Wasting Our Lives for the Worthy One (Mt. 26:1-16)

Here’s my message from July 13th, 2025. You can also hear the audio here.

Last week, we watched a video update from the Glossons - some former Karis members serving in Japan. Megumi is native Japanese. But take Drew. He’s been over there for years, doing all he can to learn perhaps the most difficult language in the world. He’s there, with his family, in one of the most unreached countries of the world, doing his best to share the gospel - at least with the Japanese words he knows - and he sees a very meager amount of converts - maybe what you can count on one hand.

Picture a sister in Christ. She majored in social work - even got a master’s degree, after that - to try to help kids without families. She’s given her life to that mission. And the needs are all around her. But she spends every day beating her head against the wall. Not nearly enough funds. Paperwork for days. Too many needy kids. Not enough parents. And then she has to hear about politicians with chainsaws. She spends weeks and weeks on a case. A victory is right around the corner. And she gets the rug pulled out - right from under her. Really the kid does. And she experiences that pain - all - the - time.

Now so many would look at both of those stories and shout, “What the heck are they doing? How in the world could you possibly give yourself to that? You’re wasting your life!” And we’d have to admit that reaction is understandable. But maybe there’s something bigger going on. Some reasons to keep fighting. A greater story. A better reason.

The King Predicts His Death

We’re transitioning now in Matthew to the conclusion of the book. We’ll be in here ’til Advent. So don’t expect us to rush. For this is the climax of this gospel.

Today’s text finishes up the final block of five cycles of stories and sermons that we’ve seen here in Matthew. And after each one we’ve seen a sentence like what’s found in chapter 26, verse 1. “When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples.” Except this time, unlike Matthew 7:28, for example, Matthew adds this word “all.” The Lord concludes His teaching. He wraps up His words. And, really His works are finished, too. That is, except for the biggest work of all. The reason why He’d come. And for the last time, Jesus reminds His disciples of that truth. He’d come to die.

Matthew 26:2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”

Jesus tells that to the twelve. And everything from this point on moves toward that cross. He makes that final prediction. And everything speeds in that direction.

How We Waste Our Lives

And it all starts, we see, the conclusion of the book, with the leaders uniting together - to put an end to Jesus once and for all. Our passage ends with them conspiring with a traitor, one of the twelve, to put Him to death.

But in between, in this sandwich Matthew makes, there’s this beautiful story of a woman, giving all she has to Jesus. We see plotting first. We then see pouring. I want to look at each of those in turn. And then we’ll end by thinking of the implications of those things.

Plotting His Death

First, we see men plotting out His death. Verses 3 and 4 tell us that the “chief priests” and “elders” of Israel are “gathered” in the palatial home of their chief leader, the “high priest,” a man named “Caiaphas.” Most of the time, we think of unity in positive terms. But people come together around evil all the time. And that’s certainly what’s happening here. They want the Lord Jesus dead. And they will work together - and involve the Romans, as well - to get the job done.

But they don’t want it to be public. No matter what they might feel or say, they’re not strong leaders. They’re weak men. They are. They know Jesus is popular. And they fear the populace. And uprisings are quite common. They don’t want a riot. And killing Him during the Passover was sure to bring one about. With millions of extra people, having pilgrimaged to that city, it was a potential powder keg. They need it to be secret. And to wait a few more days. They can’t handle an explosion.   

But then they’re approached by a traitor. Verse 14 tells us Judas comes to them. And asks them for a price. “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” he asks them in verse 15. And they give him “thirty pieces of silver.” There is a clear allusion here to Zechariah chapter 11. But that specific amount is mentioned back in Exodus 21. As the price someone had to pay if his ox somehow gored and killed another man’s slave.

This wasn’t much money. Not way back then. But especially not in Jesus’s day. Yeah, inflation is real - even then. Maybe equivalent to five to seven thousand dollars? But really it communicated something: that’s all Jesus is worth - to those priests and elders. To that disciple, Judas. But what was it he was selling for those silver coins? An opportunity for them to arrest the Lord discretely. Something we’ll get to soon.

