How Do You Respond to the Savior of the World?

How do you respond to the Savior of the world? That’s a present-tense question. The question is not how have you responded in the past to Jesus, for example, when you first gave Him your heart. But, how are you responding to Him now? We explore this question as we look in John 12 and see how others, who were already in a relationship with Him, responded to Him. Maybe from this, we could see what our response could be. How do you respond to the Savior of the world, that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life. Mary McClellan lived in Mississippi more than one-hundred years ago. In her Methodist church one morning, she heard a moving sermon on missions. When the special offering was taken, she put in a five-dollar bill—a lot of money in those days—with a note reading, “I give five dollars and myself, Mary I. McClellan.” Indeed she did! She became a wonderful Christian. Eventually, she and her minister husband went out as missionaries. They were among the pioneers for Methodism in the Orient.¹

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Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put into operation.
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Keep steady with the mission, the calling, the particular thing the Lord has you doing. All your gifts and talents point in that direction. Do not allow Satan to put hindrances in your way of fulfilling your purpose. Exercise your faith in God now that you know the power of Jesus’ Name over impediments. It’s time to put it to use.

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Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony. Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11).
This week’s question is:

Question: Please share your testimony of faith in God by using the Name of Jesus over hindrances. Please share your comments in the comments section below.

Episode Resources:

You can find additional information on the subject of John’s Gospel in the resources listed below.

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 40 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 35 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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Podcast Notes

The Savior of the World Comes to Bethany

John 12:1–8 (ESV) — 1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 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. 4 But 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?” 6 He 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. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

The Final Weeks of Jesus Earthly Ministry

The happenings in John 12 mark the beginning of Jesus’ last few weeks before His crucifixion.
In length, John covers 21 chapters.
So with chapters 12 to 24 covering two weeks of Jesus’ life, that means that half of John’s gospel covers this small period.
The other gospels have a similar bend to them.
In Luke’s gospel, roughly the last 25% of the book covers these two weeks.
For Mark’s gospel, it’s about 35% of his gospel.
In Matthew, roughly 30% of the book covers the final two weeks.
Jesus’ final two weeks are worthy of study.
It’s enlightening to catalog all that Jesus talked about during these final moments.

The Events of the Savior of the World’s Last Two Weeks

The events or teachings in John’s gospel include.
The Hosanna Walk AKA Triumphal Entry – John 12:12–19
The Greeks who wished to see Jesus – John 12:20–23
The Corn of Wheat Parable – John 12:24–26
The Father Speaks Audibly from heaven – John 12:27–30
If I Be Lifted Up – John 12:31–33
Walking with the Light teaching – John 12:34–36
Unbelief and Rejection of Jesus and His Response- John 12:37–50
Washing the Disciples Feet – John 13:1–20
Jesus Troubled in His Spirit Over Judas Betrayal – John 13:21–30
The New Commandment Teaching – John 13:31–38
Father’s House Teaching – John 14:1–7
Jesus Answers Andrews ‘Show us the Father’ Request – John 14:8–11
Doing the Works of Jesus and the Name in Prayer – John 14:12–14
Another Helper, Another Comforter – John 14:15–26
Peace and the Troubled Heart – John 15:27–21
Jesus Pledge to Not Leave the Disciples Orphans – John 14:18–31
Teaching on the True Vine – John 15:1–11
Greater Love Teaching – John 15:12–17
If the World Hates You Teaching – John 15:18–16:4
More Teaching on the Helper, the Holy Spirit – John 16:5–15
Encouragement Because of Jesus Departure – John 16:16–22
Using the Name of Jesus – John 16:23–28
Tribulation and the Reason for Good Cheer – John 16:29–33
Jesus Prayer for His Disciples – John 17:1–26
The Garden – Jesus Betrayal – Jesus Trial – Jesus Crucifixion – Jesus Resurrection – John 18:1–20:10
Jesus Appears to Mary, the Disciples, and Thomas – John 20:11–28
John Gives the Purpose for His Gospel – John 20:30–31
The Resurrected Jesus Cooks Breakfast for the Disciples – John 21:1–14
Jesus Challenge to Peter – John 21:15–23
Conclusion – John 21:24–25

The Will of God: Number One

You can readily see that the will of God consumed Jesus.
Jesus was continually about His Father’s business.
That’s His example for us to follow.
Personally, the trial and crucifixion portions of His last two weeks are still emotionally challenging to read, knowing they led to Jesus’ excruciating death.
My, my — how He suffered for you and me.
Good Friday was a good day but, — two days later, was seismically superior.
Some think we need to stay near to and cling to the Cross.
We sing songs about it even.
The Cross is a place of death.
God is not a God of the dead but of the living for all live unto Him.
You don’t want to be stuck living life on Good Friday — You don’t want to keep reliving Good Friday over and over again — Be thankful for Good Friday but move unto Sunday — move unto the Resurrection, move on to the power of the gospel.
You want to live on Sunday — in the Resurrection and all the victory that it implies.
His disciples, at the point of John 12, didn’t understand what was on the horizon for Jesus.

