Mark 14:1-31

Well, good evening.

Tonight we're looking at the Gospel of Mark, chapter 14, verses 1 through 31.

Mark 14:1–31

I'll read it in just a minute, but as you're turning there, let me give a little brief introduction.

So in 1997, MasterCard began a memorable series of advertisements entitled Priceless.

The ad campaign is run in 98 countries and 46 languages over the past 17 years with many variations on the same theme.

Maybe you recognize it already, but here's one.

There's a picture of a one-year-old playing with a cardboard box.

And it says this, most popular toy for toddler, $500.

Goodness, did you realize that?

Most popular toy for toddler, cost $500.

Most popular stuffed animal for a toddler, $350.

Most popular picture book for a toddler, $60.

Watching her play with a cardboard box instead, priceless.

Then there's one with a dad bringing his son to a baseball game.

Two tickets, $28.

Hot dog, soda, and popcorn, $18.

An autographed baseball, $45.

Having a real conversation with an 11-year-old son, priceless.

Now, all these ads end in the same way, right?

There are some things money can't buy.

For everything else, there's MasterCard.

Now, all joking aside, what is priceless to you?

What's something that you would never trade, never sell, and never give away just to a random person?

Or even to a close friend?

What's something that you hope to keep with you for the rest of your life?

Now, maybe it's a physical thing.

Maybe it's a book of photos or memories.

Maybe it's a handwritten note or series of notes from someone significant in your life.

Maybe it's a painting or an antique or a family heirloom passed down from one generation to another.

Maybe it's an experience or a memory that you would only share with someone that you deeply trust and respect.

Maybe you've received such a precious, priceless gift.

Maybe someone else has shared something with you or given something to you that's truly priceless.

In tonight's passage, we see two people who do something totally unexpected.

They give a priceless gift to someone else.

So let me read Mark 14.

It's a bit of a long passage, but we're reading verse 1 through 31.

We're going to focus in on two parts of it.

So Mark 14, beginning at verse 1.

It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him, Jesus, how to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.

For they said, not during the feast, but lest there be an uproar from the people.

And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,

as he was reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly.

And she broke the flask and poured it over his head.

There were some who said to themselves indignantly,

why was the ointment wasted like that?

For this ointment could have been sold for more than 300 denarii, a year's wages, and given to the poor.

And they scolded her.

But Jesus said, leave her alone.

Why do you trouble her?

She has done a beautiful thing to me.

For you always have the poor with you.

And whenever you want, you can do good for them.

But you will not always have me.

She has done what she could.

She has anointed my body beforehand for burial.

And truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world,

what she has done will be told in memory of her.

Then Judas Iscariot, who is one of the twelve,

went to the chief priests in order to betray him,

in order to betray Jesus to them.

And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money.

And he sought an opportunity to betray him.

And on the first day of unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb,

his disciples said to him,

Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?

And he sent two of his disciples and said to them,

Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.

Follow him.

And wherever he enters, say to the master of the house,

The teacher says, Where is my guest room,

where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?

And he will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready.

There, prepare for us.

And the disciples set out and went to the city,

and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

And when it was evening, he came with the twelve.

And as they were reclining a table and eating,

Jesus said, Truly I say to you,

one of you will betray me,

one who is eating with me.

They began to be sorrowful,

and to say to him one after another,

Is it I?

He said to them,

It is one of the twelve,

one who is dipping bread into the dish with me.

For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him.

But woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.

It would have been better for that man if he had never been born.

And as they were eating,

he took bread.

And after blessing it, he broke it and gave it to them and said,

Take.

This is my body.

And he took a cup,

and when he had given thanks,

he gave it to them,

and they all drank of it.

And he said to them,

This is my blood of the covenant,

which is poured out for many.

Truly I say to you,

I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine

until that day when I drink it new

in the kingdom of God.

And when they had sung a hymn,

they went out to the Mount of Olives.

And Jesus said to them,

You will all fall away.

For it is written,

I will strike the shepherd,

and the sheep will be scattered.

But after I am raised up,

I will go before you to Galilee.

