God's Faithfulness Produces Sacrifice

So far in this Lent series, we’ve looked at how God’s faithfulness prepares us for every situation in life. God provides his strength in trials and strife. God provides his identity, love, and pride to help us overcome temptation. God provides faithfulness when we are faced with a choice to sin or to be faithful. God provides reconciliation where there are broken relationships—the greatest reconciliation was between us and God!

So far in this Lent series, we’ve looked at how God’s faithfulness prepares us for every situation in life. God provides his strength in trials and strife. God provides his identity, love and pride to help us overcome temptation. God provides faithfulness when we are faced with a choice to sin or to be faithful. God provides reconciliation where there are broken relationships—the greatest reconciliation was between us and God!

Today, we are going to see how salvation, reconciliation, forgiveness, produces in us a desire to worship Jesus as Mary did. We’ll see how God’s faithfulness produces sacrificial joy.

The Bible makes it clear that our salvation is totally in Christ alone. Ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden of Eden, all humanity ever since has been born in a sinful condition. We have a natural state of sinfulness, passed down from generation to generation.

This state of sinfulness, described in the Heidelberg Catechism as “a natural tendency to hate God and neighbour” is clearly evident all around us. Wars, rumours of wars, fights, murders, stealing, adultery, manipulation, lying, all demonstrate that all human beings are fallen. We are not good at our core, we are evil. As one parent wryly observed, “You don’t need to teach a child how to be bad; they figure it out all on their own. You’re constantly trying to teach them how to be good.”

That’s the reality of the situation. There is no amount of effort, education, determination or will that can change it. All are guilty. All deserve death. Unless God did something. Unless God was faithful on our behalf.

And that’s what God did. This season of Lent is pointing us away from ourselves, and toward God. It is what God did. It isn’t what we do! Jesus saved us. Jesus was faithful, perfectly faithful, and he gave himself and his perfect faithfulness in our place. So that we can believe, trust in him, know that our sins are forgiven and we are made forever right with God.

Ok, before we dive into the text, some background. It is six days before the passover. It is Saturday evening, the Saturday before what is now known as Palm Sunday. This is the week before Jesus’ betrayal and crucifixion. The Pharisees are getting bolder. They are jealous of Jesus and what happens next primes Judas for them perfectly.

Here’s how this happens.

This state of sinfulness, described in the Heidelberg Catechism as “a natural tendency to hate God and neighbour” is clearly evident all around us. Wars, rumours of wars, fights, murders, stealing, adultery, manipulation, lying, all demonstrate that all human beings are fallen. We are not good at our core, we are evil. As one parent wryly observed, “You don’t need to teach a child how to be bad; they figure it out all on their own. You’re constantly trying to teach them how to be good.”

That’s the reality of the situation. There was no amount of effort, education, determination or will that could change it. All are guilty. All deserve death. Unless God did something. Unless God was faithful on our behalf.

And that’s what God did. This season of Lent is pointing us away from ourselves, and toward God. It is what God did. It isn’t what we do! Jesus saved us. Jesus was faithful, perfectly faithful, and he gave himself and his perfect faithfulness in our place. So that we can believe, trust in him, know that our sins are forgiven and we are made forever right with God.

Here’s how this happens.

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Jesus is at Simon the Leper’s house. Actually, he’s not a leper anymore; Jesus healed him. Jesus’ friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus were there also. It’s the same Mary that was sitting at Jesus’ feet when he was teaching. It was the same Martha who excelled in the gift of hospitality. It was the same Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead.

This was a special meal held in honour of Jesus—for healing Simon, and for raising Lazarus.

In this story, we see two hearts. One is receptive to Jesus, one is not. Which one is yours?

Mary was a good listener. She believed that Jesus would be given over to his enemies. She believed his life was in danger, and that he’d eventually be killed. She believed it for two reasons. First, she saw how jealous the leaders were of Jesus. Second, she believed it when Jesus told his disciples that he would be handed over and killed.

She also believed, even though she didn’t totally understand, that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. She saw him raise her brother from the dead. She believed in him. She believed he is God.

