The Plot and the Anointing:

Context:

• Following the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
• Many Jews believed in Jesus.
• Some Jews went to the Pharisees with the news.
• The chief priests and Pharisees gathered the council.

John 11:48 “...If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation...”

What was the concern of the religious people?

• They were concerned about their place.

What were they not concerned about?

• The will of God.

What are religious people concerned about today?

Matthew 26:2 “...You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified...”

Did Jesus know what was coming?

John 11:49-50 “...Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish...”

What was Caiaphas really saying, and why?

• He was speaking of his own accord.
• He actually prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation.

Matthew 26:3-4 “...Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him...”

Mark 14:1 “...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,...”

John 11:53 “...So from that day on they made plans to put him to death...”

Does this seem like a logical thing to do?

• In their futile, worldly way of thinking it made perfect sense.

Were they planning on murdering Him?

• They had no intention of breaking one of the 10 commandments.
• They had every intention of finding a way to legally put Him to death, even if it required stealth.

Are there still plans to put Jesus to death?

Matthew 26:6-9 “...Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor...”

Mark 14:3-5 “...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. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her...”

John 12:3-6 “...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 three hundred denarii and given to the poor?. 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...”

How did people receive the anointing of Jesus?

• Unaware of the bigger picture, it was evaluated from a “money wasting” point of reference.

When can apparent concern for money be inappropriate?

• When it is unaware of, and out of sync with, the bigger picture.

Matthew 26:10-14 “...But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her...”

Mark 14:6-9 “...But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you 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 memory of her...”

John 12:7-8 “...Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me...”

What did Jesus think of the oil on his head?

• It was a beautiful thing.
• It was more important at the time than selling it to support the poor (or the greed of money lovers)

The Resurrection and the Life:

Context:

• By the time Jesus arrives, Lazarus has been in the tomb four days.
• The grieving process was well under way.
• Martha, not Mary, meets Jesus - Mary remained in the house.
• She expresses her faith that Jesus could have prevented her brother’s death.
• She also expresses that a faith in His ability to petition God.

John 11:23,24 “...Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again. Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day...”

What did Jesus know?

• The current will of the Father.

What did Martha know?

• The current belief about future events.

What is the difference between what Jesus knows and what we know?

• 1 Corinthians 13:12 “...For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known...”
• Jesus knows the beginning from the end - He’s the Alpha and the Omega.
• We, at our best, know but a fraction of the truth.

John 11:25-26 “...Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?...”

What was Jesus proclaiming?

• That he is integral to our current and future existence.
• That death is not the final chapter.
• That believing in Jesus has eternal, non-death consequences.

John 11:32-35 “...Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept...”

How did Mary’s comment to Jesus differ from Martha’s comment?

• They both believed Jesus could have prevented the death.
• It was “too busy” Martha, not “sit at His feet” Mary, who expressed confidence that Jesus could still do something about the situation.

Why did Jesus weep?  Do real men cry?

• This is the shortest verse in the Bible, but not the least significant.
• Jesus had tender emotion, validating the appropriateness of sorrow.
• The Jews said his weeping was proof that He loved Lazarus.
• Romans 12:15 “...Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep...”
• Luke 19:41 “...And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,...”
• He wept with those who wept.
• He wept over those who were separated from God.

John 11:38-39 “...Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days...”

When do people respond inappropriately to the commands of Jesus?

• When they operate on their understanding instead of His.

Would you have agree with Martha?

How much do we trust the words of Jesus?

John 11:40 “...Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God? ...”

What does belief bring to situations?

• The visible glory of God.

John 11:41-42 “... So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me...”

What does the visible glory of God bring to situations?

• Belief.

John 11:43-44 “...When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 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 them, “Unbind him, and let him go...”

What does the compassion of Jesus accomplish?

• The will of the Father.
• Release from death.
• Freedom from that which binds us.

John 11:47-48 “...So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation...”

How did the religious leadership respond to the raising of the dead?

• With selfish concern for their position.

John 11:54 “...Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples...”

How did their selfishness affect their exposure to Jesus?

• They no longer had Him openly with them.

How does our selfishness affect our exposure to Jesus?

Sleeping, Dead or Alive:

Context:

• Lazarus, of Bethany, was ill.
• Mary and Martha sent for Jesus, knowing that He loved Lazarus.

John 11:4 “...But when Jesus heard it he said, “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...”

Did Jesus claim the illness was from a chance exposure to microorganisms?

Did Jesus claim the illness was a result of sin?

Did Jesus know what He was talking about?

• He was always connected to His Father.
• He identified the situation as an opportunity for God, and the Son of God, to be glorified.

