Palm Sunday

I had this yesterday before I lead worship at my church. Well, I kinda lead worship, I'm part of a team. I pick the music, and I've been trying to lead them to more worship and some different ideas but mostly banging my head against the wall. So I woke early and had these thoughts during my quite time. I'm presenting this on here, because I was not given the opportunity to share this with the group. I think the words are from the Lord, I believe it would have been beneficial to the body, but I will submit to the leadership and it was not given out. (this is not said resentfully either, just explaining). Since I don't think many people read this and I use it more for myself, it's a record.

This morning as I was preparing myself for worship today I had a sense of this being an important time that we overlook in our preparations for the big event of Easter.

I actually was focusing on palm Sunday and how Jesus rode into the city with all the people praising him, and how little they knew what was coming in the next week. So this is true of us, and how we should though praise and worship him, as we come into the next week and celebrate with great amazement the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

So I went to several books to read this, to make sure I had the right focus. What smacked me in the face though was not the “triumphant entry” into Jerusalem, but what occurred right before this: the anointing of Jesus by Mary. John 12: Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had rasied from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him (imagine how Lazarus was feeling now – overwhelmed would be an apt description). Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a years wages?” he did not say this because he cared about the port but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
Leave her alone, Jesus replied, “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.

Our worship this morning is as sweet as the anointing Mary gave. Picture yourself pouring out yourself as a perfume on Jesus……. We are an offering…….