Take me to John chapter 11. This evening I'm going to be
speaking on this subject from 1 Corinthians chapter 15 as we
continue that look through that book. He must reign. I'd like to read the first two
verses of John chapter 11. Now, a certain man was sick,
named Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary, and her sister
Martha. Now, John adds a parenthetical
statement. You know that from the parentheses.
He wants to identify exactly who this Mary was. It was that
Mary. which anointed the Lord with
ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother
Lazarus was sick." I've entitled this message, A
Woman to Emulate. A woman to emulate. Not a woman to imitate, but a
woman to emulate. You see, an imitation is never
as good as the real thing, is it? Imitating really is not that
good. You can imitate somebody and
your heart be unchanged. Not so much a woman to imitate,
but a woman to emulate. To be like is what it means,
not just to imitate neighbor actions, but to be like them. Now, if there is any human being
worthy of emulation, none surpass this woman we just read about. Wouldn't you like to emulate,
to be like this woman? Now, we're entering John 11.
It's a very special and unique chapter in the Word of God. It's about the Lord raising Lazarus
from the dead. But there's so much in this chapter,
and I pray that God will take this chapter and bless it to
disassembly for His glory and for our good. We're going to
be in here for some time. Verse 1, Now a certain man was
sick, named Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister
Martha. Now this was a very special family. A brother and two sisters. And they were loved by the Lord
Jesus Christ. Look what verse 5 of John chapter
11 says. Now Jesus loved Martha and her
sister and Lazarus. That tells you how special this
family was. They were loved by the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now what Caught my attention
was the fact that John felt it necessary to point out exactly
which Mary he was talking about. Now, there are a lot of Marys
in the New Testament, you know that. But he points out this
specific act of this woman. He says, it was that Mary which
anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair,
whose brother Lazarus was sick. Now the Holy Spirit inspired
John to identify the Mary that he was speaking of by this particular
act. Turn over to John chapter 12.
Here's what took place. And Jesus, six days before the
Passover, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead,
whom he had raised from the dead, And there they made him a supper,
and Martha served. But Lazarus was one of them that
sat at the table with him, then took Mary a pound of ointment
of spikenard, very costly. We know that it was worth 300
pence, which was a years' wages for a working man. That gives
you some idea of how expensive this was. It was worth, in our
terms, thousands of dollars. Now that's expensive spikenard,
isn't it? Thousands of dollars. This wasn't
just some $50 bottle of perfume. This was thousands of dollars
in our terms. Then took Mary a pound of ointment
of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus and
wiped his feet with her hair and the house was filled with
the odor of the ointment. Then said one of his disciples,
Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, why
was not this ointment sold for 300 pence and given to the poor?
Oh, you know, he was really concerned about the poor, wasn't he? I
mean, he wanted good to be done to the poor. But look what John
tells us. This he said, not that he cared
for the poor, but because he was a thief. and had the bag
and bear what was put therein. Then said Jesus, let her alone.
Against the day of my bearing, she had kept this. For the poor
always you have with you, but me you have not always. Now Mary, that's the Mary he's
speaking of. Mary and her sister Martha were
very wise women. Look back in John chapter 11
verse 3, now remember their brother is sick, verse 3, therefore his
sisters went unto him saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest
is sick. You know, that's the direct opposite
of the way we naturally say. You know, here's what we would
say, Lord, that one who loves you is sick. He loves you, he
loves the Lord so much, do something for him, he's the one who loves
you. That's not what these wise women say, is it? They said,
Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. I love the way John
identifies himself throughout the book of John. Do you remember
what he calls himself? That disciple that loved Jesus.
No, no, no, no. That disciple that Jesus loved. Big difference, isn't there?
This is a very wise woman. Behold, he whom thou lovest is
sick. And Mary was quick to obey Christ.
Look in John chapter 11, verse 28. And when she had so said, Martha
had so said her sister, she went away and called Mary her sister
secretly saying, the master has come and calleth for thee. And as soon as she heard that,
she wrote quickly. and came unto him." I love her
quick response to the Master's voice. As soon as she heard,
He's calling for you, she rose up and came quickly. Now did
you notice when we were reading in that passage in John chapter
12 that it's pointed out that Martha served? Martha served. Martha served. And that's a good
thing. That's not to be looked down
upon. Thank God for Martha's service. Martha served. And this is pointed
out about her character. Earlier this took place too.
Turn back to Luke chapter 10. These two dear women are spoken
of in Luke chapter 10. Verse 38. Now it came to pass, Luke chapter
10 verse 38, it came to pass as they went that he entered
into a certain village and a certain woman named Martha received him
into her house. Now we know this is not the same
time as when Mary did what she did because it was in Simon the
leper's house and this takes place in Martha's actual house.
