Preached at Cornerstone Church in Cascade, IA on October 23, 2016

Open your Bibles to John 12:36-50.  Today we are covering something that I believe to be very intriguing on multiple levels, and it has to do with Israel’s unbelief, not only during the times of Jesus, but also today.  Before we read out text, I want you to think for a moment about the nation of Israel, and not just the Biblical Israel, but Israel throughout human history.  From Abraham until now.  There is no other nation like Israel.  I recall reading about one Christian's conversion and the spoke about how the existence of Israel through the mellenia  was a significant piece of evidence that drew her to Christ.  Why?  Because Israel has endured persecution like no other nation, yet they continue to exist.  The Philistines, the Syrians, the Babylonians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Germans, have all gone against Israel, and currently they are surrounded by nations that hate them, yet they endure.  Have you ever wondered why such a little piece of land in the middle East causes so much geo-political strife?  There is no doubt that Israel is unique.  So with that in mind, let us read our text, pray, and see what God has to say about this nation He created. 

John 12:36b-50 - “When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,38so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, 40“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” 41Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. 44And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

The Light of Christ Upon Israel

One of the major themes in the Gospel of John is that Jesus is the light.  If I am not mistaken, John uses it 16 times in his Gospel.  We are first introduced to Jesus as the light right out of the gates in John’s prelude at the beginning of the Gospel, John 1:9, “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”  John 3:19, “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” John 8:12, “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  John 9:5, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
In Chapter 12 we see it mentioned several times.   John 12:35, “So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”  And then we see it again our text this morning, verse 46, “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”
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As Jesus says, he came into this world as light.  And there is no doubt that he is the light of the World, Jews and Gentiles.  However, where did His three year earthly ministry occur?  It occurred within the nation of Israel for the most part.  Sure he stepped out past the boarders on occasion, but as Jesus said to the Canaanite woman, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 

As I have mentioned several times before, regarding the amazing things Jesus did, John writes in John 21:25, “Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”  Not only that, but he preached the Word of God with a level of authority that is unparalleled in this world.  If that wasn’t enough, John the Baptist, the greatest Prophet to have ever existed testified that he was the Messiah, but all of this wasn’t enough.  Verse 37 of our text this morning says, “though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him.”

How strange is this?  This is Israel.  As Paul says about his fellow kinsman in Romans 9:4, “They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever.”  This is not some random group of people who were casually familiar with God, the Bible, and the promised Messiah.  This was a group of people who had been given ample evidence for over 2000 years, yet they did not believe.  John 1:11 says it best, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.”  How can this be?  Did Jesus fail?  Is this a mistake?  Had Satan coup actually worked?

The Word of God Fulfilled

Lets look at verses 37-41 “Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,38so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, 40“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” 41Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him.”

So in this text, we see again the immense importance of conjunctions.  Verse 38, “so that”  verse 39, “therefore” , “For again.”  These conjunctions point us to the foundation, the reason, for Israel’s unbelief.  And what reason does it give?  “so that the Word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled.”  The reason why Israel, who had a front row seat the the Son of God, as a whole, rejected Jesus as their king, as their Messiah, as the Son of God was to fulfill the Word of God spoken 700 years earlier by God, through the prophet Isaiah  So let us look at the text that is quoted.

Verse 38 “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”  This is a quote from Isaiah 53:1.  All of us in this Church, young and old, should be familiar with Isaiah 53.  Let us all turn to Isaiah 53 together as a Church, and let us read the entire chapter together.

“Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief;  when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,  because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.”

This is a prophecy of the crucifixion written 700 years before Jesus came.  This is the clearest and most comprehensive Old Testament passage pointing forward to the Messiah being crucified.  Now, remember, a crucified Messiah makes no sense to the Jews.  Their picture of a Messiah was a stronger Herod.  Someone who would use the strength of man, the war horse, the chariot to deliver them from Romans oppression, not some man of sorrow. 

But as John points out in John 12:38 with the quoting of Isaiah 53:1, “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”  The strong arm of the Lord in Jesus Christ had been revealed.  The signs and wonders that Jesus displayed is the strong arm of God manifested through this Galilean Carpenter, but who has believed?  Very few people in Israel. 

Now let’s look at the next old testament reference that John speaks of in verse 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”  This verse comes from Isaiah 6.  Why don't we all turn to this passage, so that we can see it for our own eyes.  In Isaiah 6, the prophet Isaiah is given a vision of God upon the throne.  And in verse 8, it says, “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? “  God is looking for a person to send to the people of Israel.  Isaiah responds, here I am, send me.  Isaiah wants to be the vessel of God's message to God's people. 

