The People Who Go All Into Jesus Christ (Mt. 26:1-16)
Let us bless and greet one another, we’ll greet each other, “Merry Christmas” tomorrow, but for today, “Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God.” Today is Christmas Eve, but I hope that you will still receive the great blessings and grace of Christmas today. The title of today’s message is, “The People Who Go All In to Jesus Christ.”
There is a characteristic of successful people. The common characteristic is that they go all in. There is a need in the age, and because they go “all in” to that need, they have the masterpiece as a result that goes “all out.” For example, if somebody invented the internet 2000 years ago, it doesn’t matter if the internet existed; nobody could use it. In fact, if anything, the inventor would be called crazy. So, without a doubt, those who are successful have gone all in with their life with the needs of that age or time period.
The same thing with the people of the Bible, they were the ones who went “all in” to the things that God desired at that time. Where do you think God goes “all in” to? God puts His all into people. When God created humans, God agreed to live within them, with them. So, for us human beings, if the unlimited, infinite God is not inside of us, we are bound to feel empty. No matter how successful someone becomes, on the inside, they will be empty. However, even though we were created with such great blessings, because of sin and Satan, humans lost hold of that blessing, and from that point on, all of God’s center is focused on saving people. God poured all of His plans into God Himself coming to earth as a human.
Even right now, where is God going all in? Even right now, God is going “all in” to save His people. Then for you and I, where must we go “all in”? May you receive that blessing through today’s Word.
1. Passover
In today’s scripture, it’s the moment right before Jesus Christ must die on the cross, on the day of the Passover. The Passover began in the Old Testament when the Israelites were living in Egypt. Through no fault of their own, their families were facing disasters. For no reason, the individual and the family unit were filled with mental problems. Sometimes, there were these very strange and undiagnosable diseases. These were the ten plagues that went into Egypt. The actual cause or the reason for those plagues is, they were worshiping other idols that were not the true God; that resulted in these disasters.
At that moment, God opened a way for them to avoid those disasters. To pay the price of sin, they must slaughter a young, perfect lamb, and put its blood on their doorposts. When the Israelites applied the blood of the lamb on their doorposts, then the angel of death will pass over that house, and that house will be spared; that is where the name, “Passover,” came from. So, this may have been written about in the Old Testament, but it was actually representing Jesus Christ, who would come to earth and die, as the young lamb, for the price of all of our sins.
1) Cross (Mt. 26:2)
(1) Death – Handed over (Mt. 26:2)
(2) Death – They schemed (Mt. 26:4)
(3) Public opinion – They were afraid (Mt. 26:5)
From the Old Testament, the Israelites observed that feast in remembrance every year, and on that day, Jesus Christ was planned to die on the cross. There were the leaders of the Jewish nation that tried to avoid crucifying Jesus Christ on the day of the Passover, in case the people who were following Jesus would riot. But regardless of their attempts, the Word of God was fulfilled, and Jesus Christ was crucified on the day of the Passover. This means that it doesn’t matter how much people try to discuss amongst themselves, because the Word of God will be fulfilled just as it is.
2) Jesus – Simon’s home
(1) Jar of very expensive perfume – Poured on Jesus’s head (Mt. 26:7)
Then in Mt. 26:6, Jesus goes into the house of Simon the Leper. There was a woman there who came to him with an alabaster jar full of very expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus’s head.
(2) Worth 300 denarius (Mk. 14:5)
The value of this very expensive perfume was about 300 denarius, and one denarius was about one day’s wage, so if you worked almost a full year and didn’t buy any clothes or food, or spend any money on housing, that’s how much money this expensive perfume cost. The disciples were looking at this from the side and felt indignant. The reason they got indignant was because she poured 300 denarius’ worth of expensive perfume on the head of Jesus, but if she had just sold that for money, she could have used that money to feed the homeless and the poor.
This was the reaction the disciples gave as they were following Jesus, and the disciples’ thinking was correct. If the perfume is poured on Jesus’ head, it is just a fragrance so it will go away. If anything, if this perfume was sold for money, it would buy food for thousands of poor people.
