WEBVTT 00:00:00.420 --> 00:00:07.820 And I'm going to invite you to turn to Mark 14 as we get to the last couple of chapters of the series that we've been going together with on the 00:00:07.820 --> 00:00:09.580 Genius of Jesus in the gospel of Mark. 00:00:10.700 --> 00:00:15.420 The series desiring to know Christ as he wants to make himself known in our lives. 00:00:16.260 --> 00:00:23.260 One of the things I just want to point out as we'd get ready to dive into this text is the sacred opportunity it is just to read God's Word 00:00:23.260 --> 00:00:30.520 and not just don't want to say that like I'm some kind of pious religious, "sacred opportunity, but I really want us to see how important 00:00:30.520 --> 00:00:36.100 this is because truth is the catalyst for life change. 00:00:36.680 --> 00:00:41.060 If I say something to you this morning, like if I asked you the question, what does your family stand for? 00:00:42.060 --> 00:00:43.140 What's your identity? 00:00:43.140 --> 00:00:45.680 What are the values that you shape yourself around as a family? 00:00:46.740 --> 00:00:52.840 If you draw a blank as to what that is, I would encourage you to get into God's Word. 00:00:52.840 --> 00:00:55.170 Grab some of the epistles, some of the shorter books in the New Testament. 00:00:55.720 --> 00:01:01.890 Read about some of the relational interaction that's encouraged in those epistles and find an identity for your family to shape itself around. 00:01:02.660 --> 00:01:06.680 Starting with Christ as that foundation and how that plays an interaction in our lives. 00:01:06.780 --> 00:01:09.020 But truth becomes the catalyst for life change. 00:01:09.020 --> 00:01:10.740 And we know we discover that truth in God's word. 00:01:11.380 --> 00:01:18.400 So what we're embarking on together as something that has the opportunity to transform our hearts as we hear the word and we let it speak to 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:19.170 our lives. 00:01:19.720 --> 00:01:22.100 We give God the freedom to work it out in us. 00:01:22.160 --> 00:01:26.790 So Mark 14 is an important passage for us to be able to look at together today. 00:01:27.420 --> 00:01:30.350 And if you've been with us for this series, you know where we're at and where we're heading. 00:01:30.420 --> 00:01:34.040 I mean, if you're in the gospel where it's going, we're heading to the cross and the resurrection of Jesus. 00:01:34.860 --> 00:01:41.880 In Mark chapter 14, Jesus is going through the whole scenario of going into Jerusalem, presenting himself as 00:01:41.880 --> 00:01:42.740 the sacrifice. 00:01:43.500 --> 00:01:47.860 And even in Mark chapter 13 we saw last week, he brings comfort to the disciples. 00:01:48.620 --> 00:01:51.380 Knowing that life's gonna bring some turmoil. 00:01:51.380 --> 00:01:52.440 Jesus is going to be crucified. 00:01:52.600 --> 00:01:54.070 That's going to be difficult for them to experience. 00:01:55.000 --> 00:01:59.060 After his crucifixion they're going to be facing persecution again, that's difficult to experience. 00:01:59.620 --> 00:02:01.640 But we endure those things as a body of believers. 00:02:01.780 --> 00:02:07.540 We endure the trials and tribulations that life offers because we know we have a hope that endures beyond all of those things. 00:02:08.500 --> 00:02:15.520 Some of the comfort I've found in living a life for Christ and some of the promises Jesus gave us that will storm down the Gates of hell, they will 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:17.440 not prevail, Matthew 28:19. 00:02:17.440 --> 00:02:19.660 That he's with us always until the end of the age. 00:02:20.520 --> 00:02:24.470 Jesus' presence is always with us and in the end we see the victory in Christ. 00:02:25.020 --> 00:02:27.100 Which ultimately gives us hope in circumstances. 00:02:27.280 --> 00:02:29.340 That circumstances will pass, but we win in Jesus. 00:02:29.700 --> 00:02:33.410 In Mark chapter 13 Jesus sort of strips that back for his followers. 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:36.000 He wants them to see the end goal. 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:39.140 All great leaders operate from the end goal in mind. 00:02:39.140 --> 00:02:46.180 That the reason that we're here this morning, we desire for lives and hearts to be transformed in Jesus because we experienced ultimate victory in 00:02:46.180 --> 00:02:46.400 him. 00:02:46.420 --> 00:02:53.570 The most important thing that we can engage in today is worship, to allow God to have our hearts as he created it for his purpose. 00:02:54.280 --> 00:02:55.700 Mark 13 he lays that out. 00:02:56.480 --> 00:03:00.300 And then in Mark 14 Jesus spends these final moments of intimacy with his disciples. 00:03:01.820 --> 00:03:09.220 This doesn't go into a whole lot of detail in Mark chapter 14 but if you want to read about the intimate moments Jesus spends with his disciples, 00:03:09.440 --> 00:03:16.520 John chapter 13 to 17 are the last six hours of Christ's life that he has with his genuine followers, the 12 00:03:16.520 --> 00:03:17.280 that pursue him. 00:03:17.300 --> 00:03:19.180 And actually one of them is going to betray him. 00:03:19.740 --> 00:03:23.940 But I think it's the most in depth teaching that Jesus gives to his disciples are found within those chapters. 00:03:24.960 --> 00:03:30.340 And that's what we're going to unpack this morning as we look at what Jesus shares within the context of this story. 00:03:30.360 --> 00:03:37.460 But you remember in Mark chapter 13 Jesus, he went around and he shared with the religious leaders starting at the end of chapter 11 and 12 00:03:37.460 --> 00:03:44.480 he answered their questions and so well that it just silenced them and he, and he shares the goodness of who he is and 00:03:44.480 --> 00:03:47.480 clears out the temple and it upsets the religious leaders. 00:03:47.540 --> 00:03:49.740 So Mark chapter 14 starts this way. 00:03:49.740 --> 00:03:52.880 Now the Passover and unleavened bread, were two days away. 00:03:54.020 --> 00:03:58.300 And the chief priest and the scribes were seeking how to seize Jesus by stealth and kill him. 00:03:59.140 --> 00:04:02.680 They wanted to sneak into his life some way where it would go unnoticed in order to kill him. 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:08.260 It says in verse two for they were saying not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people. 00:04:09.140 --> 00:04:16.180 So the religious leaders are ready to take Jesus's life and they want to sneak into it because they know that Jesus has a large following and 00:04:16.180 --> 00:04:17.339 they don't want to upset people. 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:25.640 And in the midst of recognizing that Jesus is about to go to the cross, Mark then shares a story about 00:04:25.640 --> 00:04:27.520 a lady he doesn't name. 00:04:28.140 --> 00:04:35.340 This story in Mark 14:3 is also in Matthew 26 it's in John 12. 00:04:35.340 --> 00:04:40.520 The interesting thing is when Mark shares this story, he doesn't share it in chronological order. 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:48.380 When you read this story in John 12 I believe it's in chronological order, but Mark actually shares this story in Mark 14. 00:04:48.600 --> 00:04:55.740 He shares this story relating to the upper room, but this story actually took place several days before Jesus is in the upper room. 00:04:55.780 --> 00:05:00.920 In fact, I think it took place before Jesus' triumphal entry on the back of the donkey into Jerusalem. 