Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America

Thursday after Judica Sunday

Posted on April 2, 2020 by Pastor Dulas under Devotions
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Scripture: St. John 12:1-19 (NKJV)

12:1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.

7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. 8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

9 Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:

“Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!”

14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; 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 were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.

17 Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. 18 For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign. 19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”

Devotion

In the previous chapter of the Gospel of the Evangelist and Apostle St. John, our Lord Jesus Christ had raised Lazarus to life after he had been dead for four days. What is the response of the chief priests and Pharisees? They plot to put Him to death. We are told in today’s pericope that they also planned to kill Lazarus, because it was on account of him that many people believed on the Lord Jesus as the Messiah who comes to redeem them.

What was the response of the people? A great multitude gathered together, they took palm branches and went out to meet Him coming to them on a donkey, and they shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of Israel!” They react this way because they had heard of the raising of Lazarus and believed that the Lord Jesus was the author and giver of life. He can conquer death. He can conquer their death, and He has conquered death for all those who cling to Him in faith.

But this joyous scene, which we will hear more about on Sunday, will not last. Judas Iscariot will betray the Lord Jesus into the hands of the chief priests and Pharisees because of his greed. He played the concerned individual for the poor, but He only cared about the money box, because he stole from it often. His greed condemned an innocent Man. But our Lord’s death conquers death once and for all so that we may live with Him for all eternity.

Prayer: We beseech Thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon Thy people, that by Thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore in body and soul; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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