John 12:1-11 “Extravagant Love”

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Thank you so much.

So much to celebrate this morning.

All of it pointing us to Jesus, right?

It's the reason that we celebrate all of the things that we're celebrating.

It's how wonderful and good and glorious He is.

Turn with me this morning to John chapter 12.

John 12 · chapter mention

We're going to see some more of this together.

In our study of this account, John's account of Jesus of Nazareth, His life,

we've just been seeing His glory in the last of seven signs.

Signs that Jesus performs to point us to who He is.

And just in this last one, He has raised Lazarus from the dead and said,

I am the resurrection and the life.

After several weeks further away from Jerusalem, away from the leaders who are plotting His death,

Jesus now heads back towards Jerusalem.

And He stops in Bethany again, that same town where Lazarus is raised from the dead.

And maybe no surprise, they throw a dinner in His honor.

Lazarus and His sisters are guests at the dinner.

Before we read about that extravagant celebration of Jesus,

let me just make one point from verses 9 through 11.

We mentioned last week that not only did the Jewish leaders begin to get concerned about

too many people believing in Jesus, so they wanted to kill Him,

but also Lazarus became a problem.

Lazarus was walking around alive and telling his story

and causing too many people to believe in Jesus,

so they decided they needed to kill Lazarus too.

All of a sudden, Lazarus is a star witness for Jesus, isn't he?

But as far as we know, Lazarus never taught a class,

never led a community work day,

never did anything at all that we know of

besides walk out of a grave at Jesus' calling.

And I hope that is an encouragement to you,

that being someone who shares the good news of Jesus

is not about what you have done for Jesus,

but about what Jesus has done for you.

Lazarus shows us that that's what makes for a star witness, friends.

It is a powerful testimony to say,

I was dead and Jesus made me alive again.

I once was lost and now I'm found, was blind, but now I see.

And every single one of us who knows Jesus

has a version of that story to share with others.

Every one of you lined up out here,

every one of you who has taken those vows before,

who's been washed in baptism by the blood of Christ,

it is your story that it's not what I did for Jesus,

it's what Jesus has done for me.

I hope that you get to share that story

and that you will with joy,

even if it costs you dearly,

to point others to your Savior.

Well, let's go back now to the dinner

and read this account of how Jesus is honored

and how some, even those close to him,

are bothered by it.

Verse 1 of John 12, God's holy word.

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 the 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.

But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples,

he who was about to betray him,

said, why was this ointment 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 bag,

he used to help himself to what was put into it.

Jesus said, leave her alone

so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.

The poor you always have with you,

but you do not always have me.

This is God's word.

Let's ask for his help as we look at it.

Father, would you show us Jesus

that we might worship him,

that we might give all that we have to him,

that we might be transformed as we see him,

that you would actually make us into his image.

Teach us from your word, by your spirit,

please, in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

I love efficiency.

I coast toward a red light for better gas mileage.

I use disposable razors,

often two to three months at a time

before disposing of them.

Ouch.

I plan ahead multiple days

to run multiple errands

in the same shopping center all at once

and of course to try to make sure

I don't get caught buying anything

without a coupon or a BOGO sale.

Stewardship.

Efficiency.

Wisdom.

Amen.

Amen.

But,

there is a version of me

known affectionately, I think,

as Vacation Dad.

Vacation Dad does very crazy,

inefficient things

like allow you to get a drink

other than water

when we go out to eat at a restaurant.

Extravagant.

A couple years ago on our anniversary,

we were traveling in Scotland on sabbatical

and I thought,

when will I have another anniversary

where I can take my wife to tea

at a fancy British estate mansion

to celebrate?

The cost was irrelevant to me

and it was covered by the sabbatical grant

which was really generous

but don't take all the credit away from me.

Still, still,

I found the place

that was most like a castle

and I booked tea for two

without a coupon.

In fact,

when I found out

that Christy was planning

to wear heels to tea,

I splurged.

I think it was ten bucks

for a cab

so that we didn't have to walk

two miles to tea

and it was great.

I'm so thankful

that I got to celebrate

my love for my wife

and our anniversary with her

and right outside the window,

next picture,

there's a peacock

right outside our window.

It's in the back.

You might be able to see it

and it's there for Adriana

because she joined the church

this morning

and that made it really special.

It is actually hard for me to admit

extravagant.

But sometimes,

especially in love,

extravagant makes more sense

than efficient.

And that seems like a contradiction

in terms for many of us.

It does for me.

And Judas actually shares my opinion.

Now, I know,

not great company,

you may be thinking.