Peter said to him,

Even though they all fall away,

I will not.

And Jesus said to him,

Truly I tell you,

this very night,

before the rooster crows twice,

you will deny me three times.

But he said emphatically,

If I must die with you,

I will not deny you.

And they all said the same.

This passage is actually a pretty dark passage.

It begins with people plotting

to kill Jesus.

And then talks about

one of his disciples

who makes an agreement

to hand him over

for some money.

And then Jesus is telling

his disciples

that one of them,

one of the twelve,

those who had been closest to him

for his earthly ministry,

one of them

would betray him.

And in the end,

he says,

You're all going to

leave me alone.

You're all going to fall away.

But in the midst of this passage,

in the midst of a pretty dark passage,

there's two

points of light

that we might say.

We see two people

who do something

totally unexpected.

They give a priceless gift.

They pour out

their most precious possession

in an act of lavish generosity.

So first we see a woman

who pours out

an alabaster jar

of costly ointment,

perfume,

on Jesus.

And then we see Jesus

symbolically preparing

to pour out

his body

and his blood,

his very life

for his disciples.

Now in the structure

of the passage,

both of these acts

of lavish generosity

are surrounded

on both sides

by acts

that are self-serving

and self-seeking.

So verse 1 and 2

describes the plot

to kill Jesus.

Verse 3 through 9

describes the woman

pouring out

her treasure on Jesus.

And then verses 10 and 11

describe Judas

who agrees to betray Jesus

for some money.

And then verse 17 through 21,

Jesus says one of his disciples

will betray him.

And then Jesus

symbolically

gives his disciples

his body and his blood

demonstrating what he's going

to do for them.

And then right afterwards

he says,

you're all going to fall away.

So in the midst of this,

of these dark moments

of failure,

of human failure,

I want to focus in

on these two unexpected acts

of generosity

and then ask what we can learn

from each of them.

So first,

let's look at the woman.

In verses 3 through 9,

she pours out

her most precious

possession

on Jesus.

Now,

what she does here

is totally unexpected.

Jesus is

at somebody's house

reclining at the table

probably after a meal

with his disciples

and a woman enters.

Now,

in John chapter 12,

John 12 · chapter mention

we learn that this woman

is Mary.

But here in Mark,

she's left unnamed.

There's also a similar story

in Luke chapter 7,

Luke 7 · chapter mention

but several of the details

in that story

are different.

So,

there's probably

two different occasions

going on.

So,

we're just going to focus

on this story

right now.

But if you want,

you can compare it

with the one in Matthew

and in John

because this story

appears in both Matthew

and John.

Now,

in that culture,

women were not supposed

to interrupt

a group of men

who were talking

unless they were coming

in to serve food.

That was the cultural

expectation.

But this woman

doesn't follow

the cultural expectation.

She comes in

and she comes

right to Jesus

and she breaks

open this jar

and pours it out

on his head

and all over.

It's just,

it's just,

Mark describes it

as an alabaster flask

of ointment

of pure nard

very costly

worth 300 denarii.

That's a year's wages.

One denarii

was a day's wages.

So,

300,

that's about a year.

So,

I don't know

what you think

a year's wages is.

Say,

40,000 bucks,

50,000 bucks,

whatever you want

to call the median wage.

Probably,

this would have been

a family heirloom

passed down

from one generation

to another.

The most valuable thing

that this woman owned.

If she was a widow,

it would have been

her savings account

and her insurance policy

all rolled into one.

The thing that,

if everything

goes downhill,

you can sell this

and you'll survive.

And she breaks the jar

and she pours it out

all over Jesus' body.

Which meant

she didn't just

pour out a couple drops

and then close the lid.

She broke it,

which meant

you couldn't

close it ever again.

It was

broken

and poured out

and gone.

It's an act of

total,

irreversible,

lavish generosity

and devotion

toward Jesus.

Now,

the disciples

are a little weirded out.

And probably

you would be too

if this happened to you.

You know,

imagine if after church

some of us decide

to go out for pizza.

Sometimes we do that.

Occasionally.

Right?

