We're going to begin reading actually in John chapter 11 and beginning at verse 53, and then we're going to follow through to John chapter 12 and verse 8. I've titled the message, A Portrait of Extravagant Love. and a wonderful passage of scripture as we observe Mary and Martha and Lazarus and the Lord arriving in Bethany. And this wonderful moment, this great feast, this celebration that we are able to observe in the scriptures here. I'm gonna ask you as we stand in a moment, as we look at Mary, and we will notice her sacrifice. the sacrifice that was a great one, a precious value. Most likely, given the value of it, it may have been all that she had. I would ask you this morning, would you consider giving the Lord all that you have? I'm not talking about your money, but I'm talking about your heart, that which is dearest to you. If I asked you the possession that was the most precious in your sight, what would it be? Or who would it be? Would you stand with me? And let's read from the scriptures, John chapter 11. Begin in the read at verse 53, and then we'll read through to John chapter 12 and verse eight. Let's read together out loud, John chapter 11 and verse 53, let's read. And then from that day forth, they took counsel together for the putting to death. Jesus, therefore, walked no more openly among the Jews, but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, and into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples. The Jews' Passover was nigh at hand, and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. Then sought they for Jesus. And they spake among themselves as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast? Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment that if any man knew where he were, he should show it that they might take him. Now John chapter 12 and verse 1. Then Jesus, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he 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, 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 saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for 300 pence and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Then said Jesus, let her alone. Against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you, but me ye have not always. Let's pray. Father, I thank you for the joy that it is to open your Word. Thank you for the many years that we've been able to be together and to consider and ponder the great truths of your scripture. Lord, as I look back over life, I look back at the times of giving you everything and then being reminded later on in life as we would hold on tight to something of the need of letting go of everything. And Lord, there's no greater trust that we can have than the trust that we would place in you, that you know all things. And Lord, I pray for anyone that might be here this morning, some that perhaps do not even know you as Savior. I would pray today that they would let go of their sin and the pleasures of sin. And Lord, that they would realize the great wonder of the salvation that is found in Christ and his sacrifice. And Lord, I pray for us as your people. I believe it's so often easy for a church to hear great truths and understand them, and yet never move to do anything about the things that we've heard. And Lord, so I pray today that we might not only be hearers of the Word, but Lord, that we might be found to be doers, we pray, all this in Christ's name. Amen. You can be seated. You have your outline there. It's going to take a little bit of time before I get there, but let me go and give you a little bit of the background as we enter into this study. We began several weeks ago, John chapter 11, and we're coming today through familiar scripture and now making our way into John chapter 12. Let's begin with this thought. The Lord's popularity has never been greater than it is right now upon the reading of this Word. There was an anticipation that was going throughout Israel, but especially in Jerusalem, that not only was the Lord coming, but many believing that He was the Messiah upon whom they had long waited, they waited with anticipation that maybe this year, This Passover, the Lord is going to come and He is going to set up His earthly kingdom. And we looked in John chapter 11 in the past weeks, and we understood that as the Lord raised Lazarus from the dead, it was a great testimony of the Lord's power, of God's power that was upon Lazarus. As a result of that, the Bible says that many believed when they saw Lazarus come from the grave. And yet there were many others who turned away. Even though they had seen a miracle that only God could do, they nevertheless turned away, and they went to the Pharisees. When they entered into the midst of the Pharisees, they shared all the things that they had seen and heard. And as a result of that, Caiaphas the high priest and the Pharisees, they all came together, and they held a council meeting. Caiaphas stands up in the midst of them, and he says this in John 11 and verse 50, It is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation not be put at risk, or the whole nation perish. 