John 11:45-12:11
What Are Your Intentions?

I. What Are Your Intentions?
1. This used to be the question a father might ask some young man coming to see his daughter.
2. Businesses intend on making money. Our economy is rigged to make people look like they serve you.
3. Everything that we do begins with intentions. Your intentions are the seeds of your actions.
4. Intentions lead to resolutions which led to results.
II. The Resolution (11:45-53)
A. Human Intentions
1. When people’s intentions are to not believe in Jesus, no miracles will get through to them.
2. Most people don’t care about truth; they care about what will help them get what they want.
3. They reason, if many people believe in Jesus, the Romans will take away “our place and our nation”.
4. Caiaphas is practical. He’s a nuts-and-bolts kind of guy. To him it’s obvious what must be done.
5. If Jesus is going to cause us to lose our position, our perks, our livelihood, then, Jesus has to go.
6. The resolution that Jesus must die comes from a committee of selfish men.
B. God’s Intentions
1. Behind the human intentions was God’s intention. Even Caiaphas’ words were intended by God.
2. He was prophesying. He said exactly what the Spirit intended him to say.
3. In the inspiration of scripture, the Spirit super-intends something greater than the literal meaning.
4. Jesus would die for [on behalf of, instead of, rather than, as the substitute for] the children of God.
5. The “vicarious atonement”: Jesus stood in our place, He took our punishment. He was our substitute.
6. “To gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.” Jesus assembles God’s people.
7. “There will be one flock, one shepherd.” Jesus will gather His lost sheep from all nations.
8. The Holy Spirit says that Jesus is dying on behalf of His people to gather them into one.
9. There is One flock (John 10:16), one tree (Romans 11:17-24), one nation (1 Peter 2:9), one people.
III. The Results (11:54-12:11)
A. Waiting (11:54-57)
1. Jesus goes north. His time has not yet come. But now it’s coming soon, with this Passover.
2. Jesus is waiting for the Passover; people are waiting in Jerusalem to catch Him.
B. Anointing (12:1-8)
1. Just six days before the Passover, five days before Jesus died Jesus comes back to Bethany.
2. At dinner, Mary takes a flask of pure nard worth 300 denarii (about $30,000) and pours it on Jesus.
3. Unconscious of how she might appear, she uses her hair to wipe Jesus’ feet. What did she intend?
4. She intends to how valuable she thinks Jesus is; her heart, her love, her worship.
5. Another disciple sounds like he has nobler intentions, for the poor: Judas, the treasurer, a thief.
6. God super-intended to use her lavish gift to prepare Jesus for what’s coming in five days.
7. God’s super-intending hand guides people to do (or say) what is in God’s intention, for His results.
8. That large gift may have helped a few for a while. But Jesus will help many for eternity.
C. Plotting (12:9-11)
1. Many were believing in Jesus; “going away” from the religion of the Pharisees because of Lazarus.
2. They were in the grip of expediency, the ends justify the means; so they resolve to kill Lazarus too.
3. They intended only to protect what’s theirs. Their reasoning is practical. Now, Lazarus must die.
IV. Invitation: The Lord had other intentions. He resolved, from the foundation of the world, that the Lamb would be slain to take away the sin of His people scattered throughout the world. The result of that resolution was that Jesus was lifted up on a cross. He gathered His people, around Him. The result is your salvation, so like Mary you can pour out the extravagant gift of your life at Jesus’ feet.