Mark’s Version of the Happenings in Bethany

Now, Mark adds some details that John did not mention in his account of the happenings at Bethany.

Mark 14:1–11 (ESV) — 1 It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him,

Mark’s account is two days before the Passover — John’s account is six days before.
The gospel writer Mark also adds the back story of the Jew’s attempt to annihilate Jesus.
The IVP Bible Background Commentary has this to say about this, and with that thought, here’s the historical background of the day.

Jewish literature reports that many high priests bullied those who opposed them. Thus they would certainly not tolerate someone like Jesus.²

So, that’s a little bit of a different spin on religious hypocrites — Keener calls them bullies.
Have you ever run into religious bullies in your life span?
For the most part, in my writings and podcasts, when I use the term ‘religious,’ it is in a negative sense.
‘Religious’ means people who don’t know Jesus as Savior and Lord.
The term means a person who possesses a form or appearance of godliness — 2 Timothy 3:5 — but who denies the power that’s in Jesus’ gospel.
The Greek word for ‘form or appearance’ referencing godliness is a word you should know, and with that thought, here’s the definition of the day.
‘Appearance or form’ means formation, it means the act of fabricating something in a particular shape.
Fabricating godliness — that’s the religious bunch — that’s these Jews who plotted to kill Jesus before the Passover.
Their religiosity is all a show or a put on — that’s the religious bunch.
There are times when we all act a little bit religious.
The Lord called me on that one day concerning my prayer life.
He told me my praying was a little religious.
You can get religious and not even realize it.
Listen to the conniving of the religious crowd as Mark relates it.
That’s a detail John didn’t include in his account.

Mark 14:2 (ESV) — for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”

Then, Mark gets into the anointing of Jesus by Mary, which we saw in John 12.
But, he adds this additional piece — hear it.

Mark 14:3–9 (ESV) — 3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head.

What Mark records that John does not is that these happenings in Bethany took place in the house of a leper, Simon, the leper.
What a group of ordinary everyday people that made up this dinner party — take a look at them.
In attendance, we have a leper; and a resurrected man with a contract on his head – [yes, the bullies were trying to kill Lazarus too] – a high strung non-stop worker lady and her sister.
Wouldn’t you say this is quite a diverse guest list for this dinner in Jesus honor?

The Prophetic Pointer in Mark’s Account

But, there’s another thing that Mark adds that John doesn’t.
Mark says that this super-expensive fragrant anointing oil, this special burial ointment to prep Jesus’ body for burial, was a prophetic pointer.
So, Jesus knew what was coming.
He knew about His impending death.
He walked around that whole evening with that knowledge in His heart.
And while He was doing it, Martha served.
While Jesus had this ominous sense concerning His future, Lazarus reclined.
Lazarus indeed had no clue while He reclined for dinner that Jesus didn’t have many meals left to enjoy on planet earth.
And so, Martha served — Lazarus reclined, and while they were doing that, Judas was making a treacherous, traitorous deal to hand Jesus over to the religious crowd.
So, we could say it this way: Martha served — Lazarus reclined — and Judas betrayed.
The point is life was just going on as Jesus’ time on earth began to wane.
Isn’t that the way of things?
How often is it that those around you have no clue what you are going through.
Life just keeps going on.
It happened here with Jesus.
Everyday life was happening all around Him: another day — another meal — another conversation.
And, all the while, the sands in Jesus hourglass were swiftly thinning out.
The last thing that Mark adds to John’s account is that the offering of Mary would go down in history.
It would be a point of remembrance of her glorious deed in honoring Jesus – a feat that would ring out in every single generation of man.
Here are Jesus’ exact words on the matter.

Mark 14:3–9 (ESV) — 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

Mary’s Gift to the Savior of the World

So, let’s drill down into this gift that Mary gave to Jesus.
But, before we do, note that this Mary, Lazarus’s sister, is one of many Mary’s in the Bible.
Mary of Bethany, as she is known, is not the same Mary as Mary Magdalene.
Sometimes people confuse the two — they are separate Mary’s.
She is not the same Mary as Mary, the mother of James, Joses, and Salome in Mark 15:40.
Mark the gospel writer? — his mother was named Mary.

