John 12:1-19 - Responding to Resurrection Power

Father, thank you. For the opportunity to learn about you and your son Jesus from your word. I pray that you would open our hearts to believe what you have revealed about yourself here. In these pages, I pray that you would use the truth that we find here to change us. Change us into the likeness of your son through the power of your spirit cuz you live in US. I don't have the power in myself to do any of this. So, please work through me now. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

How many times our assumptions shape our responses to different things in life? Let me give you some examples. When I'm standing in line, at the grocery store, and I see the tabloids, I assume that the headlines are either outright lies or at least blown way out of proportion. so, I respond by Discounting those stories, I don't pay any attention to him. when I'm listening to a financial advisor telling me where to invest my money, I assume that he's accurate and telling you the truth because his reputation and his own livelihood are dependent on his advice. So I respond by doing what he tells me to do with my money. When I'm listening to my child. Tell me about how they've been bullied at school. I assume that they're telling the truth because of their track record. So I respond by addressing the bullying, issue with the school or with the other child's parents. But when you hear the gospel, when you hear about a man who has the power to raise the dead, just by speaking, a man who also died and rose from the dead in your place. A man with true resurrection power. What might your assumptions be? How might those assumptions shape your response?

And I passed this today and John 12:1 through 19, we're going to see three different General responses to Jesus's resurrection power. The bring Clarity to those same responses in our own era today. We're going to walk through this passage one response at a time. So, the first response to Jesus's resurrection power is celebration. Celebration of Jesus's resurrection power. In verses 1 through 86 days before the Passover Jesus therefore came to Bethany where Lazarus was whom, Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive appointment made from Pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume but Judas Iscariot one of his disciples, he who is about to betray him said, why was this ointment not sold for 300 in the area and given to the poor? He said this not because he cared about the four but because he was a thief and having charge of the money back, he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, leave her alone so that she may keep it for the day of my burial for the poor. You always have with you, but you do not always have me. So here we see a celebration in worship. Jesus has recently raised Lazarus from the dead and the religious leaders caught wind of this and made plans to kill him. So Jesus tactically retreated to a place called a Freon but now, six days, before the Passover feast Jesus comes back to Bethany. And Martha Lazarus and Mary honor him with a dinner for bringing Lazarus back to life. And these other three siblings all celebrate Jesus's resurrection power by worshiping and in different ways. We can also take note of these different ways to worship as examples of worship in our own lives. In light of Jesus's. Resurrection power, we can serve like Martha did. A number of other incidents show us that Martha was very concerned with serving others, one in since she was actually rebuked by Jesus because she was upset at her sister for not helping her serve. But here, she was happy to serve and to let her brother and sister worship Jesus in their own way that we can take. Martha is an example of a proper response to Jesus's resurrection power. When you understand who Jesus is and what he's done for you, it should compel you to want to serve him like Martha did. To honor him with your service, because he deserves it. I'm just going to look different with each of us. Some may serve Jesus by caring for children, so I may serve Jesus by leading music, so I may serve Jesus by giving food to the elderly or the homeless some may serve Jesus by teaching others about him, we all serve Jesus in slightly different ways but we can all serve In light of Jesus's resurrection power. We can also spend time with Jesus, like Lazarus did Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with Jesus. He was just hanging out with him. He wasn't necessarily serving like his sister Martha but he was, what what he was doing. Was also a celebration of Jesus's, resurrection power and worship. We can also respond and Celebration by spending time with Jesus, when you realize who Jesus is and what he's done for you, his love for you becomes a parent.

When his love for you, you will lose your love for him. It compels you to want to know him more.

You want to know what he likes and what he doesn't like. What pleases him and what? Disappoints him. You want to know everything about him?

And you also want to tell him those things about you too.

How do we do that?

I always spend time with him in prayer and reading his word.

In light of Jesus's. Resurrection power. We can also sacrificially give like Mary did this is the response. That's highlighted the most in this encounter because it's so countercultural. Mary took a jar of super expensive perfume and poured it all over Jesus's feet. I just wasn't just a little bit of perfume, this was probably a whole pound of it. Poured all over Jesus's feet so that the entire room was filled with the fragrance and this was not a small room. This was a lavish and truly sacrificial gift. Probably the most expensive thing, she owned and she gave it All to Jesus.

