Reference

John 12:1-11

Sermon Notes

Extravagant Worship

So That You May Believe and Have Life – The Gospel of John
Part 31 – “Extravagant Worship”

John 12:1-11
As we have been studying the Gospel of John chapter by chapter and verse by verse, we are seeing a dividing line growing with people when it comes to Jesus. There is not a lot of neutrality with people in how they see Jesus. There is his growing popularity with so many people, and there is, especially among the religious leaders, a growing opposition.

There are those who are believing Jesus is the Messiah, and there are those who believe Jesus is nothing more than a rebel and a troublemaker. On the one hand, Jesus is being praised by growing numbers of people, and on the other hand, the religious authorities are increasingly determined to stop him because Jesus' popularity has become a problem, and so they want him arrested and eliminated. They believe the stability of Jerusalem will be at risk from the Romans who will see Jesus as possibly leading a rebellion and will crush Jerusalem like they crush all rebellions.

That is the situation as Jesus is making his way to Jerusalem for the Passover where there's a plot by a group called the Sanhedrin – a group made up of some Pharisees and Sadducees – the religious leaders who are plotting to put Jesus to death.

Faith Lessons

Where does God reside among his people today now that Jesus is no longer with us here on earth? See Ephesians 2:20-22…

When we worship Jesus, no gift is too precious or extravagant.

When we worship Jesus, we don’t hold anything back.

Taking It Home

We encourage you to take a few minutes today and this week to process this morning’s message. These questions are designed for discussion with your family, a friend, mentor, spouse, and small group. They are also useful for self-reflection.

  1. What stands out to you in these passages from the Bible? From the message?

  2. What is difficult for you to understand or accept in these passages from the Bible? From the message?

  3. What is God saying in these passages and through what we heard in the message about Himself? About people? About you?

  4. What examples are there to follow, commands to obey, or promises to stand on from these passages in the Bible, and from what we heard in the message?