A Memorial to Mary

Introduction: The Heart of the Gospel and Three Responses to Christ

0:02 This sermon was preached on Sunday morning, February 5th, 1989, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Now may I urge you to turn with me in your own Bibles, first of all, to the Gospel according to Mark, and the 14th chapter, Mark chapter 14. And as we did several weeks ago, I shall read the first 11 verses in your hearing, and then we shall turn to a brief passage in the Gospel of John, which is parallel to verses 3 through 9, and will set before us some of the facts to which I will be making reference. And I want you to know when I make reference to those facts that I did not spin them out of my own mind.

1:04 But that I did indeed take them from another portion of Holy Scripture, in which this incident, recorded in verses 3 to 9, is also described by one of the other Gospel writers, Mark chapter 14. Now after two days was the feast of the Passover and the unleavened bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him with subtlety. And kill him.

1:37 For they said, not during the feast, lest perhaps there shall be a tumult among the people. And while he was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster cruise of ointment of pure nard, very costly. And she broke the cruise and poured it over his head. But there were some that had indignation among themselves, saying, To what purpose has this waste of the ointment been made?

2:14 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.

2:43 And they murmured against her. But Jesus said, let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has wrought a good work on me.

2:56 For you have the poor always with you. And whensoever you will, you can do them good. But me? You do not have always.

3:08 She has done what she could. She has anointed my body beforehand for the burying. And truly I say unto you, wheresoever the gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, that also which this woman has done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. And Judas Iscariot, he that was one of them, was one of the twelve, went away unto the chief priests that he might deliver him unto them.

3:42 And they, when they heard it, were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently deliver him unto them. And now, if you will, please turn to the gospel of John, chapter 12. John, chapter 12.

4:10 And follow, please. As I read the first eight verses.

4:17 Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus raised from the dead. So they made him a supper there. And Martha served, but Lazarus was one of them that sat at meat with him. Mary, therefore, took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed the faithful.

4:44 And she took the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples that should betray him, said, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor? Now this he said, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief.

5:13 And having the backstab, he took away what was put therein. Jesus, therefore, said, Permit her to keep it against the day of my burying. For the poor you have always with you, but me you do not have always.

5:34 And now let us turn back to Mark, chapter 14, and once again ask God's blessing upon the ministry of his word, and we do this not as a ritual or a form, but because the scripture tells us, unless God gives us understanding in his word, our minds will be utterly unable to perceive its truth, and our hearts to receive it. Let us pray that God will minister to us.

6:08 Our Father, we thank you for the holy scriptures. We thank you that you have given them to us as a lamp, to our feet, and a light to our pathway. And yet we acknowledge that unless you give your Holy Spirit to us, we cannot understand their message nor receive it into our hearts. Send your Spirit then upon preacher and people alike, that we may be taught of you, and that we may come to know and embrace your dear Son, even our Lord Jesus, Jesus Christ, in whose name and by whose virtue we draw near to you.

6:53 Amen.

6:58 Now as we resume our studies in the gospel of Mark this morning, I would remind you that chapters 14, 15, and 16 bring us into the very heart of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And I say that because chapters 14, 15, and 16 of Mark's gospel set before us in very great and graphic detail the suffering, the rejection, the trial, the crucifixion, the death, and the subsequent resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. And according to the entire teaching of scripture, epitomized in such passages as, 1 Corinthians 15, verses 1 through 4, the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ constitute the very heart of that message which God calls the gospel, or good news for sinners. And therefore on the threshold of taking us into the very nerve centers of the gospel in these three chapters, Mark, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit,

8:24 sets before us these three distinct groups of individuals who in a sense are a mirror in which every man, woman, boy, or girl must see himself with reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. The opening two verses of the chapter direct our attention to the sense of the Lord Jesus Christ. settled purpose of the religious leaders who are determined not to see if Christ is worthy of death, not to have a trial to examine his guilt or innocence, but the text says they were seeking how they might take him with subtlety and kill him. They are already determined to put him to death. It's only a matter of being able to do it as they think with as much secrecy and subtlety so as not to cause a disruption among the people. And then we have the moving incident of the devotion of this unnamed woman in Mark, but named in John's gospel as Mary of that household in Bethany, and of her trying to kill him. And then we

