Do you like dinner parties? Do you believe the more food there is and the more people there are the better the party is? Do you like to celebrate special occasions? Birthdays? Christmas? Easter? Thanksgiving? Can you think of a better occasion to celebrate?
Dinner parties can be a lot of fun. Celebrations are joyous occasions and can take us to extreme highs. There are milestone birthdays and anniversaries. We all have a very special Christmas or two. We may have a special Thanksgiving or two. And Easter can be a different type of high.
Jesus was in the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary to celebrate. What might have been a funeral dinner was a celebration. Jesus had recently raised Lazarus from the dead. Though Jesus had left briefly after raising Lazarus, He returned to have a celebratory dinner with Lazarus and his sisters.
The timing is key and amazing. Six days before the Passover—THE Passover. This is just six days before Jesus has His last meal with the disciples before going to the cross. The Passover was on Friday. So, this is on the Sabbath, the Saturday before what we now call Palm Sunday. So, Jesus knew His time on earth was coming to a close. Yet, He knew it was important to celebrate Lazarus being alive with Martha and Mary. We, too, can celebrate even when we know something is coming to an end.
I pray we all choose to celebrate special occasions. I pray we understand the significance of celebrating. I pray each one of us will celebrate with special people in our lives, even if we know something is coming to an end. Choose to celebrate. Celebrate with special people. Celebrate like Jesus.
John 12:1-2 Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him.
Marty Pressey 