Mark chapter 14. I want to try to bring you a message
today from verses 1 down through verse 9, found in Mark chapter
14. The title of the message today
is taken from verse 6. Let's read verse 6. Jesus said,
let her alone. Why trouble her? Why do you trouble
her? She hath wrought a good work
on me. A good work. on me." And the
title of the message is, A Good Work Done for Christ. A Good
Work Done for Christ. Now, so far in our study through
the Gospel of Mark, we have seen the Lord Jesus Christ performing
in His anointed office as the prophet of God, teaching the
Word of God, teaching the truth of God. bringing to us the things
of God, how God saves sinners in Christ Jesus, declaring as
a prophet of God the truth of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. So we've seen Him so far through
our study in the book of Mark, the Lord Jesus Christ as that
prophet that God said that He would raise up in that day and
that He would speak the very truth, the very Word of God.
We've also seen in our studies thus far, the Lord Jesus Christ
acting as the anointed King. He is King of Kings, and He is
Lord of Lords. He demonstrated that on numerous
occasions. Even one time He said to the
wind to stop, to the seas to quit rolling, and there was a
great calm. casting out demons, raising the
dead, healing the sick, for He is Lord of Lords. He is God over
all, blessed forever. And now we see Him in these closing
three chapters in the book of Mark. We see Him acting as the
anointed Priest of God, for He is Prophet, King, and Priest. He is the priest of God accomplishing
salvation for His people, not with the blood of bulls and goats,
but with His own blood. He entered into the holy place,
having obtained eternal redemption for us with His own blood. He
is our High Priest. I want you to find Hebrews chapter
9. Hold your place there in Mark
14 and then find Hebrews the 9th chapter. We need a great high priest. We cannot be our own Savior.
We cannot be our own Lord. Nor can we be our own priest. We need a priest to represent
us before God. We need a priest who is qualified,
who is appointed, who is anointed, who has somewhat to offer. Not
the blood of bulls and goats. Hebrews 9, look at verse 11.
But Christ, being come a high priest of good things to come,
by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands,
that is to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by His own blood, He entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." We have a
great high priest. And He didn't bring the typical
animal sacrifice. He offered up Himself. He appeared
once in the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice
of Himself. The Lord Jesus Christ as our
perfect, anointed High Priest of God, He came for us establishing
a perfect, everlasting, justified righteousness that we desperately
need. He did that for His covenant
people. God made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Not only that,
not only did He establish a perfect, justifying righteousness for
us that He freely gets to us, but not only that, performing
a complete and giving a complete atonement for our sin. I need
a justifying righteousness, that is true. But I also need my sin
put away. And the Lord Jesus Christ did
that with His own blood. Hearing His love, not that we
love God, but that He loved us, and that He sent His Son to be
that sacrifice for our sin. This is the High Priest that
we need. This is the High Priest that's
Son of God. What a blessed Savior we have.
What a great gospel message we have to declare. And we can say
with the Apostle Paul, we're not ashamed of this gospel of
accomplishment, this gospel of satisfaction, this gospel of
substitution, this salvation that we have in the Lord Jesus
Christ. That's a complete victory won in Him, in Christ alone. Now, two points I have. from
the text this morning. Let me give them to you, then
we'll come back and look at each one. Number one is this, the
purpose of God shall be accomplished in verses 1 and 2. The purpose
of God shall be accomplished. And the second point is this,
the story of this woman seeking to honor and worship her Lord. I want to be like her, don't
you? Following the Lord Jesus Christ. and seeking to honor
Him. Now let's look at the first thing
in verses 1 and 2. Let's read these two verses.
We see the purpose of God shall be accomplished, and the will
and schemes of men shall be defeated. After two days was the feast
of the Passover, and of the unleavened bread. And the chief priest,
this is the chief religious Jewish leader, along with his followers,
the scribes, and I'm sure the Pharisees were involved as well,
they sought how they plot and planned and schemed how they
might take the Lord Jesus Christ, how they might arrest Him by
craft, by a sneaky way, sneak up on Him, and to put him to
death. Now they had a malicious, malicious
scheme. And they said, not on the feast
day, let's don't put him to death on the feast day, lest there
be an uproar of the people. Our sovereign God, the God of
the Bible, is in absolute control of all things. Nothing comes
to pass in time without His divine decree. For we read in Acts chapter
15 verse 17, known unto God are all His works from the beginning. Although these wicked men sought
to privately arrest the Lord, and to kill him in secret, our
great God overruled their wicked plans and carried out his own
designs, for the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to
the scriptures, not according to the schemes of the chief priests. and the scribes of that day.
