Well, I invite you to turn this morning, we return to our study in the Gospel of John chapter 12. If you have your Bibles, we'll be reading chapter 12, 1 through 19 of John's Gospel. John chapter 12. This is the word of the Lord beginning today, we'll read at verse 1. Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, he who was about to betray him, said, Why was this ointment not sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor? He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. And having charge of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me. When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came not only on account of him, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him, many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. The next day, the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel. And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion. Behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt. His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, you see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him. And there ends the reading of God's Word this morning. This is one of the most enjoyable sections, I think, in John to study. They all are. They're all rich and they're all wonderful. But this is a really fascinating section because just when you think everything, what else could stand in the way of Jesus' ministry and what Jesus has come to do, the opposition grows all the fierce and there's nothing but problems that he has to deal with. There's nothing but challenges. And John is encouraging us today in chapter 12. John is showing us that the very opposition that Jesus and his kingdom faces is the very platform that God is using to bring his salvation to the ends of the earth, to the world. It's remarkable. It's powerful stuff. It's mind-blowing as we looked at last time with Caiaphas and we'll briefly consider again today. But as we look at this, through the opposition, we see the plan unfolding. Through the opposition, we see the plan unfolding. We're seeing the purpose of God all the clearer as this gets closer to the cross. This desire to kill Jesus, this desire to murder him, this desire to put him out is accomplishing just what the Lord planned. And here is the great encouragement. The success of it is put on display today to help you and to encourage you that not only through much opposition does the kingdom of God come, but that's how we enter the kingdom. But this is what we see. Through this opposition, his salvation plan is going out to the ends of the earth. Why does that matter? Why does that matter? Well, it matters because Christians are, I think, some of the most fearful bunch in the earth right now that I've seen. Fear really governs. We in America take pride on being tough. We act tough. The reality is, is what we see unfolding is there's a lot of fear in this country. And there's a lot of fear among Christians. And there shouldn't be. Fear. And the beauty of this today is how God encourages his people here through this darkness that is so great against. this opposition that is so great against Jesus and against his kingdom that here we see the success of it and how nothing can stop this plan that has been put in motion and this plan that we're studying unfolding right in front of us. We studied last week God in unmatchable strength in Isaiah chapter 40 and we constantly worry about what we might have to face in this life. We constantly worry about impending persecution, if you ask me what really drives a lot of responses to political things, is really our great fear of facing persecution. If we're going to be honest, we are scared people. And I think this section is meant to say, look at Jesus. Look at the cross. Look at the events that are in front of you. Look at how the Lord is undermining all the plots of the wicked and how through the greatest plot to destroy your very king salvation came. That's the purpose of this. That's what's meant to encourage us this morning as we look at this. And that's why we're going to look at this after verse, that's why verse 19 is so jolting. That's where we're going to end today. Notice what verse 19 says. So the Pharisees said to one another, you see that you're gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him. They're furious. There are furious people. There are angry people. There are people that can't stop this. And I think that's here the purpose is to give you a glimpse of that plan of exactly what is being accomplished and how the success of it all can't be stopped. So that's the heart of this today. We're going to look briefly here at the purpose revealed for why Jesus came, the Savior received. You'll notice that here. The gospel opened and the mission revealed. So that's how we're looking at it. The Savior first received. I want you to notice this here with this wonderful story of Mary, which we all know and have considered a lot in the course of the ministry. Remember the scene. Lazarus has been raised. Who's ever seen that? The raising of the dead. There's a man who was called out of the tomb who had been rotting in there for four days, and he comes out, and he's alive. Many have believed seeing this. It really is wonderful. John is showing us how belief is beginning to happen. Belief is breaking out. Belief is happening in the Gospel of John. But the worst thing happened last time was that as soon as this resurrection happened, the leaders all got together and they had their Sanhedrin council and determined that the next time anyone sees Jesus, he is to be seized. And that would have been punishable by the Sanhedrin if anyone refused that, you should know. You have to report him. You have to report him if you see him. So they're all waiting for him. The multitudes are, remember, they were left standing there thinking, is he going to come up? Is he going to come up to the feast? What's going to happen? He was immediately to be cuffed. He was immediately to be taken. He was immediately to