Unwasted Love | John 12:1–8

OPENING REMARKS

John 12

Back in our series in the Gospel of John

In John 11, Jesus brought His friend, Lazarus, back to life after he died of a sickness. Four days after death, Jesus raised him back to life. And many people saw it and believed, but the religious leaders weren’t happy.

They could sense their control over the people slipping. So the chief priests and Pharisees are actively seeking a way to capture Jesus. So He goes north to a city called Ephraim because His hour was not yet come.

But then we come to chapter 12, and the Passover is less than a week away. And this is the Passover in which Jesus would be arrested, tried and crucified. We’re chapters away in the book of John, but just days away in real time.

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John 12:1-8

TITLE

Unwasted Love

This is the story of a woman who lavishly loved and worshipped Jesus. To the point that those around her said, “What a waste!”

But one thing that becomes obvious in this passage is that the world’s idea of waste and God’s idea of waste are completely different.

Any time you express your love to Jesus, it’s always Unwasted Love

PRAY

INTRODUCTION

There are few things as frustrating as feeling like you’ve wasted your time.

Driving Toll Road…Missed Exit…10 miles until next exit

Insult to injury — charged me to get off AND to get back on

What a waste of time and money!

No one likes waste.

Wasting time at a light that won’t change

Wasting money on a bad product

Wasting a drink you just bought by spilling it - MA Meeting, too Bro. Hardy and Bro. Pyle to Dunn Bros for good coffee, spent about $8 per drink, got to the conference room…hit the straw and spilled my entire drink on the table.

What a waste! Now, if you don’t like coffee, you wouldn’t consider that a waste at all. Instead of “What a waste” you might say “Good riddance!”

Our account this morning is about a woman who did something that those around her called waste. But that’s not the way Jesus saw it.

BACKGROUND

Jesus Goes to Bethany On His Way To Jerusalem

Six days before Passover, Jesus makes way to Jerusalem for the feast.

Stops in Bethany to spend time with three siblings he was very close to — Lazarus, Martha and Mary.

Based on other passages, it appears they’re eating in the home of a man named Simon.

Jesus is eating supper with Lazarus and others, reclining around the table

Martha is busy serving (big surprise!)

Mary Does Something Unexpected

Vs. 3 - Spikenard was a fragrant oil or perfume that some believe came from the Himalayas north of India. It was an extremely rare and expensive perfume.

12 ounces, kept in alabaster box (a stone jar), Only used on special occasions like someone’s death

Don’t know where Mary got it - Maybe family heirloom

Worth a large amount of money - Judas says, “We could sell this for 300 denarii to feed the poor!”

Almost a Year’s Salary

Dave Ramsey - 3-6 months emergency fund, diligently save until you have a year’s salary

Then give it to someone who has a need…No Small Thing! And some people said, “What a waste!”

But understand where Mary was coming from:

Her life had been changed by Jesus.

Her eternity was different because of what Jesus had done for her.

Her brother had been brought back to life by Jesus Christ.

Her family would never be the same because of Jesus’ love and power.

And all she wanted to do was express her love to her Savior. And this was the best way she could think to do it

I wonder how many of us love Jesus that much.

Oh we say we do. “Oh how I love Jesus!” “I love you Lord!” We sure love do love Jesus…with our words.

But have we ever loved Him like this? A year’s salary.

When it comes to expressing our love to Jesus, it’s not in what we say. It’s about what we do.

And when Jesus saw this act from Mary, His message was simple, “This isn’t Wasted Love. This is love done right. And when love is right, it’s never wasted.”

Marks Of Unwasted Love

I. You Give No Matter What It Costs

A. Mary wasn’t concerned with the cost of the perfume.

Think about it: She literally went to the shelf where she kept this jar, picked it up and said, “I’m going to see Jesus at supper. I really want Him to know how much I love Him. This is about all I have.”

“Years salary…but Jesus saved me from the empty religion I grew up in.”

“Year’s salary…but Jesus gave me eternal life.”

“Year’s salary…but Jesus brought my brother back to life.”

To Mary, when she compared the cost of that perfume to the value of what Jesus had done for her, there was no comparison.

What Jesus did for her was worth more than a years salary.

In Mary’s mind, it wasn’t wasted on Jesus because He had done more for her than a box of perfume was worth.

B. If you’ve been saved, nothing compares to what Jesus has done for you.

He died on the cross for your sins. He paid the ultimate price.

He was tortured and beaten and shamed in front of His friends and family.

He bore our sins in His body on that tree, and His own Father forsook Him because He carried our sin.

All so that He could offer us eternal life.

