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reading is found in the Gospel of John chapter 12 verses 1 through 8. This is God's Word. Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany where Lazarus was whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at the table. 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. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, he who was about to betray him said, Why was this ointment not sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor? And he said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and having charge of the money bag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, Leave her alone so that she may keep it for the day of my burial for the poor you will always have with you but you do not always have me. Father as we come to your word we pray that you would open our hearts and minds in Jesus name. Amen. Can you imagine pouring a pound of the most expensive perfume onto someone's feet? There's a perfume called Ottoman Ambergus. It's one of the most expensive perfumes at approximately two thousand Canadian dollars per 50 milliliters. Now I don't know this because I'm an expert on perfume I actually had to google it. But translated into pounds it's about eighteen thousand Canadian dollars. Well if you double that you are approaching the value of the pure nard in this account. It's an extravagance to say the least and that's what I want to talk to us I want us to talk about today is extravagant love for Jesus in response to his extravagant love for us. This is at least the third time in the Gospels that this family Martha, Mary, and Lazarus appears in an intimate fashion with Jesus. It's apparent that they're very very close. If you remember Jesus and his followers stayed at the home of Mary and Martha and Lazarus and the account of that is in Luke chapter 10. Martha is serving, Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to his teaching. It says now as they went on their way Jesus entered a village and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching but Martha was distracted with much serving and she went up to him and said Lord do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone. Tell her then to help me but the Lord answered Martha Martha you were anxious and troubled about many things but one thing is necessary Mary has chosen the good portion which will not be taken away from her. That line do you not care is repeated throughout the scriptures when things are not going the way that someone with Jesus would like them to go. And here we see in chapter 12 that Martha is serving still. Lazarus is there too reclining at the table with Jesus and Mary is again the most intimate with Jesus. Now in between these two accounts we see the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead by Jesus. In case you missed that part of the story the sisters send word to Jesus that their brother is sick. It says now there was a certain man who was ill Lazarus of Bethany the village of Mary and her sister Martha it was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him saying Lord the one whom you love is ill but when Jesus heard it he said the illness does not lead to death it is for the glory of God so that the Son of God may be glorified through it. Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus so when he heard that Lazarus was ill he stayed two days longer in that place where he was. Now it's not out of indifference that Jesus stays two days because the word tells us that Jesus loves Martha and Mary and Lazarus but you see that's the temptation and we see it we saw it in the Luke 10 account do you not care. We remember it from the storm at sea when the disciples were afraid because of the raging waves and they said to Jesus do you not care. That's the temptation that God doesn't care when you are faced with some sort of difficulty some sort of problem some sort of thing that you might call a tragedy and you pray and you ask God to alleviate the pain or the situation but he doesn't. That was the case here in chapter 11 they told Jesus that their brother Lazarus whom you love is sick and they know that if Jesus comes that Lazarus will be saved at least they believe that and yet he doesn't come he stays for two days. The question is why why is Jesus delaying and why when we ask for something from the Lord that we think is best for us that the answer is in our estimation too often silence. You see just because we can't think of a reason for our suffering for the suffering of anyone else just because we can't think of a reason doesn't mean there isn't one. Just because I can't think of a reason why anybody in my family would have to go through difficulty either medical or emotional or mental or physical or otherwise just because you can't think of a reason why things aren't going your way you didn't get the job you wanted you your your rent is too high your bills are too much just because you can't think of a reason why it's like this doesn't mean that there isn't one. See the reason here Jesus said it's for the glory of God that the Son of God may be glorified through it and that could be the case for any of the problems we run into any of the difficulties we have any of the things that we find onerous it could be that they are for God's glory sometimes they're for our discipline but just because I can't think of a reason doesn't mean there isn't one. So it's not out of indifference that Jesus stayed two days but it was that he may be glorified. When he finally arrives in Bethany Lazarus has been dead for four days and if you recall the reason that's important is because the Jews falsely believed that the spirit of a dead person hovered near the body for three days and then after that departed. So when Jesus arrives and it's been four days they are most likely without hope. Both Martha and Mary say to Jesus have you had been here my brother would still be alive and that's another way of saying why didn't you care why didn't you come why didn't you show up. Martha greets Jesus first and Jesus says your brother will rise again and Martha says I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. Jesus said to her I am the resurrection