Matthew 26:1-30

In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus tells a parable about His kingdom and His second coming. In this parable Jesus contrasts His followers with those of the world. His followers are portrayed as sheep and those in the world are portrayed as goats. In the last parable of Matthew 25 Jesus clarifies that those who belong to Him live and act toward others with the same heart and attitude that He deserves.

Jesus credits the actions of the sheep toward the least of these as an action toward Him. Jesus credits the lack of action by the goats toward the least of these as a lack of action toward Him.

Jesus places the focus of the parable squarely on Himself, and then clarifies that those who belong to Him live their lives for Him. Likewise, those who don’t belong to Him live their lives for themselves.

Those who serve the least of these demonstrate their unity with Christ. Why? Because as we see here in Matthew 26 Jesus has come to sacrifice Himself for the least of these. In fact, we find out that Jesus dies for more than just the least of these, Jesus dies for the worst of these.

I’d like for a moment to focus on Jesus through the lens of Mary. Now, Matthew doesn’t call her Mary. But, we know in the gospel of John that the woman in our passage today is none other than Mary, the sister of Lazarus.

Matthew is setting the stage for the betrayal, arrest, and the crucifixion of Jesus in chapter 26. In the first few verses Jesus predicts the timing of His betrayal that precedes His crucifixion.

Matthew 26:1–2 CSB

When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he told his disciples, “You know that the Passover takes place after two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

Just like when Jesus predicted the fall of the temple and the city of Jerusalem in Matthew 24, Jesus is now giving them a sign of His eventual death by crucifixion.

Matthew confirms the impending betrayal and crucifixion in Matthew 26:3-5 with the news that the Jewish leaders are conspiring to arrest Jesus in a treacherous way and then kill him.

Matthew 26:3–5 CSB

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas, and they conspired to arrest Jesus in a treacherous way and kill him. “Not during the festival,” they said, “so there won’t be rioting among the people.”

If you haven’t read this before you might begin to ask, how will they do this? What does it mean to arrest Jesus in a treacherous way?

Well, Matthew backs up a little bit in the life of Jesus to give so history into the plan to arrest and kill Jesus. This moment is a flashback of sorts that provides some context or background to the plan unfolding in the gospel.

Matthew 26:6-15 shows us the events of a few days before to show us who is going to carry out this treacherous plan against Jesus.

Matthew 26:6–15 CSB

While Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman approached him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. She poured it on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw it, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This might have been sold for a great deal and given to the poor.” Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a noble thing for me. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me. By pouring this perfume on my body, she has prepared me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” Then one of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” So they weighed out thirty pieces of silver for him.

There it is, the moment that led Judas to take action and go to the chief priests with his plan to betray Jesus. Verse 14 says clearly that Judas initiated the meeting, he went to those who were against Jesus and brokered a deal to betray Him.

The same moment in Matthew 26 is recorded in John 12:1–8

John 12:1–8 CSB

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was, the one Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there; Martha was serving them, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took a pound of perfume, pure and expensive nard, anointed Jesus’s feet, and wiped his feet with her hair. So the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot (who was about to betray him), said, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the money-bag and would steal part of what was put in it. Jesus answered, “Leave her alone; she has kept it for the day of my burial. For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

Is there anything more treacherous than the betrayal of one of those closest to Jesus? The way John records it reveals the heart and motive of Judas’ actions.

It’s no surprise that Matthew inserts this story here in his gospel, right after Jesus contrasts the sheep and the goats by their motivations and hearts.

Through the contrast between Judas and Mary we see the fine line between wasting your life and worshipping Jesus.

Remember the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25. Matthew has been telling us of the difference between those who belong to the kingdom of God and those who don’t. In the end, the line between those who stand on the right and those who stand on the left has everything to do with Jesus. Matthew 25:31–34

Matthew 25:31–34 CSB

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

We mentioned in the sermon on that passage that at first glance there was no difference between those in the kingdom and those outside the kingdom. Again we see in the life of Judas and Mary that at first glance its difficult to see the difference. But, in the same way that the heart of the sheep was demonstrated in caring for the least of these, Mary’s heart is demonstrated in her extravagant worship.

Likewise, the heart of the goats was demonstrated in the parable by a lack of concern for the least of these, and Judas’ heart is revealed in his feigned concern for the poor over the worship of Christ.

