas had carefully cultivated his own manicured reputation to make it appear that he was nearly flawless while often drawing attention to the failings of those around him. But at the heart level Jesus saw things just the opposite from what others saw, and here John is helping us see that heaven's view is usually very different than how we are used to perceiving things.

I find myself longing to know more of the passion of Mary for Jesus. Yet at the same time I am aware that to exhibit such passion publicly carries with it enormous liabilities. At this point in my life I still live under the bondage of fear of what others think of me rather than living in the freedom that God desires for me to enjoy in His presence. I pray that God will set me free of these galling, wounding chains that keep me imprisoned and that soon, very soon, my heart will have enough courage to live honestly, transparently and passionately like Mary lived.

As Martin Luther exclaimed during his most trying hour, “So help me God!”

What Might Have Been

In filling out the comparison chart and examining the fascinating parallels between these chapters in John, I am starting to catch a glimpse of something John might have been trying to suggest about what could have happened if there had been more bold faith in the first story. The reality is that all of our stories have potential to move in quite different directions and have dramatically different outcomes determined largely on how much faith we choose to bring to our circumstances. God is very often limited by the small level and quality of the faith that we have in Him compared to the infinite resources He has to provide for our needs and His desire to intervene in our situations. The limiting factor in most of our stories is not God's willingness or ability but is our own reluctance to rest and trust in Him no matter what crisis is engulfing our lives or what emotions overwhelm us. I believe this may be part of the message that John was seeking to convey, to alert us that life could be far different if we would only believe in our Father the way Jesus came to reveal Him to us.

I would like to venture into a little inspired (by Scripture) speculation based on what I am perceiving from a closer look at these stories. I ponder what could have happened if Martha and Mary had made different choices in how to relate to their crisis and had chosen to trust and rest their hearts in Jesus when everything seemed to be falling apart rather than slipping into the normal pattern of thinking they were so familiar with.

Imagine how the story of the resurrection of Lazarus might have had far greater impact and the reputation of Jesus might have been far more enhanced if a few people in this story had chosen to believe in Him more than they chose to do. And in the end, the real reason for exercising our imaginations in this way is not so much to produce a story that may seem startling and speculative but to challenge our own hearts to begin to perceive what our own situations could look like if we made more choices to trust Jesus in the dark.

It is to this end that I feel compelled to take on this experiment with these stories, for my own heart longs to see my life and my circumstances more infused and transformed through direct interventions from heaven. I want my life to better reflect the lessons I am learning through meditating on these stories. I want my heart to be more trusting and to view reality from heaven's perspective rather than remaining stuck in the ruts of common thinking and assumptions. I want my experience to be more transformed through lessons of faith rather than simply being a life of religious information from my association with a church.

Rather than speculate about what might have potentially happened if everyone had chosen to fully believe in Jesus, I will choose to consider what might have happened if at least the main characters, those close to Him already, had made different choices along the way resisting the pressure of the status quo. Of course things could have been even more dramatically different if more people had chosen to believe rather than resist Jesus throughout His ministry, but I want to consider what might have happened if just those who had come to know Him intimately had acted more in harmony with the lessons He had already taught them. What if more had reflected on how Jesus had blessed them in the past and had chosen to apply some of the basic lessons of faith they had already received from Him in their current situation? There are many directions the story could have gone differently depending on who made what choices, but I think there are valuable lessons to be gained in meditating on what might have been if more faith had been employed.

Let's take a shot at seeing what might emerge by piecing together some of the clues that John embedded in these passages as he paralleled them so closely and ponder what might have been. Let's try to piece together a scenario that might have taken place in this story of Lazarus based on clues found in the next time Jesus came to Bethany where both of these stories took place.

Lazarus gets sicker and sicker and his sisters become very concerned over him. They begin to discuss their options with each other as they try every remedy possible to improve his condition. They think of Jesus all the time and wonder how they might solicit His help. Nothing else they try is helping and it becomes obvious that without divine intervention they may well lose their brother in death.

So far nothing is different from the story as it may have progressed already.

The sisters send an urgent message to Jesus but with intentional politeness urging Him to come immediately to rescue their brother from his serious sickness. They know in their hearts that death cannot exist in the life of a believer when Jesus is around and their greatest insurance against this enemy is to have Jesus near. They know this not so much from what He has taught them but from first-hand experiences with Him. Mary in particular has experienced the transformational life-giving power that occurs when Jesus' presence is injected into desperate situations. She has come to realize that simply keeping close to Jesus is really the only real safety one can have and so she reminds her sister that what they really need is for Jesus to be there.

