Journey Through Matthew: Only For a Season

Introduction

Good morning and welcome back!

If you would, start turning in your Bibles to .

This morning we are going to make a sharp transition in the themes that Jesus has been covering as we have been going through Matthew.

For the last several weeks, we have read about and learned about Jesus teaching his disciples about being prepared for all things that were to come.

He has wanted them to build a strength and a resolve to endure until the end.

He has wanted them to be able to stay the course, even after he has left them.

He has wanted them to remain vigilant and watch for him always, always being prepared.

And He has wanted the same thing for all of us.

Otherwise none of this would have been included in our Scripture.

And this morning we are going to start to see the real reason why.

Because now we are going to be moving into the final days of Jesus’ earthly ministry.

And it all begins here in .

In our focus for this morning we are going to find two plans to arrest and kill Jesus.

But something strange is sandwiched right in the middle of these two plots.

We find an act of love.

An act of kindness.

An act of faith.

An act that should remind us all that even in the darkest hours we face, God is still there.

Love is still there.

Faith is still there.

Kindness is still there.

And this, is what we need to really focus on.

The fact that God keeps His promises to never leave us or forsake us.

The fact God says and is with us always, even until the end.

Because this is where we find our only hope.

So, if you have found in your Bibles, I’d invite you to stand with me this morning.

I will be picking up and reading verses 10-13, but we will be covering the first 15 verses of that chapter.

Matthew writes this . . . .

Scripture Focus

Matthew 26:10-

Matthew 26:10–13 NIV - Anglicised

10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. 12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

The Plot Against Jesus (vs 1-5)

Now, to let the cat out of the bag, we know here that this is what we refer to as the “Alabaster Jar” and what is referenced when we receive an “alabaster offering” because it is an offering made out of love, kindness, and faith.

But before we get there, let’s back up and look at what is going on around this event.

Backing up to verse 1, the Bible tells us . . . .

Matthew 26:1–2 NIV - Anglicised

1 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2 “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

Matthew 26:1

Now, the “all these things” that Matthew is referring to here, is all of the teachings that we have been covering the last several weeks.

It is almost as if Matthew is saying, “practice is over, it’s time for the real stuff to start.”

Which is really how we should be responding every time we leave church.

Church is where we learn and practice and out there is where we put what we have learned to use.

The same could be said about our private prayer time and our private Bible reading time.

These are places where we practice and gain knowledge and understanding so that when we are confronted with things, we can put what we have learned to use.

And the first thing we see here is Jesus’ matter of fact statement to the disciples in verse 2 . . .

Matthew 26:2 NIV - Anglicised

2 “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

Not really what they wanted to hear, especially since passover was coming.

Passover was a time of celebration and remembrance.

It was a time when Jerusalem would be packed with people coming to worship at the temple for Passover.

It was a time to celebrate God’s deliverance of the Jews from the Egyptians.

But now, during this time though, Jesus was going to be crucified and killed.

But if we really think about it, would Passover not be the appropriate time.

Since Passover is a celebration of a time of deliverance, Jesus through His sacrifice was not only going to offer a way of deliverance for the Jews but for all humanity.

Jesus would become the Passover sacrifice.

But how?

How was this going to happen?

Matthew 26:3–4 NIV - Anglicised

3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him.

Matthew 26:3-

So, they had started to devise a plan to find Jesus and arrest him.

Not only were they going to arrest him, but they were going to get rid of him once and for all.

He had interfered with them long enough and it was time to deal with Him.

So, they were going to kill him.

And here’s the thing, who did Jesus ever hurt?

Who was he a threat to?

No one, but they hated him so much they literally wanted to kill him.

These people were so full of sin and hate that they had a total disregard for human life.

They were so power hungry that they would destroy anyone who got in their way.

And we see the same thing going on in our world today.

Now, people may not plot to kill others every day but we all know people who so badly want to “get to the top” or “be #1” that they will step on whoever they have to in order get their way.

They don’t care who they hurt or what they do.

Their attitude is “it’s all about me.”

And sadly, we also see this play out in the church.

One of the things we see play out in church after church is the “me attitude.”

People refuse to come to church, leave the church, and all sorts of things because others in the church insist on having things their way.

It is “their church” and they have done things “their way” for the last xxxx years, and nobody is going to change it.

Their heart has grown hard and cold.

They are indifferent to the movement of the Holy Spirit.

And when that happens, the church will soon die because anyone who opposes them is either run off or quits.

And we need to be constantly aware of that attitude creeping up—from the Pastor all the way way.

