Bible Study April 16, 2025
“That Was the Week That Was”
Wednesday of Holy week has arrived in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. The highlight of the day occurred in the evening. Mary anointed Jesus with an expensive perfume. We see this in Matthew 26:6-13. Mary of Bethany’s story is one of the most extravagant displays of surrender in all of scripture. “Undone by the compassion of Jesus, she disrupted a banquet and poured over Jesus an entire jar of perfume. The perfume she poured over him was worth over a year’s wages (in today’s terms, approximately $40,000-$50,000). What would it look like for you to offer God a gift of extravagant surrender? (Crowning Jewels).
The disciples were upset about this generous out pouring of love and grace. They said it could have been sold for great value and given to the poor. But Jesus told them it was preparation for His burial.
Thirty six hours later Jesus would be crucified, hanging on a cross. Of all the close followers of Jesus only Mary had this figured out she knew what was coming. If you were there what would you have seen in this moment between Jesus and Mary? Would it been seen as worship or waste?
We can count on Judas to take issue with it: “What a waste! And she’s spending it on you!” Can you imagine how much that hurt? What might Jesus have thought or maybe what ran through the mind of Mary?
Jesus had the perfect response when He told them “Leave her alone. She has done a marvelous thing. She’s anointing my body for burial while I am still alive and can enjoy it.”
After dinner that evening Judas arranged to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. ““Depending on the actual coin, the value of the silver in today’s dollars would be somewhere between $91.28 and $441.28. However, in the era in question, 30 tetradrachms would’ve been equivalent to about 4 months’ wages for a skilled laborer.”
This the day before they celebrate The Last Supper. God Bless.
Asbury Chapel 