Yeshua’s Final Journey ~ Part 7

In our last post, we have been dealing with the final days of Yeshua’s life and ministry. In this post, Yeshua Goes Toward Yerushalayim.

Yeshua Goes Toward Yerushalayim

After telling the Parable of the ten manim Luke reports that Yeshua went on ahead toward Yerushalayim. (Luke 19:28).

⁵⁵ The Judean festival of Pesach was near, and many people went up from the country to Yerushalayim to perform the purification ceremony prior to Pesach. ⁵⁶ They were looking for Yeshua, and as they stood in the Temple courts, they said to each other, “What do you think? that he simply won’t come to the festival?” ⁵⁷ Moreover, the head cohanim and the P’rushim had given orders that anyone knowing Yeshua’s whereabouts should inform them so that they could have him arrested.

The purification ceremony prior to Pesach. Those who had become ritually unclean because of touching a dead body had to purify themselves by immersion (Numbers 9:10, 13). Sometimes the purification required seven days (Numbers 31:19–20). What do you think? That he simply won’t come to the festival? That is since He knows the authorities seek His death, will He disobey the Torah and not show up to save His skin?

¹ Six days before Pesach, Yeshua came to Beit-Anyah, where El’azar lived, the man Yeshua had raised from the dead; ² so they gave a dinner there in His honor. Marta served the meal, and El’azar was among those at the table with Him. ³ Miryam took a whole pint of pure oil of spikenard, which is very expensive, poured it on Yeshua’s feet, and wiped His feet with her hair so that the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ⁴ But one of the talmidim, Y’hudah from K’riot, the one who was about to betray Him, said, ⁵ “This perfume is worth a year’s wages! Why wasn’t it sold and the money given to the poor?” ⁶ Now, he said this not out of concern for the poor but because he was a thief – he was in charge of the common purse and used to steal from it. ⁷ Yeshua said, “Leave her alone! She kept this for the day of my burial. ⁸ You always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

You always have the poor among you, as Deuteronomy 15:11 teaches, but you will not always have me. While Yeshua’s point is to call the attention of His talmidim to the importance of His brief remaining time on earth, some, noting the stress Judaism puts on charity, have regarded His remark as insensitive and selfish. It is not, for two reasons: (1) Miryam’s timely act of love toward the Messiah is valued by God precisely for its unselfishness, and (2) the marginal significance of the resources here withheld from the poor is negligible compared both with their need and with the opportunities available to potential givers.

⁹ A large crowd of Judeans learned that He was there, and they came not only because of Yeshua but also so that they could see El’azar, whom He had raised from the dead. ¹⁰ The head cohanim then decided to do away with El’azar too, ¹¹ since it was because of him that large numbers of the Judeans were leaving their leaders and putting their trust in Yeshua.  ^[1]

Because of him, that is, because El’azar had been raised from the dead by Yeshua, large numbers of Judeans were leaving their leaders, the P’rushim and the Head Cohanim, and putting their trust in Yeshua, who, by demonstrating God’s power and holiness commends Himself as the true leader of Judeans in particular and Jews generally.

In our next, we will begin to follow Yeshua into Yerushalayim for His Crucifixion by the end of the week.

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^[1]  Yochanan 11:55-12:11