by believing in me will never die.
Do you believe this?
For those who entrust their life to Jesus,
death is just a doorway to life.
The moment we breathe our last breath here,
we take our first breath in the presence of Christ.
Death is not the end.
It is but the beginning of life in all its fullness.
But how do we begin to say thank you?
How do you express your love for someone
who gives you new and eternal life?
Well, let's follow Jesus to the home of Lazarus
and we will see how we can begin to say thank you.
Back to chapter 12, verse 2.
Grateful honour.
Jesus arrives at the family home along with his disciples.
Verse 2.
Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honour.
Martha served while Lazarus, who was alive, obviously,
was among those reclining at the table with him.
What an occasion it must have been.
Could you imagine the conversation?
I can't believe it.
It's Lazarus.
You're actually here.
Lazarus, what was it like when you came out of the grave?
Did you feel anything?
Here, have something more to eat.
You must be starving.
Each one taking in turn,
embracing the once dead man,
clutching tight,
not wanting to let go.
And in all the midst of the talk and the celebrations,
we see Martha making a dinner.
The very best she can do to honour Jesus.
Thank you.
Thank you, Jesus, so much.
You see, the celebrations here are not for Lazarus,
but for Jesus.
For Jesus deserves and receives all the honour,
all the praise,
all the glory,
all the thanks,
goes to him
who does what we can never do.
You see,
this dinner celebration
taking place in Lazarus' home
is just a taste
of a greater feast to come
for all those
who will honour the Lord today.
Isaiah the prophet
gives us a glimpse
of what that will be like.
Have a look back with me
to Isaiah chapter 25.
Isaiah chapter 25.
And we'll pick it up in verse 6.
As we think of Jesus
and Mary and Martha and Lazarus
feasting, celebrating together.
Here is what Isaiah points to.
Verse 6.
On this mountain,
the Lord Almighty
will prepare a feast
of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine,
the best of meats
and the finest of wines.
On this mountain,
he will destroy the shroud
that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers
all nations.
And what is it that covers us
with fear?
Verse 8.
He will swallow up death
forever.
The sovereign Lord
will wipe away the tears
from all faces.
And he will remove
his people's disgrace
from all the earth.
Jesus.
The Lord has spoken.
Back to chapter 12.
You see what Jesus did
for Lazarus.
Jesus did for all
who will trust in him
and his resurrection.
He comes and destroys
the enemy of death
that plagues us all.
and one day
the same risen Jesus
is going to come again
and he will call us
out from the grave
and we will rise
with brand new bodies
never to decay
or die again.
And we will feast
together
in honour
of Jesus.
all the praise
all the glory
and all the thanks
and all the honour
goes to him.
So how do we say thank you?
Well, grateful honour.
Second,
humble service.
The guests are all
enjoying the meal.
Now when we think
of the meal here
as we would sit
round a table
on chairs
the custom in those days
was that you would
lie on the ground
facing in towards
where all the food
was in the middle
and you would rest
with your head
on your elbow
and help yourself
to food
with your smelly feet
away from
where the food was.
So there they are
all around the food
chatting and eating.
And then something
extraordinary happens.
verse 3
Then Mary
this is Lazarus'
sister
took about
half a litre
of pure nard
that is an
expensive perfume
and she poured it
on Jesus' feet
and wiped
his feet
with her hair
and the house
was filled
with the fragrance
of the perfume.
Now
washing feet
was a custom
for people
as they arrived
into the house
walking through
a hot climate
a dusty road
someone
the servant
the lowest
of the low
would come
and wash
your feet.
But here's Mary
assuming the place
of a servant
not just washing
but pouring
a very pure
and very expensive
perfume
on Jesus'
feet.
You could imagine
the sudden hush
around the table
the conversation
stops.
It's almost
embarrassing
silence
as they all glare
at what Mary
is doing.
And to make
matters worse
Mary
unties her hair
and lets it
hang down
and begins
to wipe
the perfume
into Jesus'
feet.
Well only a woman
of a dubious
and immoral
background
would let their
hair down
in front of a man.
Why?
Why would she
do this?
in humble
service
of one
who is
infinitely
greater than
her.
In unspoken
words
Mary is
declaring
her loyalty
and her
commitment
to Jesus
how can I
possibly
repay you
for what
you have
done
for us?
In humble
service
Jesus
I give
myself
to you.
you see
I think
one of the
things that
holds us
back
in our
service
is we
worry
about what
people will
think.
Yeah we
want to be
committed
but we
don't want
to look like
a religious
fanatic
in front
of our
friends.