9:44 have the moving incident of the devotion of this unnamed woman in Mark, but named in John's gospel of a dying and a resurrected Savior is preached throughout the world, her deed will be remembered as a memorial of her. And then in the introduction to this section, we find Mark directing our attention to the shocking and sickening treachery of Judas, one of the inner circle, one of the twelve, who was prepared to hand over Jesus to the religious leaders for an agreed sum of money. And in these people, the religious leaders, the unnamed woman whom we know to be Mary from the parallel passage in John, and in Judas, there is a sense in which the heart and disposition of everyone in this auditorium this morning is mirrored. Once you are confronted with the Christ of Holy Scripture, you will find yourself either with those religious leaders desiring to go on with anti-religious forms while in your heart you would put Christ to death if

11:06 you could. Or like Judas, you may even join the visible ranks of Christ's people, may become a church member and be baptized and even have a special office and function as he did. He was a treasurer of the twelve. And yet, in your heart, you are prepared to betray Christ for some selfish motive and some personal lust.

The Scene Described: Place, People, and Central Action

11:31 Or, blessed be God, you will be like that woman who saw something in Christ that drew out this reckless abandonment of holy faith. And yet, you will find yourself in the middle of this procession of Christ, and you will find yourself soul devotion to him and that devotion so unique that Christ says wherever the gospel is preached it will be memorialized well two weeks ago before Mrs. Martin and I went on our vacation we examined carefully verses one and two and there we saw God's purpose versus man's plans and intentions and now we come this morning to examine very carefully verses three through nine and as we do we'll consider first of all the scene described the scene described and after we've looked at the description of the scene as given to us by Mark and then throwing in some side lights from John and Matthew we will then notice that the scene described by Mark is secondly the reactions recorded the scene described precipitates a reaction from those

12:50 who view it and Mark gives us in great detail what those various reactions were and after then opening up the scene as it is described the reactions recorded we will consider thirdly the lessons to be learned first of all then the scene described beginning with verse three and while he was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper as he sat at meat or reclined eating there came a woman having an alabaster cruz of ointment of pure nard very costly and she broke the cruz and poured it over his head now in the scene described our attention is directed first to the scene described by Mark and then to the scene described by Mark first of all to the place where it occurred the people who were present and then the central action that took place first of all the scene is described in terms of the place where it occurred while he was in Bethany now you know from our previous studies in the gospel of Mark that from the night before the triumphal entry into the house of Simon the leper as he sat at meat or reclined eating there came a woman in the house of Simon the leper as he sat at meat or reclined eating there came a woman

14:12 that began the last week of our Lord's existence here in Jerusalem and ministry prior to his crucifixion Bethany was his place of retreat in the last verse of Mark chapter 10 we are told I'm sorry the first verse of chapter 11 when they drew near unto Jerusalem unto Bethphage and Bethany and Bethphage and Bethphage and Bethphage and Bethphage and Bethphage and Bethphage and Bethphage at the Mount of Olives and the triumphal entry begins as it were from Bethany making its way up the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives and then we read in verse 11 of Mark 11 that at the end of that first day he went unto Bethany with the twelve so it is clear from these passages and others that during that last week Jesus spent his evenings about two and a half miles outside the city of Jerusalem down the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives in this little village of Bethany and Bethany had become a very

15:30 precious place to our Lord especially because of that household or family comprised of Lazarus and his two sisters Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary and Mary And the Lord completely reverses all of their negativism by saying, Lazarus, come forth. And Lazarus comes to life in response to the word and the power of Jesus. And so his favorite retreat outside of Jerusalem, there in Bethany, was the household of Lazarus, of Mary and Martha. But, according to Mark, and this is the only thing we know about this man, Simon the leper, is that it was in his home on this particular occasion that this particular meal was being served.