As John points in his gospel, Judas didn’t object to Mary’s expensive act of worship because he truly cared for the poor, but as it says in John 12:6, “6 He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the money-bag and would steal part of what was put in it.”

This moment in Matthew’s gospel has moved to the foreground all throughout the week for me. I started my sermon preparation with a focus on the Passover meal. I had every intention of teaching through all the ways that Jesus is the better passover lamb who has come to redeem His people from the slavery of sin. But, as I was writing the sermon I began to wonder if that might allow some of us to miss the significance of the moment with Mary and Jesus.

I began to think about how practical and prideful we can be in todays church. I couldn’t help but think of the times in my life and ministry when the most Jesus focused thing a church could do was the least popular and most opposed.

I couldn’t help but think of the simplicity of the moment with Mary. It’s not just that her sacrifice of the perfume was expensive, it’s also genuine and completely focused on Jesus. In that moment Mary wasn’t worried about anyone or anything else but Jesus.

I will admit that I want to be in that place. With one act of selfless and sacrificial devotion Mary exposes the hearts and minds of everyone in the room. With one risky and seemingly out of place act of worship Mary shows each one of us where are hearts and our focus should be.

Mary reminds us that Jesus is at the center of His kingdom, and as a result He should be at the center of our worship and our lives.

Mary gives Jesus what He deserves when she worships Him. Don’t lose that, Mary worshipped Jesus. She didn’t view this as an investment. She wasn’t thinking about the best way to make the most of what she had. She looked at Jesus and then took what she had and gave it to Him… and Jesus said it was a noble thing, a beautiful thing. In fact, Jesus said what she had done was so good that it would be told in memory of her everywhere the gospel is proclaimed.

But why? Why would Mary’s sacrifice accompany the gospel as it makes way around the world?

Because Jesus is at the center of the gospel, and everywhere people believe the Gospel Jesus is at the center of their lives and worship.

The disciples around Mary immediately thought of all the things that Mary could have done with the value of the perfume. They quickly pointed out how much it could have done for the poor.

It’s true that we will always have the poor among us. Jesus doesn’t say this to keep them from caring for the least of these. Why would he mean that when He just told them that those who care for the least of these are His sheep? He wouldn’t. The reason we have this moment in Scripture is to remind us that we do all the things for others because we are doing it for Jesus.

This is the point of the parable right? The king said whatever you did for the least of these you have done for him… but this doesn’t mean that you don’t do for the King. In fact, what good is it do for the poor if you don’t ever do for the King. That was the confusion in the story that Jesus told. The people in the story could not fathom of seeing the king in need and not ministering to him. The same is true for Mary.

Mary saw Jesus, she thought of the fact that He was telling them over and over that his death was coming soon, and she took advantage of the moment and worshipped Him. But she didn’t just offer a few hallelujahs in his direction, she emptied herself of what she had and poured it out on Him. She literally gave it to Him in a way that was of no benefit to her. It was purely an act of Jesus centered worship.

I couldn’t help but think about the parable Jesus told right before this moment in Matthew’s gospel. That parable revealing the significance of the heart and motive behind what we do. That parable that rolls right into the contrast between the heart and motive of Mary and Judas. And I know that Matthew is setting us up for the betrayal that follows the Passover. I know that Matthew is prepping us to make the connection between the death of Jesus and the sacrifice of the Passover lamb in Egypt. I know all of that. But, I also know that in the world of cultural Christianity… this world of Tupelo, MS, where we believe that everyone is a Christian… this world where criticisms and complaints abound in the world of Christianity… this world where extravagant and seemingly wasteful worship has been replaced with convenience and practicality. This world where people worry about their own reputations and the opinions of others instead of the name and value of Jesus Christ.

I can’t help but see this woman, a wretched woman who had experienced the grace and love of Jesus pouring out her affection and gratitude on her Savior. When I look into this passage of Scripture I find myself asking where are the Mary’s today?

Where are the sinners who have been saved to sacrifice and worship Jesus?

Where are the saints who consider everything else a loss to gain the grace and love of Jesus?

Where are the Christians who have counted the cost and decided that Jesus is worth more than anything and anyone else?

Where is the church that demonstrates the worth of Jesus with its sacrificial worship?

