John 11:45-57; 12:1-8 | Honored and Worshipped

John 11:45-57 – 12:1-9
Honored and Worshipped

I. Introduction

1. We will see Jesus honored and worshipped in chapter 12.
2. As we close out chapter 11, we will see responses to Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.
3. Chapter 12 is the beginning of the last week of Jesus’s life.
4. In the opening verses of chapter 12 (where most of our time will be spent), we will see an amazing act of devotion and worship.

II. 11:45-52 Reactions to the resurrection of Lazarus.

1. v. 45 Many believed.
   
   ⁴⁵ Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.^[1]
   
   1. This would be the obvious response.
   2. This was the purpose of the signs Jesus performed and the reason why John wrote this Gospel account.
      
      John 20:30–31 ³⁰ And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
      
      
      
   3. There were others who had done works, but they didn’t claim to be the Messiah.
   4. Oh, that there would be many who come to believe in Jesus because they observe the work of Jesus in our lives.
   5. Would it be that people come to Jesus because of the works in our lives.
2. v. 46 Some sided with the Pharisees.
   
   ⁴⁶ But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.
   
   1. Amazing how hard the heart of man can be towards his Creator even in the face of His great love and power.
3. vv. 47-52 Caiaphas counsels the leaders to kill Jesus.
   
   ⁴⁷ Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs.  ⁴⁸ “If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.”  ⁴⁹ And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all,  ⁵⁰ “nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.”  ⁵¹ Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,  ⁵² and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.
   
   1. The council realized that they had been ineffective in stopping the ministry of Jesus and felt threatened that Rome would remove them as a nation.
   2. The High Priest then gave the solution that Jesus should die so that the nation could survive.
   3. 11:51-52 John gives us a commentary on Caiaphas’s counsel.
      1. Caiaphas unintentionally prophesied of the greatest work that Jesus would do.
         1. Die a substitutionary death not only for Israel but also for the whole world.
      2. God is in control of the affairs of this life even when men think they are.
      3. Peter makes this obvious conclusion in the Book of Acts.
         
         Acts 4:24-28  ²⁴ So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,  ²⁵ “who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things?  ²⁶ The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the LORD and against His Christ.’  ²⁷ “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together  ²⁸ “to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.

III. 11:53-57 The plot to kill Jesus.

⁵³ Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.  ⁵⁴ Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.  ⁵⁵ And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.  ⁵⁶ Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, “What do you think — that He will not come to the feast?”  ⁵⁷ Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.

1. Jesus was wanted for His obvious threat to their power.
   1. Satan and his unwitting followers are still trying to silence any witness of Jesus.

IV. 12:1-2 A celebration dinner in Bethany.

John 12:1-8 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead.  ² There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 

1. As we look into this twelfth chapter of John, we will enter into the last week of Jesus’s life. The last week of Jesus’s life has come to be known as the Passion Week of Christ. The remainder of this book will deal with this week. John gives more attention to the last week of Jesus’s life than any of the other Gospel writers.
2. This is the feast that remembered how God preserved Israel during the death plague sent upon Egypt.
   1. Each home was to take a lamb and sacrifice it.
   2. The blood was put on the door posts and the lintel.
   3. As the plague spread through the land, any home that had the blood of the lamb on its door was passed over.
   4. Jesus will die on Passover as the Lamb of God.
   5. All who receive Jesus and are covered by His blood will be spared eternal death in the lake of fire.
3. This dinner (Matthew 26) was held at Simon the leper’s house.
   1. Clearly, this man would have had to have been made clean.
   2. Imagine a dinner having Simon and Lazarus together with the twelve and our Lord.

V. 12:3 Mary anoints Jesus.

³ Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 

1. This is not the first time we find Mary at the feet of Jesus.
   
   We can learn from her the importance of taking time to be at the feet of Jesus, listening to the words He would have to say to us.
   
   As the lyrics to an old song go, “One thing is needful oh my Father one thing is needful oh my God that I set at your feet and pour out my love this thing is needful oh my God.”
   
   
2. This is exactly what Mary did when she poured out her love to her Lord.
   1. She understood that hearing from Jesus was needed.
   2. There are so many things that we can spend our time doing.
   3. Our lives are full of urgent needs.
   4. We MUST discern between the urgent and the needful.
   5. The point is that needful things should be a top priority while other urgent issues take the back seat.
3. When was the last time that you have been consistent at the feet of Jesus?
   1. Make it a priority and sit with Him!
4. Pouring costly oil was an act of worship.
   1. She was saying Lord, you are worth the very best I have.
   2. This oil was worth one year’s wages!
      1. Using the current minimum wage of 12.41 at 40 hours for 300 days is just shy of $15,000.
   3. Is the Lord really worth that much?
   4. The Lord is not worthy of anything less than our very best.
      1. David said he wouldn’t offer anything to the Lord that did not cost him first.
      2. Things that are left over and of no value to the giver don’t mean much to the receiver either.
   5. Extravagance isn’t out of line for the Lord.
5. This anointing was a beautiful act of worship.
   1. Remember that the Greek word “worship” means to kiss towards.
   2. We are made to worship.
      
      John 4:23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
      
      Hebrews 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
      
      1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

VI. 12:4-6 Rebuked for her worship.

⁴ Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said,  ⁵ “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”  ⁶ This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. 

1. Because of her act of worship, she was chastised and made to feel foolish, but Jesus defended her.
2. David experienced this same kind of ridicule from his wife Michal, who was consequently cursed with barrenness.
3. Those who worship the Lord with their very best can expect to be mocked.

VII. 12:7-8 Jesus commends Mary.

⁷ But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.  ⁸ “For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

1. Anointing was in preparation for His burial.
   1. When a person died, they would have oils and herbs placed on their body.
   2. After His death, Jesus will have a large number of aromatics placed on His body.
      
      John 19:39 ³⁹ And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.
      
2. How did she know?
   1. Whether she knew definitively or sensed in her spirit this was now the time is unclear.
   2. As one who sat often at her Lord’s feet, she certainly was in a place to understand what she should do.
3. We do not always know the full work of Jesus when we follow the Lord’s leading.

VIII. Conclusion

1. Let’s learn from Mary that our worship of the Lord should have no limits.
   1. There was nowhere in Scripture that instructed her to do what she did.
   2. It was an act of obedience to the prompting of the Spirit in her heart.
2. There were two key elements in Mary’s worship.
   1. Worshippers are not afraid to make big sacrifices to the Lord.
      1. A true worshiper of the Lord understands that nothing is too much for Jesus.
      2. The sacrifices that we may make in our worship are not limited to items of monetary value.
      3. Your most extravagant worship will not look any more foolish than men cheering on their favorite sports team.
      4. Just remember that all you have come from Him to begin with.
   2. Worshippers are not afraid of what people will think.
      1. She didn’t fear men. She wanted the praise of God more than the praise of men.
      2. If we let the opinions of others get in the way of freely and openly showing our worship to the Lord, we will miss out on being able to honor the Lord.

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^[1]  All Scripture quotations are from the NKJV unless otherwise noted.