Sermon

Gospel of Mark: Jesus, what is he worth?

November 3, 2013 Carrigaline Baptist Church - Sermons

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on TV, and I'm sure you've all seen it, or at least you've heard of it.
It's called the Antiques Roadshow. Do you know it?
No, some of you aren't. Well, let me explain what it is.
People bring along all kinds of items to this show, perhaps an old item they've discovered in the attic,
or maybe it's something that's belonged to their family and it's been passed down through each generation.
And what they do is they bring this old item along to the show and it's valued by the experts
who tell the owner how much this old picture or this piece of jewellery is worth.
And for the viewer, well, we're trying to guess how much it is worth.
What price are they going to put on it?
Well, throughout Mark's Gospel, Mark has been introducing us to Jesus.
We've been watching what Jesus does.
We've been listening to what Jesus says.
Now, chapter 14, verse 1.
We're told that the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
which was a week-long festival to remember the escape, the rescue of God's people from Egypt,
that this great festival was only two days away.
Now, that's Mark's little editorial note to tell us
that in two days' time, Jesus is going to be killed,
crucified on a cross.
Hang on.
We've got...
Here we go.
There we are.
So this is this two days' time little note is to tell us
that Jesus is going to be killed, crucified on a cross.
In fact, chapter 14 begins what is called as the Passion of Jesus.
So as we get close to his death, as we focus in on his death,
we're being asked a very important question.
What is the true value of Jesus?
It's as if Jesus is standing before us this morning
and he's asking me and he's asking you personally and directly,
what am I worth to you?
How valuable am I to you?
Well, we're going to look at three things.
What Jesus is worth,
why Jesus is worth it,
and how Jesus' worth is shown.
Why Jesus is...
What Jesus is worth,
why Jesus is worth it,
and how Jesus' worth is shown.
So what Jesus is worth?
First, we get the valuation of the religious leaders.
Look at the end of verse 1.
The chief priests and the teachers of the law
were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him.
They simply want Jesus dead, removed, out the way.
To them, Jesus has been a constant threat.
After all, he's been confronting them
and challenging their religious ritual
and has exposed it as empty and false.
But it's not until we get to meet Judas
that we get to see how much they really value Jesus.
Look at verse 10.
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve,
went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.
They were delighted to hear this
and promised to give him money.
We know that the price that they were willing to pay for Jesus
from the other gospel accounts
was 30 pieces of silver.
That was the minimum amount of money
you would pay for a slave,
the lowest of the low.
In other words,
he's worth nothing.
In fact, he's worth more dead
than he is alive.
And that's the value that many people put
on the head of Jesus today.
He's worth more dead
than he is alive.
Because a dead Jesus,
well, he can't challenge you or confront you.
A dead Jesus isn't going to tell you
what's true or what's good or what's right.
If we can somehow remove Jesus,
if we can push Jesus out the way,
if we can kill him off,
then that means we can live as we please.
We're answerable to no one.
We might as well just all go home
and do whatever we like.
In other words,
his life is worthless.
It counts for nothing.
To these religious people,
Jesus has no real value.
So they plot to kill him.
Next, we get the valuation of a woman.
She's a nobody.
She's an outsider.
We don't even know what her name is.
Look at verse 3.
While Jesus was in Bethany,
reclining at the table in the home
of a man known as Simon the leper,
we don't know,
maybe Jesus had healed him in the past,
we don't know,
a woman came with an alabaster jar
of very expensive perfume
made of pure nard.
So ladies,
you can forget your Chanel No. 5
or your Dulce & Gabbana
or whatever you wear.
This perfume
was the very best.
It was made of,
look what it says,
pure nard.
That was an extract
from a very rare root
which came all the way
from the Himalayas in Nepal.
Wow.
So you could imagine
the costs
at that time
involved to bring that
all the way
to a place like Bethany.
In fact,
we are told it's cost.
Look at verse 5.
We're told that it was worth
more than a year's wages.