60 years later, John, as he is penning this gospel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he would write that Caiaphas had said these things regarding one man should die, not fully understanding that what he was doing was stating a prophecy that would come true, and that is that Jesus Christ should die for the nation. John 11 and verse 53, and then we read this after the Sanhedrin concurred with Caiaphas. In verse 53, and from that day forth, they took counsel together for to put Him to death. Now, in another couple of weeks, we will, on a good Friday, come together. And we are going to focus in that hour, that Friday afternoon at 6.30, upon the suffering and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. But understand this, Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin believe it was a plot to save their position and power. But in the process of doing that, they were actually fulfilling the plan of God. for our salvation. We've read in John 11, verse 54, that the Lord withdrew himself and he no longer walked in the public among the Jews. You see, in the scriptures, we always see the portrayal of the fact that the Lord had an understanding of his time. And there are many times that we read in the gospel that his time had not yet come, but now as we come to John chapter 12, The time is at hand. And we find ourselves six days from the Passover. Would you take your Bible just for a moment, look at another portion of scripture. Look with me at Luke chapter 19. Luke chapter 19. The Lord's journey up to Jerusalem passes through Jericho. Some of us that have been to Israel, we remember being in that ancient city. and being able to grasp a little bit of how close Jericho, only about 15 to 17 miles, was to Jerusalem. And so the Lord and His disciples, now they begin the final journey. And as they do so, this wonderful passage in Luke chapter 19, they pass into Jericho. Crowds were gathering to see Jesus. And the story is told in this passage here that there was a little man named Zacchaeus. He was the chief of the publicans. He was the head tax collector. And so as the Lord is going through Jericho and the disciples going with Him, and they're making their way up to Jerusalem for His last journey, They do so, and Zacchaeus, because of his short stature, was unable to see the Lord, and the story goes in Luke 19, that this little man climbed up into a sycamore tree, and there he watched, and he waited, and he looked for the Lord to pass by. The amazing truth that we find here in this passage in Luke 19, if you have your Bible there, in verse 5, we read that the Lord looked up into the tree and He saw there Zacchaeus, the Lord being omniscient. We read in Luke 19, in verse 5, that He looked and He said unto Zacchaeus, Make haste. Come down, for today I must abide or tarry or stay at thy house. Verse seven begins sharing with us that the people began to murmur, how dare this Jesus, this one that we have looked to as the miracle worker, how dare out of all of Jericho, out of all the dignitaries that maybe were gathered along the way, that the Lord would go to the home of a despised man. You see, in the culture of the first century, to be a tax collector, to be a publican, was about as low as one might would go. He was despised in the eyes of the people. But brethren, he was not despised in the eyes of the Lord. We read as Zacchaeus was in joy and hosting the Lord and his disciples. Look with me, if you would, at verse 8. Zacchaeus suddenly stands. In verse 8, Zacchaeus suddenly stood and he said unto the Lord, Behold the Lord. Now listen. All those that hate and despise the man, perhaps they're listening. They're watching. Maybe they're looking in from the windows. As Zacchaeus stands and he says, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, knowing he's a rich man. And if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, that is by fraud, I restore him fourfold. Amazing. I think there was probably in the household of Zacchaeus a moment of silence. I've often wondered what his wife thought about that proclamation, you know? Hath I give to the poor, and if I've stolen anything from anyone else, I'm going to restore it fourfold. But there's something even more astounding in this last moment before we follow the Lord to Bethany. Notice the words beginning in verse 9. And the Lord said unto Zacchaeus, has come to this house for as much as he also is a son of Abraham. Verse 10, for those that are the self-righteous ones and that are looking in and listening to this process, the supper or the lunch with Zacchaeus, the announcement by Zacchaeus, I am gonna restore all that I have taken wrongfully. And then the Lord just say that salvation has come to the house. But the Lord then says this