 |
| That's the closest image to a palm branch that I could get |
The Gospel of John, Chapter 12 - Palms
Passover is approaching. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the family gives a dinner for Jesus. Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with “pure nard” which we can guess is expensive stuff. Judas Iscariot (the gospel points out that this is the one who will betray Jesus) piously says he wishes he could have donated the cost of the nard to the poor, but the gospel says Judas doesn’t give a toss about the poor; he just wants to steal the money. Jesus uses this moment to make reference to his approaching death, saying that Mary can use the perfume for his burial. And also, “You always have the poor with you but you do not always have me.”
This next part is not something often mentioned when we hear the story of Lazarus. The chief priests plan to put Lazarus to death, because the resurrection of Lazarus is bringing a lot of fame to Jesus, and people are therefore believing in Jesus. Lazarus seems like a pawn in everyone’s plans. We do not find out from the gospel text if the chief priests carried out their plan to kill Lazarus.
A crowd is gathering in Jerusalem for the Passover festival. The day after the dinner for Jesus, this crowd hears that Jesus will be coming to Jerusalem, so they get palm branches and go out to meet Jesus as he is arriving. The text doesn’t say what they did with the palm branches, but we learn from other gospels that the crowd spread the branches on the road to make a kind of royal carpet for Jesus. They shout this praise: “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord - the King of Israel!”
This is sure to displease the Pharisees.
In addition to the honor of the palm-branch carpet, Jesus has found a donkey and sat on it. This is to fulfill a scripture saying that the king comes riding on a donkey. All of this - the palms, the donkey, the procession - are symbols of royalty.
The Pharisees recognize that they have lost control. The crowd is all in for Jesus.
Some Greeks coming to the festival want to see Jesus (verse 20), and they tell the disciples, who then tell Jesus. Jesus doesn’t just say, “Yeah sure, I’ll talk to these Greeks.” Instead he replies with this serious statement:
Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. (verses 23-26)
He is predicting his own death and in an oblique way, asking his disciples to stick with him. The Greeks from verse 20 do not make any other appearance in this or future chapters.
Jesus says that his soul is troubled, but also recognizes that what is about to happen will be to glorify God’s name. At that moment, a voice came from heaven. Some of the crowd think it is thunder; others say it is an angel speaking. Jesus says it is a voice, and it is for the crowd’s benefit, (verse 30), with the theme of Jesus’ authority and connection to God continuing.
Jesus speaks in apocalyptic terms, saying that now is the time for the judgment of this world, and that the “ruler of this world” will be removed. Jesus refers to his own death and resurrection: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
The people understand that “lifted up” means death; this conflicts with what they have learned - that the Messiah will never die. They ask Jesus, “Who is this Son of Man?” Jesus doesn’t reply directly, but speaks of himself as the light. “While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.” The believers reading this gospel also understand that “lifted up” means resurrection from death.
Next Jesus goes into hiding, away from the crowd. The gospel author tells us that despite the signs Jesus has performed, people do not believe (verse 37), which is a fulfillment of the prophet Isaiah:
He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
so that they might not look with their eyes,
and understand with their heart and turn—
and I would heal them.”
This whole conversation with the crowd highlights recurring themes of this gospel: Jesus as the light, and also recalls the story about the man healed of blindness / the Pharisees’ inability to see (Chapter 9).
Now the author says that many do believe in him, even the authorities (verse 42, contradicting verse 37). But they can’t express their belief in public because they fear the Pharisees will throw them out of the synagogue. The text mocks the fear of the believers: “for they loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God.” (verse 43).
The final part of this chapter (verses 44-50) is Jesus restating yet again the major themes so far:
Believe in the one who sent me
Whoever sees me, sees the one who sent me
I have come as a light into the world
I do not judge; (but also) I am the judge.
The one who rejects me has a judge.
I have come to save the world.
God’s commandment is eternal life.
I am saying what the Father has told me.
Metaphors: being lifted up, light, darkness, seeing, blindness.
Images and themes: perfume as foreshadowing of Jesus’ death, the crowd praising Jesus
People/Beings: Jesus, Martha, Lazarus, Mary, the disciples, Judas Iscariot, “the great crowd of the Jews”, chief priests, a young donkey, some Greeks,, Philip, Andrew,
Places: the home of Lazarus in Bethany, Jerusalem
No comments:
Post a Comment