Welcome
Intro
Once upon a time (a real time), there was a man — let’s call him “Zechy.” He and his lovely wife lived a humble life in a small home on a little hill. They loved God and followed Him and spent their life helping other people follow Him, but those people had a problem.
They were once a great and powerful nation with a godly king who had a huge city full of life and color and food and a beautiful temple where they would worship God. God would speak regularly to His people by sending messengers called “prophets.”
But long ago, these people had turned away from God and were conquered by other nations, now living under their oppressive rule. They had gone hundreds of years without God sending a messenger, waiting and waiting generation after generation — listening, hoping, praying for God to do something, for God to rescue them.
But all they heard was quiet.
What Zechy and his wife wanted, perhaps most of all was a little child to call their own. And for years and years they hoped for a child, prayed for a child, waited for a child, but no child came, and eventually they gave up hope.
Until one day when everything changed.
Zechy was going about his business when out of nowhere, an angel appeared and told him that he would have a son that we will call “Bug Breath.” That’s his nickname because he ate bugs, but don’t worry — he washed them down with some honey. Mmmmm sweet and crunchy.
Bug Breath had a special job. He was God’s messenger who would tell God’s people about another long-awaited child — one who would rescue and establish a new kingdom, and His name was…Jesus!
Jesus spent many years on this earth growing up, and then traveling around telling people about God’s love and the coming kingdom, and performing many signs and wonders that proved his message was from God.
Some people liked the message and decided to follow Him.
Other people hated the message and tried to thwart Him.
Still others were intrigued and just wanted to come see what would happen next.
That leads us to today’s passage, so open to the book of John, chapter 12.
Jesus has been traveling with his core disciples, his closest friends, and they are now headed to Jerusalem for the greatest celebration of the year — the Passover — where God’s people all together remembered His grace & rescue.
But before they get to town, they stop for a meal and we see a beautiful moment, so let’s read.
Mary honors Jesus
READ John 12:1-3 (CSB)
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was, the one Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there; Martha was serving them, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of perfume, pure and expensive nard, anointed Jesus’s feet, and wiped his feet with her hair. So the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
Jesus is eating, Martha is serving (classic Martha), but Mary wants to honor Jesus. She brings out an immensely valuable and treasured possession — a pound of perfume stored in a bougie bottle.
This bottle in front of me is a large bottle of perfume, but Mary had over 6 times the amount that is in this. If I sprayed a few times, the front row could probably start smelling it. Now, what would happen if I dropped this bottle and it broke? It would stretch out like a cloud of smoke expanding out from the stage, surrounding your sense of smell, filling this room. You wouldn’t be able to escape it.
Mary got down on her hands and knees, bowed at the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet. And she didn’t wipe them with a cloth or a sponge or a disposable wipe, but with her hair. (Kids: don’t try that at home or you might get in trouble with mom.)
It sounds pretty icky, but in reality it was an act of extreme humility and worship. Mary was saying with her actions that the feet of Jesus — the very bottom of his body — was greater, more worthy, more precious than the very top of hers.
This was a radical and shocking act, and a certain onlooker wasn’t going to let this happen without saying something.
Judas scorns mary
READ John 12:4-6 (CSB)
4 Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot (who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the money-bag and would steal part of what was put in it.
Jesus is eating, Martha is serving (classic Martha), but Mary wants to honor Jesus. She brings out an immensely valuable and treasured possession — a pound of perfume stored in a bougie bottle.
Judas is angry. He has been stealing money from the ministry fund and just lost out on a lot of it. The value of this perfume was about a years’ wages, and it was all gone in a moment.
I want you to think about this for a minute: how would you feel if I went to our next church planning meeting and said:
“Hey guys, I have an idea! I want Stonebrook to throw a big party! Budget - $50,000. I’m thinking fireworks.” And they might say..
“So, like we invite the neighborhood and preach the gospel and advance the mission or…?” And I say…
“No, no, this is just to honor Jesus. I’m thinking a small group, maybe 10 or 12 of us. I just want to be in the presence of Jesus and worship Him.”
