Checkmate

Jonathan Bradley

The Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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Sermon Title: Checkmate

February 2, 2020

Hopewell Baptist Church

Opening Illustration – Chess. In chess, the greatest competitors look at the board and see many moves…always looking ahead to how they can win the game, to how they can get their opponent into checkmate.

Big Idea: Everything Jesus did and said was done with the Cross at Calvary in mind.

Pray

I. – Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

a. Six Days -> indicates it is Saturday (evening). Jesus is crucified the following Friday morning.

i. This event takes place the day prior to The Triumphal Entry

b. The Passover – Jesus’ final Passover of His earthly life and ministry.

i. In less than week, He would be raised up as the ultimate unblemished Passover Lamb.

c. Bethany – Back to being close to Jerusalem, back to see those who are close to Him (Martha, Mary, Lazarus)

d. “therefore” connector used to show how God is providentially orchestrating all of the circumstances leading up to Friday. God is God and nothing happens outside of His will.

II. – So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table.

a. This “dinner” was most likely more like a feast.

i. Biggest meal of the day was called dinner. This time, it most likely occurred after the end of the Sabbath, after sundown on Saturday

ii. Some translations use the word “banquet” instead of “dinner”

b. Reclining at the table was how they would eat a large feast, and it was more like lying down, propped up on one arm, eating with the other.

c. Most likely in recognition to the fact that just a short time before this, Lazarus was dead and Jesus raised him from the dead.

III. – 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.

a. Connector “Therefore” used to bridge vs.1-2 with verse 3, in that it was a setting to honor Jesus for what He did.

b. Nard, imported from Inda and taken from the Nard plant, was an expensive anointing oil imported by the Romans.

i. The costliness of this tells us that this was possibly something of a family heirloom, used sparingly and passed down by a previous generation of Mary and Martha’s family.

c. In and , we see that Jesus is anointed from head to foot, not just on His feet.

i. John is not a discrepancy, it just shows that she paid attention to His feet.

d. Touching someone’s feet in Jewish culture was a very degrading thing for a person to do. Usually reserved for slaves or someone of very low stature to do.

i. The fact that Mary did this at a meal and in front of other people shows the level of her devotion and humility towards Jesus, and to how she held Him in such high esteem.

ii. True, humble and sacrificial devotion to Jesus.

e. “The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”

i. Makes me think of – Spreading everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. (same word for “Fragrance” in Greek used in both).

IV. – “But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said,…

a. Judas Iscariot – betrayed Jesus

i. We must remember, this is written in hindsight, and as the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20. So, John knew that Judas was about to betray Jesus.

b. Judas, however, was not the only one with objections – – the several, at least, had objections.

V. – “Why was the ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”

a. The ointment, or perfume, was worth 300 denarii, or about $122 in today’s USD currency.

i. While 300 Denarii might not seem like much today, then, it was upwards of a year’s wages.

VI. – “He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.”

a. Just like before, hindsight is 20/20. Did they know Judas Iscariot was a thief before the betrayal, arrest, and murder of Jesus? Probably not.

i. Did Jesus know? Absolutely. Yet, Jesus still kept Judas Iscariot around.

b. The disciples probably felt that, even when it was said, the statement from v.5 was superficial at best.

VII. – Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.”

a. Jesus defends Mary and drops a serious hint at his impending death.

b. In that Mary anointed Jesus with this good smelling perfume, it’s as if she was pre-preparing Jesus for His impending death (compare to Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus from )

VIII. – “For the poor you will always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

a. Always, not always statement made.

b. –

i. In a broken world, which we live in, there will always be poverty and the impoverished. There will never be a lack of it, unfortunately.

c. The opportunity to be present with and to serve Jesus in the flesh was short, and will not be repeated in the lifetime of the disciples, and probably not in ours, either.

ii.

d. Jesus says this because He is looking forward to the cross.

IX. – 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.

a. Many of the “large crowd of the Jews” may include many of those who believed in

i. Also probably included many Judeans and pilgrim Jews who were in town for the feast.

ii. Many knew about Jesus because all of what He had done (, )

b. They not only wanted to see Jesus but also Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead.

i. The raising of Lazarus from the dead was, up to this point, the pinnacle of Jesus’ earthly ministry.

ii. THIS LEADS INTO VERSES 10 AND 11…..

X. – 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.

a. This belief, however superficial (, ), was driving the Jewish leaders crazy.

b. Instead of recognizing God’s hand at work in Lazarus’s resurrection, they wanted to instead HIDE the Hand of God at work by killing both Jesus and Lazarus.

c. The Jewish leaders weren’t looking out for their people or their nation, only for themselves.

i. They were jealous because they were declining in popularity.

1. Nicodemus seemed converted – , , (and forward to )

2. Many of the Jews believed

b. Man born blind –

c. People across the Jordan –

d. The resurrection of Lazarus – ,

ii. They were Jealous and Afraid of the people believing in Jesus and not them.

1. Think of and

XI. Things we see in this passage:

a. The Impending Death of the Savior

ii.

b. The Humble and Sacrificial Devotion to Christ

1. Mary gave of one of her family’s most expensive and prized possessions to honor Jesus

2. Mary gave of her dignity to serve and anoint and love Jesus

3. She knew the cost and gladly paid it ()

c. The selfishness of man-made religion –

i. The Jewish leaders were looking out for themselves, trying yet again to kill people, Jesus AND Lazarus this time, to keep and maintain the status quo

d. The selflessness of Jesus –

i. We see that Jesus Christ, who could have stopped what was going on, who was gaining followers, still look forward to going to the cross.

Jesus always had the cross in the forefront of His mind RIGHT UP TO THE POINT HE DIED ON IT.

XII. Application – Because Jesus always had the long-term in mind…

a. Charles Spurgeon once said that we must let no one go to hell unwarned and unprayed for. We all build relationship with people throughout our lives. We must take the opportunities we have to leverage those relationships for kingdom gain.

b. Just like the relationships we want to use for kingdom gain, we must think alike when serving…where can I serve best to glorify God? To be used by God to enlarge His kingdom?

XIII. Invitation

a. Repent and believe

b. Be Baptized

c. Surrender to Serve

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