INTRODUCTION:
Illustration/Story/Quote/Statistic- Have you ever been to a pawn shop? Many times people who are struggling financially and have no other option will go to pawn off items in order to pay bills. And every time that you try to sell something of value, you never get back what it is worth. We trade something of value for a temporary fix.
I think that's what we do with Christ too; we trade our relationship with God for a temporary fix. Our relationship with God has eternal value. It was paid for not by you or me, but by the blood of Jesus on the Cross. It was Costly! Extremely costly, beyond anything that we can imagine. Yet we go to the world's pawn shop to exchange something that has infinite worth for something that is temporary and only satisfies for the moment.
Spoken Need- How many times have you traded Christ for a crutch?
Traded the Savior for sin? Traded eternal life for a lie? Traded eternal blessings for earthly pleasures? Have we? Yes? We have. I have. We all have.
“All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.”
“All of us like sheep have gone astray each of us to our own way.”
The Bible says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but it ends in death.”
Transition-
This month as we prepare our hearts for Easter, as we think about what Jesus did for us so that we could be forgiven and free from sin, as we think about the price He paid for each of us… how much He considered it worth for us to be saved, I'd like you to consider one question: What will you do with Jesus?
Pilate asked the crowds on that day long ago, “What then shall I do with Jesus, who is called the Christ?” And we have the same question to answer today. Will we claim Him as our Lord and Savior or trade Him for something that cannot save?
BODY:
Please Turn in your Bibles to... John chapter twelve
A little background before we read today's scripture… Jesus has raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. Do you remember, Lazarus? Jesus' friend, who was dying and Jesus waited. It was too late when He showed up at the funeral. But Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies...” And then He told Lazarus to come forth from the grave. And he did!! Many times when traveling through here, Jesus would stay with this family. Lazarus had two sisters – One was Martha and the other's name was Mary.
One time when Jesus stayed with them Martha got upset at her sister Mary because Mary wasn't helping her with the food preparation and being a good host. She was just sitting there at Jesus' feet listening to Him. So Martha demanded that Jesus tell her sister to get to work, and Jesus said, “Martha, you are worried about many things when only one thing is required. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken from her.” Luke 10:38-42
We do that. We get worried and upset about many things when only one thing is needed, to have faith… to trust Jesus… to seek Him, and know Him.
Mary loved Jesus and Jesus had given her back her brother who had died. So a dinner is being served in Jesus' honor. Lazarus, the dead-man-raised-to-life, is there and Martha is once again serving the food. Being the host.
But what is Mary doing? What is she doing with that perfume jar?
In John 12:3-8 New International Version (NIV) it says…
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.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,
5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”
6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
Mary takes something that was worth a lot. It was costly. About year's worth of wages, and pours it on the Master's feet. Our paychecks go quickly, don't they? The expenses come and our income becomes our outcome; it leaves as quickly as it came. But think about it. If you could save up a year's worth of your income. Maybe $20 to $30,000 depending on your job situation. That's a lot of money. We could probably get a nice car for that amount.
And what if you were saving it up for something special? Like a car or to put a down payment on a house or for the day you get married. For a rainy day or for college tuition.
And she takes it all and pours it on Jesus' feet wiping his feet with her hair.
Was it waste or was it worship? What do you think? If your son or your daughter gave up something this costly for Jesus. Maybe a job. Maybe a position that's keeping them from coming to church. See it's really about your perspective. Is it a waste or is it worship?
She's worshiping Jesus. She's doing this as a devoted follower who owed Jesus everything.
But once again as Mary is showing her love and faith and devotion to Jesus, someone objects.
This time it's one of his disciples. Judas. His name is Judas.
How many of you moms who are going to have a baby soon would like your newborn baby to have the name Judas? No? Because we know what is associated with that name. Betrayer! Everywhere in scripture where this disciple is mentioned, we're always reminded of what he did. He betrayed Jesus.
Judas doesn't like this extravagant show of love and devotion. It's wasteful! It's impractical!
