Love or Hate

Good Morning Church

Good morning if you are watching online

Turn with me please to the Gospel of John

Chapter 12:1-11.

This morning we will learn of the

annointing of Jesus

and the Jealousy of Judas

And our sermon is titled

Love or Hate

Now there are similar accounts in the

Gospel of Matthew, and Mark

There is one in the gospel of Luke as well

however, it is believed that was a different account

So, we will refer to

Matthew 26:6-16

as well as Mark 14:3-11

And if we remember from last week we saw

the reaction of the crowds

and the people

to all Jesus had done

Not only when He raised Lazarus

But throughout his

3 years of ministry

What will we do with this Jesus?

And this morning,

we are going to see a similar pattern

as we see the reactions of those closest to Him

In this passage we will see the reactions of those that walked with Him

Day in and Day out

And we will see even

among those

walking with Him

there was division

And we will see the choice

they had

between

Love or Hate

So please stand with as we read the word of God

John 12:1–11 (CSB)

1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was, the one Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there; Martha was serving them, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of perfume, pure and expensive nard, anointed Jesus’s feet, and wiped his feet with her hair. So the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

4 Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot (who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the money-bag and would steal part of what was put in it.

7 Jesus answered, “Leave her alone; she has kept it for the day of my burial. 8 For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

9 Then a large crowd of the Jews learned he was there. They came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, the one he had raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests had decided to kill Lazarus also, 11 because he was the reason many of the Jews were deserting them and believing in Jesus.

Let us Pray

Introduction

Love or hate.

Two short, four-letter words,

yet they hold such profound and opposing forces.

Isn’t it remarkable how these words,

so small in length,

carry an immense weight in shaping the world we live in?

men love….

These two emotions—love and hate—

are not distant or unrelated;

in fact, they are two sides of the same coin.

Love is basked in joy,

in selfless devotion,

in redemption.

Hate, on the other hand,

is marked by jealousy,

envy,

destruction.

So, when we examine the contrast between love and hate,

especially in light of our text today from John 12:1-11,

we see how both can exist in close proximity but lead to vastly different outcomes.

So when we read the gospels,

it becomes clear that hate

Is the direct response

to love

when that love challenges

the selfishness,

pride,

and the jealousy

in the natural human heart.

Love calls us to give up something of ourselves,

and when people reject that call,

hate often arises in its place.

In John 12:1-11,

we see these two forces—love and hate—

on full display.

On one side,

you have the deep, sacrificial love of Mary,

as she anoints Jesus with precious perfume,

an act filled with devotion and humility.

On the other side,

you have the jealousy and greed of Judas,

who is incensed by this act of love because it

exposes his own selfishness.

Mary’s love brings joy and honor to Jesus,

while Judas’ jealousy festers

into betrayal,

which eventually culminates in the plot to hand Jesus

over to His enemies.

See as Christians, we know that love has transformed the world.

Jesus Himself said,

John 13:35 “35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.””

Love, when fully lived out in the life of a believer,

has the power to change lives,

it has the power to heal brokenness,

it has the power to bring people into the light of Christ.

It’s no coincidence

that Christian love has been the foundation of

so many great things throughout history

hospitals, schools, orphanages, and missions. All were developed due to the love displayed by those that follow Jesus

Love builds up;

it redeems

it restores.

On the other hand,

hate tears down.

Where love seeks the good of others,

hate seeks to destroy.

Hate grows out of a heart

filled with envy and pride,

and we see it throughout the history of the world

from the first murder of Abel by his brother Cain,

all the way to the jealousy of Judas in our text today.

The chasm between love and hate is vast,

and yet the two exist so closely within the human heart.

And how we choose to respond—

whether with love or hate—

has eternal consequences.

As we enter into this passage in John 12,

let us ask ourselves:

are we aligning ourselves with the love of Christ?

Are we willing to sacrifice and give as Mary did?

Or do we harbor the seeds of jealousy and greed that

can grow into hatred,

which eventually lead to the rejection of the very one that came to save us

This morning we only have two points

Love (V1-3)

Hate(4-11)

And once again we see how so much more of the text is dedicated to those that do not believe

by, so that those that dont believe

will see

and thus come to believe

So let us get started with our first point of the morning

Love

Our text says it is 6 days before the passover

Now, you know I cant go very long before I gotta start preaching right?