00:05:01.760 --> 00:05:08.780 So it's several days before this event, but Mark places it here in this story and I think Mark's interest isn't to share a chronological story, but he has 00:05:08.780 --> 00:05:10.160 a different purpose in mind. 00:05:10.180 --> 00:05:14.590 I'm going to share that with you in just a moment, but I want to look at the context of the beauty of this story. 00:05:15.060 --> 00:05:20.840 This person isn't named in Mark 14, but in Mark 12 she is, and the person's name is Mary. 00:05:21.520 --> 00:05:25.520 Mary is the sister of Martha and the sister of Lazarus. 00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:31.260 You see the story in John chapter 11 Jesus resurrects Lazarus from the grave. 00:05:31.260 --> 00:05:37.040 And then in John chapter 12 Mary comes in and she conducts this in the life of Jesus that's written in Mark 14. 00:05:37.140 --> 00:05:44.700 This is what it says, Mark 14:3, While Jesus was in Bethany, the home of Simon the leper, reclining 00:05:44.700 --> 00:05:51.700 at the table there came a woman with an alabaster vial, a very costly perfume of pure Nard 00:05:52.980 --> 00:05:56.400 and she broke the vial and she poured it over his head. 00:05:59.420 --> 00:06:05.500 The story starts off, I love that Jesus is in the home of a leper because this is what's been demonstrated throughout his life. 00:06:07.060 --> 00:06:14.300 In the religious context of Jesus' day, this individual would have been considered unclean and so to go into the home of an individual that would have been considered unclean 00:06:14.760 --> 00:06:17.850 would have made you unclean and unable to participate in the Passover. 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:25.480 But we learned about Jesus is that Jesus is so pure that nothing takes away from him, but he makes all things new in himself because of his power. 00:06:27.060 --> 00:06:32.620 So Christ is in the home of a leper and this lady comes in with this alabaster vail and she pours it over his head. 00:06:33.000 --> 00:06:38.350 Now Mark doesn't tell us this, but the gospel of Matthew gives us a little more detail. 00:06:39.700 --> 00:06:47.120 But this vial that Martha pours on Jesus' head, contained this perfume that was worth 300 00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:47.860 denarii. 00:06:49.140 --> 00:06:53.440 In the time of Jesus' day a denarii was considered a day's wages. 00:06:54.900 --> 00:07:02.240 And so if you think about 300 denarii, if an individual working worked six days a week and took one day off that this was literally a year's 00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:03.000 salary. 00:07:04.180 --> 00:07:09.560 This was an extravagant gift to pour onto Jesus. 00:07:11.800 --> 00:07:13.010 Why would she go to such an extreme? 00:07:15.800 --> 00:07:22.940 You know, when it comes to the life of people living every day, we recognize in our lives we make time for the things that are important 00:07:22.940 --> 00:07:23.220 to us. 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:26.970 We sacrifice even for those things. 00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:35.960 When we see life in this world, I think as people, sometimes even if it's a momentary life or it's just something that is exciting, that draws us 00:07:35.960 --> 00:07:39.280 into an excited life, that we're attracted to life. 00:07:40.540 --> 00:07:44.580 We want to belong to something that matters or is significant to us. 00:07:44.760 --> 00:07:46.900 No matter if it may or may not be important to someone else. 00:07:46.940 --> 00:07:50.640 There's something about it that draws us to the significance of what's taking place. 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:58.180 In the life of Mary conducting this act towards Jesus, she is gladly, joyfully demonstrating a value upon Christ. 00:07:58.180 --> 00:08:00.460 Perhaps Jesus hasn't had demonstrated to this point. 00:08:04.580 --> 00:08:05.840 Why such an extravagant gift? 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:14.280 That was exactly the question of the disciples as they witnessed what Mary was doing. 00:08:16.120 --> 00:08:20.580 It says in verse four, but some were indignantly remarking to one another. 00:08:21.660 --> 00:08:23.340 Why is this perfume been wasted? 00:08:24.360 --> 00:08:31.400 For this perfume might've been sold for over 300 denarii and the money given to the poor and they were scolding her, 00:08:31.440 --> 00:08:32.200 and there you have the price. 00:08:34.900 --> 00:08:35.820 Mary, why are you doing this? 00:08:37.299 --> 00:08:41.880 Don't you know, there's so many better options with your time and this resources that you could've been doing? 00:08:44.380 --> 00:08:51.800 And here we have in this story, this beautiful display of worship and worth being placed on Christ and 00:08:51.800 --> 00:08:58.820 that you see in the same story, these individuals that might've been considered godly or good, the ones that spent the closest time with Jesus, that 00:08:58.820 --> 00:09:04.580 have seen the most amount of miracles that Christ is performed, and they're the ones challenging Mary in the sacrifice. 00:09:07.260 --> 00:09:11.020 When it says "but", perhaps they're acting like a big one. 00:09:13.240 --> 00:09:15.330 And it says, some of them were indignantly remarking. 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:20.950 And this idea of indignantly remarking carries the thought of snorting like horses. 00:09:22.400 --> 00:09:23.920 You've been in those conversations have you? 00:09:24.700 --> 00:09:26.380 You get to do something and someone gives their opinion. 00:09:28.850 --> 00:09:30.100 That's what they're doing. 00:09:30.220 --> 00:09:35.180 They're looking at their situation, they're just snorting at her, trying to make these godly objections. 00:09:35.300 --> 00:09:38.780 No sir, they're not really giving anything towards a solution. 00:09:39.340 --> 00:09:42.560 They just get to stand back and give all the objections to this. 00:09:42.620 --> 00:09:45.580 I could do a better, I'll tell you all of my opinions on this. 00:09:45.580 --> 00:09:52.620 Mary, here she is giving this display of love worshiping in a genuine heart and these individuals that are supposed to be these godly influences are just 00:09:52.620 --> 00:09:53.720 snorting like horses. 00:09:56.380 --> 00:10:03.560 John 12:6 when he shares the story, gets a little more specific and lets us know that it's Judas that's leading this charge. 00:10:04.580 --> 00:10:11.640 It says in verse six now he said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief and he had the 00:10:11.640 --> 00:10:14.580 money box and he used to pilfer for what was put into it. 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:20.320 And so while Judas' motivation on the outside may look godly, the reality is that his heart is wicked. 00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:29.740 And you read a story like this and I think it becomes very easy to become judgmental about the actions of Judas taking place in this story. 00:10:31.400 --> 00:10:36.560 I think the intentions in sharing this portion of the story is not for us to become judgmental of Judas. 00:10:36.980 --> 00:10:37.750 All of us create t-shirts. 00:10:38.020 --> 00:10:39.680 We're all against Judas or something like that. 00:10:39.760 --> 00:10:41.540 That's not the purpose that he's sharing this story. 