(3) Has done a beautiful thing (Mt. 26:10)
Those words were correct, but in Mt. 26:10 Jesus says that “She has done a beautiful thing for me.” The things you do must be good in God’s eyes. There are people who do what is correct in the eyes of people, but it’s possible it may not be good in God’s eyes. That was like King Saul who did what was correct but still was discarded by God. On the other hand, David was pleasing to God’s eyes. You must be good in God’s eyes. This expensive perfume was so expensive that a lot of women took it when they got married, almost like a dowry. But even before she got married, she poured all of this perfume away.
3) Disciples
(1) Indignant (Mt. 26:8)
(2) Waste (Mt. 26:8)
Then, whatever we think is valuable and whatever God thinks is valuable is different. God said that the reason the Israelites were being destroyed was because of their ignorance of God. We are failing because we don’t know what God desires, so we invest our lives in unnecessary things.
(3) Could have helped the poor (Mt. 26:9)
Then, Jesus Christ said, “You will have many opportunities to help the poor later, but I am here only once.”
2. Reaction towards Jesus
1) Woman’s action
(1) For Jesus’ burial (Mt. 26:12)
In Mt. 26:12, Jesus said, “When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial,” these words are very important. Even when you read the Bible, you need to understand the important things, for God to really move you. When the Israelites passed away, they would not be buried underground, but they would be wrapped up in linen, and their flesh would begin to rot, which would create a very bad smell, so in order to counteract that, they would pour perfume over the body. Then, in a few months, all the flesh would have rotten away, and only the bones would remain, which they would then relocate. So, one family would purchase one plot of land with a cave, which they would then use for multiple generations of burials for that family, and they would gather all the bones of the father, the grandfather, and the ancestors in that cave.
(2) Gospel preached – Remember the woman’s actions (Mt. 26:13)
(3) Single incident (Mt. 26:1)
But Jesus isn’t dead yet, and this woman furiously poured all of this expensive perfume on top of His head. So, from the perspective of the disciples, they cannot understand her actions. Whatever God decides is good or bad does not depend on whether you understand the action or not. This woman knew that Jesus’s death would be the death that saves all of mankind, and because she knew about this death, she poured the perfume on Him in advance. She’s not even named here, but usually in the Church, the women have power. In the world, it may be men who have the power, but in the Church, it has always been the women. Even when Jesus Christ died on the cross, the men used all the muscles they had to run away, but the women remained. I’m not saying that all men are like that, but typically, women are stronger in this sense regarding faith.
2) Disciples
(1) Death on the cross – Did not want
The disciples did not know that Jesus would die, and they did not acknowledge it, even though Jesus continuously gave them the Word, “I will die, I will be sold into death, I will die on the Passover,” they heard these words but they didn’t really hear it. God continuously gives you His message, but even if you hear it, you don’t really hear it, do you know why you don’t hear it? Even though you listen, you can’t really hear it, do you know why? It is because there is something you want.
(2) Interested in restoration of Israel (Ac. 1:6)
The disciples were holding onto their ambition that through Jesus Christ, the Israelites would overthrow the Roman colonization and restore their nation, so no matter what Jesus told them, they couldn’t hear it. Even though you go to church, why are you not able to receive God’s message? Because there is another thing you already desire, and if you don’t hear the Word you want to hear, even if you hear the Word, you won’t really receive it. But you shouldn’t be disappointed, because even though the disciples were like that, later on, they do change. Later on, they do give their all in life for the Lord.
(3) Interested in what benefits them on this earth
3) Judas
(1) Deliver over Jesus (Mt. 26:15)
(2) Received 30 pieces of silver (Mt. 26:15)
There’s the woman who gave the highest value in her life to the Lord, and on the other hand, there is Judas Iscariot who sold Jesus Christ for 30 pieces of silver. So, Jesus Christ dying on the cross needed to happen to save all of mankind and humanity, and there are some people who simply believe and follow Jesus for that fact, but there are also people like Judas Iscariot who try to use Jesus for financial gain for themselves. If you live your walk of faith, you will always have a chance before you for a blessing or a curse. The issue that determines the difference is, where your decision will be.
We have to make decisions every day, we all have to study and we all have to do the same work, but there are some people who are good in God’s eyes. According to the Bible passage today, it is, “Deciding to save people through the cross.”