What do you think they would say? I’m thinking we would have some problems.
It seems wasteful. It seems reckless. It seems just wrong.
Now, I don’t think we should do that fireworks display, but I think this passage shows us that an extravagant display of worship for Jesus is worth it.And honestly if we were sitting in that room with Mary, we would probably be uncomfortable with that display, and that might need to stretch our thinking a little bit.
Judas voices disgust over this, but here is how Jesus responds:
Jesus defends mary
READ John 12:7-8 (CSB)
4 Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot (who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the money-bag and would steal part of what was put in it.
Jesus defends Mary. She was paying attention to what Jesus had been saying — that He would die. And in this moment with Jesus, He was the most important thing in the world to Mary. More important than future financial security. More important than her reputation. More important than even good ministry efforts.
Jesus was everything to her. More on that later.
The Curious crowd
READ John 12:9-11 (CSB)
9 Then a large crowd of the Jews learned he was there. They came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, the one he had raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests had decided to kill Lazarus also, 11 because he was the reason many of the Jews were deserting them and believing in Jesus.
A big crowd finds out about Jesus and He is always doing something interesting, so they want to come see what He is up to. They have heard that Jesus performed His most awe-inspiring sign: raising someone from the dead. I mean, I would want to go see that, wouldn’t you?
Once again, we have a group of people there to see Jesus, and another group that is unhappy: the chief priests.
To them, Jesus is a threat. People have been leaving them to follow Jesus. His signs were so remarkable that they feared that every single person would soon follow Jesus, that they would lose their entire ministry, and maybe even their nation if Jesus caused too much of a stir.
So they were ready to get rid of Him. But they needed to figure out how.
Let’s see what happens next.
Lord, Save us
READ John 12:9-11 (CSB)
12 The next day, when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 they took palm branches and went out to meet him. They kept shouting:
“Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, —the King of Israel!”
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written:
15 Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion. Look, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.,
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first. However, when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.
News has been spreading that Jesus is coming into town, and in the most climactic moment of our passage. this huge crowd comes out to meet & welcome Jesus.
How many of you have been to a parade before?
You get set up, find your spot. The anticipation is building. The crowd is buzzing. You might have to get up on your tippy toes to see if anyone is coming. But instead of bringing a bag to hold all your candy, this crowd brought palm branches (hence the name, Palm Sunday).
Palm branches were significant because in their culture, they represented 2 things: victory and kingship. The waving palm branches were a recognition of Jesus as their conquering king, the long-awaited child who would establish this new kingdom.
And when they see him, this crowd roars! Imagine being in Jack Trice Stadium when the Cyclones come out of that tunnel and the whole place erupts in cheers.
Jesus arrived to shouts of “Hosanna!!” which means “save us!” The long-awaited Savior had arrived, the moment they had been waiting for, and these shouts were an expression of praise and joy!
Surely the man who could heal any disease, who could feed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish, who could even raise someone from the dead, surely this man sent by God, would be able to rescue them.
And this crowd was not simply shouting “Hosanna” — “save us” — they were shouting a Messianic prophecy from Psalm 118:25-26. “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, —the King of Israel!” Jesus was the Savior King they were looking for.
Not only that, but Jesus in this moment fulfilled another prophecy by riding in not on a majestic, mighty horse or a thundering chariot fit for a king. No, Jesus rode in on a humble donkey.
In verse 14, it says “as it is written” — which means that it’s a recorded passage from the writings of the Old Testament — and this is drawn from Zechariah 9:9. “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion” (which means Jerusalem — that’s where they are). Look, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.” And the following verse of that prophecy, Zechariah 9:10, says that this King will end the war and proclaim peace to the nations.
So what do you think they expected Jesus to do next? Well, end the war, take his rightful place on the throne, and proclaim peace to the nations. And Jesus is going to do that, but He’s going to do it in a different way than they expect.
To hear more about that, come to our Good Friday and Easter services!
response
We’ve looked at many people who see Jesus in many different ways, but my question to you today is this:
How do you see Jesus?
