The Plot and its Paradox

an 18th century Scottish poet was plowing his field one day to try to make a garden.

And as he was doing that, he noticed a whole bunch of mice scurrying beneath his feet

and then realized that he had unwittingly dug up a mice nest.

And reflecting on that experience and how he had unintentionally ruined the lives of these comfortable mice

who had this nice home, he penned this famous line of his poem, which is entitled,

To a Mouse, the line reads,

The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry.

And John Steinbeck, of course, borrowed from that line for the title of his novel,

Of Mice and Men, which talks about George and Lenny,

whose simple dream of having a farm to themselves and petting soft animals

is dashed to pieces by a series of unforeseen events.

And that's true, isn't it?

The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry.

Our best laid plans.

Sometimes it's our own doing.

Sometimes it just comes at us seemingly out of nowhere.

But for the Christian who trusts in the sovereignty of God, this is only half of the story.

Because as Proverbs 16, 9 says,

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

So our plans are contingent, variable, and uncertain.

But God's plan is unchanging and eternal and sovereign.

In this passage, we see people making schemes, plans.

They plot against Jesus.

And there's also people who are planning things for him in a positive way,

preparing the way for him, trying to help him.

But there's one plan that prevails in and through them all in this passage,

and that's God's sovereign plan to save his children through the substitutionary death of Jesus.

That's the main point of this passage.

So first, we're going to talk about the Jewish leaders' paradoxical plot.

And then we'll talk about Mary's paradoxical preparation.

And then finally, we'll talk about God's sovereign plan, which prevails in and through them all.

So this narrative follows on the heels of Jesus' raising of Lazarus from the dead.

And it says in verse 45 and verse 46,

Many of the Jews, therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him.

But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

So there's a deliberate contrast here set up between the many Jews who believed in him

and the Jews who reported Jesus to the Pharisees.

So that contrast seems to indicate that there was some malicious intent behind these Jews who went to the Pharisees.

And perhaps they had seen that embarrassing conversation that the Jewish leaders of the synagogue had with the blind men,

the man who was born blind that Jesus healed.

And they had this embarrassing conversation with him.

And they got so angry with him, they expelled him from the synagogue.

So maybe these people had seen that encounter.

And so now they were fearful.

They wanted to make sure they're on the Jewish leader's good side.

So maybe that's the reason they go to him to report this miracle that had happened

because they feel like they should know.

And then this is how the report was received.

Verses 47 and 48.

So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said,

So the chief priests were priests that belonged to the family of the high priest.

There was one high priest over all the priests.

And they were influential members of the Sanhedrin,

which is the highest ruling body of the Jews at the time under Roman rule.

And so the Pharisees were an influential faction within that group.

And they're the ones that hear this report.

And if you just think about this for a second,

of this report taking place and this Jewish leader's discussing this,

it's kind of an incredible discussion

because they're not inquiring about who this man truly might be

because he just raised a dead man to life.

Think about that.

It's not just a story you read.

This happened.

He just raised a dead man to life.

And they're not talking,

Okay, so who is this guy?

They're asking,

Well, people are going to believe in him.

And what's the problem with that?

So for this man performs many signs.

Well, that's wonderful.

Is it not?

If we let him go on like this,

everyone will believe in him.

Well, that's great news too.

If he's such a man that you can perform this miracle.

And then finally, he says,

And the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.

Ah, that's what the fuss is all about.

That's where the rubber meets the road.

The Jewish leaders were not concerned about identifying Jesus.

They were concerned to preserve the status quo,

to protect their own rule,

their own power,

their own prestige.

Because even though they were ruled by the Roman Empire,

as the leaders who were charged with leading the Jewish people,

they still had a lot of privileges.

And they did not want to forfeit that.

And so that's the concern,

is that now that Jesus has such a following,

and he has done such a spectacular miracle,

one after another,

the messianic expectation is at a fever pitch.

Then they're worried that there's going to be a revolution.

They're worried that everyone will go after Jesus,

and then the Romans will have to put their foot down

to stomp out the revolution.

And in doing so,

the people who are in charge will lose control.

That's what they fear.

And so they would,

and not just Jesus, right?

They want to kill Lazarus.

The man that was raised from the dead,

they want to kill him again.

They would seek to undo God's miracle

in order to snuff out faith in Jesus.

And it's easy to judge them,

but this selfishness,

the instinct for self-preservation is real.

It's alive in us as well, isn't it?

Because we like to compartmentalize our lives.

This part's for you, God.

It's all for you.

But this, this is my, yeah.

This is my life.

This is my time.

This is my money.

And as soon as God seeks and demands your allegiance,

even in all of those areas,

we protest because we want to preserve the status quo.

We want to protect our prestige.

We want to preserve our plans.

But Jesus is not a king who shares his throne.

Jesus is not a king who shares his rule

over our lives and our hearts.

He demands everything.

He teaches in Matthew 16,

if anyone would come after me,

let him deny himself

and take up his cross and follow me.

For whoever would save his life will lose it.

But whoever loses his life for my sake

and the gospels will save it.

If we seek to preserve our privileges,

our plans, and our power,

we will experience none of God's privileges,

God's plan, God's power.

So I warn you, if you're not a believer

and you're here with us this morning,

it's costly to follow Jesus.

He demands your everything.

But you'll get far more in return

because you'll have God.

And so, in opposing Jesus,

these Jewish leaders,

in trying to preserve their own status quo,

they find themselves on the wrong side of history.

What plans, powers, and privileges

are we clinging to

that Jesus is demanding of us?

And at this time,

as the Jewish leaders are debating

how best to respond to the Jesus phenomenon,

one member,

the most influential and prominent member

of the Sanhedrin,

the high priest,

Caiaphas,

speaks.

Verses 49 and 50.

You know nothing at all,

nor do you understand

that it is better for you

that one man should die for the people,

not that the whole nation should perish.

So this is a classic instance

of John's use of double meaning.

We've seen that throughout the Gospel of John

because Caiaphas' suggestion is,

it might at the first glance seem pious,

but actually it's very calculating and pragmatic.

What it's saying,

to use the vernacular,

is basically this.

You amateurs,

you have no idea what you're talking about.

It's far better for you,

the ruling party,

if one man dies as a scapegoat

for the whole nation.

That's what he's saying.

So frame Jesus

as the agitator of the people.

Blame him as the seditious revolutionary

who was stirring up the pot.

And if you blame him

and then let the Romans deal with him,

then you'll simultaneously

subdue the masses

and appease the Romans.

It's a stroke of political genius.

He's surely experienced.

But Caiaphas,

like so many other people

in the Gospel of John,

speaks better than he knows.

Because he says,

it is better for you

that one man should die for the people.

And the word for in Greek

is a very specific preposition

that implies substitution.

It has sacrificial overtones.

So the fact that this one man

should die for the people,

of course,

while Caiaphas doesn't know

that this is going to happen,

Jesus is going to die

as the Lamb of God

who takes away the sin of the world.

And John comments on this.

He knows.

He says,

verse 51 and 52,

he did not say this

of his own accord,

but being high priest that year,

he prophesied

that Jesus would die for the nation.

And not for the nation only,

but also to gather into one

the children of God

who are scattered abroad.

So John notes the irony

of Caiaphas' declaration.

He says one thing,

but in saying that,

he's also prophesying.

Unwittingly becomes

a mouthpiece of God

declaring that Jesus

will be the sacrificial lamb

who saves us

and redeems us

from our sin.

And when he says

that God will,

he will gather into one

the children of God

who are scattered abroad,

this is a reference

to chapter 10,

which we saw

a couple weeks ago,

where Jesus says,

I am the good shepherd.

I know my own

and my own know me,

just as the Father knows me

and I know the Father

and I lay down my life

for the sheep.

And then he says this,

and I have other sheep

that are not of this fold.

I must bring them also

and they will listen

to my voice

so there will be

one flock,

one shepherd.

Because Jesus' mission

is not just to save

the Jewish nation.

It's to save people,

his children

from every nation.

And so he says here,

like he's going to gather

into one flock

by dying as the Lamb

of God who takes

with the sin of the world.

And so the priests,

the Jewish leaders,

were concerned

with preserving their place,

the temple,

and their nation,

the people, right?

And then Caiaphas

unwittingly prophesied

that it's better

for the people

and for the nation

for Jesus to die.

And that those two words,

people and nation,

later the church,

adopts those languages

to refer to themselves

because that's what

Jesus does.

He brings about the church.

which is a chosen race,

a royal priesthood,

a holy nation,

a people for his own possession,

it says in 1 Peter 2, 9.

That's who we are.

People all over the world

will divide over race.

They will divide over nationality.

They will divide over ethnicity.

But Christ's substitutionary debt

brings about a new race,

a new nation,

a new people,

and that's his people.

That's the church,

united from every nation

under God.

And he calls them

children of God,

knowing that God

has already chosen them

and given them

to his son Jesus.

So,

it says in verse 53,

from that day on,

they made plans

to put him to death.

The high priest's advice

is accepted,

and from that day on,

they resolved

to put Jesus to death.

So,

you can see already here

that the verdict

has been given

before the trial.

they're not going

to arrest him

to try him.

They're going to arrest him

to kill him.

And so,

in verse 54,

it says,

Jesus no longer walked

openly among the Jews,

but went from there

to the region

near the wilderness

to a town called Ephraim.

And there he stayed

with the disciples.

So,

the arrest warrants out,

as we see in verse 57.

And that's the Jewish leader's

paradoxical plot.

And now,

let's turn to Mary's

paradoxical preparation,

starting in chapter 12,

verse 1.

It says,

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.

Jesus has now

returned to Bethany.

Bethany was where

Jesus raised Lazarus

from the dead.

And then now he returns there

and the family

hosts a dinner

in his honor

to thank him

and to honor him.

And as the dinner

is happening,

Mary anoints Jesus

with an expensive ointment

made from pure nard's perfume

and wipes his feet

with her hair.

So,

anointing,

if you might recall

from the Old Testament,

is a practice

intended to

set apart kings

in particular

and prophets

and priests

for God's service.

And so,

it's reserved

not for everyone,

but for people

who have been

specially set aside

for God's service.

The prophets,

priests,

and kings.

And that,

of course,

makes sense

for Mary to do that,

right?

Because Jesus

is the one

that fulfills

all of those

Old Testament figures.

He's the ultimate prophet.

He's the ultimate priest.

He's the ultimate king.

So,

it is very appropriate

for her to anoint her

this way.

But,

something unusual

is going on here

because usually

you anoint people

on their head.

But here it says

Mary anointed him

on his feet.

And,

if you check

the parallel accounts

in Matthew and Mark,

it's in Matthew 26

and Mark 14,

we find out that,

I mean,

she actually anointed

the whole body,

which is why

they highlight the head.

But,

but it seems

John here

is intentionally

highlighting

when the part

when she was highlighting,

she was anointing

the feet.

And why?

Why is she highlighting

the feet?

Because that's a sign

of self-abasement.

Because

it was customary

for the host

of the dinner

to provide

for the washing

of the guest's feet.

But that was done

by servants,

not by the host.

And it was done

with towels,

not with the hair.

And it was considered

dishonorable

in this culture

for a woman

in polite company

to let down

their tresses.

Yet she does that

and wipes

his feet

with her hair

and the expensive

perfume.

because Mary,

this is a gesture

of great humility

and love

because Mary

perceives Jesus

to be so worthy

of honor

and she sees

herself to be

so unworthy

to be with Jesus.

She does

what she can think

of,

the most radical

thing she can think

of doing

to pour out

the most expensive

perfume she has

and washes

his feet

with her hair.

And there's

such a contrast

with the Jewish

leaders, isn't it?

They're trying

to kill him

to preserve

their rule.

But Mary here

is seeking

to anoint him

and to set him up,

prepare him

for his rule.

And this was not

your ordinary

expensive perfume.

It says,

verse 4 and 6,

it says,

4 to 6,

it says,

But Judas Iscariot,

one of his disciples,

he who was about

to betray him,

said,

Why was this oin

and not sold

for 300 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 money back,

he used to help

himself to what

was put into it.

So the value

of the perfume

is 300 denarii.

A denarii,

one denarii,

is the wage

of a full day's work

for a common worker.

So 300 denarii,

if you count

weekends off

or whatever,

like one day off

in a week,

it's about

a year's wage.

And if you consider

our context,

Cambridge,

the median income

is about $75,900,

$76,000.

Okay?

So this is about

a $76,000 perfume

in that context.

That's a lot of money.

You can do a lot

for the poor

with that money.

And so that's

about as expensive

as the most expensive

perfume

in our society now,

according to

the World Guinness Book.

So that's really expensive.

And the reason

seems to be

that it's pure nard,

right?

Nard is perfume,

oil taken from

the nard plant

which grows in India,

which is far.

So it's exotic origin

and also it's,

you know,

generous quantity.

It says it was

a full pound,

right?

That's almost,

that's three-fourths

of a pint.

That's a lot of oil.

And that's,

so the exotic origin

and then the generous

quantity

and then the pure quality

says it's pure nard.

Those three factors

seem to make this

really,

really expensive.

It's probably

the most expensive

thing she owns.

And that tells us

that this is not

a measured,

you know,

calculated generosity.

She didn't,

you know,

plan this and said,

you know,

oh,

you know,

I can't afford

to give her that

but I'll give him this.

And she was not

planning a gift

in that way.

This is a lavish

gesture of love.

And that's precisely

what Judas Iscariot

who's about to betray him

does not understand.

He sees the price tag

on the perfume

and not the infinite value

and worth of the man

standing before him.

His greed masquerades

as charity.

Now his mind wanders

to all the stuff

he could have bought

with that money.

But Mary,

he's not constrained

by necessity,

right?

I mean,

think about it this way.

We don't spare expenses

for the people we love,

right?

That's why parents

buy, you know,

expensive shoes

for their toddlers

even though

they're going to outgrow it

in a couple months

and they'll never remember

ever wearing it,

right?

That's why,

you know,

lovers buy each other

expensive diamond rings

when a simple wedding band

will do.

You don't have to do that.

But people do

as a lavish gesture of love.

Mary is so exceedingly grateful

for what Jesus has done

for her

in raising her brother

from the dead

and she is so convinced

of the surpassing worth

of Jesus

who can raise

even the dead to life.

This is not a calculated

benevolence,

no.

She wants to do

anything she can

to express her love,

her gratitude

and you know what?

The more costly,

the more difficult

the gesture,

the better

for that purpose.

So she grabs

the most expensive

thing she can find,

pours it on his feet,

wipes his feet

with her hair.

And Christian brothers

and sisters,

isn't that not how

we love our Savior Jesus too?

This is not

a foreign sentiment.

This is not an aberration.

This is not an anomaly.

That's the heartbeat

of every single Christian

who has been indwelled

by the Spirit of God.

Would you not

if our Lord

called you to

give up everything

you have

and follow Him?

Would you not

if He called you

to leave your family

and your friends

to go to the ends

of the earth

to be His missionary?

Would you not

want your every child,

your every friend,

your every family member

to be devoted

to His service?

That's the heart

of the Christian.

That's the heart

of love.

And not because

we're so great

and noble

and loyal to Jesus,

but because He's

loved us

in such an amazing,

radical way.

Because He loved us first.

Because He paid

the ultimate sacrifice

and died for our sins.

So out of joy,

out of love,

out of gratitude,

that's our heart.

And so Jesus rebukes

Judas.

Verse 7,

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.

So the word keep

is to continue,

to let it continue.

So He's saying,

let her continue this

because this is a preparation

for my day of burial.

And there's something

paradoxical about that

too, isn't it?

Because Mary here

is not aware of that.

Mary here is simply

preparing.

She wants to

make Him king.

She wants to say,

you're king.

You should be

the true king over us.

So she anoints Him

on not knowing

that she's preparing

Him for His burial.

Because Jesus knows

that His time on earth

is coming to an end.

He's going to die

for our sins.

He's going to rise again.

And He's going to ascend

into heaven.

And because of that,

He says,

the poor you always

have with you,

but you will not

always have me.

Jesus is not denigrating

and caring for the poor.

All Christians

are called to care

for the poor.

But God,

He is God.

Infinite value,

infinite worth

is His.

So this is an

appropriate gesture,

He says,

to Judas.

And ironically,

it's not for His

inauguration,

but for His burial.

In fact,

as John would put it,

more precisely,

His death

is His inauguration.

His cross,

where He dies,

is His throne.

That's the way

in which He comes

into His lordship,

His kingdom.

That's how He creates

His kingdom,

His people,

through His death

on the cross.

That brings us

to our final point,

God's sovereign plan.

Because we've seen

the Jewish leaders'

paradoxical plot,

we've seen Mary's

paradoxical preparation,

and we now see

God's sovereign plan

woven throughout

this entire passage.

Because look,

go back with me

in chapter 11,

verse 54.

It said that Jesus

no longer walked

openly among the Jews,

but went from there

to the region

near the wilderness

to a town called Ephraim.

So Jesus left Bethany

where Jesus raised

last from the dead

because He was

about to be killed.

There were people

out to get Him.

So He did not walk openly,

He says.

He was hiding.

And He leaves Bethany

for that reason.

But then look again

in chapter 12,

verse 1.

When the Passover feast

is at hand,

it says that Jesus,

fully knowing that

there is an arrest warrant

out for Him,

He says,

therefore,

He says,

He came to Bethany

where Lazarus was,

whom Jesus has raised

from the dead.

So earlier,

He left Bethany

in order to hide

from the people

who were trying

to kill Him.

And now He returns

to Bethany

where the same people

are trying to kill Him.

And the only reason

supplied by the text

for this curious behavior

seems to be that

the festival of the Passover

was at hand.

So what's going on?

Why?

Why the Passover?

Because the Passover,

of course,

celebrated the night

when the Israelites

were still in captivity

in Egypt.

The angel of death

came as the last plague

over the Egyptians

to kill all the firstborn

of Egypt

and Israelites as well,

except for the Israelites'

household

who had taken,

who had killed

the blameless lamb

and daubed the blood

on their doors.

to tell the angel of death

to signify that,

no,

there was a substitution here.

The lamb has died

instead of the firstborn.

And Jesus,

working under God's

sovereign guidance,

His Father's sovereign guidance,

knows that when Passover comes,

His time to die has come.

That's why when the Passover comes,

the town that He had fled

just earlier,

a few verses earlier,

He returns to it.

Because He is the Passover lamb

whose sacrifice

spares us,

saves us.

Moreover,

as we saw earlier,

right,

Mary,

who anoints Jesus

and unwittingly prepares Him

for His burial,

even the Jewish leaders

who seek to kill Jesus,

they're all playing

right into God's hands,

aren't they?

They don't know that.

They don't know that what they're doing

is serving God's sovereign plan

of redemption,

but it is.

And that's how God works

in and through

and over all that we do.

And so,

Peter,

after Jesus' resurrection,

in a sermon that he gives

to the early church

in Acts chapter 2,

Acts 2 · chapter mention

says this,

men of Israel,

hear these words,

Jesus of Nazareth,

a man attested to you by God

with mighty works

and wonders

and signs that God did

through Him in your midst,

as you yourselves know,

this Jesus

delivered up

according to the definite plan

and foreknowledge of God,

you crucified

and killed

by the hands of lawless men.

This is the mystery

of how God's sovereign will

works

with our

human will,

right?

The Jews,

on their own accord,

plot

and agree to arrest

and crucify

Jesus,

but even their rebellious,

sinful deeds

were according to

the definite plan

and foreknowledge

of God.

Sometimes,

we picture God

like a divine shortstop.

You guys know the position

in baseball?

Like,

they catch the most balls

that are hit,

right?

They're the ones that kind of

make up for your mistakes,

salvage the play

or salvage the game,

right?

We think of God

like that sometimes,

right?

We make all these mistakes,

we mess up things

and then God just kind of

frantically going around

trying to make things okay

to salvage our lives.

That's not how it works,

right?

That's not at all

the picture of the

sovereign God.

All of our mistakes,

all that we ever do,

God intends for good.

He intends for

His sovereign purposes.

He's not reactionary.

He's sovereign.

And His ultimate plan

is to save His,

His children

for His glory

through the substitutionary

death of Jesus.

And that's why

Christians,

we so often quote

Romans 8, 28, 30

to one another,

right?

Which says,

and we know that

for those who love God,

all things work together

for good.

For those who are called

according to His purpose,

for those whom He foreknew,

He also predestined

to be conformed

to the image of His Son

in order that He might be

the firstborn

among many brothers.

And those whom He predestined,

He also called.

And those whom He called,

He also justified.

And those whom He justified,

He also glorified.

See, all that we do,

everything that happens

in our life,

God does,

works out for our good.

And what is good?

It's not our own

selfish perceptions of good.

It's not our own

perception of earthly goods.

He's going to give me

whatever I want.

He's going to let me

fulfill my plans.

No, that's not the good.

The good is this redemption plan,

salvation plan.

We're going to be conformed

to the image of His Son,

Jesus Christ.

We're going to be glorified

with Him.

That good,

that ultimate good,

that plan is unavoidable

for the children of God.

God sovereignly accomplishes

that plan.

So then,

the lowest moments

of your life

that you're ashamed of,

right?

As well as the highest moments

that fill you with

great joy and pride.

The biggest mistakes

you've ever made

in your life.

As well as the best decisions

you've ever made.

All your failures and sins.

If you have entrusted

your life to Jesus,

they will all invariably,

unavoidably,

ineluctably lead

to God's ultimate salvation,

your salvation

and glorification

in Jesus Christ.

And what does that mean for us?

As Christians,

that means we never

need to despair.

We're always

a people of hope.

Because maybe

if you look at your life

and then you mourn

the painstakingly slow process

of sanctification,

you see your own sin,

your own unworthiness

before God,

then you can be assured

this morning

that God is at work,

that God has saved you.

He's saving you

and He will save you.

Perhaps you look at your life

full of suffering

and sorrows

and start to doubt

God's good intentions

for you.

Well,

from this you can be assured

that God's plan for you

is good.

It's to save

through His Son,

Jesus Christ.

Maybe you're anxious.

Maybe you're a type of person,

the worst possible scenario

is the one

that always races

through your mind

whenever you're thinking

about something

that's coming up.

You're anxious,

you're worried,

you're fearful.

fearful about what might happen,

what the future holds.

Well,

then you can put your fears

to rest

because God's ultimate design

for you

is not suffering.

That's the penultimate design.

The ultimate design

is sanctification.

It's glorification.

salvation.

It's not destruction

but salvation.

Martin Luther King Jr.

once said,

the arc

of the moral universe

is long

but it bends

toward justice.

And we could say

from this passage,

the arc of human history

is also long

but it always

bends

toward God's

sovereign plan

to save

His people

through Jesus.

Christ.

Let's pray.

God,

we praise you

that you are not powerless,

that you are not

limited,

that your

arms are not

too short

to save

but you are

sovereign

and you will

accomplish

your sovereign

purposes

to save

your children

in the end.

Lord,

we are grateful.

We praise you.

Help us

to live in light

of that wonderful truth

so that we may be

comforted in our suffering,

assured in our

uncertainties

and so that we,

like Mary,

may be devoted

to you in love.

in Jesus' name

we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you.