Again, all of this likely could have happened in the story as it is recorded.

But as time passes and Lazarus sinks into a coma and finally slips away producing intense grief and arousing deep questions of doubt in the hearts of the two surviving sisters, they now face the ultimate choice of how to react in the face of severe disappointment with God.

Why didn't God answer their prayers when they had done everything possible to please Him? They had done so much to enhance the life of Jesus with their hospitality. They had become close friends with Him and had made their home a welcome safe place for Him to come at any time. So why did God allow such tragedies to come into the lives of people who had devoted their hearts to loving Him and honoring Him? Why does God allow such pain and suffering and even humiliation to come into the experience of those who have placed their trust in Him only to have their prayers go unheeded?

At this point, as in millions of similar stories in the lives of believers, the sisters were facing a severe choice. What would they choose to focus on? What would they allow to dominate their thinking? What picture of God would they allow to dominate when all the surrounding evidence seemed to indicate a God less caring than they wanted to believe? What emotions would they allow to permeate and direct their choices?

In no way do I want to diminish or make light of the intense pain and emotional trauma that any experience during such times of bereavement. But what I do want to suggest is that there are more alternatives than we often are willing to consider in such circumstances. Like Martha and Mary, it is easy to become swept away in the outpouring of sympathy, the grief and all the other emotions that come when such tragedies occur and become blinded by assumptions that keep us stuck there. Far too often sympathy can have a dark side to it that is hidden by the natural compassion people want to show.

I am not suggesting that people intend to paint God in dark colors while they attempt to lessen our pain, yet too often unchallenged negative assumptions about God are woven all through the comments made and the unspoken inferences implying that God doesn't really care as much as He claims to care about us during such times.

This was the core issue for Martha and Mary during those agonizing days, wrestling in their hearts with how to relate to their brother's death and the glaring absence of Jesus. But there was another option available to them that is seldom considered by any of us. What if they had chosen to resist the natural urges that come from intense sorrow and had chosen to fixate their minds on what they had learned about Jesus from their past experiences? What if they had kindly but firmly insisted that all the mourners to go somewhere else if they were not willing to try to exercise this kind of faith so as to avoid being overwhelmed with the typical sentiments about their situation. It is very hard to turn away from what we are used to doing in response to this kind of grief, but the normal reactions we have tend to unduly control our emotions and dampen our faith. But what if these sisters had chosen in place of indulging in being absorbed in the normal emotions surrounding death to separate from all who refused to seek a new path and instead had compelled their hearts to dwell on God's goodness?

They might have chosen to separate themselves from all other influences and intentionally filled their minds with memories of how Jesus had been there for them time and again when they needed help. They could have reviewed what they knew from the Word of God things that had taken on new meaning and challenged old assumptions about God. They could have directly sought God in prayer to show them their painful circumstances with new eyes. They could have chosen to rehearse over and over how faithful they had found Jesus to be and might have encouraged each other to give Jesus the benefit of the doubt even while unable to explain His strange absence in their situation.

Does this sound strange or even bizarre? Yes it does and some may even react to these suggestions with intense indignation or hostility. But I believe these options are very real though very unused alternatives to how we typically think we have to react to bereavement.

As the sisters chose to focus on God's goodness in spite of their own pain, the Holy Spirit could have inspired them to do make dramatic and radical plans contrary to what is normal for such circumstances. Rather than sitting around allowing their pain and other's encouragement of their doubts to darken their hearts, they could have begun planning something totally bizarre and bold. Choosing to believe that Jesus still had their best interest in mind even though they had no explanation as to why He had chosen to delay His return, they could have started planning to use their abilities and gifts to throw a big party for Him for when He would arrive.

Martha was always good at putting on a good spread and Mary could have helped her plan and prepare for it. Certainly everyone would have thought they had lost their minds under the circumstances, but they were choosing to act in ways consistent with their firm choice to believe that Jesus' heart was for them no matter what the evidence might seem to convey or what anyone else suggested about Him. They were going to celebrate the goodness of Jesus that they already knew firsthand and by faith would demonstrate publicly how valuable Jesus was to them.

But rather than having the feast take place in Simon's house, this feast would have been planned to happen right in their own home where Jesus had already enjoyed so much of their hospitality many times before. Choosing to express their belief that Jesus cared for them in spite of the ever-present feelings from their immense loss, they would show the world that Jesus was worth trusting even in the darkest times of life. Like a joyful dance in front of an execution squad, they would choose to smile and laugh in the face of death itself and focus on the truth they were learning about God rather than become saturated with insinuations about Him from the events in their lives.

