It’s not every day someone gets raised from the dead, so it’s not surprising Lazarus had become an issue. When the stone was rolled away, eyewitnesses smelled the stench, then saw the corpse, alive and walking. The raising of Lazarus was an undeniable testimony that Jesus is God’s Son, as He claimed. So how do the enemies of Jesus respond to this miracle? They decide that He must be put to death. Why? Because Jesus is a threat to their positions of power. If His growing popularity sparks a political revolt among the people, Rome will come in to restore law and order, and these religious leaders will be out of a job. So even though they can’t deny the amazing signs Jesus has performed, they won’t acknowledge the truth about Him. Instead, Caiaphas reasons that it’s better to kill Jesus than to have Rome squash the whole nation. Simply put, one man must die so the rest can live. In this way, the high priest unwittingly prophesies of Jesus’ substitutionary death: truly, God killed His own Son so He wouldn’t have to kill sinners like us (11:45-57). In contrast to the excessive self-interest of the Jewish council, Mary responds to Jesus with extravagant self-denial. In John 12, she is so grateful to have her brother alive again that she goes to the furthest lengths she can think of to express her love for the Lord. Co-hosting an appreciation dinner, Martha organizes the meal, while Mary, true to her character, expresses her heart in less practical ways. With great devotion and humility, she pours out her most valued possession on Jesus’ feet. Judas estimates the value of this ointment to be 300 denarii—the equivalent of one year’s salary for a common laborer! Judas, who is also driven by self-interest, criticizes Mary’s extravagance. But Jesus defends her actions, knowing the deeper significance. This too pointed to His impending death. His body would soon be anointed for burial, but Mary was expressing her devotion to Him before it was too late (v 1-8). Meanwhile, the chief priests are expanding their hit list. Not only Jesus, but Lazarus too, must be eliminated, for many were believing in Jesus through his testimony. Then just as the chief priests feared, a royal welcome is extended to Jesus as He enters the holy city. Huge crowds are waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna!” There is excitement in the air as people anticipate military triumph and national freedom. But Jesus is not flashing a sword from a tall war horse. He comes humbly, on a lowly donkey. He is offering Himself as the final Passover Lamb, about to be slaughtered so the nations might be reconciled to God. Indeed, “the world” will be drawn to Him (v 9-19; cf 11:52). For further meditation: