John 12:1-11 - Love For The King

by believing in me will never die.

Do you believe this?

For those who entrust their life to Jesus,

death is just a doorway to life.

The moment we breathe our last breath here,

we take our first breath in the presence of Christ.

Death is not the end.

It is but the beginning of life in all its fullness.

But how do we begin to say thank you?

How do you express your love for someone

who gives you new and eternal life?

Well, let's follow Jesus to the home of Lazarus

and we will see how we can begin to say thank you.

Back to chapter 12, verse 2.

Grateful honour.

Jesus arrives at the family home along with his disciples.

Verse 2.

Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honour.

Martha served while Lazarus, who was alive, obviously,

was among those reclining at the table with him.

What an occasion it must have been.

Could you imagine the conversation?

I can't believe it.

It's Lazarus.

You're actually here.

Lazarus, what was it like when you came out of the grave?

Did you feel anything?

Here, have something more to eat.

You must be starving.

Each one taking in turn,

embracing the once dead man,

clutching tight,

not wanting to let go.

And in all the midst of the talk and the celebrations,

we see Martha making a dinner.

The very best she can do to honour Jesus.

Thank you.

Thank you, Jesus, so much.

You see, the celebrations here are not for Lazarus,

but for Jesus.

For Jesus deserves and receives all the honour,

all the praise,

all the glory,

all the thanks,

goes to him

who does what we can never do.

You see,

this dinner celebration

taking place in Lazarus' home

is just a taste

of a greater feast to come

for all those

who will honour the Lord today.

Isaiah the prophet

gives us a glimpse

of what that will be like.

Have a look back with me

to Isaiah chapter 25.

Isaiah 25 · chapter mention

Isaiah chapter 25.

Isaiah 25 · chapter mention

And we'll pick it up in verse 6.

As we think of Jesus

and Mary and Martha and Lazarus

feasting, celebrating together.

Here is what Isaiah points to.

Verse 6.

On this mountain,

the Lord Almighty

will prepare a feast

of rich food for all peoples,

a banquet of aged wine,

the best of meats

and the finest of wines.

On this mountain,

he will destroy the shroud

that enfolds all peoples,

the sheet that covers

all nations.

And what is it that covers us

with fear?

Verse 8.

He will swallow up death

forever.

The sovereign Lord

will wipe away the tears

from all faces.

And he will remove

his people's disgrace

from all the earth.

Jesus.

The Lord has spoken.

The Lord has spoken.

Back to chapter 12.

You see what Jesus did

for Lazarus.

Jesus did for all

who will trust in him

and his resurrection.

He comes and destroys

the enemy of death

that plagues us all.

and one day

the same risen Jesus

is going to come again

and he will call us

out from the grave

and we will rise

with brand new bodies

never to decay

or die again.

And we will feast

together

in honour

of Jesus.

all the praise

all the glory

and all the thanks

and all the honour

goes to him.

So how do we say thank you?

Well, grateful honour.

Second,

humble service.

The guests are all

enjoying the meal.

Now when we think

of the meal here

as we would sit

round a table

on chairs

the custom in those days

was that you would

lie on the ground

facing in towards

where all the food

was in the middle

and you would rest

with your head

on your elbow

and help yourself

to food

with your smelly feet

away from

where the food was.

So there they are

all around the food

chatting and eating.

And then something

extraordinary happens.

verse 3

Then Mary

this is Lazarus'

sister

took about

half a litre

of pure nard

that is an

expensive perfume

and she poured it

on Jesus' feet

and wiped

his feet

with her hair

and the house

was filled

with the fragrance

of the perfume.

Now

washing feet

was a custom

for people

as they arrived

into the house

walking through

a hot climate

a dusty road

someone

the servant

the lowest

of the low

would come

and wash

your feet.

But here's Mary

assuming the place

of a servant

not just washing

but pouring

a very pure

and very expensive

perfume

on Jesus'

feet.

You could imagine

the sudden hush

around the table

the conversation

stops.

It's almost

embarrassing

silence

as they all glare

at what Mary

is doing.

And to make

matters worse

Mary

unties her hair

and lets it

hang down

and begins

to wipe

the perfume

into Jesus'

feet.

Well only a woman

of a dubious

and immoral

background

would let their

hair down

in front of a man.

Why?

Why would she

do this?

in humble

service

of one

who is

infinitely

greater than

her.

In unspoken

words

Mary is

declaring

her loyalty

and her

commitment

to Jesus

how can I

possibly

repay you

for what

you have

done

for us?

In humble

service

Jesus

I give

myself

to you.

you see

I think

one of the

things that

holds us

back

in our

service

is we

worry

about what

people will

think.

