I invite you to turn to Matthew chapter 26 as we continue through this book, three chapters left, and coming now to the passion and death of Christ. We have concluded our study in the Olivet Discourse, and now come to chapter 26. We'll be looking at verses 1 through 16 this morning of Matthew 26, found on page 988. Let's give our attention to the holy word of the Lord.
"When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, you know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified. Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest whose name was Caiaphas and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people. Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask, a very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor. But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the pour with me, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my head, she's done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her. Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priest and said, what will you give me if I deliver him over to you, And they paid him 30 pieces of silver. And from that moment, he sought an opportunity to betray him."
There will end the reading of God's Word.
Well, beloved in the Lord, our Lord has just given to us extensive teaching on the second coming of Christ, and he did it by way of a series of contrasts, didn't he? That's how the scriptures work, there's always things that are contrasted. And you'll remember the questions that he asked: "Who is the faithful and who is the wise servant? Who, when his master comes, will find him so doing?" He challenged us in the Olivet Discourse to be ready. Well, I find it as no mere coincidence that just after the Olivet Discourse, we have two figures contrasted. So you think about the foolish virgins and the wise virgins, the man who wasn't looking and treated his servants roughly, and so all these contrasts have been made.
Well, now two figures immediately show in real time, in real life, as the disciples are experiencing this, and they are contrasted purposely by Matthew to make a very strong point. The message seems to me that to properly be ready, there must be an appreciation and an understanding of the work that has been done for us in the gift of God's Son. That is captured this morning.
I want to notice, I want you to notice what Jesus says about this woman. Now, we've heard this text preached a lot. Every time I come to this text, I'm astonished by it. Obviously, there are different women in Scripture, different Marys, and sometimes it's challenging to put it all together. I think it was some months back we looked at Luke 7, which is a different I believe, woman in a different account of a similar-like action. But this is really remarkable: of what Jesus says about this woman. What she did will always be told as a memorial. Did you catch that? Of her, in memory of her. Jesus made a memory, a memorial of the action of this woman and wants it to be studied, wants it to be understood, wants it to be appreciated.
Matthew 26 is the turning point as we come to the end of the book, as Jesus has given extensive teaching on the destruction of the temple, hasn't he? And notice how everyone's caught up in that today. Everyone's interested in that today. You want to get people going, just talk about the temple and its destruction or its rebuilding today. Well, something is captured in Matthew now that we're not as exercised about: the destruction of the true temple, right? Which is his body.
Verse 1: "When Jesus had finished these words, these sayings, he said to his disciples, you know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified. We don't know the day or the hour, he said, of his second recoming, but now he gives us time. Now he talks about the coming down of the true temple and the raising of it, right? The disciples have been distressed about the destruction of the temple, but now Jesus speaks of his death. And you'll notice that just after the prediction, we read that the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered to Caiaphas and plotted to kill Jesus by stealth.
Well, Jesus has been teaching the whole ministry: He is the true temple. His body, destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days. So it's not coincidental that just after the whole discourse on the destruction of the physical temple, now we come to Jesus addressing the destruction their attempted destruction of his life and the resurrection that will follow.
The disciples are unmoved by this, though. No response. Well, maybe some. They don't even understand it. "Why was this necessary? Why would you go die? Why would you do this?" Well, Jesus now gives us a great help and an example of the right kind of response to the true temple being destroyed and raised up.
From 14.1, notice this, from actually 26:1 to the end of the book, the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord is the main focus. It seems to me that the prediction, these predictions of Jesus' disciples that they had become in all of these predictions unconcerned and unresponsive to this great claim. This is the final prediction of his death. Unresponsive to that great claim, unresponsive to the fact that God had sent his son into the world to lay down his life for his friends. And they seemed rather unconcerned that he is really going to be delivered up actually trying to prevent the whole thing because they don't understand it.
Well, in light of this, the fact that the Savior is going to lay down his life and death for them, what would you expect as a proper response both of the disciples and of all the covenant people of God? Well, at least some kind of solemn regard and humility from people, right? At least a humble heart, an attentive heart that listens to the word of God, that is repentant of sin and that has great affection for their Savior, right? I mean, you'd expect this. You'd expect some kind of gratitude, some kind of response. Not a hard heart. A kind of treasuring of his work.
I say there's such a danger to have an unresponsive heart to this gospel that's preached to you every single week. What follows is two responses Two responses to Jesus' great statement here and prediction that he is laying down his life. There is a heart that rejoices and treasures him at all costs, and then you have a heart that betrays him. And that's purposeful by Matthew.
In verses 3-9, you'll notice here, we have this record all the way down through 13, this record of this woman known as Mary of Bethany. We read that Jesus is in Bethany at this home, we know, in verse 6. Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper." A woman comes to him, verse 7, "with an alabaster flask, a very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table."