As the feast was being readied it was brought to their attention that Jesus was at last on His way to Bethany. Yes, there was still intense sadness in their hearts as they could not avoid the emptiness felt in their home where Lazarus had always been with them. But they were going to choose to fill that emptiness with those who were still alive and would give Jesus a welcome fit for a king. They were going to choose to believe that Jesus was their king in spite of how their feelings pushed them to doubt Him and they urged all who were being affected by their choices to trust Jesus to join them in going out to meet Jesus with all the trappings of a king's welcome.

As a bizarre act of courage in the face of logic and emotions, this strange group of people choosing to believe in God's goodness in spite of what had just happened pour out of Bethany to welcome Jesus with shouts of affirmation waving palm branches and laying down their garments to provide a path of honor to welcome Him back to town. Of course His disciples would have been even more puzzled than they were in the original story, but Jesus would have understood completely and would have become animated by the faith of His dear friends. He would have blessed the sisters and would have affirmed them in ways I wish I could imagine myself. But then He would have insisted on a slight change of plans.

Instead of going directly to their home to enjoy the feast prepared for Him and His disciples, Jesus would have insisted on taking the party on a detour to the tomb of Lazarus. This of course would have been a real challenge for the emotions of the sisters who had been seeking to avoid their raw feelings and their doubts, but Jesus would have assured them that their choice to act on faith had not been a mistake. Rather He had come to honor and strengthen their faith and their bold decisions to take the most unusual path they had chosen. But Jesus was not about to leave Lazarus out of the celebration. As an loving affirmation of their trust in Him He was going to march on the citadel of death with a crowd of admirers who were trusting His heart and was going to publicly recapture one of His best friends from the land of the enemy.

As Lazarus' sisters stand in amazement, weeping at what they realize Jesus is about to do for them, Jesus invites them to help Him by removing the symbolic obstacle of death standing between them and their beloved brother – the stone. Excitedly they would have rushed to the tomb along with the others who had come to welcome Jesus and would have collectively thrown it aside like the hated object that had come to represent keeping them from their beloved. Then as they watched with joyful anticipation and baited breath, Jesus would have called out to Lazarus, just as His did in the original story, and Lazarus would have been welcomed to the party with joyful shouts of victory and delirious celebration. There would have been dancing in the streets, tears of joy and worship experiences at the feet of Jesus like never witnessed in history.

As the dancing and joyful shouts of adoration and honor continued, the growing crowd would have swept Lazarus along with them to the feast where Mary would have brought out the alabaster box she had been saving to honor her Savior in the only way she knew best. As Lazarus and Martha watched in amazement, Mary would have showered Jesus with her tears, her perfume and her affection. As everyone watched Mary's supreme act of affection being poured out on Jesus and her love that was beyond even what they could feel, any suggestion that Mary's gift was inappropriate would have been snuffed out instantly.

In sharp contrast with the terrible stench of death so recently encountered at the tomb, the far greater scent of life and love and praise now filled the air and added new incentive to the praise that was on every tongue. This unique act of love and passion on the part of Mary would have inspired others to join in the unusual faith that they had witnessed in her and they would have admired her love and desired to know Jesus more like she had come to know Him.

While it is certainly possible that Judas would have felt irritated by such expressions of affection for Jesus, it might have also been unlikely that he would have felt so ready to expose his selfishness as he did in the original story in the face of such overwhelming evidence of people's affections for Jesus. But even if Judas had made his insensitive comment toward Mary in her own home, Martha and Lazarus might have made it clear to him that Jesus was worth far more than even the expensive gift their sister had chosen to spend on Him. This was a celebration for the real King, not just another party, and the spirit of Judas would have been so out of harmony with the spirit of faith all around him that he likely would have felt compelled to remove himself entirely to avoid exploding from all the resentment and jealously he was feeling toward Jesus.

Could this scenario have actually transpired? I don't know for sure. But I am confident that things could have been radically different if some had chosen the road less traveled, the path of faith in the face of grief and doubt.

I have been starting to sense lately that the real issue I face in my own relationship with God is more along the line of choosing to trust His heart and the characteristics I have been learning that constitute His true identity and disposition toward me more than trying to figure out some formula whereby I can get Him to do for me what I think should happen in my circumstances. So often my prayers fail to take into account His bigger picture but are shaped instead on how I think my problems should be solved without taking into account the larger issues behind the scenes. When I fail to view my circumstances in the context of God's trial in which His character is being challenged and His reputation is under vicious attack, I remain trapped by my narrow and self-focused ideas from religion and on false assumptions about what God really expects from me.

