Mark 14:1 - Meaning and Application

Here we have examples, first, of the kindness of Christ’s friends, and the honor they tried to show him. He had friends even in and around Jerusalem who loved him and felt they could never do enough for him. Though Israel as a nation was not gathered to him, he was still honored among those who believed in him.

One friend invited him to supper, and Christ accepted, Mark 14:3. Even though his death was drawing near, he did not withdraw into sad isolation. He still spent time freely with his friends, as he had before.

Another friend, a good woman, honored him by pouring very costly ointment on his head while he was at the meal. She thought nothing was too good to give Christ. In this way, the Scripture was fulfilled: “When the king is at his table, my perfume gives off its fragrance” (Song of Solomon 1:12). We should honor Christ as our Beloved, with loving affection, and as our King, with loyal respect.

Did he pour out his soul to death for us, and should we think any box of ointment too precious to pour out on him? She made sure the whole gift was used for Christ. The text says she broke the box, but since the container was made of alabaster, it may mean she shook it loose or scraped out every bit that remained inside. Christ should have all we have, and we should not hold back any part for ourselves. If we give him the ointment of our best love, let him have all of it, with our whole heart.

Some looked at this act in the worst possible way. They called it a waste of the ointment, Mark 14:4. Because they could not have imagined spending so much to honor Christ, they judged her generous act as foolish. People should not call liberal giving wasteful, just as a stingy person should not be called generous (Isaiah 32:5). Those who give freely should not be condemned for it.

They argued that the ointment could have been sold and the money given to the poor, Mark 14:5. But a general duty to care for the poor does not cancel a special act of worship toward the Lord Jesus. A duty that is in front of you should be done with all your strength. A common act of charity cannot replace a fitting act of devotion to Christ.

Our Lord gave her action a better meaning than, as far as we know, she intended. She likely meant only to show her great respect for him and to complete the meal’s honor. But Christ treated it as an act of great faith as well as great love, Mark 14:8. He said she had come beforehand to anoint his body for burial, as if she somehow knew his resurrection would keep her from doing it later. This burial act was a sign, and almost a preview, of his coming death.

See how full Christ’s mind was of his death. He connected everything to it and spoke about it openly on many occasions. It is common for those sentenced to die to prepare their coffins and funeral arrangements while still alive, and Christ accepted this kind of honor. His death and burial were the lowest parts of his humiliation. Yet, even as he submitted to them, he allowed marks of honor to attend them. That helped lessen the offense of the cross and pointed to how precious the death of the Lord’s people is in his sight.

Christ never entered Jerusalem in triumph except when he came there to suffer. He was never anointed on his head except in connection with his burial. He also made this brave act of devotion known to the whole church. Wherever the gospel is preached, what she did will be told as a memorial to her, Mark 14:9. The honor that comes from doing good, even in this life, is enough to balance the shame and criticism that may come with it. The memory of the righteous is blessed, and those who endured cruel mocking still received a good report (Hebrews 11:6; Hebrews 11:39). So this good woman was repaid for her box of ointment. She lost neither her oil nor her effort. She gained a good name, and that is better than precious ointment. Those who honor Christ, he will honor.

Second, we see the malice of Christ’s enemies and the plans they made to harm him. The chief priests, who openly opposed him, began to discuss how they might put him to death, Mark 14:1, 2. The Passover feast was near, and they decided he must be crucified then. This would make his suffering more public, so that all Israel, including those who had come from far away, would witness it and see the mighty things that happened with it.

It would also make the pattern fit the promise. Christ, our Passover lamb, was sacrificed for us and brought us out of slavery at the very time the Passover lamb was being killed and Israel remembered its rescue from Egypt. Notice how hateful his enemies were. They did not think it enough to banish him or imprison him. They wanted not only to silence him and stop his work, but also to get revenge for all the good he had done.

They were also shrewd. They said not during the feast, when the people are together, Mark 14:2. They did not say this because they wanted to protect worship or avoid distracting people from devotion. They feared an uproar. They worried the crowd would rise up, rescue him, and attack anyone who tried to seize him. People who wanted only human praise feared nothing more than human anger and disapproval.

Judas, his hidden enemy, then made an agreement with them to betray him, Mark 14:10, 11. He is identified as one of the twelve, part of Christ’s own close circle and trained for service in the kingdom. Yet he went to the chief priests and offered himself for this wicked task. What he proposed was to betray Christ to them and tell them when and where they could find him and arrest him without causing a disturbance among the people, which they feared if they tried to seize him in public, among his admirers. Whether he knew just how much help they needed, and where their plans had stalled, is uncertain, for their discussion was held in private.

They did not know that Judas had a mind to serve them and gain their trust. They could not imagine that one so close to Jesus would stoop so low. But Satan, who had entered Judas, knew exactly what use he could make of him. He could lead Judas to guide those who were plotting to arrest Jesus.

The same evil spirit that works in all who refuse God knows how to bring such people together for wicked plans. He also knows how to harden them in their sin, so they may even think God is helping them. Judas wanted money from the bargain, and he got what he was after when they promised him money. Covetousness, a greedy love of money, was Judas’s master passion. His own sin trapped him, and it led him to betray his Master. The devil matched his temptation to that greed and so overpowered him.

It is not said that they promised Judas power or honor. He was not chasing high position. They promised him money. This should warn us to keep a close watch over the sin that most easily pulls us down. Judas may have first followed Christ because he hoped to handle the money for the group, since he liked having money in his hands. Then, when money could be gained from the other side, he was just as ready to betray Jesus as he had once been to follow him.

When a person’s religion begins from selfish or worldly motives, the same motives can later become the bitter root of a shameful falling away. After Judas secured the money, he set out to carry out his bargain. He looked for a good time and place to betray Jesus, so he could fit the plans of those who hired him. We need to be careful not to trap ourselves with sinful promises. If we ever get caught by our own words, we should get out of them quickly, by turning back from the sin (Proverbs 6:1-5).

Our law, as well as our faith, teaches that a promise to do evil is worthless. It does not bind us to do the evil thing. It binds us to repent. Sin is always a downhill path. Once people enter it, they usually keep going. Many who chase sinful goals make careful plans to carry them out smoothly, but those plans will end in harm.