We are in the 12^th chapter of John’s gospel. When the chapter is over, Jesus’ direct ministry to His people will be over. The next chapters after this will show us an intense last-minute ministry to His disciples and then will come the end: the fulfillment of His mission. Last time I quoted that passage from Isaiah where God the Father, talking to the Son, tells Him that His mission is not only to restore the preserved of Israel but also to be a light to the Gentiles; to be the Salvation of the whole Earth. Which means that when Gentiles start to see the light, we know the end is near. Which is why this next passage in John 12 is so significant.

Several times in this study through the gospel of John, I have pointed out when his narrative omits events that you find in the synoptic gospels. He skips months of the ministry of Jesus only to, suddenly, stop and focus on a given moment. This is about to happen. Chapters 13 through 17 are focused on the few hours of the last night of Jesus’ ministry… a time devoted entirely to His disciples. Chapter 12, where we are now, is then John’s summary of the conclusion of Jesus’ ministry to His people.

That whole scene at the tomb of Lazarus is to me the perfect example of the inevitable struggle between Sorrow and Joy that is the hallmark of this human life. Jesus has just called out “Lazarus come forth!” And the one who was dead comes back to life, hopping out of that cave… Yes, hopping; because we know – as the passage states – that the burial custom was to wrap the dead in linen strips, like a mummy. I wonder who was the first one in that crowd to repress a chuckle at the sight.

The story of Lazarus – Mary and Martha’s brother – has to be one of the best known and best loved stories in the Bible. It is one of my favorites… but not for the obvious reasons. Yes, the climax of the story is the resurrection of Lazarus: a miracle that is the signature miracle of the Messiah: It proves that He had the power to undo death and, therefore, the power to undo the ultimate cause of death: sin. But… you know… Lazarus eventually died again.

We left off in John 10:21 last time. Today we start from verse 22. However, note that between verse 21 and verse 22 a lot of stuff happens. You can tell that from the other gospels. We can tell so, here, because – all of a sudden – we are in the last few months of Jesus’ ministry. Verse 22 says: Now the feast of the dedication was celebrating at Jerusalem, and it was winter. This is the winter before Jesus’ last Passover on Earth.

My story, Ahavah’s Golem, appeared this last February 2024 in ResAliens Zine Issue #11. Residential Aliens Magazine – expertly edited by Lyndon Perry – features “spiritually infused speculative fiction”. The story is now available on my web site. (If you are interested in reading all the stories in that issue, you will also find the link to the Amazon page.)