13/04/25 // The Week Before Easter // Dave Watmore

Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/354059/episodes/16991634-13-04-25-the-week-before-easter-dave-watmore.mp3

The week before Easter.

Matthew 26

What we see is that Jesus was very clear time and again that he was going to be put to death and even CRUSIFIED.

Jesus also made a claim that he was the “Son of Man” a reference we see from Daniel 7 v 13. We see this reference repeated at the end of the chapter.

Mary is not named here in Matthew but we know from John that it is Mary the sister of Lazarus and sister Martha.

Mary knew the forgiveness of her sins, she also knew that there was a resurrection because her brother Lazarus had died and Jesus had raised him from the dead. We don’t know what Lazarus said about the experience but he would have had an amazing story to tell and the sight of him coming out of the grave at the command of Jesus.

Mary had sat and listened to Jesus teach and it seems, by her actions, she understood that Jesus was who he said he was THE CHRIST.

She came in with an alabaster jar full of an expensive perfume used for preparing dead bodies for burial.

Christ and Messiah both mean anointed one.

Mary was prophetically enacting this.

The other amazing this is was that this jar of perfume was worth a years wages.

The jar was also worth a great deal but she broke it deliberately in order to pour out all the contents and leave nothing behind.

This act of worship was to say, “I give you my all and there is no returning to my old ways.” Mary would have to now rely on Jesus to supply her every need.

It would be like me giving away my whole pension. GULP!

The other disciples were indignant! “What a waste” was their reaction.

Jesus stands up for Mary again.

Mary understood that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ, the one the Jews were waiting for and the ones the Jews are still waiting for and the one the whole of mankind is searching for. She gave Him everything because she knew he was the one who knew everything about her, good and bad, He forgave her everything she had done wrong small and large. She was following and listening to Jesus for her own salvation.

Judas and Peter and the others were following Jesus to see a political and military victory over the Romans. Peter also had acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ, the anointed one but this had not worked its way into the heart of these men. Judas was so indignant that he chose to betray Jesus, perhaps out of disappointment that the very expensive perfume was “wasted”.

Mary made a personal sacrifice that led to her worship of Jesus.

Judas and Peter and the others were indignant because they wanted someone else’s sacrifice to be reflected on them.

They wanted to be the ones who could say “we gave to the poor”.

Jesus did not say “don’t give to the poor” but what he was saying was give out of your worship of Me not out of duty or self-righteousness.

When Judas goes to the religious leaders, they give Judas the same amount as you would pay for a slave.

I didn’t know this until I studied this. It recalled the passage in Romans that Jesus became the slave to sin for us so that we can be the slaves of righteousness. Explain!!

Verse 30 they sang a hymn. Probably a traditional Psalm sung during Passover when the Jews remembered their delivery from the slavery and pain they endured in Egypt.

His love endures forever.