Sermon Tone Analysis

Title:     Responses to Resurrection

            -or-

            What if it were true?

Text:     John 12: 1-5

FCF:    By definition, the resurrection /will/ produce a response.

Pick a good one.

– These responses might be service, totally committed gratitude, or disdain; the greatest of these is love.

Outline:

I.                    Intro

II.

Martha responded w/Service

III.               Mary responded w/Gratitude

IV.              Judas responded w/Disdain

 

V.

Conclusion – Foot-washing

 

Hymns:

Christ the Lord is Risen Today (Intro)

Up From the Grave He Arose (Offertory)

 

During the foot-washing:

-         Just As I Am

-         When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

-         Blessed Redeemer

 

Final: Because He Lives

 

 

\\ /Intro/

If you’ve had an email account for more than a year now, you’ve probably gotten this letter.

It starts out with an introduction – the man sending you this letter has found $30 million dollars that were overpaid into a Nigerian government account.

If you would be kind enough to let him launder the money through your bank account, he’ll give you 10% of it.

Now, if you are like 99% of the population, you’re probably a bit skeptical of such an offer.

If you are like the 1% of the population that falls for this scam – and it is a scam – then you should know you are at least in good company.

In 1996, over $100 million dollars was lost in this scam.

Either way, however, an outrageous claim like this will almost always elicit a response, whether it is simple laughter, righteous indignation at the mean-spirited exploitation, or simple gullibility.

We know the Nigerian scam is a scam because the moment you start to test it, it falls apart.

If you send in the bank account details, for instance, you’ll probably get another letter saying they need a few hundred dollars for a bribe; repeat until money = 0.

Your chances of ever seeing any actual money is as likely of seeing serious journalism in the /Weekly World News/.

It’s amazing what a little bit of reality can do.

So, you can imagine what’s going in John 12, when another one of those stories that just can’t be true turns out to have some pretty startling evidence.

Now, let me warn you – this Easter morning, I’m pretty sure I’m just not good enough to tell you about Jesus’ resurrection.

I’m reminded of the famous sportswriter Red Smith.

The football game he was writing up had been played in such slippery mud that only one quarterback had the agility to hold on to it – but hold on he did, and the quarterback scored three touchdowns.

After the game, the other sportswriters started furiously working their typewriters, but Red Smith couldn’t.

He just started at the paper and began crying – “It’s too big!

I can’t write this, it’s just too big!”

I totally understand that sentiment.

Jesus’ resurrection is simply too big a story to do any justice to it in a single sermon.

So, that’s why I want to focus on a much smaller resurrection.

In John 11, you probably remember the story – Mary & Martha beg Jesus to come heal their brother Lazarus.

Jesus purposely waits, and by the time he gets there, Lazarus is dead.

Deader than a coffin nail, as Charles Dickens might say.

Lazarus is already in the tomb and stinkin’ up the place.

But Jesus has another plan.

“Lazarus, Come Out!” he commands, and here’s the amazing part – he does.

All that’s left is for people to unbind Lazarus’ linen cloths.

He’s back.

Now, imagine you’re in the 1st Century Judean supermarket, and as you check out, you see this headline:  /Man Risen From the Dead Hosts A Party!/

You probably give a little chuckle until you and prepare to pass it by, when you see what’s next – /Dinner tonight at 7:00, you’re invited./

That second line makes a whole lot of difference, doesn’t it?

Now, if you’re like 99% of the population, I think you go, even if only to check this out.

A claim this outrageous deserves a little bit of investigation, don’t you think?

But let me warn you – once you see the facts before you, you will be changed, and that’s what I want to look at this morning.

Now, since that dinner has already passed, let me read you an eyewitness account of that dinner, instead.

John records it in John 12, and if you have your Bible this morning, why don’t you open it with me?

Let me read what it says:

 

1Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.

2There they gave a dinner for him.

Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him.

3Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair.

The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?”

 

*Three Responses*

I’d like to take a few minutes now and look at this passage in a little more detail.

You see, all of the people here had witnessed something totally amazing – a man (Lazarus) had come back from the dead.

There was no denying it, and in fact, if you were to keep reading, you’d even see that the people who wanted to kill Jesus also realized they’d have to kill Lazarus too, because it was that evident that Jesus had just raised this man from the dead.

What I want to look at specifically, however, is how the resurrection changed people in this story, and in particular, I want to look at three – Martha, Mary, and Judas.

You see, each of them had a reaction that I think is very typical when dealing with a resurrection, and its worth looking at a resurrection through their eyes, if only to understand how we ought to deal with one ourselves.

I say that, of course, because while Jesus’ resurrection of Lazarus is an easier story to tell, it many ways it is indicative of the resurrection Jesus wants to bring to each of us.

When Jesus stepped out of that tomb two thousand years ago, he did so for one reason – to show us a glimpse of the resurrection he wants to bring to us.

If you’ve ever heard the Gospel even once, you know that by yourself, you are dead in your in sin.

But, here’s the unbelievable part – Jesus wants to resurrect you – to give you a new, resurrected, sinless spirit now, and resurrected body later in heaven.

It really is that simple – it is a gift that he freely gives you.

But, as with any gift, you need to respond in some fashion, and that brings me back to this party in John 12.

 

*Martha responds with service.*

First up, of course, is Martha.

Of all the responses, this is the one I probably understand the best.

Just a few days ago, Martha’s brother had died.

If you’ve ever lost a loved one, you know there are two things that have to happen right away in order to make it official.

First, the coroner will sign a death certificate.

That starts the process, but, in order to make it really official, all your friends have to come bring and food.[1]

In all seriousness, something amazing has happened here.

Martha thought she’d go through the motions of a funeral dinner, but instead, Jesus brings her brother back to life.

I’m sure she is ecstatic.

So, what does she do?

Like any good Baptist, she throws a party to celebrate!

Now, I have to tell you, as a pastor, I love Martha’s reaction.

Jesus has done something fabulous for her.

And so, when Jesus pays her a visit, her first reaction is, ‘What can I do to help?’

That is a natural reaction, and one that marks a mature Christian.

As you grow and mature in Christ, one of the natural outflows of that will be love manifesting itself through service to others.

I’ve told this church before, even though it is small in number, it is great in service.

Just a few weeks ago, nearly a ¼ of this church spent the day selling hot dogs specifically to raise money for Seven Loaves, the food bank for this whole area.

I say to this church’s credit – it understands that receiving Jesus will create a sense of obligation.