be jailed. He was immediately to be crucified. Well, here the hour is coming to where Jesus had said constantly, my hour has not yet come. His hour was coming, but not yet. And the first point here, in the midst of all of this turmoil and opposition, is important. Why is Jesus going through all of this? Why is Jesus doing this? And we're getting a glimpse up front of the beautiful purpose and response that Jesus is after to this great work that he is going to, to this great sacrifice that he is making. Why is Jesus going through all this? Right here. right here, right here. The Savior will be received. The Savior will be received. In the midst of this opposition, John showcases, I believe, one of the most beautiful responses to Jesus in all of the Gospels. It's a beautiful response. It's the kind of response that is meant to be taken in and all of us to consider. You read in verse 1, I want you to notice, that six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus, who had been dead, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus comes here to Bethany. He enters into Bethany. In verse 2, we're told that they had made him a celebration supper. Obviously, this was a very special supper. His disciples are there. Those closest to Mary and Martha and Lazarus are there who had witnessed this great resurrection. And we read that he was one of those, that she, I mean that he, Lazarus, was one of those reclining at the table with the Lord. In verse 3, we have this well-known account of Mary that we've probably heard preached many times in the course of the ministry. Mary from Bethany, Lazarus' sister. Remember the scene just for a minute. they were really despondent. They were really distressed. Their brother had died. Jesus had seemed to leave him behind. Jesus kept telling them, I told you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God. They were the ones crying out, Lord, if you'd have been here, my brother would not have died. Jesus taught them about the resurrection. From the mouth of our Lord, they heard a sermon about the resurrection. They knew that Lazarus would be raised in the resurrection of the last day, which is where we're all going to be raised, in the resurrection of the last day. But Jesus had called them to believe right then and there, that they would behold the glory of God, that they would see something. Lazarus is raised, and the emphasis that we have in John chapter 12, as we open it up, is Mary is not able to get over it. There was something much more to this. There was something that had been pondered. There was something that had been thought about what it said about Jesus himself and overwhelmed in love, overwhelmed in response, she can't hold it back. The couches at these dinners in these homes were arranged in kind of a U-shaped pattern with a very low table. And I want to say up front, it would have been totally, totally culturally inappropriate for a woman in this culture to recline at a table with a man. It would have just been the men. The men would have been there. The men were all talking. The men were fellowshipping. The women were serving, as it says here, Martha was doing. As this is going on, if you can sort of imagine this scene for a minute, it's really quite a scene. As this is going on, Mary walks up to Christ, and she had something that she had been saving for a long time. She has this alabaster flask of a very costly jar of oil, and what she does at this moment, culturally speaking, is completely inappropriate. Completely inappropriate. I mean, you have to You have to think about exactly what this would have looked like. The men watcher break open this sealed flat bottle jar of oil and begin to pour out the contents on Jesus' body. Head, neck, shoulders, and feet. Who's ever seen anything like that? The value of it was equivalent to 300 days of work in that time. These people were not rich. 300 denarii. Even in our day, can you imagine pouring out something on someone that would be worth 300 days of wages? Of a good wage. She then takes her hair, lets it down. And in front of them, gets on her knees and begins to wipe his feet with her hair. I doubt any woman here has done that for their husband. My wife has never done that for me. This is remarkable. This is remarkable. All of a sudden, the whole room is filled with this fragrance. You ever been around someone who puts on too much perfume? Unbearable. This is undignified. This is lavish waste. It breaks the rules of propriety. It's offensive to others. It doesn't make her look good. Most of all, it doesn't make Jesus look good. This is the perfect picture in the Bible of what it means. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be. Perfect picture. Perfect word picture. For a long time, Mary had been saving this to actually, now listen, this is where the passage is, you have to make a choice as a pastor on how to interpret this. she had actually saved this to anoint his body for death. Now, I remember preaching this when I'd first come out of seminary years ago, some 16 years ago, and someone criticized me for suggesting that Mary did this knowing that he was going to die. His own disciples didn't even understand this, it says in this text, or believe this, and I faced some criticism for that point because I made a big point on it that actually she had absolute faith that he was actually going to die. I thought to myself, but that's the very point. What makes this so powerful, if you know the Mary here and you understand the story of Mary here, Jesus had come to their house months earlier. It happened as they went and entered a certain village. A certain woman named Martha welcomed him into her house and she had a sister called Mary who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. but Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, tell her to help me. And Jesus answered and said to her, Martha, Martha, you're worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen the good part, that good part, which, now listen to