FINAL PREPARATIONS - a message

Thursday morning, November 13, a faithful member of our church went home to be with the Lord. Dave Pilkey had been struggling with cancer, and finally his fight was over and he was at rest. I used Dave as an illutration back in October, as God brought him to my mind in the midst of working on a message in Mark. I feel led to share that message with you now. This was preached at Grace Bapstist Church in Westlake, OH on October 5, 2008. An audio of this message is available to listen to at: www.gbcwestlake.org

FINAL PREPARATIONS
Mark 14:1-25

Please open your Bible to Mark 14.

Thursday, I had the opportunity to visit with one of our members, Dave Pilkey and his wife Barb, in their home. Dave is dealing with cancer, and the chemotherapy treatments have left him very weak. In fact, he is so weak, that he cannot endure any more chemotherapy. Hospice care has been called in to help a few times a week; and they are all talking now about improving the quality of life. They are trying to prepare Dave and his family for Dave’s death.

But, in talking to Dave about it, he was not necessarily preparing to die; at least not yet. He was preparing to live. He said to me: “Greg – I am praying for a miracle. God has healed me 3 different times in the past, and I am praying that He will heal me again – even with this cancer.” Dave is asking God to do the impossible. And He is definitely a God that can. Regardless of what God chooses to do, Dave and all of us, can trust Him with Dave’s life; and know that He will do what is best – for His glory!

As Dave prepares for this time of his life, he has chosen to face it, preparing to live each day as God gives it to him – enjoying each day with his wife, with his family, with his God. That is the spirit and attitude with which each of us should face each day – preparing to live this day for the glory of God.

This morning, we are in Mark 14 and will see different people making final preparations. Their actions will reveal their attitudes; and they are all connected to their denial or their worship of Jesus Christ. Don’t allow the details of their stories distract you from what is most important this morning. And that is: to evaluate our own heart attitudes and how we are going to apply the preparations of these people to our own relationship and worship of Jesus Christ.

The first people who were in preparation concerning Jesus are found in:
Mark 14:1,2,10,11 (we will get to verses 10,11 later)
· The enemies of Jesus plotted

Mark 14:1,2 – “It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said, Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”

· They were preparing Jesus to be murdered

We are given an idea of a timeline here; as though we should be paying attention to when these things are happening. It is a little complicated for us to figure out the whole timing thing because of 2 different perspectives. The Roman system (which is ours) sees the beginning of a day as 12:00 a.m. or midnight. The Jewish system sees a new day beginning at sunset. There are some different ideas of the timing of all of these things. But, don’t get distracted by that. Just remember that all of these things were taking place within a few days; that everything was about to change – for those who lived in that day, for the disciples who would be responsible to report and write down what they witnessed; and for us, who receive eternal benefits from what took place over 2,000 years ago.

We read that this was 2 days before Passover. What was Passover? It was an annual feast, celebrated at that time, in Jerusalem, in the month of Nisan (which for us would cover parts of March and April). The Passover Meal was a major part of the Passover celebration. This would include the killing of a Passover Lamb. This was to bring back the memories for the people of God of what is recorded in the book of Exodus about their forefathers. That God delivered His people, as the death angel passed over the homes of those who had the blood of lamb on the doorposts. Once that was over, the people of God were released from bondage and on their way to the promised land.

So, this time of year was incredibly meaningful to the Jewish people; and that particular Passover time was going to take on an even richer meaning; and would become significant for all future believers, Jews and non-Jews alike. The Passover meal would be eaten later on Thursday evening. Immediately following this would come the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This specifically celebrated the nation of Israel’s departure from Egypt.

So, at the time when the Jewish people should be celebrating God’s deliverance, what are the Jewish religious leaders doing? They were plotting how to arrest Jesus and then kill him. And their only concern was not turning the populace against them. In this time of political strategies, it is easy to see the analogies. The political strategists are seeking to win…period! And in doing so, they will do pretty much anything, as long as it doesn’t hurt their candidate’s popularity. They need to have the populace on their side, and somehow turn the people against the other candidate. These religious leaders were doing the same thing; but instead of looking to win some election, they were looking to end Jesus’ life and get rid of him…for good.

· They were full of hate

They wanted a plan that would not cause a riot with the Passover crowd; and that would escape a lot of immediate attention. They decided they could not do it during the 8 day feast; but it wouldn’t be long before an offer from one of Jesus’ followers would give them an unforeseen opportunity.

