Look, Ye Saints, the Sight Is Glorious!

A Woman of Faith

(Mark 14:3-9, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, February 16, 2020)

[3] And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at 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. [4] There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? [5] For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. [6] But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. [7] 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. [8] She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. [9] 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.”

Do we have appropriate affection for the real Jesus of the Scriptures? How should we honor a suffering Messiah who died and was buried for us? Why would the costly anointing of Jesus for burial be a part of the message of good news for the world?

A Costly Testimony

A woman

Very costly ointment

Over his head

An anointing requiring interpretation: Law, History, Wisdom, Prophets...

Indignant Observers

Wasted?

Three hundred denarii

The poor?

They scolded her. – See John 12:1-8.

A Beautiful Gospel

Leave her alone.

She has done a beautiful thing to me.

You always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them.

You will not always have me.

She has done what she could.

She has anointed my body beforehand for burial. Word used for “anoint” body for burial

The coming burial of Jesus and the future proclamation of the gospel to the world

THE POINT: Testifying to the death and burial of Jesus Christ is not a waste

Applying these verses:

1. We should exercise caution in criticizing others in their extravagant love for Jesus.

2. How do we testify to our love for Jesus and the gospel?

3. The strange attractiveness of a suffering Savior to the church throughout the world

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 127 – The Lord's House and the Lord's Family

New Testament Reading—1 Cor 1:1-17 – The Preaching of the Gospel of Jesus

Other passages:

Exodus 28:41

[41] And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests.

Exodus 30:26

[26] With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony.

1 Samuel 16:13

[13] Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward.

2 Samuel 2:4

[4] And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.

2 Samuel 5:3

[3] So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel.

Psalm 2:2–3

[2] The kings of the earth set themselves,

and the rulers take counsel together,

against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,

[3] “Let us burst their bonds apart

and cast away their cords from us.”

Isaiah 61:1

[1] The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,

because the LORD has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor;

he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,

and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;...

Amos 6:10

[10] And when one's relative, the one who anoints him for burial,...

Song of Solomon 1:12

She: [12] While the king was on his couch,

my nard gave forth its fragrance.

Song of Solomon 4:13–14

He: [13] Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates

with all choicest fruits,

henna with nard,

[14] nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,

with all trees of frankincense,

myrrh and aloes,

with all choice spices—

John 12:1–8

[1] Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. [2] So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. [3] Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. [4] But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, [5] “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” [6] He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. [7] Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. [8] For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”