Day 70: John 11-13

Summary

The Bible Dept. Podcast: Day 70 – Exploring John 11-13

Host: Dr. Manny Arango
Episode Release Date: March 11, 2025
Scripture Focus: John Chapters 11-13

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Introduction to the Episode

In Day 70 of The Bible Dept., Dr. Manny Arango delves deep into John chapters 11 through 13, marking a pivotal shift in the Gospel narrative as Jesus enters Jerusalem. Emphasizing the importance of engaging with Scripture, Dr. Manny urges listeners to read the designated chapters before diving into the discussion, setting the stage for a comprehensive exploration of these passages.

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Contextual Overview

Dr. Manny begins by situating the listener within the broader narrative of the Gospel of John. He highlights that up to chapter 11, the book primarily focuses on Jesus' early ministry, with numerous signs and miracles demonstrating His divine authority. However, with the introduction of Lazarus's resurrection, the narrative pivots sharply towards the events leading to Jesus' crucifixion.

Notable Quote:
"John, chapter one through 11 marks, like half of the book. And now we get Jesus in Jerusalem. Once we hit chapter 11, the book really, like, pivots."
— Dr. Manny Arango [02:12]

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Theological Insights and Context Clues

Dr. Manny discusses the significance of Jesus' actions in the temple, drawing parallels and distinctions between John's account and the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke). He challenges the Western tendency to harmonize Gospel accounts by stressing that each Gospel writer emphasizes different theological truths rather than presenting a chronological historical record.

Key Points:

• Cleansing of the Temple: In John's Gospel, this event occurs early in Jesus' ministry, contrasting with the Synoptic tradition where it happens closer to the end.
• Raising of Lazarus: Acts as a catalyst for the religious leaders' determination to arrest Jesus, marking a turning point in the narrative.

Notable Quote:
"The way we define truth is not the definition for truth... Both theological points are true."
— Dr. Manny Arango [03:30]

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Humanity and Divinity of Jesus

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the dual nature of Jesus—His divinity and humanity. Dr. Manny emphasizes that understanding Jesus' humanity is crucial for grasping His actions and emotions, such as His weeping over Lazarus's death.

Key Points:

• Jesus' Emotions: Even with divine power, Jesus experiences genuine human emotions, reflecting His submission to the Father and the Holy Spirit.
• Interdependent Relationship: The relationship between God the Son, Father, and Holy Spirit is highlighted as foundational to Jesus' mission and actions.

Notable Quote:
"Jesus is having to operate in faith. Jesus is having to trust that he's not crazy... He's just modeling for you what it is like for a human to be fully submitted to the Holy Spirit and fully submitted to the Father."
— Dr. Manny Arango [08:47]

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Nerdy Nuggets: Deep Dive into Passover and Gospel Details

Dr. Manny shares several "nerdy nuggets," offering listeners detailed insights into the Passover context within John's Gospel.

Highlights:

• Passover Significance: The Gospel of John uniquely records three Passovers, underscoring the three-year span of Jesus' public ministry.
• Last Supper Insights: Suggests that the Last Supper may have been held at the author's (John's) house, explaining the seating arrangement and Jesus entrusting His mother to John's care.
• Symbolism in Communion: Connects the elements of bread and wine in Communion to their roots in the Jewish Passover, emphasizing Jesus as the fulfillment of these symbols.

Notable Quote:
"Remember what John the Baptist says as soon as he sees Jesus, the lamb that takes away the sins of the world. Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world."
— Dr. Manny Arango [16:07]

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Timeless Truths: Practical Takeaways

Drawing from the theological discussions, Dr. Manny offers practical applications for listeners to incorporate into their daily lives.

Key Takeaway:

• Embracing Non-Pettiness: Inspired by Jesus washing the feet of His disciples, including those who would betray Him, Dr. Manny challenges listeners to embody humility and service, even towards those who may not reciprocate loyalty or kindness.

Notable Quote:
"Don't be petty. Jesus washes the feet of people who are going to hurt and offend him at a deep, deep, deep level."
— Dr. Manny Arango [19:36]

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Conclusion and Upcoming Content

Dr. Manny wraps up the episode by reiterating the significance of understanding both the humanity and divinity of Jesus. He previews the next episode, Day 71, which will cover John chapters 14 through 17, continuing the in-depth study of Jesus' final teachings and prayers.