You're not making a good case

for yourself.

But actually,

Matthew and Mark tell us

that others among Jesus' disciples

are thinking the same thing

about Mary's expression of love.

Those who are right there with him

think,

what's going on?

Why is she doing this?

Listen,

we are Presbyterians, right?

Most of you are going to feel

some of this this morning.

When we hear of the glories

of God's grace,

we say,

hmm,

hmm,

yes.

Measured practicality,

I would say,

is our MO.

Measured practicality

is an occupation

for some of you.

This is how we function

day in and day out.

I'm not here to tell you

that stewardship

and planning

and efficiency

are always bad.

But Mary

and then Jesus

are going to challenge

those of us

who love them

not to hold on

too tightly.

There are other things

that are valuable.

It's really a pretty

simple story

to understand

as we read,

isn't it?

Mary expresses

her love for Jesus

extravagantly.

Judas objects

to her decision.

Jesus defends

her extravagance.

But can we be honest

that when Mary

empties perfume

on Jesus

that's valued

at a full year's wages,

just think about that.

What that would mean

for you.

Many of us want to ask

the same question

Judas does.

Why?

Why such extravagant

devotion, Mary?

You've never done this

before that I know of.

You've been with Jesus

before.

Think of all the good

that we could do

with that money.

Jesus is great

and all.

I mean,

sure,

but let's keep

our responses

within reason,

our hands below

our shoulders,

our hearts under control.

Let's not get carried away.

Will you let Jesus

press on our efficiency

idol this morning?

He says,

we need to leave

extravagant Mary alone

and instead examine

our own hearts.

Mary rightly values

Jesus.

Extravagance makes

sense here,

he says.

Why?

Why might

extravagant love

make sense?

What motivates

Mary?

What's the driving

force behind this?

What motivates

her here

that should also

motivate our love

for Jesus?

Would motivate us

in relationship

with him

to live

for him?

Well,

first,

it's what

Jesus has done.

Mary plans

this expression

of love

ahead of time.

Clearly,

she has brought

the perfume

from her home

to the dinner

because Jesus

has raised

her brother

from the dead

and she wants

to thank him,

right,

to celebrate him.

Lazarus is alive,

is seated

at the table

eating with Jesus.

Don't miss that.

This is not

where he was

just in the last

chapter.

He was in the grave.

She was weeping

for him.

Mary,

therefore,

took expensive

ointment

and poured it

on Jesus.

Mary,

therefore,

because of

Jesus had come

and Lazarus

was there,

so Mary

responded.

Think of all

the blessings

Jesus has

given to you.

All of the

things for you

to enjoy life.

It's extraordinarily

valuable,

isn't it?

In particular,

the lives

of those we

love.

If that's true

of their

physical lives,

like Lazarus

physically standing

there having

walked out

of the grave,

where we would

acknowledge that

our very breath

is a gift

from God,

how much more

is that true

spiritually?

When Jesus

has delivered us

and people

we love

from sin

and death

and the grave,

when our

children stand

before us

and profess

faith in Jesus

and hope

because of who

he is

and what he's

done for them,

there's no

greater joy,

right?

Mary can't even

comprehend

the value

of having her

brother Lazarus

back in her life.

It is a

throw-out-the-calculator

kind of devotion

and love

expressed here.

She's saying

thank you

Jesus

for all

that you've

done.

But more

than what

Jesus has

already done,

Mary has

some sense

of what

Jesus will

do.

Jesus explains

part of her

motivation in

verse 7,

right?

Jesus said

leave her

alone so

that she

may keep

it for

the day

of my

burial.

The Greek

of this

passage is

really hard

to pinpoint

the exact

meaning of.

I'm going

to stick

with what's

clear,

which is

that in

some way

Mary connected

this perfume,

this pure

nard,

to Jesus'

burial.

I think

it's not

assuming too

much to

say Mary

knows that's

coming soon.

She's

understanding

more than

most of

Jesus'

disciples.

After all,

she's been

sitting at

his feet

regularly.

listening to

him.

She's

probably

heard from

her friends

who we

read went

to the

Pharisees

just a few

months ago

after Lazarus'

resurrection

with news

of that

resurrection

and they

got a

response that

was murderous

toward Jesus,

right?

Mary knows

that.

She senses

what lies

ahead for

Jesus even

within a

week.

Jesus is

going to

die in

our place.

He's

going to

pay the

infinite

penalty for

our sin.

He's going

to endure

the darkness,

be buried

to give us

light.

Mary has

had time

to ponder

Jesus'

death in

her place.

I just want

to encourage

you.

