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 book 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 Immolate. 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
this assembly 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 Luke or
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 Mary's
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. 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 three hundred 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. Ah, 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 say, 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, it's
pointed out that Martha served. Martha served, Martha served,
and that's a good thing. That's not to be Look down upon
thank God for Martha service Martha served and this is pointed
out about her character earlier. This took place to 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 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 will 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 label. 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 her 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 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 had 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?
We'll turn back to John, chapter six, and remember this regarding
the word of the Lord Jesus Christ. John, chapter six. Verse. Fifty nine, these things
said he he spoke these words. In the synagogue, as he taught
Capernaum, John chapter six, verse fifty nine. 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
they're 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. And here's what our Lord said about
Mary, then said Jesus, verse 7. John chapter 12, verse 7,
then said Jesus, let her alone. They were criticizing her for
what she did. And he said, let her alone against the day of
my burying hath she kept. 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. 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 was exactly
what was 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 chapel on 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. And look in Luke chapter 9, verse
31, 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 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 offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God from henceforth expecting till his enemy to 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 in 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 in Mark chapter 14. But if you read,
this happened when the woman did this in Mark chapter 14.
It was two days before the Passover. And what Mary did was six days
before the Passover. And 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. You know, 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 brought a good
work on me. Now, turn 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 her hair. And the house was filled with
the odor of the ointment. Then said one of his disciples,
Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, we 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 there. And 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 had brought 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 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've 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, and 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 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 too much. 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 all. 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 towards God. Very seldom. You know, I think
it's interesting with preachers, they'll have a tendency, they'll
want to, 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 isn't true. 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 thinking. 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
six. Verse 14. Well, let's begin reading in
verse 12, and that'll 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 folk's religion, isn'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. They say that many desire to
make a fair show of foot 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. But neither they themselves were 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
unto me. And the world sees me as crucified
too. It sees me as a worthless thing.
But that's okay. That's okay. Really. 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 crucifixion. 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 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 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.