Notable Quote:
"I hope that he [Jesus' humanity] really is the hope of our species. Like that. That is everything. If he's not human, then we're screwed."
— Dr. Manny Arango [09:48]

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Final Thoughts

Day 70 of The Bible Dept. offers listeners a profound exploration of John chapters 11-13, blending scholarly insights with practical life applications. Dr. Manny Arango effectively bridges the gap between ancient texts and contemporary faith, encouraging a deeper, more nuanced understanding of Scripture.

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For more in-depth Bible studies and resources, visit thebibledepartment.com and subscribe to The Bible Dept. podcast.

Transcript

[Unknown Speaker]

Hey, Bible nerds.

[Dr. Manny Arango]

This is Dr. Manny Arango, and I'm your host for the Bible department podcast powered by Arma. This podcast follows a Bible reading plan we created to help you read the entire Bible in a year. You can head to the show notes or thebibledepartment.com to download our reading plan and join the journey.

[Unknown Speaker]

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[Dr. Manny Arango]

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[Unknown Speaker]

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[Dr. Manny Arango]

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[Unknown Speaker]

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[Dr. Manny Arango]

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[Unknown Speaker]

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[Dr. Manny Arango]

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[Unknown Speaker]

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[Dr. Manny Arango]

The glory of Jesus. Let's go, family. Let's get into day 70. Welcome to day 70. We are in John 11, 12, and 13. I say this every day. You haven't done the reading. Go, get out of here. Scram. Go do the reading. Okay, read John, chapter 11, 12, and 13, and then come back. I'll be here. I'm not going anywhere. Okay, John, chapter 11, 12, and 13. Seriously, this is a pivotal point in the book.

[Unknown Speaker]

Okay?

[Dr. Manny Arango]

John, chapter one through 11 marks, like 11 half of the book. And now we get Jesus in Jerusalem. Once we hit chapter 11, the book really, like, pivots. Okay, so in here's kind of what. What's happening. We're getting into context clues, all right? In the synoptic tradition, okay, the thing that gets Jesus arrested is his assault on the temple.

[Unknown Speaker]

Okay?

[Dr. Manny Arango]

His. His clearing of the temple. He's got cords Braided together as a whip. He's turning over tables. I mean, he has a strong condemnation against the temple In John's Gospel. That is going to happen at the very beginning of Jesus ministry, not at the end. Okay, From Matthew, Mark and Luke. Now, is it possible that Jesus did this two times? Sure, that's possible. However, as you'll probably find out, if you're like, on this, not just the Bible Reading Plan journey, but if you're a subscriber and watching our courses, we want to steer clear of trying to harmonize the Gospels. Each Gospel account is, I. I'm so careful to use this word, is manipulating details so that they can teach a theological truth.

[Unknown Speaker]

Okay?

[Dr. Manny Arango]

And so the way we define truth is not the definition for truth.

[Unknown Speaker]

Okay?

[Dr. Manny Arango]

The way that people in the west define truth is how factually accurate something is in the Greco Roman world and even in the ancient Near Eastern world. That's just not their definition for truth. It's not factual accuracy. Their definition for truth is like, does it create wisdom and is it theologically true? And so there's gonna be tons of details throughout all four Gospels. And a Westerner is gonna really try to, like, harmonize these things. So, like, which one's factual and the reality, like, which genealogy is right? Is it Matthew's genealogy or Luke's genealogy? And it's like they're both communicating a different theological point. Both theological points are true.

[Unknown Speaker]

Okay?