this promise, will not be taken from her. She really took in sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to his word the whole time. It was really Martha was the distressed, really distressed one who was sort of in the panic mode in the last chapter. Not really Mary. Jesus made a promise right then and there that the blessing of sitting at his feet, the blessing of sitting and listening to his word, the blessing of taking in and understanding that word and really thinking about the Savior's passion and death, really thinking about what he had come to do and believing that word would reap great benefits in the hour of trial. In other words, when the hour of trial would come, the fruit of Mary's hearing would show itself in this kind of unwavering faith. That's what's being shown to us here. this kind of unwavering faith, and it's encouraging, isn't it? It's an encouragement to us. It's an encouragement because when the times of testing come, when the hour comes and things get dark, when everything else has failed, when everything else has failed you, and everyone else has failed you, the Lord has promised and made a promise that those who sit at his feet, that's why worship's important, and listen to his word, when these times come, it will not be taken from you. It will not be taken from you. Now, what is so beautiful about this, to sort of see the bigger picture here, John is highlighting why Jesus came. This is what faith looks like. This is the issue of John. How many times have I said that this whole book is about these things were written that you may believe that this is the Christ, the Son of God, believing that you may have life in his name. And John now captures right at his death the most beautiful illustration and example of faith. She believed in his death. She believed in what he had come to do for her. And from that heart came love. I stand up and I read the law. And the summary of that law is, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself. Is there another example better in the scriptures than Mary to teach us this. Mary, you would see, I say you believe, you will see the glory of God. This act had so much meaning that Jesus would highlight it and say, guess what, wherever the gospel is preached, what she has done will be told as a memorial to her. In other words, if you want to see the gospel response in simple childlike form, here you go. Here you go. Study it. That's why I think Peter was moved to encourage you, though having not seen him, you love him. You love him. I see now why he's willing to do all of this. He loves his sheep. He's going after his sheep. He's dying for his sheep. And this is what response looks like. This is what belief looks like. And here's the point. He will have this response. He will have this response. Nothing can stop this response. There will be in this earth, always, encourage you, no matter how dark things get, there will always be a people that cannot be put out. Do you understand that? Because the first thing Judas does is try to put her out. They will not be put out. There's nothing that can put out this light. There's nothing that can be done to stop what his work has come to accomplish. And that's why he's going through all of this. All of this opposition that we see cannot frustrate bringing response to Jesus that loves him in response for his death. Faith. Now I say that because all of this is set in opposition to show us the other end of the spectrum. John does this by way of contrast, as the other Gospels do, isn't it something that John contrasts Mary's response here with that of Judas? And it's done in all the Gospels to make a very powerful point, to help us. And I think the purpose of this is to capture for us not just the oppositions, but to see what opposition to Jesus really is all about. Verse 4. Verse 4. You'll notice it says, Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples who was about to betray him, said, Why was this ointment not sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor? Oh, how self-righteous, isn't he? It's always what people use when they don't want to see the kingdom prod. Just we could give that money to the poor. They don't want to give the money to the poor. He was a thief, it says. There's a little money box there that Judas was a little treasure. Did you know that? He was the treasurer for Jesus, and the entire time Judas was stealing right off the top of the treasury. Jesus knew it the whole time, plundering Jesus's food money. And so he stands up here and he says, oh, what a waste. And from anyone outwardly looking at the situation, you would say, yeah, it really was a waste. And we're told that the disciples got caught up in this in the other gospels. By the influence of Judas. This is unjustifiable extravagance. It's hypocrisy, isn't it? He gets everyone on board with the idea that such an action would be the worst kind of stewardship possible. Did he care about the poor? Judas didn't care about the poor. We're told here, as he stole Jesus, he was stealing to plunder and to take the money that people had given to keep the disciples and Jesus on the mission so that they could eat. The contrast is strong because the Lord wants us to see it and understand it. What really troubled Judas? What was in the heart of Judas? What was it? In contrast to Mary, it was something so important in the heart of Judas that the Lord wanted us to study and want to see. What is Mary doing? She's anointing his body for death. Judas has been following the whole time. Jesus has been saying, I'm going to go to Jerusalem and die. And Judas wanted nothing to do with it. Unlike Mary, who understood the gospel, listened that he had to die, verse 24 tells us Judas wanted nothing to do with it and that he hated everything that Jesus stood for. We've seen this problem in John that all the people wanted from Jesus was him to be a what? A political redeemer. That all that they wanted Jesus to do for the people was to be a restorer of Israel's greatness