But we need to ask the question why. Why’d they want Him dead? Why would Judas join in? The religious leaders fear losing power. They’re protecting their status, their way of life, their wallets. Jesus was certainly a threat to all that. As for Judas, we’re not really sure. Maybe it was the money, although it was a paltry amount. But maybe his hopes were dashed. Jesus was going to be that King, who’d really make them great again. That’s what they thought. He’d remove those Roman oppressors. He’d restore their nation to prominence. But now, He’s talking about His death. Maybe it was time to cut your losses. Michael Card conjectures, maybe Judas even thinks, “If he’s going to act like a slave, then we’ll treat him like one.” But either way, this is the greatest act of treason, of treachery, that the world has ever seen.

But this kind of thing still happens today. When we turn our back on Jesus to experience sex on our terms. When we betray our relationship with Him - and others - to beef up our bank accounts. When we excuse vile acts and endorse evil policies - all as a grab for power. When we betray everything we profess we believe because we think we’ll regain influence. We display what Jesus really means to us. Just a means to our heinous ends. This is nothing new, my friend. They sold him out back then - and then, right to His face. We do this all the time today. And just as in those days, we sure shouldn’t join in. Or we’ll face the same fate of these villains and this traitor.

But I want to set it all in context here. There are a couple of themes here that are important for us to see. First the sovereignty of God and our accountability to Him. Notice: the wicked religious leaders are mapping out their wicked plans. They’re plotting His death. And Christ has been saying it’s been the plan all along. Three other times, He’s told the twelve around Him, I’m headed to the cross. Look at Matthew 20. These leaders are going to come after me. They’re going to hand me over to the Gentiles. And I’ll be tortured and killed.

This doesn’t take the Lord by surprise. God wrote the story long before. As Peter later puts it, “before the foundation of the world” (1 Pet. 1:20). This isn’t just something that “happens” to Jesus. He knows it’s coming. He willingly accepts it. The same apostle explains it this way, in a sermon in Acts chapter four:

Acts 4:27   for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

As these men are doing their plotting, it was always a part of God’s plot. But in a way we can’t fully understand, they’ll all be held accountable. They’re freely choosing what they desire. They’re all fully responsible. Catch what Peter preaches just a couple of chapters earlier, in chapter 2, verse 23. “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” This was always God’s plan. But you willingly put Him to death! They’re doing what they think they want. But even then, they fail. Because the King is on the throne. They desperately want to avoid the Passover. But Christ was to be the perfect Paschal lamb. And of course, don’t forget. He’s gonna rise from the dead.

Think also of Judas. He willingly hands over Christ. And he will pay for that crime. But over in John 17, the Lord says He’s just fulfilling the Scriptures. Likely Psalm 41:9. He calls him “the son of destruction.” Who was doomed to be lost. Elsewhere, over in Luke, Jesus predicts the betrayal of Peter and He promises that disciple - Satan is going to shake you. But “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:31-32). Why doesn’t He do that for Judas? We’re not really sure. We can’t understand His ways. But God lets him go His own way. The wicked Jewish leaders - and the traitor Judas Iscariot - are clinging to their power and trying to hold it over Jesus - while they’re all truly powerless. Just walking out the plan of our God.

Now these are truths we also have to remember for ourselves. The King is ruler. His plans will come to pass. The King is judge. He’ll hold all people accountable. In the midst of this crazy world, we can trust the bigger plot. And that a true King is on the throne. But at the same time, we have to take responsibility for our choices. And realize we’ll be held accountable. Along with those around us. And especially the rulers of this world. Sure it raises questions. But somehow it all fits. And it should strengthen our faith. And fill us with fear. Looking at these villains. But also our heroine.

Now this passage is full of contrasts. And as we transition to the next aspect of this passage, I want you to picture one here. Mizzou basketball. We’re playing our rivals to the south. I think back a couple of years ago to Arkansas’s wild, out-of-control coach at the time, Eric Musselman. You look at him on the sideline, and his eyes are bulging, he’s foaming at the mouth, he’s running up and down the sideline screaming and carrying on. And then you look over at our coach, Dennis Gates on the other bench, and he’s standing there. His arms are crossed. Not much of an expression on his face. He’s completely in control. Back to our passage. All this crazy stuff is happening here. The powers trying to take Him down. And what do we see Christ doing? He’s chilling at a table, fellowshipping with his friends. The evil leaders are conspiring. Christ is here reclining. They’re stressing. He’s resting - He’s enjoying - His sovereign Father’s care. And He knows the awful things that are coming.