16:54 So there was at least a second household where Jesus was always welcome, where Jesus was loved and appreciated, and it was the home of one called Simon, the leper. Now, obviously, he was not still afflicted with leprosy, or, in keeping with Jewish ceremonial law, the disciples and the others could not come near him. They could not eat with him. They could not sit with him.

17:22 So he was obviously a man who was one of the many, many lepers that Jesus had healed in the days of his active ministry. Mark has previously told us that Jesus healed. He healed individual lepers, and he healed the disease of leprosy on many occasions. Now, whether this man, Simon, was still alive, or whether his widow opened the home, we don't know any of those details.

17:53 All we are told is this. While he was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, the whole drift of the story would seem to indicate that Simon, who was a cleansed leper, who was still alive, and who was still expressing his love and appreciation to Jesus for the mercy shown to him in healing his leprosy by making his home available. Perhaps it was a larger home than the home of Lazarus and Mary and Martha. And on this occasion, to accommodate everyone, they had to use the larger home of Simon the leper.

18:36 But be that as it may, the place is marked out in the text, before we get the details of the scene, as that special place of retreat. It was Bethany. Now, the scene is described not only in terms of the place where it occurred, but the people who were present. According to Matthew 26 and verse 8, all of the twelve apostles, or as they are often called, the disciples, they were present.

19:09 Matthew 26 and verse 8, but when the disciples saw it, they had indignation. So the twelve disciples are present. If Simon the leper were still alive, he was present. And we know from John chapter 12, the parallel passage that I read in your hearing, that Lazarus, who had been raised from the dead, he was present at the meal.

19:40 And Mary and Martha were also present at that meal. And consistent with what we learn in Luke chapter 10, they were carrying on consistent with their previously described temperaments. For you remember, it was Martha who was troubled about much serving. It was Mary who sat at the feet of Jesus.

20:07 And it's very interesting in the parallel passage in John, that little thread is picked up, verse two. So they made him a supper there and Martha served. Now, I'd like to think that she served this time without getting in a carnal tizzy, that she had learned her lesson from our Lord's previous rebuke. I'd like to think she had grown in grace.

20:34 And I wonder, if the Holy Spirit has not picked up that little thread and woven it into the texture of John's account to encourage us that she had grown in grace. She was still the active Martha, but she had learned the secret of serving without allowing her spirit to get all boiled up and neutralize the joy of her service with sinful anxiety. But be that as it may, the place is Bethany, the people present, the twelve, most possibly a cleansed leper, a man raised from the dead and two women, Mary and Martha. But now then notice the central activity. As we continue to look at this scene, we've noticed its place, the people present, now the central activity. What was it?

21:34 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 they are all gathered about the table, reclining upon their couches, enjoying what was probably in all likelihood, a sumptuous feast prepared in honor of our Lord Jesus, suddenly something very unusual occurs. Where Mary had been up till now, we do not know. But suddenly she appears drawing near to the Lord Jesus, holding something in her hand that would be about the size of a large sugar bowl. As I was trying to think,

23:03 of various things, I almost brought an item off one of my wife's knickknack shelves to try to illustrate it. But if you think in terms of a large sugar bowl, she approaches the Lord Jesus with this flask made of a natural material that probably would have looked something like marbleized china. And it held within it a very expensive and costly perfume. Made from plants that were grown in India.

23:38 And as she drew near to the Lord Jesus with this in her hand, she suddenly snapped the neck off this vessel, turned it up over our Lord's head. Now get the picture. He's reclining with others. She comes either to the side of him or behind him.