in verse 10, For the Son of Man, speaking of Himself, is come to seek and to save that which was lost. You may be here this morning, and I invite you to go back to John 12. And you are, as you were born, a lost sinner. You have lived your life Perhaps living the pleasures of sin, and for some others, living the burden that comes with that sin. I would invite you as we contemplate the Lord Jesus Christ, that His purpose of coming into this world was that all might be saved. And I would invite you in this hour not just to rustle and wallow in the sins that you've committed, but realize that the Lord loved you just as much as He loves Zacchaeus, the despised publican. You've got your Bible, John chapter 12 now. The Lord now has made His way, His journey up to Jerusalem. And as He is getting close, there is a great anticipation going throughout the city. In fact, in John 11 and verse 56, we read that they sought for Jesus. They were looking for Him. They were anticipating. There was a buzz in the temple if the Lord was coming to the Passover. You see, everyone knew that there was a plot to arrest the Lord. I'm sure many of them understood that the desire of the chief priests and the Pharisees was not just to arrest the Lord, it was that they might kill the Lord. And so as the Lord goes with His disciples and He makes His way up to Bethany, there is a sense of excitement, but there's a sense of dread. They understand the plot, the disciples, to kill Jesus. But at the same time, there is an anticipation that maybe this is the hour. This is the time that the Lord is gonna set up His earthly kingdom, and we will see on Palm Sunday, they will celebrate His coming. Behold, the King. But we're not there yet. Look with me at verse one. And I want you to consider in verse one these words. Then Jesus, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany. where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. So now we're within six days of the Passover. The Lord's final journey. His destination is not going to be a throne, but a cross between two thieves. Would you on your outline consider four points that we will look at this morning? The first is this. We'll notice the setting, verses 1 and 2. Then in verse 3 and 4, we'll notice Mary's sacrifice. As we come to verse 5 and 6, we'll see what I'm calling the swindler, the embezzler, Judas. Then in verse 7 and 8, what I am calling the scolding, the Lord's rebuke. Let's follow. Follow with me. Let's look at, first of all, let's look at the setting. In the setting in verse 2, we read that it was a supper celebration. There they made Him, that is, made Jesus, He is the honored guest, a supper. And Martha served, but Lazarus was one of them that sat or reclined at the table with the Lord. In the Gospel of Matthew and in the Gospel of Mark, it tells us that the setting of this supper is in the home of one named Simon the leper. Ben the leper, we understand it in the Jewish economy of that day or the Jewish world of that day, the law would have forbid a leper to be in society, let alone sitting at supper. And so I believe that Simon was no doubt the object of a great miracle of the Lord. He sits there now, a man who is healed, who has the privilege of hosting none other than the Lord himself. And then we notice also in this same passage, Martha. We became familiar with Martha and Mary and Lazarus in John chapter 11, that great moment of his resurrection from the dead. Notice what it says about Martha here in verse two. And there they made him a supper and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Notice on your outline, the first thought is this, that Martha rendered a service. Now let me say it in this way. Martha rendered a service, but it was not a sacrifice. I think when you look at Martha, you see over many times of the scripture, Luke chapter 10, you might remember that passage of scripture where the Lord is in their home. And it says that Martha, she was encumbered about with all manner of taking care of the Lord. She's busy, she's serving, she's preparing supper. And then finally she loses her joy. And she looks and she sees Mary who is sitting at the Lord's feet. She's fellowshipping with him. She's listening to the Lord as he's teaching. She is hanging on every word of the Lord. Martha, who's all busy, she's hot and she's working in the kitchen. And finally, she's beside herself. Lord, what about Mary? And you know, the Lord doesn't condemn the fact that Mary or Martha was serving, but the Lord does say that, listen, Mary has chosen the better part. Now let me pause there. This joy of service is a wonderful thing. In fact, yesterday after the memorial service was over, I saw not just people that were serving, but then afterwards, I loved it. Some of our teenagers were up working in the kitchen and helping with the cleanup. And I thought, what a wonderful thing that is. Serving is needed. Serving is necessary. But let's be careful. Let's