A homily is “a short talk on a religious or moral topic; a usually short sermon; a lecture or discourse on or of a biblical theme.”
I am sharing a verse-by-verse series of short messages on Ephesians (as well as other passages of Scripture) specifically targeted at reviving families and encouraging and exhorting husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, and children to do what God has commanded them to do, for if the church is to be revived and the country is to be awakened, the family must be revived first.
TEXT: Ephesians 1:3-6:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
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John R. Rice said, “It is true the saved are God’s elect, ‘chosen in him before the foundation of the world. But it is wrong to make this election a whim of God whereby He saves some, compels them to be saved, and damns some whom He has decided He does not wish to save. Election is not ‘unconditional.’ It is simply that God knows who will trust Him when they hear the Gospel and chooses them to be carried through till they be ‘conformed to the image of his Son.'”
Leonard Ravenhill said, “Everything in your life is going to be judged by the cross — your eating, your drinking, your sleeping, your spending, your talking. Everything is cross-examined!”
In their book, The Ten Greatest Revivals Ever, Elmer Towns and Douglas Porter share with us: “Hundreds were converted during the Korean revival of 1905 and 1906, more than in any previous year in the history of the Korean mission. In the capitol of North Korea, 700 conversions were recorded in a two-week period. Still, the best was yet to come.”
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From the first three verses in this chapter, we have talked about the spiritual blessings that are enjoyed by believers. Verse 4 sheds further light on those of us who receive the blessings, as well as the One who gives us the blessings. The text reads, ‘According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.’
What does it mean to be chosen in God? Dr. Warren Wiersbe explains this phrase as follows: “This is the marvelous doctrine of election, a doctrine that has confused some and confounded others. That salvation begins with God, and not with man, all Christians will agree. The lost sinner, left to his own ways, does not seek God; God in His love seeks the sinner… Does the sinner respond to God’s grace against his own will? No, he responds because God’s grace makes him willing to respond. The mystery of divine sovereignty and human responsibility will never be solved in this life. Both are taught in the Bible. Both are true, and both are essential.”
John R. Rice said, “It is true the saved are God’s elect, ‘chosen in him before the foundation of the world. But it is wrong to make this election a whim of God whereby He saves some, compels them to be saved, and damns some whom He has decided He does not wish to save. Election is not ‘unconditional.’ It is simply that God knows who will trust Him when they hear the Gospel and chooses them to be carried through till they be ‘conformed to the image of his Son.'”
People today often talk about searching for God or finding God. But, in reality, it is God who calls us to Himself. He is the one who takes the initiative. And He has taken that initiative with every human being. However, some respond and some resist.
We ought to be even more grateful for the spiritual blessings that Paul spoke of previously as we consider that we receive them entirely by the will of God. Nothing we do or have done make us worthy to receive these blessings. He alone desired to give them to us, and He made it possible for us to receive them.
To be chosen in God is a wonderful thing. It reminds us that God is not eager to send judgment on anyone — even on a nation as wicked as ours. His first act was to call us to Himself, and if we, as the church, respond to that call ourselves and help others respond to that call, we can see the revival and great awakening that this nation so desperately needs.
9 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.
10 But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;
11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.
———-
Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 176.
B.J. Richardson said, “Lazarus didn’t have to have any profound speeches in order to glorify God. He didn’t have to be incredibly persuasive or convincing. He took no classes in apologetics or epistemology. He didn’t even go through an evangelism class or memorize the Romans Road. He simply had to exist. All he had to do is show people the change. ‘This is where I was and this is where I am now.’ That’s it.”
Today, our text reveals the immense hatred that the Jewish religious leaders had cultivated for Jesus and His work. We find that, not only are they targeting Jesus but they are targeting Lazarus as well. Before, they rarely went after the people whom Jesus had helped or worked miracles for, but a man being raised from the dead was too much for them. They decided that Lazarus needed to be put to death.
