John 12:1-9
Final Answer
A few years ago, a popular game show titled, "Who wants to be a
millionaire?" was born. The show offered contestants the opportunity
to make as much as 1 million dollars by answering a series of
questions. To make the show more interesting, contestants could ask
the audience or call on someone obey knew for help. They were also
encouraged to think aloud as they reasoned to their chosen answer.
To be certain they had finished the reasoning process and because
their answer could be worth so much money, before accepting the final
answer the host would ask, "Is that your final answer?" Often the
question was shortened to just two words, "Final answer?"
We are getting very close to the week of our Lord’s death, burial,
and resurrection. Although the event happened over 2,000 years, we
remember the event every week. It would have been around this time
that some of the main characters in Jesus’ crucifixion were making up
their minds what they would do with Jesus. Their final answer was
being given.
Two of those characters are found in our text. First is Judas and
the second is a woman named Mary. Let’s consider the lives of these
two as they approached their final answer.
I. Let’s Meet Judas
A. We know very little about Judas’ origin. His calling is not
given to us in the Bible. He merely appeared as one of the
twelve men called by Jesus when Jesus sought an elite group
of men to accompany him. \\#Matt 10:4, Mark 3:19, Lk 6:16\\
1. It is interesting that through the gospels, he is spoken
about, most often as the one who will betray Jesus, but
we don’t actually get to meet the man until this account
which is just days ahead of his betrayal and Jesus’
crucifixion.
2. Even so, Judas was often included and referred to by the
term "the twelve."
B. Judas, although never saved, was given the same power to
perform miracles that the other disciples were given.
Mark 6:7 And he called unto him the twelve, and
began to send them forth by two and two; and gave
them power over unclean spirits;
8 And commanded them that they should take
nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no
scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:
9 But be shod with sandals; and not put on two
coats.
10 And he said unto them, In what place soever
ye enter into an house, there abide till ye
depart from that place.
11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor
hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the
dust under your feet for a testimony against
them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more
tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of
judgment, than for that city.
12 And they went out, and preached that men
should repent.
13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed
with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
1. This is another reason why you should understand that the
ability to perform miracles is no proof of being right
with God.
a. The devil and his crowd can do miracles too.
b. Remember Pharaoh’s magicians?
c. Jesus warned us….
Mt 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs,
and false prophets, and shall shew great signs
and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible,
they shall deceive the very elect.
2. The life of Jesus was an unusual time when even the
disciples of Jesus had to be convinced that Jesus was the
Messiah and trust Him.
a. Judas seemed to have been a man who struggled with
finalizing his decision. He stayed a part of the
disciples but struggled with assurance until he made
his final decision.
b. Many of you have likewise straddled the fence on
Jesus. You believe one day to want to follow Him, but
you wonder the next day whether there is really
anything to the Bible or not. Do you understand that
everyone must make a final decision?
C. Notice that Judas had to be a very trusted disciple.
1. Our text tells us that Judas was the disciples’ treasurer
\\#John 12:6, 13:29\\. Unfortunately, it must have been
discovered after his death, that he was also a thief for
John tells us plainly that he was.
2. Jesus wrote what he thought of Judas in the Old Testament
through prophecy.
Psalm 41:9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in
whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath
lifted up his heel against me.
3. Even the night of his betrayal, when Jesus told the
disciples that one of the men sitting at the very table
they sat was going to be betray Him, no one ever
considered it to be Judas.
Matt 26:21 And as they did eat, he said, Verily
I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
22 And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began
every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?
4. The eleven doubted their own selves before they doubted
Judas.
D. Yet, Jesus always knew.
Joh 6:64 But there are some of you that believe
not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they
were that believed not, and who should betray
him.
II. What happened to Judas?
A. John makes it clear that Judas had a moral problem all along.
1. Judas was a thief.
2. Some of the major decisions that we make in life are not
made as result of our mental reasoning, but as a result
of our moral life. We make some decisions based on our
morals.
Robbie Zacharias, a Christian apologist who has a week radio broadcast
on called "Let My People Think," mentioned on 3/12/2016’s broadcast
that atheists are not atheists because for intellectual reason.
Atheists are atheists for moral reasons.
3. It is very likely that the reason Judas’ final answer came
up the way it did was because Judas could not get over
himself.