Our perception of reality and of what kind of a God we serve shapes how we relate to Him, what we ask for in our prayers as well as all the decisions we make in our own circumstances. Our picture of God is always what determines how we relate to other people, for we intuitively treat others the way we feel God is treating us.

The only way to change how I treat others, the only way my life is going to come to reflect His character instead of the selfishness and sin that is so natural in my makeup, is to allow Him to infuse a completely new more accurate picture of Him into the deepest places of my soul. As my picture of God is continuously updated my reactions to circumstances follow the same track. The more I perceive the goodness of God, the amazing mercy and kindness and the real truth about how He feels about me, the more my treatment of others will reflect what I am experiencing with Him. This is the process called sanctification that is vitally necessary to prepare me to live securely in His presence throughout eternity.

Parallels

I am starting to see more and more parallels in these passages I have been studying over the past few months that I want to explore further here. I believe there may be some significant discoveries that may emerge from this comparison in some of the details found in these parallels.

John 10:37-38 "If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father."	John 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."
10:36 ...Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world	11:51-52 ...he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.
10:39 ¶ Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp	11:53 So from that day on they planned together to kill Him. 11:57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it, so that they might seize Him.
10:40 And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there.	11:54 Therefore Jesus 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.
10:41-42 Many came to Him and were saying, "While John performed no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true." Many believed in Him there.	11:55-56 Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover to purify themselves. So they were seeking for Jesus...
11:1-2 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.	12:1-3 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 then 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.
11:39 Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days."	12:3 Mary then 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.
11:57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it, so that they might seize Him.	12:4 But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him.
11:4 But when Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it."	12:4-5 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 given to poor people?"
11:5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.	12:6 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.
11:6 So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.	12:7 Therefore Jesus said, "Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial."
11:4 But when Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it."	12:9 The large crowd of the Jews then 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.
11:8 The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?"	11:53 So from that day on they planned together to kill Him. 12:10 But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also;
11:9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.	12:11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus.
11:19-20 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother. Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house.	12:12-13 On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, "Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel."
11:21 Martha then said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.	12:15 "FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION; BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY'S COLT."
11:22 "Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."	12:16 These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.
11:25-26 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world."	12:17-18 So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign.
11:28 When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." 29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and was coming to Him.	12:18 For this reason also the people went and met Him
11:31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.	12:19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him."
11:32 Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."	12:20-21 Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."
11:33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled.	12:27 "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour.
11:40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"	12:28 "Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again."
11:39 Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days."	12:3 Mary then 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.
11:40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"	12:26 "If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him."
11:41-42Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me."	12:27 "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour." 12:30 Jesus answered and said, "This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes.
11:45-46 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done.	12:37 But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him.
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."	12:19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him."
11:49-50 But 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 die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish."	12:31 "Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out."
11:51-52 Now he did not say this 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 in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.	12:32 "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself."
11:9-10 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."	12:35-36 So Jesus said to them, "For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light."
11:54 Therefore Jesus no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews, but went away from there...	12:36 These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them.
11:57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it, so that they might seize Him.	12:42-43 Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

Seeking Jesus

Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover to purify themselves. So 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 was to report it, so that they might seize Him. (John 11:55-57)

A few verses before this I noticed the effect that Jesus had on both those who refused to believe in Him as well as those who were coming to believe. While John took the larger view and saw in the ominous words of the High Priest not just a threat but a promise from God that Jesus' influence would gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad, at the same time the effect of Jesus on those opposed to His presentation of the Father became united, put away their political and religious differences and planned together to kill Him. Thus John is showing how Jesus has a unifying influence on both sides.

Now in these verses I see again how John is taking the larger perspective and is noting how the polarizing effect of Jesus life causes all men to seek Him, but for rather opposite reasons. He says that many went up to Jerusalem to purify themselves before the Passover. I don't think it is incidental that John mentioned this fact. Jesus came to this earth to purify all who would be willing to listen with their heart to the truth about God. Everyone who is willing to lay aside the opinions and challenge the deceptions of Satan, his accusations against God, the lies that permeate our minds and hearts and religions, Jesus will come to purify our perceptions of God, to reveal to us the truth about God, that He is not someone we should be terrified of but is someone passionately eager for us to engage with Him, to know intimately, to become so enamored with His grace, beauty and loveliness that all the delusions that have caused us to hide from Him become ludicrous and unappealing to us.