(3) Threw the silver into the temple and committed suicide (Mt. 27:5)
Later on, Judas Iscariot takes the 30 pieces of silver that he sold Jesus Christ for, and because he felt so despicable about it, he throws the coins into the temple and then he ends his own life with suicide. God is the One Who moves our life, our death, our failures and successes. We must acknowledge this first and foremost. In the past, I didn’t acknowledge this even 1%, that’s what you call a nonbeliever. I believed in myself and nobody else, that’s how I lived my life. Now, I don’t even rely on myself because whatever I was thinking about at night, when I wake up in the morning, I can’t even relate to myself. I say to myself, “I’ll do this,” but as time passes, I realize that’s changed. So, the easiest thing is to believe in God. If you place the standard of everything on the Truth of God, then everything else will align.
3. People who went all into the Gospel
If you place the standard of your depression, mental illness, and the scars of your past on the Truth of Jesus Christ, then those things will disappear. If you’re at a point where you have no choice but to do drugs, you are far away from God. There are these people who are killing and shooting dozens of people, and this didn’t happen overnight, but it was a long time in progress, now being revealed. These are all things that resulted from going “all in” to the wrong places. Some people go “all in” to just living without any thought, then the result of their life will be thoughtless, and there are other people who get so hooked on the words of other people, then that will be the result of their lives.
So, the things of your life are not the fault of anybody else, but they are the result of whatever is hooked inside of you. Even if there’s a romantic relationship between a boy and a girl, if they are hooked on each other, then their actions will follow. The only issue is, they’re not able to continue that for the rest of their life, but for the moment, when they like each other, they have these natural actions. Same thing with little children, when their parents say that they’ll buy them a present they’re really hooked on.
The scripture we read was from before Jesus Christ was crucified, but what is the message God is giving us now? Where is He telling us to go “all in” to? Where did you spend the year 2023 going “all in” to? Your present reality that you see is a result of that, coming “all out.” Then, we should be able to change others, but instead, I was changed by others. Depending on where you’re hooked will determine whether you’re able to overcome the scars of people’s words, or money, or other circumstances of your life like depression.
1) Participate in the incident of the cross
The disciples could not understand the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, but one day, they did understand and go all in, so when was that point? That was after Jesus Christ died on the cross. For you and I today, where must we go “all in”? Before you focus on studies or work or money or people, there is something you must go “all in” to, first. God put His “all in” to the incident of the cross, and that is where I must put my “all in” as well. What does the incident of the cross mean to me?
(1) World – I am crucified on the cross (Gal. 6:14)
Gal. 6:14, Paul says that when Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross, the world was crucified to me. This world only talks about living however you want, the world tells you to live as your own master, but in reality, the devil is your own master, so that is why, “The world has been crucified to me.”
(2) Me – World has been crucified to me (Gal. 6:14)
I’m not staying still, then I too am crucified to the world. Now, because I’m dead, I’m crucified, I’m no longer living, following the ways of the world, centered on myself, instead of God. Now, the new life is Christ living in me.
(3) Never boast except in Christ (Gal. 6:14)
Gal. 6:4, “I shall boast of no one except Christ Jesus.” that is the first place we must be hooked. We can never understand this by the logic of man, it must be revealed to us by the grace of God.
2) Covenant – All in
(1) Jesus Christ finished everything (Jn. 19:30)
Another way to phrase this, is in Jn. 19:30, the Lord said, “It is finished.” You must be hooked on the meaning of these words. “It is finished” means all of the problems of our past, present, and future, and eternity are finished. Christ existed from long ages past and will exist forever and evermore, but He is revealing Himself at this moment. “Long ages past” does not mean just at the creation of the universe, but it means, before we can even comprehend. Already, from that point, God had determined the plan for salvation. His plan for salvation means, God placed His interest and focus there. So, through the cross, if you’re able to experience this, then nothing will be a problem for you because God is with you. I no longer need myself. On the cross, the world is crucified to me, and I am crucified to the world, so there is no need for me to go in my direction anymore.
If you’re facing a problem, why are you worried about it? There can be many different problems: financial problems, mental problems, people problems. There is no reason for you to be your master anymore, because God is with you, and God is your master. He will guide you forward, then you will begin to receive answers. Then where must we go “all in”? We must go “all in” to the Triune God Who is with me; then without a doubt, the answers will come, “all out.” You’re not that intelligent yourself, but if you keep on trying to worry or calculate or plan out your own life, then you will face a result that you cannot control. So, you must quickly escape from that life.
