John 12:12-18 ~ to meet Him

The first tomb of Lazarus, in Bethany, is a place of pilgrimage to this day. The tomb, as it was described in 1896, was entered down a flight of twenty-four rock-cut steps from the then-modern level, to a square chamber serving as a place of prayer, leading by more steps to a lower chamber that was reverenced by Muslim and Christians as the tomb of Lazarus. This is where Lazarus rose from death.

The second tomb of Lazarus, history, traces from France. 

The pilgrims and the Crusade, carried Lazarus relics from Church to Church. An ancient altar in one of the Spanish Cathedrals was opened, inside, beside a relic, was a piece of paper saying, 

"Lazarus is a friend to Jesus, Always."

John 12:12-18

12 The next day (the day was a close to the Resurrection of Lazarus from odorous to Life, and was the Passover in Jerusalem.)

the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;

behold, your king is coming,

    sitting on a donkey's colt!”

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.

John 21 24 

This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, 

and who has written these things, 

and we know that his testimony is true.

Jesus had so many options in life. We see popular ideas: Jesus understood His brain better than others. We've seen popular thought say Jesus was an alien, like the type who built the Pyramid. Jesus lived His Life for truth. He would have said. Instead, Jesus said He is the Messiah, God's Plan of Salvation.

One popular idea, the sadness of Jesus to do God's Will. This isn't Biblical, Jesus is found as a Child, staying to be with His Father in the Temple. Teaching about His Father. Jesus said so many times, "I am." Jesus embraced being holy and human.

 John 7:35 

The Jews said to one another, 

“Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? 

Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 

 John 12 20 

Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 

23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. 

John 21

 25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. 

Were every one of them to be written, 

I suppose that the world itself could not 

contain the books that would be written.

In Holy Week, consider what Jesus had seen as

Messiah. Not just human, but Holy and Divine.

Revelation 4

After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in Heaven.

And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”

2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. 

And think of Palm Sunday

The view from the Ascension, wouldn't surprise Jesus. He had seen Adam and Eve in the Cool of the Evening meet His Father in Eden.

   

Proverb 8 Creation

I was rejoicing in His whole world,

 delighting together in the sons of men. 

32 Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, 

for blessed are those who keep my ways.

Jesus could have thought of so many places and events in History. Lent records Jesus was thinking of His Father, the Disciples and their understanding. Comfort, Help, Helper.

1 Peter 2:25 

 For you were straying like sheep, 

but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Jesus was thinking of the salvation He was giving His Children. He was thinking of us. He was bringing us to the Gate. To Living Water.

John 10:9 

I am the door. 

If anyone enters by me, 

he will be saved 

and 

will go in and out and find pasture.

Holy Week, is when we show up for Jesus.  We are not hired, as Job's life did, to be paid to sit Shiva. We are there to say we think of Jesus. We would be there on Good Friday.  We would want Him to have our comfort for all the times Jesus gave us Comfort.

Matthew 27

55 There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and 

the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

John 19:39-40 

 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.

We attend Holy Week to be the balm of Gilead. 

This is a historical time of unease, all plagues and pandemic recovery has uncertainty and vile violence. We go to say we would Comfort Jesus in the middle of these days.

Jeremiah 8:22, 

“Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? 

Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?

Let us Bless the Lord

Thank You, Father

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Thanks be unto the Lord