When you understand who Jesus is what he's done, it should compel you to sacrificially, give to him because of the sacrificial gift, he's already given to you.

Mexican look like giving money, or property, labor or time. We give these things to Jesus to see his kingdom Advanced to joyfully meet the needs of others. And all of this is the response of worship. A response of Celebration because of Jesus's resurrection power in our lives. We also see hear celebration in the face of selfish opposition. The celebration especially sacrificial, giving is countercultural. The world doesn't understand it at all. And when they see it, they think we're crazy.

Sometimes they even try to oppose it selfishly like Judas did here. John has quite a few narrator comments about Judas, and what he was about to do, he was one of Jesus's disciples, one of his inner 12, but he was also about to betray Jesus to the religious leaders who wanted to kill him.

And he was also a thief. Stealing money from Jesus. Judas responds the way the rest of the world would normally respond to sacrificial, giving rather than focusing on how much Jesus deserve to be given for all that. He is and all that he gave Judas focused on how much he could have gained if Mary had not wasted the perfume on Jesus. You see, greed is opposed to sacrificial worship. You'll find the same principal at work today. The world says that the best thing to do when someone sacrificially gives to you is to take that gift and run. Or figure out some way to get more.

even if you have to be a little dishonest to get it,

that's what Judas did. That's what we see all throughout the world today. Greed masquerading as philanthropy. But that's not what Jesus deserves. That's not what will ultimately be the best greed is opposed to sacrificial, giving, and Jesus is opposed to selfish greed. In fact, after Judas, opposes Mary sacrificial gift Jesus defends her sacrificial worship. He says, leave her alone. So that she may keep it for the day of my burial for the poor. You always have with you but you will not always have me. The very first phrase here that he says, is a defense for Mary, leave her alone. She's doing something beautiful, don't mess it up to two sleeve her alone.

Why?

Why should you just leave me alone? Because she was either knowingly or unknowingly preparing, Jesus's body for burial. This is one of many foreshadows Jesus gave for his sacrificial death, that would come about less than a week after this. We're supposed to make a connection here. We're supposed to make a connection between the high value of the perfume, Mary sacrificed for Jesus, and the high value of Jesus's life. He sacrificed for our Salvation from sin and death,

There's a sort of cycle going on here. Jesus sacrificially gave marry her brother back from the dead, which compelled, Mary to sacrificially. Give this perfume to Jesus as a foreshadow of his death and Jesus would go on to sacrificially, give his life as a ransom, for Mankind's to be reconciled back to God, and now the cycle can keep going. Through our sacrificial giving in response to Jesus's sacrifice on the cross.

What can you give? that will continue this cycle of sacrificial giving

What can you give?

I'm moving on from the celebration of Jesus's resurrection power. The next response we see is contention contention of Jesus's resurrection power in verses 9 through 11. When the large crowd of the Jews, learns that Jesus was there. They came not only on account of him, but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well. Because on account of him, many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

The religious leaders have been opposed to Jesus and his ministry from the outset. We first encountered them in John's gospel back in chapter 1. When they came to confront John the Baptist, they questioned his authority to baptize but they were clearly looking for the Christ like everyone else was. We also saw them in Chapter 2 when Jesus cleanses the temple. And they questioned Jesus has authority to do that. Just like they'd question, John the Baptist authority to baptize. No, we don't see the religious leaders again until as a group until 5:30 Jesus healed, the lame man, by the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath. Here they concluded that Jesus must not be the Christ because he did not honor their Sabbath rules. even though they were not biblical interns the day of rest, into a day of bearing, heavy spiritual burdens,

This was when they decided that Jesus had to die but they took a while to figure out how to do it. Linen. 7:20 up secretly to the Feast of booths and once he revealed himself, the religious leaders tried to arrest him but they were unsuccessful. In chapter 8, they tried to trap him by forcing him to choose to either condemn, an adulteress to death going against Roman law, or pardoning her going against the law of Moses. But Jesus flip the script on them and they had to retreat the later in chapter 8 Jesus showed that he's just as opposed to these religious leaders as they are opposed to him. He called them out on their murderous intent and their deceitfulness by calling them children of their father, the devil? And when Jesus claimed to be God by saying before Abraham was I am they tried to Stone him to death. Then in chapter 9, Jesus healed, a man who was born blind and the religious leaders pick that man out of the synagogue just for siding with Jesus. And in chapter 10, Jesus was accosted by the religious leaders in Solomon's Colonnade and they tried to Stone him again because he said, I and the father are one.

