Sermon Tone Analysis

! Introduction:

John 12 records the second major crisis in the ministry of our Lord as seen by John.

ü                   *The first* crisis occurred when many of His disciples would no longer walk with Him (John 6:66), even though He is “the way” (John 14:6).

ü                   *The second *occurred in this chapter, where John tells us that many would not believe in Him (John 12:37ff), even though He is “the truth.”

ü                   *The third *crisis will come in John 19: even though He is “the life,” the leaders crucified Him.

John opened his book by telling us that Jesus “came unto His own [world], and His own [people] received Him not” (John 1:11).

In the first twelve chapters, John presented one witness after another, and one proof after another, to convince us that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Son of God.

All of this evidence was seen firsthand by the leaders of the nation, and yet they rejected His claims.

Having been rejected by “His own” nation, Jesus then retired with “His own” disciples (John 13:1) whom He loved to the uttermost.

Jesus Christ had just revealed Himself to be the Resurrection and the Life.

John gives four reactions to that revelation.

1.

Jesus dined in a home in Bethany (v.1-2).

2.

The supreme believer (v.3).

3.

The hypocritical, unbelieving disciple (v.4-8).

4.

The half-sincere seekers (v.9).

5.

The fearful, self-seeking religionists (v.10-11).

!! A.                  Jesus Christ—Ministry—Fellowship.

!!! 1.                  Jesus Dined In A Home In Bethany (v.1-2).

!!!! a)                  Jesus Was In The House Of Simon The Leper (Matthew 26:6-13)

!!!!! (1)                 Little Is Known About Simon.

Since a leper was not allowed to live in towns or cities or to associate with nonlepers, it is clear that Simon had been cleansed.

And because that disease was incurable by medical means, he apparently had been healed miraculously by Jesus.

In deep gratitude for that deliverance, he had asked Jesus and the others to his house for a meal.

!!!!! (2)                 Tradition Says He Was The Husband Of Martha.

Matthew says Jesus was dining in the house of Simon the leper, and John says Martha was serving.

This would seem to indicate a close relationship.

Martha was probably his wife or older daughter.

!!!!!! (a)                 If she was Simon’s wife, then her brother and sister, Lazarus and Mary, seemed to be living with her and Simon.

!!!!!! (b)                However, if Martha was Simon’s oldest daughter, then Simon was the father of Mary and Lazarus as well.

It was while Jesus was in Simon the leper’s home that Mary came up to Jesus and anointed Him.

 

!!!! b)                  Six days before the Passover (v.1a)

!!!!! (1)                 In just six days our Lord would be stretched on the cross to give his life for those who hated Him.

That is the setting for the opening verses of chapter 12.

!!!!!  

!!!! c)                  The place where Lazarus was raised (v.1b)

!!!!! (1)               Our Lord knew that the Jewish leaders were out to arrest Him and kill Him (John 11:53, 57), but He still returned to Bethany, only two miles from the very citadel of His enemies.

Why?

So that He might spend a quiet time with His dear friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus & Simon.

!!!! d)                  Service—Martha Served (v.2a)

!!!!! (1)                 *Martha Loved To Serve*.

No doubt she had been up the night before, getting things ready so at earliest dawn she could fire the oven.

All day the aroma of a celebration meal had blown through the room of the house.

Nothing was to good for Jesus.

Martha probably used her best recipes, and she loved bringing course after course to Jesus and His men.

They loved it too.

She was doing her thing, and everybody was happy.

!!!!! (2)                 *In The Past Things Had Not Always Been Quite So Happy (Luke 10:38-42)*

!!!!!! (a)                 Zacchaeus welcomed Jesus as well (Luke 19:6)

!!!!!! (b)                We Need To Welcome Jesus Into The House of Our Hear:

/"But as many as *received* Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:" (John 1:12, NKJV) /

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone *hears* My voice and *opens the door*, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." (Revelation 3:20, NKJV)

/"Let the word of Christ *dwell* in you richly in all wisdom” (Colossians 3:16, NKJV) /

/"For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you *received* the word of God which you heard from us, you *welcomed *it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also *effectively works in you who believe*."