Take a look at Jesus with me…

Jesus is our great God and Savior

Jesus is the first and the last, the alpha and the omega

Jesus is the creator of the universe

Jesus is the forgiver of our sins and the demonstration of God’s love

Jesus is the Word of God made flesh

Jesus is the giver of mercy and the epitome of kindness

Jesus is the righteous king and the holy one of Israel

Jesus is the lover of your soul and the bearer of your guilt and burdens

Jesus is the way, the truth, the resurrection, and the life

Jesus is the lamb of God who has come to take away the sins of the world

Jesus is the friend who sticks closer than a brother and the brother who gives you the last of his belongings

Jesus is the Son of God and the name that is above every other name.

But, where is the extravagant worship amongst His people?

Have we become a kingdom of practical worshippers? Are we teetering more in the direction of Judas than Mary?

I pray not, I pray that we will follow in the footsteps of Mary and give Jesus what Je deserves!

I pray we will follow in her footsteps and take what we have with the time that we have left and pour our lives out for Jesus.

I pray that we will do that individually and as a congregation.

What about you?

What about us?

What are we going to do with what we have?

I mentioned last week that I pray for our church to have a kingdom focus and a kingdom impact. I really do pray this for us. We are one of the largest churches in North East MS. But, what if there were 15 or 20 churches like Harrisburg? What if instead of growing our church to 1,500 or 2,000 people, God grew our church through multiplication rather than addition. I do believe that we will one day see throngs of people growing and worshipping here at HBC. But, I don’t believe the Lord wants it to stop with us.

I am convinced that the healthiest growth our church has ever experienced will be connected to a kingdom mindset that strives to grow through multiplication rather than addition.

1 church growing to 2,000 people is amazing. But what if there were one day 10 churches each running 500. I’ll take 5,000 people saved, baptized, and growing over 2,000 any day of the week!

Personally I think that the Lord will grow our church beyond our imagination if we stay focused on being faithful to Him.

In fact, 1 Corinthians 3:6–9

1 Corinthians 3:6–9 CSB

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So, then, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

Why do I bring that up in the context of Mary’s sacrifice? I bring it up because I believe it seems a little extravagant in todays church culture. I bring it up because I don’t think the future God has for us is found in the same routine of actions and attitudes.

You see, I think that it’s been a long time since we poured it all out for Jesus.

Philippians 2:17 CSB

But even if I am poured out as a drink offering on the sacrificial service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.

Mary poured out her offering on Jesus as an act of worship and as preparation for the burial that was to come after His crucifixion. God knew that His son would die a criminals death, and that criminals were not afforded the same burial rites and traditions. He knew that Jesus would be buried in a rush after the cross. So, God had Mary pour her offering out on His son to extravagantly worship Him while at the same time prepare His body for what was to come. Even Jesus knew that’s what was happening.

When Paul said that He was poured out as a drink offering He was referencing the sacrifice or offering that was often made alongside the sacrifice of an animal for sin. Paul points out that His life was a sacrifice that accompanied the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

So, what about us? In what way are we being poured out for Jesus? Paul didn’t care if anyone remembered his name or gave him credit.

Mary didn’t care what anyone else thought about her worship and sacrifice for Jesus.

The sheep of Jesus’ pasture are willing to make great and extravagant sacrifices for Him. It’s the fact that they have given up their whole lives for His sake that causes them to care for the least of these.

In our passage today Mary and Judas stand in a great contrast with one another. Mary was willing to give up what was likely her most valuable possession. Judas was willing to give up Jesus to gain more wealth. And, based on the reaction of Judas to Mary’s sacrifice I can imagine that he justified his action by what he would do with it.

What about you? Will you pour your life out for the sake of Jesus? Will you worship Jesus with what you have? Will you give Him the honor and worth that He is due? Will you stand out among the crowd of practical and pragmatic religion and offer your life as a living sacrifice?

1. Come and pray for yourself, your family, and our church, Pray that we will would be captivated with Jesus and overwhelmed by the grace that we have been given to the point that we would extravagantly worship Him.

2. Come and be saved. Be saved from the religion of the day and find Jesus. Come and be saved from your self-focused sin and find the hope and help that you need in the grace and love of Jesus. Come find forgiveness and mercy in the love of God through Jesus Christ.

Come, don’t worry about what others will think, there’s no way to really worship Jesus with others on your mind anyway.