When Love Is Worth the Cost

Matthew 26:1–16 KJV 1900

And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people. Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her. Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

Big Idea

True devotion to Jesus always costs something—and exposes what we value most.

INTRODUCTION

What is something you value that other’s think is strange?

Trying to get rid of a child’s worn out destuffed animal…

Trying to pry the worn out work shirt from a grandpa’s hand…

Most of us say Jesus is worth everything—

until obedience starts costing us something real.

It’s easy to sing about surrender.

It’s harder to live it when it affects our comfort, our reputation, or our security.

Matthew 26 opens the final hours before the cross, and it places two people side by side:

One pours everything out for Jesus.

One sells Jesus for something else.

Same Savior.

Same moment.

Two very different responses.

And the question hanging over this text is not who did what—

but

What is Jesus worth to you?

MOVEMENT 1

JESUS KNOWS THE COST—AND STILL MOVES FORWARD

📖 Matthew 26:1–5

Jesus says plainly:

“After two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.”

There’s no hesitation in His voice.

No uncertainty.

No attempt to soften the moment.

While Jesus speaks openly about the cross, the religious leaders meet secretly to avoid consequences.

They want control without conviction.

Jesus chooses obedience over safety.

Here’s the truth we can’t miss:

The cross wasn’t an interruption to Jesus’ ministry—it was the point of it.

He didn’t stumble into suffering.

He walked toward it.

Application:

If Jesus didn’t avoid the cost of obedience, we shouldn’t be surprised when faithfulness costs us something too.

MOVEMENT 2

EXTRAVAGANT WORSHIP ALWAYS DRAWS CRITICISM

📖 Matthew 26:6–9

A woman enters the house with an alabaster box—expensive, rare, and likely representing her future security.

Without explanation, she breaks it and pours it on Jesus.

The disciples respond immediately:

“To what purpose is this waste?”

Worship that costs you something will always be questioned by people who value efficiency over relationship.

They saw money.

Jesus saw love.

They calculated value.

She surrendered it.

Preaching Line:

What looks reckless to people who don’t love Jesus often looks beautiful to Jesus Himself.

MOVEMENT 3

JESUS HONORS WHAT OTHERS DISMISS

📖 Matthew 26:10–13

Jesus stops the criticism:

“Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.”

Jesus defends her publicly.

Then He reveals something shocking:

“She did it for my burial.”

She understood what others missed.

She recognized the cross when others were still dreaming of crowns.

And Jesus says her worship will be remembered wherever the gospel is preached.

Application:

Jesus is not impressed by how much we keep—

He is honored by what we are willing to lay down.

MOVEMENT 4

A DIVIDED HEART ALWAYS LOOKS FOR A PRICE

📖 Matthew 26:14–16

Immediately after extravagant worship comes calculated betrayal.

Judas goes to the chief priests and asks one question:

“What will ye give me?”

Thirty pieces of silver.

The price of a slave.

Judas didn’t betray Jesus in a moment of rage—

he sold Him after a season of divided devotion.

Warning:

When Jesus stops being your treasure, you will always start putting a price on Him.

CONCLUSION

One person poured everything out.

One person cashed out.

And every one of us stands somewhere between those two responses.

Closing Call:

What is Jesus worth to you—really?