Part of a sermon series on Jesus.

2. THE JESUS PROJECT:
THE UNWANTED JESUS & BETHANY
Alvin L. Reyes MD

3. • And he left them, and went out of the city
into Bethany; and he lodged there.
Matthew 21:17

4. THE UNWANTED CHRIST

5. BETHLEHEM CLOSED ITS DOORS ON HIM. SO HE
WAS BORN IN A STABLE.

6. AT 2 YEARS OLD HE WAS HUNTED BY THE
GOVERNMENT.

7. THE JEWS AND ITS LEADERS REJECTED HIM.

8. HE WAS REJECTED BY SAMARIA & NAZARETH.

9. NOT EVEN HIS BROTHERS BELIEVED IN HIM. JOHN
7:5

10. FOXES HAVE HOLES, AND BIRDS HAVE NESTS, BUT
THE SON OF MAN HAS NO PLACE TO LIE DOWN AND
REST. LUKE 9:58

11. • Here is the Creator of the universe- the
One sustains and keeps everything in its
place. And He is rejected- neither
welcomed or received.

12. JESUS & BETHANY

13. • There was only
one place on the
planet were Jesus
was welcome.

14. • Even on the 6 days,
preceding His
crucifixion, Jesus
would go to
Jerusalem in the
daytime but would
retreat to Bethany
at night.

15. BETHANY IS THE PLACE WHERE JESUS WAS
UTTERLY WELCOME

16. • Martha welcomed Him into her house.
Luke 10:38

17. • Bethany was home to Mary, Martha,
Lazarus and Simon the leper.
• Of course, when Jesus comes, so does the
12 disciples.
• When Jesus comes, He is treated as if He
owned the house.

18. • Receiving Jesus means giving the place of
primacy.
• Jesus will not share space with anyone or
anything else in that place.
• Jesus wants to be more than a guest.
• He wants to be Master.

19. • Receiving Christ also means receiving His
entire ministry.
• We receive Him in His own terms, not our
terms.

20. • Receiving Jesus also means receiving all
who belong to Him.
• Those who reject His loved ones reject
Him.

21. • Jesus is looking for a place where He is
completely received and welcomed.
• Do you have a place for Him?

22. BETHANY IS A PLACE WHERE WOMEN AND
MEN ARE HIS DISCIPLES

23. • Martha had a sister called Mary who also
sat at Jesus feet and heard His word.
Luke 10:39

24. • Mary is sitting in the men’s place.
• Mary is sitting with the disciples.

25. • Bethany is a place where both men and
women sit equally at His feet.
• Jesus treats men and women as equals.

26. • But one thing is needful: and Mary hath
chosen that good part, which shall not be
taken away from her. Luke 10:42

27. • That good part is “to love Christ”.
• Many Christians are busy serving God in
many places. Yet many forget the good part
and that is to know and love the Lord.

28. • Are in ministry? Do not forget “the good
part?
• Are you so busy with working for the Lord
you have forgotten the Lord of the work?

29. BETHANY IS WHERE JESUS IS LOVED AND
BEFRIENDED.

30. • The sisters sent to Him, saying “ Lord,
behold, he whom you love is sick…(Jesus
said to His disciples) “Our friend Lazarus
sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.
John 11:3, 11

31. • Bethany is the place where Jesus loves His
own.
• Jesus desires friends over servants. He
desires love over servitude.

32. • Henceforth I call you not servants; for the
servant knoweth not what his lord doeth:
but I have called you friends; for all
things that I have heard of my Father I
have made known unto you. John 15:15

33. • In the cold temple of Jerusalem God was
served. In the warmth of a Bethany home,
He was loved and befriended.

34. • In our church, is Jesus served and loved?
• Would Jesus feel at home in your house?
• How about your heart?

35. BETHANY IS A PLACE OF DEATH AND
RESURRECTION.

36. • And when he thus had spoken, he cried
with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
John 11:43-44

37. • Jesus waited 4 days after Lazarus death
before He raised him up.
• Death is hopeless. But 4 days is beyond
hopeless.

38. • Every crisis is a God-given opportunity to
rediscover Christ in a bold new way.
• Every painful encounter bears the
fingerprint of God.

