Shalom and welcome to V’ahavtah Yisroel. A Hebrew phrase which means you shall love Israel. We hope you’ll stay with us for the next 30 minutes as our teacher Dr. Baruch shares his expository teaching from the Bible. Dr. Baruch is the senior lecturer at the Zera Avraham Institute based in Israel. Although all courses are taught in Hebrew at the Institute Dr. Baruch is pleased to share this weekly address in English. To find out more about our work in Israel. Please visit us on the web at loveisrael.org. That’s one word love israel.org. Now here’s Baruch with today’s lesson.

Dr.Baruch:

Is Passover important to you? Many times I talked to believers in Yeshua. I’m speaking about Messiah Jesus. And they hear Passover and they think, well, that’s for Jewish people not for us believers. But we need to understand the apostle Paul in first Corinthians said that Messiah, he is our Passover. So if he’s our Passover, Passover should be very important to us. And in order to understand who he is, what he has done, what he’s going to do, we need to understand Passover in a very clear matter how the scripture reveals it. To get your Bible and look with me to the book of Mark in chapter 14. For the next several weeks we’re going to be looking at Passover. The final Passover of Jesus’s ministry. What he did by laying down his life, rising from the dead, all the events surrounding these two things.

Dr.Baruch:

And they’re all placed within the context of Passover. In fact, the scripture says that these festivals what so oftentimes people think, well, that’s just for the Jewish people. The scripture says in Colossians chapter two that these things are a shadow of that which is to come. And what are we speaking about? The kingdom. So if you’re interested in the kingdom of God the festivals of Israel are going to teach you a great deal about that kingdom. That passage when it says these are a shadow of things which are to come the substance that is what cast the shadow is Messiah. So to be interested in Messiah, wanting to serve him, walk with him, worship him. Passover is foundational. Now in this passage that we’re going to look at from Mark chapter 14 we see that Messiah emphasizes who he is in light of this festival.

Dr.Baruch:

And look at how the gospel reveals it. Verse one. Now, just so you’re going to be aware how I’m reading this is probably somewhat different than you see it in your text. Why? Because I’m translating it very literal. I’m following and paying attention to the word order so that we can encounter the scripture exactly as it was written. So verse one begins and it was Passover. Now let me ask you a question. When you hear that term Passover what comes into your mind? Well, probably most people simply think of the Exodus out of Egypt. That’s very good, but not enough. When we understand Passover from a historical standpoint. From a scriptural standpoint. What we see is that there’s a relationship between Passover and death. And we’re going to see that in this verse. Also, Passover is the festival of redemption. We’re talking about redemption of sin and what the rabbis of old taught. What the prophets of even an older time epic taught is that there’s no redemption from sin without the shedding of blood and blood is synonymous with life or death.

Dr.Baruch:

So when it says in this first verse, and it was Passover, we need to think about death and redemption. And we know that to be the Redeemer is why Messiah Yeshua entered into this world. Look again at verse one. It was the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread. Now literally that term is matzot and it’s in the plural. We don’t usually say that. We don’t say the feast of unleavened breads, but the feast of unleavened bread. But in the Hebrew and here in the Greek it’s in the plural. Why? Because you just don’t eat matzot this unleavened bread once and that’s it. You eat it for a period of seven days. And that’s significant because seven relates to holiness and purity. And we see that there’s a relationship between the power of redemption. That is the outcome of redemption and holiness.

Dr.Baruch:

That’s what Messiah entered into this world to do. To deliver us from death. That is sin. And to cause us to be a Holy people. A peculiar people sanctified for his plans and his purposes. Again, verse one, it was Passover the feast of unleavened bread after two days. Now I realized that in most of your scriptures that phrase “after two days” is what initiates the verse, but not so in the original texts. And let me ask you a question. What do we know about after two days? Now it’s very significant how this phrase is given to us because good scholars understand that the phrase after two days tells us nothing about time. Why do I say that? Well, if I were to give you a hundred dollars and I say, I’ll give it to you after two days, if I give it to you on the third day have I kept my word? Absolutely. What about the 30th day?