(1 Thessalonians 2:13, NKJV) /

!!!!!! (c)                 Martha Was Distracted With Much Serving, & Worried About Many Things (Luke10:38-42).

!!!!!! (d)                Jesus Said Do Not Be Worried About Your Life (Matthew 26:25-34).

!!!!!! (e)                 The Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:3-9,13-20; Luke 21:34).

!!!!! (3)                 *Martha Again Is Serving Jesus (John 12:2), but Her Attitude Had Changed*, What Happened?

!!!!!! (a)                 This time she did not forget what the Lord had told her earlier in Luke’s gospel.

“Mary had chosen what is better” (v.42), did not mean that serving in the kitchen and at the table was bad.

!!!!!! (b)                She understood that Jesus was saying that her hurried, depressed, unhappy attitude was separating her from Him.

She knew that service can be worship (Matt.4:10),

if it is done with the right attitude.

!!!!!! (c)                 Romans 21:1—Present our “bodies” our entire lives, as “spiritual worship”.

Martha understood that true worship also involves service.

Preparing a meal, fixing a bike, balancing your checkbook, attitude is the defining factor!

!!!!!! (d)                Divine service occurs when the proper perspective is there.

Martha knew that when her spirit was right, her service was of the same kind as the outward worship of Mary.

!!!!! (4)                 *The Options Are Always There Before Us*.

!!!!!! (a)                 We can complain about those who are not doing their job, we can be sour, or we can do our work lovingly and gently.

Loving service is always the characteristics of those who have had their hearts truly touched by Christ.

!!!!! (5)                 *Can You Imagine The Conversation Around The Table!*

!!!!!! (a)                 I can imagine Simon saying, “You cannot imagine what it was like!

I saw the scabs fall off my hand!

My fingers grew back in place!

I reached up, and my eyebrows were there.

I was healed!

!!!!!! (b)                Perhaps Lazarus interrupted, saying, “Simon, that was nothing!

I mean, that must have been great, but let me tell you what it was like for me.

Hey, I was dead!

I was gone /four earth days/!

I went to Paradise, and I saw all the biggies!

Abraham, Moses, David.

But check this out, the most amazing thing I saw was when I came back and walked out of that tomb!

I was dead and now alive, blind and now I can see!

 

 

 

 

!!!! e)                  Lazarus Was Present Having Fellowship With Christ (v.2b)

!!!!! (1)                 Lazarus Is A Good Illustration Of A Sinner When He Trusts The Savior (Eph.

2:1–10).

!!!!! (2)                 Lazarus Was Raised From The Dead By The Power Of God (John 5:24).

All who trust Christ have been given new life and lifted out of the graveyard of sin.

!!!!! (3)                 Lazarus Was Set Free From The Graveclothes (John 11:44; Col. 3:1ff) and given new liberty.

!!!!! (4)                 Lazarus Is Seated With Christ At The Table (John 12:2; *Eph.2:6*).

All believers are “seated with Christ” in heavenly places, enjoying spiritual food and fellowship.

!!!!!! (a)                 *We Are Not Raised From The Dead And Left In The Graveyard*.

Because we are united to Christ, we have been exalted with Him and we are sharing His throne in the heavenlies.

Our physical position may be on earth, but our spiritual position is “in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

Like Lazarus, we have been called from the grave to sit with Christ and enjoy His fellowship (John 12:1–2).

!!!!!! (b)                *Salvation Has A Purpose, In Regard To Us And In Regard To God*.

The most immediate and direct result of salvation is to be /raised up with Him, and [to be] seated with Him in the heavenly places/.

Not only are we dead to sin and alive to righteousness through His resurrection in which we are raised, but we also enjoy His exaltation and share in His preeminent glory.

!!!!!! (c)                 When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead His first instruction was, “Loose him, and let him go” (John 11:44).