1. Jesus arrived in Bethany where Lazarus lived, who Jesus had recently raised from the dead. Mary anointed Jesus' feet with expensive perfume, but Judas objected that it could have been sold to help the poor. 2. Jesus defended Mary's actions, saying she was preparing him for burial. He noted there would always be poor people but Jesus would not always be with them. 3. When Jesus arrived to visit Lazarus who had died, he met with Martha and Mary and told Martha that her brother would rise again, referring to the resurrection. He then went to Lazarus's tomb and called him forth from death, demonstrating his power over life and death.

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2. SUNDAY 23 July 2017
WHEN
OPPORTUNITY
KNOCKS

3. Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the
home of Lazarus—the man He had raised from the dead. A dinner was
prepared in Jesus' honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who
ate with Him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made
from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus' feet with it, wiping His feet with
her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. But Judas Iscariot, the
disciple who would soon betray Him, said, "That perfume was worth a year's
wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” Not that
he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the
disciples' money, he often stole some for himself.
JOHN 12:1-8 NLT

4. Jesus replied, "Leave her alone.
She did this in preparation for
My burial. You will always have
the poor among you, but you
will not always have Me."
JOHN 12:1-8 NLT

5. As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a
certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.
Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what He taught. But Martha
was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and
said, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to You that my sister just sits here while I do
all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, "My
dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only
one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not
be taken away from her."
LUKE 10:38-42 NLT

6. When Jesus arrived at Bethany, He was told that Lazarus had already been in
his grave for four days. Bethany was only a few miles down the road from
Jerusalem, and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in
their loss. When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet
Him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if only You
had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that
God will give You whatever You ask.” Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise
again.” "Yes," Martha said, "he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last
day.”
JOHN 11:17-37 NLT

7. Jesus told her, "I am the
resurrection and the life.
Anyone who believes in Me will
live, even after dying. Everyone
who lives in Me and believes in
Me will never ever die.
JOHN 11:17-37 NLT

8. Do you believe this, Martha?” "Yes, Lord," she told Him. "I have always
believed You are the Messiah, the Son of God, the One who has come into the
world from God.” Jesus Weeps Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary
aside from the mourners and told her, "The Teacher is here and wants to see
you.”
JOHN 11:17-37 NLT

9. So Mary immediately went to Him. Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the
place where Martha met Him. When the people who were at the house
consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to
Lazarus's grave to weep. So they followed her there. When Mary arrived and
saw Jesus, she fell at His feet and said, "Lord, if only You had been here, my
brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the
other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within Him, and He was
deeply troubled. "Where have you put him?" He asked them. They told Him,
"Lord, come and see.” Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby
said, "See how much He loved him!” But some said, "This man healed a blind
man. Couldn't He have kept Lazarus from dying?"
JOHN 11:17-37 NLT

10. He returned to Nazareth, His hometown. When He taught there in the
synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, "Where does He get this wisdom
and the power to do miracles?” Then they scoffed, "He's just the carpenter's
son, and we know Mary, His mother, and His brothers—James, Joseph, Simon,
and Judas. All His sisters live right here among us. Where did He learn all these
things?” And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in Him. Then
Jesus told them, "A prophet is honoured everywhere except in his own
hometown and among his own family.” And so He did only a few miracles
there because of their unbelief.
MATTHEW 13:54-58 NLT

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