Jesus calls on us to make disciples. That was his words before he ascended. We call that the Great Commission. Yet when Jesus told them that, he was saying – as you have been my disciples, as you have become my disciples, so go make more disciples. Repeat what happened to you.
When Jesus asked people to come and follow him, he was inviting them in a Jewish sense to become his disciple. And to be his disciple – you translate that as apprentice – you not only listened to what they said or did, but watched and learned from how they lived. So Jewish discipleship was – as John Mark Comer – has nicely summed up: being with Jesus, becoming like Jesus and doing what Jesus would do (if he was in your shoes in that situation)
So, when we read a gospel, we listen to his words, see what he did, but also how did he lived, how he was human. We want to focus on everything we read of Jesus and not only what he said.
Fellowship.
It is 6 days before Passover celebration. Likely to be the Saturday evening. The final week is about the begin which leads to Passover which is to be Jesus last week before crucifixion.
And Jesus is in Bethany – village which lay 2 miles from Jerusalem. At the home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Lazarus – the man he had raised from the dead – Jesus the giver of life to those in the grave, is now setting out on his own journey to death and burial. A meal, where there is Lazarus, a man who came out of the tomb, and Jesus, on his way to the tomb.
Jesus loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus which the start of John 11 tells us. They were friends.
Now the main focus of this story is about the anointing by Mary.
Yet, it happens during a meal. We said before, a person noted that Jesus often seemed to be going to a meal, at a meal or coming from a meal. Again, it is worth considering what Jesus’ focus on meals, and also the fact that they are recorded for us by the Holy Spirit, says to us about being a follower of Jesus.
In this meal, we see his feet cleaned by someone unexpected; and in the following chapter, we see feet being cleaned again – again by someone unexpected, by Jesus with water, around a meal, the Last Supper.
Beginning Holy Week with a meal. It is fellowship. The teaching comes when Mary anoints and Judas opposes this. Why is he there?
I consider, a number of days later – what we call Maundy Thursday – Jesus will go into Gethsemane and ask Peter, James and John to be there. There are a number of reasons. Fellowship in the trials that are upon him. The place of human companionship.
Jesus spends time with people. It isn’t all work. It is fellowship. I think it is being with supportive people. People who believe in what he is about.
During Holy Week, Jesus will not sleep in Jerusalem. He will go back to the Mount of Olives. Probably praying in Gethsemane before returning to Bethany – maybe to this home to this fellowship.
What I need to consider. Was Jesus is there with supportive, like minded people, and he was doing this before Holy Week, and quite possibly he continuing doing it during Holy Week.
There is strength given through fellowship. We gain and we give through fellowship. In one gathering we receive, in another we give. It has been said that the west lives by an unholy trinity – relativism, secularism, and individualism. The last one, individualism, influences the church in many ways. One form can be that Christian faith is all about my relationship with Jesus – and that is all that matters. So I never commit to a church community.
Another form can be that I may gather with other believers, but I do not enter into fellowship by that I mean, meaningful relationship with them. I would not consider having a meal with them… not because I don’t like them, that’s just not what faith is about you feel. Yet our God is Trinity and Father, Son and Holy Spirit – one God, three persons, declaring our God is a relational being. Jesus, Word made Flesh is in relationship with others in this time and place of Bethany.
It is a very different model Jesus presents if he only turns up at a meal, always teaches, does miracles and then leaves.
Here, he is just there. He isn’t doing anything is he.
In fact if Mary had done nothing, it appears it would have been just verses 1-2.
So practically.
First. Do you have meaningful fellowship with other believers. Where are you yourself?
Where do you connect?
Secondly, when you are in pressure and struggle, do you cut yourself off from fellowship with other people, or maybe off from your Christian brothers and sisters? Yet the model of Jesus would be, in fact in our difficult times, we need that fellowship – not just a whatsapp message – but through quality time – a meal. You know there was an old book which had an important title which said ‘’too busy not to pray’’ – you could say, ‘’too busy not to have quality fellowship’’… and yet how many Christians, once they get busy will cut the fellowship time with other believers. And yet, maybe those people needed you that evening – what you would give to them…
Third, thinking about your answer, what is the step you need to take next?
Second is Jesus awareness.
He says twice here – ‘’You will always have the poor among you but you will not always have me.’’ And ‘’she did this in preparation for my burial.’’
It is not sure what Mary understood by her action – did she see that far ahead, did she understand more than the 12 apostles – or was she showing her devotion to Jesus, anointing with costly perfume, the Anointed One for her – the Messiah.
But Jesus sees what this nard points to. He knows what is coming.
And that shadow of death we need to meditate upon. The events of Holy Week didn’t just happen or it all went wrong somehow. He had been speaking about this often in the journey to the city. He is two miles from the city where it will all happen. And in a few verses, John describes how he enters the city.
I like films as you know, and I was considering what examples – it is a common movie theme, the sacrifice for others. For this you need to know the Avengers Endgame, you have the moment, where Iron Man Robert Downey Jnr is battling Thanos and the moment comes, Dr Strange has told him much earlier, there is only one way for success, only one way to save billions of people… Iron Man makes that choice, he tricks Thanos, takes the infinity stones and clicks – and it means, because of the power of the stones, he will die…
It is a moving choice, knowing how his life has been, what it has become and what he will lose. And yet he makes that choice, it is the way, as God repeats in Isaiah: The way through, the path to, the enemies defeated, the new thing, a way forward.
We need to mediate often upon this choice of Jesus. He knows what faces him. He does it for the joy of your salvation yet all he will go through and endure to provide a way. And he knew what lay ahead of him. There was only one way. The way of the cross… Sometimes we need to connect again emotionally with what Holy Week and the Cross is about. A favourite hymn of mine is And Can It Be – its opening verse.
And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?
We just were impacted again that he died for me, though I caused his pain, for me,
amazing love that thou my God should die for me…
Is that the prayer as Holy Week approaches, Lord help me understand what this all means for me…
To end.
Jesus fellowshipped with others;
Jesus went into that city for you and me. He knew what he had to do.
Let’s talk to the Lord in silence for a few moments…
What does Jesus have to say to us? …. In Jesus name. Amen.