And so, knowing that Jesus burial was coming soon, knowing that if he was taken by his enemies, that she might not have the chance to anoint his body afterward, she saw a perfect opportunity and took it.

In an act of selfless worship, of total devotion, of sacrificial joy, Mary anointed Jesus with an expensive jar of perfume. She spent a small fortune on this jar—roughly a year’s wages, and yet to quote a lyric from When I Survey the Wondrous Cross “it were an offering far too small.” She’d have given much, much more to honour Jesus. She’d have given her life for him.

Judas revealed his heart. And the other disciples with him. John tells us that Judas didn’t have a pure motive in his asking, “Why such a waste? Why not sell this perfume and give the proceeds to the poor?” Judas was a thief. At this point in history, his thievery wasn’t known to the rest of the disciples, though it became known later.

Somehow, even though he spent a long time with Jesus, Judas’ heart remained as hard as stone. He believed in the messiah all right, but Jesus wasn’t living up to his belief. So, he thought he should profit some how, some way. So he started skimming. Instead of seeing Mary’s sacrifice for what it was, he saw his profits disappear. He could have sold it for 300 denarii and then kept 30 pieces for himself, later telling the others, “Ah, the market was bad today, I only got 270 denarii.

Notice how quick the other disciples join in?

What if someone were to make a large donation to our church? What if someone decided to, I don’t know, make a large donation to renovate the sanctuary? Would some of us be quick to downplay their generous gift and suggest that the money shouldn’t be spend on ourselves, but rather in supporting the poor?

Do we not know that money given to the collection first comes from God? Do we not know that all we have is God’s already? And if we put money into this building, or in getting rid of the mortgage, or in supporting our ministries, or supporting ministries in Lethbridge, or around the world, that all of it is a gift to God? Spending money on this building isn’t benefitting you or me. This building is where we meet for the purpose of worshipping God! We could as easily be worshipping in a gymnasium. But let’s not confuse being cheap with a servant’s heart!

Jesus put everyone in their place, Judas, who didn’t hear him, and the other disciples who did.

We will always have the task of caring for the poor, and God himself will always provide the funds for that worthy ministry.

Jesus saw Mary’s heart. He saw her gift. He saw her love. He saw her sacrifice. He saw that she understood who he is. That she was anointing him ahead of his burial because she didn’t think she could anoint him at his burial.

Mary sacrificed herself for Jesus. She endured the wicked comments from the disciples, who mocked her gift, her worship. But Jesus raised her up. Jesus received her worship. Jesus rebuked the disciples.

Mary was moved to give because she knew that Jesus was going to give himself up for her, for all who will trust in him. So, so gave herself up in worship.

So it comes to this. What will you do? Will you allow God’s faithfulness in saving you from your sins, through Jesus Christ, produce sacrificial joy in you? Will you let go of the things of this earth? Will you allow Christ to live in you? Will you demonstrate your love for Jesus by giving of your money, your time, your talents?

Many, many of us do give, and generously. It truly is a sacrifice of joy, because we fully realise what Jesus has saved us from.

Some of us give grudgingly, half-heartedly. We can all be like that at times. We forget what Jesus did for us. We forget how sinful we are. We forget that we’re entitled to nothing, to death! And in this, we have to realize that we’re more like Judas and the other disciples than we’re like Mary.

It’s time to wake up! Time to see God’s amazing, incredible faithfulness in Jesus Christ. See what he has saved us from! See and believe. Believe the truth about our own sinfulness. Believe the truth about being saved, freely saved! Then, consider in your own mind, “How can I now live? How can I demonstrate my love for Jesus? says, “If you love me you will keep my commandments.” Are you demonstrating your loving thankfulness by being obedient? Is obedience your sacrificial joy?

Let it be said of us that the Lord was our passion. That in every circumstance we were faithful and fought the good fight. Let it be said of us that Jesus lived in and through us, in his risen power. Let it be said of us that we’re marked by forgiveness, known by our love. That in us Christ may be seen by everyone!

Amen.