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Getting Closer to Christ
(Sermon with Lord's Supper)
John 12:1-8
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - Dec. 29, 2013
*Kevin Higgins asks: "Do you ever feel distant from God? Wish you were closer to Him?" Church, you are in good company.
In Psalm 13:1, King David cried out these questions to God: "How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?"
*And Kevin explained: "We all go through wilderness times in our lives, times when we feel deserted by God, times when our prayers don't seem to be heard.
We feel distant from God, cool in our devotion to Him, wondering if we will ever get that closeness back."
(1)
*You may be going through one of those dry spells right now.
But even if you're not, let me give you some great news for 2014: This year you can get closer to Jesus Christ than you have ever been!
And these verses from God's Word can help us get there.
Lazarus' sister Mary shows us the kind of relationship the Lord wants to have with you and me.
1. First: Jesus wants us to be confident in Him.
*We are reminded of this truth in vs. 1&2:
1.
Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead.
2. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.
*Mary surely was confident in the Lord.
In vs. 2, Mary's brother Lazarus was there at the table with the Lord.
But just a few days or weeks before, Lazarus' body was lying in a grave.
And Mary had been there when Jesus raised her brother from the dead.
*Please listen to part of the story in John 11, starting at vs. 38:
38.
Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.
It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.
39.
Jesus said, "Take away the stone.''
Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.''
40.
Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?''
41.
Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.
And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
42.
And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.''
43.
Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!''
44.
And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.
Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go.''
*Mary was there too.
She saw and heard all of these things.
And now Lazarus was sitting with them there at the table!
There is no doubt that Mary had absolute confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And so should we!
*We should have confidence in Jesus, because He loves us beyond measure!
Because He died on the cross for our sins!
Because He rose again from the dead!
And because He will never fail us!
We have God's Word on all of these things.
So Jesus wants us to be confident in Him.
2. He also wants us to be committed to Him.
*The Lord wants us to be committed like Mary was in vs. 3: "Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair.
And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil."
*Think about Mary's commitment to the Lord.
[1] First, she was committed with her presence.
*The situation had gotten very dangerous for Jesus and His followers.
After Lazarus was raised from the dead, John 11:53-54 says this about Jesus:
53.
Then from that day on they plotted to put Him to death.
54.
Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.
*The situation was dangerous for Jesus and His followers, but Mary stood by Jesus.
She was there when she could have walked away.
And many already had walked away, because it was dangerous to be with Jesus.
*They also walked away, because they would not receive the Lord's teachings.
In John 6, Jesus talked about being the Bread of Life.
And the Lord said this:
57.
"As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.
58.
This is the bread which came down from heaven not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.
He who eats this bread will live forever.''
59.
These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.
60.
Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?''
61.
When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples murmured about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?
62.
What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?
63.
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.
The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
64.
But there are some of you who do not believe.''
For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.
65.
And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.''
66.
From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
*Many had walked away, but Mary stood by the Lord.
She was there to serve the Lord.
She used her hands to spread the ointment.
How are you using your hands to serve the Lord?
*In vs. 3, Mary even used her hair to serve the Lord.
She wiped Jesus' feet with her hair.
Why did she do that?
Well, she must have been on her knees before the Lord.
And that's where we need to be, bowed down in worship and adoration.
Mary was there with total devotion for the Lord: Her hands, her hair, her heart.
[2] She was committed with her presence.
-- And with her possessions.
*Again in vs. 3, "Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, (and) anointed the feet of Jesus."
This gift of ointment was an extravagant expression of Mary's love.
Judas shows us how extravagant it was in vs. 4&5:
4. Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said,
5. "Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?''
*300 "denarii" or 300 "pence" in the KJV.
A "denarius" was the main silver coin of the Roman Empire, roughly equal to the pay for a day’s labor.
So 300 "denarii" was equivalent to an average man's wage for 300 days.
*Mary used ointment that it would take a whole year's salary to buy!
I love my wife.
But she did not get the 300 pence perfume for Christmas!
The Mary in John 12 gave her absolute best to Jesus.
She was fully committed to the Lord, because she had the right priorities in life.
Jesus confirmed this truth for us in vs. 7&8, when He said:
7. . .
"Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.
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