Acts 12:12 (ESV) — 12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.

So, we have all of these Mary’s in the Bible, along with Mary, the mother of Jesus.

The Gift of Mary of Bethany to the Savior

John said that this gift was a pound of anointment.
Now, this is not a North American pound as we know it but a Roman pound.
A Roman pound is about 11.5 ounces, so almost 3/4 of a pound as we know it.
So, Mary poured 12 ounces of perfumed anointment on Jesus – a costly gift.
This ointment represents a major gi-normous gift.
The cost of it was a year’s salary in that day.
What this may imply is that Mary of Bethany maybe had some means — perhaps she was wealthy.
Think about it — do you have a year’s salary in a 12-ounce bottle of scented body lotion sitting on your dresser? — she did.
Now, it could also be that someone in her family had means and gave this perfume to Mary as a gift.
We don’t know for sure — we can only surmise.
So, the woman had some means, but she was willing to give her ‘valuable means’ to Jesus.
The question is, are you?
Stop and meditate on this and put yourself in this story.
What would your gift be to Jesus?
How much would it cost you?
Does this get you to think about your own devotion to Jesus?
I recently started doing a poll with this question: ‘why do you read the Bible?’
One answer I got was ‘because I am a Christian.’
A second answer was ‘because I want to be closer to God.’
Yet a third answer was, ‘I like to read the Bible devotionally.’
Are these good answers?
They may be, but are they great answers?
How about, ‘I read the Bible, so I can see what God wants me to do in my everyday life?’

Luke 6:46–48 (ESV) — 46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.

Years ago, the Gideons started a movement to put a Bible in every hotel room.
The stats show that 1 out of 4 people would read that ‘hotel Bible.’
Isn’t it great that we have Bibles in our homes and Bibles in our hotels?
Then we have Bible reading plans.
I remember when the ‘One Year Bible’ was the thing to have and reading the Bible through in a year was the thing to do.
But today, we have Bible apps like You Version, where you can read the Bible in a gazillion translations and languages.
So, we have had all these movements — Bible in every hotel, Bible reading plans — shouldn’t we start a new movement?
How about a ‘doing the Bible movement?’
Not just own it — not just read it — but do it.
So when you read what Mary of Bethany did, what does her action inspire you to do?
That’s the question.
You may say, ‘I can’t give a year’s salary.’

A young American couple, Della and Jim, were very poor but very much in love. Each had one unique possession. Della’s hair was her glory. When she let it down, it almost served as a robe. Jim had a gold watch which had come to him from his father and was his pride. It was the day before Christmas, and Della had exactly one dollar eighty-seven cents to buy Jim a present. She went out and sold her hair for twenty dollars, and with the proceeds bought a platinum fob for Jim’s precious watch. When Jim came home at night and saw Della’s shorn head, he stopped as if stupefied. It was not that he did not like it or that he no longer loved her; for she was lovelier than ever. Slowly he handed her his gift; it was a set of expensive tortoise-shell combs with jeweled edges for her lovely hair—and he had sold his gold watch to buy them. Each had given the other all there was to give. Real love cannot think of any other way to give.³

Both Della and Jim gave all they had to one another.
How would you respond to the Savior of the world?
What would you give to Jesus?
What would you pour out on Him of your possessions?
Could you see yourself giving on this order?
You may say, no, I can’t see myself giving this way because I can’t sow this way.
Keep reading.
Mary didn’t just give a year’s salary; she wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair.
Barclay goes on to say.

In Palestine, no respectable woman would ever appear in public with her hair unbound. On the day a girl was married, her hair was bound up, and never again would she be seen in public with her long tresses flowing loose. That was the sign of an immoral woman. But Mary never even thought of that. When two people really love each other, they live in a world of their own. They will wander slowly down a crowded street hand in hand, heedless of what other people think. Many are self-conscious about showing their Christianity, concerned always about what others are thinking about them. Mary loved Jesus so much that it was nothing to her what others thought.⁴

What about loving Jesus this way?
Amid Martha serving, Lazarus reclining, and Judas betraying, Mary poured out her devotion over the feet of Jesus.
With that thought, here’s the illustration of the day.

