The Harmony Chronicle and Order of the New Testament, Part 1 · Section 71
SECTION LXXI. JOHN Chap. XI. from Ver. 17. to the end of the Chapter. Lazarus raised. Caiaphas Prophecieth.
NOw is Christ come up to Bethany. Whether foreign mentioned by Talm. Bab. Pesachin fol. 53. facie 1. [where they speak of the figs of Bethhene, and the dates of Tubni] be the same with this Bethany, we shall not dispute here: Both a Town, and some space of ground about it was called by this name Bethany.
As he had staied in the place where he was when heard of Lazarus sicknesse, purposely that he might die before he came to him, that God might be the more glorified by his raising, ver. 15. so did he make sure to stay long enough after he was dead before he came, that the glory might be the more. He had been four daies dead, ver. 39. Compare with this these sayings of the Jews. Maym. in Gerushin. per. ult. If one look upon a dead man within three daies after his death he may know him, but after three daies his visage is changed.
Jerus. in Moed Katon fol. 82. col. 2. Three daies the soul flies about the body as if thinking to return to it: but after it sees the visage of the countenance changed, it leaves it▪ and gets it gone.
Upon the miracle wrought, the Jews seek to kill Iesus and Lazarus both: whereupon Iesus goeth to a City called Ephraim, ver. 54. Talm. Bab. in Menachath fol. 85. fac. 1. Iuchn… and Mamr… [Iannes and Iambres] said to Moses, Dost thou bring straw to Ephraim? Gloss. Ibi▪ Iuch…e and Mamre were the chief Sorcerers of Egypt: they when Moses began to do miracles thought he had done them by magick: they said, Dost thou bring straw to Ephraim? Ephraim was a place that exceedingly aboundeth with corn, and darest thou bring corn thither? meaning, Doest thou bring Sorceries into Egypt that abounds so with Sorceries?
Aru…h in foreign Ephraim was a City in the …nd of Israel where there was abundance of corn. Where is the chiefest provision for Offering… ▪ The chiefest for fine slower are Micmash and Zanoah, and next to them Ephraim in the Vale.
JOHN Chap. XII. from begin. to Ver. 12. A Supper at Bethany: Iesus his feet anointed.
THe connexion of this story to the preceding Chapter, is plainly made by the Evangelist himself: Compare ver. 55. of Chap. 11. and ver. 1. of this.
Though there were a Proclamation out against Jesus for his life, Chap. 11.57. yet cometh he for Ierusalem, and Lazarus at Bethany is not afraid to entertain him He may well venture his life for him who had received it from him. It was their Sabbath day at night when he had this Supper, a time that they used to have extraordinary cheer. Mary who had anointed his feet before, Luke 7.38. doth the like again.
There is a groundlesse and a strange opinion of some, that the Supper in Matth. 26.6, 7. and Mark 14.3. was the same with this Supper in Ioh. 12. An imagination, that I cannot enough admire at, seeing there are so many things plainly to gainsay it: but the discussion of it shall be deferred till we come to those Chapters. Only one particular here may not be omitted without observation, and which will make something at present toward the confutation of that opinion, and that is our Saviours answer in the vindication of Maries act, Let her alone, against the day of my buriall hath she kept this: or rather, She hath kept it: Not that he meaneth that this anointing of his feet, was her anointing him against his buriall, but that she had kept some of this oyntment yet for that purpose hereafter. Iudas repined at the expence of the oyntment that she used for the anointing of his feet, and pleaded that it had been better bestowed upon charitable uses on the poor: Why? saith Christ, she hath kept it yet and not spent all, that she may bestow it upon a charitable use, the anointing of my body to its buriall. For 1. neither the text doth any whit assert that she spent the whole pound that she brought, nor indeed in reason was so great a quantity needfull. 2. It was not so proper to apply it to his buriall now, when as he was to ride in triumph to Ierusalem to morrow, as it was two daies before the Passeover [when the other Supper and anointing was] which was the very night when Iudas compacted for his betraying. 3. Then Christ saith she poured it upon his body, Mat. 26.12. which cannot be of the same sense with pouring it upon his feet only. She therefore six daies before the Passeover anointed his feet, which was an ordinary use among the Jews to have their feet anointed, and the Talmudists give some rules about it in Talm. Ierus. Sanhedr. fol. 21. col. 1. and this she doth in dear love and affection to him: But two daies before the Passeover, she doth not so much anoint his head, as pour the ointment upon his head that it might run all over his body, and this she did towards his buriall, not only in his construction, but in her own intention: she being the first we reade of that beleeved his death, as she was the first that law him after his resurrection. Her faith and fact he foresaw, and therefore saith now at the anointing of his feet, that she yet kept it for the anointing of his body, which when she did, he extols the fact with this encomion, that wheresoever the Gospel should be preached, that action of her, the example of the first faith in his death, should be published in memoriall of her. Thus did this Mary, [who as hath been shewed was Mary Magdalen] anoint Christ three severall times, his feet at her first conversion, and his feet again at this time, six daies before the Passeover, and his head and body two daies before the Passeover, even that night that Iudas first went about to make his bargain for betraying him.