One of the reasons why the “chief priests” wanted Lazarus back in the grave is because, as I mentioned before, most of the chief priests were Sadducees, and Sadducees did not believe in a physical resurrection. They believed that once you died, that was it: your soul went back to God, but your body remained decaying in the grave. Lazarus was living proof that their theology was wrong. Yet, instead of correcting their theology, they decided that they wanted to kill Lazarus.
Not only did Lazarus being alive prove that what they had been teaching was wrong, it was one of the biggest pieces of evidence for Jesus’ ministry. John tells us that people came not just to see Jesus, but to “see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.” It was for this reason that “many of the Jews went away [left the Sadducees], and believed on Jesus.”
To hear a man testify that he was sick, that he died, that he was buried, but that he is alive right now — with multiple witnesses to back up his story — is powerful indeed. People would have been foolish not to believe on Jesus now. Even those who had previously oppose Jesus because of some of His controversial statements had to give it a second thought. As Jesus had once said, ‘If you won’t believe because of My words, believe because of My works.’
But the Sadducees weren’t interested in believing. They only wanted to preserve their status with Rome — to keep their wealth, ease, comfort, and authority over the people. They obviously knew that Jesus had proven them wrong on many occasions — Lazarus’ resurrection being the latest and most significant demonstration of His power. Now, they only wanted to destroy the evidence by killing Lazarus.
The testimony of a person whose life has been transformed is very powerful. Jesus desires to bring about equally dramatic change in your life today. You say, ‘But, I’m not dead.’ If you are not a part of God’s family through Jesus Christ, you are dead in your sins. If you’re a prostitute, that’s death. If you’re a drug addict, that’s death. If you’re a homosexual, that’s death. If you’re a liar, that’s death. If you’re a drunkard, that’s death. If you’re an embezzler, a cheater, a thief, an adulterer — all of it — it’s death.
Jesus is calling you out of your dead situation just as He called Lazarus out of his grave. He can change your life and give you new life. That is why salvation is called being born again. Here is how you can be born again today.
1. Accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:20: “For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Romans 3:23 reads: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
2. Accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
3. Accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The Bible says in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
4. Accept the fact that you cannot do anything to save yourself! The Bible states in Ephesians 2: 8, 9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
5. Accept the fact that God loves you more than you love yourself, and that He wants to save you from hell. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
6. With these facts in mind, please repent of your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and pray and ask Him to come into your heart and save you this very moment. The Bible states in the book of Romans 10:9, 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Dear friend, if you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me this simple prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please e-mail me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.
2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
3 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 odour of the ointment.
4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,
5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
6 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.
7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.
8 For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.
———-
Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 175.
Matthew Henry said, “In Judas a foul sin is gilded over with a plausible pretence. We must not think that those do not do acceptable service, who do it not in our way.”
This story of Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume and Judas’ objection to this display of devotion is one of the few that is recorded in all four Gospels. As such, Matthew, Mark, and Luke share several details that provide us a fuller view of this passage.
The first thing we notice is that the house this feast is being held in belongs to a Pharisee named Simon. Luke 7:26 reads, “One of the Pharisees desired Jesus that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat.” This Pharisee is referred to as Simon the Leper, and it is likely that he is one of the many people who were healed by Jesus throughout His ministry. He obviously was not in 100% agreement with his peers on who Jesus was. Like Nicodemus, he was probably a secret believer who kept his true feelings about Jesus to himself.
The second detail that we are given is a little background information on Mary. There were at least three women named Mary involved in the life of Jesus and in the early church. This particular Mary, the sister of Martha, was known as “a sinner.” Some scholars say she was a prostitute; others say she was the Mary out of whom Jesus had cast seven devils. Some believe that these two conditions describe the same Mary. Some believe this was another Mary altogether. Whatever the case, her sin was apparently very great and very public as many people seemed to know about it. This reminds us that no one is too sinful or too far gone to approach Jesus Christ. In fact, in Luke 7, just prior to this dinner, Jesus describes Himself as “a friend of publicans and sinners.”