[Dr. Manny Arango]

The Roman soldier that's at the cross next to Jesus says something very different in Luke's Gospel versus Mark's Gospel. Which one's right? Luke is putting certain words in that Roman soldier's mouth, and those words are communicating truth, a theological truth. And Mark is putting certain words in that Roman soldier's mouth in Mark's Gospel, and it's communicating theological truth. I want you to think about this kind of like, if you were to read, let's say, the parable of the Prodigal Son, no one would ask, like, oh, well, how old is the older son and how old is the younger son and what are their names? These are facts that don't matter. These facts are almost insignificant. And they are insignificant. We don't get them. There is no transmission of those facts in the text. What is the truth? The truth is that the Father is gracious and loving and merciful. What is the truth? The truth is that the older brother, represented by the Pharisees and the religious leaders are full of pride and don't really understand the grace and the mercy of the Father. And the truth is that the younger brother always has a home to return to. Those things are the truth. The facts of how old are they and what are their names and what village do they live in? These facts are pale in comparison to how important the truth of the theology is. Okay, I know I'm kind of on a soapbox just a little bit, but in John's Gospel, the cleansing of the temple is something that happens at the beginning of his ministry. And the temptation is to try to, like, did it happen twice? You know, that's a Western urge that you feel. That's not like some just objective human urge. This is a Western urge you want to harmonize because of the worldview that we all have, like, been baked in since the time we were zero till right now. And you have to be enough aware of your worldview to understand your biases and your tendencies. And so that's why I'm kind of bringing light to it, okay? In John's Gospel, it is not the cleansing of the temple that gets Jesus arrested. It is not the cleansing of the temple that makes the religious leaders kill him. That's not the thing that kind of sparks everything. In John's Gospel, it is the raising of Lazarus that is the thing that makes the chief priests and the elders and the Pharisees and the Sadducees, like, we gotta get rid of this guy, okay? And so the raising of Lazarus is a pivot in the whole book. Once we get to Jerusalem, the tone and tenor of the whole book is now changed. Lazarus is the last sign. And once we get to Lazarus, there are no more signs except the sign that the raising of Lazarus is actually foreshadowing, which is the resurrection of Jesus. So this is a big question. Why does Jesus weep even though he knows he's gonna raise Lazarus from the dead? A, cause he's human. B, cause Lazarus friend. And then C, because he's trusting that the Father is gonna raise Lazarus. There's a interdependent relationship between God the Son, God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit. And so what I think happened, like, in my holy imagination, okay? What I think happened is that Lazarus is sick. Martha and Mary alert Jesus that Lazarus is sick. And I think that Jesus being obedient to the Holy Spirit and being obedient to the Father does not go see about Lazarus. Lazarus then dies. To which I think Jesus is experiencing a real human emotion that he's disappointed that Lazarus has died. Just because he has the power to raise someone from the dead or the power to heal does not mean that he's free to do that. Okay. Jesus is living in submission to the will of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit. And I think that the Lord gives him a green light to raise Lazarus from the dead. And I think really it's a message, obviously to us and to Mary and Martha, but really it's a message to Jesus that the same way that God was faithful to raise Lazarus from the dead, that he'll be faithful to raise Jesus from the dead.

[Unknown Speaker]

Okay.

[Dr. Manny Arango]

I think this is not something that gets talked about a lot, that Jesus is having to operate in faith. Jesus is having to trust that he's not crazy. He's not a crazy person. He's having a trust that his identity, the thing that he believes about himself is actually true, that he really did empty himself of his divinity. Philippians chapter 2. That he humbled himself and became bound to this human condition, to humanity. And so the power. This is the reason that Jesus can say, you'll do greater miracles. Why? Because he's saying, I'm just modeling for you what it is like for a human to be fully submitted to the Holy Spirit and fully submit it to the Father. So of course you're gonna do miracles. Of course you're going to raise the dead and heal the sick. Because I'm modeling what it is like to be human. I'm redefining humanity for you. I think that is what's happening. Remember? Okay, just let this kind of sink in for you and I. We know Jesus as God. Like, that's how we met him.

[Unknown Speaker]

Okay?