And she had a sister called Mary. which also sat at Jesus' feet,
and heard His word. But Martha was cumbered about
much serving." Now, with such an honored guest in her house,
she had a lot to do. I can imagine the way my dear
wife would be if the Lord Jesus Christ physically were in her
house. I guarantee you, I wouldn't be getting any attention at all.
She would be making everything just right, and well she should. Well, she should. Martha is to
be commended for this. I love people like this. I mean,
everything's going to be done just right. And here Martha is
trying to get everything just right for this honored guest
in her house. Now, she was cumbered, weighted
down about much serving with her sister just sitting there
listening to the Lord. She wasn't doing anything. And
you can see Martha going back and forth, and she catches her
sister sitting there, sitting there, and she just gets more
and more irritated, more and more irritated. She's not doing
a thing. She's just sitting there contemplating
her navel. We've got so much to do, and here she is just sitting
there. She's upset. And I can hear the exasperation
in her voice. She came to him and said, Lord,
does thou not care that my sister had left me to serve alone? Bid her, therefore, that she
help me. Tell her to quit doing this and help me. Now, look at
the way our Lord answers. Now, remember, I commend Martha
for service. I commend her. But look at how
our Lord answers. And Jesus answered and said unto
her, Martha, Martha. Now, remember, this is somebody
that the Lord loved. This is a believer. Martha, Martha, thou
art careful and troubled about many things, but one thing is
needful, necessary. And Mary, your sister
that you're criticizing right now, hath chosen that good part,
which shall not be taken from her. Now let's consider Mary's
choice. The Lord said, one thing is needful. And that word needful is necessary. Necessary. One thing is necessary. Everything else, no matter what
it is, must take a back seat to this one thing. that is necessary. Nothing is important in comparison
to this one thing that's needful. Now what is the one thing that's
needful? Somebody says Christ is the one thing needful. I'd
agree with that. Christ is the one thing needful, but Christ
is not a thing. Christ is a person. The one thing
needful is to sit at His feet and to hear His Word. That's the one thing that's needful.
Everything else is unimportant in comparison to this. You see, the person of Christ
cannot be separated from the Word of Christ. What you think
about His person is seen in how you respond to His Word. Mary hath chosen that good part. The one thing needful is to sit
at his feet and hear his word." Now, what is the word of Christ?
Well, turn back to John chapter 6 and remember this regarding
the word of the Lord Jesus Christ. John chapter 6, verse 59, these things said he,
he spoke these words. in the synagogue as he taught
in Capernaum, John chapter 6, verse 59. Many therefore of his
disciples, when they had heard this, they heard what he said,
they said, this is a hard saying. And the word saying is word.
This is a hard word. Who could hear it? Who could
be expected to listen to such teaching as this? It's harsh. It's inhumane. It's not doing
us any good. It's not helping us. We don't
like this. When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured
at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What, and if
ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? Now what
our Lord is saying is, if you're offended now, you're really going
to be offended when you find out who I really am. When you
see me seated at the right hand of the Father and my words coming
as the words of the great King. He says, you think you're offended
now? You'll really be offended then. Verse 63, it's the spirit
that quickens, that gives life, the flesh profits nothing. The
words that I speak unto you, these words that you say are
harsh. What are they? They're words of spirit. and
their words of life. And that's how every believer
finds the word of Christ. Not harsh words, but words of
spirit and words of life. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing
by the word of God. Mary's choice was truly the better
choice and how she benefited from sitting at his feet and
hearing his word. And I think this is something
that's very sad. Martha was a believer. There's no question about that.
The Lord loved Martha. But obviously Martha did not
make that better choice. Did she? She didn't choose what
Mary did. Mary sat at his feet and heard
his word, the better choice. And Mary's faith, I believe Mary
understood the gospel much more clearly than the 12 apostles
at this time. She had an understanding of the
gospel as she sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. And this
setting at his feet and hearing his word implies submission.
to His Word, love for His Word, faith in His Word. She actually
listened to what He said. It didn't go in one ear and out
the other. She listened, and I have no doubt
that she heard what the Lord said about His death. That's
what she was listening to. Now, how do you know that? Are
you reading too much into that? No, I'm not. Look back in John
chapter 12 for a moment. John chapter 12. Now here's what our Lord said
about Mary. Then said Jesus, verse seven, John chapter 12,
verse seven, then said, Jesus, let her alone. They were criticizing
her for what she did. And he says, let her alone against
the day of my burying. Hath she kept this? She saved it for this purpose. She heard what the Lord said
about his death. And you know, the Lord spoke quite often about
his death to his disciples, didn't he? As a matter of fact, on at
least three different occasions before he died, he told them
he was going to be crucified, he was going to die, they were
going to bury him, and the third day he was going to be raised
from the dead. He told them that. I mean, and the disciples somehow
just went in one ear and out the other. How come they weren't
there waiting at the tomb on the third day? I mean, he told
them it's exactly what's going to happen. None of those fellows
were around. But I know somebody that was around. You know who
it was? Mary. She was there. She believed what
the Lord said. She had some understanding of
the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. And she kept this spikenard specifically
for his death. She knew He was going to die.
