My husband, Dan, has written, produced, directed, and performed in numerous plays through the years. He is an amazing playwright. Each play has had a number of different scenes, a plot, a climax and a happy-ever-after ending. Dan takes great care and is gifted in choosing just the right person for each character.
As I began reading John 12:1-27 in preparation for today’s lesson, the passage almost read like a play to me. Immediately, I saw 3 scenes.
Scene 1: Jesus Sits at Supper and is Anointed by Mary
Scene 2: Jesus Enters Jerusalem and is Worshiped by the Multitudes
Scene 3: Jesus Foretells of His Crucifixion and is Troubled
A sovereign God Who knows man’s deepest thoughts and reactions to every circumstance has brought together a perfectly chosen cast.
Simon, who was known as the leper but had no doubt been healed of his leprosy, hosts a supper for Jesus. (Matt. 26:6)
Lazarus, who had been raised from the dead, sits at the supper with Jesus.
Martha does as Martha does. She serves.
Mary anoints the feet of Jesus filling the entire house with the sweet smell of costly ointment. Perhaps, no one understood Jesus quite like Mary. Perhaps no one in the room understood Jesus would die soon. No one, but Mary.
Judas, the son of Simon, scoffs at the waste of the rich ointment. Perhaps no one misunderstood Jesus more than Judas, wanting Jesus to become King and advancing Judas to a place of honor with the wealth of a nation within the reach of his mercenary fingers.
The many, who had heard of the resurrection of Lazarus, come to see if it were really true that a dead man was made alive again.
The Pharisees, rejecting the Messiah until the end, now plot to kill Lazarus! They raise there arms in exasperation as they realize the “whole world is gone after Him!”
The disciples witnessing it all, but without understanding it at all.
The Greeks, who have come to worship at the feast, desire to see this Jesus.
Jesus, perfectly cast as the Savior of all men, staged to lose His life for the sake of all.
So, in Scene 3, we find our main character, Jesus, hating His life in this world, calling those who will serve Him to follow and do the same, and troubled about losing(v 27)!
“He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” John 12:25
And that is the trouble with losing! The love-hate relationship we must have in this world and the fact that we are staged to lose from the time that we are born again.
Losing is God’s way for us to bring forth much fruit. The fruit that will keep or remain through all eternity. It is written in every act, a part of every scene, and the climax for every blood-bought Christian.
And the happy-ever-after ending? Jesus willing to die so He would not have to live without us. There is no greater love or end to our story.
Loser Bible Study Series Theme Verse:
“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.” Mark 8:35
“Lose” from the Greek word “Apollymi” means “to destroy fully.” It is translated lose in John 12:25, our verse for today.