not equate serving as a sacrifice, It's a privilege. And so a preacher, when I'm serving, I'm sacrificing, but it is not a great sacrifice, but it's a necessary service. Let me follow with you a little bit further. Look with me, if you would, at verse three, and we'll try to make it in a more practical way. We see Martha serving, but notice we'll see Mary, her sister, sacrificing. The supper was suddenly interrupted for Mary, then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard. And the Bible says that it was very costly and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the odor of that ointment. We read in the Gospel of Matthew that she poured it on his head and we read in the Gospel of John, she poured it on his feet. There's no conflict in the Gospels. The fact is this, she poured this ointment, a very costly, a very expensive perfume, she poured it on both his head and she poured it on his feet. But let's not pause there. Let's go back, look at verse three again then. Mary anointed the feet of Jesus and he wiped his feet with her hair. I thought about what it must have been like, is that box, the scripture says it could have been a box, it could have been a jar, but this very costly ointment, this perfume, that which is used to anoint the bodies of loved ones who have died, Mary doesn't wait for the Lord's death. She comes in now, this great gift, no doubt, perhaps the sum of all that she owned, and she breaks it. And she begins to pour it out on the Lord. In doing so, there was no means of ever reclaiming that which she had given. And the odor, it says here in this passage in verse three, it filled the house. not only was it immediate on the Lord, and the smell of that perfume rises, but not just the room, but even the house itself bore the odor of this great sacrifice. Later, you'll see that there were people that came in verses nine and 10, and they actually came and they were looking, and they were looking inside the house, and they were looking, and there was the Lord, and there was Lazarus. And I wondered if the odor, that perfume, if the smell of that which had been given did not start to emanate from the house. And those that were inside, as they caught the smell, they understood that something great had been given. Notice on your outline what I'd like to share with you. As we consider the affection of Mary, And perhaps no doubt moved by the fact that the Lord had raised her brother from the dead, there was a gratitude that could never be repaid. Notice, if you would, in verse three and going into verse four, the sacrifice. And I've called it this, a study in extravagant love. Let me read again in verse three. And Mary took a pound of ointment of spikenard. We're gonna see the value of it in a moment. And John writes that it was very costly. And she anointed the feet of Jesus. Let's talk about extravagant. The word extravagant has a little bit of a negative connotation, would you agree? Extravagant can be just going over the top. Somebody might say, you lost your mind. You spent and you gave more than you could possibly afford. You ever gone out to a real nice restaurant? I mean, like, this was a big occasion, you know. This was a step above McDonald's. It even went just a little bit beyond Ruth Chris, which to me, that's Eden. But maybe you decided to just really, just go all out. And then you're driving home with your wife, and you'll say, you know, we should have just eaten at McAllister's Deli. It would have been a lot cheaper. You ever done that? Extravagance. I like to look at sports cars. When somebody drives by in a quarter million dollar car, it catches my eye. And I might even think, you know, you'd look good in that Smith. But even if I could afford it, would you not agree that that's extravagance, right? There's so many things that we are extravagant of that we give for the moment and we enjoy the time. but this was not a waste here. Let's go back and just let me fill in and give you some thoughts to go with this. Mary sacrificed not only her most precious possession, very costly, she also sacrificed her pride, self-respect, or I might could have even said her self-image. You see, she came in with her most precious possession, and she pours it out on the Lord. She, in her heart, believes that He has come not to rule and reign, but she believes His arrival in Jerusalem will be one of great sacrifice and His death. this matter of taking her hair and wiping the ointment, that wonderful perfume that is permeating the air, and now she's used her hair to wipe his feet, it is a testimony of her humility. You see, the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 11 and verse 15, but if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her, for her hair is given her for a covering. And so Mary, as she is using her heroin and wiping his feet and the ointment off of his feet with her hair, she's acknowledging the great worth of the Lord and