In chapter 11. The religious leaders heard about how Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead and they finally got together and made a formal plan to put Jesus to death. And now here in chapter 12, they've seen how much the raising of Lazarus has affected the people. And they decide to undo what Jesus had done. Make it like it never happened. The Lazarus back in the ground.

These religious leaders oppose Jesus because they assumed something about him from the very beginning. Their first interaction with Jesus was when he cleansed the temple and they questioned his authority to do that. They've never accepted. Jesus is Authority. And identity as the Christ, the son of God, they've always assumed that Jesus is either a liar. And a blasphemer who is all about stirring up the people. And ruining the religious leaders lives. That's their Assumption of him. So they respond to Jesus's. Resurrection power with contention. Contention because of the threat to their way of life. Back in John 11, verse 48. They said if we let him that is Jesus, go on like this. Everyone will believe in him and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation. They assumed that Jesus would ruin their lives.

They liked how they were living.

I mean, they were looked up to as the religious Elite. Because of their station. Their lives were not really questioned, so they could get away with living in sin. As long as they looked good on the outside.

Seems like Best of Both Worlds. To be admired as holy and be able to live in the pleasure of sin.

And here Jesus is about to ruin their hypocritical. Empire by drawing the attention of the Romans. But they also contend it was Jesus because of another threat. The threat to their pride. Inverse 11 of John, chapter 12, John explains, the religious leaders decision to kill Lazarus. He says on account of him that is Lazarus. Many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. Resurrection of Lazarus prove that Jesus was the Christ.

But that made the religious leaders look, kind of foolish to oppose Jesus for so long. Their position required the respect of the people and if they lost that respect, they would lose their power and their pride would be damaged Beyond repair.

I couldn't have that.

We see these responses all the time today.

People who want to keep their way of life. Their sin. So they refuse to accept Jesus for who he is. Most often this looks like indifference, Jesus is great for you, but I'll keep doing my thing. You do you I don't really want to talk about religion, let's just watch the game.

Sometimes though, it looks like militant opposition. People being kicked out of their family. Because they became a Christian.

Famous atheist going on, talk shows and telling the world, how deluded? And backward Christians and Christianity is Government legislators passing laws to ban prayer and any reference to God in the public eye.

Don't be surprised. Don't be surprised if you run across these responses. In your Evangelistic conversations.

Many people will respond in indifference or antagonism because they assume that Jesus isn't the Christ, the son of God.

All you can do is tell them the truth.

And rely on the Holy Spirit to allow them to see it as the truth and repent. So we saw the responses of Celebration and contention to Jesus's resurrection power. And it may be tempting to just leave it there. And see this as a sort of dichotomy. Two, opposing sides, like good and evil light and dark love and hate for Jesus and against him. But there's a third response. A third response to Jesus's resurrection power. And that third response is confusion.

Confusion of Jesus's resurrection power in verses 12 through 19. The next day, the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him. Crying out, Hosanna blessed. Is he who comes in the name of the Lord? Even the king of Israel. And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it just as it is as it is written, fear, not Daughter of Zion. Behold, your king is coming sitting on a donkey's Colt. His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified then they remembered that these things have been written about him and had been done to him, the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the Tomb and raised him from the dead continued to Bear Witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard? He had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, you see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.

So here we see three different things, the people, and even Jesus, his own disciples were confused about They were confused about why. Jesus said come in the first place. They were confused about the prophecies about him and they were confused about Jesus's signs. So the first one Confusion, by assuming that Jesus assuming what Jesus came to do. Isn't versus 12 and 13. You see that crowd rightly understood that Jesus is the Christ. His resurrection of Lazarus had definitively proven that. What they were confused about. Was why Jesus had come. They assumed that he came to free them from the opposition of Rome. And that's what they meant when they shouted Hosanna. That word literally means save. Now, I pray. They wanted Jesus to save them. From Rome. This is assumption was not that far-fetched because there are plenty of prophecies to talk about the Christ. God's chosen one defeating Israel's enemies.