The third detail that we are given is that Judas was not the only one to express disagreement with Mary’s actions. He was the ringleader and was the first and the most vocal. Mark adds, “There were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?… And they murmured against her.” Matthew specifically points out the disciples as having “indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?”
This scene is a contrast between the sinner and the self-righteous. Mary, who has known great sin has also known the great forgiveness of the Savior. Whereas those who were supposed to be righteous (such as the Pharisee Simon, Judas, and the other disciples) apparently did not understand the level of gratitude that Mary felt for the grace and mercy of God because they had not experienced it as deeply as she had. As John Newton, the writer of “Amazing Grace” put it, “I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.”
In his lengthy rebuke of Simon, which is recorded in Luke, Jesus told a story about a lender who had forgiven two debtors of their debts. One owed a very large amount and the other owed a very small amount. Jesus asked Simon, “Tell me therefore, which of them will love the lender the most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.” Then the Bible records that Jesus turned to Mary and said, “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven…” Jesus can and will forgive any number of sins no matter how big and bad we think they are.
The fourth thing that we learn from this event is that this rebuke by Jesus was apparently the breaking point for Judas. Both Matthew and Mark record that immediately after this dinner, Judas went to the chief priests and agreed to have Jesus turned over to them. Mark 14:10 reads, “And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.” Matthew writes, “[He] said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.”
Unlike others of God’s servants in the Bible, Judas did not accept the rebuke that Jesus gave him. He did not repent and receive the forgiveness that Mary had received. He continued on the path of sin darkness, ultimately betraying and rejecting Jesus Christ forever.
Jesus wants to forgive you of your sins. He does not want you to perish in Hell like Judas perished, but to experience the transforming power of new life in Him as Mary did.
If you want to receive Him today, please understand that John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The Bible also says in Romans 10:9 and 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved…. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and I want to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please e-mail me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.
2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
3 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 odour of the ointment.
4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,
5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
6 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.
7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.
8 For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.
———-
Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 174.
David Brainerd said, “We should always look upon ourselves as God’s servants, placed in God’s world, to do his work; and accordingly labour faithfully for him; not with a design to grow rich and great, but to glorify God, and do all the good we possibly can.”
As Mary is washing Jesus’ feet and drying them with her hair, Judas Iscariot expresses his wicked heart that this use of expensive ointment is a waste. He tries to couch his disapproval in spiritual terms by stating that the perfume Mary is using on Jesus’ feet could have been sold and the money could have been given to the poor. But, John informs us that he only says this because he managed the money for Jesus and the disciples and he frequently stole some of the money and kept it for himself.
Please notice with me what Dr. Warren Wiersbe says about this pivotal passage in the Word of God, “It was Judas who started the criticism of Mary, and, sad to say, the other disciples took it up. They did not know that Judas was a devil, and they admired him for his concern for the poor. After all, he was the treasurer; and especially at Passover season, he would want to share with those who were less fortunate. This passage records Judas’ first words found anywhere in the four Gospels. His last words are found in Matthew 27:4, ‘Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.’ No doubt Judas had already decided to abandon Jesus, and he wanted to get what he could out of what he considered a bad situation. Perhaps he had hoped that Jesus would defeat Rome and set up the kingdom; in which case, Judas would have been treasurer of the kingdom! What Mary did was a blessing to Jesus and a blessing to her own life. She was also a blessing to the home, filling it with fragrance; and today, she is a blessing to the church around the world. Her one act of devotion in the little village of Bethany still sends ‘ripples of blessing.’ But not so Judas! We call our daughters ‘Mary,’ but no parent would name his son ‘Judas.’ His very name is listed in the dictionary as a synonym for treachery. Mary and Judas are seen in contrast in Proverbs 10:7, ‘The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall rot.'”
Jesus rebuked Judas, telling him to leave Mary alone, “against the day of my burying hath she kept this.” It was wrong for Judas to try and put a price on Mary’s love and devotion to the Lord. He thought no one knew the kind of person he really was, but his words in this passage reveal the evil in his heart.
