Preparing to Die
John 11:45-12:11
Main Idea: Our deepest devotion is revealed in how we respond to the works and words of Jesus.
I. Preparing to Kill (11:45-53, 12:9-11)
"It is interesting to reflect that Caiaphas had said, 'it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people' (11:50). But one was not enough. Now it had to be two. Thus does evil grow. For the Sadducees Lazarus was a double embarrassment. Not only did he cause men to go over to the side of Christ, but he was also a standing condemnation of their doctrine. They denied that there would be a resurrection and here was a man who had lived through death."
~ Leon Morris, NICNT Commentary (John)
II. Preparing to Die (11:54-57)
III. Preparing for Burial (12:1-8)
“The sum was enormous. Either Mary and her family were very wealthy, or perhaps this was a family heirloom that had been passed down to her. Either way, Judas displays a certain utilitarianism that pits pragmatic compassion, concern for the poor, against extravagant, unqualified devotion. If self-righteous piety sometimes snuffs out genuine compassion, it must also be admitted, with shame, that social activism, even that which meets real needs, sometimes masks a spirit that knows nothing of worship and adoration.”
~ D.A. Carson, PNTC Commentary (John)