Mark then pulls a little trick on those of us who think in a linear way. We like everything in order. But, he takes us back several days from what was just described. He goes back to the end of the previous week, and describes the preparation of another person:

Mark 14:3-9
· The friend of Jesus worshipped

Mark 14:3 – “And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head.”

A parallel passage, that explains the same event, here, is John 12. There, it explains that this happened 6 days before Passover. That was when Jesus stayed in Bethany and was honored at a meal at Simon’s home, a man who was probably healed by Jesus in the past.

While Jesus was there at the meal, a woman comes in. In John 12, we find out this was Mary, most likely the sister of Martha and Lazarus. The important thing that Mark reports is what she does: She takes the small stone flask with a long slender neck and pours out the expensive ointment inside of the flask, onto Jesus’ head to begin with. While Jesus is reclining at the table, John tells us that she also poured it onto Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair.

Actually, anointing someone’s head at a meal was a part of a custom; but this was unique (as we will see) and held a greater significance.

Mark 14:4,5 – “There were some who said to themselves indignantly, Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor. And they scolded her.”

Mark is general here about the complainers, but in John, we find out that Judas Iscariot, who will be focused on soon, was one of main guys who criticized Mary’s gift. The basic consensus was this: Why would she waste something so valuable? We could have sold this ointment and given the money to the poor. Don’t they sound so spiritual? They scolded her, Mark reports, for her extravagance and sacrifice.

Mark 14:6-9 – “But Jesus said, Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

· She was preparing Jesus to be buried

Jesus saw Mary’s act from a completely different perspective than His followers. He saw her commitment and devotion; and praised her for it. In fact, He went a step further, saying that she was preparing His body for burial. Spices were normally used on the body before someone was buried; but Jesus said that this woman was doing it before his death and burial. Her focus was in the right place. What were the rest of them doing? Holding onto their resources; and criticizing this woman who gave of herself and what she had.

Jesus said in response to the disciples who were suggesting that the money be given to the poor: “you will always have the poor with you.” Jesus was all for helping the poor; but there would always be those opportunities. Jesus was trying to teach them, that while they were in His presence, their full concentration should have been on Him. He would not, at least in bodily form, be with them much longer.

Then, Jesus added this impressive statement: “wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” Wow! Isn’t that something! He connects this to the gospel – the good news about Himself, that He came to die for the sins of the world. Her act of worship, Jesus said, would be remembered; and connected with the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is instructive for us. That should make us want to take a moment and think about this:

· She was full of love

Would this be said about me? How could I apply the principles of what Mary did, so that my worship would be acceptable and connected to the gospel of Christ? How could I make sure that I am completely focused on Jesus, even if I am criticized for my sacrifice? Well, let’s consider a couple of the main principles of Mary’s act and consider how you could apply it today. Learning about what Mary did 2,000 years ago is very interesting; but

SO WHAT?
· Mary focused on Jesus, not on the crowd. It is pretty obvious that she was not worried about the critical thoughts of others. She didn’t care what they thought – if they thought this was appropriate. Her attention was in one place, on one person – solely on Jesus Christ.

SO WHAT? Worship Jesus, keeping your focus on Him alone

In other words, think about what God thinks of your worship – His expectations, and then go with that. Don’t waste your time thinking of everyone else’s expectations of you. The Pharisees worship of God was all about impressing others. They did not have the singular focus on God. You might ask: Greg – can you give me some specific examples in our worship context here at Grace? Sure!

You are focused in praising Jesus in your worship through singing and that causes you to sing out loudly and you feel led to raise your hands. If you do feel led, out of a heart of response, then do it. Don’t worry about what I think. Don’t worry about what the person next to you will think. Keep your focus on the God you are worshipping.

Another example:
You feel led by God to speak to someone about your faith. Keep your focus on Him. Don’t worry about what others are going to think about you talking about God. Let them criticize or slander you. If God’s Spirit leads you to speak up for Him, then do it with all you have. If His Spirit leads you to confront another believer about a sensitive issue, then keep your focus on God and do it; regardless of how the person might respond to you; or try to get back at you.

A second application:
· Mary gave sacrificially, something of great value. This was expensive. She gave it all to Jesus.

SO WHAT? Worship Jesus, giving all of yourself to Him

Don’t hold back in your worship. This woman was willing to humble herself in the presence of God, by pouring the ointment and wiping Jesus’ feet with her hair. She didn’t care that others would criticize her extravagant gift. How could this relate to your circumstances of life and worship?

You give of yourself in serving God. You get involved in ministry here, giving of your energies and time and talents; even though you could be using those to make money elsewhere, or to enjoy yourself doing other things. Invest your life in someone else, making an eternal impact on that person. That will take all of you. Find a ministry that fits your passions, and give yourself for the glory of God. You may have to evaluate your priorities and decide if you are giving all of yourself; or if you are holding back for selfish reasons, worried about the response of others.

