Matthew 26:6-16

“Trade in Value”

welcome

talk about new series over the next few weeks

jump in to passage

Matthew 26:6–16 ESV

Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

we see a juxtaposition here. We have one scene where a woman is anointing Jesus’ body, in Jesus’ words preparing him for burial = talk on this…

Matthew 26:6–7 ESV

Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table.

lets talk details real quick…

talk some apologetics here = Some might say the bible is like modern day Disney it just remakes and reboots stories

we heard a very similar story back in chapter 10

tell why not…

An alabaster jar was a beautiful and expensive vase with a long, slender neck. It was carved from translucent gypsum. The perfume inside the jar is described as “pure nard”

talk on this being expensive once again talking culture and background

move on

Matthew 26:8–9 ESV

And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.”

talk on this passage as Judas was in charge of money accountant for the disciples

also how mark matthew luke dont mention but John makes clear it was judas who made a fuss…

Matthew 26:10–11 ESV

But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.

talk on how the things we do for Jesus is never a waste…

time spent in devotion, at church, serving, praying etc…

story of giving money to those on the side of street…

if God called or lead you to it it is not a waste…

insert joke of buying tv maybe consider it a waste…

Matthew 26:12–13 ESV

In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

this has been made true as we read it here in the Gospels…

Matthew 26:14–16 ESV

Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

talk game shows risk taking

deal or no deal talk this game show

i think Judas decided to hit the button here and take the deal…

but if all Judas wanted all along was money anyway then why even choose to follow Jesus…

If this was the case, Judas would be one of the first New Testament folks to be taken out by the prosperity gospel.

There is a false notion that following Jesus means we will get what we want right now.

It says if we are good Christians, we will be blessed. But not blessed with the fruit of the Spirit, or wisdom, or greater obedience, or love for our neighbor.

No, it says being blessed means we will be healthy and wealthy.

When Jesus’s work in our lives doesn’t give us the big house, the happy and hot spouse, or six weeks of paid vacation and a condo in Maui, it can be disorienting.

When the premise or motivation of our faith is wrong, we will eventually be disappointed with God. Following Jesus was not going to get Judas what he wanted. Whether we follow Jesus to get what we want or trade our love for Jesus to get what we want, both are dead ends.

Selling out for such a meager amount, Judas? C’mon! We would never do that! But the joke’s on us—of course we do that!

We try to trade Jesus to get what we want all the time. Maybe Jesus couldn’t provide Judas with a throne, so why not at least get something out of the deal? Wealth is a great tempter, and while Judas didn’t get rich off thirty pieces of silver, it was apparently enough for him.

This is an especially bold picture after seeing the generosity of the woman who anointed him at dinner.

Today we harm Jesus’s influence in our lives by letting money, combined with shallow faith, win out in our everyday lives.

We cut out church, prayer, family time, community service, or other ways we meet with or honor God so we can do other things that seem more valuable—

things such as business projects, kids’ sports, or even sleeping in or watching football.

None of those things is inherently bad, but if we are regularly trading them for communing with or following Jesus, then perhaps we’ve lost our way, as Judas did. We read

that “from that moment” Judas was ready to betray Jesus. He was just waiting for the right opportunity.

We all think we aren’t like Judas, but when opportunity arises, we suddenly see Judas looking back at us in the mirror.

And like Judas, if we ever had hope in Christ in the first place, we know the sorrow of regret.

Judas, seeing that Jesus was going to the cross, took the money back to the priests and killed himself (Matthew 27:3–5). His story ended tragically.

Judas was gone before he could see the resurrection of Christ and understand the path to forgiveness and restoration through Jesus.

Maybe we have made an idol out of wealth, power, control, or comfort—some of these which we’ll explore in later weeks—

but the way of the cross means we can change course and repent.

Unlike Judas, we live after the cross and resurrection, and that means we don’t have to be crushed by our sin and shame.

Reflecting on the things that we are tempted to trade for Jesus in our own lives can help us deepen our understanding of our Judas tendencies and rejoice in the overwhelming gift of God’s redemptive grace in our lives through his death and resurrection. Our story doesn’t end in a field; it ends in glory with our risen Savior.

HOLY SPIRIT TAKE OVER…