You haven’t lived 2024 yet, have you? Your year 2024 will be determined by the Word of God that is hooked in your heart. But, if the Word of God is not within your heart and instead you’re only filled by the plans you’ve made for yourself, then you will face the results of your life that are not satisfactory. The devil will attack anyone who is not Jesus Christ, that’s the reason King Saul committed suicide. It’s not that he didn’t receive salvation; the fact that he was anointed as King means he was a person of God. But why is it that, even as people go to church, they keep falling into alcoholism, drugs, and addictions? Why is it that normal people fall into homosexuality? It’s because they can’t control it, so where must we go “all in”? We must go “all in” to the Christ Who has finished all of those problems on the cross; you must experience that.
God is with us, even now, invisibly. No matter what problem comes our way, it doesn’t matter because the problem cannot overcome God. If you’re not able to understand these words, then it means you’re still confused about what the gospel is. You have to understand these words to understand God’s Word and God’s intention, and whether you understand or not is in God’s hands. Even people who go to church can be nonbelievers because they don’t believe. Instead, they believe in themselves and they believe in the physical things of the earth, so they’re only bound to struggle with the things of the earth. Depression only exists on earth; it is not in heaven, and when you go to hell, there is no depression, either; it is only on this earth. That is the result if you only go “all in” to the things of this earth, and that’s how you live your entire life.
You and I are changed to no longer be like that. It doesn’t matter what we face, it doesn’t matter how many things come my way that go beyond my limitations, as long as God is with me. No matter what I’m lacking, the Lord is never lacking. You need to understand what these words mean well. “Does that mean if I believe in Jesus, I’ll never lack anything and I’ll never have problems?” Yes, as long as we live on earth, we will have problems, but as long as God is with us, we will never lack. Without a doubt, I will go through the valley of the shadow of death, but that’s not the important part; as long as the LORD is with me, I will fear no evil. If you understand these words and find them believable, then you will see them resulting in your life. May that blessing be upon you.
(2) God’s kingdom – Background of the throne (Ac. 1:3)
Now, our background is not on this earth, it is the Kingdom of God. Whatever money you’ve made is not your background; the knowledge and the things you’ve accumulated are not your background. If there are any people who think that way, quickly change, because those things will all betray you. Do you know why the things you’ve trusted in will betray you? You thought, “If I just succeed, I’ll be okay,” but that success will betray you. I thought, “I would be okay if I made an alliance with a stronger person,” but that ends up backfiring. I thought all I had to do was raise my children well so that they would succeed, but that ended up backfiring on me, do you know why? Because we are not creations that live with the things of the earth. It is because we were created in the image of God, to be with God, living with the things that we receive from God in heaven, but that’s the reason why people who live without God are always regretting.
I’m a pastor, so I attend many funerals to give messages. And almost my entire family line is nonbelievers, so I see a lot of nonbelievers pass away, but every time I see an nonbeliever pass away, right before they pass, they say, “Life is so meaningless, I have nothing left to show for my life,” and those words are correct. In the beginning, you have to work hard and study hard to succeed and make a living, but later on, you have nothing else to show.
I met a young adult and said to them, “The reason you’re working so hard right now is just so you can eat three meals a day, isn’t that so? You go on vacation and eat three meals a day there. You drink alcohol and eat three meals a day. You take drugs and eat three meals a day. You get married to eat three meals a day, isn’t that just what life is? Were we born just to eat three meals a day? Did you graduate from an Ivy League school just to eat three meals a day? If you make a lot of income, is it so that you can just eat better, three meals a day? No intellectual on earth can do this; we’re not living just to eat three meals a day. The things that will come to us naturally so that we can fulfill the will and the plan of God.
God comes into us and gives us things, like our business, our studies, and our fields in order to fulfill God’s work that He desires. That’s why Apostle Paul confessed, “I have learned to be content in poverty.” Poverty is not an issue; now, if you were continuously poor, that might be an issue. If you’re in prison, you have nothing, but there is a plan of God there. Paul also confessed, “I am content in abundance as well,” and he does not get arrogant because he knows it will be used for the work of God.