She knew He would be raised from the dead. She was one of the
women early at the sepulcher on the Sunday morning of His
resurrection. She knew something about His
death because she paid attention to what the Lord said. The Lord
told her, I'm going to live, I'm going to die, I'm going to
be raised from the dead. Now how much light did Mary have? I don't know. I believe she had
a whole lot more light than we Think? She did. She knew the
Lord would be crucified, and three days later He would rise
from the dead, and she believed His Word. Isn't that what faith
is? It's believing His Word. And her faith had something to
do with the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus
Christ. Now, you're in Luke. Turn to Luke 9. Remember, she kept this box of
spikenard for the burying. She specifically kept it for
this purpose. She knew he was going to die. Now look in Luke chapter 9 verse
31 or verse 30. And behold, there talked with
him two men, which were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory."
This is talking about the Mount of Transfiguration. They appear
in glory and spake of His decease, His death. And I love these next
words. His decease which He should accomplish. Do you think of death as being
an accomplishment? Seems like the final defeat, doesn't it?
Accomplishment? But do you know when our Lord
died, He accomplished something. He accomplished the complete
salvation of every one of God's elect. When He said it is finished,
that meant the salvation of every single one of His people was
what? Finished. There's one of my favorite
verses. Don't you love that verse? It
is finished. The sins of every one of His
people have been put away. What did He accomplish by His
death? Turn over to Hebrews chapter 10. Here's a glorious passage
of Scripture regarding what He accomplished by His death. Hebrews chapter 10. Now, listen
to me real carefully. The message that preaches that
Christ died and made salvation available for all men. He made
salvation available. He paid for everybody's sin.
But there's something you need to do in order to make His death
work for you. There's not a drop of gospel
in that message. Not even a drop. That's not gospel. That's salvation
by works. That's all it is. Call it for
what it is. It's not true. Here's what He
accomplished by His death. Look here in Hebrews chapter
10 verse 9. Then said He, Lo, I come, speaking
of the Lord Jesus Christ, to do Thy will, O God. He takes
away the first that He may establish the second. He takes away that
first covenant of works that He may establish the second,
the covenant of grace, by the witch will, by God's will. He
said, I come to do Thy will, O God. By God's will, we are
sanctified. We are holy. Everybody he died
for we are declared by God to be holy through the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ once for all What did he accomplish
by his death? When Christ died God said regarding
everybody he died for they're holy They're sanctified. They're perfect in my sight.
Verse 11, And every high priest stands daily and offering oftentimes
the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this
man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat
down on the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till
his enemies be made his footstool for by one offering his bloody
death on the cross, he hath perfected FOREVER! Them that are sanctified. Them that are set apart by God. That's what He accomplished by
His death on the cross. And that's good news to this
sinner. Thank God for His work on the cross. You know, the best
preaching is the preaching of Christ and Him crucified, isn't
it? The best living is I'm crucified with Christ. And the best believing
is believing what His crucifixion accomplished and trusting the
living Christ. Her faith had something to do
with the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, His burial and His resurrection. And as she sat at Christ's feet
and heard His word, she thought about a possession she had. A
pound of spikenard. Now, how did she get such a costly
thing? I mean, this thing, what is the average wages of a man
who works a full year? I mean, it had to have been worth,
in our terms, at least $25,000, $35,000, $40,000. I mean, can
you imagine a box of perfume that was that costly? And this
woman, somehow, she had this box of perfume. I don't know
how she got it. As she listened to the Lord speak,
and he spoke that he was going to die, and that he was going
to be raised from the dead, she thought about this box of ointment,
and she said, I'm going to use that to anoint him when it's
time for him to die. We know that from the passage
of scripture. The Lord says, she kept this. She kept this. She was saving it just for this
purpose. She kept this for my burying. Now, when the Lord went from
Bethany to Jerusalem, she knew He was going to Jerusalem to
die. He said that he was. Now, I'm not sure how much time
elapsed between John 11 and John 12, but we know that she knew
it was time for the Lord to die. So she brings this pound of spikenard
with her to perform the act she had already determined in her
heart that she was going to do. And this is how John distinguishes
her. Now, it appears to me in looking
at the New Testament that the Lord had two anointings. at one
by that woman we read about mark chapter fourteen but if you read
this happened when the woman did this in mark chapter fourteen
it was two days before the passover and what mary did was six days
for passover It's pointed out about this woman
in Mark chapter 14 that she did this over his head. She poured it on his head and
Mary poured this on his feet. But I think it's very interesting
that both times these works were criticized. As a matter of fact,
in the first passage of scripture, it wasn't only Judas that criticized.