John didn’t say

6 days before a passover

he didn’t say

6 days be another passover

he didn’t say it

was 6 days until before passover

No!

Let me say that again

6 days before THE passover

We cannot emphasize enough the importance of this

phrase

the importance of this THE

6 days before the most important of all passovers

6 days before the king of kings

would be publically beaten

6 days before the creator of the earth

would spat upon

6 days before the Lamb of God would be led to the slaughter,

6 days before the One who spoke life into existence

would face death,

6 days before the blood of the true Passover Lamb

would be shed for the sins of the world,

6 days before nails would pierce the hands and feet,

6 days before the veil in the temple would tear,

and heaven's gates would open to sinners,

6 days before the love of God

would be poured out to its fullest,

Brothers and sisters

These next six days changed the course of history

forever.

Because at the end of these 6 days

something so significant will occur

that it would divide

time

our calendars are now divided based up this man Jesus

But He does more than just divide

BC from AD

in 6 days He will also divide covenants

from the Old Covenant

to the New

In fact 6 days before passover would put us on the Sabbath

it would put us on saturday

the sabbath started Friday at sunset

and would end Saturday night

with a meal…

But again, this isn’t just some Sabbath either

see this is the last authorized sabbath

at least how we are to see it practiced in the OT

From now on

as the new convenent comes into effect

due to the events that occur in just 6 days

from this moment

When Jesus is resurrected

His followers will begin to meet on Sundays

the day he rose…

Much like we are doing this morning

So again,

let me say this isn’t just

some passover

this is THE passover

marking THE end of the old

covenant

and the end of the sabbath as they would know it

So…. Pretty substantial huh

yea, i would say so

So what Jesus did

after his short venture away with

His disciples,

was to come back to Bethany

to the place where he raised Lazarus

to a place where He was now without doubt

a celebrity

even to this day

Bethany is also called

the home of Lazarus

the one Jesus brought back from the dead

So the second part of our first verse says

John 12:1 “Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was,

oh and just in case we forgot

John reminds us

this is

the one Jesus had raised from the dead.”

So,

on 6 days before THE passover

on the last authorized Sabath

V 2 tells us John 12:2 “2 So they gave a dinner for

him

The one they loved

the one they saw do so many things

the one whom had taught them

the one whom discipled them

the one they believed in

Him

In His honor

did they give a dinner

where did they give him this dinner

well John doesn’t tell us

but we learn from the other gospels

that this occured in the home of

Simon the Leper

Well that is interesting

if Simon was a leper then

why are they having dinner with him?

and how does a leper even have a house

Lepers were considered unclean

and must live “outside of the camp”

according to their laws

So, we must conclude

that this is really Simon the

Ex Leper

as in the only way this

Simon would be throwing this dinner

party is if he was no longer a leper

Then we could ask the question

how does one become an ex leper

well in the Ancient world he couldn’t have

By natural means

But by supernatural means he could

Thus, Simon the Leper was healed by Jesus

and now he is throwing Jesus this dinner party

on the 6 days before THE passover

on the last authorized Sabbath

So here we have the beginnings of one heck of a party huh?

On one side of the table you have

Simon, an ex leper,

made clean by Jesus

and Lazarus, an ex dead man

made alive by Jesus

Sure does make for some intersting conversation I assume

one upper joke…

So, along with Jesus

its safe to say

we have to pretty special people sitting at the table

Two people that have experienced the

love of Christ on a far different level

amen

And let me reiterate

this meal wasn’t for the

man healed

or the man brought to life

It was for

or in honor of the man

who made those things happen

Jesus

So our text continues with

Martha was serving them,

Now poor Martha sometimes gets a bad name

especially when compared with her sister Mary

but what Martha is doing here is essential within our

Christian walk

again it says, Martha was serving them

There is a great nobility in serving others isn’t there

in fact

serving others is foundational for us isn’t it

Philippians 2:6–7 “6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity.

Mark 10:45 “45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.””

