How To Worship
Matthew 26:1-16 (ESV)
The Plot to Kill Jesus
When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
Judas to Betray Jesus
Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.
Study Guide Questions:
Observation Questions
Observation Questions focus on gathering facts and identifying key details. This can include repeated words, themes, and characters). Observation asks "what does the text say?" not "what does the text mean?" It is not intended to go into interpretation or life application yet. Observations provide a crucial foundation for accurate interpretation and application, preventing misconceptions.
What observations do you note in today's passage?
Please note that these questions are intended to help the community group member learn what types observations could be made in the passage...
What different responses do Mary, the disciples, and Judas have to the perfume being poured out?
What reasons does Jesus give for calling Mary’s act “a beautiful thing” rather than a waste?
Interpretation Questions
Interpretation Questions focus on interpreting what has been observed. The goal is to try to understand the original author's intended meaning and purpose for the intended audience. Interpretation bridges observations with life applications. It will consider key terms, explores context, and answers "why" to uncover the main point.
What are some key points that resonated with you from the message or from your observations above?
Jesus had repeatedly spoken about his coming death and resurrection. How did the disciples’ expectations of the Messiah keep them from truly hearing Jesus?
How did Mary’s anointing point to Jesus as King and to His coming burial?
What does her action demonstrate about how we are called to worship our King?
The disciples’ concern for the poor was not wrong, yet Jesus corrected them. How can a good concern demonstrate an incomplete theology?
My might Matthew have left the woman unnamed, while naming others?
Life Application Questions
Life Application questions are intended to transform knowledge gleaned from observations and interpretations to practical application in your life. These questions are intended to move the facilitator and the participant from understanding what the text meant to how it applies to daily life. Life application questions are intended to transform listeners into doers, bridging biblical truth with current circumstances to foster personal transformation and spiritual maturity.
What is your key take away from the message?
Are you so wrapped up thinking about a "good thing" that you've lost sight of the main thing? How might you begin to refocus on the main thing (Jesus) today?
What assumptions, expectations, or distractions most often get laid over Jesus’ words when reading Scripture?
How might it look for you to take the time to listen and recognize Jesus in your day to day?
Mary’s worship cost her something real. Is there an area where following Jesus feels costly enough that hesitation has set in? How might that change for you today?
Jesus calls Mary’s costly act “a beautiful thing.” What are a few practical, loving ways a person could worship Christ wholeheartedly this week—not to earn his love, but in response to it?
Care for the poor, outsiders, and vulnerable should flow from worship of Jesus. How could this group grow in both: putting Christ first and showing concrete mercy to people around them? [27:06]