Extravagant Worship: When we meet Jesus…

In the final part of a series of posts, we look at the story of Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with perfum in John 12:1 – 8. Something of this act of extravagant worship thrilled Jesus but at the same time had a provocative impact. Judas Iscariot, after witnessing this, went to the chief priest to plot his betrayal. So what can we discover from this extraordinary event?

3. Why did Jesus want everybody to know about this?
Personal devotion to Him that looks almost eccentric thrills Jesus. What we think as a waste, Jesus wants preached everywhere the gospel is preached.

Sometimes an act of obedience may seem a waste but, beloved, He’s has beaten death! We’re all going to live forever! If that doesn’t blow away all sorts of rational thinking, then what does? Are we saying we’ve found a religion that is very nice? That we’ve found in Jesus a character that is attractive? Or are we saying ‘I’m going to live forever in a new earth and new Heaven that is pure and beautiful?’ The future is phenomenal, filled with things that are even beyond our imagination! That should change your thinking fundamentally and erode the normal way you evaluate.

When we meet Jesus and really understand the Gospel, everything changes. We abandon our former value systems and embrace a whole new world view. Down through the ages this radical attitude has led to gospel advance. This kind of devotion is almost incomprehensible. There should be something about the life of a believer that people simply don’t understand.

Now you might say, ‘Terry, I’d love to give more but there’s the mortgage and the kid’s education’. Thats ok I understand. ‘I’d love to be at the prayer meeting but at the moment it’s difficult’. Thats ok I understand. ‘ I’m not tithing regularly because at the moment we’re in difficulty’. it’s ok I understand.

You, I understand.

It’s Mary, I don’t understand.

This post is adapted from a sermon preached at King’s Church Kingston called Extravagant Worship