She takes this very expensive jar of ointment, and the text wants to capture for us the great value of this ointment. How valuable this ointment is. And what it wants to show us, what Matthew wants to show us, this is sheer extravagance, sheer extravagance. Many have observed in their day, what Mary poured on Jesus here is worth thousands in their day, thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars. This was a little peasant woman. This is a woman who doesn't have anything. She didn't have much. We've looked at the challenges for people who have much: to not think they need anything, rich young ruler. Her most valuable possession in life was this. Think about that: what is your most valuable possession, material possession, in life? What is it? Well, you could have all of you have something handed down to you maybe this is great value. She's not rich. She has nothing just this. She comes with everything that you would say with heart. Luther called it heart water.
Jesus is in the room. He's reading the room. He's a good reader of the room, good reader of hearts. He knows every heart in the room. He knows what people are thinking. If somebody poor walked in and we all knew had a family heirloom, let's just say we all knew about this family heirloom. This thing is like the diamond that fell off the Titanic, right? worth $10 million and they come into worship and with such devotion and tears and for the Lord, they give this thing to be used for the kingdom. Or they pour it out if it's perfume. What would you think of a poor woman doing that? What would trouble us about it? Well, showy, right? It's kind of showy, comes up here and does it. It seems inappropriate. What would bother us about it? There'd be some kind of irritation in this act.
Because the question that would come out in all of us is: "Is that really responsible to pour that out? Oh, it'd make me uncomfortable. It's the kind of devotion that shames everybody."
What do we read here? But of his own missing it, You'll notice, and when the disciples saw it, verse 8, they were indignant." They are furious. The word means that. They are angry. "Why this waste?" Ponder that. That word waste is powerful in this context. Why are you wasting that?
Here's the line: "that perfume could have been sold at a very high price and given to the poor."
What is the heart of that charge? What is in it? Irritation. Oh, but why? Why? You know why? Because I would never want to give up something that valuable, right? It would hurt too much, especially if I'm poor. That's the one thing I have. Shouldn't that if you're going to do that kind of thing, shouldn't it go to something where it really has consequence and is useful, you see?
I think you know the poor is not the concern here, right? You know people. It's like the man, they were doing a building project. I knew the story, and they all wanted to come together and talk about building a building. It wasn't here. It wasn't here. But the man stood up and said, "We're going to spend all this money. That money should go to the poor." What do you say to that? It's kind of hard to answer that, isn't it? What's really behind it is people don't want to face that kind of sacrifice, because that kind of giving will cost them. It's an easy out. "We could do so much better with the money." You never hear that until give it to the poor, until people are pressed with giving that will cost them something, you see?
Her giving costs her something. That wasn't easy giving. That wasn't the easy 10%. This was everything, right? Everything.
"Why this waste?"
The sad aspect to it is that it showed no value of the very body of Jesus that was being laid down. Is he worthy of such treatment? Was it a waste to pour this on Jesus? Well, who do you think he is? Who is he?
We know from John, the one leading the charge on this was Judas. Notice the emphasis in verse 14: "Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, one of his own one of his own disciples, one who had been walking with him the whole time, throughout his whole life, he goes to the chief priest and he says, what are you willing to give me if I deliver him to you Now you can see the contrast that Matthew's drawing. This is all about value, isn't it? This is a value judgment. This is a value of the life of Jesus here. And our text highlights the terrible betrayal of Judas, one who walked with Jesus right up until the end and then betrayed him.
So here's the proposition of Judas: "What do you want for him?" Oh, there it is. See the contrast? "What do you think his life's worth?"
Well, the woman had just poured everything on him. In contrast, we have Judas now betraying him with how much? 30 pieces of silver. Now, if you know the Old Testament, that's the price of a slave. So he's fulfilling scripture in his view, in a sense. That's around 25 bucks. He is being as cheap as possible. Cheap. What can I give that is the least cost to myself to get rid of Jesus? What can I receive?
Think about that. It's selfish. It's weird. It's backward. "Give me a deal." And the deal only is 25 bucks. He wants the most he can get out of it. But all he gets out of it, with the whole chief leaders and priests, is 25 bucks. That's the least the leaders will pay to get rid of him. And for Judas, it's worth it.
It's remarkable how much attention Jesus gives to lavish giving in the Bible and the consequence of being cheap in his kingdom, saving the buck.
What made Judas snap? That's my question. I've always been marveled by this text. I'm taken by this text. What caused Judas to snap? Why at this moment? What caused him to go over the top and at this moment go running to the chief priest to find out the money for betrayal. You ever thought about it?
And you know what it is? It's this woman's faith. Jesus, Judas sees this, and remember, he holds the money purse. So he's been skimming off the top of the money purse the whole time. Jesus knows this, by the way. Jesus knows he's a thief. Think about that. He's the treasurer. He sees this, and he leads the charge in the claim of waste.
What made him snap? That's what Jesus said: "Why do you trouble the woman? She's done a good deed for me. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me."
And we're talking about now the greatest redemptive act of history. We're talking about everything the history is all about. We're talking about everything the gospel is about, all of Scripture coming together right here.
He says, "For when she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for my burial. What's that worth? That gift? That made Judas snap."
