On February 18, 2024, Sunday Service was held at Ephesus Presbyterian Church with a sermon titled “Holy Offering” based on John 12:1-8. The story of the woman who anointed Jesus with perfume is such an important event that it is recorded in all four Gospels.
In addition, Matthew and Mark follow this event with a scene in which Judas Iscariot visits the high priest to sell Jesus. For a woman of that time, perfume was a form of savings for a wedding fund, and it could be said to represent a woman’s dreams and hopes.
When she poured it out to the Lord, Judas Iscariot saw it as a waste. Are we also like Judas Iscariot, not seeing the love contained in it and valuing it with our rational and reasonable eyes?
Pastor Kim also emphasized that this incident has a very similar character to the gospel, referring to the words, “Wherever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.”
Jesus came to earth with dreams of building the kingdom of God and love for humanity. When the prepared people rejected God’s love and rejected Him, He broke His body and poured out His water and blood. When we have a rational and reasonable mind, the woman’s alabaster jar and the body of Jesus Christ can be valued at 300 denarii of perfume and 30 pieces of silver. However, the love and devotion contained in them are priceless.
Pastor Kim concluded his sermon with the words of Ephesians 5:2. “He gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”