Say before intro-ing sermon-his morning, we are going to be pausing our Book of Daniel series to focus on the events of Holy Week.
"Make Me a Bethany"
Palm Sunday, April 13, 2025
CCCAG
Scripture: John 12:1-8 (CSB)________________________________________
Introduction
When you go to bible school to be a pastor, one of the required classes is on church growth. In that class, one of the required readings was Rick Warren’s book “The Purpose Driven Church” —which exhorts the reader to develop and energize people within the congregation to grow the church.
At that point in my studies, I had just started attending Prayer House in Kenosha. Ron Auch was the pastor, and he was not a fan of The Purpose Driven Church, and he had a very different idea about how to build and grow a church.
He wrote a book called “The Jesus Sensitive Church” which asked a simple question: “Would Jesus choose to worship at this church”?
That’s stuck with me. It really changed my focus on how to follow Jesus and even how to pastor. Pastor Ron believed that if you bring a person into an intimate relationship with Jesus, everything else, including church growth, will work itself out.
On this Palm Sunday, We are going to use this as our mindset as we read the account of Jesus visiting Bethany.
Bethany was a very special place for Jesus.
Bethany was where Jesus’ best friend Lazarus and his two sisters Mary and Martha lived. Bethany was a place where Jesus could relax, be Himself, and step away from the crowds for a short time.
As we explore what happened this evening, it’s my prayer that we can individually become a Bethany of sorts to Jesus- a place where HE feels comfortable, surrounded by those that love HIM and stand ready to serve, and that extravagantly worships HIM.
Let’s read the scripture this morning-
Scripture
Joh 12:1-3 (CSB) Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was, the one Jesus had raised from the dead. (2) So they gave a dinner for him there; Martha was serving them, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with him. (3) Then Mary took a pound of perfume, pure and expensive nard, anointed Jesus’s feet, and wiped his feet with her hair. So the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
Prayer
Today is Palm Sunday- the Sunday where we remember when Jesus enters Jerusalem, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9:
Zec 9:9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you; he is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
The events we read about at Bethany occur the night before Jesus begins his final journey toward the cross on Palm Sunday.
The first thing we see- Jesus chose to spend the evening with his closest friends—Lazarus, Martha, and Mary.
There is a subtle difference between our close friends and everyday friends, isn’t there?
For most people who might be coming over to your house for a meal or celebration, we put on the pretense of having a perfect house and fancy meal.
Imagine how much more so we would do that with Jesus!
But that is not what we are seeing in Bethany. Jesus was at home there, and HE was always welcome.
It didn’t matter if there was unfolded laundry, dishes in the sink, or empty fridge. Jesus was always welcome.
Do you have friends like that? Ones who can walk in, grab a soda, kick back, and just… stay for awhile?"
That’s the kind of scene we’re looking at in John 12:1-8. This is a time of fellowship between people who deeply care for each other.
Today, my sermon is titled "Make Me a Bethany."
My purpose and prayer for this message is: “Lord, make my life a place where You’re at home, where You’re worshipped with abandon, where You can find rest.”
The end goal is to help us become so passionate for Jesus that He’s drawn to hang out with us, like He was in Bethany.
Let’s unpack this text and see what it means to be a Bethany for our Savior.
We start with us becoming a being a place of presence- represented in the biblical account by Lazarus. ________________________________________
1. A Place of Presence-Lazerus (John 12:1-2)
What does it mean to be present?
When I first started in ministry, I signed up to be a volunteer chaplain at the local hospitals.
I was assigned an experienced chaplain to shadow as they ministered to people in the hospital, and occasionally the jail. I quickly found out that I had the wrong idea of what being a chaplain was about.
I learned you couldn’t use the paramedic approach- Go into the room, evaluate the situation and the problem, and then fix it.
That’s not what being a chaplain is about.
I noticed that the chaplain in most cases didn’t say much after the introduction, but just let the people talk, or sit in silence with the person who they were ministering to until that person opened up and would share.
