Mark 14,3-9. Palmarum

Mark 14,3-9        2120 

Palmarum 029  

The Martyrs killed in the church on Easter by King Genseric of the Vandals & Alans, 459

5. April 2020

1. O Lord Jesus, the Messiah and Christ, draw near to us in this time of pandemic and during these days of Holy Week, so that we are assured of Your presence, your Providence and the salvation that You merited for us in Your Passion.  Amen. 

2. »And while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as He was reclining at table, a woman arrived having an alabaster flask of expensive perfume of pure nard, and she smashed the flask and poured it over His head. There were some who said indignantly to themselves: „Why was the perfume wasted like that? For this perfume could have been sold for more than 300 denarii and given to the poor.“ But Jesus replied: „Leave her alone. Why are you troubling her? She performed a beautiful deed for Me. For you always have the poor with you, and you are able to do good for them, but you won’t always have Me. She did what she could, she anointed My body before hand in preparation for burial. Now truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she did will be told in memory of her.“« 

3. Last week we heard Jesus’ teaching that proclaimed all who believe in Christ are heirs of Abraham. Today we hear about Jesus’ messianic entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and the inauguration of His Holy Week. 

4. WE are 5 days away from Good Friday when Jesus went to the cross as the Christ, suffered, died and was buried; He did all this to be our Vicarious Sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. In Mark 14 we hear about a woman who poured perfume on Jesus’ head; this occurred on Tuesday of Holy Week, 2 days before Passover. Jesus was staying in Bethany, about 2 miles outside of Jerusalem, probably in the home of His friends and disciples Lazarus, Mary and Martha. The nard this unnamed woman poured upon Jesus had several uses, one of which was to perfume burial linens. Jesus Himself takes note of this when He says: »She anointed My body before hand in preparation for burial.« Jesus knows that to be claimed the Messianic King is to be a Messianic King who suffers, dies and is buried. The apostles, disciples and crowds refused to accept this role of the Messiah until they see it with their own eyes on Friday morning when Pilate condemned Jesus and ordered Him crucified. 

5. Each of us have been anointed into Jesus’ death. The Apostle Paul tells us: »Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried there for with Him by baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, then we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus« (Romans 6,3-6.11). 

6. How we deal with death is as important as how we deal with life. As Christians we approach death and life through our Baptism in Christ Jesus. Baptism gives great comfort in times such as we now face as a nation and the world. Martin Luther wrote powerful and beautiful words about the Sacrament of Holy Baptism in his Small Catechism. Let us recall and remember them: 1. Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s Word. Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Matthew: »Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit.« 2. The benefits of Baptism are that it works forgiveness of sins, rescues from Death and the Devil and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare. Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Mark: »Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.« 3. How can water do such great things? Certainly not just water, but the Word of God in and with the water does these things, along with the faith which trusts this Word of God in the water. For without God’s Word the water is plain water and no Baptism. But with the Word of God it is a Baptism, that is a life-giving of water, rich in grace, and a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit, as Saint Paul says in Titus chapter 3: »He saved us in the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying.« 4. Baptism indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and died with all sins and evil desires, and that a New Adam should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever. Saint Paul writes in Romans chapter 6: »We were buried therefore with Him by Baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father with too might walk in newness of life« (Small Catechism). 

7. Our Baptism connects us to Christ in many wonderful ways. Jesus experienced the pain of isolation, suffering, temptation, seeing loved ones sick and dying. Jesus dwelt among us and experienced the human condition of living in a fallen world. He knows the crushing weight of sin for He bore all the sin of the world upon Himself, redeemed us from sin and restored our relationship with God the Father. Baptism assures us that we are a child of God. He is always with us, and He sends us His angels to minister to us in all our needs. 

8. Trust in the promises given to us in our Baptism, for it works forgiveness of sins, rescues from Death and the Devil and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this. God continues to nourish and bless us. The greatest blessing is our redemption in Jesus. The 2. verse of our Hymn of the Day reminds us of this every Palm Sunday: Ride on, Ride on in majesty! in lowly pomp ride on to die. O Christ, Thy triumphs now begin O’er captive death and conquered sin (LSB 441,2). Jesus did that for you, for everyone in the world, for He is the Savior anointed by His Father, anointed to die, to bring us to our heavenly home. 

9. Last week we heard Jesus’ teaching that proclaimed all who believe in the Christ are heirs of Abraham. Today we have heard about Jesus’ Messianic entry into Jerusalem and the inauguration of His Holy Week. On Thursday we will hear that Jesus gave His body and shed His blood for you and your forgiveness.  Amen.

10. Let us pray. O Christ Jesus, who must be lifted up; You were lifted up and our eyes look upon You, so that whoever believes in You will have eternal life.  Amen.