[Dr. Manny Arango]

We sing worship songs to Jesus at church. I mean, we know Jesus as God. The biggest revelation of our time will be Jesus knowing Jesus as human. He's fully human. And most heresies, especially in the early church, especially Gnosticism, they did not have an issue with Jesus divinity or his deity. They had an issue with his humanity. It's the humanity of Jesus that was offensive. For the disciples. They have the reverse revelation. For the disciples. They are very aware of Jesus as human. That's how they meet Jesus. That's how they encounter Jesus. He's a human. And they have to become. They have to receive a divine revelation that this human that they've been interacting with is not only a human, but is God. Right? If Peter saw God walking on the water, I don't think he would have gotten out of the boat. But Peter didn't see God walking on the water. He saw a human walking on the water. He saw a man walking on the water. A man that he shared meals with. A Man who he knows goes to the bathroom. A man who he knows gets dressed in the morning. A man, a human being. He saw a human being walking on the water, and therefore he walked on the water. I think a lot of times the reason that we are stuck in whatever boat we're in is because we're really unaware not of the divinity of Jesus, but of the humanity of Jesus. Because it is the humanity of Jesus that actually inspires us to follow in his footsteps. Let's get into some nerdy nuggets. Okay, I hope that's really, really helpful. There's a lot of pushback in the Christian world with Jesus being human. And I think it's because we have an issue with humanity, period. I think it's why we feel uncomfortable talking about sex, like, in Christian circles. I think humanity is just something that, like, we have this Gnosticism inside of us that just does not like humanity. And so we have a problem with Jesus's humanity, but it is actually his humanity that is the hope of our species. Like that. That is everything. If he's not human, then we're screwed. Like, that's just the end of it. Like, his humanity is something that has to be retained and taught and platformed and preached. Okay, let's get into some nerdy nuggets. So Lazarus is going to be the thing. There's all these links with the story of Lazarus and Jesus own resurrection. I think that for Jesus, the raising of Lazarus is proof to him that God will all also be faithful. Of course, Jesus is the conduit that is raising Lazarus from the dead. But it's the power of the Holy Spirit and submission to the Father that is at work to raise Lazarus from the dead in the person of Jesus. And so I think that he weeps a because he's a human. He weeps be because he's a friend. But he also weeps because it's him exercising faith in God the Father and the person of the Holy Spirit. And anytime you are dependent or interdependent on someone and then you realize you can trust them, I think that elicits emotion. And so I think that for Jesus, he realizes I can trust, I can go to the cross and believe that I will be vindicated, that the Father will raise me from the dead. And throughout the book of Acts, the language that gets used is not that Jesus raised himself from the dead, but that the Father raised him from the dead, the Holy Spirit raised him from the dead. That's trust. It's a lot of that's a Trust fall on a thousand Bible nerds.

[Unknown Speaker]

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[Dr. Manny Arango]

Now back to the podcast. Let me give you some nerdy nuggets. This entire like today and tomorrow. I mean, we are in Passover. Okay, let's go to chapter 11. We're going to go to chapter 11, verse 55. Chapter 11, verse 55. It says this. Now, the Passover of the Jews was at hand and many went up from the country. It's like Galilee, Nazareth, like the country, the outskirts, rural areas to Jerusalem, the city before the Passover, to purify themselves, they were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, what do you think that he will come to the feast at all? Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, they should let them know they might arrest him. Okay, so this is following Lazarus's raising. The chief priests are are, you know they are going to arrest Jesus like it's game over. That's the Passover. Passover starts at 11. The, the end of chapter 11. Get this, chapter 12, chapter 13, chapter 14, chapter 15, chapter 16, chapter 17. Okay, I want you to read chapter 18, verse one. When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley where there was a garden. That's that. Now we Transition from Passover to the Garden of gethsemane.

[Unknown Speaker]

Okay?

[Dr. Manny Arango]

Chapter 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17. All Passover content. Which means that the majority of the book of John is concerned with the Passover. And why? Because Jesus is the fulfillment of Passover. Remember what John the Baptist says as soon as he sees Jesus, the lamb that takes away the sins of the world. Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.

[Unknown Speaker]

Okay?