and that Jesus is here heading to a cross. Are you kidding me? That is not what we want. That is not where our heart is. Our heart is more on the kingdom of Israel that you'll fix these problems. They didn't like to follow one who said, through much tribulation, you're going to enter the kingdom. They didn't like a Jesus who was constantly talking about sin, the ugly realities of life, the consequences, the utter need to hate your own life so that you will be saved. This is common in the church today. That's why we want entertainment. It's exactly why we want entertainment. We want that stuff gone. When you hear the truth, and the truth sets you free, you know it's because your heart's been born again. It's a beautiful thing. When you see this gift that has been given by God to you, and you know what your life is, and you know what you've done, and you know all the sins that you've committed, you know that nothing compares with this life, this life of Jesus, and you respond embracing Jesus and understanding all that he's done, and he is your life. But unbelief aligns you in opposition. Why? Because it's not the Christianity you want. Like Judas, at some point, people snap with this, and they've had enough of it, and it's not what they've signed up for. There's a snapping point. If Jesus is not going to give us the great experience, If Jesus is not going to make America great again, if Jesus is not going to give us a show, people snap at some point. I'm done with this Jesus who does nothing. I'm not following this anymore. This is Judas. How much do you think we might see this if persecution comes? I look around, I see a lot of mad Christians right now. Why are you mad, really? Judas was mad. Judas had fallen into the politics of the day. This is why Luther talked about two kind of theologies. There's the theology of the cross, and there's the theology of glory. The theology of the cross says, die. The theology of glory says, get it all now. why is John showing us this, I think John wants to show how great the opposition was to Jesus' work everywhere, contrasting what he had to deal with, everyone stood here against Jesus, and now the rulers engage, and that God even uses, this is the encouragement of this passage, God even uses the wicked plots of the wicked to advance his purposes. And that John is showing us that even in the opposition, God is so in control of the hearts and the mouths of people. God is so control and has so much control over the hearts and the mouths of people that here his plan unfolds perfectly through it. Now stand back and see the bigger picture here for a minute. They have plotted to kill Jesus. He's being undermined in every way. Now in his own camp, even his own follower, Judas, his own disciple has been stealing the whole time. And we read in verse 10 that the chief priests have plotted now to put Lazarus to death at every point he's opposed. They're attacking Mary. They're attacking Lazarus. And now in his own camp, they're attacking him. But in light of this, I think we can appreciate now what the triumphal entry is all about. None of the other gospels really structure it this way, which I found so interesting. I didn't want to lose it. Why the other gospels move from Mary, Judas, and then the institution of the supper. John moves from Mary, Judas, to the triumphal entry. And I don't think you should separate these events. I think there's a message in these events. So in verse 12, follow it with me just for a minute. The next day, a great multitude had come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him. Listen, that's not why they ultimately wanted to come. They were commanded to report him. Verse 9 says they came not for Jesus but for Lazarus. Here's the scene. Jesus leaves Bethany, tells his disciples, obviously here he's going to have a colt tied up, he descends on the western slope of the Mount of Olives with Mary and his disciples and Lazarus and these believers, and in the distance he looks up, and here comes this mass of people from Jerusalem who are coming with palm branches in their hands, with the exception of the hostile Pharisees, they all, as soon as they meet, break out. And they all, as soon as they meet with Jesus at the center, break out singing Psalm 118. Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel. Hosanna, our King has come, they're saying. I think it was a roaring thunderous singing that day it was sung right before the Passover celebration and at this point uh John says Jesus gets on the colt and as he gets on the colt John says something was fulfilled right then and there fear not daughter of Zion behold your king is coming sitting on a donkey colt and John interjects right after his disciples didn't even get this His disciples didn't even understand. Nobody, really it seemed, Mary seemed to get it, but his own disciples didn't even understand that, and he would not understand this until he was glorified. What is going on? What's happened here? This should have been a moment to seize him. This should have been a moment to arrest him, but instead everyone breaks out in praise. As I studied that this week, I thought to myself, do we think we're in control of our lives? Do we think anyone has control of anything? If God wants praise, the stones outside will start singing out. That's what he says elsewhere. This is the same moment as Caiaphas last time. Remember Caiaphas says, listen, it's expedient for us to kill him because if we kill him, the nation will be saved and then God will gather under from all the nations of the earth one people. He said, what in the world? And God is saying, yep, that's the plan. Go ahead and preach it. Same thing just happened. From all of these people who were told to seize him and report him, from their mouths, all of a sudden, they break out in praise, fulfilling the scripture, singing Psalm 118, Fulfilling everything that was announced, the king has come. They didn't have control of anything. I think that's what the triumphal entry is showing