One day in the spring of 2001, Ken Waters awakened in his own bed for the first time in 19 years. Nineteen years ago Ken Waters was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted in a Massachusetts courtroom of first-degree murder. Devastated, his sister, Bette Anne Waters, was convinced of her brother’s innocence and refused to accept the outcome of the trial. A single mother of three, Bette went to law school for the express purpose of overturning her brother’s conviction. After studying recent convictions overturned by DNA evidence, Bette scoured the courthouse to see if any DNA evidence was available from her brother’s trial. She knew it was a long shot because most evidence is destroyed after 10 years. Her heart was pounding as she awaited the p 63 response from the courthouse clerk. Within minutes she was informed that the DNA evidence was still intact. There was only one more question. Would the DNA evidence exonerate her brother? The testing that followed clearly showed this was not Ken Waters’ DNA. Waters was a free man. It was an emotional scene as Ken’s mother and sister, Bette Anne, wept and embraced him. Though costly, Bette’s devotion helped free her brother. It was worth every bit of sacrifice.⁵

Bette’s devotion helped free her brother, did you hear that?
Freedom, devotion, sacrifice are all related terms.

It is said that Cyrus, the founder of the Persian Empire, once had captured a prince and his family. When they came before him, the monarch asked the prisoner, “What will you give me if I release you?” “The half of my wealth,” was his reply. “And if I release your children?” “Everything I possess.” “And if I release your wife?” “Your Majesty, I will give myself.” His devotion so moved Cyrus that he freed them all. As they returned home, the prince said to his wife, “Wasn’t Cyrus, a handsome man!” With a look of deep love for her husband, she said to him, “I didn’t notice. I could only keep my eyes on you—the one who was willing to give himself for me.” ⁶

Why Did Mary Respond to the Savior with Such Love?

But, now you have to ask yourself, why did Mary love Jesus so?
For one, it was a reciprocal response, a natural reaction to being loved.

John 11:5 (ESV) — 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister [Mary of Bethany] and Lazarus.

Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, and they loved Jesus, which means they had to have spent some time in the presence of each other.
That’s one way loving relationships develop.
It’s one way your love for Jesus can grow.
Another could be that Mary understood the sacrifice that Jesus made in coming to raise her brother Lazarus from the dead.
He risked His life to do it — the religious crowd was out to kill him.

John 11:14–16 (ESV) — 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Mary understood Jesus’ sacrifice for her family, and she responded to Him with full devotion.
How do you respond to the Savior of the world?
That’s a question we all should answer.
You guys have a great God week, and we will see you next time for another edition of Light on Life.

Are You Over Prioritizing Your Everyday Life?

References:

G. Curtis Jones, 1000 Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1986), 259. ↩
Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Mk 14:1. ↩
William Barclay, The Gospel of John, vol. 2, The New Daily Study Bible (Louisville, KY: Edinburgh, 2001), 127–128. ↩
William Barclay, The Gospel of John, vol. 2, The New Daily Study Bible (Louisville, KY: Edinburgh, 2001), 128–129. ↩
Citation: David Slagle; Lawrenceville, Georgia; source: The Today Show (3–15–01) ↩
Source unknown, Galaxie Software, 10,000 Sermon Illustrations (Biblical Studies Press, 2002). ↩

emeryhorvath.com

Equipping people to pursue God's glory

How Do You Respond to the Savior of the World?

Podcast: Light on Life Season 7 Episode 18

by Emery Horvath

Listen to the Audio

Click Play to Listen | Right Click to Download | Subscribe in Stitcher Radio

Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Question: Please share your testimony of faith in God by using the Name of Jesus over hindrances. Please share your comments in the comments section below.

Episode Resources:

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Podcast Notes

The Savior of the World Comes to Bethany

The Final Weeks of Jesus Earthly Ministry

The Events of the Savior of the World’s Last Two Weeks

The Will of God: Number One

Mark’s Version of the Happenings in Bethany

The Prophetic Pointer in Mark’s Account

Mary’s Gift to the Savior of the World

The Gift of Mary of Bethany to the Savior

Why Did Mary Respond to the Savior with Such Love?

Listen to the Audio

Click Play to Listen | Right Click to Download | Subscribe in Stitcher Radio

Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Question: Please share your testimony of faith in God by using the Name of Jesus over hindrances. Please share your comments in the comments section below.

Episode Resources:

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Podcast Notes

The Savior of the World Comes to Bethany

The Final Weeks of Jesus Earthly Ministry

The Events of the Savior of the World’s Last Two Weeks

The Will of God: Number One

Mark’s Version of the Happenings in Bethany

The Prophetic Pointer in Mark’s Account

Mary’s Gift to the Savior of the World

The Gift of Mary of Bethany to the Savior

Why Did Mary Respond to the Savior with Such Love?

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