Pouring Her Life

With that, let’s move on to that next scene, again found in the middle of this “sandwich.” There’s this cutaway. Where we second see a woman pouring out her life. Christ is staying outside the city, during this final week. Verse 6 says He’s about two miles out, in this small town called Bethany. This is where His dear friends live - Lazarus whom He raised from the dead, and his two sisters, Martha and Mary.

John 12 tells us that Mary here is this woman. They’re in the home of Simon, a leper Jesus had apparently healed. Martha her sister is buzzing around, getting everyone served. While Mary grabs this flask, verse 7 recounts, of expensive perfume, likely imported all the way from India. And she does something common. Anointing an important person. But instead of sharing just a few small drops, she breaks the flask’s neck and dumps it all over Jesus’s head. And the disciples seated with Him begin to freak out.

Now this was no small gift, for sure. John 12:5 tells us it’s Judas who cries out. “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” A denarius was about what a worker made in a day. So this flask was worth about a whole year’s wages. This was a massive sacrifice. Paul Miller says it was very likely her dowry. The money paid to a groom’s family. On the day she got married. This represents far more than the maybe $25,000 dollars of perfume in that bottle. Again, likely worth five times what Judas walked away with. She’s giving Jesus everything. Her future, for sure. That’s what Jesus is worth to this woman.

The men again protest, it says in verse 8. Why wasn’t this given to the poor? “Why this waste?” Says the disciples of DOGE. Judas’s motives - we question them. But, for the disciples, it’s really an understandable question. It’s not hard to step in their shoes. Right? There were plenty of poor people all around, for sure. The giving of alms was something the Jews really valued. And Jesus had just reminded them of their calling to care for the “least of these.”

But this is a classic case of missing the point. Jesus says she’s done a “beautiful thing.” He silences them. He defends Mary. And He explains why in a couple of different ways, starting in verse 11: “For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.”

He cares for the poor far more than they ever could. He’s just saying, “You’ll always be able to do that. I'm standing right here now. And she’s showing me honor. Something you should be doing, too. Seize this opportunity, my friends!”

But He also gives something else. Verse 12: “In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial.” Now it’s doubtful Mary really gets this at all. The disciples really struggled to comprehend His death. But it’s what she’s also doing. Jesus is going to die just a couple of days ahead. As a common criminal, hanging on a cross. And the bodies of such men weren’t prepared for the grave. They weren’t anointed - before placed in the tomb. But Jesus gets that honor - through her action, and by her affection. And for this she’ll be remembered for ever.

Did you catch those words in verse 13? “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.” Now this is found in at least three gospels. Maybe four, but there’s some debate about that. But the Lord makes this promise. And we’re hearing her story today. She’s famous for this act - of pouring out her life for Jesus.

Now here’s something you’ve maybe heard and have just accepted as “gospel.” The Bible is oppressive toward women. It just pushes them down. Check your brains at the door. Put down your MacBook and get going as a maid. But that’s absurd. People act like women were treated with value for all of human history and then somehow Christians came and messed it all up. But it’s really to the contrary. No, history has been a story of men conquering and pillaging and then grabbing the women and abusing and subjugating them. Jesus comes along and restores their dignity and worth. Calls them members of His kingdom band. Makes them the hero of stories like this. Rebecca McLaughlin writes:

“True Christianity flips the script on the marginalization of women that characterizes many traditional cultures and gives them equal status before God, with a whole new role to play of witnessing to the gospel of Jesus and loving others in his name.” (Rebecca McLaughlin)      

This woman’s love will never be forgotten. And neither will ours be. Sure, we’re not in the Bible. They may not write about us in books. But the Lord sees. He’ll remember.

There’s another couple of themes that are important to see here. Second the glory of Jesus and the worship He deserves. The Lord looks at Mary’s act and calls it a “beautiful thing.” But she pours out this offering because she sees beauty in Him. She sees Him in His glory. In Him is ultimate good. She recognizes that. Think about what this communicates about Him. And what it means that He receives this act of love. Jesus is God. You don’t do this for just a dude. He is deity. He is glorious.   

