For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? Luke 9:24-25.

The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130.

Give unto the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Psalm 29:2 NKJV.

In every generation we have things we hold to be true and later generations have different understanding as they live out the changes their times bring. And reading our chapter, John 12, I can’t help but wonder at the impact these specific events had on Jesus, the Son, and on the ordinary people, people like you and me, who lived these events with Him. Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it. Therefore Jesus said, “Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial. For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.” The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus. v. 1-11. How could they think that what they were thinking and planning was true? We have hindsight, but they were living this reality they built. On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.” (Psalm 118:26). Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” (Zechariah 9:9). These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him. So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.” v. 12-19. And now, reading the next verses, it’s good to put them together for context. Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip came and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him.” Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes. Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die. The crowd then answered Him, “We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is the Son of Man?” (Ps. 89:36, Ps. 110:4). We can read Scripture and misunderstand. So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” v. 20-36. When we read Scripture with the help of the Holy Spirit guiding our understanding, we begin to realize that just as Jesus taught His disciples, so He teaches us now. This is personal – our choosing life lived with Him living with us. And still, there were those listening to Him then who did not believe. But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah (Isaiah 53:1) the prophet which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, (Isaiah 6:10) “He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and be converted and I heal them.” These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him. v. 37-41. Even some of the rulers believed in Him but were afraid they would be put out of the synagogue – they couldn’t let go of the approval of men rather than the approval of God, v. 42-43. And Jesus tells them, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.” v. 44-50.

What is true? The Pharisees wanted to kill not only Jesus, the Son, but also Lazarus. That was not Truth. When the Children of Israel chose their own truth over what Creator God said, that was not Truth. When we choose the way of this broken world’s truth, that is not Truth. Even in our own lives, what we once believed was true changes as we mature and grow and gain understanding in living life. So…what is Truth? He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. While you have the Light…believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light. There comes a time in every life when the darkness overwhelms and we long for what is real and what is true. No ideology will save us. No religion will save us. No human being will save us. What will? A close, personal relationship with Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. He will never lie to you. He will walk with you through every storm this world hurls. He will help you see the beauty of His creation and the children He has made that He loves. He will help you turn away from the sins that cause so much harm and destruction. How? By showing you a better way – With Him with you!