C. By the way, if you haven’t placed your faith in Jesus Christ to forgive your sins, you have no reason to put it off!

You are a sinner. Jesus died to pay for your sins. You must believe by faith and trust Him alone to save you. You can leave here changed.

Some people never do because they’re afraid of the cost:

First, it costs you nothing except belief.

Second, some don’t get saved because they’re embarrassed. I can promise you eternal life is worth more than being embarrassed.

Some will not get saved because they’re ashamed that everyone already thinks they’re saved. Hell isn’t worth that.

Some don’t trust Jesus because they think it will cost them friends or now they have to follow Jesus. What you gain in Christ is greater than anything you’ll lose.

Anyone who’s ever been saved would say, “Totally worth it!”

D. If you’re saved, there is a cost if you’re going to love Jesus.

Now, the costs don’t come up front. Salvation is free.

But people that think loving Christ is easy and painless probably haven’t discovered genuine discipleship.

Loving Jesus will cost you your preferences.

I’d rather sleep in than get up and spend time with God.

I’d rather have Sundays and Wednesday free to do what I’d like.

I’d rather not give a portion of my paycheck every week as tithe, or to support missionaries, or to help pay off this building and improve our facilities.

Following Jesus costs. And maybe we need to hear that more in Modern Christianity.

But Jesus said it.

Luke 14:26–30 “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.”

There are costs to follow Jesus. It’s about self-denial. It’s about dying to self.

It will cost you financially to support your church.

It will cost you some relationships because not everyone is going the way you’re going.

It will cost your plans and preferences.

But before this sounds miserable, two things:

First, God promises to provide for us and to be with us when we deny ourselves for Him. He takes care of our needs and He becomes the friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Second, God doesn’t ask us to do anything He wasn’t willing to do for us. Jesus came to earth and it cost Him dearly. He left Heaven, He was forsaken by men and His Father, He bore our sins, it cost Him.

But that’s how He proved His love. Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

And here’s how we prove our love to Him - By Giving No Matter What It Costs. That’s what genuine love looks like.

What Unwasted Love Looks like

II. You Serve No Matter How It Humbles You

A. Vs. 3 - The typical thing to do was to anoint someone’s head, but Mary got down and anointed Jesus’ feet, then wiped them with her hair. Not a towel. Her hair.

Dirt was everywhere. Roads. The floor of the house. On His feet.

And as she poured out the ointment and it mixed with dirt, it turned to mud.

So her hairs is in the mud. Wiping feet.

Mary had no pride in this moment. Completely humble because of what Jesus meant to her.

B. When you recognize what Jesus has done for you, it removes all of your pride.

It’s humbling to serve God. Expressing our love for Christ is humbling.

It’s humbling to try to invite someone to church and have them reject you or, even worse, get upset with you about it.

It’s humbling to put yourself out there and teach a class or do a devotion or minister in song. And sometimes it doesn’t go well.

It’s humbling to hear that the church needs someone to clean toilets before Wednesday night services. Who wants to do that?

But when you love Christ, there’s nothing you could do for Him that’s beneath you.

C. It’s like being a parent.

Being a parent is humbling sometimes.

Flying and mom and a little boy were going through security and the boy was just screaming and wouldn’t stop. It was echoing through the whole concourse. At one point I caught eyes with the mom and there was a mutual parental understanding between us that all parents feel. There’s no pride left when you have kids. It’s not just humbling. It can be humiliating. Now, that doesn’t excuse us from training them and discipline, which would probably fix a lot of it, but you have to check your pride at the door.

But you love them so you do it.

When you love greatly, you’re willing to serve humbly.

There should be no task beneath you when it’s for Christ.

D. And before you think this sounds unreasonable, there was nothing beneath Him.

He put Himself into a human body and subjected Himself to the same things we feel for about 33 years.

He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death. Even the death of the cross.

Anything done for Christ is not wasted. Here’s what Unwasted Love looks like:

Giving no matter the cost

Serving no matter how humbling

III. Doing Right No Matter What Others Say

A. Vs. 4 - Judas says, “What a waste! We could have used this for more important things!”

That doesn’t surprise us about Judas. But if you read this story in Matthew and Mark, it wasn’t just Judas.

Matthew 26:8 “But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?”

Mark 14:4–5 “And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? And they murmured against her.”

B. It wasn’t just Judas. The other disciples called it a waste.

It’s crazy that the disciples said, “This perfume was wasted on Jesus.”

Count on this: If you love Jesus with all your heart and you choose to live your life in a way that expresses it, people are going to criticize you.