00:10:43.080 --> 00:10:47.840 I think the reason he's sharing this story is because there is a worship war that takes place in all of us. 00:10:49.100 --> 00:10:53.620 A little bit of Mary and Judas is represented in every heart that's present in the building today. 00:10:54.320 --> 00:10:57.090 I'm sorry, just hear more about Mary than Judas. 00:10:57.320 --> 00:11:03.340 I didn't call you Judas, you're Mary., But this worship war takes place in our lives. 00:11:03.340 --> 00:11:04.150 Let me just give you an example. 00:11:04.500 --> 00:11:11.840 One of the, one of the things that we have coming up as a church, October 7th this is a shameless plug, by the way, if you didn't get this fall festival to 00:11:11.840 --> 00:11:14.160 go towards the ministries that we support in India. 00:11:14.920 --> 00:11:17.720 Lepers, slum schools and girls in an orphanage. 00:11:17.720 --> 00:11:25.060 We take girls out of slums where they could have literally been sold into slavery and sex trafficking and 00:11:25.060 --> 00:11:31.840 we helped them come to this orphanage, get an education and then they go from a place of desperation, hopelessness to a place of hope. 00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:38.820 They find the worth in Christ and they have an opportunity to live out their lives and proclaiming the goodness of who Jesus is. 00:11:38.900 --> 00:11:42.780 Because of the demonstration of God's people gathering around them to support them. 00:11:43.700 --> 00:11:45.940 Beautiful thing coming up October 7th to do that. 00:11:45.940 --> 00:11:49.420 And so if you want to know more, you can look at the bulletins and I'll share an announcement at the end. 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:51.740 But here's the reality. 00:11:54.220 --> 00:12:01.280 Some of those girls, had they not been swept up and brought into a place of love and care, they could 00:12:01.280 --> 00:12:03.030 have lived lives that would've just been devastating. 00:12:04.420 --> 00:12:07.260 Lives that would have been so difficult. 00:12:07.280 --> 00:12:11.100 It would just break your heart to even hear their stories. 00:12:11.100 --> 00:12:17.120 Hearing some of their stories being rescued at a young age, still knowing what they've gone through still breaks the heart. 00:12:19.300 --> 00:12:26.740 The truth is, when you look in America today, the statistics say that pornography 00:12:26.740 --> 00:12:27.120 is rampant. 00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:34.640 Some statistics say as high as 90% of college males view pornography regularly. 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:41.960 What I'm saying is with one mouth we can say what wonderful things we're going to do. 00:12:43.980 --> 00:12:51.240 And then in the same breath, turn around and conduct ourselves in a manner that supports the very thing 00:12:51.240 --> 00:12:54.260 that destroys the life of these young girls. 00:12:56.400 --> 00:12:56.980 Hypocrisy. 00:12:59.640 --> 00:13:07.060 And so when you read the story of Mary, the beauty of what's taking place here, and you hear the response of Judas and the disciples in 00:13:07.060 --> 00:13:14.520 such a contrary nature towards Jesus, it just reminds us of the importance 00:13:14.520 --> 00:13:21.560 of what it means to worship God in truth and allow our hearts in these moments looking at God's word 00:13:21.560 --> 00:13:24.660 to be shaped the way Jesus desires to transform us. 00:13:27.240 --> 00:13:30.110 Because there's a piece of all of us within the context of the story. 00:13:32.640 --> 00:13:34.100 I love what Jesus does here. 00:13:37.180 --> 00:13:39.930 Jesus said, leave her alone. 00:13:42.260 --> 00:13:43.040 Why do you bother her? 00:13:45.140 --> 00:13:47.320 She has done a good deed to me. 00:13:47.340 --> 00:13:48.520 Notice the word Me there is capitalized. 00:13:51.320 --> 00:13:57.570 When Jesus describes the act of this woman, this word, good that he used, some translations use the word precious, some use beautiful. 00:13:57.700 --> 00:14:01.580 It's all correct in the original languages as to what it represents. 00:14:01.740 --> 00:14:06.000 But Jesus is just painting this picture of how special this moment is. 00:14:08.780 --> 00:14:10.560 It's for your heart to gravitate. 00:14:10.560 --> 00:14:17.020 You know when you read these stories in the Bible, so we've gone through Mark, we've seen so many different interactions of Jesus with people. 00:14:17.020 --> 00:14:18.460 Some people rejected Jesus. 00:14:18.800 --> 00:14:20.060 Some people embrace Jesus. 00:14:20.140 --> 00:14:23.760 But all of these stories are to reach your heart to provoke a response. 00:14:25.860 --> 00:14:28.040 We as people, we love stories. 00:14:29.420 --> 00:14:30.700 It's why you go to the movies. 00:14:32.340 --> 00:14:38.320 Whether it's to laugh at one or to cry with one or pretend like you're a superhero with one, whatever. 00:14:38.500 --> 00:14:39.470 To see it unfold. 00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:43.220 We love to watch how that transpires. 00:14:44.320 --> 00:14:46.050 In the gospels, the way that they're written. 00:14:46.540 --> 00:14:53.920 It's known that your heart interacts with a story and so it tells us stories of life and individuals, but it identifies the significance of Jesus most 00:14:53.920 --> 00:14:59.730 of all so that you are provoked and responsive worship to what's taking place here in the life of Mary. 00:14:59.920 --> 00:15:03.920 Jesus, in this story is pointing out, again, just how beautiful this is. 00:15:06.500 --> 00:15:14.080 One of the other things that is happening here that's so I think important is you look at the life of Christ, his whole life was about serving and serving. 00:15:15.420 --> 00:15:21.260 Finally, out of all these stories that have taken place about Jesus serving you finally see someone else responding. 00:15:23.120 --> 00:15:30.020 We look at the cross of Christ at the end of his life, it's Mary, Mary Magdalen. 00:15:30.020 --> 00:15:33.110 Mary, Jesus' mother, it's the women that are at the cross. 00:15:35.780 --> 00:15:39.630 It's an act of devotion and love. 00:15:41.060 --> 00:15:45.160 Finally, Jesus is saying, now someone is serving me. 00:15:47.400 --> 00:15:52.960 Why would Mary go through such an extravagant display of love? 00:15:55.160 --> 00:16:02.240 Jesus then says again, for you always have the poor with you and whenever you wish you can do good to them, but 00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:03.920 you do not always have me. 00:16:06.440 --> 00:16:12.980 Now Jesus is not trying to downplay the poor and supporting people is important and being a light for Christ in this world around those that have needs. 00:16:13.660 --> 00:16:14.420 It's important. 00:16:14.420 --> 00:16:18.320 I think the place that God calls us to worship him is demonstrating the life of others. 00:16:18.360 --> 00:16:24.700 We love others and in our love for others that displays a worship to God because we love God and we love people. 00:16:25.960 --> 00:16:29.240 It's why Jesus says the greatest commandments, love God, love others. 00:16:29.240 --> 00:16:34.880 It's why 1 John 4 tells us, if you say you love God but do not love others, the love of the Father is not in you. 00:16:36.160 --> 00:16:39.480 And so the ultimate display of your love for God is displayed in your love for others. 