It was several of them. Why was this waste of this ointment
made? This could have been sold for
much, 300 pence and given to the poor. For a good smell, why
would somebody do this? I mean, there's many more practical
things that we could do with this money than just break it
and pour it on his feet. Yet our Lord commends this woman. He says, she's wrought a good
work on me. Now, turn back to John chapter
12. Verse 3, Then took Mary a pound
of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet
of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house
was filled with the odor of the ointment. Then said one of his
disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,
why was not this ointment sold for 300 pence and given to the
poor? Now, that seems like a noble desire. You know, anytime the
gospel is criticized, and I hear all kinds of criticism regarding
the gospel. Why is it that God didn't elect
everybody? Why did he just elect some and
not everybody? Why didn't Christ die for everybody? Why didn't
God save everybody? I mean, if I was God, I'd save
everybody. There's always kind of criticism
regarding the gospel. But I love the way John deals
with this criticism. He says, this he said, not that
he cared for the poor. Not that he really cared for
the salvation of men, but because he was a thief and had the bag
and bear what was put therein. Now, any criticism, we level
against the gospel. Now, hear me. Any criticism,
we level against the gospel. There's an evil motive behind
it every time. Well, what about Mary's work,
though? It was done, what she did when
she took this costly box of perfume and broke it and poured it upon
the Lord's feet. It was done solely for His glory. Now if you want to know what
a good work is, and I want to emulate this woman, don't you?
I want to be like her. I know I can't imitate the action,
but I sure want to be like her. It was done solely for him. She hath wrought a good work
upon me. There was nothing pragmatic about it. There was nothing practical
about it. The disciples criticized her.
What a waste just for good smell. How many people could have benefited
from this if we would have sold it and given to the poor? You know, an unbeliever cannot understand
doing something solely for his glory. No other reason is needed. She
did it for him. You know, there was a missionary
to China by the name of Robert Burns. And when he was going,
somebody asked him the question, are you going there to convert
the heathen? And he answered, no, I'm going
there to glorify God. That's the only reason for action. She did what she did solely for
His glory. To the believer, the glory of
Jesus Christ is more important than life itself. You believe
that? If you're a believer, you do. It was done out of love to His
person. Look in verse 6. Then said he, not that he cared
for the poor. This said he not that he cared for the poor, but
because he was a thief and had the bag and barrel was put in.
Then said Jesus, let her alone. against the day of my burying
she's kept this she saved it for the poor you always you have
with you but me you have not always she did this solely out
of love to his glorious person and I'd like for us to notice
that this was a premeditated act it's very important this
was a premeditated act She thought about this long before she did
it. And she followed through. It was a premeditated act. She
had kept this, our Lord says. Now, spontaneous acts of generosity
are good. When you feel led to do something,
do it. Do it right then. I love spontaneous
acts of generosity. They ought to be. But premeditated
acts are better. where you're not simply riding
the waves of emotion, but you've had time to think about it and
you fought through all the temptations to not do it. Premeditated acts
are better than spontaneous acts. You feel led to do something,
you think about it, you carry it through. And this act of this
woman was done with great personal sacrifice. This was very costly. I guarantee you this was more
than 10% what she did. It was with great personal sacrifice. I think of the words of David.
He said, I will not offer to God that which costs me nothing. If it costs you nothing, it's
worthless to you and it's worthless to God too. What she gave, she
gave with great personal sacrifice. Somebody once said, the sacrifice
of a gift is seen more by what we keep than what we give. That tells you where the sacrifice
is. Not so much by what you give, but by what you keep. And I think
of our Lord seeing that widow casting in her two moths. Now,
if somebody throws two pennies into that back box there, it's
not going to help much with the church budget, is it? It's just
not going to help much. I mean, I'm appreciative of anything
we give, you know, but it's just not going to help much. But you
know what the Lord said about that widow's two wives? He said,
I tell you, this woman gave more than they owe. For they out of
their abundance gave, but she gave all her living, even all
that she had. This gift was given at great
personal sacrifice. You know, it's seldom that wealthy
people are rich toward God. Very seldom. You know, I think
it's interesting the way preachers, they'll have a tendency, they'll
really want to bow down and scrape to people with money. Why bother? They're not the ones that give
anyway. That really is the truth. It just doesn't work that way.