While these Jews were following the instructions of Moses given by God to ceremonially purify themselves in preparation for the great symbolic day of Passover which was part of the sandbox model of the great plan of salvation given by God, the true object of all these symbols had arrived to take its place. The real Passover lamb had come to replace the animal lamb; the central figure represented by nearly every object and ritual in the sanctuary system had come to fulfill the laws of Moses and to introduce the far greater and more effective means of purification.

Some were starting to perceive that this Man indeed was revealing something radically superior to what they had ever perceived previously. Jesus had not come to do away with the law, the principles of reality symbolized in the sanctuary system and rituals; He came to expose the realities they represented. In the life, teachings, sufferings and resurrection of Jesus a far greater revelation of the truth about God was being exposed not only to this world but to the whole universe. All who's hearts were open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and who were humble enough to challenge their religious assumptions were being led by the Spirit of God and were being called as children of God. In responding to the attractiveness of Jesus' life and ministry they were being drawn to seek for Jesus to receive more of what He had come to give to the world – namely, a fuller, better revelation of the truth about the Father.

At the same time, all those who resisted repeatedly the revelations and teachings about God found themselves also coming into more unity with each other. And while at first they may have chosen to try to avoid Jesus rather than seeking for Him, the more His influence grew with the people the more they saw Him as a threat to their ability to dominate and control the masses. Their popularity was being undermined; their ability to keep people in deception and fear was being seriously eroded and in desperation they finally were ready to put away many of their differences that had divided their efforts to come together to seek Jesus, but for very opposite reasons than those who were being drawn by His attractiveness. These rejectors of Jesus' picture of God, these men who felt scandalized by the outrageous representations by Jesus of a God who would so easily forgive sinners and would brush aside any agenda for punishment or retribution in favor of restoring fellowship and acceptance when the vilest sinner showed any sign of wanting to return to Him – these religious, pious men simply could not tolerate any longer allowing such a reprehensible picture of God to continue to infect the minds of those they had kept in fear and under their control for so long. They were ready to seek Jesus intently, but for the sole purpose of eliminating Him rather than embracing Him.

Jesus' actions, teachings and example made it impossible for anyone coming within His sphere of influence to remain neutral about Him. Either a person will be drawn to Him and become willing to lay aside their preconceptions to embrace a new picture of a loving Father or they will feel pushed to reject this view of the God He came to reveal in favor of the darker caricatures of God circulated by His archenemy, the great accuser.

The same is happening still today. The more that the truth about God, the glory of God as described in the first few verses of Revelation 18 spreads throughout the world, the more people will feel compelled to seek Him for one reason or the opposite. The real truth about God always creates this polarizing effect wherever it is exposed. We either will feel scandalized by these revelations about a God who seems too soft on sin for our liking or we will become overwhelmed by the love, grace, tenderness and compassion of a God who is nothing like how He has been presented by mainstream religions.

I am reminded that those who feel compelled to seek Jesus for the wrong reasons, in order to eliminate His influence like these Jewish leaders did, will continue to try to eliminate His perceived threat all throughout history until the final day of full revelation. If Jesus is not here in person for them to attack they will turn their animosity toward anyone who challenges the status quo, who upsets the balance of power, who is seen as undermining the ability of churches and politicians to operate through fear and intimidation as they have done for so long. Anyone aligning with Jesus in challenging Satan's kingdom of fear and misapprehensions about God will come under similar suspicion and attack from those who have vested interests in keeping things as they are. The clearer the testimony about the truth of God one presents the sooner their lives will come under attack and their testimony sought to be discredited.

Only a few verses farther on in this passage it mentions that Lazarus also became caught up in the diabolical plans of these men to suppress the truth about God that was going viral among the people. As insane as it may seem, soon after Lazarus had been spectacularly raised from an extended period of death thereby refuting insinuations about Jesus by His enemies, they decided that Lazarus too, as well as Jesus, needed to be killed to return their country back to the way things had functioned in the past.

The truth about God and revelations of His glory and character are always a threat to those clinging to traditional views of God and who resist the truth about His love. No matter how religious or pious or benign people may appear on the outside, when one continues to choose to resist increasing revelations about the true God of heaven and turn rather to maintaining more familiar and accepted opinions about what God is like, they eventually feel compelled to resort to force and threats to maintain their unfounded beliefs about God that keep them in power. Sooner or later everyone is forced by increasing revelations about God to move one direction or the other. The real issue is, which direction will I choose? Which side will I take? What perception of God will I allow to shape my heart and life?