February 27, 2022
Morning Service

What we now call “the passion week,” the last week of Jesus’ ministry culminating with His DBR is winding to a close.  There has been a lot happen so far beginning with the triumphal entry, the cleansing of the Temple, conflicts with the religious leaders, many teachings and the “Olivet Discourse” in which Jesus foretells of the Great Tribulation.  For us, let’s look very closely at all that happens from here leading up to Easter morning.  What things can we find to challenge us to follow more closely going forward.  Jesus has completed His teaching and again warns the disciples of what the end of the week will hold for them.

Mat 26:1-2 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, (2) "You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified."

            This is the fourth time in this gospel that Jesus has openly told the disciples what His future holds, but now for the first time a timeframe is attached.  I am sure they still could not grasp the reality of His prophecy and the impact it would have on them.  Imagine how Jesus feels about His own words.  He knows what lies ahead for Him and for these men He has chosen to follow Him.  Matthew now shows us the planning has begun on the side of the religious leaders to bring to fruition Jesus’ prophecy.

 

Mat 26:3-5 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, (4) and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him.  (5)  But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people."  

            Caiaphas was the Roman appointed High Priest who served for 18 years.  He is a man in the positon of spiritual leadership for the entire nation of Israel.  He of all people should not be planning to kill Jesus, he should be pointing to Him as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” celebrating His arrival.  The truth is God chose to blind Caiaphas and the other leaders to whom Jesus really was for this moment.  Just as with the Passover approaching it was vital to kill the Passover lamb, it is vital in God’s plan that His Son, the true Passover Lamb be killed as well.  Caiaphas and these leaders are playing a part in God’s plan of salvation and are unaware of it.  Our prayer is that one day they came to repentance and saw Jesus for who He is. 

            Matthew now tells us of an act of worship and love Mary, the sister of Lazarus whom Jesus called from the grave, offers to her Lord.   Though Mary’s name is not mentioned here, the other gospels confirm that it is she.  We first learn of Mary when Jesus visits the family and she is found listening at the feet of Jesus while her sister is busy serving.  When Martha complained Jesus said Mary had “chosen that good part.”  This demonstrates how relationship is greater than service.  We can’t truly serve without having the close relationship.

 

Mat 26:6-7 And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, (7) a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table.

            The perfumed oil was most likely kept in a white gypsum flask and Mark tells us it was worth 300 denarii, or 300 days’ wages.  John includes in his gospel that Mary not only poured it upon Jesus but “washed His feet with her hair.”  In the midst of all that was going on it is Mary who is grasping the moment of who Jesus is and she offers up a gift accordingly.  The fragrance fills the house as we sit and watch this humble woman offer an act of worship openly and unashamedly before us.  She had decided to give Jesus her greatest treasure in this humble manner.  She knows His true identity and she knows He has changed her life in many impactful ways including raising her brother from the grave.  It is when in our walk with Jesus that we truly know Him, understand how much He loves us, and realize all He has done for us that we can truly worship Him from our heart.  Her heart belonged to Him and now she had a chance to give back a little something to show her gratitude and love.  It was a beautiful, loving, humble act of worship that was genuine, true and from the heart.  How did we disciples react?  Not how we should have.

 

Mat 26:8-9 But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste?  (9)  For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor."

            We totally miss the point of Mary’s act of worship and are quick to openly condemn her for the wasteful thing she has done!  We begin to think like Martha and all the things that need to done or we can do focusing on serving over relationship.  Knowing Him will develop our desire to serve Him, but our greatest heart’s desire is to be with Him.  God greatest promise is not a gift of great wealth or happiness, but rather only His presence in our lives.  “I will never leave you or forsake you” is the promise I hold dearest.  Mary caught this and the disciples had not yet, but will very soon. 

            John gives us a bit of the background as well and he writes that Judas was indignant to this act revealing to us that he was a “thief and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.”  Here we see where Judas’ heart was during this time.  His focus was not on the poor but upon his own wallet.  Jesus is quick to set the right perspective of what Mary has done for Him.

 

Mat 26:10-13 But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me.  (11)  For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.  (12)  For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.  (13)  Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her."

            Jesus was not ignoring the fact that the poor could have been helped, but was bringing light to the moment that we were in.  Even in Deuteronomy 15:11 it tells us that there will always be poor among us.  It is a problem we will not be able to solve.  Jesus chose to look at this from a spiritual view and with the future events fresh upon His mind.  After death, a rich man’s body would have been doused with perfume and wrapped in spices; not so much as to embalm the body but to limit the odor of decomposition.  A crucified man would not receive this treatment, but most likely be cast into the dump after being taken down from the cross. Jesus, the very Son of God, walked on this earth for a limited amount of time and certainly deserved to be received and treated much better than He was.  Mary unknowingly anoints the King of kings for His burial as an act of worship to Him for who He is and what He has done for her. Jesus proclaims that this act will “be told as a memorial to her” and we are doing that this morning.

            What can we learn and apply from this beautiful story?  Mary realized Jesus was worthy of her best.  She willingly, freely, and humbly gave her greatest possession away without a second thought.  How does our worship measure up to Mary’s?  True worship begins with knowing who Jesus is and realizing that He loves you and desires to have a relationship with you.  As Mary anointed Jesus, her mind was focused entirely upon Him, not her surroundings or circumstances.  In love and gratitude, she offered her best to Jesus for she knew He was worthy of nothing less.  Jesus told this to the woman at the well:

 

Joh 4:23-24 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  (24)  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

            Are we there yet with our worship?  As we sing our hymns, do you focus on who you are singing to and sing not with your lips but with your heart?  That is what it means to worship “in spirit and truth.”  God is “seeking such to worship Him.”  He desires us to worship Him as Mary did offering her best.  Sit down in front of your spiritual mirror and ask God to reveal to you where your worship is; are we offering Him our best?  Just like with our prayer life, there is always room for improvement with worship.  The best part is as we draw closer and know Him more intimately our praise becomes much more natural and we do it as Mary did with our Lord as our primary focus.

            Over the next several weeks, I challenge you to not only read this account of Jesus’ DBR, but experience it knowing He did it for you!  I assure you that by doing that you will receive the desire to worship Him with your best.

 

Heavenly Father, we worship You for calling us out of a life of sin and separation into a relationship of love and fellowship.  Help us to seek mercy over sacrifice and to truly know and worship You in spirit and in truth.