The Alabaster Jar
Matt.26:6-13; Mark 14:3-11; Luke 7:36-50; John 12:1-11
With heartfelt gratitude, Simon the leper, a Pharisee, opened his home to host a feast, an expression of profound thanks to Jesus for his miraculous healing. Among the guests was Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead, accompanied by his devoted sisters Mary and Martha, referenced in John 11:32,38, alongside the other disciples.
Mary, who had led a life marked by sinfulness, experienced Christ's mercy, who had resurrected her brother Lazarus and forgiven her transgressions. Filled with profound gratitude, Mary overflowed with love and sorrow as she sought to honor Jesus. Despite its significant sacrifice, she purchased an expensive alabaster jar of ointment. She demonstrated her selflessness at the feast by anointing Jesus's feet with the costly perfume. She wept, Overwhelmed with emotion, using her tears to wet his feet, tenderly wiping them with her hair, kissing them, and finally pouring the fragrant perfume upon them.
The room was filled with the enchanting aroma of the perfume, captivating the disciples and drawing their focus. Despite their attempts to scold her, Jesus intervened with a profound statement: "Truly, I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her." Christ, symbolized by the precious alabaster jar, the ultimate gift from heaven to a fallen world, was broken (crucified), releasing the intoxicating fragrance of His boundless love. This fragrance began spreading around the world, carrying with it the promise of salvation for all humanity
In our ministry, we embrace the Bible as the Alabaster Jar, unlocking the rich fragrances of Christ and His love to rescue both you and me from sin's grasp. As Jesus urges in John 5:39, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." Welcome to the Alabaster Jar Ministry, where we delve into the Old and New Testaments, discovering God's boundless lovingkindness toward us from the dawn of time to the ultimate triumph over sin, leading us into an eternity of peace. Amen!
Why were Adam and Eve banished from the Garden of Eden? They were banished from the Garden of Eden so they could not eat from the Tree of Life and become immortal sinners. Genesis 3:21-24