Your family might criticize you

Your friends might criticize you

Your spouse may roll their eyes at you

Your coworkers are probably talking about you behind your back

Maybe even other Christians say, “I can’t believe they would go that far for Jesus.”

What a waste!

Every service, even Sunday and Wednesday nights? What a waste!

They give faithfully every week? What a waste!

They limit the entertainment they watch? What a waste!

They won’t go to certain places or wear certain things in order to maintain a testimony? What a waste!

They chose a smaller house so they could closer to the church? What a waste!

All that talent and they only use it at their church? What a waste!

It takes resolve to do what you believe is right, even when people criticize it. They’re going to call what you do a waste.

But you must remember this - Jesus has a completely different idea about waste than everybody else.

IV. Our Love Is Never Wasted On Jesus

Vs. 7-8 - Jesus says, “This is looking ahead to my burial.”

A. Funerals — Families often want to do something extra special when someone dies:

The nicest casket

The most beautiful flowers

The best burial location

When that happens, no one says, “I can’t believe they would spend that much. That’s just too far. That’s so extreme.”

That would be inappropriate to say. Because they want to express their love. It may seem extreme, unless it’s someone you love.

B. And that’s what Jesus is saying about Mary.

He’s about to die. So He says, “When you really love someone, there’s no length you won’t go to show it.”

Mark 14:9 “Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.”

Jesus says, “This act of Mary will be talked about until the end of time. Her love was not wasted on me.”

V. Here’s What We Can Learn About Unwasted Love

1. God rewards every act of sacrificial love.

Mary did this on her own. And she was rewarded greatly. We’re still talking about it.

God always notices.

He notices when you do something unprompted. No one else tells you to do it.

He notices when you do something costly.

He notices when you do something with humility.

He sees when you do what you believe is right even if people criticize it.

And He always rewards it.

He rewarded Mary’s sacrifice with an enduring testimony.

We don’t know how He’ll reward us for our love, but we know that He will.

Because He sees and rewards every act of sacrificial love.

Maybe not down here. But someday.

2. It’s not possible to waste your love on Jesus.

The disciples said, “What a waste!” But Jesus said, “No it wasn’t, because it was for me.”

You can waste your love on all kinds of other things, but you can’t waste it on Jesus.

Getting saved isn’t a waste

Walking with God isn’t a waste

Souls aren’t a waste

Raising your children for Christ is not a waste

Investing in your local church is not a waste

Serving God is not a waste

Giving is not a waste. Not when it’s for missions. Not when it’s for the church or the Kingdom.

We’re about to have a Church Planters conference. 11 men will with needs will present. We have an opportunity to give just a little to help them on their way. It may feel like a lot, but it’s not wasted when it’s for the Lord.

Others might see what you do for God and say, “What a waste!” But if it’s done for Jesus, it’s Unwasted Love.

It’s not possible to waste your love on Jesus.

3. God isn’t asking anything of us that He wasn’t willing to do Himself.

Some look at what Jesus did and say, “What a waste.” But He didn’t see us as a waste. He saw us as worth it.

And even if loving Jesus costs you, or humbles you, or causes others to be critical, just remember what He went through for you to be saved.

Giving and being humbled and standing alone is the least we can for Him. And it’s never wasted.

If Jesus didn’t view His love for us as wasted love, then it’s not possible for us to waste our love on Jesus.

VI. CONCLUSION

Mike Tyson Interview From A Few Years Back

Once most feared boxer on earth

Had it all - Money, fame, women, video game

Life - Broken relationships, bankruptcy, ruined reputation, drugs, addictions

Quote “My whole life has been a waste — I’ve been a failure.”

And I don’t know MT’s spiritual condition, but his assessment is a reminder that God and the world have completely different ideas about waste.

The world think living for Christ is a waste.

But God’s eyes, you can have all the success you want, but without Jesus, it’s wasted.

If you love things more than Christ, it’s a wasted life.

Compared to Missionary James Ruckman

Great preacher, could pastor anywhere, preach anywhere

Two places he’s been: Hoven SD (pop 379) and now he’s in Ghana West Africa

Not two of the more desirable places out there

But to someone like Bro. Ruckman, loving Christ means whatever it costs with humility and no matter what people say

Reaching countless souls, planting churches, buildings, orphanage

The world might say, “What a waste!” But God says, “What love!”

His life isn’t wasted because what you do for Jesus always counts.

And if you’ve been around J&A Ruckman, you know they give no matter the cost, and they serve no matter how humbling, and they Do Right no matter what others say.

If that’s waste, then I say to God this morning, “May my love and life be wasted too!”

I want to live by God’s definition of what is love and what is waste.

It’s impossible to waste your love on Jesus.