Mark 14:1-11
Notes
Transcript
Verses 1-2
Verses 1-2
As we get into chapter 14 we again depart from a strict chronology as Mark often does for the purpose of comparing and contrasting different events in the life of Christ and now move backwards a few days to the Friday before Palm Sunday. We know the timing from John 12.
The reason Mark now brings up this event it seems is to make a comparison and thus a contrasting between this event of the anointing of Jesus with spikenard and what Mark will cover next with the betrayal by Judas Iscariot.
That is not to say that Mark was wrong about the timing saying it was 2 days before Passover, but rather as he was writing all of this (probably from Peter’s account) it was now 2 days before the Passover when Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus to the Jews. However, in recording when Judas betrayed Jesus for the 30 pieces of silver it reminded him of the event before us of Mary anointing Jesus with the costly bottle of nard a few days earlier as a way to contrast what she did with what Judas Iscariot did.
So it was now 2 days before Passover...
3 times a year Jewish men had to be in Jerusalem for feasts, Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles.
What did Passover bring to mind?
God’s deliverance of His people out of Egypt...
What does Egypt represent in the Bible? - Sin/Old nature
What will God do through Jesus Christ His only begotten Son during that particular Passover…?
Deliver all who would believe upon Jesus Christ from sin through the sacrificial atoning death of Christ who came as the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world.
You have to remember that during Passover there would be a great expectation of the coming Messiah who would deliver Israel from the oppression of Rome as God had done all those years before in delivering Israel from the oppression of Egypt by the hand of Moses.
Also remember that the people in and around Jerusalem had heard and some of them had seen firsthand this Jesus fellow do the miraculous and teach with authority, and many of them were expecting that He might become for them a political savior even though He had come to be a Savior from their sin and rebellion against God.
Now this Jesus fellow that had done the miraculous and taught with authority had also greatly frustrated and angered the Jewish religious leaders greatly as He advocated for each person to have their own personal relationship with God that was free from the things the chief priests and scribes had added to or taken away from the Scriptures to keep themselves wealthy and in control over the people. Those religious leaders were spiritually abusive and oppressive and they did not like the way Jesus set people free from their strongholds.
Because of that they (the religious leaders specifically the chief priests and scribes ((experts in the OT law)) ) were looking for a way to secretly (privately) arrest Jesus so that they could kill Him and get rid of Him.
Notice they didn’t want to do this during the feast of the Passover lest there be an uproar from the people. The people who had begun to believe upon Jesus, the people who were watching Jesus to see if He would free them from the oppression of Rome, the people who would sing and shout out Messianic Psalms to Jesus as He rode in on the donkey in fulfillment of prophecy on Palm Sunday...
Even though the religious leaders didn’t want Jesus to be arrested and killed during this incredibly holy gathering of the millions who were in Jerusalem for Passover, that is exactly when it was to happen on God’s prophetic calendar and there was nothing those religious hypocrites could do to change that. God was in perfect control even in the timing of the necessary death of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to atone or pay for the sin of the world.
Now if we look at John 11:57 it seems that they originally wanted to arrest Jesus during the Passover but changed their minds when they saw how the people responded to Him and changed their strategy.
They of course would change their strategy once more when Judas Iscariot offered to betray Jesus to them for 30 pieces of silver (the price to redeem a slave in the OT).
Verse 3
Verse 3
Let’s read through John’s account in John 11:55-12:1-11 to get some clarity...
We should not get this event confused with the event in Luke 7:36-50 when the sinful woman (prostitute) came and anointed Jesus feet with her tears and an alabaster flask of ointment while Jesus sat in the home of a Pharisee.
In Luke 7 the woman is simply called a sinful woman, while here we know that this woman is Mary of Bethany the sister of Martha and Lazarus that Jesus rose from the dead.
In Luke 7 the event takes place in the home of a Pharisee in the region of the Galilee, while here the event takes place at the home of Simon the leper (though surely no longer a leper since a large gathering is taking place in his home) in Bethany just outside Jerusalem.
In Luke 7 the woman begins by washing Jesus feet with her tears, while here Mary does not cry and wash Jesus feet but instead begins by pouring the nard upon Jesus head.
In Luke 7 the woman comes as a sinful woman who understands that she has been forgiven much, while here Mary comes as one who has sat at the feet of Jesus and learned much from His teaching.
In Luke 7 the woman is more of a mystery, almost a stranger, while here we know that Mary, Martha, and Lazarus are friends of Jesus.
In Luke 7 the event closes with these words...
47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”
50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
While here Jesus says of Mary...
8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.
9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”
Nard was so costly because it was incredibly rare and in those days was only produced in India. A jar of pure nard (spikenard) would have costed about a year’s wage for a laborer.
It came in a container that was shaped like a rose bud with a very narrow tip that was to be broken off when it was ready to be used. Once opened it was intended to be fully used all at once.
It would be something that would be saved for a wedding, or saved as an investment for when someone got old. Something that could be sold as a sort of retirement fund.
So as Mary pours out this alabaster flask of pure nard it was a radical offering that cost her much, but she seemed to be uniquely aware that what Jesus was about to do would cost Him much much more than her costly ointment.
In John’s account we learn that when she poured out the nard from the alabaster flask it...
3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
Listen family, when any one of us worships Jesus this intently and this sacrificially 2 things will happen. Jesus will be blessed and His name exalted above all others, and 2, others will take notice and will either want to join in or they will become critical because of their own lack of pure worship and misunderstand what we are doing.
Which is what we see happen next...
Verses 4-9
Verses 4-9
There were some - Judas!
4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said,
5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”
6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.
The Greek word (ἀπώλεια [apoleia /ap·o·li·a/].) that we see in verse 4 is the same Greek word used of Judas in John 17:12 that is translated there as destruction.
12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
I like what Wiersbe said...
“Judas criticized Mary for “wasting money,” but he wasted his entire life!”
But notice that Jesus had a different outlook and understanding of the event, as well as the correct understanding of the heart of Judas and Mary.
Again Wiersbe says...
“The fact that others misunderstand and criticize us should not keep us from showing our love to Christ. Our concern should be His approval alone.”
Verses 10-11
Verses 10-11
Now back to the timing given in the beginning of the chapter being 2 days before the Passover...
Luke’s account gives us some important detail that ties in what happened and just why Judas went to the chief priests…
1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover.
2 And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.
3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve.
4 He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them.
5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.
6 So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.
This doesn't mean that Judas was suddenly overtaken by Satan. Judas had been flirting with Satan for a long time.
Judas never really believed in Jesus and did not have eternal life.
64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)
65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,
69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.”
71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.
One thing we learn here is that Satan is the real enemy of Jesus not Judas. Satan will simply use any who are at his disposal to attack Jesus.
"We see that this is not a case of common demoniacal possession. Satan himself makes Judas his tool by filling his mind with traitorous thoughts and moving his will to act on them. This is mental possession, giving Satan control of mind, heart, and will. “Satan entered into Judas” by no compulsion but as a welcome master who is received by a willing slave. This entrance was made gradually or by stages." (Lenski)
When they heard it they were glad -
They were glad that they now had a solid plan in place with help from the inside of Jesus inner circle because they were fearful of losing power over the people.
48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”
Matthew tells us the amount of money given.
15 and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver.
30 pieces of silver was the payment for a servant that was gored by an ox…
32 If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.