1. Martha was Serving (verse 2).
2. Mary was Anointing (verse 3).
3. Judas was Objecting (verses 4-6).
4. Jesus was Justifying (verses 7-8).
5. Lazarus was in Danger (verses 9-11).

One of the most famous paintings of Leonardo da Vinci is called, “The Last Supper," or, to be precise, "L’Ultima Cena."^[1] This painting is huge. It’s 15 feet tall and 29 feet wide. It is painted on a wall in dining room at the Convent of the Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy.

This painting represents that Last Supper that Jesus had with his disciples, shortly before being betrayed, arrested, and crucified. It captures the moment when Jesus announced that one of the disciples would betray him. You can see the surprise and anguish on the face of the disciples, as they began to process such an awful thing. You can see the confusion on their faces. You can see some of them talking about it. You can see some of them asking Jesus about it. You can see Judas on the right hand of Jesus, backing off with a money bag in his right hand.

In fact, there is an interesting story that is told about Judas. Da Vinci painted the “Last Supper” over the course of three years, from 1495 to 1498, not working on it all that time. Some of his delay came because he was really struggling with how to paint the faces of Jesus and Judas. Well the delay was not sitting well with the head of the monastery at the time. He complained to Leonardo about the delay. Leonardo wrote back explaining he had been struggling to find the perfect villainous face for Judas, and that if he could not find a face corresponding with what he had in mind, he would use the features of the one who had complained to him.^[2]

Anyway, it’s a great painting, depicting the Last Supper that Jesus had on the earth. And in a few weeks, when we get to John, chapter 13, we will consider that meal that Jesus had with the disciples. But this isn’t the only time that we have a dinner scene in the gospels. We will see one in our text this morning. it took place about a week before this famous supper took place. It is told in John, chapter 12. Let's consider the first 11 verses of this chapter.

John 12:1-11
Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for 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. 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.”

When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

The title of my message this morning is: “A Dinner for Jesus” because that’s what took place. A dinner was given in honor of Jesus. You see that in verse 2,

John 12:2
So they gave a dinner for him there.

After our service this morning, we will have a similar dinner, given in honor of our mothers. Every first Sunday of the month at Rock Valley Bible Church, we have a fellowship lunch, where we all gather for lunch together. It’s important for us as a church to do so. There’s something that a meal eaten together does to bind people together.

The early church committed themselves to eating together regularly. We see this in Acts 2:42, "they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." That’s what we seek to do as a church as well. These four activities form the core of our membership commitment. Apostles teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer.

We devote ourselves to the teaching of the apostles, and we read and preach the Scriptures. we devote ourselves to fellowship, after church every Sunday morning, we provide snacks to extend our fellowship time after church. today, for any who are interested, we are taking a walk together around Pierce Lake . we devote ourselves to the breaking of bread, that is, to eating together. we devote ourselves to prayer, whether that’s in our prayer meeting at 9am, or in the service, or in our homes, we encourage you to pray with one another. This is what all formal members of Rock Valley Bible Church have committed themselves to do.

Anyway, after our service this morning, we will have a “breakfast” in honor of our mothers. The men will be serving the women this morning, in honor of all that the women do in serving us all. We are grateful for all that you do. You won’t want to miss it. Something similar took place at Bethany in our text this morning. Mothers weren’t being honored that day. Jesus was being honored that day.

John 2
So they gave a dinner for him there.

You say, “Why did they give a dinner for Jesus?” It certainly had to do with what Jesus had recently done. In John, chapter 11, the story is recorded of how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. I trust that you remember the scene from Easter morning when I preached on this passage. Jesus had been in Galilee when Lazarus passed away. He arrived in Bethany some four days after Lazarus had died. He went to the tomb with the sisters of Lazarus, Mary and Martha. And with a crowd of onlookers, Jesus said, “Lazarus, come out” (John 11:43). Lazarus came out of the tomb, still bound in the linen strips that were wrapped around his body during his burial.

In raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus proved his statement: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25). Jesus has the power over death. He proved it during his life by raising Lazarus from the dead. He proved it after his own death, by raising to life again, and now, ascended to be with the Father, waiting as his right hand until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet, from whence he shall come again.