Dr.Baruch:

Well, yes. What about 300, 3000? Does it make any difference? As long as it’s after two days I’ve kept my word. So the point here is this, when it says after two days it’s not an emphasis upon time because we don’t know. What is being emphasized is the number two and that’s important. Because once again, we’re looking at Jewish literature written in Greek, but Jewish literature. And the number two speaks about a dichotomy. Usually two divergent opinions. And what we’re going to see here is there’s Messiah’s standpoint, his position, his purposes, the will of God. And there’s also going to be that of everyone else’s. That is of the high priests and the scribes, the disciples, everyone else is missing out on what God’s will, His position is all about. So it says after two days and what continues? The high priests and the scribes they were seeking how Him.

Dr.Baruch:

Now in this passage it’s awkward because the word him referring to Messiah takes a lead position. It’s to emphasize Him. So they were seeking how Him, they could seize and do what and put to death. Now that’s important because the first thing that we learned it was Passover. Passover relates to what? Death. And the verse ends with them wanting to put Messiah to death. Now, redemption I said involves death, but death with a purpose. Messiah came into this world to die. But these individuals they weren’t wanting Him to die for that purpose. They had a diversion and different understanding, and that’s why the number two appears. Well, let’s move on to verse three. These high priests and these scribes they were saying though, not at the festival lest there should be an uproar of the people.

Dr.Baruch:

Now, they didn’t want him to die on Passover. Why? Because Passover is one of the three Jewish festivals that every male, 20 years and older had to be present to go up to Jerusalem. So the place was full and it says because of the people. What does that mean? Well, there are times when Messiah’s popularity was less. For example, if you look some time at the book of John chapter six. Messiah gave some very hard teachings and many turned away. But at the end, this thin period, this time we know something. He was very popular. More people were coming to him. Why do I say that? Well, if you look at other gospels you will find that one of the things that he did before entering into Jerusalem was to raise Lazarus from the dead. Here again biblically speaking there’s a relationship between resurrection and the kingdom.

Dr.Baruch:

The one who is Lord or master of the resurrection is the King of the kingdom, Messiah. So many people were coming to the belief at least entertaining the possibility, yes this one Yeshua [Foreign 00:09:45]. That is Jesus of Nazareth. He is the Messiah. He’s going to usher in the kingdom. And therefore he was very popular and the leaders, well, they didn’t want to do it in front of all the people, but God’s sovereign and Messiah because his death is going to be a death that brings redemption. He’s going to die, lay down his life on Passover. Look on into verse three. And he was in Bethany. Literally and we’ve talked about this. This town is called Beth-any, house of the poor or the afflicted ones. And it’s very significant that Messiah never stayed in Jerusalem. He would always depart from Jerusalem at nighttime and go and stay in Beth-any. Showing his affinity with those who are suffering and hurting.

Dr.Baruch:

Those who are afflicted. He came in the world to minister to them. So he went out to Bethany and that’s where he was. He was at the house of Simon the leper. Now, most people just say, “Okay, that’s a fact.” It confirms a historical event. There was a man named Simon. He was a leper. And this is where Messiah ate that night where this event that we’re going to talk about took place. Well, there’s much more to the story than that. Every bit of information, everything that’s included in the scripture has a purpose. And we know something, Simon the leper. Well, he wasn’t a leper at that time because Messiah could not enter into his house because of impurity. Simon couldn’t be living in the city. So he was a leper, but now healed. And that speaks volumes. Why? Because one of the works of Messiah, let me state it in a different way.

Dr.Baruch:

One of the signs that Messiah is with us is that lepers are going to be healed. So the fact that Simon was leper and Messiah was there. It gives a messianic God context to this passage. So once again there’s this meal taking place. And it says and probably your Bible says that they were just sitting down, but literally it uses the word reclining. Why is that important? Well, there is a commandment. When we eat the Passover to be reclining. This wasn’t the Passover, but Passover was near and there’s two types of meals in the Hebrew language. There’s a word arohhah which simply means a typical meal, but there’s also the word seudah. And that word seudah means a meal for the sake of a mitzvah. And because that word appears there, we are led to believe that perhaps that was at a Shabbat. A Sabbath meal, and because that had religious connotations to it more often than not the men would eat at one section and the women would eat at another.

Dr.Baruch:

And what happens? Well, keep reading in this passage of scripture. It says that they were at Simon’s house. They were reclining. And what takes place? A woman enters in. A woman comes before him. Now that’s significant because whenever women take the forefront of a passage according to the sages of old, and we see this as very true in the biblical writings. Whenever a woman has the forefront of a section it gives us a new context, or it reinforces the same context, which is redemption. There is a relationship between women and redemption in the scripture. So once again, if we missed it, when it says it was Passover, what should enter into your mind? Redemption. A woman takes a forefront. What should enter into your mind? Redemption. That’s the context of this scripture. And remember what we learned. There’s no redemption without death. And she comes before Messiah and she has some something of great significance.

