Hating and Loving Christ (Part B)

Christ is of course developing the story telling what they're saying is there is this outpouring of love on the Lord and he took issue with anybody criticizing her for this apparently extravagant devotion. No other law is to be greater than the love we have a crisis not always easy because we can't see Christ as we can see some each other, our children, for example, this is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville*is currently teaching through the gospel of Mark. Please stay with us after today's message hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching today. Pastor Rick will continue his message called hating and loving Christ in Mark chapter 14. Usually when people lie because they run under some pressure there their image.

Or maybe they want something found out it's always wrong. You shall not bear false witness, and I think that any Christian that is comfortable lying is in serious trouble. Their hatred of Jesus began when he defied their unholiness in public because they were pretending to be holy men with their roles and how they walk around spread around and criticize everybody else in be the celebrity characters in Christ call them out to expose their hypocrisy and they are now going to kill them for these same men when they died. They stood before Jesus forever doomed as far as we know, none of these characters repented and the ones that would have repented would've found mercy.

Luke chapter 13 there will be meat weeping and gnashing of teeth. When you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out and scary part for me.

I never knew you on this case. Though these were not pretending to have known him.

Revelation chapter 1 we read, behold, he is coming with clouds, and every eye will see him, even they who pierced him. Now that is a direct reference to the Jewish people, but it does not leave out these characters to those Jewish hearts among the Jews who approve of Christ's death comes judgment by God. There were Jews that did receive Christ is not anti-Semitic.

These are the facts.

Peter, who was a Jew and love the Lord and is in heaven never lost sight of who these guys were and after Christ ascended to heaven, and Peter began to come to the front of Christianity and begin to preach with boldness. He let everybody know that they plotted the death of the holy one of Israel. Acts chapter 2 him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands and crucified and put to death Peter saying the prophecy was fulfilled, but it was your choice to be against God. God was going to fulfill this prophecy is interesting thought Judas was upon of Satan and also God God in the sense that God is in control. He is sovereign.

You are free to be wicked, but not not out of God's control.

Acts chapter 3, Peter continues you denied the holy one and the just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, and God raised from the dead which we are witnesses, so there's Peter and he is holding them accountable and many of the priests were converted at his preaching, but he never forgot we should have some of that this should be sermons preached and experiences in Christianity that we never forget that we used to the glory of God in our lives.

It says here in verse two and put him to death. These guys played for keeps. Today, not that's what they were going to do. They want to put him to death and they did.

They wanted not only to be death but a they wanted it to be shameful and painful. They did not want a quick execution. Verse two they said, not during the feast lest there be an uproar of the people. This is very important to the sovereignty of Christ and God who reports Christ being God the son, they said, not during the feast they wanted to wait till the Passover and feast of unleavened bread was finished because all the men were required to be there and they wanted the multitudes to be diminished before they pull their act, but he was arrested at the feast in spite of them because they were in control.

Just like right now the very hairs of your head numbers because God is in control. Men were in control of their choices, but never in control of the outcome.

He overrules their plans, forcing them to conform to his will, he controls every fall and bound them the whole lot of them to cooperate with the fulfillment of his purposes's plan for salvation, he had found those whose hearts were wicked wicked and would not change and so he used them same with Judas Iscariot.

God did not put a knife to the throat of Judah since that you will be a betrayal when when Judas was born a baby and his mother looked into his eyes.

She did not see a traitor. It was a child like everybody else, but as he grew he decided to take that path of greed that path of self and God honored him so is amazing when you treat adults as at some sheet some adults as an adult and there insulted you said XYZ and I'd honored what you said now you're angry with me for honoring what you said. How does that work if I said you're lying to me or dishonor do you come at me for that. Well, that's just how it is all of this could have been avoided in the lives of these men were cast out at judgment all they had to do side with Jesus Christ. The very thing they refused to do. They would never give him the satisfaction of considering him a legitimate rabbi, let alone Messiah. So we see him in control, deliberately moving towards the cross the will of the father and his will. The plan was set for salvation, not allowing the wicked to choose the hour or the method or the Purpose Later He Will Dr., Judas out into the night. When Judas goes out into the night. John says and it was night. It's an intentional word to us. He Would Dr., Judas out to earn his 30 pieces of silver at the hour of his choosing, because again he's going to send him out during the feast, not as his instructions were not in a wait till after the feast. Later he will also keep righteous Peter from interfering to when he says put your sword and she is not how I we do business here it says less there be an uproar of the people part of the problem was the crowds consider Jesus Christ to be not only a miracle working profit of quote that's what they did they consider him a mirror miracle working profit and a profit music preach the truth in holiness and righteousness. The people had this mindset from first Chronicles chapter 16 touch not my anointed ones do my prophets no harm, and if they tried to arrest Christ with the multitudes they feared that the civil disturbance would be disastrous for them and a even if the people did not get their hands on the leaders individually. The Roman authorities would these guys are gangsters.

