The Annointed Messiah

In October of 2020 we began this journey through the gospels and the Life of Christ. What an incredible journey it has been. We have seen the compassion of the savior, We’ve seen his hatred of sin. We’ve seen some incredibly encouraging teachings and then some that make us scratch our heads as we have been forced to reexamine our own commitment to Jesus and the the hard teachings. I’ve been thankful for those of you who have come alongside me in this journey, who have chosen to grow and be stretched through Christ’s example. Now over the next couple of weeks we will be approaching the accounts of Jesus ultimate sacrifice on the cross.

If all that we have learned of Jesus doesn’t point us to the cross and resurrection, to embrace joyfully the struggle of becoming like him accepting both the pain and the peace then we you have missed the point of this past 2.5 years. Jesus life was full of triumph through sacrifice and service. So as we enter into these next few somber weeks of reflection my question for you? Are you more like him now than you were 2.5 years ago?

Matthew 26:6 CSB

6 While Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper,

Overlook of Bethany

Matthew 26:7–13 CSB

7 a woman approached him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. She poured it on his head as he was reclining at the table. 8 When the disciples saw it, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This might have been sold for a great deal and given to the poor.” 10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a noble thing for me. 11 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me. 12 By pouring this perfume on my body, she has prepared me for burial. 13 Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

I. A Gift without Reservation.

We see that this woman approaches Jesus breaks the seal on the ointment or perfume and pours it over Jesus.

The gospel of Mark tells us the cost of this perfume is 300 hundred Denarii or the equivalent to 300 days wages for the average person. Today the median income in the US. is around $71,000. This perfume would have been around this equivalent. I imagine this was some form of savings account for her. This was not a small gift.

So why did she do this?

When we realize the the worth of our savior, it results in our own feelings of unworthiness. When we realize that in our unworthiness that he still loves us, it results in a life given without reservation.

The act of anointing him was a recognition of who he was. In fact the word “messiah” means “the anointed one”.

If we say that we recognize that Jesus is Lord and Messiah then our lives should reflect that realization.

The way we live our lives is directly related to the value we place on Jesus as savior and Lord.

A true disciple has committed himself or herself without equivocation, without reservation to Jesus Christ the Savior.8

A. W. Tozer

So my question is this, “if others were to judge the value of Christ by your passion and zeal for him, What would they ascribe His value to be?”

IF those who claim to be Christians do not prioritize Jesus above all things as evident by their lifestyle can we expect the lost to see Jesus‘ worth?

When we think of this woman there can be little doubt that she valued Christ by this public display of worship. It is very likely this perfume was her only treasure and she didn’t waste it. Instead she gave it to Christ.

II. Resistance to the gift

Matthew 26:8 CSB

8 When the disciples saw it, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked.

It’s hard for us to imagine this type of reaction from the disciples. I mean this woman offered this to Jesus. Yet they were so focused on the temporal needs they missed out on understanding the extravagance of her gift.

Do God’s people ever discourage reckless abandon when it comes to following Christ?

I think it’s possible that we are so far removed from this type of sacrificial worship that if we are not careful we actually become suspicious of it.

Imagine with me, if you will, your child or grandchild decides early on they wants to work for Spacex or Tesla as an engineer. They have this dream. All through high school you as the parent spend every weekend sacrificing to put this child into expensive engineering competitions and clubs to win scholarships which he/she does.

This child of yours shows unbelievable talent in these fields. He/she maintains a 4.0 throughout High School. Graduation day comes. After sacrificing so much you watch your child walk across that stage and you think to yourself all the sacrifice was worth it. Then you celebrate as this child receives a full ride to the school of their choice. After the first semester, your child comes home for Christmas breaks and says mom/dad, we need to talk.

There is a group of people who smuggle bibles into closed nations. I am dedicating my life however long or short it is to this.

How do you respond? Do you become indignant? Do you think what a waste. Or maybe you like the disciples you say but you could do so much good using your gifts another way. How do you respond to the gift your child as decided to give?

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III. The purpose of the Anointing

Matthew 26:10–13 CSB

10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a noble thing for me. 11 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me. 12 By pouring this perfume on my body, she has prepared me for burial. 13 Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

There is no way that this woman could have known the gift of perfume would be a symbolic gesture. But here Jesus tells his disciples that he is indeed ready to die. The time has come.

Now think about the irony of this passage. Here this woman gives a costly gift without consideration of money and Judas. She gave a gift without reservations and Judas betrays without reservation.

IV. Betrayal without Reservation

How could one woman give a gift worth a years wages and then Judas for four months salary betray the same person?

It all comes down to how much to you value the savior. What’s his worth to you? This woman, loved Jesus and in response held nothing back. This is true worship or “worth-ship”.

Yet Judas loved himself and in kind held nothing back from himself.

So then my question for you is this. IF worth-ship is directly related to how much we love and value the savior. What’s your price?

I am not suggesting that you would betray the Savior. But what I am saying is the worth that we place on Jesus will ultimately determine how we worship. For Judas Jesus worth was 4 months wages for this woman it was her greatest his treasure.

So whats our price church? What value do you place on the Messiah?

I think if we were being honest, we are often fall somewhere between Judas and this woman.

None of us in here would betray the savior, but how we live our lives does ascribe a value or a worth to Jesus.

Watch these few short stories.

https://youtu.be/SiAKStSZYDM

https://youtu.be/PBNGysBkbe4

https://youtu.be/89TU43ZUR0k

https://youtu.be/7mfnvlia-Qg

https://youtu.be/Vh9Im6xVkBw

https://youtu.be/O-yrA-d2USk

What’s Jesus worth to you? At what point do we ascribe more value to comfort and lifestyle than we do the savior? Will you offer yourself as a gift without reservation?