Extravagant Worship
Extravagant Worship
Text: Jn. 12:1-8
Date: 12/03/06 A.M.
A. The Cost of Worship
1. Her worship caused her to take this pound of very costly oil of spikenard and anoint His feet. ($15-20,000 worth of nard)
a. Nard was a highly prized - imported from the foothills of the Himalayan mtns in India.
b. Here, it was used to refresh and exhilarate—a grateful compliment in the East, amidst the closeness of a heated atmosphere, with many guests at a feast.[i]
· She was saying in effect that there was nothing too valuable to give to Christ. He is worthy of everything that we have and are.[ii] (He had just brought Laz back to life – In light of His goodness, how can we withold anything from Him?)
· Worship, as does love, always seeks an avenue in which to present itself!!
2. Note the preparation of devotion - The particular respect that Mary showed him, above the rest, in anointing his feet with sweet ointment[iii] (Weorthshipe > OE)
· “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Lk. 7:47
a. Notice, She didn’t come into His presence empty-handed. She came prepared to worship.
· Every occasion of assembly for us is an occasion for celebration.
3. Note three things about her love for Christ:
a. It was a generous love; she is as ingenious to create an occasion of expense in her convictions, as most are to avoid it.
b. A condescending love; with her own hands, she poured the oil upon Christ.
c. A believing love; there was faith working by this love, faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed.[iv]
· If God…has poured on him “the oil of gladness above his fellows”, Let us pour on him the ointment of our best affections above all competitors. [v] (Matt. Henry)
B. The Position of Worship
1. Each time we meet Mary, she is at the feet of Jesus.
· She is found sitting at His feet soaking up His words in her home.
· At Lazarus’ death, she is found at the feet of Jesus as He neared the home. Jn. 11:32
a. [Here she is found] wiping His feet with her hair.
· It’s not so much the POSTURE of the body as it is the POSITION of the heart!
1. Since a woman’s hair is her glory, she was laying her glory at His feet. (wife / prostitute)
a. Needless to say, Mary herself would have carried the fragrance of the perfume for some time after this.
· Thus, when Christ is worshiped, the worshipers themselves carry away something of the fragrance of that moment. (ie…Moses’ face shone)
· No house is so filled with pleasant aroma as the house where Jesus is given His rightful place. [vi]
b. As we look at Mary’s devotion / position before Jesus, it is God’s will that our lives are lived out in such a way that we spread the pleasant aroma of Jesus to others.
· “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” 1 Cor. 2:14-15 NKJV
C. The Criticism of Worship
1. Here the flesh is seen intruding into this most sacred of occasions.
a. The one who was about to betray his Lord could not stand to see precious oil used in this way.[vii]
· Do we, as Christians, without thinking, ever reflect the attitude of Judas? i.e. When there is a season of worship, do we ever say within ourselves, or aloud, “that TIME could be used in a better way…to teach, preach, to learn, etc…?”
· 1 Cor. 8:1 – “knowledge puffeth up” (phusio’o – to inflate; breathe in)
· If there’s anything we need, it is to be able to get into the presence of God…to practice His presence. In His presence our sin is revealed / repented of and we see who we truly are…He is exalted. (Ps. 51:11, Is. 6:3, 1 Cor. 13:8, Rev. 4:8)
1. Judas did not consider Jesus to be worth three hundred denarii.
2. He felt that the perfume should have been sold and given to the poor. ($15-20,000 worth of nard)…(although this IS commedable, this is NOT our priority!! WORSHIP)
3. But this was sheer hypocrisy. He cared no more for the poor than he did for the Lord. He was about to betray Him, not for three hundred denarii, but for a tenth of that amount. [viii]
D. The Commendation of Worship – v. 7-8
1. He received it (her act of worship). 12:3
2. He rewarded it (let her alone). 12:7
3. He recorded it.
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[i]Jamieson, Fausset, & Brown 1997. A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, On the Old and New Testaments
[ii]MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A., Believer's Bible Commentary :OT and NT
[iii]Matthew Henry's Commentary on the WholeBible
[iv]Matthew Henry's Commentary on the WholeBible
[v]Matthew Henry's Commentary on the WholeBible
[vi]MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A., Believer's Bible Commentary :OT and NT
[vii]MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A., Believer's Bible Commentary :OT and NT
[viii]MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A., Believer's Bible Commentary :OT and NT