Mark 14:1-11 "The Fragrance of Christ"

Good morning Calvary Chapel Lake City!

Well I hope you all came hungry today… first we will get fed by the word… then we will take communion in remembrance of our Lord… and then we will enjoy some good conversations during our fellowship lunch!

Our first week of the month is always a blessed day!

So… let’s begin… please open your Bibles to Mark 14. Mark 14:1-11.

Over the past seven weeks… one week we celebrated Resurrection Sunday… and the other 6 weeks… we looked at the Olivet Discourse…

Jesus’ great teaching on End Times, where He gives a glimpse of future events yet to come.

Last week we looked at Jesus’ final exhortations to “Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.”

Jesus can return at anytime, so we should be ready… living lives that reflect Him… and we should be busy about His business until He come.

I love eschatology… and it’s easy to look around at the world around us… Israel reformed as a nation in 1948… Israel and Iran at each other’s throats… the technology… the glimpses of a one-world government…

All kinds of signs that should inform us… the time is near… so take, heed, watch and pray…

And, we have a great example in Jesus… even days before the cross, Jesus was busy about His Father’s business…

Which at Luke’s conclusion to the Olivet Discourse, Luke wrote, “And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet. 38 Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.”

If you knew of impending torture and death that would come upon you in two days time… what would you do with your final two days?

Jesus taught people in His final days. What a model we have in Jesus!

Since we’re exiting this 6-week study on the Olivet Discourse and getting back to the narrative of Jesus’ final week… to remind you where we are…

This final Passover week began with The Triumphal Entry back in Mark 11… our Gospel writers devote a significant portion of their Gospels to this final week… because it’s a monumental week!

As a result… we’ve been studying at this final week since the end of January… for three months now.

Besides the Triumphal Entry… Jesus cursed the fig tree… cleansed the Temple… taught key topics about faith, forgiveness, authority…

He told parables and answered disingenuous questions by religious leaders designed to ensnare Him… Questions about taxes, the resurrection, and the Greatest Commandment…

Then Jesus flipped the script and questioned and condemned the religious leaders… which added fuel to the fire of their desire to ensnare and kill Him…

Then the private teaching to four of His disciples… “The Olivet Discourse...”

And, now today, we come back to Wednesday of the Passover week…

… where we will see some plotting against Jesus, BUT we are also blessed with the beautiful scene of worship where Mary anoints Jesus…

… which is reflected in our sermon title for today, “The Fragrance of Christ.”

One of my favorite messages to preach.

Let’s pray!

In reverence for God’s word, please stand as I read our passage.

Mark 14:1-11 “After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death. 2 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.”

3 And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. 4 But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? 5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply.

6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. 7 For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. 8 She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. 9 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.”

10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.”

Praise God for His word. Please be seated.

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Let’s Pray… and then take communion.

1 Cor 11:23-29 “...the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”

Please distribute the elements...

Communion is a time for us to look three directions…

We look back remembering Jesus’ sacrifice… His broken body and shed blood for the remission of our sins.

His new covenant. Salvation by faith and in grace.

Look forward in hope of His imminent return… we proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. He is coming.

And, looking inward to examine ourselves… to take communion in a worthy manner.

Time to do business with God.

Once you have prayed… take the communion elements individually.

Our worship team will play one worship song, and then close us in prayer.

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If you have never accepted Jesus as Lord...

...either let the cup pass and do not partake in communion -or- the better option...

…first accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior today.

Our Elders will be up front to guide you in a prayer of faith… to confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

… then take communion.

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