The Value of Jesus
Matthew 26:6-13
April 26, 2015
As you know, we are in the middle of a study on Sunday nights called:
“It’s All About Jesus”
It is a study meant for one purpose,
That is to help us remember why we are hear and what our main focus is.
Several weeks ago we saw how easily a church can lose this focus.
We looked at the church at Ephesus.
• That church that was a beacon for truth
• That church that was a stalwart for doctrine
• That church that was about to be shut down
All because they let things get out of order.
They had actually forgotten the main thing, which was to love Jesus.
We read the story of Mary and Martha
And how Martha was busy serving while Mary sat at Jesus’ feet.
We heard Jesus tell Martha that only “one thing was necessary”
You have to make sure you love Jesus.
We even saw a couple of weeks ago
The eternal danger in failing to love Jesus.
We looked at how Jesus is the only possible means of salvation,
And how if you reject Him,
There is no means of forgiveness or possibility of salvation.
Well this evening we are going to stay on this theme again.
And again we are going to look at those familiar characters
Of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.
Again Mary is doing the best thing, and again she is being rebuked for it.
(Let that be a reminder that others may not applaud you for doing what Jesus desires)
Just like Martha had previously done,
The disciples here are missing the point, and Jesus takes the opportunity to set their priorities straight.
NOW, TO GIVE YOU THE SETTING FOR THE STORY.
• Jesus is presently on the mount of Olives.
• He has already entered Jerusalem at the triumphal entry
• He has already cleared the temple and humiliated the religious leaders
• And now, He is two days away from His crucifixion.
Matthew 26:1-2 “When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion.”
The story we read in verse 6 is a flashback.
Jesus is about to enter the upper room for the Passover
And then go the garden to pray.
And in the garden He will be betrayed and arrested.
For Matthew’s purposes, he is explaining to you
How the decision to betray Jesus came about.
He is taking you back to the event in order that he might show you
Where the decision to betray Jesus came from.
This event was the significant turning point.
Now, they are “at the home of Simon the leper”
The fact that Simon was in his home indicates he had been made clean of
And since leprosy had no cure, this man had obviously been cured by Jesus.
Now Jesus is in his home.
And verse 7 says “a woman come to Him with an alabaster vile of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table.”
John 12 tells us that Lazarus was also there,
And Martha was serving and this woman was in fact Mary.
John 12:2-3 “So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”
So we have MARTHA SERVING
And this is a beautiful picture.
• Martha had previously been reprimanded (for reprimanding Mary).
• Martha could have said, “Fine, do it Yourself” but she didn’t.
• She is still serving the Lord, and that is good.
We have LAZARUS FELLOWSHIPPING
I can’t imagine the perspective Lazarus must have at this point,
But one thing is certain, sitting at Jesus’ feet and fellowshipping with Him is enough.
And then we see Mary who is clearly WORSHIPING
She came “to Him with an alabaster vile of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table.”
And she not only anointed His head,
But also His feet and wiped them with her hair.
Now there are several things that inspire us about this act of worship.
One is the cost of the perfume.
Later Judas will inform us that it is worth 300 denarii or 300 days wages.
That is about a years salary.
But in reality that is of relatively little significance.
Jesus was just as impressed with the widow that gave the two mites.
In fact based upon the number of mourners with Mary and Martha after Lazarus died, many have concluded that Mary and Martha could have been quite wealthy.
The really inspiring thing is the manner in which she gives it.
She takes this valuable bottle and anoints the feet of Jesus.
Normally you would anoint the head, which she did,
But here she did the unthinkable and anointed His feet as well.
This was the most dirty and humble part of the body,
No one would have wasted this perfume on a person’s feet.
And then she really breaks the mold.
“wiped His feet with her hair.”
1 Corinthians 11:15 “but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering.”
Paul taught that a woman’s hair was her crowning glory,
And so we see that Mary takes the most glorious part of her body
And wipes the most humble part of Jesus body.
It is a picture of selfless humility.
Even though Mary may have had a lot of money,
We still see that she gave all she had.
You get the picture that she is giving everything within her
To show her love for Jesus.
THERE IS NO DOUBT AS TO JESUS’ VALUE TO MARY.
And it should have been overwhelmingly evident to everyone there.
John 12:3 “Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”
Thanks to Mary Jesus’ feet smelled better than anything else in the room. She had rightly exalted Him in the presence of all.
Such an act should truly inspire us all
To humble ourselves in any means necessary to worship Jesus.
However, while the disciples should have been INSPIRED, they weren’t.
Instead they were INDIGNANT.
(8-9) “But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste? “For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”
Again, John’s gospel tells us where they got the idea.
John 12:4-6 “But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.”
Judas was the one who started the rebuke.
He wanted that money for himself, and when Mary wasted it on Jesus, it was more than he could handle.
In fact, Matthew wants you to know that
This was the event that pushed Judas over the edge.
This event solidified his decision to betray Jesus, and in a couple of days at the Passover Judas will seize his opportunity.
But the point to be seen here is that
The disciples rebuke Mary for worshiping Jesus.
She has been rebuked for listening to Him
Now she is rebuked for worshiping Him.
And let me go ahead and remind you that
While this was certainly difficult for Mary,
IT WAS DOWNRIGHT INSULTING FOR JESUS.
Why didn’t the disciples just come right out and say, “Jesus isn’t worth that!”
Why didn’t they just say, “Mary, it’s not all about Jesus here! You just overlooked the poor, who are way more important than Jesus!”
They just told her that she had made a mistake in worshiping Jesus,
And instead she should have been focused on ministry.
It’s not hard to tell who valued Jesus more is it?
But you have to love how Jesus (just as He had done previously)
Comes to Mary’s aid.
(10-13) “But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. “For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. “For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. “Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”
And there you have to love Jesus.
He wasn’t belittling the concept of giving to the poor.
Obviously Jesus was all for it.
Jesus was just saying that loving Him
Was more urgent and more important.
And to fully grasp the significance of what Jesus just said,
I first need to show you just how important helping the poor really is.
Deuteronomy 15:7-11 “If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks. “Beware that there is no base thought in your heart, saying, ‘ The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,’ and your eye is hostile toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry to the LORD against you, and it will be a sin in you. “You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings. “For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.’”
Moses there in fact says you had better be very careful not to overlook the poor, and not to be angry when you help them.
That warning is echoed in:
Proverbs 21:13 “He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be answered.”
Proverbs 28:27 “He who gives to the poor will never want, But he who shuts his eyes will have many curses.”
Helping the poor is a serious thing.
In Jeremiah 22, Jeremiah speaks of how Josiah helped the poor, and notice what he said:
Jeremiah 22:16 “He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy; Then it was well. Is not that what it means to know Me?” Declares the LORD.”
Helping the poor is what it means to “know God”
That is a huge reality.
Listen to what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 9 as he talked about taking up an offering for the poor saints in Jerusalem.
2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
He said that God actually loves people who give cheerfully!
Proverbs 19:17 “One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed.”
Proverbs 22:9 “He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor.”
And trust me when I tell you I could give you many more verses
About the importance of helping the poor.
It is a huge thing.
It is vitally important to God.
And yet Jesus said here that it wasn’t as urgent as worshiping Him.
“you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me.”
The fact is that Jesus was about to leave.
John 13:33 “Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’”
John 14:1-3 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
Specifically Jesus is about to die.
And if you want a beautiful picture…
Mary is the only one in the room that seems to realize that.
Jesus has told those disciples time and time again that His death is imminent.
• Peter argued with Him about it.
• In the garden they’ll be apathetic
• Then they’ll fight to prevent it
But Mary has accepted it.
She knows what is coming.
And Jesus said, “when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial.”
I love the way Mark’s gospel puts it:
Mark 14:8 “She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.”