24:00 And the next thing you know, this pungent, sweet smelling, expensive perfume is being poured upon his head, trickles down over his ears and his beard and his upper garments. And then, according to John, having anointed his head, she then falls upon her knees and she takes some of the remaining fluid and she empties out the rest of it upon his feet and then placing the flask to one side, she lets down the long tresses of her hair and she begins to wipe off the excess from his feet with her hair. Now, that's the scene described by the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of Mark, bringing in some of the side lights and some of the additional information from the Gospel of John. Now, by the time she's done that, she's finished emptying out a portion of it upon his head and then the rest of it upon his feet until the entire flask was emptied and wiping it with her hair.

25:17 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.

25:54 And then it activates the fragrances in the potpourri that's held in little crockery instruments around the house. Well, she got some new potpourri while we were away and she also bought some oil. And the first thing she did when we got home, we hadn't been in the house 15 minutes last night. We got in about 10 after 4 and by 20 after 4, the whole house was filled with the odor of this fresh oil that she had bought and wanted to try out on one little crockery of potpourri in our living room.

26:29 And I went around to the whole house wondering what in the world did she do to activate this smell? I went down in the guest room, and smelled around and looked into a new basket that I had given her for her birthday where there was some potpourri and no, it's not coming from there. I went into the family room, went up into the bedrooms, and then I discovered there's just one little one little crockery pot about so big, the size of a small sugar bowl sitting on one of the lamp tables in the living room and a few drops. And the whole house was filled with the fragrance.

27:02 Now, that's what happened on this occasion. So if you had been there and had been so glutted with your food that you had even begun to fall asleep so your eyes did not see what Mary had done, your olfactory nerves would have sent a strong signal to your brain, and before long, your eyes would have been wide awake saying, what has happened? The whole house was filled with the odor of this fragrance. Now, that is the description the scripture gives us.

The Reactions Recorded: Disciples, Judas, and Jesus

27:35 Concern, concerning this incident of Mary's anointing of the head and the feet of Jesus. Now, having considered then under our first heading this description of the scene, now notice in the second place, the reactions recorded. The reactions recorded. In comparing the accounts of Matthew, Mark and John, no word is recorded.

28:08 This coming from the lips of Simon, Lazarus or Martha. But there is a record of the reaction of the disciples, of Judas and of Jesus. Now, let's look at them in that order. First of all, the reaction of the disciples, Mark 14, 4 and 5.

28:30 But there were some that had indignation among themselves, saying, to what purpose has this waste of the ointment been made? For this ointment might have been sold for above 300 denarii and given to the poor, and they murmured against her. Now, notice Mark says there were some that had indignation. Matthew 26, verse 8 says the disciples had indignation.

29:04 So either all 12 or the vast majority of them were taken up in this reaction. And it focuses upon these words. First of all, they had indignation. That is, they were aroused.

29:22 They were perturbed. They were upset. They were provoked to anger. That's the first thing that is said about the disciples.

29:32 Second thing is they made a judgment. Notice. There were some among them that had indignation, saying, to what purpose has this waste of the ointment been made? They made a judgment.

29:50 When she broke off the neck of that flask, poured out some of the ointment upon our Lord's head, dispensed the rest of it upon his feet and wiped it with her hair so that it was gone, the flask was empty. They made a judgment about what she had done. And they said this was a waste of money. Notice they didn't say, oh, Lord, was this a wasteful act?

30:20 Will you make a judgment upon it? For you know the hearts of all men. No, they were not only filled with indignation, but they made a judgment and said, this thing was wasted. It could have been put to better use.

30:40 We could have converted that into the equivalent of a whole year's pay of an average laborer in today's market and currency. We could have changed that into twenty thousand dollars and distributed among the poor. That was the reaction of the vast majority of the disciples. They were angry.

31:05 They made a judgment. And then thirdly, they were charging or actually murmuring against the woman herself. Look at the text. We read at the end of verse five, and they murmured against her.

31:24 And as you've often heard, when you have an imperfect verb, it describes action in the past that was continuous or repetitious. In other words, they got on her case and they wouldn't get off it. They didn't simply say, woman, this was a waste. You should have known better.

31:42 They started harping on her. They were continually against her. They were getting on.

