A Memorial to Mary

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces Mark 14-16 as the heart of the gospel, focusing on Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection. He presents three groups of individuals—religious leaders, Mary…

Martin explains the value of 300 denarii by equating it to a whole year's wage for an average working man, making the cost of the ointment tangible to the audience.

For this ointment might have been sold for above three hundred denarii, the equivalent of a whole year's wage for an average working man in Palestine at that time. So we might paraphrase it. This ointment might have been sold for above. Above a year's salary of an average laborer and the money given to the poor.

2:14 - 2:42 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details the setting of Mary's anointing, identifying the place (Bethany, in Simon the leper's house), the people present (disciples, Lazarus, Mary, Martha), and the…

He describes the typical Middle Eastern dining posture, reclining on one elbow, to help the audience visualize the scene where Mary approached Jesus.

We read in verse three that as our Lord literally reclined at the meal, typical Middle Eastern fashion, one did not have high back chairs that set us or sit us in that 90 degree position that is terrible, especially for people with low back problems, but rather they had couches a little bit higher than the pew on which you sit, and tables just about six inches higher than that. And the common Eastern way was to recline on one elbow, sort of like when you're about to take an afternoon nap. And in that reclining position, you would eat your meal with your other hand. And in that position, while ...

21:34 - 23:03 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details the setting of Mary's anointing, identifying the place (Bethany, in Simon the leper's house), the people present (disciples, Lazarus, Mary, Martha), and the…

Martin uses the size of a large sugar bowl to help the audience visualize the alabaster flask Mary held, making the object more concrete.

We read in verse three that as our Lord literally reclined at the meal, typical Middle Eastern fashion, one did not have high back chairs that set us or sit us in that 90 degree position that is terrible, especially for people with low back problems, but rather they had couches a little bit higher than the pew on which you sit, and tables just about six inches higher than that. And the common Eastern way was to recline on one elbow, sort of like when you're about to take an afternoon nap. And in that reclining position, you would eat your meal with your other hand. And in that position, while ...

21:34 - 23:03 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details the setting of Mary's anointing, identifying the place (Bethany, in Simon the leper's house), the people present (disciples, Lazarus, Mary, Martha), and the…

Martin shares a personal anecdote about his wife buying new potpourri and oil, and how a few drops filled their entire house with fragrance, illustrating how the odor of Mary's ointment filled the room.

The whole room, it says in John, was filled with the odor of that pure nard. And I couldn't help but think of this illustration, very current. While we were away on our vacation, my wife loves this potpourri, you know, this collection of various dried barks and flowers, et cetera, and it can be boiled and give off a fragrance. Or there is an oil that you can place upon it that has its own inherent fragrance.

25:17 - 25:53 Read in full sermon

Driving home: There are people sitting in this building think they're saved because you say well I believe enough about Jesus and his cross enough to get me fireproofed. Enough to get me to heaven. Enough to protect me.

Jesus's parable of the man seeking goodly pearls who sells everything for one pearl is used to illustrate the total commitment required for true saving faith.

Enough to protect me. If you don't have the principle to take the flask and break them upon Jesus you know nothing of true saving faith. Because Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man seeking goodly pearls. He's on a pearl search and when he finds one pearl of great price what did he do with all his other pearls?

53:47 - 54:26 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Whenever the Holy Spirit through the preaching gives you a sight of who Christ is and what he's done you'll do nothing less than what Mary did.

Jesus's parable of the man who discovers treasure in a field and sells all his assets to buy it is used to further illustrate the complete, unreserved nature of true saving faith.

It says he sold every last one to buy the pearl of great price. Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like a man who's out and he discovers a treasure in a field and what does he do? He goes home and gathers up all his assets converts them into cash and goes to the...

54:26 - 54:51 Read in full sermon