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The Messiah’s Secret – Bethany

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The  Messiah’s  Secret – Bethany
 
 Evening  Lectionary: Exodus 6: 2-13.  John 12: 1-8 

 
Someone wrote – “Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish one’s growth without destroying one’s roots.”  

In our reading in Exodus Moses was being criticised unfairly as he sought to be obedient to God’s will by the people of Israel for being unsuccessful when he went with God’s message to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” Pharaoh refused to let the people go, instead he made the people work harder by having to go and collect the straw to make the same number of bricks.
The people complained to Moses concerning their suffering, but God was in their suffering, and we know now that God had to fulfil his purposes through Moses and Aaron, God would be victorious over the gods and magicians of Egypt, eventually releasing the people of Israel as a nation from their bondage to Pharaoh.
 
At last Tuesday’s Lent Bible Study we were discussing suffering “Why does God allow suffering? We looked at John 11 were Mary and Martha had sent for Jesus when their brother Lazarus was seriously ill, but he did not come and they must have wondered why, but in the purposes of God it was intended that Jesus would raise Lazarus from the dead.
 
In our own situations we may find ourselves being criticised for not responding to someone’s need, there may have been a misunderstanding or forgetting to pick someone up, a mix up of some kind and as a result causing suffering. We may be doing too much and as a result a gentle word to point out that there is a need to re-asses their situation and looking carefully at their commitment in other areas of their ministry, and by prayer handing everything to the Lord in faith believing that his will be done.  
 
So as we picture the scene at Bethany while Mary was doing this beautiful act of anointing Jesus. The moment was interrupted by Judas who criticised Mary he was annoyed that she had spent so much on the anointment, saying, “Why was this ointment not sold for 300 danarii and given to the poor.”
 
Judas Iscariot
Looking at the character of Judas he had spent three years in ministry with Jesus. Along with the other disciples he had taken out the message of the coming kingdom and he took on the responsibility to manage their finances.
However, John informs us in this reading that Judas was not to be trusted because he stole from their money box. How hard it must have been for Jesus to go through his ministry with a disciple who was not trustworthy.  

We know now that Jesus appointed Judas as one of his twelve disciples knowing that he would betray him, therefore perhaps we should not be surprised when John wrote “Not that he cared for the poor.” He was insincere, he betrayed Jesus for money. Judas was not close to Jesus, he was not there at the transfiguration.
The interpretation of the parables did not have any effect on him, 
 
Jesus I am sure loved Judas with an unconditional love and continually forgave him, turning his cheek, putting into practise his own words. After Judas made these remarks to Mary, Jesus diffused Judas’ criticism of her by saying, “Leave her alone, and let her keep it for the day of my burial.” 
 
In Matthew’s account Mary anointed both his head and his feet, and he remembered more of Jesus’ words “She has done a beautiful thing to me,” How privileged Mary was to do something personally for Jesus.
 
Mary of Bethany fulfilled the Psalmist prophecy concerning the plan of God in anointing Jesus for his burial. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body in order to bury him in a tomb.  Joseph and Nicodemus embalmed Jesus’ body in the tomb.
 
The Psalmist’ prophecy 23: 4,5 These verses amazingly speak of that night at Bethany.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; thy rod and staff are a comfort to me; Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows.”  RSV Bible 
 
Six days before Jesus’ death on the cross he was comforted by his friends at Bethany over a meal, where one of them was his enemy Judas. Mary anointed Jesus head and his feet with oil, anointing him for his burial. His cup overflowed with kindness towards Mary. 
 
Just as God fulfilled his promise to Moses
In Exodus 6 verses 2-13 I counted seven ‘I will’ as God promised to fulfil his covenant and set them free. Jesus accomplished his task in his death and resurrection, fulfilling his Father’s will in setting us free from our bondage’s so that we might live a Christ-like life.
 
Set Free from the bondage of drugs. 
At my sister’s church a former addict James met Jesus out walking his dog, he was preparing to end his life, when Jesus appeared to him in the park in the form of a brilliant light and he saw on the ground a rope going across the footpath and he heard the words, “Cross over that rope and you’re in eternal hell.” His thought changed, his addiction to drugs left him in an instant and today he is completely free and today he teaches and preaches the Bible.
 
Today the Lord is in every situation that we face and he will fulfil his purposes we may find out in due course or at some later date look back and see we need not have worried as the Lord had been directing our path.                                                                                                          
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The Messiah’s Secret – Mary Anointed Jesus

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The Messiah’s Secret – Mary  anointed  Jesus

Matthew 26: 6-13. Mark 14: 3-9. John 12: 1-8.

During Lent we focus on the events in Jesus’ life that took place at Jerusalem leading up to the time of the Jewish Passover 2,000 years ago.