This gangsters do business. They find someone getting away with opposing them diminishing their profits.

They look to execute them to put a hit out on them.

Verse three and being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper as he sat at the table. A woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard Barbie costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on his head. As I read these words is in reading Scripture verses.

I want to say this, I want to say that it's this God's word so robust, but at the end of it. I hope wanted when it comes my time to die if I die that I'm still excited about God's word. If someone says well you got about 30 minutes to live well and maybe I'll be in the study something in maps to see how it relates to the profits of something I want to go out define death. I wanted because say I love God's word in season and out of season because it is real, not because it is become a favorite pastime of mine and I can enjoy when I read the Scripture and study the Scripture I forget all about the boneheaded things of life, to some degree, except when we talk about the persecution notice. You have to keep it real. That's where I'm going with it. What good is a Bible study if it's not real schist religion or if it's just something that's interesting what the story now moves from the haters of Christ to the lover of Jesus. It is the same story is found in John's gospel chapter 1 with Mary of Bethany there some little differences, not contradictions, additions or and omissions yes not contradictions. You might think so because Johnson six days before the Passover. This happened in Bethany when March assembled two days before the Passover was in on Mark's not even trying to keep the sequencing that was for what the Pharisees were doing and he injects this into the story because it's setting up Judas is saying this was the last straw for Judas Iscariot, when he finally decided he was going to trade on the Lord to the authorities. It was because his feelings were hurt. He was insulted and that's why he's injecting this and I hope you develop this a little bit more and incidentally for the Jewish writers old and New Testament to go out of sequence is typical. I don't know if it was that parchment wasn't available and what made a mistake should put that back there were too late. Here goes. I don't know what what it is sometimes hard to do sometimes is easy like this one is relatively easy is when you get to verse 10 and 11 you say okay now I see why he's put it in and makes absolute sense, so don't get caught up on the six day to day thing. If you have gotten there. Matthews does the same thing as Mark Marquez there almost identical just Matthew gives more so I treat them as most accommodated commentators to as this event at Bethany matching the one in John chapter 12 not as a separate event, as some do not. Many continuing he says at the house of Simon the leper some suppose that Martha was the widow of Simon the leper will that would fit if this is the same story as in John 12 of the anointing with Mary this would be Mary of Bethany a lot of Mary's going around in the Bible. As you know, which is a variation of Miriam, otherwise it is a different house in different story.

But I don't I don't believe that because the story is to close and the repetition would be redundant and not right. Anyway, he sat at the table. This table that he sat at the list of no chairs low to the floor, probably in a U shape and then in the middle of the you is where the servants would bring the food in place it on the tables and so they're sitting on like recliners couches around this U-shaped table woman comes in Mary of Bethany again is who I believe this woman is.

And having this alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard.

Spikenard is the Greek for pure nard nard is like nog, eggnog knows what it is not kidding. I mean as a kid. Did you ever wonder what is nog I mean what anyhow this is costly oil nard a plant that grows, I'm told, and in the nape all up in that way and of course you making an essential oil motor oils, essential to I should add enough so then they used it as an ointment and perfume for special occasions because of the source, you know, costly.

Therefore probably been in the family a long time and you just break it out.

Every now and then. Evidently not often, because maybe not at all because she breaks the flask probably could not get the seal off and she's not buying and and then she uses it on sparingly on the Lord, which is an emblem of her devotion and love. She doesn't care about the cost of the oil to her is more valuable to show him love them to keep this up on the shelf. Then she broke the flask and poured it on his head now in John 12 says his feet. Well, she had enough to do both and on.

That is what she did her love for him is going to memorialize this event, not the sheet you spent expensive oil.

Judas is telling the story, yes, but Christ is of course developing the story and the apostles are telling it and what they're saying is there is this outpouring of love and the Lord, and he took issue with anybody criticizing her for this apparently extravagant devotion. No other love is to be greater than the love we have for Christ is not always easy because we can't see Christ as we can see some of each other, our children, for example, first Peter now remember Peter writing to Christians and who were persecuted in first Peter any rights of them and he says you know you didn't see Christ. I did what you love him just as much as me and he was taken by this and so he writes he says room having not seen you love. Though you do not see him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory struck him has Peter in assembly singing worship songs with the people and he saying they have is just their intensity of love for Christ is matching my intensity and I walked with him. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. This this unfair life that we face raises its Medusa head with questions and challenges about God and our faith and our love for him. God knows that God says this you know when you go through struggles and you don't understand, and you actually offended with God. Why doesn't he does something Jesus said this Blessed is he who is not affected because of me. The one that can serve me without explanation is the one that's going to be blessed once they find out who I am Bill trust that much first, but if they make it a condition of serving me.