her great humility. It is an act of selfless devotion. Notice also, if you would, secondly under that thought, Mary's act of sacrifice, and two thoughts about it. The first is that it was generous. It was a precious possession. This spikenard was imported from India. Very expensive. In fact, if you'll look with me at verse five, we'll read the value of it. We read earlier, it was very costly in verse three, but Judas gives us the value of that ointment. In verse five, we read, Judas asked the question, why was not this ointment sold for 300 pence given to the poor? We know in the economy of that day that one pence was a day's labor. And so Judas is suggesting that the ointment that has been given is worth a year's labor. In our economy today, maybe it would be $40,000, $50,000, $60,000, $70,000, perhaps more than that. But it would be taking all that you had earned in one year's time, the value of working for a year, and then giving that all. It was a generous sacrifice. But notice it was also a sincere sacrifice. For Mary, it was a picture of loving devotion. She had taken her glory and she had lain it at the Lord's feet. Well, that brings me to the third point. Notice then not only the setting of the sacrifice, but would you notice this swindler, I've called him, an embezzler, a thief. I put another thought with that, a sham, a phony, a hypocritical protest. Look at John chapter 12 now in verse 4 and 5. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should and would betray him. Why was not this ointment sold for 300 pence and given to the poor? Let me break that down for a moment. It's not on your outline, but I want you to notice Judas's resentment contrasted with Mary's homage, okay? Her worship or her honoring here. Just four thoughts that go with this. The first is this. Mary gave freely. what was worth 300 pence, one year's wages. And yet Judas would sell the Lord for 30 pieces of silver, the price of a slave. Mary was a sincere believer, but Judas was a thief. The Holy Spirit moved upon Mary's heart as she poured out her love for Jesus. But Satan goaded the heart of Judas, and he betrayed Jesus. Mary's devotion is a perpetual place and memorial in the Word of God. Judas's wickedness gave him infamy and a perpetual punishment in the pit of hell. Wow, what a difference. Between two. Think about Judas for a moment. He had been with the Lord for over three years. fellowshiped with him, walked with him, ministered with him. He had watched the miracles. He had even recently watched as Lazarus came from the grave. Surely of one that would know the Lord so well, surely there would have been nothing worth holding. when you realize the great person Christ was. Notice secondly, if you would, under that swindler, Judas's wicked influence. We find as we look at the scripture here at verse four that Judas, he is the source of the criticism. It begins with him, but some of the other passages tell us that some of the other disciples who at first were silent, Mark chapter 14 and verse 4 we read, and there were some that had indignation within themselves, that is, it was silent. And they were saying, why was the waste of this ointment made? The silent indignation that soon grew into public and outward resentment. Matthew 26, Matthew writes, when the disciples saw what Mary had done, they had indignation saying, to what purpose is this? Watch the word, waste. For this ointment might have been sold for much and given to the poor. in the eyes of the disciples, and Judas being the leader, it was a waste what Mary had done. How dare her come in with a box of ointment that is worth a year's wages and is worth so much. And the question would be as, well, wonder how many could have been fed with what she just wasted. And you know, we live in a culture today, we probably would echo somewhat the same, right? It's so easy to have a hypocritical piety about someone else's sacrifice. You know, I've not seen it much over the years, but I wonder if there are not parents here this morning, or maybe even grandparents, and your son or your daughter or your grandson or your granddaughter, they have thought about and they've talked about and they've had aspiration of maybe they're going to serve the Lord. Maybe they're going to go into ministry. And I've seen over the years where parents do everything in their power to dissuade a son or a daughter to go into ministry. You have so much to give. You have so much to offer. Think about how much money you could earn. And if you got a great career and you earned all that money, imagine how many missionaries you could send to the mission field. You know, I don't take for granted that some of you probably think that way. Son or daughter, I've seen this sadly over the years, son or daughter wants to serve the Lord. And mom and dad will say, well, you know what? Why don't you get a career first that you can fall back on? And then if you still want to go out and serve the Lord, then you go out. You know how many of those kids end up serving the Lord? You got an idea? Anybody want to guess? Zero. Let's keep going. There's more to learn here. Would you notice this matter of Judas? I just wanted to touch on him for a moment. 