God's response is found in verse 9, “And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing,d but do not perceive.’ 10Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

The message that God gives Israel is not a message of belief, but a message of unbelief.  Isaiah role is to harden Israel's heart.   And these are the two text that John uses to close out Jesus' public ministry.  The suffering servant and the hardening of Israel's heart.  Why?

If you recall, Israel was primed to receive the Christ.  John the baptist had been stoking the fire before Jesus' arrival.  Jesus comes and performs signs that have never been done before on the planet.  The entire nation is falling head over heals for him, but what do they want?  They want a stronger Herod, a mighty earthly warrior.  They want a Political Leader, an Earthly King.  They are ready to cast off the chains of Roman oppression with the war horse, but Jesus does not do this. 
What does Jesus tell them in John 12:32, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.”  The message of a crucified Messiah made no sense to Israel.  The message of Isaiah 53 made no sense to the people of Israel.  And it was this message of the cross that was the exact thing that hardened their hearts to reject him as their King.  It was the cross that was their stumbling block. 

And Christ knew this all along.  The message of the cross was the message that would set their hearts against him.  Hence why I believe Jesus was so vague and so mysterious about the cross for so long.  He knew that the preaching of his crucifixion publicly would be the nails in the coffin, or better yet, the nails in his hands. 

And this is still true today.  Israel, generally speaking, still does not believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, despite everything lining up perfectly.  Why?  Because they cannot see past the cross, it makes no sense to them.  Why?  Because God sovereignly is using the message of the cross to harden their hearts. 

So, despite Jesus spending almost all his time with the Jews, and displaying amazing wonders, and preaching with unprecedented authority, and matching the Old Testament prophecies perfectly, the Jews still rejected Him.  Why?  Because this was God's sovereign plan, that His own people would reject His own son. 

And this, for us, is yet again evidence that the Bible is true.  For it makes no sense that gentiles throughout the world would repent and place their faith in a jewish messiah, yet the Jews will not.  But now we know why?  It is God's sovereign plan.

Why Fault and Is Their Hope?

This raises a couple questions?  First, if God is hardening their hearts, why are they held accountable for their sins?  This is a great question and it is addressed in Romans 9, perhaps one of the hardest chapters in all the Bible, for Paul is covering this exact issue.  In Romans 9, Paul starts out saying that he would give up his salvation if it meant that it would help the Jews believe in Jesus.  But he knows that the bottom line for you believing in Jesus is not up to the individual, it is up to God's Sovereign grace.  Romans 9:16 Paul says, “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”  Paul knows full well that the foundation of faith is not yourself, it is a gift from God.  But then he answers our question about accountability. 
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Romans 9:19-24 - “You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?”20But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?”
The bottom line is God is sovereign, and we are accountable.  That is it.  If you don't think this is fair, the answer is harshly stated, “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God?”  God is God, and you are not.  We are sinners, and God is sovereign.  Let us never to forget this.
The second question is, is their hope for Israel?  Are God's chosen people destined for God's eternal wrath.  The answer is unpacked in Romans 11.  Due to time, we can't look at it all, but let read to you Romans 11:25, “I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers:d a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26And in this way all Israel will be saved.“  There will come a day, when the age of the Gentiles will be over.  At that time, God will soften the hearts of Jews throughout this world and they will repent and put their faith in the suffering savior, Jesus Christ.  When that starts to happen, you will know that Christ's return is near.  God's plan began with the world, moves to the Jews, back to the World, and will end with the Jews. 
So where does this leave us?  First, hopefully we have overwhelming gratitude for the Amazing Grace of God that has been poured out on us, Gentiles.  God cut the branches off the vine and he has grafted us in, not by our merits, but according to his will.  He deserves praise and glory and we should respond in worship.
Second, our faith should shoot through the roof regarding God's sovereign plan.  God is in total control of everything on this planet.  As the world continues to shake and fracture, we can rest assured that we are a part of a Kingdom that cannot be shaken and God is accomplish all his purposes. 
 
 
 
 
   

Preached at Cornerstone Church in Cascade, IA on October 2, 2016

​Open your Bibles to John 12:1-11. Today we are going to see an example of why it is beneficial to preach sequentially through a book of the Bible. For today we are going to see the response, the outflow, the fruit that is produced from the events that unfolded in John 11, and then ask ourselves the question, do we have the same response.

John 12:1-11 – “Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5“Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” 9When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.”

