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years fellowship with the Lord, if they judged that to anoint Him in this way was just
"waste"!
At least Christ recognized the woman's gift at its true value. He said:
"She has done a beautiful thing to Me . . . . . When she poured this perfume on My
body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is
preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her"
(Matt. 26: 10-13, N.I.V.).
The woman alone had understood what the Lord had repeatedly said about His
approaching death. The lesson for all of us is that real love is expressed by deeds not just
words. What a different place this world would be if this were constantly put into action!
The Betrayal of Judas.
While this was happening, Judas Iscariot slipped away and went to the high priests to
try to strike a bargain with them to betray the Lord. This was a gift to Christ's enemies,
for it would make the arrest of the Saviour easier. Judas asked what they would be
willing to give him and they agreed upon thirty pieces of silver (see Zech. 11: 12). If an
ox gored a servant, the owner had to pay this amount (Exod. 21: 32). It was the current
price for a slave. What a contrast this was to the woman we have just considered! She
poured the most expensive oil upon the Lord's head, whereas Judas sold his Master for a
sum that was paltry by comparison. From this moment, Judas watched for a suitable
opportunity to carry out this treacherous deed (Matt. 26: 16).
In dealing with the last week before the crucifixion, we are faced with a number of
difficulties. According to some expositors the events as detailed in the four Gospels
cannot be reconciled. But before we decide that this is so, we should take care that the
difficulties are not of our own making. There are a number of facts to be considered.
Those who have The Companion Bible should consult Appendix 156. The researches of
Dr. Graham Scroggie are helpful too.
In Matt. 12: 40 the Lord Jesus asserted that as Jonah was three days and three nights
in the sea monster, so the Son of Man would be three days and three nights in the heart
of the earth. One must also consider the phrase "after three days" (Matt. 27: 63, 64;
Mark 8: 31; 9: 31, R.V.; 10: 34, R.V.; John 2: 19), and also the passages which
speaks of "the third day" (Matthew 16: 21; 17: 23; 20: 19; 27: 64; Luke 9: 22;
13: 32; 18: 33; 24: 7, 21, 46; Acts 10: 40; I Cor. 15: 4). These two expressions
mean the same thing as is clear from Matt. 27: 63, 64 which says, "We remember that
that impostor said while He was yet alive, `after three days I will rise again'. Command
therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day".
We must remember that the Jews reckoned any part of a day as a whole day, and this
is used to explain how Christ was reckoned to be in the tomb three days, starting with
Friday. However, when the number of nights is stated as well as the number of days, the
expression ceases to be an idiom and becomes a literal statement of fact. There were not