Setting the scene.
I have brought together the three accounts in the Gospels: Matthew 26: 6-13. Mark 14: 3-9. John 12: 1-9. Each account gives some details of the occasion: agreeing on the value of the ointment, Jesus words varied slightly in response to the murmurings of the disciples and Jesus points to the anointing for his burial.
There where a number of people present at Bethany; Jesus and his disciples, Mary, Martha and Lazarus. They came together to share a meal. John in his account in verse two wrote, “They made him a supper,” Jesus was their special guest.                                                                                                                                        
Visual Aid  
I set out a table at the front of church with lots of fruit: apple, orange, lime, lemon, mango, grapes, sweet potato, almonds, figs and spikenard oil. This visual aid was to help us to imagine the scene at Bethany where fifteen or sixteen people were celebrating Lazarus being raised from the dead.
The joy and excitement would have been apparent as they reclined chatting around the table.


We are not told how Mary felt earlier when Jesus restored her brother’s life, but here’s an indication. In a surging wave of gratitude, all her deeply felt but hard to express emotions rose to the surface.There amongst her friends she felt able to express her love and thankfulness, as she knelt down and used her hair to apply the ointment, the perfume’s heavy fragrance would have filled the room.
In Matthew and Mark’s accounts Mary anointed Jesus’ head and feet with the nard. Whereas John only mentions Mary anointing his feet. 
                                                                                                                                                           


‘Ungers Bible Dictionary’ I am informed that it was not unusual for a special guest to be anointed with perfumed oil as a gesture of good will. The nard that Mary used was probably imported from India to Egypt, that is why it was so expensive.

After Mary anointed Jesus, the atmosphere in the room must have changed.

Wasting all that money on a gesture. 
All three gospel accounts testify that this anointing was not well received by the disciples. The disciples were indignant and reproached Mary. Some are recorded as saying, ”Why this waste? “Why was the ointment thus wasted?” John gave us more detail Judas Iscariot said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor.?” In Mark’s account he mentions the cost of the ointment as being three hundred denarii, but he does not tell us who said it. It is the same amount, indicating the same incident. 

Jesus said that Mary had done something beautiful to him. Jesus response “But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.” Mark 14: 6.
When we witness our faith acknowledging our belief in Jesus to a group of people, among those hearing some may be filled with indignation and reproach towards us. However, we have the assurance that we have done something beautiful for Jesus. 
In doing something for our Christian friend because Christ is in them, we have done something beautiful for Jesus.                                                                    
“Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial. The poor you shall always have with you, but you will not always have me.”John 12:7.
Jesus was drawing his disciples attention to his death, he would not always be there with them.                                                                      

I put these two points forward for your consideration.
Jesus was drawing his disciples attention to his death, he would not always be there with them. Secondly he was also fulfilling the Psalmist prophecy, “Thou hast preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows.” Psalm 23: 5. 
The roast leg of lamb is placed on the table with the fruit.


First Point
Jesus the ‘Lamb of God’ the sacrificial Passover lamb.
The disciples were told by Jesus that he would be killed, but he never told them when it would be, at least not until two days before the Passover.

The Passover Lamb.
The night before the Israelites left Egypt, God instructed Moses that each household should select the best yearling male lamb from amongst their flocks and in the evening kill it and take some of its blood and brush it onto the doorposts and lintels of every Jewish home so that when that night the angel of death saw the blood he would pass over that house and where there was no blood the first born son and animal would die and judgement executed on the gods of Egypt. Exodus 12: 1-13 

Jesus the Lamb of God sets us free from the slavery of sin.
John the Baptist said concerning Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” John 1: 29.                                                             
Jesus the lamb sacrificed for the sins of the whole world.
When God sees the blood of Jesus on the doorposts and lintels of our heart, we have passed over from death to life. Through faith in what Jesus has done for us on the cross, his blood atoning for our sins against God, we receive eternal life in Christ, passing over death to life. 

Short prayer: Lord I pray that you would help me to understand the cross and its meaning, I come to you believing that Jesus has taken my sin upon himself and his blood has washed me clean. I receive your forgiveness and pray for your love to fill my heart. In Jesus’ name Amen. 

Second Point.
 He was also fulfilling the Psalmist prophecy, “Thou hast preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows.” Psalm 23: 5                                                                                                                                                     
The table the unleavened bread is now placed on the table. 
The unleavened bread – bread without yeast/leaven in it. In the Hewbrew Scriptures leaven also means sin.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread.
This feast originated when the Israelites who were in such a great rush leaving Egypt that they had not time to put the yeast into the dough, as a result it was unleavened bread, in scriptural terms bread without sin in it. (see blog Law and Grace)  On the first day of the feast every Jewish home removed all traces of any old bread, bread with the leaven/sin in it.