So an average wage today,
40,000.
It's worth at least that.
And a year's wage then
was of much greater significance.
So we could even multiply that number.
It's a huge amount.
But not only did this perfume
have monetary or financial value,
it also has sentimental
or personal value.
You see,
it's very unlikely
that a woman of that time
would have been able
to afford such an item.
They didn't have careers
and, well,
if they did work,
they certainly didn't get paid
very much.
So it's most likely
a family heirloom.
Something that's been
passed down
over time.
Something precious
and valuable.
Never to be used
except perhaps
in dire circumstances.
In many ways,
to this woman,
it was like
an insurance policy.
And this costly perfume
was kept in
an alabaster jar
which itself
was very expensive.
And what was unique
about this kind of jar,
it didn't have a screw top
or a little spray canister
or anything else like that.
It was sealed.
And the point was this.
Once the seal was broken,
it all had to be used up.
You couldn't save any.
Now look what happens
at the end of verse 3.
She broke the jar
and poured the perfume
on his head.
The symbolism
is as potent
as the fragrance
that is now beginning
to fill the room.
To this unknown woman,
Jesus is priceless.
He is invaluable
to her.
The worth
that she places
on Jesus
is infinitely greater
than anything else.
He is worth
more to her
than all she owns
financially
and personally.
And in this
act of extravagant
love and devotion,
she is literally
poured out
on top of Jesus
everything.
Everything.
She has held
nothing back.
It gives us
a glimpse
of her heart.
Her heart
is like that
of the poor widow.
Do you remember
we met her
at the end
of chapter 12
verse 42.
She was the poor widow
who had
two copper coins
worth
less than a penny.
That's all she had.
But remember
what Jesus said
about her?
She put in
everything.
All that she had
to live on.
And here we get
a glimpse
into this woman.
Everything else
and everyone else
fades
in comparison
to the beauty
and the wonder
of who Jesus is.
He is
invaluable
to her.
So you see
at the very beginning
we're faced
with these
two
extreme
contrasts
to the one
Jesus is worth
nothing.
He's worth
more dead.
But to the woman
he is
invaluable.
Which brings us
to the second
why
Jesus
is worth it.
Why Jesus
is worth it.
Like the disciples
we might think
come on
this is a bit
over the top
isn't it?
Look at verse 4.
Some of those
present
they were the
disciples by the way
were saying
indignantly to one
another
why this waste
of perfume?
It could have been
sold for more
than a year's wages
and the money
given to the poor.
What's she doing?
And they rebuked
her harshly.
And to our minds
this is
absolutely
crazy.
This is
financial
suicide.
It's
even
unchristian.
It's a
nonsense.
Who would
do such
a thing?
Verse 6
leave her
alone.
Why are you
bothering her?
She has done
a beautiful
thing
to me.
Jesus
saying she
has come
to see
how valuable
I am.
She knows
what I am
worth.
What she
has done
for me
this is
how you
should treat
me.
Her
extravagance
isn't
wasteful
it is
beautiful.
So once
again
Jesus
is having
to take
the opportunity
to teach
his disciples
through
an outsider
why he
is of
infinite
value
and he's
teaching
us
why he
is worth
what he
is.
Look at
verse 7.
The poor
he says
you will
always have
with you
and you
can help
them anytime
you want
but you
will not
always have
me.
She
did what
she could.
She
poured
perfume
on my
body
beforehand
to prepare
for my
burial.
Now in
those times
funerals
were very
different than
what they
are today.
In those
times it
was the
practice
well to
put perfume
and spices
on the
dead body
to cover
up the
smell of
all the
decaying
that went
on.
So this
act of
this woman
the pouring
of the
perfume
on the
head
is to
remind us
that Jesus
is going
to die.
As Jesus
says she's
preparing for
my burial.
Don't you
get it?
I'm going
to die.
And this
is what
makes Jesus
worth
everything.
This is
why Jesus
is priceless.