Because it can.

None of us are always right and we need to be willing to listen to other people and other ideas as well.

But their heart was cold and indifferent.

All they thought about was power.

So they began to plot to kill Jesus.

They just had one problem . . .

Matthew 26:5 NIV - Anglicised

5 “But not during the Feast,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”

They couldn’t risk a riot because the Romans would then get involved.

And the people would riot because these sorts of things were not allowed during the Feast.

And also because Jesus was very popular among the people.

They had be careful and calculating on how they went about doing things.

The Alabaster Jar (vs 6-13)

So, the plot is now set but before it is carried out we find Jesus in a different situation all together . . . .

Matthew 26:6–7 NIV - Anglicised

6 While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.

Matthew 26:6

So, this is altogether pretty strange to happen especially while all of these other things are going on.

The Jews are out plotting to kill Jesus and instead of hiding out Jesus is visiting with a man’s family there in Bethany.

And it wasn’t just any family.

This was the man known as Simon the Leper.

This was one of those unclean, “undesirable people.

And Jesus is having dinner with them.

Most people would be hiding in a cave somewhere, but Jesus is actually drawing more attention to himself by violating Jewish law.

And the reason that none of this is impacting how Jesus acts is because He has accepted his fate.

He has accepted the fact that these things must come to pass in order for humanity to be saved.

Jesus loved each and every person in this room that much, that even before his death, he had already accepted his fate and refused to back down even in the midst of impending doom.

And while none of us in this room will ever likely reach that level of risk for our faith, we need to think about what we are willing to endure for the sake of our faith.

Are we willing to endure hypocrites in the Church?

Are will willing to endure ridicule in the community?

Are we willing to stand up and say, as for me and my house we will serve the Lord!

Because even though we may never face death for our faith, we all endure trials and tribulations.

If through nothing else than just life itself, we go through trials.

And if we do not have a strong faith and a strong resolve, we will not make it.

So, ask yourself this morning , how strong is my faith?

We will never compare to Jesus but we can stand firm in what we believe.

But, while Jesus is there a lady comes to him and does something that the disciples think is strange. . .

Matthew 26:7 NIV - Anglicised

7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.

Matthew 26:

So, she anoints him with this very expensive perfume, that is usually reserved for the burial of kings, dignitaries, and other “important people.”

This would be like the most expensive bottle of Chanel we have ever seen.

And when the disciples saw this . . .

Matthew 26:8–9 NIV - Anglicised

8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”

Matthew 26:

And we often want to blame Judas solely for this greed, but when we look closely here and in the Gospel of Mark, we find out that he wasn’t alone.

And greed wasn’t even the main issue here either.

We often say it is, because of their statement about it being sold and the money given to the poor, which we assume they had no intention of doing.

The real problem here was jealously.

Why does Jesus get this royal treatment?

What makes him so special?

They were actually jealous of Jesus.

And before we get too appalled by it, how many times have been been jealous of the Holy Spirit at work in others?

When God is blessing someone and we start to think “why them” or “what makes them so special.”

And this is why Jesus responds in the way he does . . . .

Matthew 26:10–12 NIV - Anglicised

10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. 12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.

Matthew 26:

This woman understood what Jesus was trying to tell them.

She understood the sacrifice to come.

She got it even though the disciples did not.

And she poured out her love for Christ through that bottle of perfume.

She poured our our faith and her dedication to Him.

Demonstrating kindness and love for her Lord.

And because of her honor for him, she would be honored as well . . .

Matthew 26:13 NIV - Anglicised

13 I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Matthew

Judas’ Betrayal (vs 14-16)

However, this was the last straw for one of the disciples.

He had had enough of this nonsense and wastefulness of Jesus.

Enough was enough.

And his jealously had overcome him . . .

Matthew 26:14–16 NIV - Anglicised

14 Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

Matthew 26:

Again, just like we have been talking about for weeks, his heart was so darkened by sin, he was overcome with greed and outright hatred toward Christ.

Altar Call

And I know that hate is a very strong word.

But I also wonder if there is anyone here today that is struggling with hate.

And you may say, “I don’t hate anyone” but do you struggle with forgiving people who have done you wrong?

Where would we be if God didn’t forgive us?

And if we continue to harbor that unforgiveness, it is going to harden our hearts.

And if we are not careful we will end up just like Judas selling our very soul for a few pieces of silver.

Maybe you are here and you are struggling with something else.

Some other area in your life.

You can take care of that today, if you are willing.