THE "NEW LIFE" of SURRENDER

 

March 31, 2025

Letting go of the old

to make room for resurrection and renewal.

This Week's Focus Verse

John 12:24

“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, 

it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”

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John 12:1-8

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”



In John 12, Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume, an act of deep love and devotion. Others criticized her, 

“Why wasn’t this perfume sold 

and the money given to the poor? 

It was worth a year’s wages.”

but Jesus defended her, seeing it as preparation for His burial.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. 

“It was intended that she should save this perfume

 for the day of my burial. 

You will always have the poor among you, 

but you will not always have me.”

Mary’s action, I believe, reminds us that love often requires sacrifice and letting go. Think about what Judas says, about this pint of perfume that it "was worth a year’s wages." In any age, that is a huge sacrifice!  There is a lot of love and gratitude in this gesture. 

This story in John 12 of course, also points us to the "greater sacrifice" Jesus would soon make for all of us, because of his extravagant love. 

As Jesus' followers, we are invited to let go of the things we hold tightly, trusting that God will use our surrender to bring new life. 

I want to invite you to remember a time in your life when you surrendered something of great value and worth to God. What "New life" growth occurred?  

For example, I was someone who held our family's finances tightly, our financial future I believed was on me to secure. I was not a very peaceful or generous person. I was a sporadic giver. There came a point in my spiritual journey that I "let go" of our financial future and with "palms down" I surrendered that area of my life into God's care and provision. The "new life" pay off of that decision was that I experienced a freedom, and peace and rest in living, the pressure was off, and generosity flowed. What is your story?

Give consideration today to what "something" you are holding tightly, that might be keeping you from fully following Jesus, and the newness of life he offers? Ask God to help you release it in faith, knowing He will bring something even greater into your life and the life of others through your surrender.