John 12:1-8

"If I only had 30 days left on this earth, how would I live each day? What would change? There is a phrase in the song "Live Like You Were Dying" that we are going to delve into this weekend. The phrase is "Love Deeper." Today you are going to be challenged to activate a part of your life that may have been sitting on the shelf.

I Corinthians 13 says, "now abides faith, hope and love… but the GREATEST of these is LOVE." This issue is so important that Jesus said that the ONE authenticating, validating proof that we are Christ followers is our love. In John 13:35 Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Do the unexpected (v.3)

Mary’s love for Jesus ran deep. And, on this night, she does something spontaneous and unexpected.

She does something that is absolutely lavish and "over the top".

Mary unexpectedly comes to Jesus with a spontaneous, awkward, unrestrained, uninhibited, lavish, excessive expression of love.

Do the unaffordable

The reaction of others to our spontaneous gestures of love is not always positive.

The Bible tells us their reaction in verses 4-6: "But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, "Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages." He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it." (John 12:4-6).

The New Testament is full of Christians doing this kind of "over the top" unaffordable love.

Acts 4:32 says, "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had."

In 2 Corinthians 8:3-4 he says, "For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints."

Romans 5:6-8 says, "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Giving is always attached to loving. Being generous demonstrates love.

Do it now

But before these detractors can say anything else, Jesus rushes to defend this woman.

Listen to Mark 14:6-8; "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial."

SHE HAS DONE A GOOD THING. Jesus is simply saying that this woman has done a good thing in seizing THIS moment to show love.

SHE HAS DONE WHAT SHE COULD. She saw an opportunity to express her love for Jesus and she grabbed it.

For some of us, the most radical expression of our love would be to SPEAK it.

You just never know how many more opportunities you will have to express your love. So, do it now.

The final part of this story comes from the lips of Jesus. In Mark 14:9 he says, "I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be remembered and discussed."