As far as Mary’s concerned He is worth her everything. So she grabs and smashes that jar. And that’s an act of worship. That starts out in her heart. As she sees how satisfying He is. Compared to Him, everything else seems worthless. He alone is worthy. And that glorifies Him so much. While the villains in this story run after worthless things - they truly waste their lives - Mary pours herself out to the One with true worth. And that’s what worship truly is. Tim Keller once explained it this way:

“The word ‘worship’ is from Old English ‘worth-ship’ — the ascribing of highest worth. Whatever you value or love the most — whatever is your greatest source of significance and security — you are worshipping in your heart. Worship in church is just an expression of that.” (Tim Keller)

We all worship something, worship someone. It’s not if we worship. It’s whom or what we worship. What those men call waste, He calls worship. We all waste our lives on something - our time, our energy, our money, our passion - it gets spent somewhere. But is it on something that is truly worthy? Is it something that truly will last? Our love for Jesus will never be forgotten. But it also will never truly be wasted. In Him, we’ll find all we’ve ever wanted.

Hear these words from Jon Bloom:

“Both Mary and Judas had hedonistic motives. Neither was driven by stoic duty. Both pursued the treasure they believed would make them happy. To Mary, Jesus was the priceless Pearl (Matthew 13:45). She wanted that Pearl more than anything. To Judas, thirty pieces of silver was a fair price for the Pearl. Judas’s sin wasn’t that he wanted happiness. His sin was believing that having money would make him happier than having Christ.” (Jon Bloom)

In Jesus is lasting treasure, Karis!

While these religious leaders and Judas are betraying, Mary here is bowing. They’re trying to pad their wallets, while she is pouring out her heart. She’s rejoicing, she’s reveling, in the love of her Lord.   

Picture a woman at a concert. Her favorite artist is in town. She’s looked forward to this date for months. The singer-songwriter is up on his covered stage. Playing her favorite tunes. And she’s mesmerized. Eyes closed. Singing along every word. Shaking her hips along with the rhythm. And it starts raining. The winds start blowing. And the people around her start slowly walking away. One by one until she’s left all by herself. But she’s enraptured by the music. By the gifts of her favorite artist. And she won’t leave. Now that’s love. And that’s what we see here. She isn’t concerned about herself. And not about what others think.

Pouring Our Lives Out For Jesus

And that’s the love I want to call you to today. We sing this song in Karis, called “Lead Us Back.” We’ve done it for years. It’s a song of repentance. But it has two variations of this critical line. “Favor sings a siren tune.” “Comfort sings a siren tune.” What in the world, you might ask, could that refer to? Well, it comes from a story from Greek mythology - about Ulysses and Jason. Ulysses and his sailors had to pass the infamous island of the Sirens on one adventure. And that island was known for being the end of most ships that traveled by.

The outward beauty and wonderful singing of these creatures - called the Sirens - would distract the sailors. And that would cause them to crash their ships on the rocks. The Sirens would then attack and devour those men. “Favor sings a siren tune.” “Comfort sings a siren tune.”

Those are those words we sing. And those are the same songs that tempted these men betraying Jesus. This is what these men gave themselves to. Power and pleasure and prestige are drawing them. They point their ship straight toward things that aren’t worthy. And they crash. They go to their demise. And we are endangered by those same songs today.

Here was Ulysses’s approach. He had his crew put wax in their ears. That would block out their songs. And his crew would be safe. But he chose to have someone tie his body to the mast. He wanted to still hear their music, but not throw himself into the sea. He thought he’d just dabble with it, but not be completely destroyed. Those are the rules we set up ourselves. The legalistic approach. Our hearts still chase after those things, but we try to outwardly fight them off. But it never works.

Jason and his crew came by and they took a much different approach. He brought along a man named Orpheus, an exceptional musician. He sang and played his lyre. And it grabbed the crew’s attention. The sound was enchanting.

As Jason’s ship passed the island of the Sirens, they used no earplugs. And Jason didn’t tie himself to anything. He told his boy Orpheus to strike up a song, and they were all overwhelmed. By the beauty, the glory. They couldn’t even hear the Siren music at all. Jason and his men overcame temptation with something great. A better love. And that’s what Mary does here. And what I’m calling us to, also. To fix our eyes on Jesus. To pour out our hearts to Him. To focus our hearts on the most worthwhile thing of all. Can you hear the music? Do you see His glory, Karis?