Too many Christians, like Judas, are eager to criticize the ministry or service of another believer when all the while they are not engaged in any ministry or service themselves. In fact, they are trying to tear down the ministry that others are building up.
Jesus’ rebuke of Judas tells us that we ought not to judge how others serve Him. Mary was worshiping Jesus in the greatest way that she knew how (just as Martha was equally worshipping Jesus through her service in the kitchen). No other person in that room or outside of that room would have thought of doing what Mary did. We must remember that God does not look on the outward appearance; He looks on the heart. When a widow brought just two pennies — all she had — to the Temple offering Jesus declared that she had given more than all the wealthy religious leaders who gave out of their abundance. In the church, more of us ought to take Paul’s advice and not “judge another man’s servant”.
But Jesus is not finished rebuking Judas. He continues: ‘For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.’ Essentially, He was saying, ‘Judas, when I’m gone, let’s see how much money you’re willing to give to the poor then.’ It is easy for people to talk a big spiritual game when the Savior is in the house or when there are a bunch of church people around. But, when you go out into the world, where you think no one is watching you, are you still big on giving to the poor? Are you still big on evangelizing? Are you still big on living right?
All of those ‘religious duty’ issues will be taken care of if we have a heart full of love and devotion for Jesus like Mary did. Will you become a devoted disciple of Christ as Mary did?
If your answer is yes, you can begin your journey by receiving Christ as your Savior today. Here is how:
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please e-mail me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.
2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
3 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 odour of the ointment.
4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,
5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
6 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.
7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.
8 For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.
———-
Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 173.
Harry Ironside said, “No one ever lost out by excessive devotion to Christ.”
When any good work of God or for God is carried out, there will always be a devilish person to oppose God’s work and purposes — individuals who will stop at nothing to try and stop God’s work. Sometimes, these devilish individuals will be among those who are considered part of the team, and that is what we see in our passage today.
As Lazarus, Jesus, the disciples, and others are feasting together, Mary begins to anoint and wash Jesus’ feet with expensive ointment and to dry His feet with her hair. Perhaps, this is an act of worship and gratitude in response to Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.
Obviously, such a display would have been unusual and unexpected. People at the dinner would have been surprised, but too stunned to say anything aloud. However, one of Jesus’ disciples has something to say. Judas says, “Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?” John informs us, “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.”
Judas was the treasurer among the disciples. He handled the finances of Jesus’ ministry. The disciples probably did not know he was taking some of the money for himself at the time, but Jesus, knowing all things, allowed him to stay in that position to the end. Judas, apparently, had a greed problem. He was keen on where the money went, how it was being spent, and did not like to see money going anywhere except for in his bag. He pretended to be concerned about the financial needs of Jesus’ ministry and their ministry to the poor, but he was mostly concerned about how much cash he had access to.
Just as Judas masked his greed behind concern for the poor, people today mask their evil heart behind that which they know people approve of.
Jesus responds by saying, “Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.” Whether Mary knew that Jesus was going to die within the next week or not we do not know. But, she spared nothing in order to show her love and devotion to the Savior. Judas, who did not love Jesus or believe in Him, had a problem with this. He was not devoted to Jesus Christ and could not understand the place where Mary was coming from. Mary’s attitude was, ‘I may not get another chance to show Jesus how much I love him, so I’m going to show Him now.’
Jesus rebuked Judas: ‘For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.’ Essentially, He was saying, ‘Judas, when I’m gone, let’s see how much money you’re willing to give to the poor then.’ It is easy for people to talk a big spiritual game when the Savior is in the house or when there are a bunch of church people around. But, when you go out into the world, where you think no one is watching you, are you still big on giving to the poor? Are you still big on evangelizing? Are you still big on living right?
All of those ‘religious duty’ issues will be taken care of if we have a heart full of love and devotion for Jesus like Mary did. Will you become a devoted disciple of Christ as Mary did?
If your answer is yes, you can begin your journey by receiving Christ as your Savior today. Here is how:
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please e-mail me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.
