March 16th 2025 Sunday Service: "Give Him Your All"

Witnessing the anointing of Jesus at Bethany, was a pivotal moment in the Gospel narratives. While Jesus is in the house of Simon the leper, a woman comes to Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. She pours it on His head, therefore sacredly anointing Him in a powerful act of deep reverence and love. This moment reveals both the deep devotion of the woman and the impending death of Jesus. The disciples, particularly Judas Iscariot, are indignant at the perceived waste, arguing that the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus, however, defends her actions, saying that she has done a beautiful thing because she has anointed Him in preparation for His burial, recounted in Matthew 26:6-16. He declares that wherever the Gospel is preached, what this woman has done will be told in memory of her. The act of anointing Jesus links to the Old Testament traditions of preparing individuals for significant roles or events, such as the anointing of Kings in 1 Samuel 16:13 and priest in Exodus 30:30. In this context, the woman’s action symbolizes Jesus as the Messiah, preparing Him for His ultimate sacrifice.