39. • God seems to have the disturbing habit of
leaving when you most need Him.
• If you endure, Christ will roll the stone
away and raise you from the dead.

40. BETHANY IS THE PLACE OF LIBERTY AND
BONDAGE

41. • And he that was dead came forth, bound
hand and foot with graveclothes: and his
face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus
saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
John 11:44

42. • Bethany is the place where God’s people
are free from all bondage- from sin,
legalism, serving God in the flesh etc.

43. • Take off the grave clothes and let him go- is
the command to the crowd.
• Jesus did not unbind Lazarus. He told the
crowd to do it.

44. • We are the Lord’s colleagues in setting
others free.
• God will not do for us what we can do for
ourselves.

45. • Are we in bondage?
• Is the Lord asking us to help set others
free?

46. BETHANY IS WHERE THE SUPREME WORTH
OF CHRIST IS RECOGNIZED

47. • Then took Mary a pound of ointment of
spikenard, very costly and anointed the feet
of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair:
and the house was filled with the odour of
the ointment. John 12:3

48. • John 12, Matthew 26 and Mark 4
• It’s a feast for Jesus with cleansed leper
Simon and resurrected friend Lazarus.
There is eating, laughing, telling stories,
playing.
• This is a family feasting in the presence of
Jesus.

49. • Enter Mary with spikenard worth 300
denarii

50. • P240,000 in 2010 (Philippines)
• Probably her inheritance, savings, future,
her security.

51. • Extravagant worship.
• Profuse loyalty.
• Lavish love and devotion.

52. • What is the most extravagant & lavish gift
that you can give the Lord?

53. • When people allow Christ to break them,
the fragrance of His life can be sensed by
those around.

54. • It is impossible to give more than is
necessary to Jesus.
• There is nothing too costly to lay at His
feet.
• When we know Him, we will waste our lives
gladly and recklessly on Him.

55. • What about Judas’ and Jesus’ comments?
• Helping the poor is also close to God’s
heart.

56. • But Jesus is more important than any
ministry. (including medical missions)
• Jesus is more important than any doctrine
(including Ellen White, vegetarianism & the Sabbath)
• Jesus is more important than any person or
position.
• Christ is central. Everything else is for Him.

57. BETHANY IS THE PLACE WHERE CHRIST IS
MINISTERED TO

58. • Early in the morning, as he was on his way
back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a
fig tree by the road, he went up to it but
found nothing on it except leaves. Then he
said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!"
Immediately the tree withered.
Matthew 21:18-22
•

59. • Interestingly Bethany means “house of
figs”.
• When a fig tree has leaves it means it has
fruits.

60. • Who ministered to Jesus in His hunger?
• The home of Mary provided Jesus with
food and abode.

61. • Let this be a warning to us:
• Anyone who hoards the benefits he
receives from Christ will be cursed.

62. • The house in Bethany ministered to Jesus.
How do we minister to Him now?
• By ministering to others.

63. BETHANY IS THE PLACE OF ASCENSION

64. • And he led them out as far as to Bethany,
and he lifted up his hands, and blessed
them. And it came to pass, while he
blessed them, he was parted from them,
and carried up into heaven. Luke 24:50,51

65. • Interestingly, Jesus chose Bethany as the
place of His ascension.
• Why? It was home. It was close to His
heart.

66. • But God, who is rich in mercy, because of
His great love with which He loved us, even
when we were dead in trespasses, made
us alive together with Christ (by grace you
have been saved), and raised us up
together, and made us sit together in the
heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2: 4-6

67. • When Christ ascended, we too ascended
with Him and are now seated with Him in
heavenly places.

68. • If we ascended and sit with Jesus:
• We can walk with Jesus and the assurance
of salvation and supremacy.
• We can leave a footprint of our Lord
wherever we go.

69. LAST WORDS

70. • In Bethany Jesus is the absolute and
exclusive head.
• He is not just a guest.
• He is Master of the house.
• And that house is not just lodging for Him.
• It is His home.

71. • May our hearts, our homes and this church
be like Bethany to Jesus.

72. • In my home and in my heart, Jesus is not
just a guest. He is Master.
• In my home and in my heart, Jesus is not
just lodging. It is His home.
PRAYER

73. GOD BLESS YOU