Mark 9:35 “35 Sitting down, he called the Twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last and servant of all.””

what is one way we can we demonstrate our love for God?

by doing just was Martha was doing?

serving others

she demonstrated her love by serving

Jesus, and everyone at that dinner

And this church, is something we / YOU are so good at

from fixing things around the church

to visiting folks

to cooking

to cleaning

things get taken care of that I never even knew happened

Why? because you serve!

and let me say,

don’t ever let go of that

We are a church full of Martha’s

and that is not a bad thing

thank you so much for that

I am blessed to walk beside you in that

So, at this dinner party

so far

we have Simon the Leper

we have Martha serving

the disciples are there

and we have Lazarus reclining at the table

All here to show their Love for Christ

and Christ is there

he has 6 days to live

and he decides to spend some of his last hours

with those

That He loves

Now we can imagine the chatter

the talk

they are lounging right

probably cracking jokes

laughing, enjoying themselves

Martha probably cooked up some great food

Wine is present, bringing joy

Then perhaps,

as everyone is full

starting to sit back a little

loosening their belts if you will

someone has just put on the cowboys game

It is at this point that we see something amazing..

John 12:3 “3 Then Mary took a pound of perfume, pure and expensive nard,

Now, there are some pretty amazing details here

in fact we see more details here

then we saw when Jesus raised Lazarus

And this is not to be overlooked either

a pound of perfume

thats a lot of perfume right

but it wasn’t a pound of brute

or old spice

No, it was pure and expensive nard,

the term here is myron

thats the name for the pure oil

It was and is a very rare herb grown

in the high pasture lands of

China, Tibet, and India

in other words

nowhere close to Bethany

in order for this pound of pure nard to get there

it had to be carried by camels

and not just around the corner

but across a continent

Now, because it was so pure

because it was from so far away

that meant it was very valuable

so valuable that Judas says in V5

that it was worth 300 Denarii

well, one days wake was 1 denarii

so this perfume that Mary brings out

is worth a years wages

if you deduct days off and holidays

Very Expensive Perfume right

and not only was the perfume pure and perfect

but Matthew 26:7 tells us it was in an alabaster jar

Now, why would Mary have this?

Well, she may have had it so that she could smell good

she may have had it to make her home spell

welcoming when guests arrived

But what this was most often used for

in fact the reason

entire families would often invest in this

was because it is what was used for burials

they did not embalm their dead

so instead they would instead

place this on the body

very similar to the spices and perfume

used by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus would

use on Jesus, when they placed Him in the tomb

eirily … similar

almost a foreshadowing

of what will come

in 6 short days…

So Mary,

probably helping Martha serve

overflowing with Love,

overflowing with Faith

overflowing with Gratitude

runs to the family room

heart beating fast

breath increasing

grabs this alabaster jar

of expensive perfume

interrupts the dinner

giving in to all attempts to restrain herself

and according to Mark 14:3 she broke the jar,

for that was the best way to ensure all of the perfume was used

and started pouring it on Jesus’ head

then she perhaps moved to his body

and as John records

anointed Jesus’s feet,

she started at the head (as seen in the other gospels)

as only kings were anointed

and finished with His feet

showing Him to be the Servant King

as foot washing was normal at dinners

we will see more of that in chapter 13

as Jesus washes their feet

Hut here she washed his feet with

perfect perfume

Then

she

wiped his feet with her hair.

not a towel

not a napkin

Her hair

Brothers and sisters this is an

amazing and lavish expression

this is an act of unrestrained love

I In complete disregard for Jewish rules

she took down her hair

let me reinforce this

this did not happen in this culture

women did not let their hair down in the presence of men

But this act of love didn’t care about culture

this act of love didn’t care about rules

this act of love didn’t care about traditions

This was solely an act of love based upon the heart

an act of love without restraint

an extravagant love

a humble love

See Mary’s love for Jesus

is not about duty or obligation;

its not about rules and regulations

traditions or expectations

it’s about surrender,

its about sacrifice,

its about intimacy.

She is giving her all,

she is holding nothing back.

Her love for Christ overflows in this selfless act,

and the fragrance of her

of her love

of her worship filled the room.

But Mary’s action wasn’t just about

gratitude for what Jesus had done for Lazarus.

Jesus Himself connects her act

to His upcoming death,

saying in Matthew’s account that she is preparing Him for burial (Matthew 26:12).