How does Jesus fit into your life?
I see 3 options:
1. Your life without Jesus
Maybe like the chief priests and Pharisees, you have rejected Jesus, because you see Him as someone who threatens your way of life. Following Jesus is a radical venture, and perhaps it’s an adventure you don’t want to step into. You’d rather stay where it’s safe and warm.
Or maybe you have rejected Jesus because you don’t see Him as from God, but just as another religious guru. Maybe Jesus as God is a threat to your religious framework, and so you have left Him out.
Or maybe you have simply ignored Jesus. You heard the stories, but believe them to be fiction, good vibes with no substance.
But here’s the thing: if Jesus really did all that the Scriptures say He did, and if He really was resurrected and appeared to hundreds of eyewitnesses, many of whom went on to give up their entire lives to vouch for this man who turned their lives upside down, well then Jesus cannot be rejected or ignored.
As I have examined that claim over the few decades I’ve been on this earth, I have come to the conclusion that the evidence points to the undeniable reality that the Jesus of the Bible is real, and I have experienced Him personally.
If you don’t see that, I’d encourage you to seek out and learn more on that.
2. Your life plus Jesus
This is a situation in which you see Jesus as an add-on, like a subscription service that makes your life better, but that you can cancel anytime.
Maybe like to some in the gathered crowd, you see Jesus as someone to take your problems away, to remove life’s obstacles and save you from those who oppose you, but not a Lord worth leaving everything behind for. Maybe you see Him as a spectacle to watch, an exhilarating experience to engage in once or twice a week, but only in the ways you like at the times when you feel like it.
Maybe like Judas and some of the other disciples, you see Jesus as a means to an end — a name to associate with, an opportunity for financial gain, someone cool to hang around.
Ask yourself this:
- Do you only look to Jesus when things go wrong?
- Is Jesus your fix-it man?
- I get in trouble - maybe Jesus could help?
- I’m worried about my job or my test I have coming up or my family drama - maybe I should try on Jesus in this situation?
- I’m depressed or mad or helpless or out of control - why not try Jesus?
- Is He simply filling a craving?
3. Your life is Jesus
Or do you, like Mary, see Jesus as someone to give your entire life, to surrender all of your future, to give all your heart?
This looks like…
- Your life decisions start with Jesus — you don’t add Him in later.
- Your daily schedule starts with Jesus — your days are built around His calling on your life.
- Your monetary spending starts with Jesus.
- Your work starts with Jesus.
- Your play & entertainment start with Jesus.
- Your relationships start with Jesus.
- The things you talk about starts with Jesus.
- Your passion, your desires start with Jesus.
- Jesus is the guiding force in your life — the one thing you will move absolutely everything around to keep in the center.
A word to the weary
If you are like the disciples who wanted to use Jesus for power and prestige (“who is the greatest?”), if you are like the disciples who failed to stand up for Jesus in his darkest hour and denied the One who had proven Himself to be their Lord, if you find yourself sunk in the mud of shame — feeling you’ve done so much bad that you can’t ever be wanted by God ever again, I’ve got good news for you today.
All the failures of the disciples didn’t stop Jesus from using them in the most beautiful and fulfilling and life-giving ways. Jesus didn’t reject them even though when Jesus went to trial and went to the cross, he was rejected and abandoned.
Jesus redeemed them.
He restored them.
He turned the bad good, he turned the wrong to the right, and those that were dead he brought to life.
He proved that with his own resurrection, and that same life, he can bring to you.
But how?
If you flip to about the end of the book of John in 21:31, you’ll see that John wrote this book “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
It is through belief in the true, Messiah King, Jesus that we find this life, that we receive this salvation, that we step into something new and remarkable and forever-changing.
It is faith in the true Jesus, who lived the perfect life we failed to live, and died the death we deserved on the cross, and was resurrected to new life that through faith in Him, we may have life in His name.
Nothing more, nothing less. Come to Jesus, and find your rest.
Prayer
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