The Advent of Easter, Part XVI by Pamela Christian—Copyright © 2019
This time in the Advent of the first Easter was the early days of the Hebrew month Nissan—the first month on the sacred calendar. (Nissan is also called Abib). This was an exciting time with the atmosphere in the city amping up. Hebrew sojourners were arriving from various parts of the known world to return to Jerusalem, in the annual pilgrimage for Pesach, or Passover. Passover is one of the highest holidays, commemorating the time of the great Exodus—delivery of God’s people from the bondage of slavery.
Large numbers of men, many with their families, have been streaming into the city in recent days. They are walking along dirt paths, with staff in hand, herding lambs which will become the sacred sacrifice for the Passover meal. Boys are skipping and running playing hoop-stick as they journey. Men are engaged in conversation about God delivering their forefathers through the Red Sea, miraculously opened up for their passage. They marvel at the recollection of this central event in Israel’s history.
Jesus, more than any other is keenly aware of God’s timetable. Knowing His days are short, Jesus uses every possible teachable moment to prepare His followers. We read in John 10:1-6:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.”
The sheepfold commonly was a courtyard near or beside a house and bordered by a stone wall, in which one or several families kept their sheep. This space or may not have an actual door, however the entry would have been guarded by a gatekeeper whose job was to make certain the sheep were not endangered by any intruders.
Israel’s exodus from Egypt is at times portrayed in terms a flock (the people) being led by its shepherd, (Moses).
Jesus knows the people’s physical exodus and release from slavery by God’s chosen deliverer for that earthly event, Moses, was a foreshadow of the ultimate spiritual exodus and delivery He would provide. Jesus, the long-awaited promised Deliverer, was among the people but they did not understand what He was saying to them.
On the 8th of Nissan, Jesus traveled to Bethany, the village where Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, lived. (Lazarus was one whom Jesus raised from the dead.) Jesus was their dinner guest. Out of profound gratitude for what Jesus did for her brother, Mary took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair. Mary expressed her clear devotion to Jesus. On the 12th of Nissan, two days before Passover, at the house of Simon the leper, Jesus was yet again anointed with oil, only this time poured over His head. Both women were moved to express their devotion, without fully understanding the significance of their actions.
In that culture, it was hospitable if you had a guest in your house, to provide water in a bowl for them to wash their feet as they will have just walked through the dusty byways of Israel. To that water, you would add droplets of perfume to provide a pleasant aroma, but not to be wasteful in the amount that you add because in the Torah you were commanded not to be wasteful. The rabbis had decided when celebrating someone coming to your house it is appropriate to use perfume, but it is not acceptable to use pure nard. Why? Because this was seen to be a waste, so if you were wasting resources then you were violating a command of the Torah. Jesus defends the women explaining they are not rubbing the pure nard on His feet and pouring it on His head to celebrate Him; rather it is an act of mourning for His burial, and since it’s an act of mourning it fits in with the law.1
Jesus is more than the True Shepherd. He is also the Lamb of God, which we’ll explore with the next post.
For April 5-6, 2019 read and meditate on the following Scriptures:
John chapters, 10, 11 and 12:1-11; Mark 14:1-10.
1 “Understanding the Significance of Jesus Being Anointed By Oil,” https://inspired2think.wordpress.com/2015/04/11/understanding-the-significance-of-jesus-being-anointed-by-oil/
Scroll down below to access earlier posts in this series. To view the entire list of planned devotions, see the Introduction.
For author bio and schedule of posts for The Advent of Easter click here.
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