31:58 Now, that was the reaction of the disciples. Now, what was the reaction of Judas? Well, obviously, he was included in the general description. But John takes us deeper and he singles out Judas's.

32:16 And notice what it was. John chapter 12 and verse four. But Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples that should betray him, said, why was not this ointment sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor? He said essentially what the others said.

32:42 But you see, though his language was the same and his external bearing and demeanor the same as the others, he had a motive that was as far removed as theirs, as night from day, as heaven from hell. Now, notice verse six. Now this, he said, not because he had any real concern for the poor, but because he was a thief and having the bag that is as the treasurer, keeping the box where the money was put, he took away what was put there. In the reaction of Judas sounded very pious.

33:24 He sounded like a man whose heart yearned as he was exposed to the crushing poverty of many in Palestine at that time, as he had seen the Lord Jesus again and again, stretching out his hand to the poor and the needy and gave to John the Baptist, you remember, as one of the proofs that he was Messiah. The poor had the gospel preaching. The gospel preached to them. But in his heart, there wasn't one thousandth of a gram worth of compassion for the poor.

33:58 He was angry because there was that much less for him to stick his hand into the box and take and slip into his own pocket. That was Judas's reaction. Now we've looked at the disciples reaction, Judas's reaction. Now back to Mark 14.

34:18 What was the reaction? To Jesus, Jesus, who saw Mary approach him, Jesus, who no doubt if he were not looking at her at the time, turned his head quickly when he heard the snap of the neck of that flask as she broke it off. Jesus, who allowed her to pour the ointment upon his head until it trickled down upon his shoulders. Jesus, who allowed her to pour out the rest upon his feet.

34:51 Jesus, who did not draw back and say, well, woman, this may not look quite discreet if you are found wiping my feet with your hair. Jesus, who allowed her to wipe his feet with her hair. What was his reaction? Well, first of all, it began with a rebuke to the disciples.

Jesus's Reaction: Rebuke, Vindication, Explanation, and Prediction

35:14 Verses six to eight. But Jesus said, let her alone. Why do you trouble her? He said, back off, get off her case.

35:30 Because you see, here's where the little subtleties come in the imperfect. They were on her case. And maybe Jesus was silent in first and they got bolder and bolder thinking, well, maybe Jesus shares our sympathies. He loves the poor. He cares for the poor.

35:44 We are the spokesman for the poor. And as they began to bug her and keep on her case, finally, Jesus interrupts and he rebukes them. He says, back off, man, let her alone. Why do you trouble her?

35:58 He begins with a rebuke to the disciples. Then the second thing he does is to vindicate her action. And that in two ways. First of all, he says her action was morally good and beautiful.

36:14 Look at the text. She has wrought a good work on me. And that word good means that which is morally pleasant in the sight of God, she has done that which brings pleasure to the heart of the God who is concerned for the poor, for the God who has given a doctrine of frugality, for the God revealed in Jesus Christ, he vindicates her action, saying her action was morally good. And then secondly, it was unusually timely.

36:56 See the emphasis? She has wrought a good work on me for you have the poor always with you. Reference to time. Whensoever reference to time you will, you can do them good.

37:14 But me, you do not have always reference to time. So our Lord vindicates her action by saying it was morally good. And it was especially timely. So he rebukes the disciples.

37:31 That's the first part of his reaction. Then he vindicates her action. Then thirdly, he gives an explanation of her actions. Given the present circumstances of his impending death.

37:46 Notice what our Lord goes on to say. You have the poor always with you. You can always do them good. But you don't have me always.

37:58 She has done what she could. She has anointed my body beforehand for the burying. It was only criminals who were placed in their final resting place without the dignity of anointing. It was criminals who were taken from their place of execution and put in their graves.

38:33 And our Lord has been prophesying all along. We go up to Jerusalem. The son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners. They shall in turn put him in the hands of the Gentiles and he shall be crucified.