On this day at the temple the lambs were sacrificed in the temple in readiness for the Passover meal the day after. Jesus the Lamb of God was crucified on the the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread at the same time as the Passover Lambs were slain. Mark 14: 12                                                                                                                                                                              
Jesus was born sinless, his life’s blood was free from inherited sin, as his blood originated from God at his conception.
Jesus was the bread that came from heaven, not like the bread, the manna that God gave them in the wilderness that fed their physical body. Jesus’ bread feeds the soul. Jesus referred to his words as being ‘the bread of life’. “ It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.” John 6: 35, 63.                                                                                                                            
Verse 5. “Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows.” 
Among his friends reclined around the table was one who would betray him.
Jesus knew what was in his disciples hearts: the murmurings of self will, the indignation of the disciples when Mary anointed Jesus. He also knew that one of them would betray him.
John named Judas Iscariot  as the one who said, ” Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denirii.” John also enlightened his readers to the fact that Judas stole from his friends. Judas did not hesitate in selling his loyalty to Jesus for money.

Soon afterwards in the upper room the towel and basin where there, but no one amongst them offered to do the menial task of washing their feet.
Earlier Jesus was at the centre of turmoil when Jews heard him say that he was the bread from heaven. “The Jews murmured because he said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” John 6: 41.
Jesus feared no evil for the God his Father was with him. His Father’s works and words were a rod and a staff to him. “Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees his Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise.”

 “Now they know that everything that thou hast given me is from thee; for I have given them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from thee; and they have believed that thou didst send me.”   

Jesus guarded his disciples from the evil one, except for Judas Iscariot who he describes as ‘lost’ that the scripture might be fulfilled. John 5: 19. 17: 7, 8. 12.

Jesus would soon fulfil the prophesies concerning the Messiah as he walked through the valley of the shadow of death bearing his cross, in front of his enemies.
The news of his arrest and trial would have taken people by surprise. It all happened so quickly, Jesus was arrested in the evening he was taken to Caiaphas’ house where a trial took place before the council. In the morning they brought him before Pilate.
“For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, ‘And he was reckoned with the transgressors’; for what is written about me has its fulfilment.” Luke 22: 37.                                                

Verse 5. “Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows.” 
The Anointing.
Jesus’ response to his disciples remarks expressed something wonderful. Jesus said that Mary had done a beautiful thing that pointed to his death and burial.

Mary of Bethany had anointed Jesus, just before he was to fulfil the plan of God in the work of redemption that God had called him to do. God the Father chose Mary to anoint his precious Son by doing so fulfilled  the Psalmist’s prophecy. What a great privilege given to a lady who had shown such thankfulness for her brothers resurrection from the dead.

Verse 5. “Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows.”

A Cup that overflows – suffering. 
At his trial at Caiaphas’s house Jesus was accused of blasphemy: he was asked by the high priest Caiaphas, “Tell us if you are the Christ the Son of God.” Jesus’ response, ‘You have said so. But I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” The high priest tore his clothes and said, ”He has uttered blasphemy.” The council concluded in pronouncing, “He deserves death.”  Matthew 26: 63-66.

In their ignorance they fulfilled many prophesies including Caiaphas’ prophecy that one man should perish so that the nation would be saved. God’s saving grace was proclaimed by the disciples at Pentecost by the disciples.

Jesus spoke of his return.
Jesus repeated to the leaders at his trial what he had said earlier to the Jews, that some would see the coming in of the kingdom of God.  Jesus would come in the glory of his Father with the holy angels and there would be some standing there who would not taste death before they saw the kingdom of God come with power. Mark 8: 38. 9: 1(See blog ‘What is the Messiah’s Secret’)                                                                                                                                                                                                          
The Cup that overflows – peace and joy.
The anointing enabled Jesus to find the still waters of rest and peace. His resting I feel was in his obedience, he sought not his own will, only to do his Father’s will to be crucified and die.

The peace and the joy in fulfilling his Father’s will was expressed in those words to Mary when she anointed him, “She has done a beautiful thing to me.” 
We see no beauty in suffering or dying in pain. I think Jesus saw things differently because he had the mind of God, he rejoiced in his suffering. For Jesus it was a joy to save us from our sins.
As we walk in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life, rest, peace and joy.                                    
                           Psalm 23  

 “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want; 
he makes me lie down in green pastures, 
he leads me beside still water; He restores my soul. 

He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
 I fear no evil; for thou art with me;
 thy rod and staff, they comfort me. 

Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies; 
thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; 
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”   
Revised Standard Version of the Bible

Jesus suggested that they should save the rest of the spikenard ointment for his burial.
“Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial. The poor you shall always have with you, but you will not always have me.”John 12:7.
It is possible that Mary of Bethany was one of the ladies who in Luke’s account of the morning of the day of Jesus’ resurrection took the ointment to the tomb and found that Jesus was not there, he was risen, risen indeed..