00:16:39.500 --> 00:16:46.600 And I don't think Jesus is trying to downplay the love for others, but rather what he's trying to do in this verse is and meaning and context for the reason why 00:16:46.600 --> 00:16:47.280 we love others. 00:16:48.560 --> 00:16:55.880 Because the value of your life is determined not in you yourself, but the value 00:16:55.880 --> 00:16:59.020 of your life is found outside of you. 00:16:59.780 --> 00:17:06.900 And the significance of who you are and the worth that you carry in this world has everything to do with the demonstration of Jesus giving his own 00:17:06.900 --> 00:17:07.520 life for you. 00:17:08.460 --> 00:17:09.780 He put the bounty on your head. 00:17:10.920 --> 00:17:18.099 He's demonstrating in the conduct of his actions in this world by dying on the cross, the value for who you are as a human being created 00:17:18.099 --> 00:17:19.440 in his image. 00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:28.359 So we don't just go love people for the sake of loving people, but we love people because of the glory of God that's been made known in the lives 00:17:28.359 --> 00:17:31.740 of people being made in his image as Christ has also died for you. 00:17:33.180 --> 00:17:37.500 And so that provides the premise for the actions that we carry in this world. 00:17:39.000 --> 00:17:42.160 Jesus is saying to us, don't ignore that opportunity. 00:17:44.080 --> 00:17:51.140 But rather, embrace the transformation in the worship that you have 00:17:51.140 --> 00:17:51.620 in Christ. 00:17:51.980 --> 00:17:57.530 That's why Jesus uses this word Me, and it's capitalized in English because in the Greek text it is emphatic. 00:17:58.980 --> 00:18:02.990 Jesus is demonstrating his authority in this passage. 00:18:03.380 --> 00:18:05.400 His kingship, his position. 00:18:05.400 --> 00:18:14.520 Now it's time, Jesus saying, and all this service for me to put my foot down and just say, recognize who I am, because 00:18:14.540 --> 00:18:16.060 that becomes the foundation of worship. 00:18:19.240 --> 00:18:26.260 That's why the most important thing you can do right now, rather than judging Judas, look in 00:18:26.260 --> 00:18:32.220 your own heart and see if what rests within that is the actions of Mary. 00:18:35.580 --> 00:18:43.360 In this past week, if your family just examined your life as you lived out in front of them, would 00:18:43.360 --> 00:18:46.940 your kids say, my mom loves Jesus? 00:18:49.400 --> 00:18:49.900 I've seen it. 00:18:52.680 --> 00:18:53.540 My dad loves Jesus. 00:18:55.960 --> 00:19:02.740 He didn't just say about words then just drag us to church on Sunday and that was it. 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:05.920 They really love Jesus. 00:19:08.440 --> 00:19:09.320 They prayed for me. 00:19:10.800 --> 00:19:11.680 And they pour that offering. 00:19:14.120 --> 00:19:15.220 They read God's word with me. 00:19:16.840 --> 00:19:23.400 They tell me how important Jesus is to them and how Jesus has shaped their life and why they love because Jesus has showed them how to love. 00:19:27.200 --> 00:19:27.980 That's what Mary is doing. 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:31.090 And I love her attitude. 00:19:33.060 --> 00:19:36.780 Because sometimes I don't think this story would have existed if Jesus did this in the American culture. 00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:46.220 Mary comes in and she makes this offering and then she hears this horse snorts how do you think that would've 00:19:46.220 --> 00:19:46.960 played out in America? 00:19:50.160 --> 00:19:52.080 I think it probably would have gone something like this. 00:19:52.420 --> 00:19:53.740 People come in, they hear were snorts. 00:19:53.740 --> 00:19:55.380 Mary's just says, hold on a second, Jesus. 00:19:55.380 --> 00:20:02.480 I'm going to tell Peter, James and John like it is, and then after I give them the rant, I'm going to get on social media to tell them how I get on the rant so I can justify my behavior before my friends. 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:05.840 I can be like, they can get on that media and be like, Oh girlfriend, it is okay. 00:20:05.840 --> 00:20:06.580 Those guys are just... 00:20:06.580 --> 00:20:10.580 your behavior is completely alright, you can act like a rear end because they were butts. 00:20:13.800 --> 00:20:14.860 Where is that verse? 00:20:17.770 --> 00:20:19.100 There's no justification for that. 00:20:19.160 --> 00:20:20.920 In fact if you think there is, I will tell you this. 00:20:21.660 --> 00:20:24.500 I don't think I'm arguing with you, remember your Mary's not Judas. 00:20:24.520 --> 00:20:26.450 We're not fighting each other today with that. 00:20:26.800 --> 00:20:27.580 But 1 Peter 2. 00:20:29.260 --> 00:20:30.400 Go read 1 Peter 2 this week. 00:20:32.300 --> 00:20:36.120 Spend time just concerning the question, God, how do you want me to respond when adversity arises? 00:20:37.820 --> 00:20:38.800 I love what Mary did. 00:20:40.840 --> 00:20:41.480 She just worshiped. 00:20:43.940 --> 00:20:46.220 Snorting horses are not going to deter her. 00:20:46.280 --> 00:20:48.360 I mean freak out, but it's not going to destroy her. 00:20:50.360 --> 00:20:54.980 I was a little kid one time, this is a tangent, but I was seven years old. 00:20:54.980 --> 00:20:56.620 My uncle had a horse, had a baby. 00:20:57.760 --> 00:20:59.970 I thought it'd be cool to jump the fence and go pet the baby. 00:21:01.040 --> 00:21:02.460 Then I realized, this horse has a mommy. 00:21:03.540 --> 00:21:04.590 I'm going to tell the mommy, congrats. 00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:07.520 And I turned around and mom is running at me a hundred miles an hour. 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:11.700 I started running for the fence horse snorts all behind me. 00:21:12.120 --> 00:21:13.920 Next thing it steps on my foot and I go tumbling. 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:17.520 I lay down the ground, the horses behind it comes down, just smashes right on the chest. 00:21:18.120 --> 00:21:18.640 It could've killed me. 00:21:19.620 --> 00:21:20.240 Horses freaked me out. 00:21:22.660 --> 00:21:23.160 Not Mary. 00:21:25.600 --> 00:21:26.620 She knows where her heart is. 00:21:28.720 --> 00:21:29.360 She's a worshiper. 00:21:31.280 --> 00:21:35.380 She knows the significance that Jesus has in her life and she displays it. 00:21:37.040 --> 00:21:39.280 And so Jesus emphatically reminds the disciples. 00:21:40.320 --> 00:21:43.640 Maybe it's even for us this morning to say, guys there's Me. 00:21:45.080 --> 00:21:45.680 There's Me. 00:21:45.680 --> 00:21:48.100 Do you see the value and meaning of who I am? 00:21:49.960 --> 00:21:53.090 Theologians have debated as to what's taking place here. 00:21:53.620 --> 00:21:58.690 Mary takes this vial, this year's worth salary, my word, that is a sacrifice. 00:21:59.280 --> 00:22:00.720 And she pours on Jesus' head. 00:22:01.400 --> 00:22:05.690 Mary isn't wealthy, dumping this on Jesus' head. 00:22:06.680 --> 00:22:12.380 When she's pouring this on Jesus' head, theologians have asked what exactly is happening here? 00:22:12.440 --> 00:22:16.360 And they'd come up with four conclusions is why this could have happened and what this might mean. 00:22:16.980 --> 00:22:21.980 The first they just said, this is not real deep here, but they're like, because people smell bad. 00:22:23.060 --> 00:22:29.270 You're about to have some dinner, you smell bad, got some kind of date to go on, you just pour some oil on your head and you smell a little better. 