Lent 2019 - The Home in Bethany
Please stand as we read our newest memory Scripture together …
1 John 1:5-7
“This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”
And our memory refresher verse(s) for today is(are) …
2 Timothy 2:15
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the Word of Truth.”
Please open your Bibles to Mark 11:1-11
This year we will celebrate what is called “the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem” on April 14th. In my NIV Bible this section is called, “Jesus Comes to Jerusalem As King” and we usually refer to the date as Palm Sunday.
So, when we read this portion of Scripture it may seem that we are getting a little bit ahead of the church calendar, right? Because, obviously it is NOT Palm Sunday
But, even though this Scripture contains the account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem there is something else we will be looking at; something that is just kind of a casual fact that is seemingly thrown into the Scripture.
With that in mind let’s look at: Mark 11:1-11
May God bless the reading of His Word … (Prayer for help …)
So, what is it we are looking at today?
Mark 11:11 says,
“Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, He went out to Bethany with the Twelve.”
Jesus went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
Now, that doesn’t seem too important, does it!
Why did they go to Bethany? Couldn’t they have found accommodations in Jerusalem or some other nearby village?
Who was it that lived in Bethany? Martha, Mary and Lazarus lived in Bethany!
The home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus seems to be popping up throughout the Gospels. Actually, there is much more in the Bible about Martha, Mary and Lazarus than there is about some of the twelve apostles!
In the Bible there are three main events where we see the family of Martha, Mary and Lazarus interacting with Jesus
The first time we run into the family of Martha, Mary and Lazarus they are just meeting Jesus and the disciples …
1) Luke 10:38-42
38 As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him.
39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said.
40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
- Here we see Martha in the unusual situation that Martha seems to be the home owner even though her brother lives there as well. (opened HER home to Him)
- But, we also see Martha in the traditional women’s role as she was preparing whatever would be needed by Jesus and His disciples
- Mary is however acting in a untraditional manner by sitting at the feet of a Rabbi
- Martha sees Mary’s inaction as unacceptable
- Martha may very well have been overwhelmed by the unexpected company
The second time we see Jesus interacting with Martha and Mary is after Lazarus has died …
(Give a brief account of Jesus hearing of Lazarus’ sickness up until Martha goes out to meet Jesus – John 11:1-20)
(Give a verbal rundown of the conversations between Jesus and Mary or Martha, or, read them below)
John 11:21-27
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give You whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that You are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
So, let’s go ahead and read this section because there is a lot going on between a bunch of people.
John 11:32-44
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” He asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”
37 But some of them said, “Could not He who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” He said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 I knew that You always hear Me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that You sent Me.”
43 When He had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
So, what can we observe about Martha in this passage?
- Martha has not been just working – she has been learning as well …’
- Martha makes three great professions of what she has learned
• Jesus could have prevented Lazarus from dying
• She knows that God (the Father) will give You (God the Son) whatever You ask
• She knew that Jesus was the, “Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
• And, that there would be a general resurrection, “at the last day.”
What about Mary?
- Amazingly Mary repeats almost word for word what Martha had said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
- Curiously, Mary does NOT add the statement that Martha added when she said, “I know that even now I know that God will give You whatever you ask.”
And, what about Lazarus …
- Lazarus was dead and now He’s alive
And in the final, third, event we see Jesus with Martha, Mary and Lazarus where the main point of the account is Mary anointing the feet of Jesus.
3) John 12:1-3
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.
3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
What do we see here?
- Martha is serving again and Mary is worshiping Jesus
- But the difference is that Martha is not complaining about the fact that Mary is not helping
- Lazarus, well, he’s just there
--- Three events, three people, one house and the Son of God ------------------------------
So, here’s a brief summary of Martha, Mary and Lazarus …
- Martha was a worker and remained a worker but she also became a disciple who listened to Jesus and believed in Him
- Mary was a consummate worshiper
- Lazarus was dead and was raised from the dead
Well, what do these accounts of this family have to do with anything????