In the past, I used to think that my money belonged to me, so if I didn’t have money, I’d be sad, and if I had a lot of money, I would spend it on whatever I desired. I spend money however I want to elevate my own name. You call your friends over and say, “This round’s on me,” because you want to elevate your own name. I’m not saying that’s good or bad, but where will we go “all in”? We receive all of our answers from the Kingdom of God. My background is the Triune God. In the past, when I was a child of the devil, my background was the things of the earth, so I boasted about the things of the earth, because I thought those were the things that protected me. But after I believed in Jesus, my background completely changed and now, the throne of God is my background.
There’s no doubt about it, once you find this believable, then you’ll receive answers. The Lord sends His angels to answer you. If you pray for the 237 nations all around the world, God sends His angels there to answer. Even people who are demon possessed will use spiritual power to influence others, transcending time and space, but if the ones who believe in Jesus Christ are so fixated on the things of the earth, it’s not going to work.
(3) God’s power – All out (Ac. 1:8,2:1-47)
Now we have to pray for the power of God to be within me. It doesn’t come upon anybody, there are specific people the Holy Spirit goes upon, whom do you think it goes upon? It’s better for us to receive the power of God than all the wisdom of the world. If the power of God comes upon you, He will give you His wisdom as well. In the Old Testament, there was someone named Gideon who led an armoiy of 300 Israelites to break down the vast army of Midianites, and that came from God’s wisdom.
Even in your job, you must have God’s wisdom. Your studies must have God’s wisdom, but the problem is that God doesn’t just give that to just anybody. Everyone has the right to receive it, but to whom will God give it? Jesus Christ promised, “I will pour my authority and power on the ones who will be my witnesses until the ends of the earth.” Jesus Christ promised that personally. He said, “But, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power.” This is not a result or power that comes from all my hard work, it is the power and the authority that comes from the throne of heaven. He will give you the power to the point where you can be His witness to the ends of the earth.
If you understand this, then wherever you are, you will be set free from that, and without a doubt, it will be revealed in the physical reality. So, even for the people who are studying or making money, you need to pray for God’s power to be upon me so that I may be a witness with this work, until the ends of the earth. Even nonbelievers are borrowing the strength of demons and evil spirits to do their work. They go to fortune-tellers to receive their wisdom. The fortune-teller uses demon-possession skills to teach the businesspeople how to run their business. If the Christians don’t know about this, then they have to be slaves under those people. That’s what the entire Old Testament said.
So, your kids might graduate from the best schools and colleges, but that’s not what’s important; whom are they slaves to? Will the power of God to save those people be upon you, or will you use all your hard work and education to be enslaved to them and make more money for them? While you are worshiping right now, God’s grace must be upon you. I lived and grew up as a nonbeliever, and right now, I have many friends around me who are very successful. I’m not saying this because I believe in Jesus Christ; I’m saying this because I lived my life and this is the experience I’ve seen.
Anything that is not God’s work or God’s will is bound to be destroyed. There’s no reason for us to invest our lives into something like that. The word “success” is used to just boil the blood of young people. The “correct thing” is what really heats up the young people. Those young people will become elderly, and do you think that whatever was heating you in the past was right? When they get to the end of their lives, they’ll realize, “That wasn’t right,” and that’s why they say life is meaningless. Love, fame, there’s nothing that lasts.
It’s the same thing when you look at Korean politics, the people that were in politics in the past are now there. In the past, they may have been correct, but that is not the Truth. Be the one who experiences the one and only way that God has given to us, the cross, and the one who is relaying that, then it’s fascinating how God’s power continues to follow you. First, you will receive spiritual strength. If you receive spiritual strength, it goes into your mind as well, and then that mind goes into your physical body, because we are composed of the spirit, mind, and body.
During this time of worship, when you receive God’s grace, your mind will be healed, and without a doubt, this will be revealed in our lives physically. And the reason we come to worship is because we know the value of those things, and we have another worship tomorrow. I’m not saying to advertise worship, but we do have another worship tomorrow. The people who know this value will always be there. But the people who only go out to dance and have fun will only be focused on that. People who are focused on drugs will only be focused on drugs.