And while we're sitting

in the booth

waiting for our pizza

to come,

somebody comes in

and gives you

a $50,000 check.

And everybody else

sees exactly

what it says

on the check.

Or,

they pour out

this bottle

of perfume

worth $50,000.

And,

you all know

what it is.

I mean,

I'd be sort of embarrassed.

I wouldn't know

what to do.

I mean,

I might be thinking

what the disciples

are thinking.

You know,

wouldn't it be

more responsible

to give that money

to the poor?

I mean,

really?

Especially to

just pour it out

and waste it.

I mean,

do I really deserve

that?

Do I really deserve

$50,000

more than everybody else

who's sitting next to me

at the table?

Isn't this

sort of awkward?

Now,

there's some truth

to what they're saying.

Jesus acknowledged it

in verse 7.

He says,

you will always

have the poor

with you.

Whenever you want,

you can do good

for them.

And that's not

a dismissive remark.

He's actually

quoting from

Deuteronomy 15,

which says,

where God said

to the Israelites,

the poor you will

always have among you.

Therefore,

I command you,

open wide your hand

to your brother,

to the needy

and the poor

in your land.

So Jesus says here

and in many other places,

not only can we

help the poor,

we should love

people around us

who are poor.

We should love

our neighbors

as ourselves,

which means we should

be as easy

to meet

our neighbors'

needs

as we are

to meet

our own.

So that's the truth

in their objection.

But there are two

problems with their

objection.

Now the first

is their attitude.

They're not only

puzzled by something

that they don't

fully understand,

they are angry

and judgmental.

They scold her,

sort of like

a naughty child.

And if you

carry this argument

to its logical

extreme,

you could use it

as an objection

to any gift

to anyone

beyond bare

necessities.

How can you

give anyone

a gift that you

don't really need

when some people

in the world

are starving?

How can you

eat pizza

when you could

eat plain rice

every day

and you would

still survive?

survive?

Maybe you'd

lose a year

or two

off your life

because of

iron deficiency

or something.

Right?

But depending

on how far

you go

with that

statement,

it can be

used in a

way that's

incredibly

guilt-inducing

and crippling.

And that is

not God's

intention.

God's intention

is for people

to share

in the joy

that he takes

in showing

mercy

and generosity.

When God

made the world,

he didn't only

make it useful

and functional,

he also

made it

beautiful.

And he

made us

so that

in enjoying

his beauty

that we

might be

motivated

to extend

it,

even

sacrificially,

to others.

So that's

the first

problem.

But the

second problem

is that they

fail to

perceive

the unsurpassed

beauty of

Jesus.

Jesus says

she's done

a beautiful

thing.

He doesn't

just say

be nice to

her,

be polite

to her,

don't be rude

to her.

She was

trying to

do her

best.

She was

trying to

make a

nice gesture.

Maybe she

didn't really

think it

through.

Maybe she

was just

being emotional,

you know,

but you

should be

kind to

her.

No!

He says

she understands

something that

you don't.

What she

did was

absolutely

appropriate.

She anointed

me because

she realized

that I'm

the Messiah,

the King

of Israel,

and the

Son of

God.

she poured

out her

most precious

treasure on

me because

there's no

one else in

the world

more worthy

of such a

gift.

You see,

if somebody

came up to

you and gave

you that

$50,000

check,

and other

people made

some objections,

and you said,

well, hey,

you'll always have

poor people to

give it to,

but you won't

always have

me,

that would

be very

arrogant.

Right?

I mean,

if you've got

that amount

of money,

there's at least

an obligation

to give some

of it away

to help

other people

and not use

it all on

yourself.

But Jesus

is saying,

I'm not

just an

ordinary human

being.

I'm the one

who is,

I'm the king.

I'm the one

who is more

worthy of

your devotion

and of

everything in

the world.

I'm the one

who's made

everything in

the world.

And the

woman saw

that.

She saw

that there

was something

about Jesus

that attracted

her and

that motivated

her to

pour out

her most

precious

treasure on

him.

Because you

see,

what the

woman does

with her

costly

ointment

is a

picture of

what Jesus

is preparing

to do

with his

very own

body

and blood,

his life.