We want
to keep
a balance
don't we?
Well Mary
was so
consumed
for love
for what
Jesus
had done
for her
family
that she
didn't
care
what people
thought.
She just
served
humbly.
You see
the gift
of life
that we
have received
from Jesus
demands
nothing less
than a life
of humble
service.
A life
that will
hold nothing
back.
A life
that puts
Jesus
first.
A life
that is
embarrassingly
humble.
in humble
service
Jesus
I give
my life
to you.
So
third
extravagant
devotion
Mary's
response
to Jesus
was right
and good
but not
everybody
at this
meal
was very
happy
with what
Mary
did.
Look at
verse 4.
One of
the disciples
Judas
Iscariot
who was
later to
betray
Jesus
objected.
Why
wasn't
this
perfume
sold
and the
money
given
to the
poor?
It was
worth a
year's
wages.
Well
fair point
Judas
you're
spot on
the money
there.
Why
waste
something
so
valuable
when there
are those
with such
great need.
It's like
burning money
to keep
warm.
It's
completely
wasteful.
Well
behind the
objection
was a
different
kind of
devotion
on
Judas'
part.
Look at
verse 6.
John
gives us
the reason
really what
was going
on in
Judas'
mind.
Verse 6.
Judas,
he did
not say
this because
he cared
about the
poor,
but because
he was a
thief.
As
keeper of
the money
bag,
he was
the treasurer
for the
disciples and
making sure
that it
was looked
after.
He used
to help
himself to
what was
put into
it.
For
Judas,
selling the
perfume would
most certainly
increase their
bank balance.
But rather
than helping
the poor,
he saw it
as an
opportunity
to skim
off the
top and
give himself
something nice,
perhaps a
nice plot
of land
around the
shores of
Lake Galilee,
a little
villa for
his retirement.
You see,
Judas failed
to see that
behind the
act of
pouring the
perfume on
Jesus was
a heart
overflowing
with extravagant
devotion.
Yes,
the perfume
was of great
value,
nearly a
year's
wages.
Yes,
it could
have been
sold.
Instead,
Mary pours
it all
out on
Jesus,
not to
make him
smell nice,
but to
declare that
Jesus is
worth it.
I wonder
how we
think about
the possessions
that we
have,
because how
we use our
possessions and
our money
reveals the
true devotion
of our
hearts.
Do you
refer to
what you
have as
mine,
or a
gift that
God has
given you
to give
to others?
Are we
tight-fisted,
or open
and generous?
You see,
when we see
what Jesus
has done,
and what we
have in
Jesus,
it will
enable us
to give
in outrageous,
extravagant
ways.
In use of
our time,
our possessions,
and our
money,
there will
be no
holding back.
You see,
Mary saw
the true
value of
Jesus.
She came
to experience
the love
and life
that Jesus
came to
give,
and so she
responds in
extravagant
devotion,
not to
gain the
favour of
Jesus,
but to
declare that
knowing Jesus
is beyond
price.
He is
worth it.
You see,
the value
of Jesus
is beyond
measure,
so there
is never
no act
of devotion
that is
ever too
great.
Jesus'
worth
are all
and are
best
and are
everything.
so
extravagant
devotion.
Fourth,
how do we
say thank
you?
Costly
commitment.
The
resurrection
of Lazarus
had caused
quite a
stir.
Jump with
me to
verse 9.
Meanwhile,
while the
meal was
going on,
a large
crowd of
Jews found
out that
Jesus was
there and
came not
only because
of him,
but also
to see
Lazarus,
whom he
had raised
from the
dead.
It seems
that Lazarus
is turning
into quite
a celebrity.
Everybody's
coming to
see him,
but not
for long.
You see,
commitment to
Jesus,
honouring
Jesus,
is a
costly
thing.
Look how
the religious
authorities
responded to
Jesus after
he had
raised Lazarus
from the
dead.
Look back
at chapter
11,
verse 53.
It's an
extraordinary
response to
one who
had just
given life
to somebody
who had
died.
Verse 53,
so from
that day
on,
they plotted
to take
his life.
They plotted
to kill
Jesus.
Lazarus.
Now look
at how
they want
to treat
Lazarus.
Chapter
12,
verse 10.
So the
chief
priest made
plans to
kill
Lazarus
as well.
For on
account of
him,
many of
the Jews
were going
over to
Jesus and
believing in
him.
You see,
maybe if
Lazarus had
kept his
distance from
Jesus.
Maybe if
he didn't
go to
the meal,
then he
would have
avoided any
kind of
death threat.
