Tag: Passover

Mary Anoints Jesus

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John 12:1-8 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then said one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always you have with you; but me ye have not always. 

‘Six days before the passover’ On the 9th day of Nisan (our April) – our Thursday sunset to Friday sunset. He came to Jericho and spent Thursday night at the house of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). He delivered the parable of the pounds and proceeded to Jerusalem (Luke 19:11-28). He sent two disciples for the ass and her colt, making His first entry into Jerusalem and returning to Bethany in the evening of Friday (Mat. 21:1-17).

This was the first of three suppers of the last week: the first one was six days before the passover in the house of Lazarus. Jesus slept here Friday night and spent the last sabbath in rest and at sunset when the sabbath ended the supper was served. Mary anointed the Lord on this occasion. The second one took place two days before the passover in the house of Simon the leper, also in Bethany (Mar. 14:1-9). At this supper an unknown woman anointed Jesus. Then there was the last supper (John 13:1-20; Mat. 26:20; Mark 14:17; Luke 22:14).

Judas Iscariot complained about the use of the expensive ointment, for at this stage he was in a backslidden stage and was accumulating wealth and wanted to steal the ointment for profit, not to sell and give to the poor, for he was past caring for others. Jesus told him to leave her alone for she was anointing Him for His death as He made another reference to His death which the disciples failed to see.

The Jew’s Passover

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John 11:54-57 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples. And the Jews’ passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves. Then sought they for Jesus, and spoke among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think you, that he will not come to the feast? Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should show it, that they might take him. 

From the day the Sanhedrin made its final decision to destroy Jesus (11:53), He no longer walked openly among the Jews. The raising of Lazarus was the last of three great miracles that brought this to a climax: There was the healing of the impotent man on the sabbath (John 5:1-16); the healing of the blind man on the sabbath (John 9:16, 22, 34); and raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:46-54).

Ephraim was a city about 32 kilometres north of Jerusalem near Bethel. Jesus stayed here about two months until the passover.

‘Jew’s passover’ It started out to be ‘the Lord’s Passover’ (Ex. 12:11, 27; Lev. 23:5; Num. 28:16), but now it had degenerated to be ‘the Jews’ Passover’ (John 2:13; 6:4; 11:55). The feasts of the Lord (Lev. 23:2) had now become the feasts of the Jews (John 5:1; 6:4; 7:2; 11:56; 19:42). Even the commandments were nullified by the traditions of men (Matt. 15:1-9; 16:6-12).

‘Purify themselves’ in preparation of the passover they went through Levitical ceremonial cleansing from touching the dead and other unclean things (Num. 9:6-10).

The Jews sought for Jesus at the temple and wandered amongst themselves whether He would come to the feast. But the chief priests and Pharisees made a commandment, that, if anyone knew where Jesus was, they should reveal Him so that He can be arrested.

Where I Am

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John 7:32-36 The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him. Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me. You shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither you cannot come. Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? What manner of saying is this that he said, You shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither you cannot come? 

The Pharisees heard that the people murmured about Jesus being the Christ and they and the chief priests sent officers to arrest Him. Jesus responded by giving the nineteenth New Testament prophecy which was fulfilled: that He will be with them only a little longer – He was crucified 7 months later at the next Passover when He becomes the Passover lamb for all men – and then He went back to the Father at the ascension. They shall seek Him, and not find Him was a prophetic reference to the nation seeking a deliverer in vain when the Romans would come and destroy their city in 70 AD.

And where He will be (in Heaven), they cannot come. One must meet certain conditions to go up to where He now is. If one is cut off in his sins he will never be able to go there, but if one is saved from them he will go there at death or after the rapture (2Cor. 5:8; Php. 1:21-24; Heb. 12:23; Rev. 6:9-11).

The Jews thought that Jesus would go someplace else on earth and teach other nations (Gentiles simply means non-Israelites nations).  They did not comprehend that He would die for them and return to Heaven.

All Things

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John 3:22-27 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into prison. Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptize, and all men come to him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. 

Jesus left Jerusalem after the Passover and was either back in Samaria or Galilee (John 2:13). According to John 4:2, Jesus himself did not baptize, but His disciple did.

John the Baptist was baptizing in Aenon (Greek word Ainon which means springs), a town on the west of Jordan, about 87 km northeast of Jerusalem in Samaria. There was much water because of the many springs and streams that were suitable for baptizing.

The question that arose between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying, was whether John’s baptism or the legal ceremonies of the Jews were the most effectual to purify sin ceremonially.

John’s answer: “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.” How literally true! We earn and deserve nothing, but God gives us all things that pertain to life and godliness – now and hereafter (2Pet. 1:3-11; 2Cor. 1:20).

What Is in Man

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John 2:23-25 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. 

The purpose of miracles has always been that we must believe in His name – the name above all names – Jesus (Php. 2:9). Jesus prayed in John 11:42 to the Father: “I knew that thou hear me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.”

Jesus didn’t trust men, for He knew they were not genuine in faith and character. Here is an example of the gifts of knowledge and discerning of spirits (1Cor. 12:4-11). In Jeremiah 17:9 we read that the heart (of all men) is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? God answers in verse 10 that He searches the heart, He tries the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

Cleansing the Temple

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John 2:13-17  And the Jews’ Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house a house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. 

It started out to be ‘the Lord’s Passover’ (Exo. 12:11, 12:27; Lev. 23:5; Num. 28:16), but now it had degenerated to be “the Jews’ Passover” (John 2:13; 6:4; 11:55). The feasts of the Lord (Lev. 23:2) had now become the feasts of the Jews (John 5:1; 6:4; 7:2; 11:56; 19:42). Even the commandments were nullified by the traditions of men (Matt. 15:1-9; 16:6-12).

According to historians, 256,500 animals were sacrificed each Passover, so the market must have been huge. The priests sold licenses to the vendors, so this profanation must have been a large source of revenue.

Jesus made a scourge of small cords; He plaited a whip of rush-ropes and drove the animals and the sellers out of the temple. These dealers were very unpopular because of their extortions; they were also conscious that they were profaning the temple and violating the law. They were a stumbling stone (Matt. 16:23; 18:7) for those who wanted to reconcile with God.

My Father’s is a term used by Jesus 60 times of God (John 5:17, 43). The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up is the second Old Testament prophecy fulfilled in John (Psa. 69:9).