Many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
John 12:11
One day away. The Saturday before Palm Sunday was a day of celebration and somber anticipation. Lazarus had been raised from the dead and was celebrated at a party. Jesus was a hero and soon to be the King of the Jews. Everyone there understood that Jesus was to be the long-awaited King! They waited and waited for a King to overthrow the current government.
There was quite a stir that Jesus was at this honorary dinner, and a large group of Jews decided to crash the party (John 12:9). I’m sure their curiosity got the best of them as they quietly listened to the words Jesus spoke. Perhaps Jesus was forming his group of ragtag soldiers who would stumble into Jerusalem to overthrow the government. This coup would be a possibility since the people were proclaiming Him as King of the Jews. Perhaps Jesus was recounting His experience with Mary, Martha, and Jesus. I can’t imagine it was a heavy conversation kind of night.
Could it be that Jesus was a little preoccupied with the events of the upcoming week? So much would happen, and so much would change. The Jews would be greatly disappointed that Jesus didn’t seem to be their dream of a conquering King. Jesus had already disrupted the influence of the Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees. These hypocritical worshipers were making plans to go after Jesus and end His influence.
One side story that is often overlooked is that the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death. The absurdity of this decision mystifies me. Jesus already raised him from the dead once. Don’t you think He could do it again? Of course. However, the main reason for this decision was to put a forever muzzle on Lazurus’ testimony about what Jesus did for him. At this point, I would say the chief priests were paranoid. Who was this Jesus guy, and what did He want to do?
Did He have a suspicious motive?
Notice that it wasn’t only that Lazarus was raised from the dead, but the Jews were also shifting their allegiance towards Jesus. Those who once followed the pharisaical traditions of the temple were “going away and believing in Jesus” (John 12:11).
If I saw Jesus raise someone from the dead, that would cause me to think a little differently about things.
But wait. Don’t we have that? Don’t we have the advantage of knowing that?
So the scene is set. Jesus is only 2 miles from Jerusalem and is planning to enter the city tomorrow with a great celebration. But what Jesus realizes is that in several days He will be beaten, bruised, punished, and hung on a cross to die. It may even be possible that some of the Jews who believed in Him as a result of what happened with Lazarus would scream for His death.
How do we approach the upcoming week? In many ways, it is a solemn week for Christians, and in many ways, it is a victorious week. Do we morn for Jesus and his death, or do we celebrate His resurrection? Do we look upon those in Jerusalem who shouted to put Jesus to death as horrible people, or do we look at this situation as part of God’s plan for our redemption?
How we approach this week does make a difference. I think, as Christians, we will experience so many different emotions this week. It’s perfectly acceptable to go through these emotions. Remember, “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Whatever your week brings, this is one of the most special times in the Christian experience. Allow the Lord to speak to you through His word and spend quiet time with Him this week. It is a wonderful week for those who love Jesus.