1 Corinthians 15 and 33. We read Paul writing to the church and he says, Be not deceived, evil communications corrupt good manners. If you look up the word communications, it could have been translated companions. corrupts good manners or good morals. Why do I believe in a Christian school? Or why do I believe in homeschool? And why do I believe that if you can do anything but put your kids in a setting where they will have evil companions all around them, then do everything that you can. You know why? Because the best that you and I can do, me as a pastor and you as a parent, Ultimately, we have to understand the corruption of society ends up corrupting children. Let me keep going though. Notice then, if you would, Judas' resentment, Judas' wicked influence. Notice Judas' hypocritical piety. Verse five again we read, and why was not this ointment sold for 300 pence and given to the poor? And I put down, I think, three thoughts under that point. Judas considered Mary's act of devotion a waste. And actually, think about this. As we read verse five of John 12, these are the first words of Judas recorded in the scriptures. These are the first words. And the words out of his mouth reveal the covetousness of his heart. Why wasn't this sold and given to the poor? It's a pious thought. I dare say that the other disciples soon shared his disappointment. It was not just what Mary had wasted, it was the fact that the Lord had accepted it. Notice secondly, if you would, not only then do we see Judas consider Mary's act of devotion a waste, but number two, Judas had no love for Christ. He had been with the Lord for three years, but the love of money ruled his heart. Look at verse six, if you would, then. In Judas, we read this, he said, not that he cared for the poor people, but because he was a thief, and had the bag and bear what was put therein. Now, let me pause there. You do understand that at that time, the disciples had no thought that Judas was a thief. Otherwise, somebody would have long ago taken the treasury bag from him, right? They put the bag in Judas' hand. You know why? Because he appeared to be outstanding. Somebody says he's good with money. Somebody else says, you know, we can trust Judas. And so the words out of Judas's mouth appear to reflect a genuine concern. In fact, I can't help but think that some of them felt somewhat proud of Judas. Well, think about that. He really cares about the poor. But the Lord shows us the heart of the man in verse six. He was a thief. Two other thoughts for that. Here's the third one. Judas did not care for the poor. He was an opportunist. He was an embezzler of other men's funds. And he took every opportunity to steal when he could. Here's a thought, and I put it down as a providential one. Judas was in a position that not only revealed his character, but also provided opportunity to his natural sinful bent. He was the treasurer. And it was doing that that revealed the manner of man that he was. And then that brings me to our last point. We've seen the setting, the sacrifice. We've seen the swindler. Now let's notice the scolding. I tried to, I really can't fully lay before you what it must have been like when the Lord turns and He speaks not just to Judas, but he speaks to all of the disciples. John 12 in verse 7, then said Jesus, let her alone. Against the day of my burial, my death and burial, hath she kept or made preparation for this? And then the Lord says something that is interesting. For the poor always ye have with you, but me ye have not always. Let me walk that through quickly. Notice the sharp rebuke, let her alone. The Judas and the disciples have criticized the extravagance, and yet now the Lord commends her. Leave her be. Silence. If you would, stop it, Judas. Let's keep reading. Notice then, let her alone. I found there that the Lord was protecting Mary like a shepherd protects his sheep, right? He was stepping in between. And then look at verse eight, and let's look at it just for a moment in passing. For the poor always ye have with you. But ye, me, ye have not always. Now there's a contrast of opportunities. There's always an opportunity to help the poor. Why? Because the poor are always with you, right? And by contrast, the Lord says, but me, you have not always. And so it is not that the Lord doesn't have a heart for the poor. He does. But it is that the Lord was focused on the more immediate, and that was his death. Notice then, if you would, two revelations that you find in this passage. The first is this, that Mary anticipated the Lord's death and his burial. John 12 and verse seven, against the day of my burying hath she kept this. Now, there is another that follows that