4. He suffered from greed and lust for worldly things.
B. That came out of Judas in this account.
1. Although Matthew and Mark give the impression that several
in the group objected to what Mary did, John made it
clear that this complaint originated with Judas.
2. \\#Mark 14:4-5\\ gives the impression that Judas must have
first talked among the disciples to stir them up and then
he and the disciples when to talk to Mary! Jesus rebuked
them and defended Mary \\#John 12:7\\.
3. John even tells us the reason for Judas’ objection.
a. It was not because he really cared for the poor.
b. It was because he intended on stealing the money for
himself!
c. \\#John 12:5\\ tells us the Alabaster box has about
300 pence or denari worth of ointment in it. That
was about one years wages.
d. Apparently, Judas was starting to lend toward his
final answer.
e. He had given up three years of his life to follow
Jesus. If Jesus was the Messiah, he would rule with
Him, but if Jesus was not the Messiah, Judas was have
lost out all together—maybe even costing him his
life. Judas had decided that he needed to be paid
for his time. That ointment would have been a goodly
some toward that end—but it was poured out on Jesus’
feet!
4. I believe it is at this very moment that Judas began to
consider "selling" Jesus. No doubt, Judas had had it
with this life of traveling and risking his life. Jesus
had been welcomed by Jerusalem at the Triumphant Entry
and just walked away. Now, it was time for Judas to get
his.
a. It is interesting to note that the 30 pieces of silver
that Judas sold Jesus for was only worth about 120
denari.
The Murder of Jesus, John Macarthur, p. 20.
b. Judas probably rationalized that he was still coming
out short in this deal but he was going to take what
he could get!
C. What was Judas’ real problem?
1. He was a thief and that was part of the problem but it was
not the real problem.
2. His wicked morals were the results of being a self-
controlled individual.
3. He was his own boss but he was a lousy boss.
a. Self was his master, but self was also his enemy.
b. In the end, self damned him.
c. And so it is for every person who attempts to keep
control of their own life.
d. They are their own worst enemy and they will damn
their souls.
4. What Judas needed to do what to surrender Himself to
Jesus, to finalize his answer by believing on Jesus and
surrendering to Him.
Mt 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either
he will hate the one, and love the other; or else
he will hold to the one, and despise the other.
Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
a. Jesus may have been speaking these words to Judas!
b. He may be speaking these words to YOU!
D. Let me say one more thing about Judas.
1. Judas was not a bad man. He did a bad thing and he most
certainly allowed himself to be filled with a bad power,
the devil, but Judas was not a bad person.
2. He was trust of the disciples because he done a lot of
good things.
3. He after betraying Jesus, Judas took the money back!
4. He was so ashamed of what he did, he hanged himself.
5. However, he never got over his biggest problem. Judas
never surrendered Himself to Jesus!
E. Judas, final answer? To reject Jesus Christ.
III. Let talk for a few minutes about the other character in this
account, Mary.
A. Mary appears three times in the Bible.
1. Lazarus’ resurrection \\#John 11:19\\
2. Dinner for Jesus \\#Luke 10:38\\
3. Breaking the alabaster box
B. Mary lived in Bethany, a small village on top of the Mount of
Olives.
C. As far as the Bible tells us,
1. Mary never traveled with Jesus.
2. And only saw one miracles of Jesus, the raising of
Lazarus.
D. We do not know how Jesus met Mary or her family. When they
are first presented to us at Lazarus’ resurrection, Mary and
Martha have sent word to Jesus that Lazarus’ "whom thou
lovest is sick." I would suppose that to mean that Jesus had
similar devotion to the sisters as well.
E. Once Lazarus was raised from the dead, the Jews set about to
kill him.
John 12:10 But the chief priests consulted that
they might put Lazarus also to death;
11 Because that by reason of him many of the
Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.
1. Seeing that Mary and Martha witnessed that resurrection,
it is possible that their lives were in danger too.
2. So Judas sold Jesus for money but it is possible that
Mary’s life might be at steak.
G. Mary, what will you do with Jesus? What is your final answer?
1. \\#John 12:3\\ I think her actions said it all.
2. She probably gave all the worldly possessions she had.
3. Even more than that, she gave her tears to wash feet and
her hair to wipe them.
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