in the life whoever believes me though he died yet shall he live and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die do you believe this. She said yes Lord I believe that you are the Christ the Son of God coming into the world. Now after this he's greeted by Mary he sends for her and Mary comes to him and she says the same thing as Martha Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died. Jesus comforts her and Jesus weeps with her. He entered her pain and shared it even though he knew what he was about to do and that's the thing that we have in our Savior that's the thing that Christianity has that I don't think any other major religion has that we have a God who has entered our pain who has become one of us. Hebrews 2 14 says that that he had be made like his brothers in every respect that he shared in our flesh and our blood he experienced physical pain and torment and tiredness and hunger he entered our pain and he shared it and that's what he did with Mary he shared her pain and he wept with her even though he knew what he was about to do. I mean think about that why would he weep with Mary when he knew in the next few minutes he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. So he tells him to remove the stone and when they do he commanded Lazarus to come out and then the man who had died came out his hands and feet bound with linen strips and his face wrapped with a cloth Jesus said to him unbind him and let him go. Now many people believed in Jesus but the chief priest had a different response so from that day they made plans to put him to death then in verse 57 the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was he should let them know so that they might arrest him. So this is the situation when this dinner in chapter 12 took place. They gave Jesus a dinner in honor of the miracle they had performed the miracle of bringing Lazarus back from the dead but they also knew that the authorities wanted him arrested and likely anyone who is associated with Jesus would have been in trouble as well and yet everyone there was willing to risk being associated with Jesus everyone there was willing to risk being identified with Jesus. I mean the intensity of the opposition to Jesus was rising partly because he was forcing it but by the end of the week he would be crucified but despite this risk the family wanted to honor Jesus. Other gospel accounts of the same dinner took place says the dinner took place at the home of Simon the leper. Although it isn't explicitly stated it is reasonable to assume that Simon is no longer a leper because if he was Jews wouldn't be able to associate with him for fear of becoming unclean and not being allowed in temple. So Simon no longer had leprosy and it's also most likely although it's not said that he was healed by Jesus and this would certainly be a will or reason that he would be willing to host the dinner for Jesus despite the risks of the threat of the Pharisees and chief priests. I mean they had said if anyone knows where he is you need to come and tell us and despite that direct command from the religious authorities Simon hosted a dinner for Jesus so he obviously knew where he was and so did everybody that was there. Now while the dinner is taking place Mary comes in and anoints the feet of Jesus with an expensive ointment made of pure nard. Now it says that it was worth 300 in today's money that's somewhere around forty to fifty thousand dollars. It's an extravagant gift. It's a gift of love and adoration for Jesus. Other gospels recording the same event in Mark and Matthew report that she poured it on his head as well. This extravagant display of love and adoration no surprise is met with anger. They scolded her and Jesus said the money could have been given to the poor although the accountant John says he wasn't interested in the poor. Amazingly enough these days there are politicians who fit that bill. They want to get money from the people. Ostensibly the reason is to help the poor but somehow the poor never get it. They scold her. It's not surprising if you love Jesus extravagantly you will be met with some derision. You're overdoing it. Try to keep things in balance all things in moderation but there's never been any such thing as moderation in love for God. I remember when Tracy and I were first considering going into the ministry with Campus Crusade for Christ we had to raise our own support develop a support team to pay us our our salary. My parents could not understand it. We were going overboard. We were being extravagant. We were being unreasonable. We needed to be more moderate. But there's never been any such thing as moderation and love for God according to the scriptures Deuteronomy 6 verse 4 hero Israel the Lord our God the Lord is one you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart all your soul and with all your might that does not sound moderate. Mark 12 which is the commandment is the most important of all Jesus answered the most important is hero Israel the Lord our God the Lord is one and you shall love the Lord your God with your heart all your soul while your mind and with all your strength and the second is like it you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There's nothing moderate about love for God as Tim Keller once said Jesus cannot be just liked. His claims make us either kill him or crown him. That's exactly what we see in chapters 11 and 12 of John's Gospel. Mary is pouring out extravagant love on her king and the Pharisees are plotting to kill him. So while Mary is in essence crowning him the Pharisees want to kill him. Throughout the history of Christianity especially early Christianity the lack of moderation is what got so many Christians in trouble. You see they were up against a Roman pantheon of gods and as far as the Romans were concerned you could have your own God that was fine with them just you know to add him or it or them to the list. They had hundreds maybe even thousands of gods and so what did they care if you had a different one but what they really didn't like is when the Christians told everybody that Jesus was the only God and all the others weren't gods. We can run into the same trouble today if we try to