“She has done what she could”
• She couldn’t fight off those soldiers from Him…
• She couldn’t influence Pilate for Him…
• She couldn’t carry that cross for Him…
• She couldn’t take those nails for Him…
• She didn’t have a tomb to offer Him…
But she did have vile of perfume.
She could give Him that.
And it was important that she do it now.
WHY?
Because when Jesus would actually die, there wouldn’t be time.
Remember?
Jesus was crucified on Friday and the Sabbath started on sundown Friday night. And they had to quickly take the body of Jesus down and put it in a tomb.
If you will recall early Sunday morning (after the Sabbath) they were headed back to put perfume on Him because there wasn’t time Friday.
Luke 24:1 “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.”
Mary was here actually anointed Jesus’ body ahead of time.
She was doing what she could to honor the death of her Savior.
But Mary saw a greater opportunity before her.
She saw her Savior about to endure the agonies of hell for her,
And the least she could do was give the best she had to honor His sacrifice.
And think about it.
If Jesus was going to die for you, would you at least pay the funeral cost?
• Mary was paying for the embalming.
• Later Joseph would offer a tomb
• Nicodemus would offer the linens to wrap Him in.
John 19:38-42 “After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.”
• Would you pay for Jesus’ funeral?
• Would you buy His casket?
• Would you buy His suit?
• Would you give up your cemetery plot?
How would you honor the death of your Savior?
Mary not only gave the finest possession in her home,
But she also humbled herself in the way she gave it.
She was announcing her gratitude for the death of her Savior.
And friends just for a moment can I remind you about worship?
WHAT JESUS ENDURED, HE ENDURED FOR YOU.
• In what way have you endeavored to thank Him?
• In what way have you endeavored to honor Him?
• Do you have an alabaster vile?
Many today just want to accept the blood of Jesus
And then brag that they got it for free; a bargain price.
Not Mary.
He was about to pay a debt she could never pay,
The least she could do was tell Him thank you with all she had.
Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
And that is what we are talking about here.
• Worship is our job.
• Worship is our priority.
• It is not something we should be told to do.
• And it’s certainly not something we should scorn in others
Do you know what the difference is between ministry and worship?
Ministry is where God gives you gifts so that you can serve Him.
Worship is where we give God gifts because He has blessed us.
Look at the Old Testament.
People were always bringing things to God (sheep, oxen, grain)
People weren’t going to receive from God.
Worship is when you present your gifts to God.
That is what Mary is doing.
It is what Abraham did when he offered up Isaac.
If Christ really did for us what Scripture says He did,
Then the least we can do is give the best we have.
And Jesus told the disciples that
Instead of attacking Mary they had better honor her.
“wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”
Jesus here is letting the disciples know that
While helping the poor is of the absolute utmost importance,
It is not more important than worshiping Him.
IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS
We aren’t saying not to care for the poor.
In fact loving Jesus and caring for your brother run real close.
1 John 4:20-21 “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.”
1 John 5:1 “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.”
What we are saying is that all of your ministry
Must flow from your love of Jesus.
Remember what Jesus said about helping the poor?
Matthew 25:34-46 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘ Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ “Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
It wasn’t about how they treated the poor,
It was about how they treated who?
Jesus.
All of the ministry, all of the benevolence
Must be done for the right reason.
All ministry must be INSPIRED by a love of Jesus,
Not INSTEAD of a love for Jesus.
If at any point the ministry becomes more important than love for Jesus, you have derailed.
You have become Ephesus who left her first love.
You are no different than the hypocrites who will not inherit the kingdom.
Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’”
That is what ministry without the relationship looks like.
Paul said:
1 Corinthians 13:3 “And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.”
So again I just want to remind you that it is all about Jesus.
• Your love for Him…
• Your worship of Him…
• Your trust in Him…
Is more important and outweighs everything else.
If those things aren’t right
Then no amount of church attendance or church work can substitute.
Take a lesson from Mary, she got rebuked a lot,
But never by Jesus.
Mary always chose the most important thing.
Love, devotion, and worship of Jesus.
It’s all about Him.