3) All change
When we go “all in” to the things God desires, then God’s power is bound to be upon us. May my studies and my job and the work that I do at the church be used to make disciples of all nations, then God says, “I understand,” and begins to work, because making disciples of all nations is not my work; it is God’s work. God does not work with His power upon my work; God just tells me to do that on my own. Why would God have to give His power for my work? You can just live with the basic blessings of, “If you work hard, you’ll make a little more.” “But God, may my business and my studies be used to preach the gospel to all nations and heal them.”
People are diseased; the elites look so great on the outside, but on the inside, they have mental illnesses that they are suffering with. To what extent are they suffering? Someone has not even said anything to them, but they’re in their own thoughts and they hate them already. They didn’t even say anything to them, but they say, “Oh, they did say something to me.” They didn’t say anything to this person, but they say, “Oh, I can just tell from the way they look at me. I can just tell from the way they look at me, I can tell from their expression.” Are you a fortune-teller? That’s how crazy they are, so they’re so afraid to meet people and if possible, they go alone to places where they don’t have to meet people. That’s not normal.
But when we begin to be filled with God’s grace, it doesn’t matter what facial expressions people make towards us, because all of my interest is in God. If something is wrong in God’s eyes, then God will take care of it on His own. God promised Abraham, “Whoever curses you, I will curse,” so why would I try to sort that out on my own, I can just stay still, because God is the judge. God is invisible but He judges what is good even now. So, what is true “sin”? It is me, trying to be like God, deciding what is good and evil on my own; that’s why Satan keeps on working upon me. You can just stay still and God will take care of it. “Staying still” means, just believe in God because God is bound to give you evidence.
It seems like I’m talking about myself in the past, but there are many people like that. On the outside, they seem perfectly fine, you know, there are some people who you can just look at them and tell that they’re off, but other people, they look perfectly fine on the outside, but the way you can tell that they’re a little bit off is, they say, “This person is after me.” It’s wrong, it’s very difficult, and these are the people whom we must heal.
(1) All nations, healing, future generation (Mt. 28, Mk. 16, Jn. 21)
What do we heal them with? We heal them with the power of God’s gospel. If you change that person’s spiritual state, then their mind will change and their physical body will change as well. If you continuously focus on worship, then the things you used to think were problems will no longer be an issue, do you know why? It’s because you receive spiritual strength, then you receive strength in your mind as well. When your mental state is strengthened, then you can concentrate more on your job and your studies. There are students who have mental illnesses, so even though they study so much and so hard, there is no result. However, if you worship and you receive strength and then go and study, then you will receive God’s power, then how must you live your everyday life? When is that determined? Starting from when you’re going to school.
David was already set apart for the capability of becoming King when he was a shepherd. When you’re studying, if you receive the power of being with God, then you can do that when you are a King as well. May our future generations have these blessings.
(2) Business, Academics, work – God’s work
If my business or my studies are used for my work for myself, then it’s a big problem. It must be God’s work. Not my work, but God uses my skills to do God’s work, then without a doubt, God is bound to work. First and foremost, your thoughts will change. Your thoughts must change to make the right decision. We cannot live based on our experiences because we will face things we have ever experienced.
(3) Work of saving lives – Temple construction
Now, we go “all in” to the work of saving lives. “I will put my all in life for the temple construction that saves lives.” God is holding onto the economy and He is infinite and almighty; where will God use it? Even right now, God is working for the ones who hold onto the covenant of the cross that has finished all problems.
Conclusion
1 God’s things – All in
So, stop going into all these unnecessary things, but may your life go “all in” to the things of God.
2. My life, field – All out
When you go “all in,” then the things of God will be revealed in your field without a doubt.
3. World – All change
And the things of God are bound to give a positive influence. May you have that blessing this week.
Message Prayer
Let us pray together, holding onto the Word we’ve received today. Where will I go “all in”? Let us pray together.
Newcomer Blessing
God, we thank You. We believe You will work with the blessing that gives the answers, according to Your Word, with all those who are visiting as newcomers. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.
Announcements
1. Online zoom early morning prayer (Mon.-Fri. 5:30, Sat. 6AM) – Raise the bartizan of prayer
2. 12/24 (Sun.) 3:30, Christmas eve event
4. 12/25 (Mon.) 10:30am, Christmas worship
5. Winter Retreat, 12/26 (Tues.) – 28 (Thurs.)
6. Offering can be given to the church venmo: @Antiochmissionchurch