We read in the word of God, him being delivered by the determinant
counsel and full knowledge of God, you have taken with wicked
hands and crucified him. But they did only what God determined
before to be done on the day that he said it would take place.
On an earlier occasion, the same religious people known as the
scribes and the Pharisees, on an earlier occasion recorded
in Matthew 12, Verse 14, we read, Then these Pharisees went out
and held a council how they might destroy him. You see, God defeated
their counsel and performed His own eternal purpose where He
dies for our sins according to the purpose of God. He works
all things after the counsel of His own will, especially in
regarding the Day of Atonement, the day that the Lord Jesus Christ
gave His life for the sin of His covenant people. Isaiah 14
declares, "...for the Lord had purposed The Lord of hosts has
purpose, who shall disannul it? Who's going to change the purpose
of God? Now you think about that. Who's going to disannul it? And
his hand is stretched out. Who can turn it back? None can
stay his hand. None can say unto Him, Lord God
Almighty, what are you doing? None can say the hand of God,
who is God. None can change His sovereign
and eternal purpose. For whatsoever the Lord pleases,
that's what He does in heaven and in earth, in all deep places. God is God, and that's the God
of Scripture. That is a God with whom we have
to do. That is a God to whom we worship. Now listen to me carefully. If
the God you trust can be controlled, hindered, or manipulated by your
will, your scheme, or Satan, his will, his determination,
his mind, then the God you trust is no God at all, and you're
nothing but a mere God who is God is not frustrated by the
will of the creature. Now we hear all the time in religious
circles, well God's trying to have his way with you. God is
trying to save you. My friend, God doesn't try to
do anything. He accomplishes all his purpose. God's will and God's purpose
is not frustrated by your puny mind, your puny thoughts. God
is God and He will accomplish all His sovereign, saving purpose. Whatever He does, He does on
purpose. Salvation, my friend, is knowing
the true and living God as He's revealed in the Word of God in
the Lord Jesus Christ. who is the true God. Our Lord
said this over here in John 17. Turn over there. John 17. Hold your place there in Mark
14, because we're coming back. But if you would like to read
John 17, this is the prayer of the Lord
Jesus Christ. We call it His high priestly
prayer. He said, Father, the hour has come, in verse 1, glorify
Thy Son that Thy Son also may glorify Thee. Thou hast given
Him power over all flesh. Now who has the power? Over all
flesh? That He should give eternal life
to as many as Thou hast given Him. That's the elect of God. And this is eternal life. Here
it is. Do you want to know what it is?
that they might know thee the only true God, Jesus Christ,
whom he has sent." The Christ of God, read on, that finished
salvation, finished redemption with his own blood. I've glorified
thee on the earth. I've finished the work you gave
me to do. Salvation is knowing the true
and living God, as he's revealed in the Word of God, in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now remember these four things
about Christ and Him crucified. First of all, God planned the
cross. God planned the cross. This is
His sacrifice for sin. When did God plan the cross?
Well, Adam fell and then God planned the cross. Sin entered
in and then God planned the cross. Oh no! He's a lamb slain from
the foundation of the world. Before Adam ever sinned, the
Lord Jesus Christ stood as a lamb slain for our sin. You see, this is His sacrifice
for sin. God claimed the cross. So remember
that. Secondly, God presided over the
cross. When they came to arrest Him
that day, The Lord willingly laid down his life. They didn't
take his life. God presided over the cross.
Pilate said to him, don't you know I have power to crucify
you, or I have power to release you? And the Lord said, remember
what he said? You don't have any power over
me, except that which my Father allows you to have. No man takes
my life from me. I lay it down. I have power to
lay it down. I have power to take it again.
This commandment have I received in my Father." So God claimed
the cross. God presided over Christ crucified. And thirdly, God participated
in afflicting Him. We know it pleased Pilate to
put Him to death. It pleased those Roman soldiers
that killed Him. I'm sure it pleased the Pharisees
when they finally saw the Lord Jesus Christ dying such a horrible
death. You know they delighted in their
heart. But it was not what wicked men did that day. That's our
hope. It wasn't the nails that they
drove. It wasn't the spear that they put in His side. It's what
God was doing that day. That's our hope. It pleased the
Lord to bruise Him in our room and in our stead. God made Him
sin for us. So God planned the cross. God
presided over the cross. God participated in afflicting
Him. That's what God was doing there.
