The Week Before Death & Life: Whom Do You Serve?

The New International Version (Chapter 12)

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

Lazarus was a man who Jesus was friends with. He had died previously and Jesus had raised him back to life. The famous verse associated with this story is the shortest verse in the Bible: “Jesus wept” John 11:35

John 11:35 NIV

Jesus wept.

2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.

Martha & Mary: Lazarus’ sisters. Martha was someone who was a busy-body and was more concerned with getting her house prepared for Jesus, than listening to Jesus Himself. Mary tended to listen to Jesus often, and was more concerned about being with Him than anything else. Luke 10:38-42

Luke 10:38–42 (NIV)

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. c Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Lk 10:38–42.

3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair.

Whom do you serve? This is the most important question you will answer in your life.

Nard is an extract from an aromatic Nepalese plant, Nardostachys jatamansi. The perfume was expensive because it was imported from a great distance, as well as having to be extracted from plant material. (Make comment about Essential oils diffuser)

Colin G. Kruse, John: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 4 of Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 25

John: An Introduction and Commentary (ii. Mary Anoints Jesus’ Feet at Bethany (12:1–8))

Anointing Jesus’ feet with so much expensive perfume was an act of great devotion.

John: An Introduction and Commentary (ii. Mary Anoints Jesus’ Feet at Bethany (12:1–8))

Mary’s wiping Jesus’ feet with her hair also expresses great devotion. A woman’s long hair was regarded as her glory (1 Cor. 11:15; cf. 1 Pet. 3:3). Additionally, their feet were filthy from days of walking with sandals in dirt, so their feet are gross… To kneel down and wipe His hair with his feet is truly humble. She showing who she believes is her Lord and Savior.

8.And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

How often do you make a comment just to get under somebody’s skin? Or just to see if you can provoke them into anger? Or you make a comment just to prove you think you are better than someone else? But in any of these situations you know your heart is not in the right place?

7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied.

Honestly, a great phrase. I hope every single one of you stands up to bullies as Jesus does. If they insult you, so what? You can stand your ground with the same confidence Jesus had: He has overcome the world, and we all will have to give God an answer for our actions. And that bully will also have to answer to God one day.

“It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, p but you will not always have me.”

Not only was Mary serving Jesus, but in those days, and still today, perfume is put on bodies before they are buried so that they don’t smell bad. Mary has prepared Jesus for what is going to happen on Friday, what Christians celebrate as “Good Friday,” Jesus’ death.

So let’s ask this question again, who do you serve? We know who Mary, Martha, and Lazarus chose. Now let’s look at who the crowd chooses...

The New International Version (Chapter 12)

12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,“Hosanna!”

John: An Introduction and Commentary (iv. Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (12:12–19))

Palm branches were also used as symbols of victory and kingship. By meeting Jesus with palm branches the crowd showed they were welcoming him as king. This acclamation is based on Psalm 118:25–26. The literal meaning of ‘Hosanna’ is ‘save now’.

Colin G. Kruse, John: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 4 of Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 262.

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” 

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;

see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” 

John: An Introduction and Commentary (iv. Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (12:12–19))

It was a crucial event in which Jesus, by a dramatic act, presented himself to Jerusalem as her king, in accordance with prophecy. This displayed how God flips the way we think on its head because the king of our world rides in on a donkey in robes, not on a horse with shining armor. God’s ways are different than our own!

16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

John: An Introduction and Commentary (iv. Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (12:12–19))

In this matter, as in others, Jesus’ disciples only realized the significance of things after Jesus’ death and resurrection

17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word.

18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him.

19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

The healing of Lazarus was so influential that those who had seen it felt so compelled that they had to tell people. Anyone who can raise someone from the dead is worth listening to in order to determine if they are worth following. SO we see this massive crowd that has come because they want to get a glimpse of who this Jesus guy is that they have heard so much about. Which brings us to our main question today:

Whom do you serve?

And the crowds show us what we are to do when we decide to follow Jesus: tell others. So my second question is this: If you have been saved by Jesus, and your life has been changed, who are you going to tell?