At least it could have been sold and given to the poor! But no!
Around the Passover, many pilgrims would give alms to the poor as a righteous act before they entered the Temple. But Judas didn't care about the poor. No. He cared about money.
Maybe he joined up with Jesus thinking when Jesus becomes King, he could become a prince with riches and fame and an easy life. But in the last three years, all he's known is service, homelessness, and sacrifice for something spiritual. Something you can't grasp in your hand like money.
The American Dream. The Pursuit of Happiness. What makes me happy – that's what's important. Right? What Mary saw as ultimate love and devotion, Judas saw as a great waste.
Their perspectives on life were totally different. And it's amazing because Judas walked with Jesus. He saw the amazing things that Jesus did. He heard the words spoken. But none of it moved him.
That's like us too. We can be around the church. We can grow up in the Bible belt where no one is ashamed to speak the name Jesus, or Christmas, but still not understand complete surrender or complete devotion to Christ. Billy Sunday once said, “Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile.” Christianity isn't something we are just because we live in a certain area. Or because we're “true Americans.” Or because we belong to a church. Christianity means that you belong to Christ.
Mary was saying that she belonged to Christ, that He was worth this much to her.
How much is Christ worth to you? Is He worth giving up anything and everything?
Because that's what it means to be His disciple.
In Luke 14:33 (NIV 1984) Jesus said, “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” That is something Judas could not do.
Judas didn't care about the poor. But isn't it interesting how critical we become of others when we are not living right? When our own devotion and faith is lacking?
Something they found out about Judas later was that he stole from them. He was a thief. For some reason, the disciples made Judas their treasurer. I would have thought Matthew would have made a good treasurer. I mean, after all, he counted money for a living. But maybe it was too much temptation for Matthew. For whatever reason Judas got this job, probably cuz nobody else wanted it. And he helped himself to the stash whenever he could. Why? Because money was important to him. Money trumped everything else. Even his relationship with Christ.
Look at what happened next in Matthew 26:14-16New International Version (NIV)
14 Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver.16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
He traded Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
What is more important to you than your relationship with Christ? What are you willing to trade Him for? Maybe it's not money, but maybe it's pleasure. Maybe it's your own happiness… or at least what you think makes you happy. Maybe it's something you want or you feel you can't live without. Maybe it's work. Maybe it's something you've been saving up for. Maybe it's a secret sin. Maybe a device that you can't put down at night. Maybe something that you've become obsessed over. It's become your whole life.
And if you're honest, you can see how it has come between you and the relationships in your life. You're willing to trade your family, your health, your sleep, your marriage, your faith, and your eternal salvation… because this… this is so important.
And I want you to think about this: Nothing was more important to Jesus than you! Nothing.
He went to the cross. He bled and died. He endured rejection and mocking, and shame… for you. He endured the worst punishment devised by man… for you. You cost Him everything!
CONCLUSION:
Where I went to college we would go to chapel at College Church where 2,000 plus people attended every Sunday. And every year around this time the Church would put on an Easter Play called “The Victor.” It was a huge production with a massive cast, stage presentation, singing and drama. One chapel service they had left the cross up on stage following the weekend's performance, and inspired by a friend of mine, I went up on that stage. I wrapped my arms around that empty cross and prayed a prayer. With tears, I thanked Jesus for dying for me a sinner. And when I got up I looked at my hands and they were stained with the red paint that was Jesus' blood during the play. And I thought, “That's right. I'm caught red handed. I'm guilty of this blood that was shed for me.”
When Jesus brought before Pilate and on trial and the crowds were demanding that he be crucified, Pilate washed his hands (pretend to wash hands in bowl) and said, “I am innocent of this man's blood.”
Final Plea and Call to Action- You have a choice this morning. Will you wash your hands of Jesus or will you claim Him as your Savior? Will you trade Him for what the world has to offer, or will you trade the world and everything to be His disciple? You decide…
What will you do with Jesus?
Invitation- Please stand