00:22:29.640 --> 00:22:31.400 In this culture they didn't have deodorant. 00:22:32.060 --> 00:22:36.830 So from time to time, maybe you didn't always get a bath, especially with the disciples around you smell like fish. 00:22:37.240 --> 00:22:38.180 It's time to pour some oil on your head. 00:22:38.200 --> 00:22:38.580 It could have happened. 00:22:39.620 --> 00:22:44.040 The other thing is the type of gift that he's given us is one that you would give to a dignitary, a King. 00:22:45.540 --> 00:22:49.130 You give expensive gifts to people that are worth those gifts. 00:22:49.820 --> 00:22:52.960 And so Mary in offering this as acknowledging the kingship of Jesus. 00:22:53.060 --> 00:22:57.080 Some have even suggested that what she's doing is anointing Jesus also as a priest. 00:22:58.000 --> 00:23:03.340 I don't completely buy that text because it says in verse eight, she has done what she could. 00:23:03.460 --> 00:23:06.140 She has anointed my body beforehand for the burial. 00:23:07.280 --> 00:23:12.500 When you read this word anointing in scripture, don't assume it means the same as every time the word anointing is used. 00:23:12.540 --> 00:23:14.380 There's actually several Greek words for the word anointing. 00:23:15.420 --> 00:23:18.940 Sometimes the word anointed means medicinal use, for medicinal purposes. 00:23:18.940 --> 00:23:23.960 James talks about anointing people for healing and that word is actually in a medicinal anointing. 00:23:24.980 --> 00:23:26.640 There's another word for anointing. 00:23:26.640 --> 00:23:30.920 It's used for charisma or the Spirit of God when the Spirit of God sets you apart for good works. 00:23:31.780 --> 00:23:34.440 And then there's this word for anointing, which literally just means perfume. 00:23:36.120 --> 00:23:43.140 It's not used that much in the New Testament, but it says she put perfume on Jesus' body before it 00:23:43.140 --> 00:23:43.540 is buried. 00:23:45.280 --> 00:23:51.380 And what Jesus is acknowledging here I think is the primary point that Jesus wants us to understand about what's taking place. 00:23:52.420 --> 00:23:59.760 And that Mary's recognizing what Jesus is about to do with her, with his life for her, and that's why she's responding with love towards 00:23:59.760 --> 00:24:00.120 him. 00:24:00.300 --> 00:24:10.100 His life's about to become a sacrifice and she's anointing his body for burial. 00:24:10.100 --> 00:24:14.820 It says in this passage, she's done what she could. 00:24:18.420 --> 00:24:25.360 When God looks at your life, he's not going to judge you for what you don't have. 00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:31.340 He's looking for the faithfulness and demonstration of love of what you do have. 00:24:33.740 --> 00:24:35.600 With Mary who knows how this moment unfolded. 00:24:35.900 --> 00:24:42.870 I doubt she had much time to prepare for the arrival of Jesus, but in her mind she just thought, man, I want to love Jesus. 00:24:44.220 --> 00:24:46.940 Maybe this could even be my last moments with Jesus. 00:24:47.040 --> 00:24:52.480 How can I in these final moments, just demonstrate to him how much I love? 00:24:54.920 --> 00:24:55.700 And all of that she had. 00:24:57.640 --> 00:24:59.760 That's why she had in that moment she used. 00:25:00.060 --> 00:25:03.520 So then it says this in verse nine which is a beautiful statement of her worship. 00:25:04.940 --> 00:25:12.160 Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done also be spoken of in memory 00:25:12.160 --> 00:25:12.600 of her. 00:25:14.940 --> 00:25:20.020 Her display has just made a ripple effect throughout history. 00:25:21.660 --> 00:25:22.940 How incredible it is to think. 00:25:25.440 --> 00:25:28.440 I know that today this type of scenario is not going to play out. 00:25:28.500 --> 00:25:32.440 I doubt someone's going to come to your house and you're gonna dump a whole perfume on their head, at least out of love anyway. 00:25:33.020 --> 00:25:34.450 If you think that is, don't do that. 00:25:34.780 --> 00:25:38.650 Sometimes the Bible tells us narrative stories, not so that you go out and do exactly what it says. 00:25:39.380 --> 00:25:41.580 But you think about your life here. 00:25:44.100 --> 00:25:49.780 Maybe God might not have a story that's told beyond several generations after your life. 00:25:49.800 --> 00:25:53.580 But maybe as we work together as a church, there can be a ripple effect in our community. 00:25:55.560 --> 00:26:03.000 One of the beautiful things I've enjoyed over the last couple of years of our churches existence, is people in our valley have come to recognize our church. 00:26:03.340 --> 00:26:05.420 For a while it's just been a scary place to look at. 00:26:06.180 --> 00:26:08.880 But over time we've worked on this facility, we've had people come in and thank us. 00:26:08.960 --> 00:26:11.280 We've actually had people drop flowers off of appreciation. 00:26:13.060 --> 00:26:17.320 I don't know if I should share this with you, but when this place was a bar, there were people killed out here. 00:26:17.880 --> 00:26:19.750 This place did not have a good reputation. 00:26:21.460 --> 00:26:28.460 But to see what's coming in this valley and they've even had opportunity in this valley to interact with different pastors and they'll come to me and let me know because what 00:26:28.460 --> 00:26:35.620 our church does beyond these walls, how we interact in community events and stuff, the reputation that we are building with the lives of people around 00:26:35.620 --> 00:26:38.990 us, how beautiful it is. 00:26:39.740 --> 00:26:44.400 They might not know you by name, but there's a ripple effect taking place. 00:26:46.120 --> 00:26:50.540 Jesus is sharing the story about Mary Magdalene and then it gets to the story of the upper room. 00:26:51.400 --> 00:26:56.380 I remember I told you in the beginning that this story of Mary Magdalene, it's out of context from the rest of the passage. 00:26:57.460 --> 00:26:59.290 This didn't happen in chronological events. 00:27:00.120 --> 00:27:06.980 In Mark the stories being shared for reasons I'll tell you in a minute, but when you look at the story of Mary, then all of a sudden the upper room, you get the story of Jesus. 00:27:07.240 --> 00:27:14.530 You start to find out the disciples are running away from Christ, and you sort of asked the question, well maybe because of all the negative things are about to happen, 00:27:14.720 --> 00:27:19.100 the Lord want to give us just a nice positive story, but we have to read all this bad stuff by all his followers. 00:27:19.780 --> 00:27:22.680 Not a bad thought, but I was still don't think it's the point of this passage. 00:27:24.060 --> 00:27:26.800 But nonetheless you get to the story of the upper room. 00:27:26.800 --> 00:27:29.230 I'll share the point in just a moment, but you just get the story of the upper room. 00:27:30.400 --> 00:27:33.040 You guys might be familiar with this picture, Leonardo da Vinci. 00:27:33.940 --> 00:27:39.300 The famous Italian painter took him a few years to paint this picture, an important picture, and I'm going to totally ruin it for you. 00:27:39.660 --> 00:27:42.480 I appreciate it as art, historical art it is really good. 00:27:42.780 --> 00:27:47.600 But if you look at this story to help you understand what it looked like at the final supper with Jesus, it is completely wrong. 