Have you done

that since

last week

when we

got to

talk about

Jesus'

substitutionary

death in

our place?

Have you

taken time

to ponder

that?

Does it

stir your

heart to

overwhelming,

extravagant

thanksgiving

and love

and gratitude

for the

one who

paid the

debt that

you never

ever could

have repaid

and he's

paid it

in full?

Finally,

don't forget

that as we

consider what

could motivate

such extravagant

love,

don't forget

to contemplate

the wonder,

the glory

of who

Jesus is.

It's not just

the things he

does.

As we encounter

him here over

and over in the

Gospel of John,

remember what

John is doing

because it's what

Jesus has done.

He's doing

things as signs

that point us

to the reality

of who he

is that

show us

his glory

so that we

might believe

in him.

I just want

to walk back

through the last

couple of

chapters with

you.

I'm encouraging

you to slow

down with me

for just a few

minutes.

I'm not going

all the way

back to the

beginning of

John.

We'd be here

all day.

But just in

the last

couple chapters,

just take a

couple minutes

to remember

who Jesus

has shown us

he is.

We've seen

Jesus as

the good

shepherd

who calls

his sheep

by name

when otherwise

we would

wander.

Who lays

down his

life for

the sheep

when otherwise

his sheep

would have

been destroyed.

He's the

good shepherd.

We've seen

him as the

one and only

way into

life with

God.

The life we

were created

for.

Even when we

try to devise

other ways in

for ourselves,

that he is

the one in

whom we

find that

life.

We've seen

him promised

to be the

one who

satisfies us

deeply.

Who in

fact gives

our lives

true purpose

and significance

beyond what

we could

imagine so

that we

have something

to live

for.

We've seen

him offer

ultimate

lasting security

because of

his divine

strength that

holds us

in every

situation and

never lets

us go.

When we

are so

desperate for

something like

that that we

can count on,

when we're so

fearful, when we're

so anxious about

what this life is

going to bring,

there is priceless

comfort in

Jesus being the

divine strong

hand that

holds you.

we've seen

Jesus meet us

in our grief

with his

precious promises,

with his

perhaps more

precious tears

that help us

know the

heart of our

God in ways

that otherwise

we could only

hope were true

but now we

see and

feel and

know that

we're not

alone,

that our

sorrows and

our anguish

are justified,

that they won't

last forever.

Jesus is that

for us.

We've seen

him as the

resurrection and

the life,

who gives us

life beyond our

breath here,

confidence that we

will never taste

death because we're

hidden in him,

hope that this

purposeful,

significant life

that he brings us

into, we will enjoy

with him forever.

Are you

contemplating this?

Are you marveling

at who he is?

Just pick a

passage this

afternoon.

Would you do

that?

Sit for a few

minutes in the

glory of who

Jesus is and

what it means for

you in relationship

with him.

He is the

pearl of

great price,

right?

He is the

living water

that quenches

all of our

thirst.

He is the

treasure hidden

in the field

that when you

find it, you

would sell

everything that

you have in

order to have

him.

Settle there,

ponder that.

This is who he

is, this is how

valuable and

precious he is

and yet he has

given himself to

you for free

and forever.

He is yours

and you are

his.

Sit in that.

Put the

calculator of

measured

practicality

away.

All of a

sudden there's

not anything

in the world

that would be

giving too

much to honor

him, to

respond to

his life

giving love.

Love so

amazing, so

divine, demands

my soul, my

life, my

all.

Not sure how

much of Jesus'

glory Mary

grasps here

but I

suspect the

precious ointment

may be only

the beginning

of what she'll

pour out at

his feet as

she knows him

more and

more.

And we

really could

stop there

and just let

our hearts

respond, figure

out what it

looks like but

let's briefly

before we come

to the table

let Mary and

Jesus give us

some ideas of

what it could

look like.

If Jesus'

love demands

my soul, my

life, my

all, what

might extravagant

love for him

cost me?

There's a couple

of categories in

this passage.

I'm just giving

you categories.

Think specifically

for yourself.

Pray right now

that the spirit

would lead your

heart in the

next few minutes

in line with

your love for

Jesus that is

welling up in

you as you

consider who

he is.

What would

it look like?

First let's

think resources.

It seems that

in one night

Mary pours a

year's wages

onto Jesus

and he doesn't

think she's

gone too far.

The fact that

it's expensive

and the fact

that it could

have been

redirected to

other things

and used for

something else

they're both

highlighted here.

It may well

have been her

family's savings

their safety

net their

source of

security that

she pours out

on him.

See the money

is a resource.

