John 12 - The Life Recovery Bible

12:1-8 Mary’s faith in Jesus is a testimony to us all. Scripture records that she knelt in humble faith at Jesus’ feet three times: She sat at Jesus’ feet listening to his every word (Luke 10:39); she fell at his feet crying and seeking comfort (John 11:32); and here she knelt to anoint his feet with expensive perfume. Jesus was first in her heart, and she surrendered herself to him. The decision to surrender all we are and have to God is a crucial step in the recovery process. When we do, God will help us with our problems.

12:12-19 The crowds hailed Jesus as the promised Messiah, but his days of popularity would be few. He had just raised Lazarus from the dead in front of many witnesses. In a few days, however, the people would do nothing as the Jewish leaders and Roman governors crowned Jesus with thorns and executed him as a pretentious “King of the Jews” (18:39–19:21). The recovery process can be like that for us—full of heated curiosity one week and hollow commitment the next. If we hope to benefit from our recovery program, our commitment must be wholehearted. A halfhearted commitment to recovery could leave us worse off than we were before we started.

12:23-25 Instead of giving a king’s acceptance speech, Jesus explained why he would have to die. He said, in effect: “I must die so that I can bring new life to you. If you want this new life, then turn away from your current way of living!” This message can be hard for us to accept, just as it was for the Jews of Jesus’ day. But in order to move through recovery—from addiction to freedom, from brokenness to healing, from guilt to forgiveness, or from isolation to intimacy—we must accept it. No longer can we embrace lives of escapism and denial. We must honestly embrace the painful realities in our life and patiently allow God’s love to make us whole.

12:42-43 Many of the Jewish leaders believed in Jesus, but their faith was rendered ineffective by fear and isolation. They were more concerned about what their peers thought of them than about what God thought. This weak faith will never take us far in recovery. If we want real progress in recovery, we need to share our belief in God with at least one other person. When we tell others about our belief and change in our life, we are inviting them to hold us accountable. Accountability for our intentions, attitudes, and actions is a necessary part of recovery. Making others a significant part of our life is crucial to the recovery process and our growth; we cannot do it alone.