00:27:48.620 --> 00:27:52.970 On the night when Jesus betrayed, he goes up the upper room and he has this intimate moment with his disciples. 00:27:53.400 --> 00:27:58.030 And so, Jesus, if you're doing this at night, first of all, I'll tell you that the window behind you needs to be dark. 00:27:59.280 --> 00:28:01.460 And when you look out the window, it's more of an Italian landscape. 00:28:01.800 --> 00:28:04.780 I don't know what that is, the Swiss Alps or something in the background. 00:28:04.780 --> 00:28:06.080 I don't even know what mountains are in Italy. 00:28:07.440 --> 00:28:12.480 So mountains are there, not Jerusalem. 00:28:12.480 --> 00:28:13.590 That's not a picture of Jerusalem. 00:28:14.440 --> 00:28:17.520 You look at the table, it's full of fish and leaven. 00:28:17.540 --> 00:28:21.210 The bread at the Passover they ate lamb and unleavened bread. 00:28:21.880 --> 00:28:28.680 And you guys know this is just common when you go out to eat, if you've got kids, mom, dad, on one side, crazy kids on the other. 00:28:29.040 --> 00:28:33.260 I wanna sit on my side and have just sanity, peaceful, nice eating. 00:28:33.260 --> 00:28:34.980 You nutsos sit on the other side. 00:28:34.980 --> 00:28:36.560 Just don't bother the people behind you. 00:28:37.040 --> 00:28:42.400 There's no way these disciples are like, we all want to be so close to Jesus, we'll all eat on the same side of the table. 00:28:42.800 --> 00:28:43.340 That did not happen. 00:28:44.600 --> 00:28:46.980 Nor were they sitting at a table that was on legs. 00:28:47.640 --> 00:28:48.530 Nor did they sit upright. 00:28:49.580 --> 00:28:51.340 So this isn't necessarily an accurate picture. 00:28:51.460 --> 00:28:53.560 Probably a more accurate picture would be this. 00:28:54.340 --> 00:28:57.240 Tables at this time would have been more in a U shape. 00:28:58.970 --> 00:29:00.820 Jesus wouldn't have sat in the middle of the table. 00:29:00.820 --> 00:29:02.330 He would've sat on one end of the U on the side. 00:29:02.420 --> 00:29:04.400 This was the place where the seat of honor was also picked. 00:29:04.920 --> 00:29:06.300 Judas would have sat in the seat of honor. 00:29:07.980 --> 00:29:10.000 And this table didn't have large legs. 00:29:10.040 --> 00:29:17.080 In fact, they would have laid down on these pillows on their left hand side, would have reached up to the table with the right hand side in order to 00:29:17.080 --> 00:29:20.120 eat from it and their legs would have hung out from the table. 00:29:21.240 --> 00:29:26.460 This is why in John chapter 13 when Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, he could easily get to their feet. 00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:28.340 It wasn't because they were under some tablecloths somewhere. 00:29:28.520 --> 00:29:32.680 It's because their feet were laying out and Jesus took the role of the servant, went around and wash their feet. 00:29:35.480 --> 00:29:43.660 When you read this story transpiring between the three gospels, John 00:29:43.660 --> 00:29:45.960 13, Matthew 26, Mark 14. 00:29:47.160 --> 00:29:50.060 You see within the story, Jesus says that one of them is going to betray them. 00:29:51.700 --> 00:29:54.660 Peter motions to John who's sitting right beside Jesus. 00:29:54.680 --> 00:29:58.040 The reason Peter motions to John is because he's sitting on the complete opposite side of the room. 00:29:58.460 --> 00:30:00.410 So I hear Jesus said, someone's going to betray him. 00:30:00.480 --> 00:30:01.480 John, what's he talking about? 00:30:02.480 --> 00:30:04.860 And then John leans back and ask Jesus the question. 00:30:04.860 --> 00:30:10.560 You may be wondering, it says in the story that John leans on Jesus's chest. 00:30:11.980 --> 00:30:15.550 I don't know about you when you eat, but ain't nobody doing that to me. 00:30:16.460 --> 00:30:17.390 I gotta get my elbow. 00:30:17.560 --> 00:30:18.670 I just got out of prison. 00:30:18.940 --> 00:30:21.560 You all those, I'm getting this down and no one's messing with me. 00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:22.980 I inhale food. 00:30:23.020 --> 00:30:26.520 There's no break in me, once it goes, the faster I eat, the more I can get in I've found. 00:30:28.440 --> 00:30:34.100 But John leans back into Jesus and we understand the setup around this table. 00:30:34.300 --> 00:30:36.400 It makes sense because John would've been leading on his side. 00:30:36.400 --> 00:30:37.740 His back would have been to Jesus. 00:30:38.800 --> 00:30:40.700 And he leaned over his shoulder right onto Christ. 00:30:41.860 --> 00:30:43.580 He's saying, Hey Peter is acting crazy over there. 00:30:44.060 --> 00:30:45.920 He wants to know, who betrayed you? 00:30:47.880 --> 00:30:50.860 It's interesting when you read how that story plays itself out. 00:30:51.860 --> 00:30:58.200 It says in Mark 14, as they were reclining at the table and eating with Jesus, truly, I say to you that one of you will betray me. 00:30:58.200 --> 00:30:59.500 One of you is eating with me. 00:30:59.840 --> 00:31:03.220 They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, surely not I. 00:31:04.260 --> 00:31:09.140 Some of the texts like Mark 26, gives a little bit further and says, Lord, is it I? 00:31:10.900 --> 00:31:14.380 They are really torn by the thought that they could do this to Jesus, so they asked, Lord, is it I? 00:31:15.340 --> 00:31:17.340 All the disciples asking the question, Lord is it I? 00:31:18.840 --> 00:31:19.520 Except for Judas. 00:31:21.980 --> 00:31:22.560 You know what Judas asked? 00:31:25.800 --> 00:31:26.680 Judas didn't say, Lord. 00:31:28.540 --> 00:31:29.300 He just said, Rabbi. 00:31:32.180 --> 00:31:35.820 Interesting there's a uniqueness to his question that's different from the rest. 00:31:37.620 --> 00:31:43.060 If you take that thought a little bit further, if you read the gospels and what you find is Jesus has personal interaction with all his disciples. 00:31:43.080 --> 00:31:48.860 There's some kind of deep interaction with Jesus or some conversion story, but you know, there's never any of that with Judas. 00:31:51.740 --> 00:31:58.180 There is no personal statement of his faith in Christ and his desire to surrender his life to Christ and the kingdom. 00:31:58.520 --> 00:32:00.400 He's just there for what he gains. 00:32:00.520 --> 00:32:07.700 In fact, it told us in the gospel of John 12:6, that Judas just wanted to pilfer 00:32:07.700 --> 00:32:08.680 from the money box. 00:32:11.580 --> 00:32:15.860 So maybe that leads us to ask the question, why do you worship? 00:32:18.240 --> 00:32:19.540 Is it just because of what you get? 00:32:22.200 --> 00:32:23.320 Is it because of who he is? 00:32:26.020 --> 00:32:28.320 If you think of the strength of Jesus in these final moments? 00:32:30.180 --> 00:32:33.640 And we know Jesus hung on the cross and he said, Father, forgive them. 00:32:36.440 --> 00:32:43.640 But even on the night when he's being betrayed and he who his betrayer is, his grace runs so 00:32:43.640 --> 00:32:44.040 deep. 00:32:45.380 --> 00:32:49.780 His betrayer sits beside him, he washes his feet. 00:32:49.960 --> 00:32:54.080 His betrayer sits in the seat of honor and he washes his feet. 00:32:54.820 --> 00:33:01.320 The Bible even tells us that he dips bread in the cup and He shares it with Judas, which is again a display of honor. 00:33:01.320 --> 00:33:04.860 And for three years Jesus walked life with Judas. 