If they say if Christ, you are offending me I can serve you any more than you become Judas is profound beatitude is it not blessed is he who is not offended because of me. Her Lords enemies were out to kill him. I'm not so sure she knew it. He knew it is the one that says she's doing this for my burial. She doesn't say that she just pouring love out on him. She may have.

She is saying this is all I can do for him anyway. I can just show up in Longhorn him to others it may be meaningless. We just saw our young brother. This play the song for the Lord that's assumed that's that's the same spirit. This is what I can do these last acts of love and loyalty by various believers are, in contrast to these acts of violence that are directed towards him and it must've been bittersweet for Christ to see her loving on him, but knowing the few days. Her heart was going to be smashed. Isaiah says he is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. So the next time you grieving how God's handling something you understand.

He knew he understood that to be had. He saw all the beggars the lepers there were people we could not reach.

He knew there were people that he would heal and they still wouldn't believe he knew that Judas would be used by him to do miracles to hear his preaching and still rebel against him, how do you not have a broken heart over something like that. Verse four. There were some who were indignant among themselves and said why was this fragrant oil wasted. John names Tim Johnson. This was Judas John chapter 12 verse six this he said not that he cared for the poor because he was a thief and had the money box and he used the used to take what was put in it.

He was in embezzler a thief so when this protest is this moneywise is not old oil being wasted.

How do you consider a wasted of its report on Christ, OSU Judas, he does that doctrine for us, not positive doctrine.

Some of the disciples appear to have sided with him supposing that he knew what he was talking about and so that's why when Mark and Matthew tell the story they did. They do not isolated to Judas.

John does he drill the download. Judas was the one that started this, some of the others kindness and yeah that's a good point church troublemakers can be very effective, leading people who did not come to follow them saved in OP to go to said if John Romeo to join in with with Judas, just for example, Peter Chris, when you doing with income you listen to Judas became you listen to Christ, thus leading people out of a church that God led them into happens too frequently seeds of discord amongst brethren in which the Proverbs chapter 6 make it very clear. God hates sowing seeds of discord amongst the brethren, if you know someone is going to a church and he loved the church and I getting for the word of God. Don't try to get them to come out of their church encouraged them again.

By this time he had been a long time embezzler so he reasons, we could have sold. All of this oil for a big profit.

I would've had more to embezzle, there would've been a large activity for me to take from a pot that is cash so he was being slighted and it was just starting verse five he continues might have been sold for more than 300 denarii and given to the poor and they criticized her sharply.

She was criticized the loving on the Lord for spending her money, her way on her Lord.

Second Corinthians 9 select each one of you or me so that each one. Give as he prospers in his heart, not grudgingly, or of necessity for God loves a cheerful giver. She's not complaining going to anoint his head and it doesn't mean poor drop on she's going to pour on and then his feet Christian men who get to be advisors to the church that does lessons.

They have to learn not all of the lessons of the business world. Business acumen and God stewardship. They don't always match for the church is not always about profit margins of the dollars. A church can be solvent and have profit secondary we have enough to live off to do what we have to do in a business world that would fly you gotta be at those margins and that's understandable in the same one as long the others right send another automatic fit. She noticed that they were ganging up on her and so did Christ.

Verse four verse six Jesus said, let her alone. Why do you trouble her. She has done a good work for me. I don't think that was his tone. I think he got a little sharp with. I think he knew he was. I think he proved intentionally provoking G Judas because he knew that he was going to be traded on the feast at the feast and not after. And this was the moment the bystanders could hear them murmuring in their criticism, criticisms, but they also heard him stick up for her, just like you do when you confuse sometimes in the Holy Spirit comes along and encourages and says I'm with you, you're right on this but you know that's not enough is not enough to be right as much fun as it is. It is this more to it, you've gotta learn how to use being right of those who have discernment of when their right and others do not have. It is very painful as no one's listening to you. In fact, they could be attacking your own brothers and sisters in the faith that your overboard with that all that's not going to happen and then it happens in the no one was to come. You are right, sometimes a dislike even more for being right. Anyway, she has done a good work for me. He says there are works by Christians that are outstanding. Quite amazing, but there also works that are not so good, so the seven churches in Revelation to each one high-scoring worms and it was it's unfortunate that five churches were reviewed.

The address he said you you doing these works will live the season you works in what to the others that you doing these works best on and off move.

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