2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
3 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 odour of the ointment.
———-
Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 172.
William B. Eerdman said, “The life of Mary is painted for us in three memorable pictures, in each of which she is at the feet of Jesus. First, she sat at His feet and learned. Then, she fell at His feet and surrendered. Finally, she anointed His feet and worshipped.”
As we begin a new chapter in the Gospel of John, we find that Jesus is once again in Bethany with His friends, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus (whom the text reminds us has just been raised from the dead a few days earlier). Among all of the people who have ever lived, Lazarus certainly would have had an interesting perspective on life considering that he, in a sense, got to live it twice.
The text reads that “they made Him, Jesus, a supper,” likely in celebration of Lazarus’ return from the grave — certainly a cause for great rejoicing for Mary, Martha, and their family members. Martha was in charge of serving the feast, as we know, from other passages of Scripture, that this is something she would have taken great care over. Lazarus was seated at the table, likely in the place of honor beside Jesus, along with several others.
The text informs us that this dinner party takes place just six days before the Passover began — the time when Jesus would go up to Jerusalem to be sacrificed. We see that Jesus was not worried, fretful, or concerned. He gladly took some time out to celebrate with His friends and disciples.
The next thing we see is the actions of Mary. Again, Mary appears to be more concerned with the spiritual side of things when compared to her sister. The Bible says, “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 odour of the ointment.” Notice three things about this act.
1. Mary’s anointing of Jesus’ feet was an act of extreme humility. Normally, only the lowliest of servants would be tasked with washing the feet of someone who had come to visit. But, Mary willingly washed Jesus’ feet. She was not asked to do it, nor was she expected to do it. This service came out of a heart of love for the Lord.
2. Mary’s anointing of Jesus’ feet was an act of extreme costliness. Normally, a traveler’s feet was washed just with water, but Mary brought out her expensive ointment or perfume — a whole pound of it. We will see later that one of the disciples estimated it to be worth 300 denarii, which is an entire year’s wages for a common man living in that time. Mary spared no expense when it came to Jesus.
3. Mary’s anointing of Jesus’ feet was an act of extreme selflessness. No self-respecting person of that time would think of stooping to wash someone else’s feet in public. But Mary did not hesitate to do so. On top of that, she let down her hair to dry Jesus’ feet with it. Jewish women never let down or uncovered their hair before others, as this was considered a sign of being loose. But Mary, as Jesus Himself had done many times, dispensed with manmade traditions in order to render a good pure and clean spiritual service to the Lord.
As the fragrance from Mary’s ointment filled the room, you can imagine the surprise of others at the dinner party. It is likely that no one else there would render unto Jesus such a humble, costly, and selfless act of service and worship. The question that we must consider is not what the other people in the room did, but what you and I are willing to do now.
Are we willing to spend time at the feet of Jesus as Mary did — learning from Him, surrendering to Him, and finally worshipping Him in a humble and selfless manner? Will you become a devoted disciple of Christ as Mary did?
If your answer is yes, you can begin your journey down that path by receiving Christ as your Savior today. Here is how:
First, please understand that you are a sinner and that you have broken God’s laws. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Please understand that because of your sins, you deserve punishment in hell. Romans 6:23 says “the wages of sin is death…” This is both physical death and spiritual death in hell.
But here is the good news. John 3:16 reads, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The phrase “For God so loved the world” means that if you are in this world, God loves you no matter what you have done.
The next phrase, “that He gave His only begotten Son” refers to Jesus Christ. He is God’s son who suffered, bled, and died on the cross for your sins and for mine, and He was buried and rose again.
Our next phrase is “that whosoever believeth in Him”. The word “whosoever” means anybody at anytime. The phrase “believeth in Him” means to trust in Him, to depend upon Him, to rely on Him, or to have faith in Him for your salvation.
Our next phrase, “should not perish”, refers to eternal punishment in a place called hell.
And, lastly, the phrase “but have everlasting life” means to live eternally in Heaven with God.
