<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>John 12;9-11<div><br></div><div><b>9. &nbsp;When the great crowd of the Jews learned he was there, they came, not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.</b></div><div><b>10. &nbsp;So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus also to death,</b></div><div><b>11. &nbsp;because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>This <i>“great crowd of the Jews”&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;were made up of not only&nbsp;residents of Jerusalem and surrounding towns and villages such as Bethany, but also Jews from throughout the Roman Empire who had traveled to Jerusalem to observe the Feast of the Passover. &nbsp;Such a journey would often include remaining in the&nbsp;Jerusalem area for the observance of Pentecost/First Fruits, which took place 50 days after Passover. &nbsp;For many, a trip to Jerusalem was a once in a lifetime event. &nbsp;It was savored. &nbsp;The pace of life was much slower back then. &nbsp;People did not rush from one area to another.&nbsp;&nbsp;How could they? &nbsp;The modes of travel were very slow. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>It would have been customary once these pilgrims arrived in Jerusalem to inquire, “What is the latest news around here?” &nbsp;The topic of ‘Jesus,&nbsp;the healing prophet from Nazareth’ had dominated the conversation. &nbsp;Not just his&nbsp;healings and his teachings were discussed, but the greater question, “What next? &nbsp;&nbsp;<span>If he is the long awaited Messiah, God’s own Son, as he claims; What will happen now?” &nbsp;</span></div><div><br></div><div>There had to be extreme tension and&nbsp;apprehension for all, as well as great hope and expectation for deliverance of the kingdom back to Israel and the overthrow of the&nbsp;Romans!</div><div><br></div><div>When this text says, “<i>they came” </i>just <u>where</u>&nbsp;exactly did they come? &nbsp;Answer: The village of Bethany. &nbsp;It was only two miles from Jerusalem. &nbsp;I imagine&nbsp;they were camped out all along the way from Bethany to Jerusalem in anticipation of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem.&nbsp;People were probably jostling each other just to get a look at both Jesus AND Lazarus. Not to be disrespectful, but Jesus and Lazarus now&nbsp;had ‘Rock-Star’ status. &nbsp;They WERE the news of the day! &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Those whom Jesus raises from death are living evidence of the power of God. &nbsp;The enemies of God seek not only to destroy God, but also those who are witnesses to his power, those who&nbsp;he raises to new life, us!&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>“And <u>you he made alive, when you were dead </u>&nbsp;through the trespasses and sin in which you once walked,..”</i>.(Ephesians 2;1)</div><div>As it is written, <i>“For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” </i>(Romans 8;36)</div><div><br></div><div>The new life which is in us through our baptism into Christ begins with us being united with Christ in his death to sin. <i>“We were buried therefore&nbsp;with him by baptism&nbsp;into death, so&nbsp;that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” &nbsp;</i>(Romans 6;4). Repentance and faith separate us from who we once were. &nbsp;In Christ, we are given a&nbsp;new Offertory&nbsp;identity. &nbsp;Our lives have become an acceptable&nbsp;sacrificial offering to God! &nbsp;Our very existence is a threat to Satan and his kingdom of darkness.</div><div><br></div><div><i>“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you. &nbsp;But rejoice in so far as you share in Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” &nbsp;</i>(1 Peter 4;12&amp;13)</div><div><br></div><div>The chief priests in particular, justifiably&nbsp;felt extremely insecure and threatened in these days. &nbsp;They had been ‘in bed’ with the Romans. Now the whole sacrificial&nbsp;temple worship system was being overshadowed, even&nbsp;set aside for something, someone greater in the hearts and minds of the people. The people were <i>“going away” </i>from the ‘established system’ which enriched the corrupt&nbsp;priests and kept the Jewish common people under control. They thought&nbsp; not&nbsp;only Jesus, but Lazarus whom he raised must both&nbsp;die!<b></b></div><div><br></div><div>Surely the people saw the blood of their Passover lambs&nbsp;was now&nbsp;pointing to a new exodus, a setting free from their bondage to Rome, as well as&nbsp;the corruptions which had found their way into their worship of God. &nbsp;(As yet, the people did not understand the full extent of freedom which was coming to them in Christ.)</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Gracious, wondrous,&nbsp;kind, merciful loving almighty&nbsp;Father, bless us to know that&nbsp;by our baptism,&nbsp;we have died with Christ and have been raised with him in newness of life. &nbsp;Believers are truly threatening to&nbsp;the devil, this world, and our own flesh. &nbsp;You have given us a life, The Life, which can not be taken from us. &nbsp;Earthly&nbsp;death <u>is&nbsp;temporary</u>&nbsp;for our carnal&nbsp;bodies only. &nbsp;<i>“Whoever lives and believes in Jesus, will never die.” &nbsp;</i>(John 11;26). We praise you Father that our Lord Jesus is for us, <i>“The resurrection and the Life”, </i>(John 11;25)&nbsp;in Jesus we pray, Amen.<i></i></div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.”</div><div><i><br></i><div><br><br><a href="https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/?.src=iOS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