As we begin, let us get oriented. Let us set the stage. In John 11 we saw the raising of Lazarus from the dead. This was the greatest and most public of all of Jesus miracles and it was had a substantial impact on the people who witnessed it and also the Jewish Leadership, the Sanhedrin. We saw last week that the Sanhedrin saw Jesus as a threat to their power and ultimately a threat to their nation. Therefore they made the decision that Jesus must die.

We are told in John 11:55 that these events took place when the Passover was at hand and the Jews were purifying themselves. It is said that this rite of purification would take place from 1-6 days before the Passover. In my opinion this is where it gets a little tricky in dating some of these events. Several weeks ago I mentioned that the resurrection of Lazarus took place one week before Christ’s crucifixion, and I may have even said seven days, which is possible, but upon further examination I do not think we should be so quick to put a definite number on it.

And the reason I say that is that after the resurrection of Lazarus, we are told that Jesus left the area and stayed in a placed named Ephraim. How long he stayed there, we don’t know. Some people believe he stayed one night, hence seven days, some people believe he stayed several nights, others even believe he was away from Bethany for a number of weeks. No one knows for sure, and to be honest it is not terribly important. However, what is important is that, John wants to connect these two events. John wants to connect the resurrection of Lazarus to the the dinner in John 12. We see this both in John 11 and John 12. IN John 11:2 we see John say, “It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.” John tells us this fact before he tells the story. Why, because he has a plan of where he is going. Likewise we see it in our text today, verse 1, “Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2So they gave a dinner for him there.” John wants to reinforce that this dinner was a result of the resurrection of Lazarus. Therefore, to understand out text today, we must remind ourselves about the purpose and the object of Lazarus’ resurrection.

The purpose is found in John 11:4, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” The resurrection was a vessel to display the Glory of God through the person of Jesus Christ. It was a means to an end. And the way that this was achieved was for Jesus to first proclaim that He is the resurrection and the life, and then to show that Jesus was the resurrection and the life. This is the point of this event, this is its purpose, so display the Glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ.

The object of that purpose, the people who are to see this display of Glory, is found in John 11:5-6 where it says, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” As we saw, it was the love of Christ that caused him to delay. Why? Because he wanted to show those whom he loved (Martha, Mary, and Lazarus), His glory. These three were the primary object, or recipient, of the glory of Christ.

As is obvious from our text, the glory of Christ shining upon Martha, Lazarus, and Mary had an effect upon them. As I said this dinner was a result of the love of Christ. They desired to show their love of Christ, subsequently to Christ showing his love for them. The cause was Christ, the effect was a dinner honoring him.

This concept is one that John is very found of. He speaks about this exact thing in 1 John 4:19, “We love because he first loved us.” Our love of God is a reaction of his initiating love of us. Without God first loving us, we will not, and cannot love him. It is impossible to love God without Him first loving us. And we see this in our story today in three different levels. Each person, Martha, Lazarus, and Mary responded to the love of Christ differently.

Lazarus Sat

First let us look at Lazarus. Verse 2, “So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table.” Lazarus was the one who was dead and now is alive. The course of that life was Christ. Where do we find Lazarus after life was given to him? Right by the side of Jesus. Sitting at the table with him. Speaking to him. Listening to him.

The effect of the love of Jesus upon Lazarus was a desire to be with Jesus. This is an extremly common result of receiving new life in Christ. Just think about the disciples. They left everything they had to be with Jesus. If you recall in John 6:66, where it says, “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,” Basking in the light of Christ was the only thing they wanted. They did not want to leave him, they wanted to be with him. This Lazarus response was perhaps the one that John could best relate. Listen to John 13:23, “One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side.” Who is the disciple whom Jesus loved? It was John. Where is John located during the last supper? Right by the side of Jesus, leaning against his breast.

This is the love of Jesus. It is catalytic. The love from Jesus, causes a love for Jesus. When you love someone, you want to spend time with them. This is the fundamental question when it comes to whether someone is a Christian or not, do you love Jesus. If you can't answer yes to this, then you are not a Christian.

Martha Served

The second person we can look at is Martha. How did seeing the glory of Jesus effect her? In verse 2 we see it say simple, “Martha served.” For those of you who know a little bit about Martha, you are not surprised by this. In Luke 10 we are told of a story of Martha becoming upset because she was doing on the work, and Mary was just sitting and listening to Jesus. Jesus response in Luke 10:41 was “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Is Martha doing the same thing in this text, being anxious and troubled? No. Their is no indication that there is any trouble in Martha's heart. It appears that John wants to give credit to Martha for the dinner that was to be given for Christ. He could have easily left her out, but he didn't. He wanted to draw attention to her heart of service. Her service was a response to seeing his Glory.
And this makes sense, for upon receiving the grace of God we are new creations, created for good works. Ephesians 2:8-10 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

For Martha, this good work, was preparing a meal for God six days before his death. For you it may be cleaning the Church, selling coffee to raise funds for missions, or lending a hand on Church work days, or going on a mission trip, or singing on the praise team, or sending a note of encouragement to someone who is struggling. The list goes on and on. And as Paul says, this work is prepared for you. Waiting for you. All you have to do is obey and do it. And why wouldn't you. Do you think Martha was complaining that she had to feed Jesus food? Absolutely not. Why not? Because she had been loved by Jesus and had been shown his glory, and because of that, Christ was her greatest treasure.