[Dr. Manny Arango]

And so this Passover is going to dominate in terms of just biblical real estate. We're gonna get chapters upon chapters upon chapters dedicated to what's happening at this final Passover. Now, next nerdy nugget. In John's Gospel, there are three passovers, which is the only reason we know that Jesus had a three year public ministry is because he attends three passovers. This, if it's not for John's Gospel, we are clueless as to how long Jesus earthly public ministry even lasted. But the reason that we know that Jesus public earthly ministry lasted for three years is because we get three passovers in John's Gospel. And this is the third and final Passover in John's Gospel. And it is very, very significant because this is when the symbol or the sign or the type and shadow of the Passover in the Old Testament is actually going to be fulfilled. Now here's something that I encourage every Christian to do, is to go to a Passover Seder. Go to a traditional Jewish Passover Seder. I remember the first time Dr. Marvin Wilson, who was my Old Testament professor at Gordon College, took me and our whole class to a traditional Passover, a Jewish Passover Seder, like at a synagogue. And it was amazing. It was incredible. And it'll give you so much context around what in the world is even happening. Why do we have bread and wine as the symbols of communion? Because the communion is just going to be recycled images from the Passover.

[Unknown Speaker]

Okay?

[Dr. Manny Arango]

This is Jesus fulfilling these symbols of Israel. So next, nerdy nugget. In John, chapter 13, verse 23, the Last Supper was potentially held at John's house, the author of the Book of John, because Jesus sat at his side, which is often where the guest of honor sat. Okay, so if John, if it's John's house and Jesus is the guest of honor, that actually makes sense, like the placement of where Jesus actually sits. It also makes sense that Jesus would give his mother to John. Okay, remember at the cross, Jesus is going to say, you know, Mary, this is now your son and this is now your mom to John. And I wouldn't give my mom to anybody who like didn't have a house and you know, like wealth. Like I think, I think that Jesus is, you know, handing his mother off to be cared for and putting them in the care of somebody who has means to actually do that. That doesn't mean that John is wealthy or rich or whatever. But I do think that John is probably, probably not as young as the other disciples.

[Unknown Speaker]

Okay.

[Dr. Manny Arango]

And there's scholarly debate back and forth about the age of the disciples. There's lots of reasons why people go back and forth. That's neither here nor there. Okay? Our timeless truth for the day actually comes out of chapter 13. Chapter 13, Jesus starts to clean the disciples feet. And it's always wild to me, okay? So this is happening like at the final passover, at the Last Supper. It's crazy to me that Jesus washes the feet of, of Judas and Peter, Peter who's going to deny him and Judas who is going to betray him. That Jesus knows, knows that these men are disloyal like rats and still washes their feet, man. And I think that's a challenge to me that like, do I do well at leading the Peters in my life and Judases in my life. That Jesus is not petty, that Jesus serves and loves individuals who are bent on disappointing him, denying him, betraying him. And I think that sometimes we have this like, I don't know, I think that we can be a little petty and Jesus is the total opposite of petty. So my timeless truth for the day is simply that like, don't be petty. Like Jesus washes the feet of people who are going to hurt and offend him at a deep, deep, deep level. And I think that sometimes because we're not in tune to the humanity of Jesus, we kind of like brush this stuff off, you know, as if, of course, but he's Jesus. And I think that's the danger when we only emphasize the deity of Jesus and we're not in tune with the humanity of Jesus. So Jesus washing feet is hugely impactful to me. And it's not just that he washes feet, it's whose feet he washes and the fact that he would wash feet of men who just ain't loyal and that. There's so much talk in church that just doesn't seem to match the heart of Jesus towards those who don't have his best interest in mind. I've sat through leadership lessons, you know, and just heard people be like, you better be careful, you know, that person is not loyal and da da, da, da, and it's like, man, but are we trying to like, save ourselves, grow our brands, or are we trying to be like Jesus? And I think that's a hard question that we have to really ask, but I think the text is asking us to ask that question. So that's my timeless truth for the day. Hey guys, I'll see you tomorrow. Day 71. We got a couple days left. We only got two days left in the Gospel of John. I'll see you right here tomorrow for day 71. We're going to start in chapter 14. We're going to go all the way to 17. I love you. Peace. Thanks so much for joining us on the Bible Department podcast.

[Unknown Speaker]

You can find us online and learn.

[Dr. Manny Arango]

More about the show at the Bible Depart and on Instagram Hebible Department. If you enjoyed this episode and want to dive deeper into the Bible, you can get free access to our library of [e-mail] we'll see you back here tomorrow.