Anointed for Burial

8. April 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

 

Today we will begin with Chapter 26.   Our text for today is as follows:

 

Matthew 26: 1 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2 ”As you know, the Passover is two days away–and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” 3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him. 5 ”But not during the Feast,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”

6 While Jesus was in

Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. 8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 ”This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” 10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. 12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

 

The text gives us our timeline.  We are two days away from the Passover which means that we are two days away from the death of Christ in our text.   Jesus would be the Passover lamb.  While Jesus was instructing his disciples that in two days he would be handed over to be crucified, the chief priests and the elders were already planning on how they could plot to get Jesus arrested.

The next part of the text talks about the famous story of the woman with the alabaster box of oil that came to anoint Jesus.  What I love about this passage is that it is so strategic in the plan of God.    The bible says that when the woman pours the ointment on Jesus’ head that the disciples are indignant and want to know why the waste.   We know in another gospel, the disciple that is really identified as indignant is Judas and the scriptures say that he was a thief and was in control of the treasury that the disciples carried around.      The disciples screamed that the expensive ointment could have been sold at a high price and given to the poor but we know from the other gospel account that this was not really the reason; Judas had other motives in his protest.   

 

Jesus clearly rebukes them and says why do you trouble this woman for she has done a good thing to me?  He goes on to say that the poor will be with them always but he will not always be with them and then he says something that is so strategic.  Jesus says that this woman has anointed me for my burial.

 

Okay, let me show you how powerful this really is.  Look at this text below:

 

Luke 23:50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the

kingdom of

God. 52 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. 54 It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. 55 The women who had come with Jesus from

Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment. Luke 24:1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

 

Okay, the context of this text is right after Jesus has died on the cross.  In ancient Jewish burial customs, After a Jew died(Jesus was a Jew) , they would prepare the body for burial.  The body was to be washed and anointed with various oils and spices and then wrapped in a unique linen cloth that contained spices and then placed in a tomb.

 

Our text above teaches that Joseph requested the body of Jesus and they wrapped it in linen and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock but because the Sabbath was about to begin and the law required no work on the Sabbath, the women could not anoint the body of Jesus for burial so they went home that night and observed the Sabbath.   On the first day of the week, they went to the tomb to anoint the body according to the custom but Jesus had already risen.

 

Okay, I don’t know if you are going crazy at your computer right about now because you have put all the pieces together but I just can’t breathe……..   The scriptures are just so amazing to me.

 

Now back to our text for today, Jesus knew that they would not be able to anoint him properly according to the custom because he would have arisen by the time they came back to the tomb so in our text he says:  “This woman has anointed me for my burial.”  

Ohhhhhhhhhhh………….   You get it……….  How powerful………. 

 

Okay………….     How Great is our God…….  FOR REAL YALL…..

 

Jesus concludes our story with saying that where ever this gospel is preached, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.

 

Stay encouraged!!!!!!!

 Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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