A Passover Prophecy That You Are Fulfilling Right Now
"Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever 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"
Bethany was a village on a slope of the Mount of Olives (see also Zechariah: He Shall Stand Upon The Mount Of Olives), a short distance ("a Sabbath's day walk," see below) from Jerusalem. It was the place where the Messiah ascended to heaven (see The Ascent From Bethany and What Happened When The Messiah Arrived In Heaven?; also Who Sits At The Right Hand Of God?).
"24:50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 24:51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven." (Luke 24:50-51 KJV)
"1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
1:12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey." (Acts 1:10-12 KJV)
Bethany was one of the Messiah's favorite places, perhaps primarily because it was the home town of the sisters Martha and Mary, and their brother Lazarus who the Messiah had raised from the dead shortly before Passover (see Who Else Did They Want To Kill At Passover?).
Six days before the Passover during which the Messiah would be Sacrificed, He again visited His friends Martha, Mary and Lazarus. While there, Mary, who obviously knew that the Messiah's execution was near, took "a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment." The traitor Judas Iscariot (see The Traitor In History And Prophecy) objected to the "waste" (a blasphemous statement by Judas Iscariot in itself) of their ministry money - that Judas regarded as his own ("This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein").
"12:1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.
12:2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
12:4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, 12:5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 12:6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
12:7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this." (John 12:1-7 KJV)
A few days later, two days before Passover, the Messiah was again in Bethany, this time "in the house of Simon the leper" - a healed leper (see Heal The Sick, Cleanse The Lepers). While there, "There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat." Some believe that the woman was again Mary, who had anointed His feet a few days earlier, although only "a woman," who then anointed His head, is stated in the later event.
The influence of Judas Iscariot, or of any evil person, was and is infectious if allowed to fester (i.e. the saying "one bad apple spoils the whole bunch"; see The Spirit Of Traitors). This time "when His disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?"
The Messiah responded with a rebuke to them, as well as a prophecy that people over the centuries, andyou right now, are fulfilling once again as you read it: "Wheresoever 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." Prophecy is real. You just fulfilled one.
"26:2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. 26:3 Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 26:4 And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. 26:5 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.
26:6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 26:7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.
26:8 But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? 26:9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.
26:10 When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. 26:11 For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. 26:12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. 26:13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever 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.
26:14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, 26:15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. 26:16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him." (Matthew 26:2-26 KJV)
Fact Finder: When the Messiah said "Wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world," what is the true Gospel that He was talking about?
See What Gospel Did Jesus Preach?