Anyway, raising Lazarus from the dead caused a problem for Jesus. The religious leaders full well understood the power of Jesus.

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.”

They saw Jesus the power of Jesus. They saw his power as a threat to their own power. And so, they resolved to kill Jesus.

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

Jesus, therefore, left Bethany, as his hour had not yet come. That’s where we left Jesus last week, in a town called Ephraim, away from the religious leaders, as he stayed with his disciples and continued to teach them (John 11:54). But the time had come for him to return to Jerusalem, in time for the feast of the Passover. That’s what we seen in verse 1,

John 12:1-2
Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there.

Jesus was being honored and thanked. We do this all the time.

My wife is in Colorado right now, she traveled out to rejoice with our daughter-in-law, Jenna, who graduated from Fort Lewis College yesterday, Magna Cum Laude, the first college graduate in her family. Yvonne went out to celebrate with her. I’m sure that afterwards, they had a gathering of family and friends, to rejoice in Jenna’s accomplishments. Perhaps many of you this spring will attend some graduation parties, in honor of those who have graduated.

Something similar took place at Bethany in our text this morning. But graduates weren’t being honored that day. Jesus was being honored that day. That’s what we see, “A Dinner with Jesus.”

We don’t know all of the guests that day, but we know that Lazarus was there, the one whom Jesus raised from the dead. In fact, John is wanting us to know that fact. He explicitly mentions this in verse 1, "Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was." John will repeat that fact in verse 9, when talking about the people coming "to see Lazarus, whom [Jesus] had raised from the dead" (verse 9).

We also know that the sisters of Lazarus were there: Martha and Mary. We also know that Judas was there. We can only assume that the other disciples were there as well. This is confirmed when comparing this passage with the parallel passage in Matthew and Mark (Matthew 26:6-10; Mark 14:3-8).

There may well have been others at the dinner for Jesus. We don’t know. But we do know that it was a dinner held in honor of Jesus.

Now, by way of outline this morning, I want to work through the people at the party, because that’s what the text does.

First off, we see that,

1. Martha was Serving (verse 2).

You see that in verse 2 with the two simple words,

John 12:2
Martha served.

Now, from what little we know about Martha, this was very typical of her character. she was one who gravitated toward serving others.

In fact, all that we know about Martha from the Bible is found here in John 11-12, and in a small story in Luke, chapter 10:38-42, where Martha is being rebuked for being all consumed with her service. Here is the story:

Luke 10:38-42
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

It sets up a great contrast between these two sisters of Mary and Martha. Martha is presented as the one who is consumed by serving, where Mary is presented as the one who loved to hear Jesus teach.

Note here that Jesus isn’t rebuking Martha for serving others. Serving is certainly a good thing, it is to be commended. Jesus himself “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Jesus rebukes Martha for being anxious and troubled about her service, where she is so overwhelmed that she wants Jesus to rebuke Mary for choosing a good thing.

Perhaps here in John 12:2, John is giving a little wink to those who know about Martha and Mary. Of course, Martha was serving in the house where the party was being held. We can only hope that by this time in her life, she had learned from the rebuke of Jesus, and was now serving with joy, not from a burden.

We all are commanded to serve the LORD. But, we are also commanded to serve with joy. The Psalmist says, "Serve the LORD with gladness!" (Psalm 100:2). Grumpy service gives no glory to God. But service that finds its joy in doing so, gives God great glory.

Are you serving the Lord with gladness? Husbands, are you serving your wives with gladness? Wives, are you serving your husbands with gladness? Children, when your parents ask you do something, do you do so with gladness?

Let’s move on. We see that at this dinner party, "Martha was Serving" and we see that 

2. Mary was Anointing (verse 3).

John 12:3
Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

What a strange scene: a woman would bring a pound of expensive ointment to a party, and then, open the container, and pour out the contents upon the feet of the guest of honor, only to let down her hair, and wipe up the ointment from his feet with her hair. And this wasn’t done secretly for nobody to notice. The whole house was filled with the fragrance of perfume. The smell got everyone’s attention, as they locked on the scene of Mary at the feet of Jesus, wiping the ointment on his feet with her hair.