thought. For the Lord makes notice now of something in another gospel. I'm gonna invite you, when you take your Bible, turn with me to Mark chapter 14. I can't remember if it's on my PowerPoint or not, but look at Mark chapter 14, because there's something more than merely this revelation that Mary has foreseen the Lord's death and burial. Notice, if you would, that this gift of Mary is a lasting memorial. Here we are, listen, 2,000 years later. We are gathered as a church family. We have our Bibles open and we're studying this passage of Scripture. We're focusing in on Mary because what she did is a memorial. Notice, if you would, Mark chapter 14 and verse 9. Verily I say unto you, whosoever or wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her." What a wonderful thought. You see, Lazarus, the poor you have always with you. But what Mary has done is not only a recognition of my death at burial, but understand that what she has done will live on long after she's gone. You know, I thought about that this week and I thought, I wonder what I've done or what you're doing that will live on after us. I'm not foolish enough to think that when I'm buried and gone that at some point people are not going to remember Travis Smith. But I do know that all that I give and all that I sacrifice, God acknowledges. And you know what? He honors faithfulness. Notice if you would, a second revelation here, and I'm gonna ask you to go back to John chapter 12, and we're almost done. John chapter 12, and look again at verse eight. For the poor always ye have with you, but me ye have not always. Now let me give you an insight. Bethany was the house of the poor, literally. That's the literal meaning of Bethany. And so Mary and Martha and Lazarus no doubt are the wealthier within the city itself. And it would appear by the meaning of the name Bethany, the house of the poor, that Bethany was the place where the poor and the disadvantaged were. Judas, as he speaks, there were perhaps people that were reminders all around that there were poor that were here. But you see, on the heart of the Lord was this thought, and that was the imminence of Jesus' death. We're within six days of the cross. The people are soon going to celebrate him as the king, and they will soon after cry for him to be crucified. What Mary has done was an understanding of what the Lord had said, that the Son of Man must die. But on the third day, he will be raised from the dead. Let me close with two thoughts, and this will wrap us up for today. Here's the first. Mary offered her most precious possession to Jesus. As far as we can tell in the Scriptures and realizing the value of what she had given, she could not have given more. She gave everything. She did not give because she thought she was going to be famous, even though her name is a perpetual thought now to us because of that which she has given. And we also understand that she did not give for charity. She gave what she gave out of a sacrifice of love and worship. Let me ask you this morning, What is your most precious possession? Is it your life? Your time? Is it your talents? Is it your bank account? Or your portfolio? Maybe it's your career. What is your most precious possession? Maybe it's your family, your sons and your daughters. Maybe it's the future you have all laid out. I remember in Michigan, I had a man tell me, he was probably mid-20s at the time. He was an insurance salesman. He was doing really well when we lived there. And he said, Preacher, by 40, I'm gonna be a multimillionaire and I'm gonna retire. Before we left Michigan, he lost everything. And so I guess I'd ask you this morning, have you given your most precious possession to the Lord? Romans 12, one, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies, I want living sacrifice. Have you given your most precious possession to the Lord? And I thought, when you love the Lord with all your heart, no gift is too extravagant for him. And then the last one. This one has been on my heart all week long. Mary seized the opportunity to identify with Christ's sacrifice before it was passed. Here's another way to say that. Mary would never again have an opportunity to express her love and devotion in a way that she did when she poured spikenard on his head and his feet. That opportunity would never come again. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. And I thought of this. Opportunities pass us by every day. And for some, it will be eternally too late. Let me say that again. Opportunities pass us by every day. And for some, it will be eternally too late. Leave that, Keith, there just for a moment. Let me tell you a story. It's a true story, sadly, about my failure. The old building years ago on Church Avenue in Grady where the old building was, there was an air conditioning man who came in working on the auditorium air conditioners on our old property. A heavyset guy, but a young guy, probably 30s. But he was a young guy. I remember brilliant red hair, nicest guy. And I had gotten to know him from offering the key for him to be able to go where he needed to go, like Jessica does here. And on that Friday afternoon, I had a burden that I needed to spend time with him. And I needed to witness to him. It never hit me before. I was busy. I don't know what I was getting ready for. But it just hit me as a youth pastor. I need to talk to him. And I rationalize, I'm busy. He's busy. We're too busy. And I let it go by. On Monday, he was supposed to come back to our old building. to keep working, doing maintenance. And he never came on Monday. And I found out over the weekend on that Saturday, that young man, that I was so convicted, I should have witnessed too, he died of a heart attack. And I can remember how low I felt. Because I had allowed an opportunity to pass by. and I never would have it again. Two little lines I heard one day, traveling along life's busy way, bring a conviction to my heart and from my mind would not depart. Only one life, to a soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last. Only one life, yes, only one. Now let me say, thy will be done. And when at last I'll hear the call, I'll know I'll say, t'was worth it all. Only one life, t'will soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last. And when I am dying, how happy I'll be if the lamp of my life has burned out for thee. Heads bowed and eyes closed. You've been so quiet and attentive, and I appreciate it. Let me close with two questions. And these are about as personal as I can ask you. But the first question is this. Have you given the Lord your all. Have you given the Lord your all? Now think about that question for a moment. Your most precious possession, are you willing to give it to the Lord? Have you given the Lord your all? Your heads are bowed and your eyes are closed, and I'm gonna ask no one to be looking around the cameras to stay focused on me. How many of you this morning could say, and God know in your heart, pastor, as I search my heart, I believe, like Mary, I've offered the Lord my most precious possessions. If you could say that, would you raise your hand? And say, Pastor, I've given the Lord my most precious possessions. Now let me ask you this this morning. Many raised their hand, many didn't. You've only got one life. to live, only one thing that you can offer. Will you not give that to the Lord and say, Lord, I'm giving you everything. My life, my time, my talents, my family. Lord, I want you to have it all. Are you willing to do that today? There's someone that God's speaking to, the Holy Spirit working, and you say, Pastor, the Lord's convicted me of some things I need to give Him, and just let go and let Him have it. Is there anyone? Just raise your hand and say, Pastor, God's working in my life, and I know there's things I need to let go of. A lot of hands, several hands around the room here. I invite you in a moment, we're gonna stand, I've asked Pastor Armstrong is gonna sing a song that goes along with this message, only one line. For those of you that have and for those of you that just raised your hand and said, Pastor, I'm letting go, I invite you to do that. Just step out, let's bow our knee and just quietly say, Lord, I give you everything because I know you gave your all. Maybe there's someone here this morning that doesn't know the Lord. And I said earlier that opportunities come and opportunities go. Here's an opportunity for you to trust the Lord, the Savior. , and I know that I'm a sinner but I believe that Christ died for my sins and Lord I ask you to forgive me and for Jesus to be my saver Did anyone just pray that? If you did, would you just like these others did a few moments ago, raise your hand and say, Preacher, my upraised hand is my testimony that I just prayed and asked the Lord to be my Savior. Anyone? Anyone? Let's stand. Our Father, we close with a song. And our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed. And Lord, I thank you for the wonderful testimony that Mary was. Others didn't understand, and Mary even suffered the mocking and the accusations. And yet, here we are today, recognizing her sacrifice. Lord, I'm convinced in life that we can give you everything and trust you, because you are a God who loves us. And all that you've given us is a trust from you. Lord, I pray for many of those who raised their hand this morning and said, preacher, God spoke in my life, and I know I need to let go of some things. Lord, I pray that we would be moved by that, that we would lay it at your feet Lord, I pray for others that raise their hands and say, Preacher, I've made that decision. Lord, may we renew that in our hearts that we'll never begrudge giving you our life, our family, and our all. And Lord, as Pastor Armstrong sings, I pray that you would tug at those hearts that are still holding on that we would let go, we pray in Christ's name.