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.)
Mark 14:1-3 shifts from prophetic teaching to negative Pharisaical conniving and positive personal interaction: “After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by craft, and put Him to death. But they said, ‘Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.’ And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at meal, there came a woman having an alabaster box of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on His head.” The Passover is celebrated on Nisan 14 according to the Jewish calendar (March-April by our calendar), followed immediately by the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15-21). The Passover commemorates the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, specifically the night when God spared their firstborn from judgment: “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13a). The Feast of Unleavened Bread includes the eradication of all leaven (a symbol of evil) in homes on the first day of the week and holy convocations at the beginning and the end of the week. This period of time is a spiritual highlight of the Jewish year, with Pentecost and Tabernacles being the two other religious feasts. It was at this special and significant time that the religious elites (“the chief priests and the scribes”) were intent upon the death of Jesus. These leaders knew that their machinations were wicked, as revealed by their fear “of the people.” Murderous plans and holy times of worship – these do not belong together. Romans 3:10-19 is a blistering indictment of this terrible hardness of heart. Mary, the lady of verse 3, stands – actually, kneels – in blessed contrast to these vicious men. Her kind and gentle actions remind us that it is possible to do right in a world that promotes wrong.