This is strange to our ears. This was equally as strange to those who were at the party as well. There is just no getting past this. There is no ancient Jewish cultural tradition that would explain what Mary did. The only precedent that I can think of comes in Luke, chapter 7, when Jesus was invited to eat at the house of a Pharisee.

This is a different occasion than what we read in our passage today. It’s a different house. It’s a different woman. It’s under different circumstances, but it provides a similar action of a woman who expressed her devotion to Jesus.

Luke 7:36-50
One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

This woman behaved in this way because of her great love for Jesus. He had forgiven her much, therefore, she loved much. and couldn’t help but to kiss the dirty feet of Jesus, and weep at his feet, and wipe her tears with her hair. and anoint his feet. This woman did not care that this was socially awkward. This woman did not care that she came uninvited. This woman did not care that she was in house, in the very room, of a judgmental man of religious authority. It did matter to this woman.

She had unashamed adoration of Jesus because of all that Jesus had done for her.^[3]

Likewise, I believe that in our text (John 12), that Mary is demonstrating the same thing. she is so overwhelmed with her love to Jesus, that she can’t help but to anoint his feet with this most expensive perfume. I don’t think she cared what others thought. D. A. Carson writes, “At the very least this signifies the utmost in self-humbling devotion and love, regardless of cost (the expense of the nard) or of what others might think.”^[4]

The question of application, then, clearly comes to us all. Are you ashamed of your devotion to Jesus? Or are you willing to give it all, regardless of how others may see you?

Mary wasted this perfume, but it didn't matter to her. She was wasting it as an act of devotion to the Lord. Devotion often looks like silliness to the ungodly. Worship seems foolish to the unbelieving. Generosity appears wasteful to the greedy. But to the righteous, such things are an expression of the heart.

Are you generous? Do you worship the Lord with devotion and passion? Or are you ashamed of what others might think?

Mary didn’t care, because she knew of all that Jesus meant to her! They were great friends. He proved himself to be the Messiah who could raise the dead. What else could she do, but show her devotion to Jesus?

That’s what Mary teaches us as she was anointing Jesus. But Judas was having nothing of it. 

3. Judas was Objecting (verses 4-6).

We hear of his objection in verses 4 and 5.

John 12:4-5
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?”

Judas saw the waste. When he saw what Mary did, all he saw was dollars. All Judas saw was the economics of the situation. He calculated quickly how expensive this perfume was. He calculate it to be “three hundred denarii.” A denarius is a day’s wage. Even at minimum wage today in Illinois ($15/hour), a day’s wage will earn you $120 for 8 hours of work. Multiply this by 300 days and you get $36,000!

That’s some expensive perfume! I putzed around on the internet a bit and found this perfume: “Roja Parfum.” At Saks Fifth Avenue, it sells for $3,500 for 3.4 ounces. So for a pound, you could begin to approach $36,000! but not quite.

Any of you have “Roja Parfum” in your house? Only speculation could get us to understand why Mary had such expensive ointment on hand.

Judas was having nothing of it. He said that this ointment would have been better used if given to the poor (verse 5). But in verse 6, John tells us a bit more about Judas and why he was objecting to Mary’s actions. He writes,

John 12:6
[Judas] 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.

Here we see the full story. Judas was a thief. Judas was using the ministry of Jesus to profit himself. When other saw Mary’s perfume, Judas saw his own money! And when Mary was anointing Jesus, Judas was seeing his opportunity wasting away. But he didn’t overtly say this. He hid behind a façade of concern for the poor.

How many play this game, of using religion for their own gain? There are pastors who are in the ministry only for how it benefits them. There are treasurers who are pilfering money from the collection plate. There are elders who merely love the power There are singers who will serve in the church if they can perform.

Why are you here? Are you here because you love and need Jesus? Or are you here because of some other gain that church gives you? like Judas

Let’s move on. We see that "Martha was Serving" (verse 2). We see that "Mary was Anointing" (verse 3). We see that "Judas was Objecting" (verses 4-6). And now, we see that 

4. Jesus was Justifying (verses 7-8).

In other words, Jesus was justifying the actions of Mary. Look at how he defends her:

John 12:7
Jesus said, “Leave her alone!”

