“Jesus praised her action as a beautiful thing done to Him and blessed it to be an event that should be remembered in His gospel history. Each of us also has our own alabaster jar of perfume…When she poured the perfume, in actuality, she poured out her heart to Jesus. When she poured the perfume on Him, she was pouring out her love to Jesus…This woman’s action for Jesus foreshadowed Jesus’ action for us…
This story of the woman’s love and devotion to Jesus points to Jesus himself. As the woman poured out her very expensive perfume made of pure nard on Jesus, Jesus was about to pour out his precious and sinless blood to wash away all our sins. As the woman made a lavish expression of love to Jesus, Jesus was about to make the most extravagant and lavish statement of love in the history of the world by giving his precious life for sinners like us…
Our Lord Jesus has done a beautiful thing for us. He gave his life as a ransom sacrifice for sinner like us though we don’t deserve it at all. He shed his precious blood without reservation in order to wash away all our sins once and for all. His love for us is indeed recklessly spendthrift, selfless, costly and extravagant. He spent everything for us. We are to love him and serve him likewise, like this woman.”
Henry Park, excerpt from Sermon entitled “Jesus was anointed at Bethany” delivered at Columbus University Bible Fellowship.
Holy Week Wednesday is often known as Spy Wednesday because this marks the day Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. It’s also the day Jesus chilled at the home of Simon the leper and was anointed by Mary.
Think about the contrast.
One will sell Jesus out for a handful of coins while the other lets go of that which is priceless in this life because in Jesus she found something of greater worth. While we can try to calculate the value of this perfume in modern terms, it would be best to label it with the moniker from the Mastercard commercials: Priceless.
Like the widow yesterday gave God all she had, this woman empties her jar on Jesus.
Where are you this Holy Week Wednesday?
Will you sell out Jesus for the paltry pennies this world has to offer?
Or will you empty your alabaster jar on Jesus?
My perfume is on my Master.