Mary Easter

Sunday - March 21, 2010

Mary Easter

Spoke today from the text of John 11:54-12:8

I encourage you to read it all.

A THE SETTING
1. This was an increasingly dangerous season for Jesus. He is heading towards a brutal death...and will be arrested on sight.
2. The veracity of Lazarus resurrection was contributing greatly to making #1 happen.
3. "Six days before the Passover" - was very parallel to when we met this morning
4. "Reclining at table" - down on one forearm, eating with the other arm and hand
5. "Feet" - would be easily accessible..not under the table like ours!

B. THE RESPONSES
As we proceeded we examined two basic pre-easter responses to our Lord and His impending trial and death:

1. The Mary response -:3
-the costliness of the nard - from 2500 miles away, family heirloom?
..from parallel texts we discovered it was worth a year's wages
-the entirety of the expression - breaking the alabaster jar and pouring it all out on Him
-the humility of it all - feet and hair - with broken words of love?
-the result - fragrance for everyone...prophetic annointing over Jesus
-a common supper that becomes a holy sanctuary

2. The Judas response - :4-6
-counting the cost...and recounting, and imagining other options than lavish love...
-waving smoke to cover reality..."could we not have...."
-behind it all: a pattern of yieldedness to escalating sin
...the verses show:
Step one: helping yourself to what noone will miss
Step two: on and on...till you are known(especially to self)as "thief"
Step three: using righteous motive "the poor" to cover your malice
Step four: finally...outright betrayal of our Lord
...for just a little more cash, of course

C. SUMMING UP...
The Mary Response: extravagent, costly, risky, from the heart, given humbly, and backing into the prophetic..and still celebrated even to this day!

The Judas Response: calculating, dishonest, as little as possible, covering with false motives, sinful...and finally fatal. To be avoided at all cost...hmm.

We noted on this day when 5 children were dedicated to the Lord, that none were named Judas...but that many of us bear the name Mary as part of our heritage or person...the show of hands was impressive.

So the challenge went out to us all to have a Mary Easter....
1. Listen to what the Lord will say to you - ask Him if He has a plan for you.
2. Do something lavish and surprising for someone that is in need.
3. Watch this Easter season light up.

Selah.

David