As Jesus finishes speaking about future things (Matthew 24-25), He turns to His disciples saying “after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” God’s appointed time had finally come for His only Son to die for the sins of all mankind. God “made Him (Jesus Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Because Jesus was perfect and sinless, He could satisfy the punishment we deserved for our sin and give us a right standing before God. It is only through Jesus Christ (His death, burial, and resurrection) that we are saved from the penalty of sin and given eternal life. Jesus was informing His disciples that the time of His death had finally come. Behind the scenes to this situation, Matthew reveals that the religious leaders were plotting in the palace of the high priest (Caiaphas) about how to kill Jesus quietly (26:4). However, because the Passover was such a big event in Jerusalem and Jesus had many followers, they decided to wait until the conclusion of this feast to kill Jesus (26:5). The scene quickly changes in Matthew’s gospel to Jesus in the home of Simon the leper. This man must have been someone whom Jesus had healed earlier in His ministry. While He was in Simon’s house, a woman came to Him (John reveals that it is Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus) having an alabaster flask. The alabaster flask contained very costly oil…Mark tells us the price is three hundred denarii, which is comparable to a year’s wages. Mary took this costly oil and poured it on Jesus’ head as He sat at the table – this act was an expression of worship and devotion to Him. The disciples reacted in anger as they looked at this action as a waste of money which could have been given to the poor (26:8-9). John reveals that it was Judas Iscariot, who would soon betray Jesus into the hands of the religious leaders, that spoke out against this woman’s expression of worship. Jesus immediately defends the actions of Mary and declares that she did this for His burial. Although Mary probably did not fully understand her actions, Jesus commended her and promised that her story would be told as a memorial to her (26:10-13). Mary’s story should be an example to us as our hearts should also be devoted to Jesus and consistently express our worship of Him as our Savior and God.
Dear God, may I freely and consistently worship You through my actions as well as my attitude!
