How does Mark 14:8 connect to Old Testament sacrificial practices? Setting the scene • Just days before the crucifixion, Jesus is in Bethany. • A woman breaks an alabaster jar and pours costly nard on His head (Mark 14:3–8). • Mark 14:8: “She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for burial.” Old Testament threads to notice • Israel’s sacrifices always pointed forward to something greater (Hebrews 10:1). • Fragrance, oil, and blood intertwine throughout the sacrificial system. • Anointing signified consecration for priestly, kingly, or sacrificial purposes. Perfume and the “pleasing aroma” offerings • Burnt offerings: “an aroma pleasing to the LORD” (Leviticus 1:9). • Grain offerings mixed with oil and incense produced the same effect (Leviticus 2:2). • Mary’s nard fills the house with fragrance (John 12:3), echoing how sacrifice filled the tabernacle courts. • What rose up from the altar in Leviticus now rises from Jesus Himself—the final sacrifice (Ephesians 5:2). Anointing that consecrates priest and king • Priests: “Take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it on his head” (Exodus 29:7). • Kings: “Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him” (1 Samuel 16:13). • Psalm 45:7 foretold Messiah anointed “with the oil of joy.” • By anointing Jesus, Mary affirms His roles as Priest, King, and soon-to-be Sacrificial Lamb. Preparing the Passover Lamb • The lamb was chosen and set apart four days before slaughter (Exodus 12:3, 6). • Jesus enters Jerusalem, then is “set apart” by this anointing just days prior to Passover. • John the Baptist had already identified Him: “Behold, the Lamb of God” (John 1:29). • Mary’s act functions like a final inspection and consecration of the lamb. Burial spices and royal funerals • Kings were buried with “spices and various kinds of blended perfumes” (2 Chronicles 16:14; cf. John 19:39). • Jesus declares Mary has anointed Him “for burial,” tying sacrifice to burial—the offering will indeed die. • Isaiah 53:9 links the Suffering Servant’s death to burial with the rich, fulfilled in Joseph’s tomb. Why these parallels matter • Mary’s single, costly act weaves together priestly anointing, Passover preparation, fragrant offerings, and royal burial customs. • Scripture portrays Jesus not merely as a martyr but as the once-for-all sacrifice every Old Testament offering anticipated (Hebrews 9:11-14). • Mark 14:8 captures that turning point: the sacrifices of Leviticus meet their fulfillment in the body soon to hang on Golgotha’s cross. Taking it to heart • The Old Testament system was never random; it was rehearsal. • Mary’s devotion highlights the rightful response: wholehearted, sacrificial worship. • The fragrance of Christ’s sacrifice still spreads (2 Corinthians 2:14-15); those who embrace Him join the aroma that delights the Father. |
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