us. That's how in control the Lord is of hearts. Everyone breaks out in spontaneous praise. God was telling us, look, my plan is going to be fulfilled no matter what. And I'll use everything that the wicked heart wants to do. And I'll fulfill it. And that's exactly what happened. That's exactly how they preached in Acts. When they told us, you guys purposed and planned to put together, put to death God's son. And yet that was God's determined plan ahead of time. And everyone's heralding out in the open. And preaching out in the open. And witnessing. It's quite a moment. All this ends with the Pharisees furious, and I think this is the heart of where it went. We have accomplished nothing. The whole world has gone after him. Now, let me put this together for you today. It seems a little disjointed. In the kingdoms of this world, how much speculation right now is there, just as an example, over an election? What's everyone talking about right now? Fraud, stealing, lying, frustration. Look at this mess. This is a giant mess unfolding in front of us right now. Look at this mess. Jesus told us a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. nobody's going to fix these problems. I don't care whatever new president gets up and says, we're now going to unite and solve all the problems. It's not going to happen unless God wills it. Here's the point. There is nothing in his kingdom, there is nothing in his kingdom that can stand in opposition to his work and his plan and frustrate it. Nothing. Even in the midst of the greatest opposition, even in the midst of the greatest opposition to what he wants to do, he's already succeeded. He's already won. The very gospel of your salvation comes and says, everything already went just according to plan in the greatest opposition that could ever be faced. God's purpose succeeded. Nothing could stop it. When he wanted to lay down his life, he went and did it. They couldn't bring it about prematurely. Everything they did served his purpose. Even when he's riding on a donkey, they came out to seize him and it breaks out into spontaneous praise. Why did he do all that? He succeeded, listen to me, to save you. He succeeded to save you. he won your salvation let me tell you why this matters give you another example Tim Challies who's a well-known blogger and writer in the reform world his only son I think he's about 16 dropped dead this week while everyone's caught up in an election and everyone's heart and energy is there the biggest issue of life just hit him the biggest issues of life are not what happened this week listen to what's being shown to you listen to what's being said to you in what matters the most Jesus laid down his life in the face of the greatest possible opposition they did just what God ordained them to do even singing as it happened that's how in control he is and as everything the Bible has ever talked about as he went to die he was forgiving you and he won and he's already been enthroned he's already been seated and no one's contesting that what's the point? that's where your heart should be. Our loyalty should be to him. That should be the most and greatest concern of our lives. That's why Mary matters. Shame on us. And I speak to me. If we're more caught up in a partisan politic of a kingdom of this world that's crumbling, or burdened over our guy not getting in than the life of an installed king who came down here to die for you in a perfect plan that you might live and that nothing can separate you from his love and that nothing in this life can touch you. Shame on us for living in fear. That's why Mary's memorial that's why I think she stands out here. You're going to be on the side of Jesus no matter what. You understand that? You're going to be on the side of Jesus no matter what. The question is what does that look like? Judas was on the side of Jesus. The multitudes were on the side of Jesus. Unbelievers are on the side of Jesus. Not that they're believing but that they can't stop a thing and they will bow the knee and confess that he's Lord. But look at Mary. Look at Mary. I think that's why it's so important to say where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. That's why it mattered to Jesus. He loves you. He's proven it. He's installed, Psalm 2. He laughs at the things that happen in this world that try to undermine his plan. And he came to die for a people whom he loves and whom we, not having seen, love him. And this is what it looks like. We sit and receive his word. We trust his promise. We embrace everything he said. And wouldn't it be a privilege if he ever called us to die for him? This is what John is after. This is what faith is. All these things are written that you would believe that Jesus is the Christ, he's the Messiah, he's the king. That's what they're celebrating. He's your king. And believing that you would have life in his name. That's what Mary shows us. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for a glorious word and thank you for your faithfulness and thank you for pressing us to the most important issues of life. Pray for the Chalice family. What a painful death to have to face. And yet that's why Jesus came, who is the resurrection and the life and triumphed over death and the grave. We've been so clouded, and the world has tried to block and stop us hearing this, the most pressing and important issue. And we pray, O Lord, that the victory that has already been won, the session on the throne that has already happened, would be utterly believed. And that people, Lord, would take seriously your beloved Son whom you love. Thank you for showing us victory, encouraging us with the progress of the gospel and all the opposition, and to know that this victory is sure and complete and finished in Christ. We long wait for the day when the Lord Jesus Christ returns. No more on a donkey, but on a horse of judgment to rescue us and to take us in this kingdom where righteousness shall dwell forever. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.