But no,
Lazarus wanted
to honour
Jesus.
Was anything
too much
for Lazarus
to do
after what
Jesus had
done for
him?
No,
he was
committed
to Jesus
and that
was costly.
This was
something
Jesus would
teach his
disciples.
Just jump
over to
chapter 15
verse 20.
Chapter 15
verse 20.
Jesus
says,
Remember
what I
told you?
A
servant is
not greater
than his
master.
If they
persecuted
me,
they will
persecute
you also.
You see,
to identify
with Jesus,
to honour
Jesus,
to be
devoted to
Jesus means
you will
become a
target.
You won't
always be
liked or be
popular or
be invited to
social events.
You might get
overlooked in a
position or a
promotion at
work.
To live a
life of
thanks to
Jesus is
costly.
It's not
going to be
easy.
But if we
have
resurrection
life in
a hundred
years, in
a thousand
years from
now, it
will be
all worth
it.
how do
we say
thank you?
Well, it's
been a
remarkable
occasion,
hasn't it?
An
extraordinary
dinner party.
The house,
look at the
end of
verse 3,
this is
chapter 12,
verse 3,
is still
filled with
the fragrance
of the
perfume.
The love
and honour
for Jesus
is filling
the room.
But here's
the pinch
of what
we're looking
at.
I don't
know if I
can live
like this.
I'm not
sure I
can respond
with such
extravagant
love and
humble service,
never mind
costly
commitment.
How can
we maintain,
how can we
live such
thankful lives?
well, two
things that
will help
us.
First, the
fragrance of
Jesus.
Let the
fragrance of
Jesus fill
your life.
You see,
throughout this
account,
throughout this
dinner party,
the beauty
and glory of
Jesus is being
poured out
before us,
and the scent
is captivating.
Look how
Jesus responded
to Judas'
objection to
Mary for
pouring out
the perfume.
Look at
verse 7.
Leave her
alone,
Jesus replied.
It was
intended that
she should
save this
perfume for
the day of
my burial.
You see,
when somebody
died in
those days,
they were
wrapped in
grave clothes
and spices
and perfumes
were poured
onto the
body.
So Jesus
interprets
the action
of Mary
as an act
of his
very burial.
In fact,
in a week's
time from
this very
event,
Jesus would
be in a
tomb.
He's
reminding us
that the
reason he
came was
to come
to die,
that Jesus
came to
die for
you and
for me
so that
we might
have
resurrection
life.
You see,
the death
of Jesus
was an
act of
great
honour,
one of
humble
service,
of pure
extravagant
love,
and of
costly
commitment.
Jesus
held
nothing
back.
He gave
his all,
he gave
his life
for our
good and
for the
glory and
the honour
of his
father.
Can you
smell the
fragrance of
Jesus?
Do you
get the
scent of
his beauty
and all
that he
has done
for you?
You see,
as we
breathe in
the fragrance
of Jesus,
so we
are changed
and we
become,
secondly,
the aroma
of life.
Look at
verse 8.
Jesus
says,
you will
always have
the poor
among you,
but you
will not
always have
me.
But Jesus
isn't saying
the poor
don't matter.
In fact,
Jesus commands
that we should
care for the
poor and
that's how we
should live.
But what
Jesus is
saying here
is,
he's saying,
I am more
important than
the poor.
It's not
about what you
can do for
others,
but look at
me and look
at what I
have done
for you.
what you
could ever
give to
anybody is
only temporary,
but what I
give to you
is of
eternal value.
I give
my life
that you
will be
forgiven
and loved
and treasured.
Come to
me.
Let the
fragrance of
my life
fill you
and you
will be
changed
and transformed.
I will
take away
the stench
of death
that fills
your life
and I
will give
to you
the aroma
of life.
You see,
it's only
when we
meditate
and think
and reflect
and let
the fragrance
of Jesus
fill our
lives,
it's only
when the
scent of
his love
captivates
us
that we
begin to
live as
Jesus.
And in
response to
all that
he has
done,
we will
live a
life of
grateful
honour,
humble
service,
extravagant
devotion,
and costly
commitment.
And so
wherever we
go and
wherever we
walk this
week,
into our
homes and
into our
workplaces,
amongst our
neighbours,
conversations
with people,
so we go
with the
aroma of
life.
love,
and the
rooms that
we walk
into will
be filled
with the
fragrance of
Christ as
we live
different lives
loving those
we come in
contact with.
How do we
ever say
thank you
but to live
our life
in grateful
devotion for
all that
he has
done.
Let's
pray.
Thank you.