This is an invitation: for us to give our lives to the One who gave Himself for us. Will we do that together? Fill our eyes with His beauty? Fill our ears with His song? We can first trust Him, Karis. He is in control. He rules over everything. He is the sovereign one. There’s no need for plotting. He’s already written the story. And it has a happy ending. He rules over everything.

He is second worth it, Karis. He is good. There is no one more satisfying, more exhilarating, more beautiful, more glorious than Jesus. There’s no need to go elsewhere. He is worth our everything. Let’s pour all we have out to Him. Let us give our lives to the One who gave Himself for us.

And let me be really clear here. It would be easy to hear all these words and think what I’m saying is just about service. Keep pouring out. Giving yourself. Don’t hold anything back. Keep going and going. Until you crash and burn. But this is not what Mary’s doing. And you know the other story about her? The one that involves her sister, Martha? Over in Luke 10, Martha’s frantically running around serving. And Mary’s sitting there at Christ’s feet. Martha gets more and more hacked. And she waits for Jesus’s rebuke. But wait! She’s the one He corrects. Matthew says, in verses 41 and 42:

Luke 10:40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Here Mary is again. Modeling love again. Choosing what’s good. The thing that’ll truly last. But we need to sit at Christ’s feet, also. Times of solitude and silence. Hours in Scripture and prayer. Not just as fuel to power us as we do ministry. But done for its own sake. For HIs sake. To spend time with Jesus. To give everything to Him. Because He is the worthy One. To be satisfied in Him. And to bring Him glory. You see our faith isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about glory, Karis.

And the gospel isn’t just about propositions, a list of facts that we memorize and share. It’s a person. The good news is really Jesus Himself. That He is so beautiful, so wonderful. That He fulfills every desire we could ever imagine. And He meets all the needs we don’t even know that we have.

He’s our joy, our hope. That’s our message. Our faith. One that will survive all the elements - the trials of this life. And that will outshine all the things the world has to offer. Mary here gets this. She’s fixated on her Lord. And that’s why I think Jesus said her story would be told, “whenever the gospel is proclaimed.” We see that kind of love in her. And we’re called to that love, as well. To pour ourselves out. To see Him as the very best news we could hear.

Our Calling to Die for Him

So Jesus tells His disciples here, “I’m heading to the cross.” And there, He dies for our sins. We can be completely forgiven. By opening our lives up to Him. He pours Himself out for us, emptying Himself on the cross.

But Jesus doesn’t just walk around handing out this gift. He calls people to follow Him, to become His disciples. And elsewhere in Matthew, you may remember, He gives us these words.

In Matthew 16:24, He says. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” We, too, are commanded to head to our death. This is our mission, also. It’s our passion, too. To give our lives to the One who gave Himself for us. And as we do this, we believe it’s worth it. For the worthy One. And that’s what the Lord promises us. Right? The next words, there in verse 25: “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

The world may say, “You’re a fool - if you give yourself to that. Caring for the poor and the hungry. The prisoners and immigrants. Telling that story. Enduring that abuse. You’re wasting your time, really wasting your life!” Thus they say as they pour themselves out for things that are worthless. Plotting out their lives, pursuing pleasure and power, while the One who poured Himself out for them stands right in front of them, holding up His pierced hands and feet.

But don’t we know better? Though, we’re tempted the same? You may have heard of the missionary Jim Elliot. He picked up and moved to Ecuador - to share the gospel there, back in the 1950s. He and his friends try to gently build a relationship - with this tribe deep in the jungle. They fly over several times in a plane, communicating through a loudspeaker, dropping down baskets of gifts. Until they think the time is right. They set up a camp near there. 10 warriors come out. Jim and a friend approach them to talk. And they immediately get speared.

You may have heard his famous words: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Karis, pouring our lives out to Jesus is never a waste. It’s a beautiful thing. And always worthwhile. Let’s give our lives to the One who gave Himself for us. Let us waste our lives for the One who’s truly worthy. Let’s pray.