John 12 has a lot in it! Yesterday we reviewed the story of Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus, anointing Jesus with expensive Oil of Nard and wiping his feet with her hair, and act of total love and adoration. We leap from that to verses 9 - 11, where we are told that the Chief Priests decided to kill Lazarus because so many people were coming to belief in Jesus because of that miracle. John doesn't tell us what happened with that plan, even though he likely could have, since he was writing well after the events that transpired. It leaves me wondering. I don't recall any further mention of Lazarus in the Bible.... Perhaps, since John didn't say, the focus returned to killing Jesus since that was their priority. John definitely clearly records that.
But, in the meantime, the next event John shares with us is the triumphal entry that we celebrate on Palm Sunday. Other gospel writers tell more of the story - how Jesus sent disciples to get a donkey with a young colt, and to tell the owner, "The Master has need of it." John just says, "Jesus found a young donkey, and sat on it...." John does make it clear that Jesus sat on the colt - and that in itself is a miracle to me. I very much doubt that the young colt was trained yet! I could be wrong, of course, but I doubt it!
As John relates, when the large crowd in Jerusalem who had come for the Passover Festival heard that Jesus was coming, they ran out to meet him, waving palm branches, laying their outer wraps down on the road, like a glorious carpet, showing their adoration, respect, honor, momentary love and praise for the Son of God, Son of Man, the One many had come to believe was the Messiah...but they believed the Messiah was going to be an earthly king, and their story line fell apart soon after this event, because they didn't see through God's eyes. I suspect they thought this might be the day when he would take over, vanquish their foes, set them free from the bonds Rome had placed on them....
I don't always see through God's eyes either, but this is one of the greatest examples of that reality. The beautiful thing to focus on is that in that moment, on a 2-mile donkey ride from Bethany to Jerusalem, Jesus was given the praise and adoration he was due. Palms waving, people shouting 'Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord. Hallelujah!' Pure joyful adoration! I love that picture!
[P S, I do realize that in following John sequentially in his writing we are getting way ahead of the story, but my blog entries this year are not meant to follow the daily journey to and beyond the cross, but to simply be a personal spiritual journey for this season.... If you want the sequential, you can order an online version of my book, LEAD ME TO THE CROSS, which does document the daily journey commemorating Jesus' journey to the cross and beyond. It is available as an eBook on Amazon.]