"We're pouring out everything of value for him to die? That's not what I signed up for." I mean, Judas has been riding on the coattails of what he thinks is the great rising star in Israel who's going to conquer the Romans. Death isn't in this vision. And now, everything of value of people's being poured out on Jesus. "Are you kidding me? I want nothing to do with that. That is not what I signed up for."
He didn't see. And he becomes the betrayer and the agent of delivering him over to his own death.
Matthew highlights this value that Judas received of Christ: 30 pieces of silver. Exodus 21, 32. That's Judas' value of Christ. That's what he'll take for the Christ, for him. He's getting money.
But God, right in front of his disciples, was demonstrating something so beautiful and something so important.
"Why this waste?"
It was the common custom of the day that after somebody died, the body would be anointed with oil for burial. A criminal didn't get this right. So if you died as a criminal and you were hung, you did not get this right afterward. After the execution, the body was not anointed. They didn't get the privilege.
So the text emphasizes she knows what's about to happen. She has so much faith. She knows what's about to happen. She goes before the burial, before the death, and anoints him. And Jesus says that in verse 12: plainly, pouring out this fragrant oil on him, she did it for his burial.
Now, here's my question today: What does this act capture for us? Is it just to say, "I want you guys all to bring your most valuable possessions and put it in the pot"? You think that's my message today? Well, that's a good Benny Hinn kind of message.
In my years of studying this passage, I thought it was often just about Mary's response, but I think I've missed something crucial.
Why is Mary's response so remarkable? Well, it is indeed because she gave everything of value in this life away. Sure, Indeed, that was painful for her. It was costly for her. It was offensive to everyone. It was lavish. It was extravagant. It was extreme, and no one understood it.
Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute. A lavish gift, extreme, no one understands this. What are we looking at?
We are looking at in Mary's action the giving of Jesus himself to us. Intravagant, lavish, misunderstood, offensive. He is pouring out his life, his blood, for you.
Is there a price on that? Is there a price on that?
He who did not spare his own son. Maybe you've lost a son or a daughter. You know the pain of this. He who did not spare his own son, but out of love for you gave him up for us all. How will he not freely give us everything?
That blood was worth a lot. And it results in the giving us of everything.
Is there any value? Can you put a monetary value on the death of Christ for you? Judas did. 25 bucks.
Jesus says, "I want her studied. Oh, she's amazing. I want her studied. She's a memorial from now on. Every time the gospel's preached, I want you to think about this lavish gift. Misunderstood, extravagant, offensive. Meditate on it."
Her act has so much meaning because it speaks to the very gospel we believe. And that makes the story remarkable.
Mary didn't miss who and what was being given to her. The incredible sacrifice. God was not cheap for you. God didn't save a buck. She believed that. She was pouring out her heart in gratitude. Heidelberg says that's what Christian life is: for her Savior and full trust in him. She treasured Jesus so much so as to anoint him with everything she had.
That kind of response, beloved, divides the waters right now between those who don't understand the gospel and those who believe it.
This woman had joy because she believed this temple would be raised for her, the true temple. And she was the one who, when Martha was around talking about serving everyone, Mary sat at his feet and listened to his word, and it wasn't taken from her.
So you want to know what true belief looks like? Here's the memorial. It's a belief that understands the extravagant gift that's been given to us. 2,000 years ago, God sent forth His Son into this world to redeem you from your sins, to die in your place. At the end of the Olivet Discourse, He just said something that probably troubled some of you: "On the last day, people are going to be cast into hell. Why do you think He came? To deliver people from that. To suffer the torments of hell for you. To be beaten and clubbed in your place. To sit under the judgment seat and take your sins upon Himself in what we call a propitiary atonement, substitutionary atonement."
And the question for us is: Do you trust the promises of God? Do you see who's been given to you? Do you see the value of it? Do you understand this?
Jesus wants this woman remembered today because she presents the gospel in simple form. She understood she was a great sinner and needed a great Savior. Do we make the gospel too complex? I hope not. She treasured Christ.
Two types of hearts she valued here: the Savior. She fell before him to anoint his body for burial because she saw she needed him as a sinner to be saved by the grace of God from her sins, and this was the greatest gift of God to this world.
And the other one didn't care. Didn't care. He could take it or all leave it. He could walk out of here with no thought of it and could sell him for the price of a slave just to get a little coin. Makes sense. Oh, it makes sense. It makes sense that Jesus would say, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be."
Let's pray.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the gospel. Thank you for the indescribable gift of your Son for us. You are so wonderful. May we not be those who respond in some kind of cheap way without understanding the extravagance of what was given, but may our hearts be overflowing with gratitude for such a gift. May we see the value of who was given to us and what was offered for us. And that as we remember this woman, extravagant, confusing, this act, offensive. Would we see all of it, the gift of your Son for us, and that we would understand it and receive it with joy. We bless the name of the Lord today for so great a gospel. May we treasure, O Lord, in response the gift that's been given to us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.