Dr.Baruch:

She has an alabaster box of a certain type of perfume, nard. It was liquid. And it was as it says, very expensive. Now she came for a purpose. She broke that alabaster box and it says that she poured this perfume upon his head. Now, once again, words are important. It simply says that she poured this liquid perfume upon his head and notice the response. Now remember the context is after two days. Remember what we learned about two. Two has to do with a divergent opinion. She’s doing this as we’ll see for a specific purpose. This woman understands what redemption is about. This woman understands who Yeshua is, why he came into this world. It’s Passover. Passover relates to death. She understands and will see this. She understands that shortly he’s going to lay down his life. He’s going to die, but the others who are there, most likely the disciples they missed out.

Dr.Baruch:

Even though Yeshua said over and over and over, I’m going to go up to Jerusalem for Passover. I’m going to be turned over to the high priest and the elders. Condemned to death. Given over to the Romans and crucified. He says it over and over, but the disciples never take a hold of that. They never act upon that truth. They’re not thinking about what God has said. They have a diversion opinion. And we see that in verse four. For there were some there who became indignant. That is literally they became angry within themselves. And not just within themselves they spoke. It says for what a waste. So here’s this woman coming forward and she has this expensive bottle of perfume. And she pours it out upon Messiah as an act of adoration, love and all show with a prophetic significance. A prophetic significance that’s in line with God’s purposes and plan.

Dr.Baruch:

And what did they say? Well, these individuals they become angry and they say, “What a waste that she has done for it would have been possible…” Verse five “… for it would have been possible for this perfume to be sold for more than 300 denarius.” Now pay attention to that number 300 denarius. One dinar is a day’s labor. That is the amount of money that a common worker would receive in a day. For 300 denarius we’re talking about it’s an idiom. A year’s salary. So here’s this woman, and this is her prized possession. She is in Bethy-any. Bethany, a place of poverty. But somehow or other she has this expensive perfume worth one year’s salary. And what does she do? She breaks the bottle in order to pour it upon his head. And she did it out of love, adoration, understanding what was going to take place on Passover. That he was going to lay down his life.

Dr.Baruch:

He was going to die. And what happens? These individuals the men there more than likely the disciples. They become indignant towards her. They say what a waste. And they begin to what, well, they begin to trouble or vex her. And they begin, look at it. They said this could have been sold and been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. Literally that word is more, they were rebuking her. Now imagine how she felt. Here she comes humbly. In fact, in Matthew’s gospel, it says that she throws not pours it, but almost throws it upon him. Now that shows humility. Distance. She comes in and she just very carefully, but very humbly anoints him. And what happens? People begin to criticize, put her down, saying what a waste. You’ve done the wrong thing. And here again, they’ve missed out.

Dr.Baruch:

They don’t have God’s mindset. They do not know what the plans and purposes of God are. Even though Messiah told them over and over. Verse six, Yeshua. Now we’re going to see the right opinion, but Yeshua said, leave her alone for why are you troubling her. A good work she has done for me. Now, literally this word for me, didn’t really translate it literally, because it’s a word. This preposition is basically a preposition that shows closeness. It’s awkward here, but it’s the emphasize how her act. What she did was to show how close she was to him in adoration, love, commitment, and understanding. So he says, leave her alone. Don’t bother this woman because she has done something. She has done a good work for me. Verse seven. For always the poor you will have with you.

Dr.Baruch:

And whenever you want you are able to do to them a good deed, but me here again, emphatic. Now it keeps talking about here, him, him and him. Now, why is that important? Well, it is a pretext that these individuals, these men are saying it could have been given to the poor. The only one that’s going to speak here in a few minutes is Judas. We know that Judas he was the treasurer of the group. We also know the scripture says emphatically that he was stealing from that. So it wasn’t so much that they were thinking about the poor. They were thinking of themselves. When saw that money from their standpoint, just being poured out upon him they thought what a waste, but what he’s saying concerning her she did it to him. The emphasis of her life, her behavior, her actions was him.