Paul Harvey once told the story of how The Butterball Turkey company set up a hotline to answer consumer questions about preparing holiday turkeys. One woman called to inquire about cooking a turkey that had been in her freezer for 23 years.The operator told her it might be safe if the freezer had been kept below 0 degrees the entire time. But the operator warned the woman that, even if it were safe, the flavor had probably deteriorated, and she wouldn’t recommend eating it.The caller replied, “That’s what we thought. We’ll just give it to the church.”

That would not be considered sacrificial worship to God! If God puts it in your heart to give sacrificially, you give, not worrying about what others will think; knowing God will meet your real needs; trusting in God to provide. I hate to admit this to you; but I have had my reservations when Teresa has decided to give some of her home business savings to other needy organizations. That is not right of me; and all of us need to be prepared to worship as God leads us, even if those closest to us try to become an obstacle.

I would like to stop here for a few moments and allow you to just consider this story and these SO WHAT statements. Listen to the song: Alabaster box, based on this biblical story; and consider your own response to God in your worship. While the song is playing, will the deacons please come forward to prepare for the Lord’s Table.
Song: Alabaster Box [deacons forward]

Most likely, one main reason why Mark placed this story of Mary’s devotion in this spot, was that he could then contrast the religious leaders desire to destroy Jesus with her desire to place Him at the head of her life. And, Mark could contrast her commitment with the kind of commitment that can be bought, such as with the disciple Judas Iscariot. He had been one of the chosen followers of Christ, and was trained by Jesus for those 3 years. And yet, we read this:

Mark 14:10,11 – “Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.”

Judas Iscariot took the initiative and sought out the chief priests. His main objective was to make some money by betraying the One who had chosen him to be a disciple. Judas’ focus was much different than Mary’s. His focus was solely on one person as well, but that person was himself.

Who would have imagined, certainly not the religious leaders, that one of Jesus’ own disciples would betray Him? So, when Judas came to make a deal, they were obviously elated and made the financial agreements. As prophesied in the Old Testament, and reported in John 12, they agreed on the amount of 30 pieces of silver. So, Judas, from that time on, began to look for the right time for him to deliver Jesus into their hands at a time and place that would not catch the attention of the Passover crowds.

You can begin to see how everything is coming together here in Jesus’ last few days. Although this was the cowardly act of sin, God would use Judas’ betrayal to bring about His sovereign plan and fulfill His word: all that was prophesied about Jesus, the Messiah, would happen just as it was written. There was another group, that was being prepared and making preparations, even though they didn’t understand it. In:

Mark 14:12-25
· The disciples of Jesus celebrated

Mark 14:12-16 – “And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover? And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples? And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us. And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.”

The disciples assumed Jesus would celebrate the Passover meal with them and asked Him where to prepare it. Jesus told them where to go and that just the right person would find them. Then, they were to go and ask the one in charge about using his home. Jesus told them that the man would gladly accept and they would then know where to prepare. Mark specifically reports that they “found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.”

According to biblical scholars, preparing the Passover meal “involved roasting the lamb, setting out the unleavened bread and wine, and preparing the bitter herbs along with a sauce made of dried fruit moistened with vinegar and wine and combined with spices.”

And that brings us to the Lord’s Table or communion, as it is often referred to. It was the last supper that the disciples would share with Jesus before He went to the cross to die for them. And He commanded His followers to continue the tradition of remembering Him through this celebration:

We are to do this until Jesus returns. It is appropriate that we would do this in the midst of this passage on the Last Supper, which instituted this practice. If you have trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation and it is your desire to live for Him, then we invite you to participate with us in the elements of the bread and the cup. If you are not 100% sure that you have trusted in Christ, then we ask that you do not partake of the elements of this table, but let them pass and spend the time in prayer.

Mark 14:17-21 – “And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me. They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, is it I? He said to them, it is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

There are a couple things to note about this passage. First, Jesus decides to reveal to His disciples that one of them would betray Him; although He doesn’t reveal the particular one in public. He most likely, as recorded in Matthew, told Judas in such a way that no one else heard it. It is significant to note that one of His closest followers, one of the 12 chosen by Jesus, would turn his back on Him; and deliver Him over for the incredible suffering and death that Jesus predicted. But, Jesus also gives a warning and curse, really for that individual who has made the choice. One of them would give into Satan’s influence and choose to walk away from God:

Luke 22:3 – “Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve.”