Just sitting in silence was very uncomfortable for me, and I would squirm in those moments, thinking I had to do something. At the end of the day, I asked the chaplain they used this approach.
They explained that chaplaincy is a presence ministry- that the chaplain’s job was to show up as a representative of Christ, show faith, love, patience and peace, and let the person share their need when they are ready.
This presence ministry is what Lazarus is providing to be a Bethany to Jesus.
This is very powerful….because remember- all believers in Jesus are in essence a Lazarus. We all have been raised from the dead by Jesus, and now exist to provide HIM with our presence as a person who desires Jesus just to be there with us.
That is crucial to our understanding of being a Bethany to Jesus.
Another way this was modeled for me was at the church office. Pastor Ron was often in the sanctuary, sitting in the front row with some music softly playing, or pacing but not talking. Finally, I asked him what he was doing, and he said he was simply being present for Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes he would be praying, but he said more than often It wasn’t about praying or actively worshipping, but simply being present for Jesus to come close.
That’s part one of being a Bethany to Jesus- to be present.
The second part of being a Bethany to Jesus is seen in Martha-
2. A Place of Service- Martha
I’m a fan of books and movies about kings and kingdoms. In the movies, when a king is on his throne, he is surrounded on both sides by knights and advisors. Most of the time, they just stand there while the king does the work of leading his kingdom.
The reason they just stand there every day is to be present to serve the king at a moment’s notice.
At those moments when king needs something done- HE will look to see who is present. His eyes will fall on a particular knight or advisor that is gifted in that area, and order will go out to that person to see that the kings will be done.
That is what Martha provides to being a Bethany to Jesus- a person always willing and wanting to serve no matter what the job.
That is a powerful reason to be a Bethany for Jesus- being a servant to the King.
However, there is a caution about this part of Being a Bethany for Jesus. Sometimes those with that servant heart- sometimes we think that serving is the only way to Be a Bethany for Jesus.
This was addressed in an earlier visit to Bethany in Luke 10-
38 While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.”
41 The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”
What we learn from this- When we decide to be a Bethany for Jesus and serve HIM, we need to remember that HE is the focus.
The focus is not on what we are doing,
not what other are or are not doing,
WHO we are doing it for. Our serving is an act of worship, meant to draw Jesus close.
That leads us to the last person we will look at- Mary. Mary provides the place of Extravagant worship
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3. A Place of Extravagant Worship- Mary (John 12:3)
“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.”
Now, Mary steps in, and the scene explodes with devotion.
She grabs a pint of nard—a perfume that would be about $50,000 in today’s money- for many people, a year’s wage.
She didn’t just pour a few drops- Mary breaks the flask and pours it all out, soaking Jesus’ feet, then wipes them with her hair.
We always focus on the cost of the perfume, but there is something we miss here in the description of her worship.
This is taking place in 1st Century Israel. For a woman to let down her hair in front of a group of men not related or married to her was scandalous—
Mary did this for Jesus, showing how much He meant to her and how close she felt to HIM.
Just as the fragrance fills the house, her actions created a cloud of worship that couldn’t be ignored.
Why does she go through all of this?
Because to Mary- making a Bethany for Jesus was worth it.
Mary had seen Jesus weep at Lazarus’ tomb,
Mary had heard Jesus call her brother back from death.
Jesus being there caused Mary’s heart to swell into a passionate, Spirit-lead and Spirit driven explosion of worship.
Psalm 27:4 echoes Mary’s heart: “One thing I ask from the Lord… to gaze on the beauty of the Lord.” She’s not holding back, and the entire house—Jesus included—is wrapped in her praise.
That’s what extravagant worship does—it shifts the atmosphere to reveal Jesus, and it draws HIM close faster than anything else.
That is the goal for those who want to become a Bethany for Jesus.
But sadly, there are people who will not understand this kind of desire and will object to this intensity of worship.
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4. Our pursuit to become a Bethany will draw criticism from some
“But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ‘Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.’ He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief… ‘Leave her alone,’ Jesus replied. ‘It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.’”