Yeah we

want to be

committed

but we

don't want

to look like

a religious

fanatic

in front

of our

friends.

We want

to keep

a balance

don't we?

Well Mary

was so

consumed

for love

for what

Jesus

had done

for her

family

that she

didn't

care

what people

thought.

She just

served

humbly.

You see

the gift

of life

that we

have received

from Jesus

demands

nothing less

than a life

of humble

service.

A life

that will

hold nothing

back.

A life

that puts

Jesus

first.

A life

that is

embarrassingly

humble.

in humble

service

Jesus

I give

my life

to you.

So

third

extravagant

devotion

Mary's

response

to Jesus

was right

and good

but not

everybody

at this

meal

was very

happy

with what

Mary

did.

Look at

verse 4.

One of

the disciples

Judas

Iscariot

who was

later to

betray

Jesus

objected.

Why

wasn't

this

perfume

sold

and the

money

given

to the

poor?

It was

worth a

year's

wages.

Well

fair point

Judas

you're

spot on

the money

there.

Why

waste

something

so

valuable

when there

are those

with such

great need.

It's like

burning money

to keep

warm.

It's

completely

wasteful.

Well

behind the

objection

was a

different

kind of

devotion

on

Judas'

part.

Look at

verse 6.

John

gives us

the reason

really what

was going

on in

Judas'

mind.

Verse 6.

Judas,

he did

not say

this because

he cared

about the

poor,

but because

he was a

thief.

As

keeper of

the money

bag,

he was

the treasurer

for the

disciples and

making sure

that it

was looked

after.

He used

to help

himself to

what was

put into

it.

For

Judas,

selling the

perfume would

most certainly

increase their

bank balance.

But rather

than helping

the poor,

he saw it

as an

opportunity

to skim

off the

top and

give himself

something nice,

perhaps a

nice plot

of land

around the

shores of

Lake Galilee,

a little

villa for

his retirement.

You see,

Judas failed

to see that

behind the

act of

pouring the

perfume on

Jesus was

a heart

overflowing

with extravagant

devotion.

Yes,

the perfume

was of great

value,

nearly a

year's

wages.

Yes,

it could

have been

sold.

Instead,

Mary pours

it all

out on

Jesus,

not to

make him

smell nice,

but to

declare that

Jesus is

worth it.

I wonder

how we

think about

the possessions

that we

have,

because how

we use our

possessions and

our money

reveals the

true devotion

of our

hearts.

Do you

refer to

what you

have as

mine,

or a

gift that

God has

given you

to give

to others?

Are we

tight-fisted,

or open

and generous?

You see,

when we see

what Jesus

has done,

and what we

have in

Jesus,

it will

enable us

to give

in outrageous,

extravagant

ways.

In use of

our time,

our possessions,

and our

money,

there will

be no

holding back.

You see,

Mary saw

the true

value of

Jesus.

She came

to experience

the love

and life

that Jesus

came to

give,

and so she

responds in

extravagant

devotion,

not to

gain the

favour of

Jesus,

but to

declare that

knowing Jesus

is beyond

price.

He is

worth it.

You see,

the value

of Jesus

is beyond

measure,

so there

is never

no act

of devotion

that is

ever too

great.

Jesus'

worth

are all

and are

best

and are

everything.

so

extravagant

devotion.

Fourth,

how do we

say thank

you?

Costly

commitment.

The

resurrection

of Lazarus

had caused

quite a

stir.

Jump with

me to

verse 9.

Meanwhile,

while the

meal was

going on,

a large

crowd of

Jews found

out that

Jesus was

there and

came not

only because

of him,

but also

to see

Lazarus,

whom he

had raised

from the

dead.

It seems

that Lazarus

is turning

into quite

a celebrity.

Everybody's

coming to

see him,

but not

for long.

You see,

commitment to

Jesus,

honouring

Jesus,

is a

costly

thing.

Look how

the religious

authorities

responded to

Jesus after

he had

raised Lazarus

from the

dead.

Look back

at chapter

11,

verse 53.

It's an

extraordinary

response to

one who

had just

given life

to somebody

who had

died.

Verse 53,

so from

that day

on,

they plotted

to take

his life.

They plotted

to kill

Jesus.

Lazarus.

Now look

at how

they want

to treat

Lazarus.

Chapter

12,

verse 10.

So the

chief

priest made

plans to

kill

Lazarus

as well.

For on

account of

him,

many of

the Jews

were going

over to

Jesus and

believing in

him.

You see,

maybe if

Lazarus had

kept his

distance from

Jesus.

