OUTLINE
Introduction
Supper at Bethany
Sacrifice of Mary
Slighting / Selfishness of Judas
Slave or Savior in Jesus
Support by Jesus
Setting for Jesus’ burial
Souvenir of Mary’s sacrifice
Savior’s call
Introduction
So much seems to be done out of love, yet it is only the love of one’s self (Good Seed 19/4/89). We are in a world full of distractions and conflicting desires claiming our loyalties. Hence the need for us to be reminded that it is an acquaintance with the LORD Himself that will bring us knowledge of the Holy. Our knowledge of Him should plant a deep sea of love in our hearts for the Master. It is what we do for the Master in love that will earn us His commendation(s).
Our service may be ridiculed by many. It might have cost us a life’s savings. Yet, our “sacrifice of love” will surely earn the Master’s support.
Today, we shall dwell on the text John 12: 1-8 to learn from Mary’s “SACRIFICE OF LOVE.”
KEY VERSE: “Jesus therefore said, ‘let her alone, in order that she may keep it for the day of my burial’.” John 12:7.
I. Supper at Bethany, v. 2
a. At Simon the leper’s house, Mt. 26:6
Simon was a leper but now healed (probably by Jesus). He probably might have organized the dinner in honor of Jesus (Williams) and could be a sign of gratefulness or gratitude by him, Lazarus, Mary and Martha, v.2
Illustration
Simon is now a new man. He was a leper before. Leprosy is a ‘type’ of sin.
Tremendous changes occur when a person becomes a new creature in Christ. Evangelist D.L. Moody enumerated the major points in that life-altering transaction and wrote them on the flyleaf of his Bible.
1. Justification: a change of standing – before God.
2. Regeneration: a change of nature – from God.
3. Repentance: a change of mind – about God.
4. Conversion: a change of life – for God.
5. Adoption: a change of family – in God.
6. Sanctification: a change of service – to God.
7. Glorification: a change of place – with God (Adapted from ‘Our Daily Bread’ of June 6, 1986.)
These are what have taken place in Simon’s life – once an outcast (leper) but now a host.
b. Service of Martha
It was some days to the Passover, and a last-hour opportunity for Martha to render service in honor of Jesus. She did not know this could be her last opportunity to be at the Master’s service before His crucifixion. She made use of it.
II. Sacrifice of Mary, v. 3
“Mary therefore took a pound of very costly, genuine spikenard-ointment, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.” (NASV.)
a. “Mary took…”
Mary’s sacrifice involved taking of her possession.
b. “… a pound of very costly……”
What she took of her possession was costly. Like Abel in Gen. 4:4, she brought fat portions of her belongings. Little wonders Jesus took notice and had regard for her offering.
Love is costly.
Illustration (Our Daily Bread 24/4/86)
During the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, sentenced a soldier to be shot for his crimes. The execution was to take place at the ringing of the evening curfew bell. However, the bell did not sound. The soldier’s fiancée had climbed into the belfry and clung to the great clapper of the bell to prevent it from striking.
When she was summoned by Cromwell to account for her actions, she wept as she showed him her bruised and bleeding hands. Cromwell’s heart was touched and he said, “Your lover shall live because of your sacrifice. Curfew shall not ring tonight!”
Love is costly. In fact, sacrifice is what makes it genuine.
Love is not blind, but looks
Abroad through others’ eyes,
And asks not, “Must I give?”
But “May I sacrifice?” - Anon
Application: What is the cost of your love for the Master?
c. “…a pound of very costly, genuine spikenard-ointment….”
Spikenard is a very costly ointment. However, as you can have genuine one, so likewise you can have “Aba made” type.
Aba is a town in the eastern part of Nigeria where they specialized in the production of imitation products. Hence “Aba made” means imitation or fake product.
Mary gave the genuine and pure one
d. “…anointed the feet of Jesus…..”
She (Mary) lavished and “wasted” her life’s savings – cost of her love – on Jesus’ feet.
Jesus’ feet of all places!
e. “…and wiped His feet with her hair….”
What a humility!
After giving her love and life’s savings, she gave herself.
Back to Oliver Cromwell’s illustration
If skeptics had questioned Jesus after His resurrection, all He would have had to do is show them His hands – His bruised, nail-pierced hands. They are ample proof that He has given Himself for mankind. His sacrifice means that the curfew of eternal death will never toll for those who trust in Him. See Rom. 5:9.
f. “…the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.”