The Bible also says in Romans 10:9 and 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved…. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Dear friend, if you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me this simple prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please e-mail me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,
50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.
54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.
55 And the Jews’ passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.
56 Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?
57 Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.
———-
Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 171.
William Lane Craig said, “When a person refuses to come to Christ it is never just because of lack of evidence or because of intellectual difficulties: at root, he refuses to come because he willingly ignores and rejects the drawing of God’s Spirit on his heart.”
Now that the Jewish religious establishment has decided that they want Jesus dead for sure, they begin looking for a prime opportunity to arrest Him and have Him handed over to the Romans. One such opportunity presented itself in the upcoming Passover. Jesus regularly attended the Jewish religious observances in Jerusalem, so people expected Him to be there.
Ahead of the Passover, certain purification rituals took place in the city. Many Jews traveled to the city ahead of time to partake in these rituals. John tells us that these people “sought for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, saying, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?”
While this was going on, Jesus, in response to the “most wanted” designation that the Sanhedrin had put out on Him, left Bethany where He had raised Lazarus from the dead. The Bible says He “walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.” Jesus did not go away because He was afraid, but simply because, as He had said before, His time had not yet come. However, His time was very near: we know that the Passover referred to in this passage is the one during which Jesus will be arrested and sacrificed on the cross.
Back in Jerusalem, the religious leaders were preparing for this very thing. In fact, two religious factions (you can think of them as the two parties of the U.S. Congress) had united in the effort to catch and kill Jesus. The Bible says, “Both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.” Scholars tell us that the ranks of the chief priests were mostly made up of Sadducees. Normally, the Sadducees and the Pharisees did not work together, but we see that they achieved what we would call bipartisanship in their joint goal of getting rid of Jesus.
Unfortunately, these religious leaders and the people who supported them were unwittingly enacting a parable which Jesus had told before. The parable was about a group of wicked vineyard-keepers. The owner of the vineyard (who represents God in the parable) sent His servants to collect the fruit and the proceeds from his crop. But the wicked vineyard-keepers beat the servants of the owner and sent them away empty-handed. After several instances like this, the owner sent his own son (who represents Jesus Christ in the parable) to handle things. The owner said to himself, “They will reverence my son.” But the Bible tells us that when the wicked vineyard-keepers “saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him… And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.”
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were exactly like the wicked vineyard-keepers. They saw the Son of God Jesus Christ. They knew who He was because He had proven to them who He was. Yet the rejected Him, seized Him, and eventually had Him killed. They committed the worst mistake a person can make — rejecting Jesus Christ. It is unlikely that many of them repented as the book of Acts shows us that the religious establishment was still opposing the Gospel message preached by Jesus’ disciples.
What became of the wicked vineyard-keepers? In His parable, Jesus said that the owner would “miserably destroy those wicked men.” Miserable destruction also awaits those who reject Jesus Christ today. But that destruction does not have to be your end. You can make the right decision — the decision to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior. Here is how.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and I want to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please e-mail me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,
50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
———-
Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 170.
R.C. Sproul said, “There are only two ways that God’s justice can be satisfied with respect to your sin. Either you satisfy it or Christ satisfies it. You can satisfy it by being banished from God’s presence forever. Or you can accept the satisfaction that Jesus Christ has made.”
In our last message, we saw how the Jewish religious leaders raised the question of what, exactly, they planned to do about Jesus, beginning by asking a rather awkward question. They believed that, for the sake of the status quo, they had to do something to stop Jesus’ influence from growing.
Apparently, the only thing the Sanhedrin could agree on was that they did not want to antagonize the Romans. They wanted to stop Jesus before people began to organize a political movement around Him that would have caused the Romans to step in and crack down on the freedoms that they had allowed the Jews. While they were resolved on that point, they still hadn’t decided on what, exactly, they wanted to do with Jesus.
Fortunately for them, the high priest, Caiaphas, came up with a plan. His proposal was essentially to let Jesus continue on His course, which would eventually draw the attention of the Romans, which would, he hoped, lead the Romans to put Jesus to death of their own will. In his words, “It is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.”
