Enthusiasm without Worship

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1.  Comparing          Judas                   and                  Mary:

-Motivation           Loved money, selfish           Loved Jesus, selfless

-Method                 Utilitarian                              Sacrificial

-Character              Deceitful                                                Devoted

-Result                    Materialistic                          Material was a means to worship

-Bottom Line         Lavish waste                         Extravagant love 

2.  What others are saying about John 12:

-“True gifts to the poor are in the name of Christ, for the sake of Christ, and to win men to Christ.  Social service divorced from Christianity may spend the treasure of Mary according to the direction of Judas.” (Dr. Charles R. Erdman)

-”There is much charity and philanthropy in our day in which the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ is not considered.” (Dr. James M. Gray)

-“It may be, Christian friend, in your desire and love and devotion to the Savior, that some other Christian will criticize you for doing something in service for Him.  That person may say you’re just wasting your time or your money.  What of it?  Others may call you a fanatic.  What of it, as long as your life is poured out upon Him?  And may I say very frankly, the more devoted you are to Christ, the chances are the more you will be criticized for it.  But what of it as long as your heart is occupied with the Savior?” (Dr. John G. Mitchell)

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Extravagant Love

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1 Timothy 1:1-17

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Take Off the Grave Clothes

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1.  “John carefully selects seven miracles out of the many that Christ accomplished (cf. John 21:25) in order to build a concise case for His deity.  They are called signs because they symbolize the life-changing results of belief in Jesus—(1) water to wine: the ritual of law is replaced by the reality of grace (2:1-11); (2 )healing the nobleman’s son: the gospel bring spiritual restoration (4:46-54); (3) healing the paralytic: weakness is replaced by strength (5:1-16); (4) feeding the multitude: Christ satisfies spiritual hunger (6:1-13); (5) walking on water: the Lord transforms fear to faith (6:16-21); (6) sight to the man born blind: Jesus overcomes darkness and brings in light (9:1-7); (7) raising of Lazarus: the gospel brings people from death to life (11:1-44).  These signs combine to show that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.” (Talk Through the Bible)

2.  When Jesus called Lazarus forth from the grave he came out still bound in the grave clothes, the clothes that spoke and smelled of the corruption of death.  Jesus orders them to “take off the grave clothes and let him go.”  Lazarus had been given new physical life but had to be released from the grave clothes to enjoy it.  In the same way those who come to faith in Christ pass from spiritual death to life.  In order to enjoy this new life we must take off the grave clothes of the old life and put on the new life.  We can’t live the new life in the grave clothes of the old, yet many Christians try to do just that.  A constant theme of the New Testament is that we must put off the old life and put on the new life (Romans 13:11-1 & Colossians 3:1ff are just two examples).