ANOINTED FOR BURIAL

This morning I want to begin looking at some key events in the week before Christ was crucified and Resurrected.

This is the most important season for those who follow Christ.

Why?

We are remembering the MISSION of CHRIST to Save the world!

There are 4 accounts in Scripture regarding someone anointing Jesus feet or head, washing his feet with their hair in Scripture -

In Luke 7, Matt 26, Mark 14, and John 12 ---

Luke’s account is about basically a prostitute who show gratitude to Christ for her salvation, Matt and Mark are identical accounts and often people have placed John’s account as the same as Matthew and Mark, but it is actually a different event. This means there are 3 different events regarding oil being poured out on Christ, two of those were just 4 days apart, and they carry some real significance.

Mark 14:1–10 NLT

1 It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.” 3 Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head. 4 Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked. 5 “It could have been sold for a year’s wages and the money given to the poor!” So they scolded her harshly. 6 But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? 7 You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. 9 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.” 10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them.

John 12:1–8 NLT

1 Six 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.”

1. The Passover Lamb is Chosen

We know at the outset of Jesus ministry John the Baptist calls Christ the LAMB OF GOD who takes away the sins of the world...

Well, it was about to happen!

Prior to both these events Jesus had told his disciples, including the female followers, that when he went up to Jerusalem he would be taken, tried and killed!

John’s account occurs 6 days before Passover, where Mark/Matthew’s account takes place 2 days before Passover.

What we don’t see mentioned here as it would have been more common knowledge to any Hebrew of the day, is that these days are significant in picking the passover lamb.

Every family was required to chose a lamb for the passover and to bring it into their home for inspection for a 4 day period before it was to be offered at Passover.

6th day before would be the day the family picked their lamb and did an initial inspection for blemishes.

Oil/salve was generally used in care of sheep for protection from flies, cuts, snakes, etc.

They would rub oil on the legs and feet of the yearling lamb to protect it from being cut or blemished when it journeyed from the fields to the house where it would be kept with the family to be inspected, cared for and found without fault for the next four days.

When Mary, the sister of Lazarus anointed Jesus feet with oil on this 6th day - in her home - it was showing the Passover lamb chosen by the family and legs and feet anointed.

I am not sure if this symbolism was recognized by Mary or not, I believe her action was one of worship and sacrificial love poured out on Christ, but her love for Christ is the same expectation as the love a family would have to grow toward this lamb whose life would be given for their salvation.

Also note, that after John’s account we see Jesus the next day ride into Jersualem on the donkey - on the 10th day of Nissan - which was the day the lambs were brought into the city for their inspection periods.

Likewise, in Mark we see an unnamed woman - this time not at the house of Lazarus, but at the house of Simon the Leper - (some have tried to say they were the same person - and this is the same event, but there are too many differences) -

2 days before the Passover, the lamb now proven to be without fault had his head anointed showing that he was chosen and set apart for being the Passover lamb.

These were traditions, not necessarily given in the law, that were carried out amongst the culture of Hebrew people.

In this way - Jesus even experienced the cultural traditions being demonstrated - important acts of love poured upon Him in preparation for what was ahead - I am sure actions that were comforting to Him as He approached this very difficult portion of His mission to save us and become the sacrifice.

2. A Sacrificial Love is Honored

The Passover lamb was taken in by a family and expected to have a bond made with it during that season - how can one not love an innocent animal?

There was supposed to be a sense of sacrificing what one loves!

For both of these woman, the oil was an expensive heirloom - its value an annual wage of a common laborer in the day.

Spikenard - an essential oil, basically, was used to drop small amounts in water to scent the water when a guests feet were cleaned upon arrival for a meal. To use the entire pint of oil would be considered highly wasteful all at once, in addition to being egregious against the Torah which spoke of not being wasteful of things.

However, the one exception to that rule would be if used for burial in honoring the dead. The oils were used to keep down the stench of the body decaying -

we have the privilege of looking forward to realizing that when the woman came to the tomb on the third day and discovered Jesus risen from the dead, they were bringing oils to anoint his body in burial at that time - he would never be anointed in death - but he was preceding his burial in life.

What a costly and extravagant gift not done once, but twice over Christ.

I am sure the similarity of the event, oil used, and argument that ensued is why through the years many have assumed they were the same thing, but the location, part of body anointed and days mentioned all differ and coincide with the Passover lamb and his preparation in being chosen...

This great act of love speaks to us today --- that it is not wasteful to pour out our all in love to the Lord.

A good question to ask ourselves is...

Is there anything to extravagant to give in showing our love to Jesus???

2 Corinthians 2:15–16 NLT

15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. 16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?

As we pour out our lives for the Lord to use have we experienced the extravagant sacrificial gift?

Our society teaches us to hold everything back for ourselves and even makes excuses of why we should not be used up for the Lord, but not one but two women show this extravagance to Jesus the week He is about to be poured out for us...

Jesus commends both of these women and marks that their stories will be remembered wherever the Gospel is preached!

3. Destruction of a Greedy Heart

Opposite the sacrificial outpouring of love is Judas, in Mark’s account it says some gathered, and by that we know it is a few disciples that Judas was stirring. This is demonstrated by his actions that follow.

In both accounts the Torah’s admonishment to not waste is invoked along with the poor that could have benefited.

In the first account we see Jesus openly rebuke Judas - and John tells us that Judas who controlled the money for the disciples not only was stealing from them, but wanted those funds for the treasury so he could gain access --- he really did not care about the poor...

Going back to the passage in 2 Cor - the aroma of a heart surrendered to Christ is a beautiful fragrance, but to a heart closed off to the plans of God, unwilling to yield and surrender to the Lordship of Christ -

The fragrant aroma of a gift of love was something to be hoarded, be jealous of and desired for his own purpose...

Between this happening not once, but twice, we see Judas go out and arrange to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver - the going price of a slave in the day

We said a few weeks back that the LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL!

Jesus read Judas heart...

Jeremiah 17:9–10 NLT

9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? 10 But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”

That betrayal would lead to the arrest and death of Christ… and the guilt would lead Judas to suicide.

He tried to hide behind a noble idea, behind the teaching of the law on wastefulness - but ignored the reality at hand - the sacrifice Christ was about to make to fulfill the Father’s plan.

Judas greed led to his destruction!

CONCLUSION

Praise God for Jesus the Passover Lamb - who died to take away our sins!

He was chosen and anointed to become the sacrifice in a sacrificial act of love that is remembered wherever the Gospel is preached even now over 2000 years later!

May our hearts not be full of greed - may they not rebel against the plans of God for our life focused on our own desires, but may they be yielded in extravagant love for Jesus!

Serve Communion