Maybe if

he didn't

go to

the meal,

then he

would have

avoided any

kind of

death threat.

But no,

Lazarus wanted

to honour

Jesus.

Was anything

too much

for Lazarus

to do

after what

Jesus had

done for

him?

No,

he was

committed

to Jesus

and that

was costly.

This was

something

Jesus would

teach his

disciples.

Just jump

over to

chapter 15

verse 20.

Chapter 15

verse 20.

Jesus

says,

Remember

what I

told you?

A

servant is

not greater

than his

master.

If they

persecuted

me,

they will

persecute

you also.

You see,

to identify

with Jesus,

to honour

Jesus,

to be

devoted to

Jesus means

you will

become a

target.

You won't

always be

liked or be

popular or

be invited to

social events.

You might get

overlooked in a

position or a

promotion at

work.

To live a

life of

thanks to

Jesus is

costly.

It's not

going to be

easy.

But if we

have

resurrection

life in

a hundred

years, in

a thousand

years from

now, it

will be

all worth

it.

how do

we say

thank you?

Well, it's

been a

remarkable

occasion,

hasn't it?

An

extraordinary

dinner party.

The house,

look at the

end of

verse 3,

this is

Isaiah 12:3

chapter 12,

verse 3,

is still

filled with

the fragrance

of the

perfume.

The love

and honour

for Jesus

is filling

the room.

But here's

the pinch

of what

we're looking

at.

I don't

know if I

can live

like this.

I'm not

sure I

can respond

with such

extravagant

love and

humble service,

never mind

costly

commitment.

How can

we maintain,

how can we

live such

thankful lives?

well, two

things that

will help

us.

First, the

fragrance of

Jesus.

Let the

fragrance of

Jesus fill

your life.

You see,

throughout this

account,

throughout this

dinner party,

the beauty

and glory of

Jesus is being

poured out

before us,

and the scent

is captivating.

Look how

Jesus responded

to Judas'

objection to

Mary for

pouring out

the perfume.

Look at

verse 7.

Leave her

alone,

Jesus replied.

It was

intended that

she should

save this

perfume for

the day of

my burial.

You see,

when somebody

died in

those days,

they were

wrapped in

grave clothes

and spices

and perfumes

were poured

onto the

body.

So Jesus

interprets

the action

of Mary

as an act

of his

very burial.

In fact,

in a week's

time from

this very

event,

Jesus would

be in a

tomb.

He's

reminding us

that the

reason he

came was

to come

to die,

that Jesus

came to

die for

you and

for me

so that

we might

have

resurrection

life.

You see,

the death

of Jesus

was an

act of

great

honour,

one of

humble

service,

of pure

extravagant

love,

and of

costly

commitment.

Jesus

held

nothing

back.

He gave

his all,

he gave

his life

for our

good and

for the

glory and

the honour

of his

father.

Can you

smell the

fragrance of

Jesus?

Do you

get the

scent of

his beauty

and all

that he

has done

for you?

You see,

as we

breathe in

the fragrance

of Jesus,

so we

are changed

and we

become,

secondly,

the aroma

of life.

Look at

verse 8.

Jesus

says,

you will

always have

the poor

among you,

but you

will not

always have

me.

But Jesus

isn't saying

the poor

don't matter.

In fact,

Jesus commands

that we should

care for the

poor and

that's how we

should live.

But what

Jesus is

saying here

is,

he's saying,

I am more

important than

the poor.

It's not

about what you

can do for

others,

but look at

me and look

at what I

have done

for you.

what you

could ever

give to

anybody is

only temporary,

but what I

give to you

is of

eternal value.

I give

my life

that you

will be

forgiven

and loved

and treasured.

Come to

me.

Let the

fragrance of

my life

fill you

and you

will be

changed

and transformed.

I will

take away

the stench

of death

that fills

your life

and I

will give

to you

the aroma

of life.

You see,

it's only

when we

meditate

and think

and reflect

and let

the fragrance

of Jesus

fill our

lives,

it's only

when the

scent of

his love

captivates

us

that we

begin to

live as

Jesus.

And in

response to

all that

he has

done,

we will

live a

life of

grateful

honour,

humble

service,

extravagant

devotion,

and costly

commitment.

And so

wherever we

go and

wherever we

walk this

week,

into our

homes and

into our

workplaces,

amongst our

neighbours,

conversations

with people,

so we go

with the

aroma of

life.

love,

and the

rooms that

we walk

into will

be filled

with the

fragrance of

Christ as

we live

different lives

loving those

we come in

contact with.

How do we

ever say

thank you

but to live

our life

in grateful

devotion for

all that

he has

done.

Let's

pray.

Thank you.