Welcome to Day 2155 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Gospel of John – 22 – The Breaking Point – Daily Wisdom

The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication of the Word – The Breaking Point

Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last week, we saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the grave after he had been dead for four days. Jesus proclaimed in verses 25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;  and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” Today our message will be in two related parts. First, we will read John 11:45-57. I am overlapping the last two verses from our last message to tie in the context, then later in the message, we will cover John 12:1-11, so keep your Bibles open and follow along as I read.  Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. So from that day on they plotted to take his life. Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.  When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?”  But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him. Have you experienced or been confronted with a “moment of truth”—that sweet and terrible instant when the truth about some particular unsavory or unethical matter in your life can no longer be denied, minimized, rationalized, or disguised? There it is, in all its stark, unforgiving glory, demanding a choice. You can continue to bury the truth and then live in manic, strained denial for the rest of your days, or you can submit to that truth and then rest in its freedom, even though you may have to accept the consequences. If you have faced such a moment, you know—try as you might to find it—there’s no compromising middle way that will allow you to avoid the distressing consequences of either choice. Denial is a slippery slope leading to a quagmire of pretending and deception. Acceptance requires life-altering choices that will cause intense pain for everyone involved. At least with truth, the pain is the healing kind. But that doesn’t make the choice any easier. King David experienced his moment of truth when the prophet Nathan shared a story in 2 Samuel 12:1-14. So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.” David was furious. “As surely as the Lord lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.”  Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! The Lord, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul. I gave you your master’s house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more. Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife. From this time on, your family will live by the sword because you have despised me by taking Uriah’s wife to be your own. “This is what the Lord says: Because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes, and he will go to bed with them in public view. You did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel.” Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the word of the Lord by doing this, your child will die.” David’s moment of truth offered him two choices, and only two: silence the prophet permanently, or else repent. It was a choice between power and truth. He could have become like his predecessor, Saul, who jealously clutched his power and wielded it to hunt down the Lord’s anointed one (1 Sam. 16:13), hoping to murder him. Instead, David proved to be very different from Saul; David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14) despite his awful sins. He chose to submit to the truth and then rest in its inevitable reward: release from turmoil, freedom from fear, and eventually, peace with God (Ps. 32: 51). The public ministry of Jesus was a three-year moment of truth for the religious leaders of first-century Israel. The Word of God, promised for centuries, now stood before them in flesh and blood, truth incarnate. The religious leaders denied the truth, disputed it, marginalized it, and even tried to silence it, but Jesus will not be set aside or put aside. He leaves no compromising middle way. Each individual must decide what to do with Him. Deny or submit? Reject or believe? Embrace Him and experience freedom, or kill Him and preserve the illusion of power? After Jesus exercised power over death with the raising of Lazarus, many religious leaders began to break ranks and believe in the Son of God (John 11:45). Therefore, the custodians of religious power in Jerusalem could no longer put off the question of Jesus. 11:47–48 By the time of Jesus, the Jews had instituted what may be considered a provisional government in anticipation of the Messiah, who would rule as king. Until then, they vested the high priest with all the rights and privileges of a monarch (1 Maccabees 14:35–49) with the understanding that he should step aside when the Christ came to claim His rightful place on the throne of Israel. Except during the reign of Herod the Great, who had himself named “King of the Jews” by Rome, the high priest traditionally guided the nation as its provisional leader. Throughout its history, Israel also looked to a body of elders for day-to-day leadership, a council known as the Sanhedrin, which served as parliament and Supreme Court. This ruling council of seventy learned men set Jewish policy (within limits established by Rome) and ruled on civil and criminal court cases. The Sanhedrin prioritized maintaining the uneasy balance between Rome’s desire to dominate its subjects and the yearning of the Jewish people for independence. Usually, the high priest (appointed by Rome) and the Sanhedrin (who advocated for independent-minded Jews) engaged in public rivalry, each pretending to work against the other, yet neither really wanting anything different. Any change would threaten to strip every one of their power. The council met to decide what they should do with Jesus; He bore all the scriptural credentials and produced all the right “signs” of the Messiah, yet He lacked an army. To side with Jesus (as they understood the role of the Christ) was to defy Rome. But to defy Rome without an army was to invite the worst kind of death. Roman generals were known to line the roads of rebel cities with the crucified bodies of its men and women and to sell their children into slavery. 