You think money

likely extravagant

love doesn't

calculate 10%

very often.

It's just not

on the radar.

It also

represents some

other resources

like time

doesn't it?

How many of

us worship

Jesus with

the measured

practicality of

yes a couple

hours on Sunday

morning makes

sense most

Sundays.

What about

dreaming about

a whole day

of Sabbath

spent with

Jesus?

What it could

look like to

be with him

wholeheartedly

with nothing

distracting you?

What about

considering how

I invest my

free time

for his

kingdom?

my vacation

for his

glory?

Would I

risk things

that threaten

my earthly

security to

express my

heartfelt devotion

to Jesus?

I hope you

read the words

we'll sing them

in a minute.

I'd rather

have Jesus

than silver

or gold

riches

untold

anything this

world affords

today.

Mary must

have concluded

that.

I'd rather

have Jesus

than houses

or lands.

I'd rather

be led

by his

nail-pierced

hands

even

if his

lead me

to the

same

painful

places.

It gets

harder in

my opinion.

I'd rather

have Jesus

than men's

applause.

I'd rather

have Jesus

than worldwide

fame.

Mary has

counted this

cost to

the cost

of her

reputation.

Letting her

hair down

to touch

his dirty

feet

with her

glory,

her hair.

This would

have been

scandalous.

not to be

done in

public

setting by

a respectable

woman.

Measured

practicality

says,

I'll let

them know

I'm a

Christian,

but I'll

make sure

they know

that I'm

still

intelligent

and a

man of

science.

Would

you be

okay if

they're still

skeptical on

the last

part?

Are all

of your

relationships

with

efficient

people?

Would you

humble

yourself

to

relationships

that won't

do you

any good

socially or

professionally?

That might

even harm

you in

those ways?

That might

even cost

you a

promotion

or the

opinion of

someone you

care about?

Y'all,

I want you

to think

about

relationships.

All

relationships,

especially

relationships with

the kinds of

people Jesus

loves,

they're rarely

efficient,

but they

often teach

you about

loving

extravagantly.

Are you

okay with

being left

out,

thoughtless

of,

even by

other

Christians

who don't

mind making

their opinions

known about

the company

you keep?

Just because

Jesus is so

precious to

you, you're

going to

love that

other person.

One more

thing it may

cost you,

reasonableness,

now that

hurts for

those of

us who

love

efficiency.

Mary

surrenders

everything

here,

right?

I mean,

look, she

breaks the

box, she

pours it

out, she

loves deeply

from the

heart, but

one thing

she is not

is reasonable.

She is not

using a

spreadsheet, she

is not

calculating

ROI.

In these

days a

dab of

perfume on

the forehead

would have

been customary

and adequate

to be

respectful for

the evening.

Mary has

long since

passed customary.

She has

long since

stopped

calculating

what she

owes Jesus.

She is

worshipping

him with

all that

she has,

all for

Jesus,

all for

Jesus,

all my

beings,

ransomed

powers,

all my

thoughts and

words and

doings,

all my

days and

all my

hours.

really?

Really?

Think of

how many

poor people

could have

been helped

with the

proceeds from

selling that

nard.

Whether he

means it from

his heart or

not, Judas

is not wrong

financially, is

he?

He's got a

point.

I don't want

you to be

confused when

Jesus defends

Mary either.

He's not

saying don't

care about

the poor.

He's not

slighting the

poor.

He's not

talking down

caring for

them.

That is a

hallmark of

the ministry

of Jesus

and a reason

why they

have money

that they

keep with

them to

share with

others.

Jesus is

contrasting

here something

that you

should always

do, care

for the

poor, with

something Mary

can only do

in this way

right now.

Honor Jesus

by preparing

his physical

body for

burial.

He is

pointing out

that Mary

in giving

all to

him has

not

overvalued

him.

You don't

have to worry

about that.

You will

never overvalue

Jesus.

You'll never

pay too much.

And

wonderfully,

we're in a

little bit easier

spot because

we don't have

to worry about

neglecting the

poor when we

do.

Why?

What did

Jesus himself

tell us?

Whatever you

have done to

the least of

these, visited

them in prison

or when sick,

fed them,

clothed them,

welcomed them

into your

home or life,

whatever you

did for them,

you did it

to me,

Jesus said.

There's no

binary choice

between

extravagant love

for Jesus and

generous love

for the poor,

is there?

We can do

both at the

same time,

in fact.

Has your

love for

Jesus ever

overflowed into

something entirely

unreasonable to

those around

you?

Or have you

proudly kept it

under control,

not gotten

carried away?