00:33:07.580 --> 00:33:10.720 And yet Judas is going to fulfill exactly what the beginning of chapter 14 says. 00:33:12.380 --> 00:33:17.660 The religious leaders want to figure out by stealth how to take Jesus because of the crowds. 00:33:19.580 --> 00:33:20.780 And Judas just becomes that avenue. 00:33:22.560 --> 00:33:29.660 When Judas leaves this table and he goes to the religious leaders to say, "I know how you can get Jesus where other people won't know," the price 00:33:29.660 --> 00:33:36.760 Judas receives for turning Jesus in his 30 pieces of silver, which is the price you pay for a slave during 00:33:36.760 --> 00:33:37.620 the time of Christ. 00:33:40.940 --> 00:33:42.220 A display of what Judas thought of Jesus. 00:33:44.960 --> 00:33:52.480 As Judas leaves Jesus then does something I think very intimate, very important, and 00:33:52.480 --> 00:33:53.800 very significant for the church. 00:33:56.140 --> 00:33:58.500 He partakes of communion at the Passover. 00:34:00.460 --> 00:34:07.740 Something we going to do here in a minute, but this is what he says while they were eating, he took some bread and after a blessing 00:34:07.840 --> 00:34:10.080 he broke it and gave it to them and said, this is my body. 00:34:11.400 --> 00:34:13.460 Take it. 00:34:14.120 --> 00:34:15.420 They're having a Passover meal. 00:34:15.719 --> 00:34:23.500 Jesus is now instituting communion through the new covenant that we partake up today and he's saying this Passover 00:34:23.500 --> 00:34:30.560 meal that you've been celebrating for almost 2000 years was an ultimate display of me and what I would fulfill in giving my life for 00:34:30.560 --> 00:34:30.699 you. 00:34:32.000 --> 00:34:33.860 This is my body which is being broken for you. 00:34:34.020 --> 00:34:34.260 Take it. 00:34:35.679 --> 00:34:43.219 And when he had taken a cup and given thanks, he gave it to them and they all drank from it, and he said to them, this is my body of the new covenant, which 00:34:43.219 --> 00:34:44.520 is poured out for many. 00:34:44.540 --> 00:34:51.219 Truly I say to you, I'll never drink of the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God. 00:34:52.820 --> 00:34:54.560 Now here's something beautiful about what Jesus is doing. 00:34:54.620 --> 00:35:01.840 Not only is he taking the Passover celebration and demonstrating how he is that ultimate example, he's 00:35:01.840 --> 00:35:09.140 also connecting a ceremony that would be comparative to the marriage celebration of two 00:35:09.140 --> 00:35:11.520 individuals that were, I would say in our culture, engaged. 00:35:11.520 --> 00:35:12.840 But it's a little bit deeper than an engagement. 00:35:14.160 --> 00:35:22.160 In Jesus' day, when a groom wanted to be married to a bride, or a young man was interested in a woman, he 00:35:22.160 --> 00:35:22.770 would go to the father. 00:35:24.420 --> 00:35:29.380 And he would discuss with the father a dowery to pay to make that woman his wife. 00:35:32.080 --> 00:35:36.440 In Jesus' day, a lady could be worth, I don't know, a couple of camels or some cats. 00:35:36.480 --> 00:35:36.900 I don't know. 00:35:37.610 --> 00:35:40.080 I want to institute a new culture for us this morning. 00:35:40.160 --> 00:35:47.160 Guys, if you've got some girls before you marry them off, I would say rather than the camel maybe work for a car or something like that, but that's the equivalent of what 00:35:47.160 --> 00:35:48.120 they're doing in Jesus' day. 00:35:48.400 --> 00:35:53.080 They're trying to come up with an agreement to the dowery to pay for the life of the bride. 00:35:56.160 --> 00:35:57.300 Do you know what it was? 00:35:59.760 --> 00:36:01.020 Jesus' live. 00:36:04.080 --> 00:36:07.200 He's literally paying the dowery of his life for you. 00:36:09.020 --> 00:36:16.020 And when the payment was agreed upon, the groom and the bride would drink communion together to 00:36:16.020 --> 00:36:17.540 show that covenant had been made. 00:36:18.980 --> 00:36:26.060 And the groom would leave in order to prepare a place for his bride and they would be married So that ceremony, they weren't married yet, which is why I refer to it as an 00:36:26.060 --> 00:36:33.180 engagement, but they were looking forward to that marriage ceremony because the groom had agreed to the dowry and had to pay in order 00:36:33.180 --> 00:36:34.560 for them to be married. 00:36:35.500 --> 00:36:42.820 But do you know in that culture, if the groom were to die before that ceremony 00:36:42.820 --> 00:36:47.560 was ever conducted, she would be considered a widow. 00:36:50.500 --> 00:36:56.160 So communion becomes that symbol of two people giving their lives for one another. 00:36:58.980 --> 00:37:00.540 Jesus in the upper room with his disciples. 00:37:02.220 --> 00:37:09.460 I give my life for you and in that love, through that dowery, you give your life to me. 00:37:11.080 --> 00:37:12.200 What a beautiful picture that is. 00:37:13.700 --> 00:37:20.530 Today when we celebrate communion, that display continues to be made known in our lives as we look to Jesus. 00:37:21.880 --> 00:37:23.640 But it still leaves me this with this question. 00:37:25.240 --> 00:37:32.800 Why did Mark take the story of Mary out of its natural chronological progression and 00:37:32.800 --> 00:37:34.800 insert the story before the last supper? 00:37:36.900 --> 00:37:37.540 Why would he do that? 00:37:39.860 --> 00:37:48.500 When you see the context of Mark chapter 14 one of the things that you recognize is that it is always talking about preparation of 00:37:48.500 --> 00:37:48.800 death. 00:37:51.360 --> 00:37:54.030 Mary is anointing Jesus' body for death. 00:37:54.120 --> 00:37:57.400 Jesus talks about his betrayal that leads to his death. 00:37:57.400 --> 00:38:02.300 Jesus shares the new covenant communion, which is centered upon death. 00:38:02.300 --> 00:38:03.940 The dowery paid for us. 00:38:06.700 --> 00:38:07.420 But here's the point. 00:38:08.920 --> 00:38:15.960 I think the story is setting the stage for how the gospels transpire and I think what it's communicating to us is how 00:38:16.540 --> 00:38:18.960 sacrifice brings life. 00:38:21.440 --> 00:38:28.480 You think the greatest picture of Jesus' ultimate sacrifice bringing life and you think of a story here of Mary making 00:38:28.480 --> 00:38:31.900 a tremendous sacrifice in this cultural context. 00:38:32.500 --> 00:38:39.820 And how it says in verse nine that the world in the gospel, those that hear the gospel reclaim, will hear the story of Mary because her sacrifice 00:38:39.820 --> 00:38:42.340 is just communicating the beauty of life. 00:38:42.660 --> 00:38:45.440 The story is saying to us, sacrifice brings life. 00:38:46.320 --> 00:38:53.680 And I think when you see the story of Mark unfolding, Jesus in this as culminating for his disciples, still what it means to follow him. 00:38:54.680 --> 00:39:01.800 If you remember I told you in Mark 8:34 that was such 00:39:01.800 --> 00:39:09.400 a pinnacle verse in the context of Mark, because this becomes the place where Jesus was declaring 00:39:09.400 --> 00:39:12.580 his kingdom, he was demonstrating his kingdom, he was invited to his kingdom. 00:39:12.580 --> 00:39:16.760 And then he says in Mark 8:34 what it truly means to be a follower of him. 00:39:18.820 --> 00:39:25.800 Jesus said this, if anyone wishes to come unto me, he must deny himself. 