Mary’s love looks

ahead to the ultimate expression of Jesus’ love—

His sacrificial love that lead to death on the cross.

Her gift foreshadows

the greater gift

of love

that Jesus would soon give to the entire world.

in 6 short days

Mary’s love for Jesus shows us what true devotion looks like.

doesn’t it church

Love for Jesus

Is not concerned

with how others will perceive

it or how much it will cost.

True love is willing to sacrifice.

so let me ask you

What does that kind of love

look like in our lives today?

Are we willing to pour out our lives

in service to Christ,

even when it’s costly?

Are we willing to worship

Him with abandon, as Mary did,

holding nothing back?

We see in the passage that

Both women expressed their love through action.

Martha through serving

and Mary through giving her all

and In the same way,

when we love Christ,

it should move us to serve Him and others.

and we all love differently done we?

Men love through protection and provision

Women love through compassion and sacrifice

So Love isn’t just a feeling;

it’s an active response that changes the way we live.

As Christians, we are called to love the Lord

our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength—

and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

This is the kind of love that builds up,

this is the kind of love that restores,

This is the kind of love that points others to Christ.

But let us also remember the sacrificial love of Christ.

for that was done through action as well

Jesus loved us so much that

He willingly laid down His life for us.

while we were stuck in our mess

that we created

he still laid down HIs life

Why, because

His love was not passive—

it was active,

it was costly,

it was intentional.

and this kind of love should stir us to love Him in return,

to give our best to Him just as Mary did,

to love others with the same grace and

compassion that He has shown us.

What would the world look like if we did that…

Now, as Mary shocked the room with this act

as everyone was processing what just happened

as the room was silent

We see a man,

a man break the silence

WIth what we could consider today

as an act of Hate

Which brings us to our 2 and final point of the morning

Hate

This man that interrupted this silence

this moment

this act of worship

Was none other than Judas Iscariot

and as John loves to remind us

the one who was about to betray Him

Judas says in V5

In what is his first words spoken here in the gospel of John

He says

John 12:5 “5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?””

Now, on the surface this may not sound too bad

I mean we are called to serve the poor right

we are called to take care of them

its a noble cause

But what we read in V6 reveals who Judas truly was

John 12:6 “6 He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief.

See while everyone else cast their lot in the fact that Jesus was the messiah

that they would gain the kingdom of heaven

that they would have their sins forgiven

Judas, cast his lot in thinking Jesus

would make him wealthy

Judas thought that by Jesus being famous and gifted

he would be able to profit from it

But as Jesus’ popularity rose

as the people learning to Love Jesus and God more

Judas was growing more and more

in hate of Him

now, he must have been pretty good at this deception

they all trusted him

thats why they allowed him to carry the money purse

and in fact, as sad as it sounds we learn from the other gospels

that the disciples trusted Judas so much

within his financial responsibilities

that they actually were persuaded to think the same as him

but while we know they were restored by Jesus

Judas faded more and more in his

envy, jealously

and greed

so much so that

John as he reflects on this says

He was in charge of the money-bag and would steal part of what was put in it.”

Judas was a thief

he was of the devil

and it is also said later that devil himself

entered him as he betrayed Jesus

for what?

Well here he robbed this special moment from Mary

over a 300 denarii bottle of perfume

or one years wages

For the life of Christ

he would betray him for 30 pieces of silver

you know what that is worth?

4 months of work

this perfume was worth

3 times more to him

than what he sold our Jesus for

He was in it for the money

in it for the prestige

his life was ruled by money

and the power that comes with it

And because of money

because of hate

bred by envy

jealously and greed

The greatest tragedy in human history occurs

and that is

as we will soon see

the betrayal of Jesus

in which lead to

Jesus torture and murder

With a kiss and few dollars

this man,

buried in hate

delivered the king of world

into that hands of the world

See Judas couldn’t stand

to see such an extravagant display of love for Jesus

because it exposed his own hardened heart.

Where Mary’s love was filled with joy and sacrifice,

Judas’ heart was consumed by envy and greed.

And his story serves as a tragic reminder

of how quickly love can turn to hate

when self-interest takes over.

How quickly love can turn to hate

when we put our own selfish interests

ahead of others

How quickly love can turn to hate

when we would rather see others fail

in order to make ourselves feel better

See Judas’ actions

warn us about the danger

of allowing jealousy

and greed

to take root in our hearts.

