Mark 14:1-9

Mark 14:1-9  Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him.  “But not during the Feast,” they said, “or the people may riot.”  While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard.  She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.  Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume?  It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.”  And they rebuked her harshly.  “Leave her alone,” said Jesus.  “Why are you bothering her?  She has done a beautiful thing to me.  The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want.  But you will not always have me.  She did what she could.  She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.  I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”  

In the above passage, we see Jesus prepared to be the bread of life for all mankind.  The anointing with oil was Jesus' preparation for burial.  Jesus was to be killed the afternoon before the Passover began, at the same time that many unblemished lambs were slaughtered for the ceremonial Passover Feast.  The woman in the above passage of course anointed Jesus out of love without really understanding what she was doing.  In reality, her anointing was not only an act of preparing Jesus' body for burial; her action also confirmed the perfection of the Lamb.  The Lamb was unblemished, the Lamb was beautiful, the Lamb was perfect, the Lamb was ready to be sacrificed.  She did not realize all of this, and she did not know that Jesus was going to be crucified.  And for sure she did not know that Jesus was the the Lamb of God, who was prepared before the foundation of the earth to free men from their sins.  She performed this holy service of inadvertently preparing the Lamb for sacrifice purely out of adoration, unselfish love; she did not expect anything in return. 

This act of lovingly pouring perfume upon Christ, dictated by the Holy Spirit, brought pleasure to God, for mankind would now be redeemed.  Finally the waiting was over, the redemption plan would be implemented, but as we see at the crucifixion when the sky was darkened, it also brought hurt to God, for his precious Son was on the cross, abused by sinful man.  Jesus was the definitive Passover Lamb.  His sacrifice, his blood, would completely satisfy the wrath of God toward sin.  Jesus would pay the price for the sin of mankind.  The beautiful smelling ointment was not only to bless Jesus; it was to highlight the beauty of the unblemished Lamb.  This perfect Lamb would bring deliverance to sinful man, would uncouple the chains that bound man to destruction, would clear him of his debt to God, for God will not let any sin go unpunished or stand in his eternal presence.  As with the Israelites, the Prince of the Air (depicted as Pharaoh) would not have any more authority over them.  They would be free from his terror and the terror of his hordes.  The blood of the Passover lamb would be placed over the doorway of each household, and the death angel, seeing the blood, would pass over that house.  From that time on, the Israelites would always be known as the redeemed, God's chosen people.  “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn — both men and animals — and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.  The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you.  No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.  (Exodus 12:12-13)  

We, also, as we place the blood of Jesus over the personal doorways to our hearts by faith, are delivered from God's wrath and his judgment upon sin.  The angel of death will pass over us.  We will not be judged as the world will be judged.  We will not have to pay the penalty for sin.  We will find deliverance through the blood of Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God.  His blood is not a yearly sacrifice; his blood flows eternally before the very eyes of God.  His sacrifice is complete; it permanently satisfies the wrath of God and pays the price for every person who will accept Christ as Savior, Lord, and King.  We who are Christians are now called the redeemed.  We are the chosen ones, the ones delivered out of the land of Egypt, out of the land of sin and bondage.  We are FREE.  We are free to serve him, free to worship and to adore him.  We are free to be not only his servants, but his dearly loved children.  PRAISE GOD, WE ARE FREE!