How would you have responded to news of a dear friends illness?

How did Jesus respond (11:6,7)?

• “...He stayed two days longer in the place where He was...”
• “...Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again....”

Why didn’t the disciples want Him to go to Judea (11:8)?

• “...The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?...”
• They were concerned for His well being.

John 11:9-10 “...Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him...”

What is the light of this world?

• Jewish literature was generous with the title “light of the world,” applying it to Israel, Jerusalem, the patriarchs, the Messiah, God, famous rabbis and the law; but always it refers to something of ultimate significance.
• John 1:4 “...In him was life, and the life was the light of men...”
• Jesus is obviously the light of the world.  Without Him there is darkness.

What prevents a person from stumbling?

• Walking in the day.
• Seeing the light of this world.
• Walking in the truth that Jesus illuminates - and is.

John 11:11-16 “...After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him...”

Was Lazarus sleeping, dead, or alive?

• Lazarus had died.
• Jesus told them plainly that he had died.

What did Thomas hear, and what was his response?

• Lazarus is died.
• Jesus said let us go to him.
• Thomas was ready to go and die also.

What was the short term reason for the situation?

• “...that you may believe...” 
• The disciples were going to witness the power of Jesus over the grave.

What was the long term reason for the situation?

• The disciples would one day lay down their lives, believing in the power of Jesus over the grave.

Using Talents:

Context:

• The parable of the talents follows Jesus saying in Matthew 24 “...But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only...” , and just after the parable of the ten virgins.
• Both of these parables are about the second coming of Christ.

Matthew 25:14-15 “...For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away...”

Where was the man going?

• Somewhere else.

What did the man entrust to his servants?

• That which belonged to him.

What did the man give to his servants?

• Various talents, each according to his ability.
• A talent of silver weighed 58 and 80 pounds.
• It was worth 6,000 to 10,000 denarii (6,000 to 10,000 days wages)

What reality might this parable be revealing?

• Jesus left planet earth to return to the throne room - elsewhere.
• The whole earth belongs to Him, but He has left it to other’s care.
• He has given people various resources, in line with their abilities.

Matthew 25:16-18 “...He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money...”

What did the servants do with what was given to them?

• Two of them put the resources to good use, producing more.
• One of them didn’t use the resource, but buried it.

How are we doing with what God has given us?

Matthew 25:19 “...Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them...”

Was the master gone long?

Has Jesus been gone long?

What happens when someone is gone long?

• There is a tendency to forget.

Has anyone stopped paying attention to responsibilities given to them by Jesus?

Matthew 25:20-23 “...And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’..”

What does good stewardship bring to a person?

• Praise for being good and faithful.
• Added trust and responsibility.
• The joy of God.

Matthew 25:24-30 “...He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth...”

What does poor stewardship bring to a person?

• Chastisement.
• Loss of trust and responsibility.
• Darkness, weeping, and gnashing teeth.

How important is it to be good stewards of what we’ve been given?

Making Minas:

Context:

• Jesus had spent some time with a wee little man.
• He was now nearing Jerusalem.
• He knew that his disciples were expecting the kingdom of God to appear immediately.
• He proceeded to tell them a parable.

Luke 19:12-13 “...He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’...”

Where was the nobleman going and why?

• Far away.
• To receive a kingdom.
• He would then return.

To what underlying truth was this parable speaking?

• Jesus was about to go away.
• Jesus is going to return.

What did He give His servants?

• Ten minas.
• Each mina was worth roughly 3 months wages.

What were they to do with the minas?

• Engage in business. 
• Use that with which they have been entrusted.

What does Jesus expect of His servants prior to His return.

• Engage in business.
• Use that with which they have been entrusted.

Luke 19:14 “...But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ ...”

Who resisted the nobleman’s wishes, and why?

• The citizens didn’t want to be ruled.

Who resists the Lord Jesus now, and why?

• The citizens who don’t want anyone reigning over them.

Luke 19:15-19 “...When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ ...”

Did the nobleman receive the kingdom? Did he return, as he said he would?

What did the first two servants receive?

• Commendations for multiplying what they had been given.
• Increased responsibility and authority.

Luke 19:20-23 “...Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ ...”

What did the third servant receive?

• Condemnation for being wicked.

What did the last seven servants receive?

• What they deserved.

Luke 19:24-27 “...And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’...”

What is the underlying lesson about using what is given?

• Faithfulness leads to increased responsibility.
• Unfaithfulness leads to loss.

What happens to those who resist the reign of the Ruler of the Kingdom?

• They are slaughtered.

Is this harsh?

Is this just?

Are we forewarned?

Will it matter?