A sacrifice of praise

-Giving

-Address the blessing at the end of the service

-Address the Bible app

-Prayer

-Jesus anointing at Bethany

-Where this event appears

Matthew 26:6–13 “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.””

Mark 14:1–6 “It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.” And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.”

Jn 12:1–8. 1Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. 3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. 4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5 “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” 6 Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself. 7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

-You will notice when you read these three accounts together some discrepancies

-We are going to talk for just a few minutes about these discrepancies

-In verse 1 of johns gospel we see the dinner is to honor Jesus

-In Matthew and Mark the dinner is at the home of Simon the leper, but in Johns gospel the dinner is at the home of Lazarus

-There is some conjecture among scholars that Simon the leper could have been Martha's husband; however it does seem that he was somehow in this family

-That is a good reason Simon the lepers house and the house of Lazarus could have been one and the same

-Scholars suggest that this dinner was to honor Jesus for raising Lazarus from the dead

-I can only imagine that if someone raised my very close family member from the dead, especially after being dead for 4 days, i would at least cook them a steak!

-In verse 2 of Johns gospel Martha is serving

-Then seemingly Mary enters the room. It doesn't appear from the text that she is already there.

-In Matthew and Mark she is only identified as a woman, but in Johns gospel she is identified as Mary of Bethany Lazarus sister

-In Matthew and in Mark she is in possession of an alabaster flask of very costly oil.

-But in Johns Gospel it is simply a Jar; however we learn something from John we don't from the other two.

-That the weight of the oil is 12oz. That's basically a Coke can worth of strong aromatic oil used as fragrance of the day,

-Mark is the only one that records that the jar contains ointment of pure Nard.

-Pure nard refers to spikenard, a fragrant substance with a scent that is described as a strong, deeply earthy, herbal sweetness and the oil clings to skin and hair.

-It’s smell is described by those in the field of fragrance as incredibly potent without being unpleasant or overpowering.

-In Matthew and in Mark Mary pours the oil on Jesus head, in Mark she breaks the flask beforehand. This could refer to the breaking of a seal that was keeping the flask closed.

-But in Johns Gospel we see her only at the feet of Jesus.

-All of these accounts are true and they don't contradict each other

-The discrepancies do not disprove the Bible they prove it

-(Deputy witness statement)

-(Describe the scene)

-(Don’t forget Mary letting her hair down)

-(Mary at the feet of Jesus for the third time) learning as he taught (Luke 10) falling down at his feet at Lazarus death (John 11)

-Now at his feet once more this time the third time with full revelation.

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-But its not over, The Bible says that the disciples began to grumble and complain about the waist of money

-Can you feel the discomfort?

-The Bible even says they scolded her

-Johns gospel eves says that Judas the one who would betray Jesus said that the oil was worth a years wages (for a working man) and should have been sold for the poor.

Other people don’t get to define your worship!

-because they are uncomfortable, or because they are not at the same place as you.

-(In this church)

-The value of your worship is determined by the one who is receiving it, not by those around you!! I’ll say it again

-People may call it

Emotional

Excessive

Fanatical

Impractical.......

-Jesus called it beautiful! “Leave her alone.’ He said’, Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.”

Worship reveals what we treasure. True worship exposes the heart.

-Mary and Judas were in the same room smelling the fragrance of the same oil

Mary saw a sacrifice worthy of the master

Judas saw only money, and was filled with greed and anger.

Mary saw the true worth of Jesus, and the disciples grumbled and were indignant.

-The alabaster jar became a mirror that exposed their innermost hearts

-Scholars suggest that its at this point that Judas decided to betray Jesus, Judas was actually offended.

True worship will cost us something.

2 Samuel 24:24 “But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.” So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen

-Mary’s sacrifice of praise was valuable and she didn’t save a drop.

Pride.

 Comfort.

Time.

 Resources.

Sometimes relationships

-The oil was worth a years wages (for a working man!)

Worship prepares us for what we cant yet understand

-Jesus says, “She has done it to prepare me for burial.”

-Mary may not have understood every implication.

-Sometimes obedience comes before understanding.

-She worshiped before she understood the full significance.

-Jesus would not be ritually prepared for his burial after the cross.

-He was simply wrapped and placed in the tomb

-Scholars have wondered aloud if the sweet fragrance of Mary’s sacrifice was still on the skin of Jesus on the cross.

Worship fills the atmosphere

-John alone records: “The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”

-That sentence is almost impossible to ignore.

-Sin spreads.

-Complaining spreads.

-Fear spreads.

-But genuine worship spreads too.

-One person’s devotion affected everyone in the room.

-Everyone whether they appreciated it or not was affected my Mary’s worship

-And now for two millennia we are still affected by her worship!

Worship leaves a legacy

Jesus says, “Wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told.”

-Think about that.

-Mary never preached a sermon.

-Never planted a church.

-Never wrote a book.

-She simply worshiped.

-And Jesus promised that act would be remembered for all generations.

-I have seen true worship, and it left an impact on me.

-We never know what kind of legacy our worship is leaving.

-Children

-Family

-Friends

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-School system workers

-Bless the children