That's our hope. Fourthly, God's purpose was accomplished
in Christ crucified. His purpose was accomplished.
We read in the book of Acts, we've read it so many times,
in Acts chapter 4, the kings of the earth and the rulers were
gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.
Pilate, Herod, and the Gentiles and the Jews were all gathered
together to do whatsoever thy hand, thy counsel determined
before to be done. Christ dies for our sin according
to the Scripture. We can fully trust our God and
Savior who is God over all. This is the basis for our faith
and this is the foundation of all our comfort. All things are
of God. Of Him and through Him and to
Him are all things, Romans 11. 36. All things are ordered of
God, and they're ordered of God in His eternal decree for our
good, for our good, for our eternal good. And we know, do we? And we know that all things work
together for good to them who love God, to them who are the
called according to God's purpose. All things are reigned by God's
infinite wisdom, power, for His own glory. All things are for
your sake. All things. God works all things
after the counsel of His own will for our good and His eternal
glory. That's our comfort. That's our
hope. That's our salvation. Now notice this. Here's the second
thing. Here we have the woman, this
story of this woman, who is a sinner saved by grace, seeking to honor
and worship the Lord of Glory. In verse 3, And being in Bethany,
in the house of Simon the leper, he set at meat. The Lord was
a man, the God-man. He was hungry. There in John
chapter 4 it says that he was wearied in body and he sat down
on the well being thirsty. And a woman, he asked a woman
for a drink of water. You hear the Lord Jesus Christ
in the house of this sinner named Simon the leper. Evidently he
was a leper who was healed. And the Lord went to his house
for dinner, and there came a woman. Their name is not even given
here. A woman having this box of ointment, this alabaster box
of spikenard, spikenard, a very, very precious ointment. And she
breaks the box, or she opens the bottle, and she pours it
on the head. of the Lord Jesus Christ to anoint
his body unto burial. Now truly, this woman sets before
us a remarkable example for us to follow. Her name is not given,
but most believe that it was Mary, the sister of Martha and
Lazarus. Now notice several things here
in verses 3 and following. The Lord of glory, the Lord of
glory in the house of a sinner, being in Bethany in the house
of Simon the leper. Doesn't it encourage you that
the Lord Jesus Christ is a friend of publicans and sinners? Doesn't it Move your heart that
the Lord Jesus Christ came to save sinners. Paul said, I'm
the chief one. The Lord of glory goes home to
dwell in the house with one he has healed. He goes home with
this man, this Simon the leper, who had been healed of his leprosy,
and he dines with him, and he eats in his house. When the Lord
of Glory called Matthew, as we read earlier, he went home. He went to Matthew's house, and
he said, meet with him, and declared that he came to save sinners.
In Luke chapter 19, when the Lord Jesus Christ was walking
through another place, do you remember Zacchaeus up in the
tree? He climbed up there to see the
Lord Jesus Christ, and the Lord walked underneath that tree and
said, Zacchaeus, Come down, you're one of mine elect, you're one
of my own. Today I must abide in your house."
And here's the point. Those to whom the Lord calls
and quickens in regenerating grace, He takes His abode within
us. He lives within His people. Christ
in you is a hope of glory. He said, I'll never leave you.
I'll never forsake you. He said, Lo, I'm with you always.
You say, well, you know, I'm feeling pretty blue today. I'm
feeling pretty low. I don't really feel the Lord's
presence. You know, He didn't tell us that we'd feel His presence.
He said, believe my word. Lo, I'm with you always, even
to the end of the world. So the Lord takes up His abode
in the house of those to whom He saves. Aren't you glad He
moves in and lives within you? Oh, I tell you how precious it
is. Here's a second thing in verse 3. And here comes this
woman. Here comes this woman. There
came a woman having this box of ointment or this bottle of
ointment, very precious, and she pours it upon His hand. Mary,
like all believers, had experienced the saving mercy of God upon
her heart, and she in loving gratitude seeks to worship her
Lord. It is the love of God that motivates
a believer, isn't it? The love of God. Why'd she do
this? Why'd she come like she did?
She probably expected she'd be ridiculed. She pushes and she
elbows her way in there to get to her Lord, not caring what
anybody would say. And she takes this precious bottle
of ointment and puts it upon His head. You see, it's the love
of God that motivates a believer. It's not the bondage of the law.