11:48–53 Throughout much of its history, the high priest presided over the Sanhedrin, acting as its moderator and official voice. However, that ended around 200 BC when the council felt the need for a balance of powers. Even with that, for the high priest to attend a special meeting of the Sanhedrin was not unprecedented. Still, it did suggest something extraordinary was occurring, much like the President of the United States attending a special meeting of Congress. The high priest “that year” was Caiaphas, the corrupt son-in-law, and figurehead of the true power in the temple, Annas. When Caiaphas heard the debate, he issued an unwitting prophecy. While he was not a genuine man of God, he ironically spoke a profound truth. He merely suggested they make Jesus the fall guy if Rome should seek someone to blame for the agitation of the crowds. In his sidebar, John points to the theological truth of Jesus’ substitutionary death for the sins of believers in Israel and Gentile nations abroad. By the end of the meeting, most religious leaders had decided upon their official disposition concerning Jesus. Submitting to the truth of Christ would require them to cede their power to Rome, which they refused to do. Therefore, because they wouldn’t accept the truth that Jesus is the Messiah, they officially decided to kill Him. 11:54–57 After the raising of Lazarus from the dead and the backlash it caused, Jesus avoided contact with the religious officials for the time being, though not out of fear. Instead, Jesus and his disciples went to Epriman, about a day’s walk northeast of Jerusalem. He did not need further discussion. The die had been cast. The breaking point had been reached, the point of no return. Each man associated with the official powers of the nation had made up his mind, one way or another. The next time He would encounter the religious authorities of the temple, it would be in an official capacity. Soon He would enter Jerusalem as King Jesus, the Messiah, arriving to claim the throne of Israel and assume command of His temple. Now part two of our message. John 12:1-11, which is filled with John’s commentaries or sidebars. Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him. Chapter 12 of John’s narrative marks a significant transition in Jesus’ life. While no less than three years elapsed in the first eleven chapters, John slows the pace of his narrative to cover less than a week in chapter 12, and then three days in chapters 13 to 20. This segment also marks a sudden shift from public ministry to private mentoring. Chapters 1–11 saw Jesus traveling up and down that narrow strip of land, Israel, conducting a comprehensive public ministry, healing and teaching multiple thousands of followers. His immense popularity commanded the attention of the chief priests and Pharisees and, at the same time, protected Him from assassination, most notably during His Triumphal Entry. This gave Him ample opportunity to proclaim the Word of God in the temple, confront the religious leaders about their abuse of power, correct their theology concerning sin and salvation, and set their crooked messianic expectations straight. His ministry of presenting the truth of God (of which He was the literal embodiment) attracted believers, whose hearts had been prepared to respond to Him. However, this same truth also repulsed nonbelievers, pushing them to the breaking point, the title of today’s message. As the appointed “hour” of Jesus’ glory approached—the time of His suffering, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension—the preparation work had been completed. His final week on earth would be spent in the company of His closest friends as He prepared His disciples for what lay ahead, all while walking the path to the cross His Father had prepared beforehand. 12:1–2 Six days before His crucifixion (timeline), Jesus returned to Bethany, just two miles from the hornets’ nest of conspiratorial enemies in Jerusalem. John 11:45 tells us that when Jesus brought Lazarus back from the beyond, many “Jews”—chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees—believed in the Son of God. As in this story and the other gospel accounts, Martha was serving dinner as usual. Mary was also described as a devout, godly follower of Christ. Both sisters had their strengths and gifts that they presented to Jesus. Jesus and the other guest would have been reclining on one side with His feet pulled away from the table behind Him. 12:3–6 As in the previous encounter with Mary and Matha at dinner, Mary may have abandoned her serving duties to express her devotion to Jesus. Regardless, she opened an alabaster jar of expensive perfume sometime during the meal and anointed Jesus. It is said to be a pint of pure nard (lavender) worth about $50,000 in today’s money. In (Matt. 26:7; Mark 14:3) mentions the anointing of Jesus’s head. Then, moved by her enormous gratitude for grace, or overtaken by grief for the ordeal He was about to suffer, Mary knelt over His feet, broke the alabaster jar, and emptied the perfume on Jesus’ feet in a lavish gesture of worship. (Pour out nard) She drenched His feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. The fragrance of her spontaneous devotion filled the room. In doing this, Mary violated several cultural norms. First, her society expected her to be serving. Second, touching the feet of another person was considered degrading; Mary’s wiping the feet of Jesus with her hair—the crown and glory of a woman—left her with no public dignity whatsoever. Third, a woman was never to take her hair down in public. Fourth, the perfume she collected was a typical treasure kept by women for their dowry, which she emptied on Jesus. Her lavish worship left her without a dowry, thus reducing her prospects for a favorable marriage. Judas Iscariot protested. He watched in horror as he witnessed nearly one year’s wage for a common laborer ($50k) seep through the cracks in the floor. John, writing more than sixty years later, knew the true reason for Judas’s objection. The trusted treasurer had been embezzling the group’s funds for some time. The man was greedy to the core, despite his pious-sounding suggestion. Judas had been cultivating a double life for months or possibly years. Like a sharp blade (hold up the sword), truth divides whatever stands before it, separating even soul from spirit to reveal a man’s heart (Heb. 4:12). Judas created a gaping chasm between his public persona and his private self. His charming religious facade kept a seething resentment carefully hidden from anyone he hoped to impress. 12:7–8 We cannot know what was in Mary’s mind as she worshiped the Lord with her aromatic treasure, but the Lord gave it a profound theological purpose. The first step in preparing a body for burial was to rinse it with water and anoint it with scented oil. Jesus used her expression of devotion to signal the coming of His death. Jesus’ public rebuke of Judas finally brought the duplicitous disciple to his breaking point. According to Matthew and Mark, it was after this event he decided to betray the Lord. 12:9–11 Despite His winnowing the multitudes, Jesus remained immensely popular. Undoubtedly, genuine believers could be found among the crowds, but in this case, the motivation appears to be mere curiosity. And their presence revealed Jesus’ location, which He had previously kept discreet. Once the religious leaders learned of Jesus’ presence and gained the help of a spy within Jesus’ inner circle, a plot to kill Him began to form and accelerate. Application: John 11:47–57 To Thine Own Self Be Truthful As a young man, I listened to sermons and lessons on the life of Jesus and the conspiracy to kill Him with great confusion. I couldn’t understand why anyone would murder the Son of God, unless genuine ignorance or outright insanity had clouded their vision. I even wondered if the Lord could have spoken to them one more time; maybe—just maybe—they would have seen their error. Perhaps one more miracle might have helped them know the truth; a great, collective “ah-ha” would have preceded their profound apologies and complete acceptance of Him as their long-awaited Messiah. When I outgrew the naive innocence of youth, I accepted a sad, yet all-too-common reality: some people don’t...