Hi all,
This morning our pastor/teacher read from the account of Jesus' interaction with a woman that is found in the 26th chapter of Matthew. Now, in my copy of the Scriptures, there are little title headings at various parts of the Scriptures. This one is titled, "Jesus anointed at Bethany". The pastor used it to discuss the great sacrifice that she had made and all the money that the spikenard had cost. We are currently in a capitol campaign to raise money for a new youth building. And the passage does describe for us that this woman had used an oil that would have been worth a year's salary. However, I contend that this passage is a lot more than the sacrificial offering. This passage is a fulfillment of prophecy!!
In Daniel, chapter 9, we find this:
“Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy".
... and to anoint the Most Holy Place. There was a 400 year intertestamental period in which we have absolutely no prophets speaking for God. We have nothing in the whole of the Scriptures that happened in this 400 year period. However, one of the things that did happen in this period was that the Jews canonized their old covenant Scriptures. They sealed up the visions and prophecies that God had them record since His bringing them out of Egypt. But then this lone woman, of whom no one knows her name, anointed his body. She was, however, one of Daniel's people. The death of Jesus, that was about to happen, accomplished all the rest. His death put an end to sin, for the believer. His death, as I think nearly everyone agrees made an atonement for our wickedness. His resurrection brought in everlasting righteousness.
What I know is that God's will cannot be thwarted when He steps in to accomplish something among us. God's angel told Daniel that within the span of this 70 sevens, all of these things would be accomplished by God's people. Who were also Daniel's people as far as being of his Jewish heritage. And depending on the translation that you use, this passage ends with either the simple phrase "most Holy", or some have added the word 'place'. The most Holy place. Surprisingly, the GW translation actually translates it as "the Most Holy One". I suppose that may be why some miss it. They're looking for a place rather than a person, to be anointed.
God's word is true and He will do what He has established to do. God caused this woman to come into this meal where Jesus was seated just prior to his death and she anointed him in keeping with what God had told Daniel would happen.
Then my translation moves right into Jesus being betrayed by Judas for the agreed sum of 30 pieces of silver. Another of the prophecies that God had written to us. All of these prophecies fulfilled so that we would know that this man Jesus was the Messiah that Israel had been waiting for. But as Jesus said to them, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes." God did with Israel pretty much what He had done with Pharoah of Egypt. He turned their hearts away.
But that woman, she was a puppet in the hands of our mighty God to accomplish what God had told Daniel, through His angel Gabriel some 500 years earler.
God bless,
Ted
This morning our pastor/teacher read from the account of Jesus' interaction with a woman that is found in the 26th chapter of Matthew. Now, in my copy of the Scriptures, there are little title headings at various parts of the Scriptures. This one is titled, "Jesus anointed at Bethany". The pastor used it to discuss the great sacrifice that she had made and all the money that the spikenard had cost. We are currently in a capitol campaign to raise money for a new youth building. And the passage does describe for us that this woman had used an oil that would have been worth a year's salary. However, I contend that this passage is a lot more than the sacrificial offering. This passage is a fulfillment of prophecy!!
In Daniel, chapter 9, we find this:
“Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy".
... and to anoint the Most Holy Place. There was a 400 year intertestamental period in which we have absolutely no prophets speaking for God. We have nothing in the whole of the Scriptures that happened in this 400 year period. However, one of the things that did happen in this period was that the Jews canonized their old covenant Scriptures. They sealed up the visions and prophecies that God had them record since His bringing them out of Egypt. But then this lone woman, of whom no one knows her name, anointed his body. She was, however, one of Daniel's people. The death of Jesus, that was about to happen, accomplished all the rest. His death put an end to sin, for the believer. His death, as I think nearly everyone agrees made an atonement for our wickedness. His resurrection brought in everlasting righteousness.
What I know is that God's will cannot be thwarted when He steps in to accomplish something among us. God's angel told Daniel that within the span of this 70 sevens, all of these things would be accomplished by God's people. Who were also Daniel's people as far as being of his Jewish heritage. And depending on the translation that you use, this passage ends with either the simple phrase "most Holy", or some have added the word 'place'. The most Holy place. Surprisingly, the GW translation actually translates it as "the Most Holy One". I suppose that may be why some miss it. They're looking for a place rather than a person, to be anointed.
God's word is true and He will do what He has established to do. God caused this woman to come into this meal where Jesus was seated just prior to his death and she anointed him in keeping with what God had told Daniel would happen.
Then my translation moves right into Jesus being betrayed by Judas for the agreed sum of 30 pieces of silver. Another of the prophecies that God had written to us. All of these prophecies fulfilled so that we would know that this man Jesus was the Messiah that Israel had been waiting for. But as Jesus said to them, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes." God did with Israel pretty much what He had done with Pharoah of Egypt. He turned their hearts away.
But that woman, she was a puppet in the hands of our mighty God to accomplish what God had told Daniel, through His angel Gabriel some 500 years earler.
God bless,
Ted