Leaving a Beautiful Legacy

Plotting in secret (1-2)

Two days before passover…

There were three major Feasts during the Hebrew calendar. All males must appear at these three festivals.

Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Feast of Firstfruits (Harvest). This was held exactly 50 days after Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:15).

Feast of Booths (Tabernacles). Held on the 15th of the 7th month, called Tishrei, which relates to our mid-September to mid-October. Tishrei is a big month: Rosh Hoshanah (New Year), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), Sukkot (Booths).

The Feast of Unleavened Bread

Held in the Month Abib (later Nisan), which corresponds to our mid-March to mid-April.

Kicked off every year with a special holiday called Passover. Ie, you can think of Passover and Unleavened Bread as one celebration.

Specifically, Passover was on 14 Abib/Nisan, and Unleavened Bread 15-21 Abib/Nisan.

Passover/Unleavened Bread commemorated God’s miraculous deliverance of the Hebrews by defeating Pharaoh and parting the Red Sea. They ate unleavened bread to symbolize how quickly they would have to leave Egypt, not even giving their bread enough time to rise.

Honorable Jews, including Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, took these festivals seriously (Luke 2:42; John 2:13).

They were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him.

They are the “chief priests and the scribes.”

Chief priest was the highest office in the hierarchy of priests and Levites in the Sanhedrin. The High Priest was a chief priest.

Stealth refers to the intent to deceive for treacherous purposes. (Eg, “They conspired to arrest Jesus in a treacherous way,” Mt 26:4; “You are full of all kinds of deceit & trickery,” Ac 13:10.)

Jerusalem generally hosted a population of about 30k, and estimates are that the populations swelled 6x to 180k. It’s easy to appreciate their concern at causing an “uproar.”

Applications

Don’t be a schemer. The Joker on the mob, cops, and Commissioner Gordon: “They’re schemers. Schemers trying to control their little worlds” (The Dark Knight, 2008).

Schemers work in the shadows in order to control. How does this happen in churches?

Beautiful Things (3-9)

Facts of this story.

Occurred in Bethany, a short walk from Jerusalem. In ch. 11, Jesus moves back and forth between Bethan & Jerusalem, using Bethany as a base of operations. He stayed the night with Lazarus, Martha, and Mary (11:1ff), but on this occasion he accepted an invitation to dinner.

The dinner was at the home of Simon the Leper.

Pure nard was imported from India, making it very costly. It was worth an entire year’s wages.

She poured it over his head. This was a sign of blessing. “You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (Ps 23:5).

Some…indignantly. Matthew reveals that this was the disciples.

Contradiction?

This account clearly is the same as the one recorded in Matthew 26:6-13.

It would be easy to confuse this account with the one from Luke 7:36-50 and another from John 12:1-8. There are similarities between all three.

Similarities

Host named Simon.

Woman anointing Jesus.

Very expensive ointment.

Contrasts

Hosts: Simon the Leper (Matthew, Mark), Simon the Pharisee (Luke), Lazarus and family (John)

Timing: Two days before the Final Passover (Mark, Matthew); Six days before Passover (John); apparently earlier in Christ’s ministry (Luke 7).

Locations: Bethany (Matthew, Mark, John), apparently in Galilee (Luke)

My best guess

Luke records an incident from earlier in Jesus ministry.

Matthew, Mark and John tell the same story.

Timing:

John says “6 days before Passover,” while Mark records “2 days.” (Matthew isn’t specific.)

Reconciliation: John 12:1 says Jesus “came to Bethan” six days before Passover. What if the dinner in v. 2 happened four days later? In effect, vss. 2-8 are part of a parentheses in John’s memory.

Location

John mentions the home of Lazarus, while Mark & Matthew mention Simon the Leper.

Reconciliation: perhaps the house belonged to Simon the Leper, and he rented it to Lazarus and family?

Criticism

Why?

Principle: Focusing on “why?” can lead to an ungrateful spirit.

Example: Job never blamed God for all he lost.

Insincere questions

This could have been sold and given to the poor!

Principle: Criticism often conceals sinful tendencies in the heart of the criticizer.

Examples:

“You shouldn’t have done it that way!” = Need to Control

“He’s a friend of sinners!” = self-righteousness, deficient view of God’s holiness (Isa 6); lack of love, deficient view of God’s mercy (Luke 7:46-50).

Applications:

Resolve to criticize only from a place of authenticity (Matt 7), a heart of love, and in order to help the one you’re criticizing (Gal 6:1).

Resolve to let most criticism roll off your back. (95% / 5% principle; like water off a duck’s back)

A Beautiful Thing

Leave her alone. The next time someone criticizes you and it’s in the 95% category, just imagine Jesus saying, “Leave him alone.” And let it go.

You always have the poor. It won’t be long before His death, and Jesus is just fine with her drawing attention to it. PRINCIPLE: whatever our mercy ministries, we must draw attention to Jesus.

She has done what she could.

She has done what she is able to do. PRINCIPLE: God has gifted you to do certain things and not to do other things. Are you doing what you are able?

PRINCIPLE #2: Jesus honors and commends you when you use what He has given you for His purpose.

Leaving a legacy

Wherever the gospel is preached…in memory of her.

If this is a different account than in John 12, then this woman truly remains anonymous.

PRINCIPLE: If you want to really leave a legacy that counts, serve the Lord. That is a beautiful thing in His sight.