And he will do that. When he returns in glory. The problem was that these Earthly enemies. Specifically Rome at that time were more prominent in the minds of the people than the enemies of sin and death.

And they home didn't on the prophecies about the Christ, conquering Israel's enemies and they ignored the prophecies about his suffering and taking on the sins of the world.

This is selective belief. The people who only want to believe some of the things in the Bible. But not all of it. The people who want God to bless them and give them health and prosperity, but they ignore the parts of scripture that talk about God's people suffering and dying.

We must remember that Jesus did not come to make our lives better per second. Jesus came to give us eternal life and joy and comfort in him in spite of our difficult circumstances. We look forward to when Jesus will come back and make all things new and wipe away every tear from our eyes.

Only, then we will enjoy our best life. Any Trinity. But not now.

Life is good in Christ. But it's not the best yet.

We have to keep this in the front of our minds because it's so easy to get caught up in the difficulties of life and think that Jesus came to give us a prosperous life now.

It's so easy to elevate. The Urgent needs of life to a place more prominent than the ultimate need of spiritual life and forgiveness from our sins reconciliation with God. We have to keep these things straight.

The next way, the people responded was confusion By ignoring prophecy in verses 14 through 16. Jesus went along with their desire to make him King because it was almost time for him to die and rise again in glory.

The people had tried to make him King before after he fed them in the wilderness. But back then his time is not yet. Come So he refused. And then he sneaked away. But now his time had come to accept the title of King of the Jews. And to die for it.

so, he fulfilled the prophecy that we read earlier in the service Zechariah, 9:9 He is Israel's rightful King. I need this played that in riding into Jerusalem, on a young donkey to the ridge voicing of the people Now, the moment Jesus's disciples were caught up in the hype of the crowd, ignoring this prophecy and others. It was only later that they remembered and made the connection. It was only after Jesus was glorified. After they had the Holy Spirit to help them remember, and discern these things. This shows the importance of reading the Old Testament. And understanding it in light of Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. If we ignore the Old Testament, then we lose these prophecies about Jesus and the significance of his fulfillment of of those prophecies relegates him in our minds to a cultural phenomenon. Rather than the promised Messiah.

Without these prophecies, Jesus comes out of nowhere. And there's nothing historical to Anchor his claims to nothing to anticipate his arrival in his atonement. If the prophecies and foreshadows are ignored than the significance of the person and work of Jesus Christ is severely dampened. And confusion the balance.

Everlast confused response to Jesus's. Resurrection power was confusion by misunderstanding Jesus's signs, in verses 17 to 19. Are the people who had witnessed Jesus's sign of raising Lazarus from the dead continued to Bear witness. The continued telling people about what Jesus said. And we also see that the whole reason the crowd was there with the palm branches welcoming Jesus is King. The whole reason for that response was that they had heard the report. Jesus, raising Lazarus from the dead.

They were gawker's.

They heard it. But they misunderstood it. That sign was supposed to point people to the idea that the Christ would have to suffer and die for the sins of the people. Like it says, in Isaiah 53, 4, through 6, surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet. We esteemed him stricken Smitten by God and Afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities upon him. Was the chastisement that brought us peace and with his wounds, we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way in the lord has laid on him. The iniquity of us all Listen Psalm 16 9 through 10 there for my heart is glad in my whole being rejoices My Flesh. Also, dwells secure for you, will not abandon my soul to Shield or let your Holy One. See corruption Jesus's signs and specifically his sign of raising Lazarus from the dead. Proved that he is the Christ, the son of God and it showed that Jesus came to die for our sins and rise again and victory over death.

Other religious leaders misunderstood his signs as well. But we already looked at their response of opposition to him.

But here they saw the response of the people welcoming Jesus as their new king and they despaired of ever getting rid of him. You see, they had no idea that Jesus was entering Jerusalem for the last time before he would be crucified.