We all have Lazarus, Martha and Mary inside of us to one degree or another …
That’s a pretty crazy statement, isn’t it?
But, before we really get into that there is one incredible statement found in the second event in a part of the Scripture we did not read. Here it is ….
John 11:5
“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.”
Is that awesome or what?
Wouldn’t you LOVE to have your name written in the Bible with the inscription that “Jesus loved you!”?????
Wow! What an honor!
OK, so, let’s go ahead with the thought that we all have Lazarus, Martha and Mary inside of us to one degree or another …
Here’s what I mean ….
The Lazarus inside of us …
Lazarus, in this metaphor, represents our soul. Before we are saved we are all spiritually dead. We were all a rotted, smelly corpse of sinful spirit. Lazarus couldn’t help himself. He was dead and he was going to stay dead. Martha couldn’t help him. Mary couldn’t help him. The physicians of that day couldn’t help him. The Jewish leaders couldn’t resuscitate him.
Only Jesus could bring Lazarus to life.
In the same way that no one could help Lazarus avoid death or bring him back to life, no one can bring spiritual life to our souls other than Jesus!
The only way we can have true spiritual life is by dying to ourselves and being resurrected in Jesus’ name!
How do we know that?
John 14:6
“Jesus said, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”
Acts 4:12
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Romans 8:11
“And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you.”
This is the starting line. If you want to have spiritual life you must go through Jesus Christ. If you try any other way you will just hear the spiritual equivalent of the old Monopoly phrase, “Go to Jail, Go directly to Jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.”
And, if you do that you will still be a prisoner to sin and spiritually dead in your trespasses.
If you are thinking about serving Jesus Christ like Martha or a worshiping Jesus like Mary you will need to spiritually die to your sinful way of life and turn to the only One who can raise anyone from the dead, spiritually or physically and that is Jesus Himself!
We can’t do enough good works to merit salvation!
We could force ourselves to memorize the entire Bible and read every scholarly Christian book in the world but unless we have been raised to life in Christ it will not help us one bit when we stand before Jesus on “the last day” as Martha put it.
Just as Lazarus was physically dead in a tomb until Jesus raised him from the dead you will be spiritually dead until Jesus raises you to new life.
And, that’s the Lazarus you must have in you; raised to life by Jesus!
But, what about Martha and Mary, what are the Martha and Mary parts inside of you?
Martha …
- When Martha invited Jesus into her home it appears that she had the gift of hospitality
- It also appears that she was a worker bee …
- She wanted Mary to be helping her with the preparations, not just sitting around listening
- She was corrected by Jesus
- Apparently Martha started listening to Jesus as well because when Jesus came to raise Lazarus from the dead she had some pretty significant truths to share, such as …
- Jesus had the power to heal Lazarus before he died
- Even after Lazarus had died God would still give Jesus anything He would ask for
- That Jesus is the Messiah
- That there will be a resurrection on the last day
Apparently whenever Jesus was around Martha was not just working but listening as well.
Have you been raised from spiritual death by Jesus as Lazarus was raised from the dead?
Are you working for Jesus like Martha?
While you are working for Jesus are you also learning from Jesus like Martha?
Finally, what about Mary? Do you have any of Mary’s heart inside of you?
Mary was the consummate worshiper!
- Mary was at the feet of Jesus in their home
- Mary fell at the feet of Jesus when He came to raise Lazarus
- Mary was anointing the feet if Jesus at one of His last meals in their home
- Mary also believed that Jesus could have saved her brother from dying
So, there are three parts of the true believer’s life …
1) Salvation – being raised from the spiritual dead
2) Worship – an adoration of Christ that grows out of a love for Him
3) Service – an obedience to the One who raised you to a new spiritual life
Where do you stand on those three things?
If you have all of these you will be obeying the blessing found in …
2 Peter 3:18
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – Raised to life
Grace and knowledge – learning and worship …
Are you a born again believer who loves to worship the Lord and who is faithfully engaged in the work of the Kingdom of God?
In God’s Kingdom there is a special name for someone like that, it’s called being a Christian; a child of God!
