A Fragrant Anointing
Notes
Transcript
6 And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 8 But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”
10 But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. 11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. 12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. 13 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
Still in the sermon series: The Final Week
Background
The Anointing at Bethany - John 12 account - comparisons and contradictions?
Difference in the accounts can be explained.. there are two possibilities:
Matthew’s account was not chronological but he was using a method of flashback.
They were two different incidents
Many try to disprove the Bible but many times they fail — the Bible has always been proven to be accurate and it stands the test of time..
Ricky Gervais at a late night show — passage of time ---- applause --- false dichotomy of faith vs science — 1500 years writing of the Bible --- not only that, the preservation --- thousands of years and the number of copies? close to 6000 manuscripts of the New Testament alone and almost 20,000 manuscripts in the other ancient languages.
Amazing but wait --- they are still finding fragments — Papyrus 52 --- don’t get me started with the Dead Sea scrolls
We’ll still do a parallel study of this anointing at Bethany between the gospel of Matthew and the gospel of John — glean the same lesson
In the Gospel of John, the woman who came to anoint Jesus was identified as Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus..
1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
Significance of this account in John is that Jesus was just raised from the dead… Simon the Leper (not a leper anymore, nickname) ..
Picture of the alabaster jar here
Lesson 1:
There should be nothing of great value that we withhold from God.
Significance of anointing - Head in Matthew
very costly - The accounts of Mark and John give us a clue of the value of how much the oil is - 300 denarii or a year’s wages.
Family heirloom
Worship cost us something
“I will not offer anything that cost me nothing” - David
You are here on a nice Sunday morning — you offer up your time to the Lord
There is a sacrifice that takes place — Hebrews 13 — recite, sacrifice of praise..
lifting of hands — charismatic crazies..
Lesson 2:
2. True worship brings a sweet aroma to God.
Fragrance filled the room (John 12)
“and the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil”.
2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
love is fragrant, sin is a stench
8 But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”
Party poopers
John identifies the instigator..
4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”
he had influence.. a small leaven...
Three ways that the disciples and Judas are mistaken..
they called something that is an act of worship — a waste
examples of people saying giving to God is a waste! travel — gas is a waste
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Twenty-Three: The King’s Preparation (Matthew 26:1–56)
Nothing given to Jesus in love is ever wasted. Her act of worship not only brought joy to the heart of Jesus and fragrance to the house, but also blessing to the whole world. Her devotion encourages us to love and serve Christ with our very best. Such service brings blessings to others that perhaps we will know nothing about until we see Him.
Third lesson:
3. Acts of love are just a response to God’s first act of love.
The costly perfume that the woman poured is nothing compared to the sacrifice that the Lord was about to make.
Second mistake that Judas and the Disciples make is that they have wrong priorities..
Have you heard of virtue signaling? — moral correctness — examples
Judas was like that:
6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.
Third mistake the disciples made is the most crucial — I would say the most fatal..
They missed the reason why Jesus came in the first place — the core message of the Gospel.
10 But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. 11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. 12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.
In John Jesus’ words were stronger --- leave her alone!
“The poor you always have with you” - the church is present for the poor..
Luke 4 - “I came to preach good news to the poor..”
We can be helping the poor.. missing out on true worship to God.
She did it for my burial. (background of anointing dead bodies)
While the disciples missed it, Mary understood — there are clues that she did.. (Lazarus, doing it before Jesus’ death)
- Acts of love don’t go unnoticed (The memorial)
13 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
The Lord remembers, He keeps a record..
the world may not know and remember your acts of love and devotion..
story of the architect who built the Roman colosseum… no engraving carries his name .. Christians sacrificed --- Titus ordered all memory of him be removed, even his name etched on the foundation stone --- BOOK OF LIFE
While He keeps a record of your worship and what you have done.. He does not keep a record of your sin… verses as far as the east is from the west..
As I end I want to go back to what I said earlier that worship takes sacrifice..
our salvation no longer demands sacrifice.. because Jesus offered Himself the perfect sacrifice.