They assume that this crowd fully embraced Jesus, but they didn't understand how the crowds confusion left them open to changing their mind about Jesus. Once he failed to live up to their expectations.

That's what happens. When people only accept part of the truth about Jesus and not all of it. Eventually Jesus disappoints them because they expect him to be a certain way or do something for them that isn't promised in Scripture. And when we encounter these people in our Evangelistic conversations, we have to treat them just like those who reject or ignore Jesus. We keep telling them the truth and let the Holy Spirit fill in the gaps of their understanding. So what do we do with these three responses? To Jesus's resurrection power? What's God's word calling us to do or believe or know about Jesus?

Well. I believe that we are supposed to be like Martha Lazarus and Mary worship Jesus for my heart of love for him, because he loves you so much that he endured the cross for you to give you eternal life with him. They each worships Jesus in their own way by serving by spending time and by sacrificially giving and we can all do likewise I'm not just picking one or the other, but doing all of them as much as we can.

I also believe that we're supposed to be like the crowd that had witnessed Jesus, raising Lazarus from the dead.

Tell everyone. tell everyone about Jesus, the son of God, who has resurrection power, He died for your sins and rose from the dead securing eternal life with him.

But remember that when you tell people about Jesus they're going to respond in different ways. If? By God's grace, the holy spirit opens their heart to the truth of the Gospel. Then they'll responds like Martha Lazarus, and Mary, and celebration, and in faith, build submission to him. What is the holy spirit? Does not open their heart to the truth of the Gospel. Then they're going to respond in contention or confusion.

A contentions hard to deal with.

But remember they're rejecting Jesus, not you.

It's not your job to convince them or to coerce them. Just to Faithfully, tell them about Jesus and leave the rest to the work of the Holy Spirit. A confusions a bit harder to deal with than rejection is a first glance. They look like they look like they're actually believers. But they're only reacting to partial information. There are lots of people who think Jesus think of Jesus as a cosmic vending machine to fix their life on their terms by naming and claiming the blessing that they want from him.

But this is not the real Jesus, we see in the pages of scripture. It's a Jesus of their own making. An imaginary savior made in their own image.

It's so difficult to see, people misunderstand the person and work of Jesus. Just like those who outright reject him. We just have to Faithfully tell them about the real Jesus, and let the Holy Spirit. Do the rest.

No. if you don't believe in Jesus, yet, Then you have a choice to make right now.

You can either choose to believe in Jesus as the Bible has revealed him or you can reject him or only believe what you want about him and reject the rest.

But know that Jesus is not a lie and he is not a liar. He's not come to ruin your life.

He's come to save you from Eternal death and Grant you eternal life. If you'll believe in him,

A Jesus is also not going to give you everything you want in life. He didn't come to free the Jews from Roman oppression and he won't necessarily free you from your oppressive boss at your dead-end job.

He didn't come to give health wealth and prosperity to the Jews, and he won't necessarily do that for you either. Those things are not promised in Scripture. What is Promised is that Jesus is the son of God. Who became a man lived. A perfect, life died on the cross, for your sins rose from the dead, three days later to secure your Resurrection to eternal life with him. And he is now seated at the right hand of God, the father interceding, on your behalf.

And all you have to do is believe in him.

So will you reject him?

I really believe in him.

Father, I pray that you would work in the hearts of all of us who just heard your word. For those of us who already believe, help us help us to understand the responses to your gospel when we tell others about Jesus. Help us to rely on your spirit to bring people to faith in Christ. Rather than trying to convince or coerce people into the kingdom. Help us to not become discouraged. Some people reject Jesus. or when people only accept part of who he is and what he's done,

And father, for those here who may not yet, believe in your son, Jesus. Pray that you would open their hearts to believe the truth of your word. Humble them, save them. Give them life adoption into your family, Union with your son. Freedom from sin and death by giving them understanding and faith in Jesus. Who gave himself on the cross for all of our sins and rose again that we could be with him forever.

Lord. I can't save anybody but you can I pray that you would do that now.

Start a Revival Lord in Benicia in the Bay Area that spreads all over the world.

We ask this For Your Glory. And in the name of your glorious son, Jesus. Amen.