38:50 He shall die the death of a common criminal. And he knew he would not even have the dignity of the ordinary. And I have told you of that anointing that occurred prior to the burial of the body. You remember on that Easter morning, the women came to the tomb to anoint him.

39:12 They wanted to give him that dignity. After the fact the blessed be God, they didn't have to. He wasn't in that tomb. But our Lord knew and he had been saying again and again and again, was going to die a violent death but he emphasized that dreaded word crucify crucify the son of man shall be crucified and for those jews they knew that meant one thing the death of a common criminal under the hand of the roman government and while till now the disciples still had eyes that were blinded to this reality it would appear and here i would not be dogmatic it would appear that the mary who sat at the feet of jesus was given a spiritual perception that exceeded all of the other disciples and though perhaps she could not fit all the pieces together she had heard from the lips of her lord jerusalem jesus rejection

40:29 and she so believed it in her heart that this coming journey to jerusalem this was the evening before the triumphal entry she knows will be the last entrance into jerusalem as far as this segment of this ministry and so she does what she can what can she do what can she do do she can show her faith and love and devotion by taking her most precious possession possibly an heirloom that had been passed on from one generation to another and taking that possession she can pour it all as a pre-anointing of the body of Jesus saying in essence while men will treat you as a criminal unworthy of the dignity of the anointing that precedes the bear peasant I will not allow you my lord thus to go to your grave unanointed and our lord then explains

41:49 why this was no waste why this was not a matter of indifference to the poor she has done what she could in the light of my impending death in the light of your own relative blindness you disciples in the light of your own treachery judas this woman sees what none of you see and she has anointed my body beforehand for the burial and then our lord's reaction comes to a climax when he gives in the fourth place a prediction concerning her action he rebukes the disciples vindicates her action explains the significance of her action now listen to what he says by way of this prediction concerning her action amazing prediction verse 9 verily i say unto you this is called one of the magisterial sayings of jesus whenever you find verily i say unto you this is called one of the magisterial sayings of jesus whenever you find verily i say unto you this is called one of the magisterial sayings of jesus whenever you find Verily, there is unusual solemnity, unusual importance. Verily I say unto you, wheresoever the gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world,

43:15 that also which this woman has done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. You see, the Lord is confident that there will be a gospel. Why? Because he's on his way to Jerusalem to die.

43:34 This is the gospel. Christ, he says, wheresoever the gospel shall be preached, he knows there will be a gospel because he has set his face to go to Jerusalem and there to lay down his life in the room instead of sinners, there to bear in his own person the wrath of God against the sins of men. He knows there will be a gospel. Furthermore, he knows the gospel shall be not mine, I'm out on a guitar.

44:25 People say the day of preaching is past. They've got problems with Jesus. He says this gospel to their faith for sinners was buried, was raised, and on the basis of what he's done, he welcomes any and every sinner who will come to him. Furthermore, Jesus knows the gospel shall not only be preached, but preached throughout the whole world.

45:12 One of the lessons, we learned in the previous hour, that covenant with Noah. Another reason God made that covenant is he had a people chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world from every kindred, tribe, and tongue, and nation. And that covenant with Noah secured they'd all be conceived in time, they'd be preserved to be born, they'd be kept until the gospel came to them, and until they were brought by the grace of God to repentance and faith. No abortionist could kill them.

45:45 No infant diseases could kill them. No famine could kill them. It was secure that they would be kept until the gospel is preached throughout the whole world. And now notice what Jesus says.

46:01 Wherever that gospel is preached, look at the language carefully now, that which this woman has done shall be spoken of. Now, isn't that exactly what I've been doing this morning? You've had your Bibles. You've had your Bibles.

46:16 You've had your Bibles open on your lap. I've had mine open in the pulpit. And what have we been doing? We've been speaking of what this woman did.

46:25 Jesus' words have come to pass literally.

The Significance of the Memorial: Why Mary?

46:36 The gospel is preached, and the gospel according to Mark is being expounded. What she did is being spoken of, but now notice the language very carefully, for a memorial of her. And this is a strange thing. Do you know that there is not another person in all of the New Testament concerning which this is said?