It's not the strictness of church rules and regulations that motivates
a believer. It's not the fear of punishment
nor the promise of reward. But here's what motivates a believer. She was motivated by gratitude
and love to Christ. For the love of Christ constrains
us. Our Lord said in Luke 7, those who have been forgiven
much, you know what? They love much. Oh, they love
much. Now watch verse 4 and 5. Her
devotion and zeal to serve and worship her Lord brought unexpected
criticism. Would you criticize such an act
of worship? Well, these did, and that day,
look at verse 4 and 5, and there were some that had indignation
within themselves, and they said, why was this waste of this ointment? Waste? For it might have been
sold for more than 300 pence, someone said that's a whole year's
wage in that day, and have been given to the poor, and they murmured
against this poor woman. If you'll find John chapter 12,
it seems that Judas was the instigator here. If you'll find John chapter
12, verse 3, Then Mary took a pound
of ointment and spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet
of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair, and the house
was filled with odor, the odor of the ointment. did both his
feet and his head. Then said one of the 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 because he
cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and he had the
bag, and he bared what was put therein. His motive was not pure,
his motive was self A self motive. Judas seems to be the instigator
here and it says in Matthew 26 verse 8 where Matthew records
the same story, all the other disciples followed his lead. Often times we're infected by
the very bad attitude of others around us. Judas went with his
wicked heart and wicked designs for his own covetous need, and
this infected the other disciples. And they began to complain against
this woman. Now oftentimes, our best intentions
to honor Christ in our zeal of devotion to serve Him are misunderstood
by others, especially unbelievers. How can anything given to the
cause of Christ and done unto the furtherance of the gospel
be considered as they said here, why was this waste made? How can we say that anything
we give unto the Lord or do as unto the Lord could be a waste? Often times we are criticized
by others who would say, Do this, or why do you do that? Now listen
to me. Wholehearted devotion and a complete
selling out for Christ and the forsaking of all past religious
idols will expose a half-hearted hypocrite and condemn their lukewarm
zeal. Real commitment to Christ and
full devotion to Him is sure to be criticized by those who
don't know Him. Did you get that? You remember
what Festus or Griffith said to Paul when Paul stood before
their judgment seat? He said, Paul, you're crazy.
Much learning. You're so learned in the things
of God. He said, much learning has made
you mad. You're a crazy man. And oftentimes, those who do
not believe the gospel of God's grace, when a believer is totally
sold out and dedicated and committed to Christ, Others who do not
believe the gospel and do not love Him, they cannot understand
why we do what we do and what motivates us. Let me give you
an example to try to illustrate this. There is a dear missionary friend
that we have that we've been supporting for as long as this
ministry has been established. 1986. Brother Walter Gruber, way back
in the 60's, our missionary to Mexico, when he was called to
the mission field in Mexico, this was 40-45 years ago, he
had a job, a good job, Armco Steel, made good money, had five
children, two of them in diapers. He quit his job, sold out, and
went to Mexico. to preach God's gospel. Well,
you would think that his family, his co-workers, those in the
community would say, we thank God for that commitment that
God's given to you in your heart. But what happened, he was criticized
by his family and his friends. You're going to take your children
down to that place of infection? That place of hardship? They
didn't understand his commitment in selling out unto the Lord.
And oftentimes, my friends, we're misunderstood by those around
us. When we do things that we do for the honor and glory of
Christ, oftentimes we're criticized. Brother Walter and his family
have been in Mexico now over 40 years, and how the Lord has
abundantly blessed that ministry down there in a most miraculous
way. I'm thankful. I'm thankful that
God put that on his heart. To do so. Now here's the fourth
thing. Notice, and here's, this is so
precious. Look at verse 6. Mark 14 verse
6. This woman doesn't defend herself.
Did she need to? She didn't do anything wrong.
She didn't tell him, God, just shut up. She didn't do anything
wrong. When you do what is right, you
don't need to defend yourself. But look what happens here. The
Lord comes to her defense. Notice what the Lord says in
how He defended her and how in defending her He rebuked them
in verses 6-9. The Lord said, leave her alone.