She breaks

it and

pours it

out.

And the

same

words,

the same

concepts

are used

later in

this passage

in the

second example

of a

lavish

gift.

Verses

23-25,

says,

as they

were eating,

Jesus took

bread and

after blessing

it,

he broke

it and

gave it

to them

and said,

take this

is my

body.

And he

took a

cup and

when he

had given

thanks,

he gave

it to

them and

they all

drank of

it and

he said

to them,

this is

my

blood

of the

covenant

which is

poured

out

for many.

people

said,

now the

context

in which

Jesus said

these

words was

a Passover

meal.

I don't

know if

you've

ever had

the

opportunity

to

visit

a

Passover

meal

or

experience

a

Passover

meal.

Passover

happens once

a year

in the

spring.

And according

to the

Old Testament,

every head

of household

was required

to travel

to Jerusalem

to celebrate

Passover.

Passover.

Many times

the whole

family would

go as

well.

People would

gather

together,

they'd eat

a meal

together as

sort of a

big extended

family in

somebody's

house,

remembering

how God

had delivered

them from

slavery in

Egypt and

looking forward

to the day

when the

Messiah would

come and

establish God's

kingdom on

earth in its

fullness.

And there

was an

established

routine to

the meal.

And if

you visit

a Jewish

Passover

meal,

many of

these things,

you will

still experience

them.

If you

have the

opportunity

to visit

one.

So the

host of

the meal

would break

bread,

unleavened

bread,

to remember

that when

they were

leaving Egypt

they were

in a hurry.

They didn't

have time

to wait

for the

yeast to

make the

bread rise,

so they

ate

unleavened

bread.

So that's

why they

would always

eat unleavened

bread

throughout

Passover.

The host

of the meal

would break

the bread,

pronounce a

blessing over

it,

and share

with everyone

at the

table,

remembering

God's

provision for

his people.

when they

left Egypt

and through

the wilderness.

And then

during the

meal they

would share

four cups

of wine

or grape

juice,

thanking God

for bringing

them into

the promised

land where

they could

enjoy,

where they

could have

freedom and

joy,

and looking

forward to the

day when the

Messiah would

return.

bread.

They would

eat unleavened

bread,

they'd eat

bitter herbs,

remembering the

bitterness of

their slavery,

and they'd

eat a

roast lamb,

remembering the

night when God

had told the

Israelites to

kill a lamb

for each

family and to

put the blood

on their

doorposts.

And he

said,

when I see

the blood,

I will pass

over you.

When the

destroying

angel comes,

he will see

the blood and

pass over you,

and you

will be

safe.

So the

whole routine

of the meal

emphasized

remembrance of

what God

had done in

the past in

the Exodus,

and also

anticipation of

what God

would do in

the future,

when he

would come

again and

lead them to

this ultimate

freedom.

Now in the

middle of this

meal,

with a very

established routine

that was followed

pretty much the

same way each

year,

Jesus does

something completely

off the

script,

completely

unexpected.

He takes

the bread,

he blesses

it,

thanks God

for it,

he breaks

it,

and gave

it.

All that's

normal.

And then

he says,

take,

this is my

body.

And then

he takes

the cup of

wine,

and gives

thanks,

and gave

it to

them,

and he

says,

this is my

blood.

Do you

realize how

shocking those

words would

be in the

context of a

Jewish Passover

meal?

Maybe you've

gotten used to

hearing them at

communion services,

so they feel

like some of

the verses in

the Bible that

are most familiar

to you,

but do you

realize how

shocking that

would be for

Jesus to say,

this Passover

meal is about

me?

What he was

saying,

symbolically,

was,

I am the

true Passover

lamb,

whose body

will be broken,

and blood

will be poured

out,

to save you

from God's

judgment.

He's saying,

I'm the

redeemer,

I've come to

pay the price

to buy you

out of

slavery,

by giving

my very own

life in your

place.

He's saying,

my blood is

the sign and

the seal of

a new

covenant,

a new

relationship,

a new

arrangement

between God

and his

people.