John 12;9-11
9.  When the great crowd of the Jews learned he was there, they came, not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.10.  So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus also to death,11.  because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
This “great crowd of the Jews”  were made up of not only residents of Jerusalem and surrounding towns and villages such as Bethany, but also Jews from throughout the Roman Empire who had traveled to Jerusalem to observe the Feast of the Passover.  Such a journey would often include remaining in the Jerusalem area for the observance of Pentecost/First Fruits, which took place 50 days after Passover.  For many, a trip to Jerusalem was a once in a lifetime event.  It was savored.  The pace of life was much slower back then.  People did not rush from one area to another.  How could they?  The modes of travel were very slow.  
It would have been customary once these pilgrims arrived in Jerusalem to inquire, “What is the latest news around here?”  The topic of ‘Jesus, the healing prophet from Nazareth’ had dominated the conversation.  Not just his healings and his teachings were discussed, but the greater question, “What next?   If he is the long awaited Messiah, God’s own Son, as he claims; What will happen now?”  
There had to be extreme tension and apprehension for all, as well as great hope and expectation for deliverance of the kingdom back to Israel and the overthrow of the Romans!
When this text says, “they came” just where exactly did they come?  Answer: The village of Bethany.  It was only two miles from Jerusalem.  I imagine they were camped out all along the way from Bethany to Jerusalem in anticipation of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. People were probably jostling each other just to get a look at both Jesus AND Lazarus. Not to be disrespectful, but Jesus and Lazarus now had ‘Rock-Star’ status.  They WERE the news of the day!  
Those whom Jesus raises from death are living evidence of the power of God.  The enemies of God seek not only to destroy God, but also those who are witnesses to his power, those who he raises to new life, us!  “And you he made alive, when you were dead  through the trespasses and sin in which you once walked,..”.(Ephesians 2;1)As it is written, “For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” (Romans 8;36)
The new life which is in us through our baptism into Christ begins with us being united with Christ in his death to sin. “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”  (Romans 6;4). Repentance and faith separate us from who we once were.  In Christ, we are given a new Offertory identity.  Our lives have become an acceptable sacrificial offering to God!  Our very existence is a threat to Satan and his kingdom of darkness.
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you.  But rejoice in so far as you share in Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”  (1 Peter 4;12&13)
The chief priests in particular, justifiably felt extremely insecure and threatened in these days.  They had been ‘in bed’ with the Romans. Now the whole sacrificial temple worship system was being overshadowed, even set aside for something, someone greater in the hearts and minds of the people. The people were “going away” from the ‘established system’ which enriched the corrupt priests and kept the Jewish common people under control. They thought  not only Jesus, but Lazarus whom he raised must both die!
Surely the people saw the blood of their Passover lambs was now pointing to a new exodus, a setting free from their bondage to Rome, as well as the corruptions which had found their way into their worship of God.  (As yet, the people did not understand the full extent of freedom which was coming to them in Christ.)
Prayer:  Gracious, wondrous, kind, merciful loving almighty Father, bless us to know that by our baptism, we have died with Christ and have been raised with him in newness of life.  Believers are truly threatening to the devil, this world, and our own flesh.  You have given us a life, The Life, which can not be taken from us.  Earthly death is temporary for our carnal bodies only.  “Whoever lives and believes in Jesus, will never die.”  (John 11;26). We praise you Father that our Lord Jesus is for us, “The resurrection and the Life”, (John 11;25) in Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.”


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