Six Days Before The Passover

Bethany was a small village on the side of the Mount Of Olives (the Mount Of Olives is where Christ's "Olivet prophecy" was given; see Instructions To The End-Time Church), about an hour's walk from Jerusalem. It was the home town of Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary, all of whom were close friends of The Prophet Of Galilee. He often visited them, even once raising Lazarus from the dead (see The Lesson Of Lazarus). From His teachings, and the Holy Spirit that enabled them to "hear" what He was saying, they became aware that The Christ was going to be sacrificed as the Lamb of God.

Six days before the ultimate Passover, Lazarus, Martha and Mary hosted a farewell dinner for The Messiah in their home. Although they had visited and eaten together before, this occasion was different. While even the apostles did not yet fully realize that the Christ was going to be killed in a few days, Lazarus' sister Mary did understand enough.

"^12:1 Then Jesus six days before the Passover [see Christ's Passover; listen also to the Sermon Christ's Passover: The Death And Birth Of The Saviour from our Sermons page] came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.

^12:2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.

^12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment." (John 12:1-3 KJV)

"Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord"

As typical of his prophesied contempt for the Son of God (see The Long Shadow Of Judas), Judas the traitor protested Mary's act of worship.

"^12:4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, ^12:5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

^12:6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

^12:7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. ^12:8 For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always." (John 12:4-8 KJV)

The raising of Lazarus from the dead had become a well-known event. Many became believers because of it. But to those who were too full of themselves to have any room left for Truth (see Is Your Religion Your Religion?, What's Your Angle? and Lethal Lust), they planned to murder Lazarus because of the miracle, along with the Messiah himself (the Bible record does not state whether they got Lazarus, but it's very likely that they did).

"^12:9 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.

^12:10 But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; ^12:11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus." (John 12:9-11 KJV)

The next day, the Christ made His famous entry into Jerusalem. Note how the awareness of the resurrection of Lazarus (see Why Were Their Deaths Interrupted?) was a part of that event too.

"^12:12 On the next day much people that were come to the feast [see the Fact Finder question below], when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, ^12:13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried,

Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.

^12:14 And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, ^12:15 Fear not, daughter of Sion [see Daughter of Zion and Anti-Zion Is Anti-Christ]: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.

^12:16 These things understood not his disciples at the first [see Their Eyes Opened After Christ's Tomb Did]: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.

^12:17 The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. ^12:18 For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle. ^12:19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him." (John 12:12-19 KJV)

Fact Finder: How is Passover the first step in the fulfillment of the meanings of the rest of the other true Christian Holy Days?
See our Calendar of Christ's Holy Days

This Day In History, April 13

1059: Pope Nicholas II decreed that future popes would be elected only by cardinals (see The Struggle For The Papacy; listen also to our Sermon Constantine's Papacy).

1598: The Edict of Nantes was promulgated by Henry IV of France. It granted political rights and some degree of religious freedom to the French Huguenots. The edict remained in effect for 87 years.

1759: French forces defeated the European allies at the Battle of Bergen.

1829: The British Parliament granted freedom of religion to Catholics in Britain.

1849: The Hungarian Republic was proclaimed.

1861: After 34 hours of bombardment, Union-held Fort Sumter surrendered to the Confederate forces.

1913: An assassination attempt on King Alphonso XIII of Spain by an anarchist failed.

1959: A Vatican edict prohibited Roman Catholics from voting for communists.

1960: France became the 4th nation with atomic "weapons of mass destruction."

1960: The first navigational satellite was launched into Earth orbit.

1970: An oxygen tank exploded on Apollo 13, causing an abort of the moon landing and near loss of the crew.

1999: Dr. Jack Kevorkian was sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison for murder - the killing of a terminally ill man who wanted to commit suicide. He taped the killing which was shown on the CBS program 60 Minutes. Kevorkian claimed to have assisted over 130 deaths during the previous 10 years.