John 12:4-11
Notes
Transcript
Context.
We’re going to be jumping into today’s verses with a dinner for Jesus that some close friends put on for Him.
And for good reason, Jesus just got done raising Lazarus from being 4 days dead!
In John we read that Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and Judas were there and in reading the other gospels we find that the disciples are there and that it is at Simon the Leper’s house.
Or better yet, Simon the previous Leper’s house as Jesus had obviously healed Him because there was no having a get together at a Leper’s house as that was defined in the old testament as unclean and they must live alone, outside the camp.
And this isn’t a bad thing, as Leprosy is a horrible disease that can spread to others.
So this dinner or get together is among close friends that have been seriously changed and loved by Jesus to say the least!
And this is where we jump into today’s verses. John 12:4-11.
But I’d like to kick off at the start of John 12 to help with more context.
Six 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 ointment 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.
And today’s verses.
But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag 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.”
When the large crowd of the Jews learned 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.
Pray!
We have a confrontation, Judas openly questions Mary’s actions and according to the other gospels so do the other disciples.
And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?
Was this righteous judgement, jealousy, or something else?
With Judas we see exactly what it was...money.
He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.
The others could of thought they were judging righteously or they could of been jealous of Mary’s showing of great honor.
Nonetheless, we find a rebuke from Jesus.
Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.
Showing that what she is doing is a good thing.
We have here several different responses and actions that are highlighted in regard to who Jesus is.
We’ve got five different people or people groups I’d like to look at today.
Judas
Mary, Martha, & Lazarus
The disciples
The large crowd
The Chief Priests
Judas: worldly ways
But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.
This is sin. This is your brain on drugs, any questions?
This is selfishness in one of the greatest, if not the greatest showing of all time.
Stealing from the ministry of Jesus and betraying Him for 30 shekels of silver.
The exact amount commanded in the old testament to be paid to the master of a slave if and when his slave was gored by an ox.
If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
Jesus was betrayed for the price of a gored slave in old testament times.
This is the ways of the world.
What’s in it for me? Absolutely not how does this help or love others.
It’s about love of self.
And this is what love of self does!
It steals, it betrays, it kills...
This one is tough but such a great warning at the same time.
Truth...Judas saw, Judas heard, Judas walked with Jesus but ultimately, he didn’t put is hope and faith in Him.
Instead, the temporal pleasures of the world and the desires of the flesh was more important than anything else.
Guilty, every single one of us!
Yes, we love to point the finger and say how could you, we love to shake our head and say idiot but don’t forget this is where we all come from!
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Outside of Christ every single one of us are Judas’.
Thief’s, robbers, betrayers of righteousness, sinners...
Do you see how much we deserved the cross? We all say Judas definitely did and he does but so do we.
But oh how much worse it is to know the love of Jesus and still stay in your sin.
For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
I heard John MacArthur in one of his sermons say “while the church is the best place to be, it can also be the scariest or most dangerous place to be for those who are religiously active but lack true salvation.”
This is Judas; he’d seen, tasted, heard, been given great Love and betrayed Him who’d who gave great love.
Folks, never let it be! Don’t ever play this game!
No repentance, no forgive me “I’m a sinner”, just a feeling of remorse, despair, & fleeing.
This is the main difference of Judas & Peter. Both betrayer’s.
Peter: Put his trust & faith in the Lord by repenting and seeking Jesus’ forgiveness.
While..
Judas: Put his trust & faith in himself by returning the money and fleeing from Jesus.
Do we see the difference? Feeling beat down by your sin? Good, don’t ever get comfortable in it.
But instead of despair in yourself: let the love, mercy, forgiveness and grace of God led you to repentance.
Enter...
2. Mary, Martha, Lazarus: praise, honor, worship, servanthood, content,
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 ointment 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.
Sinners brought to repentance through the wondrous works of Jesus!
We see here a beautiful picture of being together with Jesus.
Enjoying Him, talking with Him, growing in Him, worshipping Him.
The three of them have this bond, this unity, outside of being siblings.
Horrible sinners, saved by grace.
They didn’t stop and focus on their sin, dwell on their sin, run from the one that can save them from their sin.
No, they focused on the One that can defeat their sin we love and righteousness!
They were forever changed.
