“Six days
Before the Passover,
Jesus came to Bethany,
The home of Lazarus
Whom Jesus had raised
From the dead.”
Ὁ οὖν Ἰησοῦς πρὸ ἓξ ἡμερῶν τοῦ πάσχα ἦλθεν εἰς Βηθανίαν, ὅπου ἦν Λάζαρος, ὃν ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν Ἰησοῦς.
John said that six days before the Passover (πρὸ ἓξ ἡμερῶν τοῦ πάσχα), Jesus (Ὁ οὖν Ἰησοῦς) went to Bethany (ἦλθεν εἰς Βηθανίαν), the home of Lazarus (ὅπου ἦν Λάζαρος), whom Jesus (Ἰησοῦς) had raised from the dead (ὃν ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν). There was a similar story with a sinning woman coming with a jar of oil in Matthew, chapter 26:6, and Mark, chapter 14:3, but within a different context. However, they both placed this event at Bethany also, and right before the crucifixion of Jesus. Both Mark, and Matthew, similar to John, said that Jesus was in Bethany. (Καὶ ὄντος αὐτοῦ ἐν Βηθανίᾳ), a town about a mile and a half east of Jerusalem. However, he was in the house of Simon the leper (ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ Σίμωνος τοῦ λεπροῦ) in Matthew and Mark, not the house of Lazarus. The identity of this Simon the leper is unknown. However, it could have been someone whom Jesus had cured from leprosy, who became his disciple. The people of Bethany may have favored Jesus because of the Lazarus event. However, John had this happen at the house of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, while Mark and Matthew had this anointing at the house of Simon the leper who lived in Bethany also. The importance of Bethany as a place close to Jerusalem cannot be overstated. Jesus felt more comfortable in Bethany than in Jerusalem. During this week leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus, John will be a lot closer to the synoptics, but the not the same.
