October 28, 2025; John 12:1-19

Daily Dose of Hope

October 28, 2025

 

Scripture –  John 12:1-19

 

Prayer:  Holy God, We rejoice in your name today.  You are almighty and wise, the Alpha and the Omega.  You are the one who was, and is, and is to come.  We give you all the glory and praise.  Help us now, Lord, gather our scattered thoughts and focus on you.  In these next few moments of silence, hear our prayers...  In Your Name, Amen.

 

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin John 12.

There is a lot going on this chapter.  It begins with Mary anointing Jesus with an expensive perfume, much to Judas' dismay. The other Gospels don't name the woman who anoints Jesus' feet, but John says that it's Mary, sister of Lazarus and Martha.  By doing so, Mary is pointing to Jesus' identity as Messiah King, but also as Servant King.  She wipes Jesus' feet with her hair, a lowly position, but one that foreshadows Jesus' own actions at the Last Supper when he washes his disciples' feet and demonstrates love through sacrificial, humble service.

Judas was all about the money.  Remember, he wasn't complaining about the "waste" because he truly wanted to help the poor but because he was skimming from the money bag.  He wanted more money for himself.

One more quick comment about this.  I once had someone tell me that there was no real need to give to the poor because Jesus himself said the poor you will always have with you.  I think most of you know that context is everything.  Jesus took care of the poor all the time!  He was not telling us not to care for the poor in any way, shape, or form.  Rather, in this specific instance, he was responding to Judas' superficial complaint.  He knew that Judas didn't care about the poor but about his own pockets.  In that moment, Mary was caring for Jesus.  There would be plenty of time for her to care for the poor in her community and I'm sure she did because she followed Jesus' example.  But there is a time and a place for everything.

There is a brief discussion, before the Palm Sunday passage, about the need to kill Lazarus.  The Pharisees are getting desperate.  It isn't enough to simply target Jesus, they also plan to target Lazarus because he is also getting attention for being raised from the dead.  These are men of God whose hearts have grown hard.  Fear has a tendency to do that.

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