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No.37.
26: 1 - 28.
pp. 233 - 240
The 26th chapter opens with the words:
"When Jesus had finished saying all these things, He said to His disciples, `As you
know, the Passover is two days away -- and the Son of Man will be handed over to be
crucified'." (N.I.V.).
His hour was approaching at last (John 2: 4). This was the crucial time upon which
redemption was going to rest, anticipated by the Godhead before creation (Rev. 13: 8)
and often predicted by the Lord Jesus Himself (Matt. 16: 21). It now was less than
forty-eight hours away, and once again He tells the disciples that He will be betrayed and
crucified. At the same time His enemies were meeting and craftily plotting how to get rid
of Him, thus carrying out His prediction:
"Then the chief priest and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the
high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way
and kill him. `But not during the Feast', they said, `or there may be a riot among the
people'." (26: 3-5, N.I.V.).
Caiaphas was high priest 18A.D.-36A.D. His father-in-law Annas had been high priest
6A.D.-15A.D. and was still called high priest by many. This explains why two men at
this time had the title.
The meeting was nothing less than a meeting of the Sanhedrin and they realized that
their plan must be postponed till after the Feast was over and the crowds dispersed. They
noted Christ's popularity with the people and judged it would not be safe to act before
this.
While these activities were going on, the Lord arrived at the home of Simon whom He
had obviously cured of leprosy. Simon was a very common name and it is useless to try
to identify him as some have done. In the same way they have tried to identify the
woman that approached the Lord Who was reclining at the table. Some have said she
was Mary Magdalene, or the sinful woman in Luke. 7: These are just guesses. What
is stressed is the very expensive ointment she brought with her and anointed the Lord's
head. This must have involved a great personal sacrifice, and was an indication of her
devotion and gratitude for what the Lord had done for her.
However, the effect on the disciples was very different. They became angry and said
"Why this waste?". It is interesting to note here that "waste" is apoleia, sometimes
translated destruction, perdition, perishing, and here used in a non-doctrinal sense. It is
evident that the values of the disciples and the woman were very different. To the
disciples the ointment was measured in terms of money; for the women it expressed the
value of the Lord to her. It does not say much for the effect on the disciples of three