Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
In Mark 14:8, Jesus provides the key reason for His anointing by Mary of Bethany: “She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint My body to the burying.” Because Mary had listened carefully to Jesus (Luke 10:38-42; John 11:28-45), she knew that He was soon to die by crucifixion. She also knew that He would rise from death to life in three days (Mark 8:31-32; 9:31; 10:32-34). She reasoned correctly that she would not be able to bury Him in the loving manner of Jewish tradition, which included cleaning the body and preparing it with spices and perfume as it was shrouded. This work was usually performed by women, and Mary felt an obligation of love to fulfill this responsibility “aforehand.” Her giving was lavish; her spiritual understanding was astute; and her motives were pure. We all should aspire to similarly serve our Savior – and we can serve Him equally well. Jesus’ simple commentary is most encouraging: “She hath done what she could.” We do not have to do exactly what others may be called to do: if everyone had anointed Jesus, other important work would have been neglected. “I can do all things through Christ [Who] strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13) – all things, that is, that our Savior God leads us to do.