Because he
died for
us.
The
disciples
they haven't
got it.
They're
concerned for
the poor.
But Jesus
wants them
and he
wants us
to see
that he
is the
one who
became
poor for
us.
He was
the one
who became
a slave
for us.
Treated as
the lowest
of the
low.
Coming to
serve the
world.
Coming to
serve people
like you
and me.
He came
and he
was treated
as a
sinner.
He was
judged
in my
place.
He was
condemned
in your
place.
He was
punished.
He was
killed.
He was
buried.
He died
for my
sin and
your
sin.
But it's
so much
more than
that.
The burial
of Jesus
is the
link between
his death
on the
one hand
and his
resurrection
on the
other.
Constantly
we're told
that he
would die,
he would
be killed,
that he
would be
buried,
and on
the third
day he
would rise
again.
And
through
his
resurrection
he's
defeated
and
destroyed
death,
our
greatest
enemy.
We
all know
that Halloween
has been
celebrated over
this past
week.
It's the
great irony,
it's the
great tragedy
that people
mock and
laugh about
death,
but for the
rest of the
year they
live in
fear of
death.
They can't
even talk
about it.
Yet here's
the one
who defeated
it and
destroyed it.
And that's
what makes
Jesus
priceless.
That's why
Jesus is
invaluable.
Nobody offers
what he can
offer.
In fact,
you can't
buy what
Jesus offers.
No amount
of money will
get you
forgiveness of
all of your
sin, past,
present and
future.
No amount
of money is
going to
buy you
into the
eternal
kingdom.
Nobody's
going to
give you
the life
that only
he can
give.
That's
why Jesus
came,
to die
our death,
to rise
again,
to secure
our eternal
security
forever.
That act
is priceless.
That act
is invaluable.
And we
must be
clear,
this woman
is not
trying to
buy Jesus.
She's not
trying to
earn his
favour.
This is
simply an
expression
and an
outpouring
of her
faith in
Jesus,
her love
for Jesus,
her devotion
to him.
She's come
to see
who he
is.
She
understands
who Jesus
is.
and she
is simply
entrusting
her whole
life to
him.
By giving
of all
that she
has,
she knows
that in
Jesus she
has
everything.
More
than what
money could
ever buy.
The woman,
this unknown
outsider,
we don't
even know
her name,
but we
know she's
got Jesus
right.
She's
come to
see his
true value,
his true
worth.
The
disciples,
on the
other hand,
the privileged
insiders
who's been
with him
all this
time,
they're
still
struggling.
They
still don't
get who
he is.
So how
is Jesus'
worth going
to be shown
in our
lives?
So let's
ask ourselves
the question
we asked
at the
very
beginning.
What is
Jesus worth
to you?
What is
the value
that you
place on
Jesus?
What do I
place on
Jesus?
Well the
true value
that we
place on
Jesus will
be shown
by the
kind of
lives
that we
live.
First,
we can
simply
use
Jesus.
Look at
verse 10
again.
Then
Judas Iscariot,
one of the
twelve,
went to
the chief
priest to
betray
Jesus to
them.
They were
delighted to
hear this
and promised
to give him
money.
So Judas
watched for
an opportunity
to hand him
over.
You see,
for Judas,
well Jesus
was just
simply a
means to
an end.
His
approach
to it
all was,
what can
I get
out of
him?
And that's
how we
can treat
Jesus.
We don't
value him,
we just
use him.
Jesus,
if you
make me
better,
then I'll
follow you.
Jesus,
if you
get me
that job
and you
ease my
financial
worries,
then I
will love
you.
Jesus,
if you
provide a
spouse for
me,
then I
will do
whatever you
ask of
me.
In other
words,
Jesus,
if you
are really
worth it,
you will
do what
I tell
you to
do.
You see,
we can
simply
measure the
worth of
Jesus by
what we
think we
can just
get out
of him,
what we
can squeeze
out of
him.
We don't
love him
for who
he is.
