March 22nd Sermon Notes - Pastor Johnny Scott
The Road To Jerusalem Week #4
-Jesus was controlling the timeline
-Waited 2 days / 20 miles away / 2 day trip
-2 weeks until His death
“He’s sleeping” (Disciples didn’t understand)
“He’s Dead guys / I’m glad so YOU MAY BELIEVE”
Thomas: “let’s go and die too”
Martha (Oldest child attitude)
Mary comes
John 11:35–44
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.
39 “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said,
“Father, I thank you that you have heard me.
42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
-Bethany is 2 miles from Jerusalem
-Lazarus, Martha, Mary are connected to the ruling Jewish / Sanhedrin / Council
43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
Transition
The Jews were going to kill Lazarus too because of his testimony about Jesus
John 12:10–11
So the chief priests planned to kill Lazarus too, for on account of him many of the Jewish people from Jerusalem were going away and believing in Jesus.
Lazarus Witnessed For Jesus
Lazarus’ response is to witness for Jesus
What is your response?
7th Final Sign — Turning Point
-7th Final sign in John’s Gospel (Lazarus)
-Jesus’ greatest sign
-Jesus reveals His authority over death
Before Lazarus → tension
After Lazarus → decision
Story Mode Again
Some of the people at the raising go and tell
John 11:48–53 (NASB)
If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”
49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up,
“You know nothing at all!
50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”
53 So from that day they planned together to kill him.
-This is the high point of Israel's rejection of Jesus
-This decision led directly to Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion
It’s not that they didn’t want a messiah
→ just one who could beat the Romans
They didn’t think Jesus was strong enough for their needs
Jesus was in the way / not useful for what they were working on
John 11:53
So from that day they planned together to kill him.
The Jewish Leaders Rejected Him
Jesus raises a man from the dead
…and the leaders respond by planning a murder
What is your response?
Martha Served Him
Story Mode Again — Passover / Lamb Selection
Day before the triumphal entry — 9th of Nisan
John 12:1–2
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor.
Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.
Martha was a server (earlier story)
John is showing responses to Jesus with these secondary characters
Martha is always shown serving Jesus
What is your response?
Mary Worshipped Him
Story Mode Again — Passover / Lamb Selection
Day before the triumphal entry — 9th of Nisan
Mary (not magdala, not mother)
Matt/Mark 2x Galilee / Luke 7
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.
-Perfume: North India / Himalayan mountains
-Concentrate / could make 5 gallons
-Only time you would use this → burial
The Clearest Act of Worship Before the Cross
Link back to opening of John 11 (John foreshadows the critical death — NOT Lazarus’s)
John 11:1–3
Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick.
He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived.
2 (Now it was Mary who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and wiped his feet dry with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus,
“Lord, look, the one you love is sick.”
(Not Luke 7 woman)
There is a woman in Luke’s Gospel:
-comes in tears
-desperate for forgiveness
-sinner
There is a woman in John’s Gospel:
-comes with perfume
-prepared for His burial
One comes because she has sinned
One comes because she sees
Both end up at His feet
Nobody thinks Jesus is going to die
THIS Mary:
-from just outside Jerusalem
-connected
-knows the tension in the city
Assassination attempt leaked out
Prominent Jews
John 12:7–8
“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.”
Lazarus was prepared for burial → then rose
Now Jesus will be prepared for burial
Best evangelist in John → Samaritan woman
Best theologian in John → this Mary
(she sits and listens / not action)
Mary’s response is worship
What is your response?
You will respond like:
Lazarus → Witnessed for Jesus
The leaders → Rejected Him
Martha → Served Him
Mary → Worshipped Him
And no one stays neutral
You will respond.
