YOUR MEMORIAL MATTHEW 26:6-13 Verse 13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
INTRODUCTION
Jesus came to Bethany after explaining to the disciples that he was going to be betrayed by someone closer to Him. In the previous verses we can see that the Pharisees and the chief priest were planning out to take Jesus Christ.
And as He came to Bethany, he entered into the House of Simon the leper to spend time with this man in his house. Bethany is not a foreign place to Jesus Christ; he got so many disciples there.
Mat 21:17 And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
And as Jesus was eating with his disciples, there came to Him, this woman, the three Gospel does not mentioned her name until the fourth Gospel- John.
John 12:2-3 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
And according to the Bible, we can boldly declare that it was Mary, the brother of Lazarus who anointed Jesus Christ with a precious ointment.
• Her sacrifice that day made a difference. She silenced the disciples that follow Jesus.
• She taught them the principles of giving even when you think the person has.
• She taught them it is always good to give than to receive. And her giving to Jesus Christ built her unforgettable memorial that we are learning from today.
SOME TRUTHS FROM THIS PASSAGE OF THE SCRIPTURE THAT WILL HELP OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE
1. DON’T LET YOUR CONDITION HINDER YOU FROM DOING SOMETHING FOR GOD.
Verse 7a, “There came unto him a woman…”
Some people will say, “Only few people can serve the Lord”, and I Biblically disagreed with them.
Ephesians, “We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works”
Everyone has something to offer to the help in the work of God. Mary, by her name, we could tell that she is a girl, but she never let that bog her from doing her part for the Christ.
Don’t let the circumstances of life hinder you to fulfill God’s plan for your life, don’t let your age hinder you, and don’t let your gender hinder you.
What is hindering you?
Who is hindering you?
God is willing to use anyone who makes himself available, and that is why your available is His ability. He can’t use you when you are preoccupied your life with things that are not necessary needed.
There is no little service in the work of God, everything you do for Him is very important.
2. EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING TO OFFER
Verse 7b, “having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.”
Mary brought oil to wipe Christ’s feet and to anoint his head. Don’t you ever think you do not have anything to offer God? Nothing is small in the service of the Lord.
Luke 16:10, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
She brought Jesus the BEST OF ALL, “Precious ointment”, and she was not even waiting for PEOPLE’S APPROVAL to do something for the Lord. Many people have waited far too long for people’s approval to do something for the Lord, and they ended not doing anything at all.
3. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE INTIMIDATION WHENEVER YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING FOR GOD.
Verse 8, “Mat 26:8, “But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?
Don’t let the intimidation stop you from doing what the Lord has laid on your heart. If you know her past, you will not let him sing in the choir, and many more.
Ill- Nehemiah was intimidated for building the wall around Jerusalem, and you will also be intimidated for doing something for God.
4. IF YOU DON’T DO IT; SOMEONE ELSE WILL DO IT.
The disciples were really mad that Mary was wasting this precious ointment on Jesus Christ.
Why would anyone think she is wasting the ointment when she was doing it for the king of Kings and the Lord of Lords? Selfishness- Thinking about ourselves not others.
According to the account of Luke, let’s see what the Bible says about it:
Luke 7:44-46 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
Jesus confronted Simon that he should have been the one to do what the woman had done, but you never, but this woman did. It tells me that if we are you not going to render your service to the Lord; God will always raise someone to do it. And you will become useless and ineffective in the Lord’s work.
• Simon probably thinks Christ owns everything; he does not need this little service.
I want God to use me; I don’t want someone else to take my place in the service of the Lord.
Ill- Esther
Esther 4:14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
God has called my family to Akure to start a church, because the Gospel has to move forward to another place.
I grew up in Ogbomosho all my life, and I do not speak Akure dialect. There are so many differences between here and there; the accommodation is four times of what we pay here.
Why going? Someone may asked, “Then you can also ask Jesus Christ, “Why great commission?
Matthew 26:13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
Mary gave that sweet smelling perfume and she received instant blessings.
Sometimes, you may think you are giving too much to God, but no, you cannot out give God. There is earthly reward and eternal reward for everything for him.
Mat 10:41-42 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
• We are thankful for everyone that has blessed us one way or the other since I have been here. I have a word for you, “Don’t stop.
• And for those who have not done anything yet, there is still opportunity for you to do something; you will receive more from God.
And anything you do for the Lord, it is for a memorial in the life and also reward in Heaven.
Nehemiah 2:19-20, “But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.”
Nehemiah declared boldly to these people, that we will arise and build the wall, but you will not have a portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
What kind of memorial does Berean family want to have in Akure as we go there to win souls for Jesus Christ? Before you can have a memorial in what we are going to there, you must be willing to do something. It is not enough support us with your prayers but also with your finances.
MARY DID, AND GOD BLESS HER