The people in the room shared in the blessing of this anointing. It was a sweet savor offering.
Does your life give blessing to others?
Is your life a channel of blessing?
Is the love of God flowing thro’ you?
Are you telling the lost of the Savior?
Are you ready his service to do?
CHORUS:
Make me a channel of blessing today,
Make me a channel of blessing, I pray;
My life possessing, My service blessing,
Make me a channel of blessing today. - H.G. Smyth
They do not truly love who do not show their love – Shakespeare.
III. Slighting / Selfishness of Judas, vs. 5,6
a. “Why the waste?” Judas queried.
Do you query the generosity of other Christians? “Is it not because he is rich / wealthy, that’s why he can give so much?” you questioned.
Many do not have a “giving heart” yet do not want people who have to give.
It’s not what you’d do with a million
If riches should e’er be your lot,
But what you are doing at present
With the Naira and Kobo you’ve got. Anon
God judges what we give by what we keep.
In his “why..?”, Judas accused Mary of wastage – “Why this terrible waste?”. I also feel he is trying to accuse Jesus of aiding and abetting Mary, since He did not stop nor rebuke her for the “waste.”
b. The thief in Judas, v.6
- His pocket was his concern, not the poor.
- To you my audience, are you concerned about your pocket or the poor?
- What motivates you in identifying with Jesus?
IV. Slave or Savior in Jesus, v.5
a. Judas’ estimate of Mary’s sacrifice was 300 denarii, about a year’s wage for a rural worker (Ryre Study Bible NASV.).
- Is that the cost worth a Savior?
b. Price for killing a slave by an ox, Ex. 21:32
- 30 shekels of silver
c. Price for redeeming a male, Lev. 27: 3,4
- 50 shekels of silver for a male; 30 shekels of silver for a female
d. Judas’ estimate of Jesus, Mt. 26:15
- 30 pieces of silver.
- “It was then that Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles, went to Caiaphas and said, ‘What will you give me if I deliver Jesus to you?’ They paid him ten dollars (30 pieces of silver), the price of a slave.” [Mt. 26: 14-16, New Life Concise Gospel & The Acts].
- Judas’ price on Jesus was that for a slave, Ex. 21:32.
e. Let’s revisit Ex. 21:32 (IV. b. above).
- From the passage, it is the slave’s master who is qualified to receive the price over the slave.
- If Jesus’ were a slave, surely, Judas is not qualified to place, talk less of receiving a price on Him. The more reason he is guilty of selling off Jesus.
- What is the cost of your love for the Master?
Illustration
The story is told of a father whose peaceful sleep was interrupted by the soft tones of a child’s voice: “Come quickly, Daddy, please, at once!”
Has anything happened? The father gets up and finds his four-year-old daughter standing completely naked on the bathroom scales. “Look, Daddy”, she says, “how much I cost!”
Her father smiles. As if her value could be determined by her weight! But the child persists, “How much do I cost?” she asks and makes him read the scale. “Fifteen kilos,” he answers. Then he takes up his darling in his arms……..
Does she know what she is worth to him? Can one buy love? What a thought!
“And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned…..” Is that love? The Apostle continues, “…. And have not love, it profiteth me nothing.” I Cor. 13:3
Mary’s sacrifice of love was slighted by Judas, but savored by Jesus.
V. Support by Jesus, v.7-8, Mt. 26:10
a. “Trouble not the woman,” Jesus said.
b. What Mary has done is good, Jesus declared, Mt. 26:10.
c. In v.8, Jesus declared the certainty of His departure, “… you will not always have me.”
- Jesus was in essence demanding for their service of love now that He is still with them.
- Do whatever you can do for the Master now. Don’t wait for another opportunity. Use the opportunity available now. As it turned out, there was never another opportunity to anoint Jesus’ body for burial.
Illustration: Both Glad and Sad.
We were told of an old legend about three men crossing a desert on horseback at night. Approaching a dried-up pond bed, they heard a voice commanding them to stop and dismount, pick up some pebbles, put them in their pockets, and not look at them until the morning.
The men were also promised that if they obeyed they would be both glad and sad. They obeyed, mounted their horses and went on their way.
