Your Treasure

Intro: The Physician and Missionary David Livingstone was a man who loved and treasured the Lord Jesus. When He died his body was buried in England where he was born, but his heart was buried in Africa where he served the Lord Jesus and died. At the foot of a tall tree in a small African village the natives dug a hole and placed in it the heart of this man who was souled out to the Lord Jesus.

Our text mostly takes place two days before Jesus’ crucifixion. It forms an inclusio/bracketing, which is a literary devise used to show a stark contrast between those who hated Jesus and sought His death against the love of a women who anointed Him for burial.

CPS: Today I want to ask you where you heart is? Is it buried in a drawer in your office, or perhaps in your pocketbook, maybe its in a frame with the pictures of your children or grandchildren. Or does it belong completely to the Lord Jesus? Matthew 6:21 “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

I. The Religious Leaders treasured position and privilege. 1-2

If anyone ought to have their hearts in the right place it was the religious leaders! But they had fallen victim to love of their position and the privilege it afforded them.

ILL: Charley was a new retiree-greeter at Wal-Mart, and He just couldn’t get to work on time. Every day he was 5, 10, 15 minutes late…but he was a good worker–really tidy, clean-shaven, sharp-minded, a real credit to the company and obviously was good at demonstrating their “Older Person Friendly” policies. One day, the boss called him into the office for a talk. “Charley, I have to tell you: I like your work ethic, you do a bang up job; but your being late so often is quite bothersome.” “Yes, I know boss, and I am working on it.” ”Well good, you are a team player. That’s what I like to hear. It’s odd, though–your coming in late. I know you’re retired from the Armed Forces. What did they say if you came in late there?” ‘They said, “Good morning, Admiral, can I get you coffee, sir?”

Along with their position came privilege and power! They loved the places of honor along with the titles and respect afforded them. (PRIEST.. Over Temple, Sacrifices, and the gains of the Temple Market) (Scribes… Interpreters of the Law)

A. Their Plot (14:1-2)

The beginning of the inclusio tells of the religious’ leader’s plot to kill Jesus. Sought is the verb zēteō which means “to try to find,” it is in the imperfect tense indicting a repeated action over a period of time, therefore showing their determination to kill Jesus. Mark 3:6

B. Their Place and Privilege (John 11:47-53) * VS 48 “Place and Nation”

Verse 1(b) tells us they wanted to do this on the down low so that the people wouldn't riot as Jerusalem was filled with pilgrims and Rome take away their place.

C. The Prophecy (John 11:49-53)

With wrong motives Caiphas predicted Jesus’ death and made sure his prophecy came true to the demise of himself and those who followed after him.

D. Their Reward

Application: Where is your heart, is it set on positions and privileges? The only place it should set is on the Lord Jesus.

II. Mary treasured her Savior. 3-9 (John 12:1-8)

A. Her Gift

John’s account tells us this lady was Mary. (My favorite.. I can see Lazarus reclining at the table, Martha is in the kitchen serving, and Mary is at the foot of Jesus) Mary understood something no else did, she was sitting their with her brother who Jesus had rose from the grave, Mary believed Jesus whole heartily and thus believed His prediction of His death. Mary expressed her love to Him because He was going to die for her.

1. The Perfume

MARY HAD A TREASURE! Spiknard (nard) was a perfume imported from India, the cost was 300 denarii the equivalent to a years wage for an average worker. It was in a beautiful flask made of alabaster. It was customary to put a little perfume on the guest of honor during a feast. But, Mary poured it all out.

ILL: There are all sorts of treasure in this world, come to our store and I’ll show you some, but MARY HAD A TREASURE GREATER , it was JESUS!

Notice, she broke the bottle, most likely the slim neck of the bottle and poured it over Jesus’ head (3) and then messaged it into His feet using her hair (John 12:3).

2. The Problem

The disciples freaked out (Judas) because of the lavishness of the anointing. She didn't have to break the bottle she could have taken the lid off! They said (it was a waste) it could have been sold and fed a bunch of poor people. But to just simply take off the lid and pour a little on Jesus was the waste!

3. The Good Work

She did what no else did, She anointed Jesus, but note vs. 8 reads “she did what she could” the Greek reads “she gave what she had” or “She gave all that she had.” She withheld nothing from Jesus and gave Him her very best, all that she had, some of us need to break the bottle, step out with no thought of return, burning every bridge that you could possibly recross.

ILL: I’ve burned some bridges in my life and then there were some that I should have burned. When I went off to school I burnt every bridge that connected me to my previous career except for one and wouldn't you know that one bridge was what kept me from finishing on campus and led me back to a career I had forsaken.

When Jesus is your one true treasure, He is your heart and you will break every bottle and burn every bridge and throw yourself at His feet trusting only Him and loving Him above all things! He is then the center of your life! Mary did what she could, it was her all, she had given Him herself!

Application: Have we given all of ourselves, can we say with complete certainty that Jesus is our great treasure!

B. Her Reward

Being fulfilled today, she will be forever known as the one who anointed Jesus for His burial.

III. Judas treasured possessions and wealth. 10-11 (Matt. 26:6-16, John 12:1-11)

A. His indignation

John’s Gospel tells us it was Judas who became angry and gives the reason, He was a thief. He was hiding behind the piousness of feeding the poor, He had everyone fooled but Jesus. At the Passover (John 13:29) after Satan entered Judas and he left to betray Jesus, the disciples were thinking he was going to buy food or give something to the poor. Some of us have people fooled, or perhaps some of us are fools who trust in the treasures of this world and their heart is for money!

B. His Betrayal

Matthew tells us he betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (the price of a slave, Ex. 21:32) little did He understand that Jesus had come to pay the slaves ransom for the sin of the world!

ILL: A rock hound named Rob Cutshaw owns a little roadside shop outside Andrews, North Carolina. Like many in the trade, he hunts for rocks, then sells them to collectors or jewelry makers. He knows enough about rocks to decide which to pick up and sell, but he’s no expert. He leaves the appraising of his rocks to other people. As much as he enjoys the work, it doesn’t always pay the bills. He occasionally moonlights, cutting wood to help put bread on the table. While on a dig twenty years ago, Rob found a rock he described as “purdy and big.” He tried unsuccessfully to sell the specimen, and according to newspapers, he kept the rock under his bed or in his closet. He guessed the blue chunk could bring as much as $500 dollars, but he would have taken less if something urgent came up like paying his power bill. That’s how close Rob came to hawking for a few hundred dollars what turned out to be the largest, most valuable sapphire ever found. The blue rock that Rob had abandoned to the darkness of a closet two decades before — is now known as “The Star of David” sapphire—weighs nearly a pound, and could easily sell for $2.75 million. LIKE ROB CUTSHAW.... JUDAS HAD NO IDEA WHAT HE HAD!

C. His Reward (Acts1:17-18)

He could have had the Savior and eternal life, but instead settled for his name being eternally related to his betrayal and the horrible death he died.

He was not clean (John 13:11)

It would have been better if He had never been born (Mark 14:21)

He was the son of perdition (John 17:12)

Perdition (apōleia), means destruction or waste. NB) NOTE: Waste (Mark 14:4) is the same word apōleia.

Conclusion: Some of us treasure things other than Jesus and our life o a waste! But, today I ask you to put those treasures away, break them. I am here today to tell you that I love my wife, my children, my family, my ministry, and this church but Jesus is my treasure! I hope He is your treasure too!