Mark 14:1-2
His Last Gift
We are still in the Passion Week. It began on Sunday with the
Triumphant Entry, and we are moving closer to the crucifixion. We
will look at tonight’s text with three thoughts.
I. \\#1-2\\ The Timing
Mark 14:1 After two days was the feast of the
passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief
priests and the scribes sought how they might
take him by craft, and put him to death.
A. Notice that the religious leaders had not changed their plans.
1. They wanted to take Jesus and put Him to death.
2. They would do that by whatever means possible.
a. "by craft" means by deceit, trickery, or treachery.
b. For these "religious" leaders, it was an "anything
goes" fray.
B. Two times are mentioned in the first two verses.
1. \\#1\\ The time of the week
a. Counting from that day, two days after would be the
FEAST of the Passover and of Unleavened Bread.
(1) The day of the week that Mark was counting from
was Wednesday.
(2) The day of the week that Mark was counting to was
Friday
b. Both the FEAST of the Passover and the first day of
Unleavened Bread were Friday that week.
(1) It is a challenge to remember, but Jewish days
changed at sunset.
(2) Passover lambs were killed on Passover day, as a
rule starting around 3 PM.
(3) Passover day that year was Thursday.
(4) After that, the meat was taken and roasted.
(5) But the meal or FEAST of the Passover was not
eaten until after sunset, on the new day which
was just beginning.
(a) As soon as the sun set, it became Friday,
the 15th of Nisan.
(b) The 15th day of the month was another holy
day, the first day of Unleavened Bread.
Lev 23:4 These are the feasts of the LORD, even
holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in
their seasons.
5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at
even is the LORD’S passover.
6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is
the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD:
seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
7 In the first day ye shall have an holy
convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
d. So John counted from Wednesday and two days after
(Wednesday and Thursday), would be the day when the
Jews ate the Passover and the feast of Unleavened
Bread began (Friday).
e. So \\#Mark 14:1-11\\ records the events of Wednesday.
2. \\#2\\ The time they did not want to take Jesus
Mark 14:2 But they said, Not on the feast day,
lest there be an uproar of the people.
a. We have just come through Passover and Resurrection
Day, and I know mentioned several times that it was
not the intent of the religious leaders to take Jesus
on during that season.
b. Both that fact and the reason for it are given here.
c. They did not want to take Jesus during the feast
because they believed the Jewish people might rise up
against them.
(1) First, that gives me hope people of every nation
and in every time period know right from wrong
and that there is at least a chance that they
will do right when their leaders do wrong.
(2) Second, I wonder the people did not.
(a) I know God used the fact that the people did
nothing, but that does not excuse the fact
that the people did nothing.
(b) Again, I do not want to be repetitive, but I
believe the religious leaders arrested
Jesus late at night on purpose, that they
tried Him through the night on purpose, and
that they carried Jesus before Pilate and had
Jesus on the cross by 9 AM the next morning
on purpose. The purpose being that they
feared the people.
(c) And although it can never be more than just
a thought, I tend to believe the religious
leaders packed the crowd in Pilate’s
courtyard with their own people.
(d) But no matter what was and was not done,
good people did nothing when the holy God
was crucified.
II. \\#3-9\\ The Tribute
Mark 14:3 And being in Bethany in the house of
Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a
woman having an alabaster box of ointment of
spikenard very precious; and she brake the box,
and poured it on his head.
4 And there were some that had indignation
within themselves, and said, Why was this waste
of the ointment made?
5 For it might have been sold for more than
three hundred pence, and have been given to the
poor. And they murmured against her.
6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye
her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
7 For ye have the poor with you always, and
whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye
have not always.
8 She hath done what she could: she is come
aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel
shall be preached throughout the whole world,
this also that she hath done shall be spoken of
for a memorial of her.
A. The woman who Mark does not name, John does name—twice.
Joh 11:2 It was that Mary which anointed the
Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her
hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
John 12:2 There they made him a supper; and
Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that
sat at the table with him.
3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of
spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet
of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and
the house was filled with the odour of the
ointment.
1. However, I believe it is very possible that two women
anointed Jesus’ feet with ointment.
2. While the two stories have strong similarities, they also
have some strong contrasts.
a. In \\#Luke 7:36-47\\, Simon is called a Pharisee. In
Mark, he is called a leper.
(1) Being called a Pharisee suggests that man was
lost and the Simon of that story behaved like a
lost Pharisee.