Caiaphas did not know the full weight of what He was saying. John informs us that he was unknowingly delivering a prophecy which stated the entire reason why Jesus Christ had come into the world. “He prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.”
Caiaphas was only thinking of the Jews when he made his declaration. He thought that Jesus’ death would be the means of securing the future of the Jewish people in that day and time. Little did he know, Jesus had come to save the Jews — but not from the wrath of the Roman Empire. Jesus had come to save the Jews from their sins, and from the punishment of sin which is hell.
But Jesus had not only come to save the Jews. He came to “gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.” Gentiles, Romans, Greeks, pagans, and heathens — from every group of people on Earth — there would be those who believed on Jesus. Jesus had come to die for them too — even those who were so far away from Palestine that they had not heard of Jesus yet. It was expedient, not only that one man should die for the Jews, but that one man should die for the whole world. Just as one man — Adam — put the whole world under the curse of sin.
The Jews may have plotted and the Romans may have drove the nails, but it was God who had made this great plan — to sacrifice one man — Jesus — that the whole world would perish not. Jesus’ birth, death, burial, and resurrection was a gift to the world — a gift of the grace, mercy, and love of God.
All the world has an opportunity to be a part of God’s family — to become one of God’s children. Jesus paid a price that you do not have to pay. Will you accept His gift today?
John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The Bible also says in Romans 10:9 and 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved…. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and I want to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please e-mail me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.
47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,
50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
———-
Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 169.
William Nicholson said, “Self-sufficiency is the enemy of salvation. If you are self-sufficient, you have no need of God. If you have no need of God, you do not seek Him. If you do not seek Him, you will not find Him.”
In the immediate aftermath of Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead, we see the same reaction from the Jews who were gathered there at Bethany as we have seen from the masses throughout John’s Gospel. “Many” who had come to mourn with Mary and Martha saw what Jesus had done and believed on Him. However, some who had come to Bethany with the express purpose of spying on Jesus were unmoved, and returned to Jerusalem to report back to the religious establishment. By now, we see that this is a theme running throughout Jesus’ ministry. Even though He only spoke the truth and did good works, He always received a divided response from the masses — some grew more confident in their belief, while others grew more vehement in their disbelief.
The latest good work by Jesus — raising a man from the dead — is apparently of great concern to the religious leaders because they feel the need to call a council to discuss the matter. The question they ask is: “What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.”
What is interesting about this little pow-wow is what is left unsaid. The Jewish religious leaders are now not so concerned with the question of whether Jesus is the Messiah or the Son of God. What can they say? They just had multiple eyewitnesses report to them that Jesus of Nazareth raised a man from the dead. They couldn’t argue with that. So their focus turns from figuring out who Jesus is to what they can do to shut Jesus down.
The religious leaders believe that if Jesus is ‘left alone’ eventually everyone would end up believing on Him. Their opposition to this outcome really shows where their heart is. They no longer oppose Jesus because of theological concerns or moral differences. They simply want to hold on to the influence and power that has been afforded them by the Roman government. Their chief concern is that the ‘Romans might come and take away both our place and nation.’
At that time, the Romans had allowed the Jews some autonomy to carry on their affairs without interference from the government. ‘Our place’ is a reference to the Temple. It is sad that the religious leaders thought of it as belonging to them, instead of belonging to God (a fact Jesus had to remind them of at least twice during His ministry). The Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious congress, should have been celebrating the fact that the long-awaited Messiah had come. They should have been Jesus’ biggest cheerleaders. Instead, they were only concerned that their status and influence were being threatened because of Jesus’ words and deeds.
When we are confronted with the person of Jesus Christ, more likely than not, He will threaten our way of life. His mere presence will cause us to see things in a different light. We will find that much of what we thought was right and straight and good is wrong, crooked, and evil. Only when light comes can you realize how dark a situation really is. The question we must answer, the choice we must make, is whether or not we will resist the salvation and life-change that Jesus offers in favor of the status quo?