Reading this- It's almost like the spiritual light of worship blazing at Bethany becomes so bright that darkness immediately tries to quench it.
Judas doesn’t understand the worship and reacts against it- in his eyes Mary is being wasteful and he needs to stop this before Mary breaks something even more valuable.
For Judas- his worship of Jesus is very limited and self centered. Judas follows as long as it benefits him.
But Being a Bethany is not about us- it’s about Jesus.
That’s why Jesus reacts the way He does.
HE immediately shuts Judas down and defends Mary’s devotion.
This shows us the power of being a Bethany- Jesus treasures and protects the presence, the service, and the worship being poured out to HIM.
So the question for us- how do we start the process of becoming a Bethany for Jesus?
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Application: Becoming a Bethany
So how do we become a Bethany? Let’s get practical—three steps rooted in this text to build us toward goal.
1. Cultivate intimacy by practicing presence
First, invite Jesus in. Bethany’s intimacy didn’t happen overnight—it grew through many shared moments.
That’s what Pastor Ron was always modeling to us at Prayer House- just be satisfied to sit in the presence of Jesus.
You might say- I have no idea how to do that.
This is why The Holy Spirit is key. Remember what Romans 8:26 says,
“The Spirit helps us in our weakness… intercedes for us through wordless groans.”
To help this- we need to be comfortable with praying in the Spirit—let tongues flow if you’ve got that gift.
This should not be seen as a weird thing.
It’s a relational thing.
Tongues is a way of communicating that releases your spirit to intimately communicate with Jesus. Its not something to fear, but something we should all desire.
If you want to begin to practice this idea of being present for Jesus-
Set aside 15 minutes daily. Just talk to God. Be honest with God. Share your highs, your lows. Ask Him questions, but when you are done talking, spend some time just to be present. Intimacy grows when you linger with Him, like Lazarus did at that table.
The next way-
2. Be willing to Serve-
In my experience, a lot of people hesitate in this area because they have gone too long without experiencing God and HIS presence.
In Isaiah 6, the prophet is taken into the throne room of heaven and sees the Father on the throne. Mighty beings of glorious light and power called Seraphim’s surround the throne, and their voices shake the ground Isaiah is standing on.
Isaiah first reaction is to cry out in fear because he knows he is not worthy to stand in this place and is convinced he is about to be destroyed, but is quickly reassured.
But then look at his second reaction-
Isa 6:8 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking: Who will I send? Who will go for us? I said: Here I am. Send me.”
satan’s mission in the lives of believers is to dim the light of God in our lives. When the revelation of who God is begins to fade-
It is easy for the enemy to distract us when it comes to serving him.
I saw a great social media meme this week- “The reason most Christians are so spiritually weak and lethargic is they only have 1 hour of light exercise per week.”
This is why serving Jesus is key to maintaining that proper vision of God in our lives. It’s supercharged through the next step-
3. Offer Extravagant Worship
Worship is about pouring ourselves out because of the worthiness of God.
Worship should never be tame—it should always be costly.
In Mary’s case- that perfume was probably her most valuable possession. Perhaps it was given to her from her father as a wedding present before he died. Or she was hiding it like a secret stash of gold in the house.
What’s the thing you hold onto?
Time?
Money?
Pride?
Be like Mary and be willing to pour it out. That’s the heart of worship.
Romans 12:1 says, “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
Here’s the challenge: this week, do one extravagant act for Jesus. Whatever is precious to you- your pride, your possessions, your time- give some of it away. Let the fragrance of worship fill your life—Jesus will notice, and HE will come near.
If we do these three things, we will be well on the way of being a Bethany for Jesus.
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Conclusion – all rise
Bethany was a haven because of intimacy, service, worship, and peace. Lazarus reclined with Jesus—close, real. Martha served, and Mary poured out her best—wild, beautiful.
The home was restful—Jesus lingered there, even with the cross ahead.
That’s my prayer: “Make me a Bethany.” I want my life and our church to be so passionate for Jesus that He says, “I love hanging out here.”
Altar Call:
Song- “Make Me A Bethany”
