Gospels In Harmony – Mat 26:6-13, Mar 14:3-9, Joh 11:54–12:11  We are Anointed

[Study Aired March 30, 2021]

Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples. And the Jews’ passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves. Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast? Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him. Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. There came unto him a woman,  Mary, having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly,  she brake the box and poured it on his head, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment as he sat at meat. But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. And they murmured against her. For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Let her alone; Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.

Our story picks up after the visit to Zacchaeus in Jericho. As we saw in a previous study, Jericho is where the battle for the promised land of Israel began representing our coming out of the wilderness after escaping from Egypt, the land of our old man, and entering into the promised land of our new man. Our first verse starts with “Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews”. This represents us coming out of the world. 

Psa 68:31 Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.

Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Joh 11:54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.

Coming to Ephraim which is near the wilderness; Ephraim means “double fruitfulness”. As we leave the wilderness and come out of the world, we are given to be a witness of Christ and begin to possess the fruit of the spirit.

Joh 11:55-56 And the Jews’ passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves. Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?

The passover is approaching, and Christ stays behind while many of His disciples travel to Jerusalem to purify themselves. We all think at this time in our walk that we can purify ourselves not understanding only Christ is our purifier.

Tit 2:11-15 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

Joh 11:56-57 Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast? Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.

The disciples think because the chief priests and the Pharisees are wanting to take hold of Christ, they question if He will show up for the feast. Christ, on the other hand, is delaying His coming because He is changing the law. Christ does not fear those seeking to take Him. As a matter of fact, He knows this is all part of the fulfillment of the scriptures.

Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Mar 14:48-49 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me? I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled.

The following section of this story shows us why we must use the sum of God’s word to see the whole picture. This particular section is put together with three gospels.

Psa 119:160 The sum of thy word is truth; And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever.

Joh 12:1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 

Six days before the passover in Bethany represents us still being in the flesh, the first man Adam, in the house of misery or house of affliction. This journey to the passover passes through Jericho, Ephraim, and Bethany representing the process of judgment into the kingdom of God. Here are Hitchcock’s definitions.

Jericho
his moon; his month; his sweet smell

Ephraim
fruitful; increasing

Bethany
the house of song; the house of affliction

Gen 1:26-27 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Heb 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

Gen 41:51-53 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house. And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.

Mat 26:6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, Joh 12:2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. 

Jesus is now in the house of a leper with Lazarus and his sister Martha once again serving the group. Now their sister Mary comes in and anoints Christ. This all represents the time in our walk when we have seen the miracles of Christ, healing the sick and raising the dead, but not yet understanding that we must die in order to be saved.

Mat 26:7 There came unto him a woman, Joh 12:3 Mary, Mat 26:7 having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, Joh 12:3 a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, Mar 14:3 she brake the box, and poured it on his head, Joh 12:3 and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment Mat 26:7 as he sat at meat. 

Mary having the alabaster box representing Christ; The very precious ointment which is very costly represents the spirit of God and the cost is giving up your life. This is all type and shadow of the receiving of the holy spirit.

Mat 26:8 But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? Joh 12:4-6 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,  Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Mar 14:5 And they murmured against her. Mat 26:9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.

The disciples could not understand that this was done as a type and shadow of what is about to take place, and Christ explains why they should not give Mary a hard time about this.

Mat 26:10 When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Mar 14:6-7 Let her alone; why trouble ye her? for she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. Mat 26:12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, Mar 14:8-9 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

Mary’s legacy is still with us today. She represents the true church of the living God. We are the true church, and every time we share the truth we are anointing Christ as Mary did. The love that Mary showed here is the love we must show each other.

1Jn 4:7-21 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

The Jews did not have this love in them and this continues until today and will continue until the end.

Joh 12:9-11 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.

The Jews in this story represent those who say they know our Lord but are not given to do the things that He says. They will persecute us and try to take away our love for Christ and each other. They will use all sorts of ways to try and deceive us, but know this, those whom God has given Christ cannot be deceived.

Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 

Luk 21:8 And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

This story of coming out the Egypt and entering into the promised land by way of Jericho then onward through Bethany and finally towards Jerusalem is our story. This is a time of great judgment, and the sentence is death. That is not the end though, and we will see in the studies to come that through death we are given life.

Rev 2:8-11 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.