My time is at hand

Our reading today is one of dark conspiracies alleviated by bright shafts of light as the storm clouds gather around the Saviour. It begins with fear of an uproar and ends with the singing of a hymn. We read of Mary’s worship of her Lord expressed in the pouring out of that which was ‘very precious’, in contrast to Judas’ paltry estimate of the Lord Jesus, just thirty pieces of silver. The Passover is kept, looking back to redemption from Egypt, but pointing forward to Calvary. Then bread and wine from the Saviour’s hands is given to His own for a remembrance which looks back to Calvary and onward to His coming; between these two memorials the betrayer leaves to carry out his nefarious plan.

The malevolent scheming of the Jewish authorities to try and find an appropriate time to apprehend the Lord Jesus was futile. He knew exactly both the time and the manner of His death, v. 2, their devious plans only contributed to their guilt; as the Lord would later say to Pilate in reference to Caiaphas and his allies, ‘He that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin’, John 19. 11.

Of the three Gospel writers who record the costly expression of devotion to the Lord seen in these verses, only John identifies the worshipper as Mary of Bethany, John 12. 3. We know that this incident took place after the raising of Lazarus. Mary, unlike others, understood that the Lord must die, ‘she did it for my burial’. But had Mary also grasped the truth which evaded the disciples, that ‘in him was life’ and resurrection? Did she appreciate that to anoint His body after death would be unnecessary? She worshipped, as we do today, a living Saviour!

All the Gospel writers record, as though barely credible, that Judas was ‘one of the twelve’ - so close, so privileged, so unforgivable. Yet all recall his heinous act of ‘lifting up his heel’ against One who had shown him only kindness.

Now to the Eleven, the Lord reveals something entirely distinct from the Passover rituals, the enduring memorial of His pathway to the cross symbolized in bread and wine, our constant reminder also that it is only ‘till he come’.