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Sermon Notes Screen 1 “The Cost of Worship” Screen 2 John 12:1-11 March 29, 2020 Chapter 12 serves a unique role in linking the two major sections of this gospel together. (It stands in the middle of the Gospel.) Chapter 11 brought the public ministry to a climax with the raising of Lazarus which is followed by the crucial ex- cathedra statement of the high priest concerning the necessary death of Jesus. (See John 11:45-57 – read verses from Bible here.) Chapter 12 the anointing of Jesus and then the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem (The Triumphal entry) prepares the reader for the final cycle in John. That is, the Farewell cycle and the Death and Resurrection accounts. As such, this chapter serves as a magnificent “saddle text” that touches both all that has gone before and that which s to come. (“Saddles” unite peaks of mountains and allow climbers to move from one mountain to the next. The saddles are actually part of the mountains they unite.) TIME IS SHORT! The importance of Jesus’ anointing for death before burial cannot be overstated, especially since up to this point and John, the only parallels it has had with the Synoptics - has been the (miracle). Screen 3 1. The account of John the Baptist (John 1:19-42) – yet with different emphasis. 2. The cleansing of the temple (John 2:13-22) 3. The feeding of the 5,000 (John 6:1-15) 4. Jesus walking on the water (also given in Matthew 14:22-32; Mark 6:45-52) The Synoptics record this extraordinary event in Matthew 26:6-23; Mark 14:3-9; Luke 7:36-50. This speaks to harmonization. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus’ head is 1 anointed. This is very easily harmonized by the fact that both his head and feet (as I John) are anointed. In Matthew, Mark and John, Bethany is given as a location while in Luke, no location is given. I see no problem in harmonizing this part of the account. In Matthew and Mark the house belongs to Simon the Leper. In Luke, we learn that Simon is also a Pharisee. (What – can Pharisees not contract leprosy?) In John’s gospel, we are only told the event takes place in Bethany. Some try to say that it took place in Mary, Marth and Lazarus’ house. But they do so from an argument of silence. This gospel does not name the owner of the house. (Difficult to harmonize.) The woman who anointed Jesus in Luke 7:37 is described as a “sinner” i.e. “immoral”; i.e. “prostitute” → it is very difficult to imagine Mary, the sister of Lazarus, as a former prostitute → but all things considered, she probably was before meeting Jesus and committing her life to him. Overall, we still have to allow each Gospel to speak for itself. John 12:1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Screen 4 Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. “Six days before Passover” - an ominous reminder – not just any Passover, but the Passover of all Passovers, when the fruition of Exodus 12 occurs. Thus begins the last week of Jesus’ earthly life before his crucifixion and resurrection. Almost one half of John’s Gospel is given to this last week of Jesus before the crucifixion. (Mark – 40%; Matthew 33%; Luke 25% of Jesus’ last week. “where Lazarus was” – present tense – I’ve always loved this statement. He’s back!!! *The one who Jesus called from the grave reclines with Jesus designated for burial and resurrection.* 2 So, evidently, according to the harmonizaton of all the four gospels, Jesus is in a town called Bethany → in the house of Simon the Leper/Pharisee. John 12:2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was Screen 5 one of those reclining with him at table. “for him there” – The “him” is not Lazarus. It is Jesus. As awesome as it was that Lazarus “was” alive and well it is secondary to the fact that the “resurrectionist” is there. “Martha served” – some have speculated that Simon, the Leper/Pharisee was a relative of Lazarus, Mary and Martha and this could explain for her serving them – the “mistress of the house” took action whether she was in her own home or someone else’s home. “Lazarus reclined with him” – in those days, people would lay down on couches or rest their upper bodies on their elbows near the table where the food was placed and their feet back toward the couch. Picture of men reclining at a table . Screen 6 John 12:3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure Screen 7 nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. “Mary” - the sister of Lazarus, is only named in tow gospels. (Luke 10:39, 42 John 11:1, 2, 19, 20, 28, 31, 32, 45; John 12:3). Every time she appears, she winds up at th feet of Jesus. SHE IS CONSISTENT, WHEN NAMED AND WHE NOT NAMED! 3 “a pound” – is the Roman or Greek libra = 12 ounces approximately “expensive ointment made from pure nard” – Nard came/was imported from India. According to Matthew 26:7; Mark 14:3; Luke 7:37 the ointment/perfume was kept in a valuable alabaster flask. Normally, the flask had a long nect on it and would be broken and poured out (Mark 14:3). “wiped his feet with her hair” Article about how much hair meant to ancient people AND On cost of hair products in U.S. and abroad 1 Corinthians 11:15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her Screen 8 hair is given to her for a covering. Spurgeon said, “You must sit at his feet, or you will never anoint them, he must pour his divine teaching into you, or you will never pour but a precious ointment upon him.” Touching he feet of another was reserved for the very intimate (uncomfortably intimate) lovers and salves in ancient Jewish life. The fact that Mary was willing to do this at a meal in the presence of others who are watching speaks volumes about her elevated regard for Jesus. “The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” – the sense most tied/connected to memory is SMELL. ➢ Worship affects the entire facility/house! Screen 9 4 ➢ Genuine worship/affection of Christ affects all who are present. (Positive influence.) ➢ Genuine worshipers don’t care whose looking, either! John 12:4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray Screen 10 him), said, In Matthew and Mark, we are told people and disciples complained, but here, it zeros in on the source “Judas Iscariot.” By the way, every time an extravagant display of worship is witnessed by people, some will complain and ridicule the worshiper. They are acting like Judas. John 12:5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given Screen 11 to the poor?” “three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” A denarius was a day’s pay for a day’s labor during that time. Six days a week/year’s wrth of salary/wage. In John’s Gospel, not in any other, is Judas an unfortunate misguided person, but he is a thief. John 12:6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he Screen 12 was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. In John’s Gospel, he was: Screen 13 ➢ a devil-man; Diablos: John 6:70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” 5 ➢ A receiver of Satan: John 13:27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” ➢ The son of doom and destruction: John 17:12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. He was the unforgivable betrayer who stood with the enemies of Jesus. Screen 14 John 18:5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. *While many of Jesus’ disciples deserted him in John 6:66, Judas remained to betray him.* John 12:7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my Screen 15 burial. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. “alone” – the enormous amount of money that was inested into this “pound of nard” could have represented her entire life savings and/or it could have represented something much more valuable than a life savings! It could have represented her dowry. “so that she may keep it for the day of my burial” – does not mean that she did not use all of the precious perfume ointment. Why would she be intending on keeping it? Life savings – big deal – marriage – a much bigger deal! Though we 6 really don’t know if she indeed were that reformed prostitute, that Luke says she was (“immoral woman” – Luke 7:37), how much more important would an expensive, irreplaceable flask of nard as a dowry be to the once unmarriable woman? Compelling to think about it! This one of only four accounts that are recorded in all for gospels.
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