Bible Reading
Mark 14:3-9 “While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”
[28:44]Mark 14:22-25 “And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
[40:58]Exodus 12:1-13 “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted on the fire, with its head, legs, and inner parts. And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.”
[26:11]Observation questions
- What details in Mark 14:3–9 show the cost and finality of the woman’s gift, and how do the people in the room respond to her?
- What words does Jesus use to defend the woman, and what does He say her act was preparing Him for? [33:26]
- In Exodus 12:1–13, what was the purpose of the lamb’s blood on the doorposts, and how does Passover help set the scene for Jesus’ final days? [27:21]
- At the Passover meal in Mark 14:22–25, what do the bread and cup point to, and what future hope does Jesus mention? [41:10]
Interpretation questions
- Why does Mark place the woman’s costly devotion between the leaders’ plot against Jesus and Judas’s betrayal? What contrast does this create between worship, fear, and betrayal? [28:22]
- Jesus calls the woman’s act “beautiful” even though others call it wasteful. What does this reveal about the difference between the crowd’s way of measuring value and Jesus’ way of measuring devotion? [33:45]
- How does the Passover deliverance in Exodus help explain why Jesus’ blood is described as the blood of the new covenant? [42:56]
- The disciples respond to Jesus’ warning about betrayal by asking whether it could be them. Why is honest self-examination important for people who appear close to Jesus outwardly? [39:10]
Application questions
- What is one area of life where it is easy to offer Jesus only what feels safe, controlled, or reversible—time, money, comfort, reputation, relationships, or control? What would a more open-handed response look like this week? [45:04]
- Have you ever felt that following Jesus faithfully looked wasteful or foolish to someone else? How can Jesus’ defense of the woman strengthen you when obedience is misunderstood? [35:22]
- Mary “did what she could.” Rather than comparing yourself with another person’s gifts, resources, or opportunities, what is something God may be inviting you to do with what He has already placed in your hands? [44:20]
- Judas’s betrayal warns that a person can be near Christian activity while still withholding the heart from Christ. Are there areas where you are tempted to look devoted outwardly while quietly bargaining with Jesus inwardly? What would repentance and honesty look like? [39:14]
- Communion remembers Christ’s body given and blood poured out for sinners. How might remembering His costly grace change the way you approach confession, forgiveness, and worship? [40:34]
- Jesus gave Himself fully before asking anything of His people. How does His poured-out love free you to give, serve, or obey without trying to earn His acceptance? [47:44]