Mary Worshiped

Lastly, let us turn our attention to Mary. Mary's response is the main focus of our text. What was her response to seeing the Glory of Christ? Verse 3, “Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”

Mary did something that was extreme. Lazarus was one of many who sat with Jesus. Likewise, their were probably others who helped serve, but Mary did something that was not normal. Her response to being loved by Jesus and seeing His glory was radical.

We are told by none other than Judas in verse 5 that the value of this pure nard was, 300 denari. If you have the NIV it will says a year's wages, which is a good calculation. Therefore for us today in America, this bottle of ointment would be valued at $30,000-40,000. Lets just take a moment and think of things that you might own that would be comparable. The equity in your home, your 401k, new truck, a cabin, an inheritance, your business. For a number of us, we can't think of anything that we own that has that much value. And I think that is the point. The sacrifice of this ointment was of such extreme nature that God desired it to be memorialized in God's Word forever.

So why did she respond so dramatically? Because Jesus deserves . Look at verse 7. How does Jesus rebuke Judas' idea of giving it to the poor, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” There appears to be only two people in the room who fully understood the overwhelming worth of Christ, Mary and Jesus.

Jesus, God incarnate, had made it a regular practice to come and dine with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Jesus, the resurrection and the life, had come and raised her brother from the dead. Jesus, the Messiah, had showered them with His love. Mary understood that this was not just a man, this was the Creator of the Universe, the light of the World, the Good Shepherd, the great I Am, her God and her Savior and her heart was overflowing with a desire to worship him.

Mary longed to grab the most expensive most valuable thing that she had, and lay it down at the feet of Jesus. Why? Because Jesus was better than a years worth of wages. And if that wasn't enough, she used her own hair to wipe his feet. She gave her greatest world goods, and she gave of herself. Why? Because true worship is an outflow of seeing the glory of God.

Don't forget, however, she did not do this in isolation. When she spilled $30,000 over the feet of a Galilean's feet and undid her hair and wiped his feet, there was a room full of people watching. How many? No one knows, but at least 15. But this made no difference to Mary, for the only one in the room that matter was Jesus.

I can't help but think of another person who overflowed with praise in the presence of God, David, a man after God's own heart. In 2 Samuel 6 David has the Ark of the Covenant brought back into the City of David. And in verse 14 it says, “And David danced before the LORD with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod.” David, a theologian, a warrior, a King dancing with all his might before the entire nation of Israel. His wife, Michal, was embarrassed by him and confronted him about it and this was his response, “I will celebrate before the LORD. 22I will make myself yet more contemptible than this.” David didn't care about the onlookers, his heart was captivated by the Lord. He lived for an audience of one. And so did Mary.

Obviously, the question that looms over this entire sermon is do you? Has the glory of Christ so shown in yoru life that you are willing to lay down your idols at the foot of Christ and give yourself entirely to him? Has the gospel of Jesus Christ effected you so deeply that you are ready to give up your 401ks, your home, your goals, your dreams, your practicality and serve the living God?

Christ has given you everything. He has given you this world, he has given you your body, he has given you his blood, he has given you forgiveness, he has given your life eternal, and we cling to our perfumes. We stand in a room with a cross on the wall and songs on our lips, but is our heart far from him? Are we Marys or are we Judases?

Judas had followed Jesus for three years. Walked with him. Talked with him. Baptized, Perhaps even worked miracles and cast out demons, but he was a fake. He was an impostor. He was a child of Hell, not a child of God, but no one knew it, except Jesus. Is this you?

If you have been born again, if you have seen the beauty of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, then your life will reflect it. As Jesus said in John 7, you will have rivers of living water pouring out of you, from the inside out. And when this happens, the fragrance of your worship will be so counterculture that it will sting the eyes of the damned.

Paul's says this in 2 Corinthians 2:14, “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.”

​Is your life the aroma of Christ or the aroma of this world? When people look upon your life, do they see a devotion to Christ that is shocking? It should. You are new creature in Christ Jesus created for good works, so that you should walk in them.