That is a question you will have to answer for yourself sooner or later. I urge you to make a decision for Christ, no matter what it means you have to leave behind. Here is how you can do that today.
1. Accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:20: “For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Romans 3:23 reads: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
2. Accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
3. Accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The Bible says in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
4. Accept the fact that you cannot do anything to save yourself! The Bible states in Ephesians 2: 8, 9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
5. Accept the fact that God loves you more than you love yourself, and that He wants to save you from hell. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
6. With these facts in mind, please repent of your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and pray and ask Him to come into your heart and save you this very moment. The Bible states in the book of Romans 10:9, 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Dear friend, if you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me this simple prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ’s sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please e-mail me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
———-
Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 167.
A.C. Dixon said, “When we have accepted Jesus Christ, we have become akin to the Father; having become real children of God, we then have the spirit of sonship by which we can come into His presence and make known our wants in a familiar way.”
Jesus is at Lazarus’ tomb. The stone has been rolled away. Martha, Mary, and the other Jews who have gathered to mourn with them are waiting for what Jesus will do next. The Bible says that “Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.”
Why did Jesus stop and pray at this point? We must remember that this episode takes place in the larger storyline of Jesus’ situation with the Jews over who He is and why they should believe in Him. Jesus has said repeatedly that He is sent from God. Many did not believe Him and raised objections to this idea. Some accused Him of blasphemy and tried to stone Him.
So, here Jesus is with a rapt audience. His whole purpose in coming to Earth and spending three years preaching, teaching, and working miracles is so that He could get men to believe — not just to believe in Him, but to believe in Him as the Way to God. Many of them are willing to believe on Him as a Great Teacher, a Rabbi, a Miracle-Worker, or even the Messiah. Jesus wants them to understand that He is all those things, but much more. Hence the prayer: Jesus is pointedly reminding the audience of His connection to the Father. John Piper said Jesus prayed “so that all can see he is one with the Father.”
Jesus thanks God for always hearing His prayers. God the Father always heard the prayers and requests of His Son because they were always in sync, in perfect harmony. Unlike us and the people around Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus never stepped outside of the will of God, so there was no daylight between Him and the Father. They were always perfectly one.
Those who are ‘dead in their trespasses and sins’ are not at peace with God, so they cannot have all their prayers answered as Jesus’ were. Even those who are saved sometimes step out of the will of God, and God will not hear their prayers either.
Jesus’ prayer is meant to contrast His relationship with God as opposed to our relationship with God. Jesus means to show His immediate audience (and us) that we can share in His union with God if we believe on Him. That is why He said, “I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.”
God sent Jesus to close the gap between us and Himself. There is no other way that this gap can be closed and that man and God can be, as one writer put it, “happy together again.” Jesus is the bridge, the door, between us and God. We must go to Him and through Him in order to be saved and to have eternal life. Here is how you can do that today.
First, please understand that you are a sinner and that you have broken God’s laws. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Please understand that because of your sins, you deserve punishment in hell. Romans 6:23 says “the wages of sin is death…” This is both physical death and spiritual death in hell.
But here is the good news. John 3:16 reads, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The phrase “For God so loved the world” means that if you are in this world, God loves you no matter what you have done.
The next phrase, “that He gave His only begotten Son” refers to Jesus Christ. He is God’s son who suffered, bled, and died on the cross for your sins and for mine, and He was buried and rose again.
Our next phrase is “that whosoever believeth in Him”. The word “whosoever” means anybody at anytime. The phrase “believeth in Him” means to trust in Him, to depend upon Him, to rely on Him, or to have faith in Him for your salvation.
Our next phrase, “should not perish”, refers to eternal punishment in a place called hell.
And, lastly, the phrase “but have everlasting life” means to live eternally in Heaven with God.
The Bible also says in Romans 10:9 and 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved…. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Dear friend, if you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me this simple prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please e-mail me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
The Gospel Light Minute X 