Not One of His Bones Will Be Broken
John 12:1-3
1. Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2. There they made him a supper; Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at table with him. 3. Mary took a pound of costly ointment 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 ointment.
John 19:28-37
28. After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the scripture), "I thirst." 29. A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. 30. When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished"; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 31. Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him; 33. but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35. He who saw it has borne witness -- his testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth -- that you also may believe. 36. For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled, "Not a bone of him shall be broken." 37. And again another scripture says, "They shall look on him whom they have pierced."
In the first scripture, Mary offers Jesus a gift of extraordinary value--my notes indicate that the perfume probably cost her her life's savings. She wanted to offer to Jesus the absolutely most valuable gift she could think of. Normally that perfume is poured on one's head, as preparation for burial, but she anoits Jesus' feet -- demonstrating not only her abject humility, but Jesus' worth and value to her and all of us. Mary loved Jesus beyond words, and this expression of love is so powerful!
John was an eyewitness to Jesus' last hours. He stood with the Marys at the foot of the cross and watched as Jesus' physical life faded. He heard Jesus' final words and recognized the significance of each act of the participants. It is said that John did not record his account of the crucifixion for several decades -- I image it took him that long to "recover" and to comprehend the deep significance of it all.
Jesus loved John. I believe John had an understanding and grasp of Jesus' words that most of the others did not until later. I can just imagine him standing at Golgatha, Christ's mother at his side, alternately weeping, and wellng up with humility and pride at having been God's obedient servant -- and she must have wondered in the back of her mind throughout the day-"Is this what I was meant for? Could I really have been one of God's servants who made this possible?" And John . . . everything must have moved as if in slow motion -- almost like in a dream state, as each Old Testament prophesy was fulfilled, the reality and enormity of it all must have swept over him in waves. . .
It must have been just too much to bear. I wonder if he questioned God at some point that day. He must have been overwhelmed to realize that scripture was being fulfilled before his very eyes. He was humbled, I'm sure, and sad, completely drained of emotion probably. Did he believe Easter would come on the third day? Could he even formulate such a thought?
I would love to read an account of what the disciples did over that weekend. I wonder when and how each of them had that "light bulb" go off in their minds?! Oh. . . Oh . . . Oh, my God . . .
Our pound of costly ointment is really our very lives. The aroma of the perfume invades and overtakes our senses. Our worship and praise is how we live our lives. Jesus gave glory to His Heavenly Father to the very end. As followers of His word, we must do the same. I hope when I breathe my last, and tell my Lord, "It is finished" that I know I have done all I was supposed to--and more. But even if not, Jesus did--and that is really all I need to know.
I hope you spend your day enfolded in the fragrance of the fine perfume of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Mary