Dr.Baruch:

And that should cause us to pause for a moment and ask ourselves some important questions. By our actions if someone saw how we live, would they discern from our actions, from our word, from how we handle our finances, that He Messiah Yeshuah that we adore him, that we understand his purposes of his plans. And do other see how significance he is in our life? Would they know that we’re a follower of his. That he’s our Lord and our savior. That we worship him. That we’re called to surrender our life to him and his purposes. Would other see that? Well for this woman they did. And they weren’t happy about it. They totally missed out on the significance. Look, if you move to verse eight, Messiah is still speaking and says, and she has done what she has done. She’s done. And this uses a very interesting expression.

Dr.Baruch:

It’s a word pro lambano. Why is that important? Because word pro means before. Lambano means to take or receive. And what we see here is this because of her adoration to him what she was doing, she was responding to what Messiah was going to be doing. She was doing it beforehand. That is, she was ahead of what God was up to. That’s a good thing. We should wait for where God is working and moving and then run to it. We should be there waiting for him. And that’s what the word of God and the spirit of God will lead us to be. To be positioned exactly where the spirit of God is going to move. So it uses an expression that she brought this about early. Why? Because she did it not just out of love adoration, but it says here that she did this big for an anointing of my body. Why? For my burial.

Dr.Baruch:

Now, this is important. Why? Because of all the people on the planet, she and she alone, she was the only one that understood that Messiah was going to die on Passover. His disciples did not. The religious leaders, the scribes, the experts in the scripture, none of them. In fact, the leadership didn’t want him to die on Passover because of the people who would see it. Only this woman knew it. And let me tell you, it’s when we adore Messiah that we’re committed, that we’re not willing or unwilling to hold something back that we’re willing to give it all that we’re going to find the truth is going to be revealed to us. Now notice what he says concerning her. Look on to the verse nine.

Dr.Baruch:

Truly I say to you, whenever this gospel is proclaimed in all the world, what she has done, she’ll be spoken of as a memorial to her. Now it’s not only a Memorial to her, but it’s for us to respond like her. With this sacrificial love. This giving. This commitment. This adoration. This worship of Messiah. And notice how he unites something. The last thing that he says is that she did it as a memorial. What? To his burial. For his burial. Meaning he’s going to die. And the next thing he talks about is what? He talks about the gospel. Now what’s the proper definition of the gospel? Good news precisely about redemption. And there’s no redemption without what? Death. So this all comes together. She understood the good news that he was Messiah and that he had to die. The sad thing is this, what we’re going to see in the upcoming weeks is that even though she the only one knew he was going to die no one, not one expected him to rise from the dead.

Dr.Baruch:

We’ve already talked about it. Remember we mentioned Lazarus. Lazarus is synonymous with being raised from the dead. Resurrection. The kingdom. No one expected him to rise from the dead. Why? No one was really kingdom minded. And the best example of being not kingdom minded is what we see in verse 10. Judas. Verse 10 and Judas Iscariot one of the 12, when he saw this, how Messiah praised her. When he saw all that money, one year salary going down the drain. So to speak, he says, “That’s it. I don’t want anything to do with this.” His consumption of Messiah’s words led to nothing. He was not wanting the kingdom. He was concerned about money. Why do I say that? Look on at verse 10 and Judas Iscariot, one of the 12, he went out to the high priests and he did for the purpose. What does it say? For delivering him to them.

Dr.Baruch:

And when they heard, they were glad and they promised him money. To give. The emphasis money. That word’s first literally to emphasize it. And he began to seek a time, a good time to deliver him over. Now, Judas. He’s concerned about what? How he can position himself for what? Success in this world. How he can acquire the most. So he was willing to what? Messiah wasn’t important to him. He didn’t want to give to the things of Messiah, he wanted to receive. Not so with this woman. She took her most precious possession. Something far more valuable than what most of us possess at our homes. One years. How many people have in the bank one year salary? She didn’t have a great deal beyond that. And in one moment, because she was moved by love, adoration, understanding that he was going to lay down his life for redemption. She was willing to give it all. And that’s what God is expecting from you and me. People who are willing to lay it all down for him. My time is up until next week. May God richly bless you.

Speaker 1:

Well, we hope you will benefit from today’s message and share it with others. Please plan to join us each week at this time and on this channel for our broadcast of loveisrael.org. Again, to find out more about us please visit our website loveisrael.org. There you will find articles and numerous other lectures by Baruch. These teachings are in video form. You may download them or watch them in streaming video. Until next week may the Lord bless you in our Messiah Yeshua. That is Jesus. As you walk with him Shalom from Israel.