Introduction
QUESTION: Smell, touch, hearing, sight, taste – which sense is most important to you and why?
- Death Smells Bad
A. Lazarus, Jesus
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odour, for he has been there four days.”” (John 11:39 NIV11)
Spices needed:
“Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.” (John 19:39-40 NIV11)
Death smells bad!
B. Living death?
QUESTION: What do we use to distract us from the things we fear?
- Resurrection Life Smells Good
A. Jesus
“When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.” (Mark 16:1-2)
“[John] bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen.” (John 20:3-8 NIV11)
- Our New Lives Smell Good
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life.” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16 NIV11)
A. To the world
We smell like Jesus
How maintain?
B. Consciously learning from him
How to smell more like Jesus
Take these as Bible study and prayer focus ideas:
- Attitude – Philippians 2.5
- Ready – Luke 12.35
- Obedient – John 14.23-24
- Merciful – Hebrews 2:17
- Amazing – Matthew 8:27
Conclusion
Lord’s Supper
No fear of death
“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” (Hebrews 2:14-15 NIV11)
Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.
Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org.
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“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)
God bless, Malcolm