He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
This is their story up to this point.
Do they yet know about the cross? Nope
Do they know all the inner working of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Nope.
But what they do know is “I once was blind but now I see”
Eyes opened to Him and Truth. Forever changed.
They desire Him and they serve and worship Him!
They are loved!
We love because he first loved us.
3. The disciples: students seeking sanctification in Jesus.
Remember the disciples were there as well.
And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?
They’re not perfect as we see plenty of times, arguing who’s better, showing their lack of faith several times while at the same time witnessing the perfect provisions of God time and time again, to this “they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?”
But like Peter, they ran too, instead of away during their failures!
And through this faith in Him and nothing else the disciples are being loved and seeing this love over and over again.
Their eyes are being opened in all these miracles, healings, and teachings.
They’re walking with Jesus daily and becoming sanctified.
We see this growth with Jesus that change these immature boys to mature men of the faith, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
We see these men start to love God and love others.
And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
This is what we have the privilege to see in the disciples.
This transformation of Christ in their lives.
From the denial of Peter “I swear, I don’t know that man” to the Peter becoming the Rock that Jesus said he’d become.
We owe a great deal of debt to what Jesus did with and through these men.
They loved Jesus and they loved others. So much so that their lives we’re consumed in it.
With early church history telling that all the disciples outside of John were martyred.
They were loved and through that love they were called to go, called to share, called to love.
This is where we’re all called to go as well.
Yes, alway sit at the feet of Jesus in worship, honor, and service.
But we’re not called to stay there. He calls us to love Him and love others.
4. A large crowd seeking: the harvest
When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.
The truth...as bad as this world is and as much as we see anti-God proclamations throughout.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Praise God, Hallelujah, thank you Jesus!
We’re all here because of this.
For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage;
Praise God, Hallelujah, thank you Jesus!
We’re all here because of this.
Hear this truth concerning the crowds.
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
How many of us have been lost and then found?
How many of us have been blind but now see?
We’ve all been like sheep without a shepherd. Harassed, helpless. Led to one dry mountain top, after another. More thirsty than before.
We were that crowd, we were the sheep without a shepherd, we were the harvest that is plentiful.
But upon one of those mountain tops of worldly pursuits or failures came this...
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
Praise God, Hallelujah, thank you Jesus!
How beautiful the feet of Jesus that brought good news and how beautiful the feet of those sent to share this good news!
I’m so thankful for a man named Ryan Booth!
And so thankful those that ministered to him and so on down the line!
So thankful for those that God brought after Ryan.
So thankful for you all!
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
There’s a harvest of lost people out there folks, but not many laborers.
We are saved to love Him and love others. Not saved to sit idly by and watch people go to hell. That is unloving!
And how do we start to love others?
therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Prayer!
5. And the Chief Priests: the religious
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.
We close with this verse today and the importance it brings.
To never forget.
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Where does self righteous religion get you?
A scheme to kill a man that was just brought back from death, an ignoring a man that was born blind but now see’s, and ultimately killing an innocent man that never once sinned.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
This is the self righteous religious elite, they have not love.
And therefore their response to Love is self righteous hate.
Let us never be this!
Let us never forget.
Why do we love?
We love because he first loved us.
Amen!?
We’ve highlighted 4 different responses to who Jesus is.
Response one, to betray Truth. Judas. Folks I plead with you, don’t take lightly the gift of Truth given.
Response two, to worship. Martha, Mary, & Lazarus. Folks I plead with you, alway have a heart of gratitude and therefore worship Him who is Love.
Response three, faith in only Him. The disciples. Folks I plead with you,
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
4. Response four, respond! Respond to Christ. The crowd. Folks I plead with you,
As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
5. Response five, self righteous religion. The Chief Priest. Folks I plead with you, to never forget to love Him and love others.
Out of all these responses remember.
Not to always focus on your ways and your actions.
Your responses.
The only reason to look at those is to verify we’re His fruit and not the enemies.
We don’t want to fall into deceit.
Remember to focus on His love, because it’s His love the transformers your ways, your actions.
I believe this is what can start to consume us into fleeing like Judas or standing prideful like Chief Priests.
Is to take our focus off of Him and put it on us.
So lets close with a focus on Him!
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
