One of the scariest realities in the Gospels is how close you can be to Jesus and miss him entirely. Chapter after chapter, we see that Jesus was right there with the Pharisees, but they missed Him. He was calling, but they didn’t hear Him. He was shining in glory, but they didn’t see Him.
These stories are a warning. You can be moral. You can be religious. You can go to religious gatherings. You can give to the poor. You can do good. You can be well thought of. You can hang around authentic disciples, listen to the finest sermons, and even hold a leadership position.
You can be that close to Jesus and still miss Him entirely. His glory can be right there in front of you, and you don’t even see it.
On the other hand, there’s Mary, who, as we’ll see in this passage from John, in loving abandon, lavishly anointed Jesus’ feet with a priceless perfume in adoration, gratitude, awe, and worship of Jesus.
Everyone can meet the same Jesus, but there can be wildly different responses. Mary truly encountered the glory of Jesus and it deeply changed her. In contrast, the others did not because their encounter was a superficial exposure and not a true encounter.
What makes the difference?
The critical question for us is: Have we truly encountered Jesus’ glory, or is it just a superficial exposure?
In this sermon, we explore three signs we’ve truly encountered Jesus:
- The Stirring of Our Affections
- The Shattering of Our Idols
- The Satisfying of Our Souls
Takeaways:
- “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” (The Westminster Catechism) Are you willing to count everything as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ our Lord?
- Is Jesus your resurrection and your life? Mary understood that the only way we live, is if the Lamb of God dies. If we’re to be resurrected, Jesus must be crucified. So, if Jesus gave up everything for us, how can we hold back anything from him?
John 11:54—12:11