But this woman gave what she gave at great sacrifice. And here's something else that's
glorious about what she did. It was done without a word. Before,
during, or after this beautiful act. It was done without a word. I love the beauty of her actions.
Using her hair, she spread the spikenard over his feet. Although she knew she was going
to do this, she premeditated this. Now, if I had that box
of spikenard worth $30,000 or $40,000 and I was saving it for
the Lord, I fear that somehow somebody would find out about
it. My tongue would slip. That's
what I'm saying. Oh, I didn't mean to say that. Not this woman. Not this woman. She didn't say
a word before this act, during this act, or after this act. Isn't that beautiful? You see
what she was doing was solely for the glory of the Lord Jesus
Christ and she did what she did without a word. It was enough
for her to know that the Lord knew. Isn't that enough? If the Lord knows. Nobody else
needs to know, do they? And this beautiful act was connected
with the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Against the day of my
burying, she had kept this. She saved it just for this specific
time. Her act of worship had something
to do with an appreciation of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
You see, the death of Christ has an amazing power over the
believer. Turn with me to Galatians chapter
6. Verse 14. Well, let's begin reading in
verse 12, and that will set this up more properly. Paul says, "...as many as desire
to make a fair show in the flesh." Well, that would pretty much
summarize most folks' religion, wouldn't it? a fair show in the
flesh, trying to appear to be godly, trying to appear to be
righteous. It's an appearance, a fair show
in the flesh. Look how holy I am. Look how, what a dedicated servant
to God I am. Look how God's blessing me. There's
so much competition in religion, people trying to, one trying
to outdo the other. I'm more committed. I'm more,
a fair show in the flesh. Now he says, as many as desire
to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised.
They want you to keep the law. They're going to try to force
you to keep the law. But here's the reason why. Only
lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ, they
really won't be faithful to the message of the gospel. That's
what's behind this. Neither they themselves, and
they talk about having you keep the law. He says, they don't keep
the law. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the
law. But they desire to have you circumcised that they may
glory in your flesh. Look how I've influenced him
for good. Look what I've done for you. I've really influenced
that person. They're trying to keep the law
now. Verse 14, Paul says, but God forbid that I should glory. Now remember who's speaking here?
Paul, the apostle. The man who wrote most of the
New Testament. The man who God used, I suppose,
more than any other man. He says, God forbid that I should
glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the
world is crucified unto me and I unto the world. Now, Paul says,
God forbid that I should glory, that I should have confidence
in anything but the death, the bloody death of Christ on the
cross, His life, His death, His burial, and His resurrection.
Now the death of Christ, let me tell you what the death of
Christ does to me. I'm speaking from personal experience right
now. I'm giving my testimony. I'm giving something that I believe
from the very depths of my heart. The death of Christ accomplished
my salvation. My salvation was accomplished
by what He did outside of my personal subjective experience.
My salvation was accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ and
I glory in His death. And in light of His death, I
see this world. as a crucified thing. This world
that hates Christ, I see no... I tell you what, I love Christ
a whole lot better than I do this world. Matter of fact, this
world is nothing. Nothing. The world's crucified
into me, and the world sees me as crucified too. It sees me
as a worthless thing, but that's okay. That's okay. Really, I
appeal to every believer, do you care what the world thinks
about you? You really don't, do you? I mean, it's a crucified,
you're crucified to the world, it's crucified to you. But this
shows the power, the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, the cross
of Christ has with the believer. I glory only in Him, who He is
and what He did. Now back to John chapter 12. Verse three. Then took Mary a pound of ointment
of spikenard, very costly and anointed the feet of Jesus and
wiped his feet with their hair. And look at this next phrase
and the house. was filled with the odor of the
ointment. Do you know everybody benefited
from this? Now, that's not what she was intending. She didn't
think, well, I want everybody to be able to smell this. That
didn't even enter her mind. She was doing this solely for
the Lord Jesus Christ. But everybody in that house smelled
this wonderful smell and benefited from this action of Mary's. Chapter 11, verse 2. It was that Mary, the one who anointed the Lord
with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother,
Lazarus, was sick. Is she not truly a woman worthy
of emulation? Not imitation. Imitation's no
good. but emulation. May God give us grace to be like
this woman and it's going to take God's grace to cause us
to be like her. Let's pray together.