witness to somebody and tell them that we believe that Jesus Christ is the only Son of the living God. There is no other and then people want to say well isn't this the same God as Islam isn't it the same God as Judaism is and the answer is no it isn't no he isn't. There is only one. Jesus doesn't want our lukewarm affections he wants all of us because he has given all of himself. Revelation chapter 3 says I know your works you are neither hot or cold would that you were either hot or cold so because you are a lukewarm and neither hot nor cold I will spit you out of my mouth for you say I am rich and I have prospered and I need nothing not realizing that you are wretched impeniable poor blind and naked. There's something else I want us to see about Mary's extravagance and love for Jesus. After she anoints his feet she wipes them with her hair. Now it may not strike us initially because of the culture we live in but in that culture a woman would not let her hair down except in private and with her husband and yet Mary is loving Jesus in a very intimate way she's taking down her hair and using it to wipe off his feet. It's interesting that Nard is most often mentioned in the Song of Solomon which is about love between a man and a woman a husband and a wife. One commentator noting the intimate relationship that Jesus had with the family might have meant that Mary had hoped for a marriage with Jesus but by now by this instant instance she realizes that he's going to die and she might have been the first to understand this for when the others protested her extravagance Jesus said leave her alone so she might keep it for the day of my burial for the poor you will always have with you but you do not always have me. The Gospel of Mark records the what happened this way but Jesus said leave her alone why do you trouble her she has done a beautiful thing to me for you will always have the poor with you and whenever you want you can do good for them but you will not always have me she has done what she could she has anointed my body beforehand for burial and truly I say to you wherever the Gospel is proclaimed in the whole world what she has done will be told in her memory. Now if you think I'm mistaking and thinking that Mary possibly had hoped for a marriage with Jesus that's exactly what she will get and so will we. Throughout the Bible God has described his relationship with his people as a marriage. Isaiah 54 for your maker is your husband the Lord of hosts is his name and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer for God of the whole earth he is called for the Lord God has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in her spirit like a wife of youth when she is cast off says your God for the brief moment I deserted you but with great compassion I will gather you in overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you says the Lord your Redeemer and we read in Isaiah 62 for as a young man marries a young woman so your son shall marry you and as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride so your God shall rejoice over you in Ephesians chapter 5 we see an explanation of marriage the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church his body and his himself its Savior husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her that he might sanctify her having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word so he might present the church to himself in splendor without spot or wrinkled or any such thing that she might be holy and without blemish therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast his wife and the two shall become one flesh and then he says this the mystery is profound that but I am saying that it refers to Christ in the church so the most intimate act between a man and a woman in marriage is a picture of the intimacy that we have with Christ in heaven Mary understood some of this she wouldn't be the wife of Jesus in this life she would be in the life to come not only will she be the bride of Jesus so will we so are we all of history will culminate in a marriage supper of the bride the church with the lamb Jesus a marriage is a joyous a marriage feast is a joyous occasion and the marriage feast of Jesus and his bride will be the most joyous but until then we'll face trials despite our faith no matter how great our pure or sincere there will be trials and possibly even persecution those at this dinner honoring Jesus knew they were risking trouble with the Pharisees trouble with the chief priest and maybe even opposition for the Roman authorities they might face severe opposition honoring Jesus meant they were risking trouble but that did not stop them from identifying with Jesus from intimacy with him from extravagant love for him and he shouldn't stop us either from identifying with Jesus whatever opposition or persecution I've although it's mild in this country we shouldn't shrink back from identifying with Jesus yes it might cost us it might cost us social standing it might cost us a promotion it might cost you but in the least in this country it won't cost you that much the next verses show how severe the opposition was and still is to the gospel verse 9 when the large crowd of Jews learned that Jesus is there they came not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead so the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well I just wondered if that scared Lazarus he'd already been dead once then in verse 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus identifying with Jesus put Lazarus under the threat of death but by the end of the week Jesus would identify with us in our sin by the end of the week Jesus would love them and us extravagantly he would be willing to take our place and death we deserve because of our sin and he would rise again three days later if Jesus doesn't return beforehand we will all taste death the older you get the closer you may think you are but young people die as well but the promise is that we will rise again and the bride of Jesus our Savior our Redeemer our husband will welcome us to the marriage supper of the Lamb let's pray father thank you for your word thank you for the gospel we pray in Jesus name amen please stand