Let’s get our focus back, not to the one who betrayed Him or the disciples who would also flee from Him very soon; but on what response God is desiring we would have to these passages:

SO WHAT?
· Those who claim to follow Christ are not always true followers; and all of us can potentially deny Him. Let’s keep in mind, that although Judas would betray Him, all the disciples would leave Him for a time; and Peter would even deny He knew Him. Don’t think it won’t ever happen to you

SO WHAT? Allow the Lord’s Table to strengthen your commitment to follow Christ

In the context of the last supper, Jesus dealt with the issue of commitment. So, whenever we celebrate the Lord’s Table (communion), it is a great time for you to evaluate your own commitment. Perhaps that would lead you to confess sin; or just praise God for what He has done (such as through singing) and re-commit yourself to following Christ and God’s will for your life. In a moment, you will be asked to join us in a song of commitment – because of what Jesus has done for us, we make Him the King of our lives.

While the elements are being passed out, I ask that you respond to this great gift of Jesus Christ – His life, by singing along with us. Then, take the element as it is passed, and hold onto it until you are instructed to partake. Don’t miss the significance of this last supper in the lives of His disciples. He was still preparing them to carry on without His visible presence.

Prayer for the bread – Bruce Baker
Passing of the bread
· Singing: You are My King
Mark 14:22 – “And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, Take; this is my body.”

Partaking of the bread

Jesus gave thanks for the bread, gave it to His disciples; and then used the bread as a picture of His body. Jesus had said before that He was a light, or a rock or the bread of life. He is not saying the bread turns into His body; but that the bread represents His body. In the future, He wanted them to think of the coming suffering that His body would go through on the way to the cross. It would actually begin that very night. This would have an incredible impact on them in the future.

The disciples probably didn’t understand this yet; but (in your notes):
· They were preparing to remember Jesus

It would be later that the words and actions Jesus took that night would come back to them in full force. And based on that last supper, the disciples would begin celebrating this with other believers on a regular basis. After prayer, let’s sing again about the blood that was shed by Jesus Christ to cover our sins.

Prayer for the Cup – Larry Montgomery
Passing of the Cup
· Song: There is a Fountain; There is None Like you

Mark 14:23-25 – “And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

The disciples struggled with fear, no doubt, but what Jesus told them gave them hope. I believe (in your notes):
· They were full of hope

Jesus gives a promise that they would be with Him in His Kingdom. So, although things were going to get scary, even later that night, looking back to this event would bring incredible hope to His followers.

Jesus then used the cup of wine to represent His blood. He said that His blood would be the agent to save many people (those who believed). And then He told them that he would not again share this celebration with them until they were together in the Kingdom. And that is still future, even today. He would share with them again once He returned to Earth to set up His Kingdom, as He explained in the chapter before. Jesus referred to His blood of the covenant. This was the new covenant, a new promise from God. The Old Covenant was based on law, but with Christ’s death, it would be based on grace. Everything would change!

· Jesus made it clear that He wanted His followers to continually celebrate the Lord’s Table until He returned

I Corinthians 11:24,26 – “Do this in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread, and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

SO WHAT? Allow the Lord’s Table to remind you of who Jesus is and what He has done for you

Hope delivers us from the despair that nothing we do matters, and enables us to tackle even the most menial job with vigor. Elmer Bendiner tells the remarkable story of a B-17 bomber that flew a bombing mission over Germany in the latter days of World War II. The plane was hit several times by shells and flak, with some of the hits directly in the fuel tank. Miraculously, the bomber did not explode.

When it landed, eleven unexploded twenty-millimeter shells were taken out of the fuel tank! The shells were dismantled, and to the amazement of everyone, all were empty of explosives. Inside of one shell was a note written in Czech. Translated, it read, This is all we can do for you now. A member of the Czech underground, working in a German munitions factory, had omitted the explosives in at least eleven of the twenty-millimeter shells on this assembly line. That worker must have wondered often if the quiet work he was doing to subvert the Nazi war effort was going to make any difference whatsoever to the outcome of the war.”

Don’t get overwhelmed by the seemingly overwhelming task of living the Christian life. Take it one step toward Christ at a time, one day at a time. God wants to use your heart to live for Him for His glory; even though you don’t think it will make much of a difference. That fact is, just like the underground worker who did his little part saved lives; so your effort to give of yourself to God in the ways we have described this morning, allow you to make an incredible, spiritual, eternal impact in the lives of others, for the glory of God. What is the next thing God is preparing you for- what is God askine you to do?