One pastor called this, “The roar of Aslan!” as Jesus comes to protect this dear woman from the bullying that Judas was doing in chiding her waste. It was only right for Jesus to do this, as Mary did a good thing. In Matthew’s account of this story, Jesus said, "She has done a beautiful thing to me" (Matthew 26:10).

It’s always beautiful to express your love to Jesus. Consider what Jesus says,

John 12:7-8
Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial."

It’s difficult to understand exactly what Jesus meant in verse 7. Perhaps the best way to understand this is that Mary didn’t pour out all of the ointment that she had at that time, but that Jesus said she should keep it for when Jesus died to anoint his body more fully then. But then again, that’s assuming that the disciples knew how Jesus was soon to die.

But in Matthew's account of this passage, Jesus says that she did this "to prepare me for burial" (Matthew 26:12). That is, there was an anointing for that event, such as often happened in the Old Testament, when they anointed kings, like David (see 1 Samuel 16). In other words, she acted better than she knew. Her anointing Jesus is a declaration that he, indeed, is the king.

This is like Caiaphas who spoke better than he knew in John 11:50, "it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish." Caiaphas was preaching the gospel without knowing it himself! Yes, it's true that it's better for one man do die, so that the nation wouldn't perish, but not in the way that Caiaphas thought. Caiaphas thought, "That's why we need to kill Jesus, to get him out of the way, so that the Romans won't come and destroy our nation, so that we will survive." No, it's better than one man die, so that the entire nation he might saved through him.

Mary here is doing something better than she knew. She is anointing Jesus as king before his burial.

Let's also consider the words of Jesus:

John 12:8
For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.

This is the reality of life. We will always have poor people around us. In our society we do much to help the poor. We have food stamps and Medicaid and section 8 housing. Yet, we still have many poor people in our society. We need to remember them (Acts 20:35). We must have a heart to give to the poor, to those who are impoverished.

This statement of Jesus is a bit like he said when questions by John's disciples about fasting. They said, "Whey do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" (Matthew 9:14). This was true. They wanted to know why. Jesus explained, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast" (Matthew 9:15). Likewise, Jesus points out how you will always have an opportunity to give to the poor, but you won't always have an opportunity to give to Jesus. The waste makes sense.

Finally, we look at Lazarus. Martha was serving. Mary was anointing. Judas was objecting. Jesus was justifying. 

5. Lazarus was in Danger (verses 9-11).

This portion of the text shows how blind the religious leaders of Jesus' day was.

John 12:9
When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.

The fact that this great crowd came to see Jesus was not strange at all. Jesus was always showing up at these feasts. And the crowds were always wanting to come and see Jesus (John 11:56). When they heard that Jesus was at this home, they came to see him. But not only him, but also to see Lazarus. This was a sight to behold! A man risen from the dead.

But with more and more people people seeing Lazarus, Lazarus was placed in greater and greater danger. Before, it has only been Jesus who was in danger, as they wanted to stop him. From the day that Lazarus was raised from the dead, "they made plans to put [Jesus] to death" (John 11:53). We read about this in verses 10-11,

John 12:10-11
So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

This shows the hardness of the hearts of the chief priests. Lazarus alive was becoming a big evangelization tool. Everyone had known that Lazarus was dead. His was proof of the power of Jesus. But now they wanted to kill a man risen from the dead! Their plans were evidence that Jesus had indeed power over death. Rather than bowing the knee to Jesus, they tried to get rid of Lazarus as well.

You may not see Lazarus, but do you believe that Jesus has power over the dead? Many of them believed. Do you believe in Jesus?

This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on May 4, 2025 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rockvalleybiblechurch.org.

[1] See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Supper_(Leonardo).

[2] See https://www.lairweb.org.nz/leonardo/supper.html.

[3] I get this phrase, "unashamed adoration" from Mike Bullmore's excellent message on this passage entitled, "The Hour Approaches," preached on July 23, 2006 at CrossWay Community Church in Bristol, WI. You can listen here.

[4] D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991), 428.

[5] https://www.saksfifthavenue.com/c/beauty/view-all-beauty/fragrance/perfume/roja-parfums.