When Moses

instituted the

covenant at

Mount Sinai,

he sprinkled

blood on the

people.

It was a

sign that the

covenant was

signed and

sealed.

Jesus said,

I'm here to

set up a new

covenant, a

new basis

on which people

can relate to

God,

through the

sacrifice that

I am about

to make.

I'm here to

fulfill what

the Passover

was always

pointing forward

to, the

day of the

Messiah.

Now, Jesus'

actions were

symbolic.

He was

pointing forward

to what he

would do on

the cross,

when his body

would be broken

and his blood

would be

poured out.

So, Jesus

pours out his

life for his

disciples in

this act.

Now, the

woman poured

out her most

precious treasure

on Jesus because

she saw that

Jesus was

surpassingly

worthy.

worthy.

But Jesus,

when Jesus

poured out his

blood for the

disciples,

he poured out

his blood

not because

he saw that

we were

worthy.

Right?

That's why

right before

and right after

he does this,

he says,

one of you is

going to betray

me and you're

all going to

abandon me.

And they

say, oh,

no, no, no,

I certainly

wouldn't.

And Jesus

says, oh,

yes, you

will, even

before the

night's out.

You're going

to fail.

But he

says, but I'm

not going

to the cross.

I'm not

giving my

life for you

because you're

worthy.

I'm giving

my life

because I

love you.

Because I've

called you to

belong to me.

Jesus poured

out his most

precious treasure

on people who

would betray

him, deny

him, abandon

him, crucify

him.

He knew it

very well.

You see, in

his great love,

this is the

heart of this

passage, in

his great love,

Jesus lavished

his most

precious treasure,

his very own

self, his body

and his blood

on us.

Romans 5, 8

says, God

demonstrates his

love for us

in this.

While we were

still sinners,

Christ died

for us.

1 Timothy

1 Timothy 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

says, Christ

Jesus came

into the

world to

save sinners.

Jesus poured

out everything

for us

so that we

could become

his priceless

treasure.

A possession

that he will

never sell

or trade

or lose

because he's

paid for us

such a great

price.

Ephesians 1

says, in

Jesus Christ,

we have

redemption.

That means

we have

freedom from

bondage

through his

blood.

The forgiveness

of our

trespasses

according to

the riches

of his

grace which

he lavished

upon us.

1 Peter 1

says, you

were ransomed

not with

perishable

things such

as silver

or gold,

but with

the precious

blood of

Jesus Christ.

Do you

ever wonder,

does God

really love

me?

How could

he love

me?

Someone so

small and

insignificant,

someone guilty

of sin and

full of shame.

Remember

this, Jesus

Christ, the

Son of God,

loved you

and gave

himself for

you.

every time

that you

take communion,

remember

that.

Jesus gave

his life

for you.

He says,

this is my

body,

broken

for you.

This is my

blood of

the new

covenant,

poured out

for many,

for everyone

who would

believe

and put

their trust

in him.

you see,

Jesus poured

out his

life for

us so

that we

might

become

his

treasure.

And so

that he

might become

our

greatest

treasure.

What's

your most

priceless

possession?

What are

the things

that you

would never

want to

lose,

would never

want to

sell,

would never

want to

trade?

may it

be Jesus

because he

gave his

life for

us.

Let's

pray.

Lord Jesus,

we see in

the act of

this woman

a picture

of what

our devotion

to you

ought to

look like

because you

are the

worthy

lamb of

God,

the king

of all

kings,

and the

lord of

all lords,

the son

of God,

the one

and only.

And yet,

Lord,

so often

we treasure

so many

other things.

we thank

you that

you were

devoted to

us,

that you

came and

poured out

your life

even unto

death.

While we

were still

sinners,

you died

for us.

Lord,

would you

impress upon

our hearts

the depth

of your

love for

us?

Lord,

would you

speak to

us tonight

as we

prepare to

receive the

lord's

supper

together,

that you

gave your

body and

your blood

that we

might become

your

treasure,

and that

you might

become our

greatest

treasure,

for you

are worthy.

We pray

this in

your name.

Amen.