John 12:1-19
Will You Offer Pure Nard or Hold the Calculator?
The Gospel of John: Expository Sermon #45
Dr. Jaeyun Lee
Sermon Notes & Reflection Guide
1. Listening to the Word
- What verse from today’s message touched your heart the most?
- Write down any sentence or expression from the sermon that stayed with you.
2. Questions for Understanding the Passage
- Mary and Judas Iscariot were both physically near Jesus, yet their hearts were completely different. What was the decisive difference between them? (love vs. personal gain)
- Why did the crowd in Jerusalem shout “Hosanna!” with excitement and then only a few days later cry out “Crucify Him!”? How was the Messiah they expected different from who Jesus truly was?
- Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem looked like a “procession of glory” on the outside, but what kind of procession was it for Him? (a march toward death, the path of the cross)
3. Questions for Application
- When I follow Jesus, am I walking with Mary’s heart (pure love), or with the heart of Judas or the crowd (my benefit, my problems solved)? Let’s examine ourselves honestly.
- What is the “alabaster jar” I need to break for the Lord—like Mary did? (my resources, time, pride, stubbornness, plans, etc.) What is the “calculator” that makes me hesitate to give it to Him?
- As we approach this Christmas season, what specific act of commitment can I decide and practice to welcome Jesus, the humble King?
4. Sharing Together
- Share a time in your faith journey when something seemed like a “waste” by the world’s standards, yet you joyfully gave it to the Lord out of love.
- Let’s examine whether our prayers sound more like “Do what I want” (waving palm branches) or “I will live according to Your will” (breaking the alabaster jar). Then bless and pray for one another as we grow into mature prayer.
5. Pray
- Lord, help me repent of the calculating and greedy heart within me (like Judas) and restore in me pure love for You, like Mary.
- Help me lay down empty expectations for worldly success and power, and receive Jesus fully as the humble King—the King of the cross.
- Help me offer my most precious things without reservation, so that the fragrance of Christ may fill my life, my home, and our church.