00:39:27.700 --> 00:39:30.200 Take up his cross and follow me. 00:39:31.840 --> 00:39:33.940 He who wishes to keep his life, we'll lose it. 00:39:35.680 --> 00:39:39.700 But he who loses his life for my sake will find it. 00:39:42.140 --> 00:39:44.560 And now at the end of the story, Jesus is about to die. 00:39:44.580 --> 00:39:50.940 We see that culminating statement made through Mary's sacrifice and Jesus talking about communion. 00:39:50.980 --> 00:39:55.140 That there is life in sacrifice. 00:39:58.840 --> 00:40:04.320 When you think about this, here's where the story becomes real. 00:40:07.080 --> 00:40:08.860 Jesus calls you to take up your cross. 00:40:11.540 --> 00:40:15.920 You ask the question, Christians, are you willing to do that? 00:40:19.480 --> 00:40:22.580 Has your life displayed that? 00:40:25.900 --> 00:40:26.780 Because here's the truth. 00:40:29.140 --> 00:40:34.740 You can lay your life down, but you can't crucify yourself. 00:40:38.240 --> 00:40:48.560 When you look at Jesus' life, the Bible tells us he willingly laid himself down, but 00:40:48.560 --> 00:40:51.460 the crowd crucified Him. 00:40:53.000 --> 00:41:00.360 What I'm saying is when we talk about taking up your cross as believers it comes in the recognition that 00:41:00.360 --> 00:41:04.380 in laying down our lives, we're not the ones to do the crucifixion. 00:41:07.320 --> 00:41:14.820 That comes from without ourselves In the life of a believer it is so 00:41:14.820 --> 00:41:21.920 easy when you know you're being maligned, when you know someone's making it difficult for me, you've got a bunch of horses around snorting, it becomes easy 00:41:21.920 --> 00:41:26.780 to just pull yourself off that cross and get down and be like, let me tell you something. 00:41:28.520 --> 00:41:29.480 And defend yourself. 00:41:31.460 --> 00:41:32.910 And live it out for your glory. 00:41:35.140 --> 00:41:38.780 But what Jesus is calling us to in this passage is much bigger than our glory. 00:41:38.860 --> 00:41:41.110 It's a relationship that runs deeper than that in him. 00:41:41.240 --> 00:41:45.720 We've seen ultimately as he laid his life down for us, that we can lay our lives down for him. 00:41:46.820 --> 00:41:53.940 And in that sacrifice brings life, glory to God and truthfully intimacy 00:41:54.240 --> 00:41:56.020 for the believer. 00:41:59.600 --> 00:42:04.960 When you talk about taking up your cross, that's not just a popular phrase. 00:42:07.540 --> 00:42:13.740 It's one that often rests on the tongue of Christians, but it's to recognize that your crucifixion will come outside of yourself. 00:42:14.060 --> 00:42:17.680 And when that difficult moment comes, whose glory do you stand for? 00:42:20.420 --> 00:42:21.280 Jesus or your own? 00:42:23.600 --> 00:42:30.760 1 Peter 2, wrestled with that in our lives, but God calls us to is to allow that sacrifice to be for 00:42:30.760 --> 00:42:30.980 him. 00:42:31.950 --> 00:42:37.340 There's a statement by John Jowett that says, this ministry that costs nothing, accomplishes nothing. 00:42:38.760 --> 00:42:45.220 But isn't that the display of devotion of your love for Jesus, that the world sees that love for Christ and they're compelled to respond. 00:42:45.220 --> 00:42:48.500 It's because of Jesus' love for us, that we're compelled to love him. 00:42:48.520 --> 00:42:52.460 And in turn, people love him in response to our love demonstrated to Jesus. 00:42:53.380 --> 00:42:53.980 God uses you. 00:42:55.640 --> 00:42:59.920 Just like Mary in Mark 14:9 that the world would share the story. 00:43:01.460 --> 00:43:08.600 And so the question becomes when people look at your story, as your story goes to this world as it's lived out, when people are 00:43:08.600 --> 00:43:12.650 left looking at your life, what would they say mattered? 00:43:15.160 --> 00:43:17.180 I'm going to close with this. 00:43:18.260 --> 00:43:25.420 When it comes to making your life a sacrifice, one of the things I just want to point out is a 00:43:25.420 --> 00:43:27.540 sacrifice isn't just a one and done thing. 00:43:28.420 --> 00:43:29.080 It could be. 00:43:30.220 --> 00:43:31.320 For some Christians it is. 00:43:33.420 --> 00:43:40.480 But a sacrifice really isn't a one and done thing because the Bible calls you to be a living sacrifice, which means every 00:43:40.480 --> 00:43:45.800 day there is a worship war happening in your soul and you have opportunity to lay yourself down or not. 00:43:48.520 --> 00:43:50.000 What do you lay yourself down for? 00:43:51.880 --> 00:43:54.620 What will your life in the culmination speak to this world? 00:43:56.580 --> 00:44:03.740 When I was a, kid, wild and broken, I can remember 00:44:03.740 --> 00:44:10.050 I'd go to my grandfather's house from an early age up until I had my own car and didn't care what happened at that point. 00:44:11.420 --> 00:44:18.040 I remember my grandpa would always sit in this chair in the middle of the living room and there would be lots of grandkids going around just nuts. 00:44:18.940 --> 00:44:22.200 A bunch of hillbilly hoodlums. 00:44:22.200 --> 00:44:27.400 My grandfather, he had two incredible gifts that he showed me. 00:44:27.400 --> 00:44:32.060 One is that an old man can fall asleep anywhere at any time for any reason. 00:44:32.080 --> 00:44:34.020 You just watched that magic take place. 00:44:34.320 --> 00:44:38.900 And the other one was that he loved Jesus. 00:44:40.600 --> 00:44:47.920 Because every day I knew I could find my grandfather's sitting at that chair, reading His Word, pouring out this life 00:44:47.920 --> 00:44:49.440 as perfume before Christ. 00:44:51.540 --> 00:44:52.380 He loved Jesus. 00:44:53.940 --> 00:44:57.340 Later in life when I came to know Jesus and I'm kind of at that moment where I'm like, okay, now what? 00:44:58.600 --> 00:45:04.620 One of the things I had to go back to was the example my grandfather had in just spending time with Jesus. 00:45:06.240 --> 00:45:13.520 And when he died, my mom handed me something that is important to me. 00:45:14.840 --> 00:45:21.840 It was this notebook of these letters that he had journaled of his time that he spent in that chair with Jesus. 00:45:23.370 --> 00:45:29.460 And when my mom gave me that notebook one of the first places I turned to was the story at the end of Jesus's life. 00:45:31.200 --> 00:45:38.360 And one of the things that he said about Jesus as he was getting ready to go to the cross, he remarked of all the interactions people have with Christ as he went to the cross and 00:45:38.360 --> 00:45:41.960 he said how close people were to the cross. 00:45:43.280 --> 00:45:47.300 But man, how far they were from the cross. 00:45:49.400 --> 00:45:55.900 It's incredible that you could go through a story like this as we've unfolded over the series of the summer on the gospel of Mark. 00:45:57.000 --> 00:46:00.520 And I don't know how, but your hearts still not be provoked to worship. 00:46:02.600 --> 00:46:10.240 But the encouragement in the story of Mary in chapter 14 is just to say this: sacrifice brings life. 00:46:12.880 --> 00:46:21.000 When people around you see the value in love that you carry for Jesus, what 00:46:21.000 --> 00:46:23.450 an impact that makes in the world around you. 00:46:24.940 --> 00:46:27.760 So the question is, what would they say? 00:46:29.760 --> 00:46:31.000 I don't ask it to guilt you. 00:46:32.520 --> 00:46:34.860 I don't want you to walk out and be like, man, I am messing it up. 00:46:36.260 --> 00:46:41.440 But just to say this, man, I agree and I want to walk with Him. 00:46:41.580 --> 00:46:43.040 God, let me be a living sacrifice.