As the light of dawn breaks, the men reached into their pockets to pull out the pebbles. To their great surprise, they had been transformed into diamonds, rubies, and other precious gems. It was then that they realized the significance of the promise that they would be both glad and sad. They were happy that they had picked up as many pebbles as they did, but sorry-so sorry- that they had not collected more. - From Our Daily Bread (ODB) of 19th Jan. 19991.
- Let’s make the most of our opportunities so that we’ll be more glad than sad when we appear before our Master.
d. Jesus also declared the certainty of the poor being always on earth.
- Opportunities abound to do good to the poor on earth.
- Jesus will always support your sacrifice of love.
- Judas may slight your love for the Master, Jesus will always support you.
VI. Setting for Jesus’ burial, v.7
a. “… let her alone, in order that she may keep it for the day of my burial.”
- As it turned out, there was never another opportunity to anoint Jesus’ body for burial.
- Her action turned out to be a timely one.
b. The Omniscient God is in control.
- Recount Jesus’ burial scene in Jh. 19: 38-42
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense (Emphasis mine)
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
VII. Souvenir of Mary’s sacrifice, Mt. 26:13
“Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will be told in memory of her.” Mt. 26:13.
- This prophecy is once again fulfilled today, even as you read, or, listen to this sermon.
- What will you be remembered with?
- Any good souvenir?
- Yesterday (17th Aug. 1991) was the 50th birthday of our military President, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB for short). It was a flamboyant Nigeria! A National essay competition on what IBB will be remembered for is on, and the sum of six thousand Naira (=N=6,000.00, about £200.00) is for grab.
- I wonder who won the competition and what were the things written which he should be remembered for. Today, many years after, all the good he did have been submerged in his act of annulling the June 12 1993 Presidential election, one which has been adjudged the best, free and fair election ever in Nigeria. His works do follow him.
VIII. Savior’s call / Conclusion
a. To the sinner
- By now you might have seen your position. You must be saved before you can offer an acceptable sacrifice of love for Him.
- In actual fact, you can not love Him that is not known by you. You may still be in Adam’s obituary column.
- Compare the two books:
“This is the book of …Adam.” Gen. 5:1ff.
“[This is] the book of…. Jesus Christ.” Mt. 1:1
Genesis 5 has been named the obituary chapter in the Bible. This is because it is a list of deaths. The phrase “…and he died……and he died…” ran through the chapter. It is a report of the death of all the people mentioned except Enoch who reportedly walked with God.
In Matt.1, though all the people mentioned eventually died, the word “death” or phrase “..and he died..” was not written. It seems to be a list of the living.
- Illustration
The story is told of the man whose name was printed in the obituary column of a daily paper by mistake. Greatly disturbed, he went to the newspaper office and exclaimed, ”This is terrible! Your error will cause me no end of embarrassment and may even mean a loss of business. How could you do such a thing?” The Editor expressed regrets, but the man remained angry and unreasonable.
Finally the editor said in disgust, “cheer up, fellow, I’ll put your name in the birth column tomorrow and give you a fresh start!” (ODB Jan.2nd, 1986).
That’s what happens when we find new life in Christ.
- Are you still registered in Adam’s obituary column, or is your name in the Lamb’s book of life?
There are only two books, and you are in one or the other!
- In the obituary chapter, only Enoch that walked with God lived!
b. To the Christian
- Your sacrifice may not be that of Mary, nor that of the three captains of war who “sacrificed” their lives to grant their master’s desire for water at Bethlehem’s well (2 Sam. 23:13-17); Your Master definitely is worth your whole love, and sacrifice(s) of love, He will surely repay.
- Mary gave her best in all humility of herself. What will it cost you to love the LORD? What will be your own “one pound of costly pure spikenard ointment?” The Master will surely commend it.
- Jesus demands your service NOW! A better opportunity may never come your way. Seek only the Lord’s approval as you serve.
- Remember: They do not truly love who do not show their love.
- Surely, we’ll be both glad and sad when we appear before Him. But you can be more glad than sad.
- You must sacrifice ALL for the Lord. He gave His own ALL for you. He demands nothing but ALL OF YOU.
Oh, we never can know what the Lord will bestow
Of the blessings for which we have pray’d,
Till our body and soul He doth fully control,
And our all on the altar is laid.
Chorus: Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?
Your heart, does the Spirit control?
You can only be blest and have peace and sweet rest,
As you yield Him your body and soul.