47:04 Christ said, take bread and the fruit of the vine and eat and drink in remembrance of me, and that's the same family of words, as a memorial of my death. But he never said the church should speak in the way of a memorial of the woman whose wife is dead. Whose womb carried him. Mary, the wife of Joseph.

47:35 He never once said what she has done shall be spoken of as a memorial to her wherever the gospel is preached. Never once. He didn't say it of Peter. He didn't say it of any of the apostles.

47:50 But he says of this woman what she has done shall be spoken of for a memorial. Now why? Why did he give it such significance? Now that's the $64 question I sat and wrestled with in my preparation.

48:09 And as I read the commentators, one commentator said, ah, here's the significance. Her actions so much illustrates the spirit of the gospel that wherever the gospel is preached, her actions are such a picture of the gospel that they must be spoken of as a memorial. But you see, that makes it a memorial. To Christ, His giving of His all.

48:35 His giving freely of His all. And the author went on to wax eloquent and in a moving way. But I said that in what the text says. It says not for a memorial of me, but of her.

Primary Lesson: The Object and Extent of Mary's Devotion

48:48 Well, in what sense then should it be a memorial of her? May I offer this is what I believe to be the answer. And this brings us to the lessons contained in the incident. We've looked at the series, the scene described, the reactions recorded now, thirdly and finally.

49:09 What are the lessons contained in the incident? There is the primary lesson. And then there are the secondary lessons. And here's the primary.

49:17 It is to be a memorial of this woman. Not any other. Not even of himself. And I'm convinced it's to be a memorial of her in two particular areas.

49:33 Number one, the object of her devotion and the extent of her devotion.

49:42 It's to be spoken of as a memorial of her because she lavishes all she has upon one whom she sees, though this was not a stumbling block to her.

50:07 She has anointed my body beforehand for the burial. And while she believes what you other disciples do not yet believe, as the good shepherd, I must lay down my life for the sheep. This woman has come to the sight of faith and the embrace of faith to embrace me as a Messiah in blood. And it's no stumbling block to her.

50:44 And therefore her deed will be spoken of as a memorial wherever the gospel is preached. Why? Because, my friend, you've got to see exactly what she saw. That in the immolated, rejected, forsaken, battered, bruised, rotting shroud is God's Messiah and the only hope of sinners.

51:13 And you've got to see that and believe that and not have it be a stumbling block to your Messiah on a cross as to be impaled to give it with the spittle of his enemies dripping off his face and his open wounds gushing forth his life's blood. The eye of faith sees in such a Messiah the Lamb of God who bears away the sin of the world. And the memorial of this woman is the memorial of what she saw in the object of her devotion. She saw one who was to be her crucified Savior and then secondly spoken of as a memorial because of the extent of her devotion. Jesus says she has done what she could.

52:21 She does what appears to others as wasteful. She does what provokes misunderstanding and criticism. Why? Because she knows no calculating cold quote trusting in Jesus just enough so you won't go to hell.

52:42 She knows nothing of that kind of devotion to the object of her faith.

True Saving Faith: Reckless Abandonment to Christ

52:49 Seeing him for who he is her heart in the way when the sinner sees him for who he is she breaks the flask and she empties out all of the precious ointment. She doesn't say a few drops for his head. So he knows that I believe in him as the crucified Messiah. A few drops to show I longed a dollar's worth for his head and a thousand that will do.

53:25 That move I believe but then I'll be guarded and keep the rest. 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.

53:47 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?

54:26 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...

54:51 My friend when the Holy Spirit shows you that you're a sinner under the wrath of God deserving to have hell swallow you up in the next instant and the same Holy Spirit through the preaching of the gospel shows you that Jesus Christ is God's incarnate son. He is God in the flesh. He is God willingly laying down his life for the likes of you. God sincerely justly freely earnestly entreating you to come to cast the weight of your sin upon him to trust in him to embrace him.