Why do you trouble her? She has wrought a good work on
Me. The Word of God declares in 1
Samuel, those that honor Him, He will honor. and those that
despise him will be lightly esteemed." You honor Christ, and He'll honor
you. He'll bless you. Notice several
things the Lord says as advocate, defender, and protector of His
sheep. The first thing He says here
in verse 6, leave her alone. Leave her alone. Heart-searching
question here. Leave her alone. What a blessed
truth to know the Lord ever lives to intercede Satan, the accuser
of the brethren. You know what the Lord says?
Leave him alone. He's a roaring lion going about
seeking whom he may devour. And the Lord says, leave him
alone. One time He said to Simon Peter, you know, Satan has desired
you that he might sift you like wheat, but I pray for you that
your faith fail not. The Lord says, Satan, leave him
alone. Leave her alone. Aren't you glad
that the Lord Jesus Christ is our Advocate? That He's our Defender? He is our Intercessor? Then, watch this. Here's this
heart-searching question. Why, why, why do you trouble
her? Why would any criticize someone
for serving the Lord? Only out of ignorance, pride,
jealousy, or dislike of the gospel. The wicked are like the troubled
sea whose waters cast up dirt and mire. Why would you trouble
her? You know why? They're troubled.
They're troubled. And then the Lord says thirdly,
she done a good work. She done a good work on me. On me. It's not the person who claims
to have many good works that the Lord recognizes. You remember
those in Matthew 7 that stood before the Lord that day in judgment
and said, Lord, we've preached in your name. We've done many
wonderful works in your name. We've cast out demons. We've
done all these things. And the Lord says to them, I
don't even know you. I don't recognize you. Depart
from me, you workers of iniquity. So it's not those who claim to
have good work that the Lord recognizes, but rather those
who love and honor the Lord Jesus Christ in the most humble, simplest
manner to serve Him. The Lord, sitting in this house,
and here comes this woman through the crowd, right to the Lord,
and worships Him. Now, I realize in this day in
which we live, we cannot physically do what she did. But do you know
how we serve the Lord? By serving one another. That's
right. By serving one another. Look
at the fourth thing that the Lord did. Look at what the Lord
says here in verse 7, For you have the poor with you always,
whensoever you will. You may do them good, but me
you don't have always with you. Now look at verse 8. She hath
done what she could. What she could do. She has come
beforehand to anoint my body because I'm going to die for
her sin. She's done what she could. She
has done what she could. What strong words of commendation. She did what she could. Probably did all that she could.
Like the poor widow woman who gave all that she had. She cast
in her too much. This woman truly did all that
she could to worship and honor her Lord. She spared no expense. Oh, how few! Now listen to me
carefully. How few! if any, are really doing
all we can to promote the gospel of Christ. How few, if any. She did all she could. How few of us are doing all we
can do to serve Christ. It's convicting, isn't it? It
is to me. It is to me. Oh, how this ought
to cause us to examine our own heart, to examine our own faith,
whether we be believers or not. She hath done what she could. Convicting it. God help us to
do what we can do. May God help us to do what we
can for His glory, to honor and to worship Him. Let us spare
no expense. in honoring Christ and worshiping
Him. The Word of God declares this
in 1 Corinthians 10, "...Whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of
God." Again in Colossians 3, "...Whatsoever you do in word
or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving
thanks to God the Father by Him." Let us do all we can do to promote
the gospel of God's grace in Christ Jesus. Here's the last thing. Look at
verse 9. 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." A memory of her. This
gospel shall be preached in all the world. has given that commission
under his church to go into all the world and preach the gospel
to every creature. This gospel should be and will be preached
in all the world, the gospel of Christ as a memorial of His
redeeming blood, as a memorial of His saving sovereign grace
in Christ Jesus, as a memorial of His sacrificial love to us,
how He saves sinners by His grace. But we also preach this gospel,
this gospel of Christ, the Christ of God, to show how those that
are saved by grace, saved by the gospel, how they love Christ
and seek above all things to honor Him, to promote Him, and
seek to serve Him above all, knowing that Christ is all and
in all. You see, believers are made willing,
loving, bondservants of Christ. They delight to serve Him. Our Lord said this, you are bought
with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit
which are God's. We are bought with His blood.
God help us to seek to serve Him. God help us to follow the
example of this godly, humble woman. I want to, how about you? Let us seek in our hearts to
serve the Lord Jesus Christ in whatever capacity God lays upon
us, in whatever way it may be. And we don't need the sound of
trumpet. We don't need to broadcast what we're going to do. Do it unto the Lord to honor Him
in your heart before God.