(2) Being called a leper suggests that man had been
healed by Jesus and one would think the Simon of
story would be saved.
b. Luke’s story seems to take place in the earlier part
of Jesus’ ministry. Mark’s takes place near the death
of Jesus. (Jesus said the woman anointed His body
for His burial.)
c. In Luke, the emphasis is on the woman being a great
sinner who loved. In Mark, the emphasis is on the
woman being a great lover who gave.
d. In Luke, the woman wept so much that she anointed
Jesus’ feet with her tears. Neither Matthew, Mark,
nor John mentioned tears.
e. In Luke, the objection made concerned the quality of
the woman. In Mark, the objection made concerned the
quality of the gift.
f. In Luke, the objection came from Simon. In Mark, the
objection came from Jesus’ disciples.
g. In Luke, Jesus answered with a parable. In Mark,
Jesus answered with a rebuke and a promise.
h. In Mark, I believe the woman came seeking to worship.
In Luke, the woman seemed to come seeking
forgiveness.
3. It is possible that there was only one anointing, but it
seems more likely that there were two.
4. Either way, it was Mary who came at this time to anoint
Jesus.
B. Mary paid a tribute to her Lord.
1. Mary brought a very precious ointment and poured it upon
the head of her Lord.
a. This ointment was most likely her funeral anointing.
b. It was costly and precious to her, as seen by the fact
that it was stored in an alabaster box.
2. Jesus tells us why Mary did this in defending her.
Mark 14:8 She hath done what she could: she is
come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
3. All I can say is God knows.
a. God knew what her heart gave and her hands did even
though her mouth never declared it.
(1) Isn’t it awesome to have a God who knows what we
mean even when we can’t put what we mean into
words?
(2) Isn’t it also a little scary?
b. God knows how this woman understood what was about to
happen to Jesus when even the disciples, whom Jesus
repeatedly told what was going to happen, did not
comprehend it.
(1) I figure the Holy Spirit of God revealed it to
her.
(2) Some can keep saying God treats women like 2nd
and third and even last rate citizens if they
want, but I will never believe it.
(3) The Holy Spirit speaks to and uses anyone who
will surrender themselves to God.
C. But Mary’s tribute got cut short by the third major thought in
tonight’s sermon.
III. The Thief and the Traitor
A. Judas was not revealed to be the traitor until \\#10-11\, but
John revealed him as a thief before that. (Mark didn’t
mention any names but John did.)
John 12:4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas
Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,
5 Why was not this ointment sold for three
hundred pence, and given to the poor?
6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor;
but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and
bare what was put therein.
B. Judas the Thief
1. John tells us that Judas was not just a traitor to Jesus
but also a thief to the disciples.
a. John wrote his gospel much later than the other gospel
writers.
b. Apparently during that time, John had realized that
Judas was making off with the disciples’ treasury.
c. So in his gospel, he called him on it.
2. \\#Mark 14:4-5\\ make it clear that Judas wanted to
steal May’s tribute too, but Jesus would not let him.
a. Jesus stopped him with a command and a promise.
(1) \\#6\\ The Rebuke - "Leave her alone."
(a) I’ll bet a chill ran up Judas’ back.
(b) I believe Jesus used His send the demons to
hell voice when He said that.
(2) \\#9\\ The Promise - Wherever the gospel is
preached, the story of Mary will be told.
b. Jesus must have especially appreciated what Mary did.
(1) Nicodemus will come with 100 pounds of spices to
anoint Jesus’ body for burial \\#John 19:39\\,
but Jesus did not promise the story of Nicodemus
would be heralded around the world.
(2) Granted, it is, but Jesus did not promise it
would be.
(3) Why?
(a) His gift was worth far more financially than
Mary’s.
(b) Probably because all Nicodemus anointed was
an empty body while Mary gave a gift to the
Person inside the body.
(c) I don't know how many gifts Jesus had
received since the wise men many years
before, but I think this was the last gift
He received.
(d) And it pleased Him.
C. Judas the Traitor
Mark 14:10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the
twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray
him unto them.
11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and
promised to give him money. And he sought how he
might conveniently betray him.
1. We don’t know if this is all of the story or not.
2. I hope it wasn’t.
a. I hope it was not Judas’ idea to betray Jesus.
b. I hope some religious leader tempted him.
c. I don’t suppose it would make any difference, but I
hope so anyway.
3. Whether there is more to Judas’ betrayal or not, this is
how and when it was conducted.
a. Judas went to the leaders and offered them Jesus.
b. And he finalized his deal on Wednesday.
On this Wednesday, two people are mentioned and it would be harder to
find two opposites. One gave up everything of worldly value she had
for Jesus. The other gave up everything of eternal value with Jesus.
Choose your examples carefully.
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