55:29 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.

55:40 You will take the flask of your heart and pour out your devotion at the feet of Jesus to the last drop and then the biggest struggle you'll have in the Christian life is to maintain that attitude. And it is a struggle and there are times we take back what we've given. Alas we take back altogether too much but there is no...

56:07 If the heart had been broken and poured out at the feet of Jesus. Never. And that's what shows up some of your conversion for what it is. It is sham as Judas is concerned for the poor.

56:28 That's why what she did is to be spoken of as a memorial of her because in her see what is the heart gospel. And someone says what's it mean to believe in the gospel? You say see that woman it's to see in Jesus Christ crucified the only hope of life and salvation. And it's to throw the whole weight of your soul upon him to trust in him to give yourself to him to hurl the whole of your humanity as it were the whole thing upon Christ crucified. And in that sense what she did becomes a memorial of her to point you to the way of faith and the way of salvation and the way of repentance.

Self-Examination: Is Your Heart Like Mary's Flask?

57:28 That's the great and primary lesson of the passage. She had the right object of her devotion and the extent of her devotion. I shall have to conclude without looking into the secondary applications. Perhaps we'll do that next week, God willing.

57:47 Because I do want to close by asking every one of you sitting here this morning a very simple question. Is your heart like Mary's alabaster flask of pure nard? Is it all shut up the cork in the stem your devotion locked up turned inward upon yourself upon your own ambition upon your job upon your wife upon your family upon your friends upon your appetites upon your pleasures a thousand other things. Or have you by grace broken off the neck of that flask and has it been poured out at the feet of Christ crucified? Now only you can answer. Now, see you may say the words Judas said the words Oh, the poor, poor Poor, poor He was a thief! You may say, Oh yes I love Christ But come on and be honest what you really love is your money Your position Your own reputation You'd never do anything anything that anyone would ever do

59:16 one would misjudge as being excessive devotion to Christ your religion is so calculated, so precise so predictable you've never done a thing that would cause anybody to say, what a waste have you?

59:37 my friend, you answer and you answer with judgment day honesty you see, this is what gains us the reputation of an oppressive ministry it's oppressive what you mean is it presses you to face your heart with judgment day honesty and my dear friend if I love your soul, I must I must not let you simply see the truth float by and say, isn't that marvelous I must ask is what was true of Mary and for the same reasons you see in Christ what she saw and your heart responds as hers responded if not, I pray God that this day will not close until you are found where Mary was and if you've been there and you've gone with your teaspoon and your sponge and gathered up some of that perfume and put it back in the flask God will bring you back to that place today dear friend we have no promise that any memorial will ever be made of us but you want to know something? my Bible says

61:02 that when even a cup of cold water is given out of devotion to Jesus there's going to be a greater memorial it'll be in the day of judgment before the entire gathering of all men of all ages but you must answer the question I can't the words you say are right Judas was in the right place said the right words seemed very impressive but the motives were devilish and demonic and even true disciples at this point their judgment was all out of whack and they considered it a waste but Jesus commended and if you are found where Mary was the Son of God will say to any who would trouble you, leave him alone he has done a good work upon you and that's all that matters let us pray our Father how we give you thanks for the incident that you have so kindly left in the record of your word and as we have sought to relive that incident we confess with shame

62:30 that with all of the light and privilege we have our devotion to the Lord Jesus is so weak so divided so neutralized and often so watered down with other things we pray we pray that we may have that you would grant us the pure spikenard of single-eyed devotion to your Son because of who he is and what he's done for sinners and all that he is to those who trust him oh God this day deal with the hearts of many in this place until they with Mary are found at the feet of Jesus pouring out their hearts, devotion and trust to him hear us our cry and seal your word and send us on our way rejoicing in the smile of our Savior though our devotion may provoke the frown the criticism and even the carping of others grant that we may ever have the smile and the vindication and the approbation of our Lord Jesus Christ we ask these mercies in his name in his name Amen