Jesus is
only there
to meet
my wants
and my
desires.
the
tragedy
of this
valuation
is it
leads to
death.
Look what
Jesus had
to say
about
Judas
in verse
21.
We'll get
on to
this next
week,
but let's
just have
a preview.
Chapter
14,
verse
21,
the second
part of
it.
This is
what Jesus
says about
Judas,
but woe
to that
man who
betrays
the Son
of Man.
It would
be better
for him
if he
had not
been born.
You see,
we know
that Judas
squeezed
what he
could to
get out
of Jesus,
but it
destroyed
his life.
it left
him empty
and broken
and to
treat
Jesus
in that
way,
he's just
there to
meet my
needs,
it will
break you,
it will
destroy you,
it will
leave you
separated
from God.
So we
can use
Jesus,
or second,
we can
preach
Jesus,
or if you
like,
proclaim
Jesus.
Look at
verse 9.
I tell you
the truth,
Jesus says,
whenever the
gospel is
preached
throughout
the world,
what she
has done
will also
be told
in memory
of her.
If we
really value
Jesus,
or if we
see his
true worth,
we will
proclaim
Jesus.
We will
begin to
tell the
gospel story,
the good
news that
Jesus died,
was buried,
and rose
again from
the grave.
On one
episode of
the
Antiques
Roadshow,
and I
don't want
you to
think this
would be
bad for
my image,
that I'm
an avid
follower.
You can
look it up
on the
YouTube,
by the
way.
A lady
bought this
ordinary
glass
vase.
she got
it at a
car boot
sale,
not because
she liked
the vase,
but because
she liked
the plant
that was
in it.
She bought
it for
one pound.
They'd
kept it
for years
and wondered
what it
was worth,
and they
brought it
along to
the Antiques
Roadshow.
They discovered
it was made
by some
French designer,
I can't even
pronounce his
name,
but here's the
point,
it was worth
£25,000.
And the
story of
that event
has travelled
far wide.
It was in
the newspapers,
it's all
over the
net.
They came
to see
the true
value.
And when
they saw
the true
value,
they couldn't
help but
tell the
story.
And now
Jesus is
saying to
us,
what this
woman has
done is
to tell
the story
of the
gospel.
She came
to understand
who I am,
that I must
die.
Did you see
what she
did?
She poured
perfume on
my head
to prepare
for my
burial.
By her
very action,
she was
proclaiming
the good
news of
Jesus,
his death
and his
resurrection.
She came
to see
the true
value and
worth.
And Jesus
is saying
to us,
if you
understand
who I
am,
if you
know what
I have
done for
you,
if you
understand
my true
worth and
value,
then you
will begin
to live
and you
will begin
to tell
the gospel
story.
You see,
the value,
the only
way of
telling the
value we
place on
Jesus,
will be
shown
through
our
lives.
We will
either use
him or
we will
begin to
proclaim
him.
We need
to stop
and wonder
at the
saviour
and see
how beautiful
he is and
all that he
has done
for us.
Learn the
true value
and tell
the story.
Let's
pray.
Father,
we confess
that at
times we
treat you
like,
or rather
we treat
your son
like an
old
pitcher,
just this
item that's
been hanging
around and
we just
forget or
we fail
to see
your true
value and
worth.
Help us
afresh to
see you
through your
eyes.
May your
Holy Spirit
open up our
eyes to
see who
you are
and what
you have
done.
to be
amazed
afresh
the glory
of your
death,
of your
resurrection,
of the
life,
the new
life that
it gives
us.
Father,
please help
us to take
that in
and please
would you
fill us
with the
power of
your
spirit so
that we
may be
people who
go and
begin to
tell the
story of
your true
value and
your true
worth.
And may
our lives
reflect it
also in
how we
use our
time and
in how we
give.
Help us to
learn from
this woman
and help us
to see Jesus
in all his
greatness.
We ask
this in
Jesus'
name.
Amen.
Amen.
Thank you.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.