It's within

reason,

carefully measured

out all the

time.

We should

pray,

friends,

we should

pray Jesus

so stir our

hearts that

we are

extravagant.

make our

hearts full

of your

love that

it would

overflow

beyond what

we could

control or

count.

You can

pray that

confidently

while also

repenting of

our efficiency

idol.

You know why

you can do

that?

Because there's

no way at

the end of

this that

Jesus can

condemn

extravagant

love or

gratuitous

generosity or

unreasonable

sacrifice because

he's about to

do exactly

those things,

isn't he?

This is the

way God

loves and so

it is one way

that we can

reflect his

image.

Think about

this.

It's why Tim

Keller calls

the father of

the prodigal

son the

prodigal

God.

He's

scandalously

extravagant.

Wouldn't you

call it

extravagant to

give your

inheritance away

to a

wastrel and

then when he

comes running

home to spend

much of the

rest of your

resources throwing

a party for

him?

God is

sometimes so

inefficient it

seems.

What's he

thinking?

Jesus spends

all this time

one-on-one

with sinners

and others who

sometimes reject

him.

He could be

teaching hundreds

at a time.

He could have

become incarnate

in the internet

age when he

could be a

huge influencer.

It's almost

like he thinks

it makes sense

to leave the

99 at home

to chase

after the

one lost

sheep and

then celebrate

like crazy

when you

find it.

Does he

really think

that makes

sense?

Thank goodness

he does.

Jesus acts

like that.

Jesus teaches

like that.

It sets a

pattern in

the life of

God become

man to show

us what God

is like in

his extravagant

love.

Such a

pattern in

the life of

Jesus that

he determines

at the end

of it to pay

the price of

his precious

blood.

The blood

of a

spotless

lamb without

blemish or

defect.

The son of

God, the

pearl of

great price,

the prince of

heaven decides

to give his

life to buy

people like you

and me back

into his

family.

His life

for ours.

No way.

It is like

young, vibrant

Belle throwing

herself into

near certain

death to

spare the

life of her

aging,

lunatic

father.

What?

It's

extravagant.

It's

unreasonable.

But what

beauty there

is in the

unreasonable

sacrifice of

Jesus, right?

The

gratuitous

generosity of

our gracious

God, the

extravagant love

of the

Trinity for

sinners.

Aren't we so

thankful?

Why don't we

stop analyzing

it and

celebrate such

love together

this morning?

As we do

this, let it

soak deep into

your soul as

you taste his

body and his

blood.

Let it really

sink in deep,

okay?

It was on the

night when

Judas betrayed

Jesus that he

took bread and

he broke it and

he gave it to his

disciples who still

struggled to

understand exactly

how much he was

worth and what he

would give for

them.

And he said,

take and eat.

This is my

body, my very

self given for

you.

Do this in

remembrance of

me.

And in the

same way after

supper he took

the cup and

he said, this

cup is the new

covenant in my

blood which is

shed for many for

the forgiveness of

sins.

Drink from it

all of you.

See, this is not

Southwood's table or

the Presbyterian's

table.

It is the

Lord's table.

He is the

only one

extravagantly

loving enough to

give his life, to

give you life, to

give undeserving,

hopeless people.

That's what our new

members stood up here

and said.

We say it with them

as we come here that

we are hopeless save

for his sovereign,

extravagant mercy.

If that's your story,

that that's where your

hope is come and

take his body and

blood given for you

and celebrate love

like that.

If that is not your

story yet, if you

haven't owned that

publicly and been

baptized, then don't

come take bread and

wine this morning.

Come and observe.

Come and ask us to

pray with you.

We'd be thrilled to.

But come and

consider, please

consider the Savior

who would give his

body and blood so

that you would be at

this table with him

forever.

That's how he loves

you.

It's how he's shown us

his love.

Some of you are

coming this morning to

eat and drink with us

for the very first

time.

We are so excited to

celebrate with you,

dear young people.

What a joy.

We rejoice with you

that you're about to

do perhaps some of you

for the first time.

Something that you

will get to do

forever.

You get to eat with

Jesus.

He is giving you

this so that you

know there is a

table like this

coming forever where

you eat in his

presence and you're

never apart from him.

So start celebrating

that today and you

never have to stop.

Let me pray and we'll

celebrate together.

Jesus, what amazing

love.

love.

You are so good to

us.

Don't let us miss

it.

Don't let us move

quickly past who you

are and how you love

us.

Stir up within us

gratitude, wonder,

love for you.

We ask in your name.

Amen.

For more information,

visit us online at

southwood.org.