How often do we, like Judas,

allow selfish desires to cloud

our love for Christ?

Do we serve Christ out of genuine love,

or are we more concerned with what we can gain

do we have a reputation we want to uphold

do we want to hold onto power within the congregation

do we enjoy the accolades that come with serving

to the point where we make sure everyone know what we have done?

Or again, do we serve Christ out of our love for Him

Judas’ life serves as a sobering reminder

that proximity to Jesus

does not guarantee a heart aligned with His will.

It’s possible to be near Him

its possible to sit in His house every Sunday

and yet be far from His love.

due to the hatred in your heart

Brothers and sisters

if we let it

Hate can take on many forms in our lives.

It may not always look like open hostility,

but it can manifest in jealousy,

bitterness,

or indifference.

When we allow these emotions to grow,

they choke out the love

we are called to have for Christ and for others.

Hate is destructive—

Hate tears down,

Hate isolates,

and hate corrupts.

It’s the opposite of the sacrificial love

that Christ embodies

and that we are called to live out.

But, as we will see in our next verse

The antidote to hate is love—

selfless, Christ-centered love.

What is most remarkable in this passage

is not just the contrast between Mary’s love

and Judas’ jealousy,

but how Jesus responds to it.

John 12:7–8 “7 Jesus answered, “Leave her alone; she has kept it for the day of my burial. 8 For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.””

Jesus recognizes the deeper significance of what Mary has done.

She is anointing Him for His burial,

something that Judas,

in his greed,

cannot comprehend.

Jesus’ response is not one of anger or condemnation toward Judas.

Even though Judas’ heart is filled with betrayal,

Jesus continues to show love.

He knows what is coming—

He knows that Judas will ultimately betray Him to the authorities.

Yet, in this moment,

Jesus doesn’t rebuke Judas harshly.

Instead,

He turns the attention back to the greater purpose at hand:

His upcoming death and burial.

See Jesus’ love remains steady,

even in the face of betrayal.

And this is the heart of the gospel right

: while we were still sinners,

Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

Even though Judas would betray Him,

Jesus still went to the cross for him.

Even though the world would reject Him,

Jesus still laid down His life for it

Now, we dont have time to dive into it

But In verses 9-11,

we see the growing tension as more people come to

see Jesus and Lazarus.

The chief priests,

filled with jealousy and fear,

hatred and envy

begin plotting to kill not only Jesus

but also Lazarus,

why?

why were they joulous?

because many people were coming to faith in Christ

through Lazarus’ testimony.

Conclusion

So, what does this mean for us today?

this divide between

Love or Hate

We see it so profoundly within

our nation

As we just saw it contrasted here

in Mary, really the whole dinner party

And Judas

Well, I assume that is decided

depending on what side of the cross you are one

You see, love always triumphs over hate,

just as it triumphed over death.

And it is the cross

that stands at the center of this truth.

For those who love Jesus,

those that believe in him

those have heard his voice

and come out of that grave

those that are his sheep

The cross is the ultimate expression of God’s love

—a love that conquers sin,

a love that overcomes death,

a love that silences hate.

But for those who are hardened

by jealousy,

pride,

or selfishness,

The cross becomes a stumbling block.

See the love of Jesus as exposed upon that cross

a love which should lead us to repentance and worship,

may very well offend or expose what is really in our hearts.

thats frankly why people hate it

because it shows us who we truly are

in relation to how Holy God truly is

And it shows us that we truly need a savior

So let me urge you today:

do not let

hate take root in your heart.

Do not let sin harden you.

Turn to Christ.

His love is greater than any sin,

greater than any jealousy,

and greater than any hate.

The love that conquered death is the same love that

can and will redeem you,

restore you,

and silence the hate within.

And for those who already know Christ,

remember that

His love not only conquered death

but also silences hate.

So as followers of Christ,

we are called to reflect His love in our lives.

we are called to serve as He served

serve as Martha served

let us walk in love,

not allowing the seeds of hate,

bitterness,

or jealousy to grow within us.

Becuase the cross has the final word—

love has the final word.

So let the love of Jesus lead you to

and in life today.

Let us Pray