Introduction: Let’s face it. Jesus was born to die. He came to pay the penalty for our sins. Through His redeeming blood our sins are forgiven. Even the mock trial had to happen. Studying the last week of our Lord’s life would be well worth our time. After riding into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, Jesus gathered His disciples to celebrate the Passover. But first, His body had to be prepared for the burial. This prophetic insight was recognized by a woman who anointed Him.

1. The Anointing (Mark 14: 3-9)

“3And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. 4And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? 5For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. 6And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. 7For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. 8She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. 9Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.”

Little did the disciples know that this woman would be preparing Jesus’s body for the crucifixion and burial. After some of the disciples criticized her, Jesus spoke up and commended her by saying she had done what she could. I love that! Have we done what we could?

2. The Passover (Mark 14:12-15)

“12And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover? 13And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. 14And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? 15And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us.”

(Mark 14:22-25)
“22And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. 23And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. 24And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. 25Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

This is what is called the Last Supper. It was a commemoration of the Passover Feast that God instituted after delivering the Israelites out of Egypt. Jesus was instituting a New Covenant through His blood instead of the blood of lambs, which were to be without blemish. To this day, we still remember the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Perhaps by far, these events were the most important in human history.