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MARCH 15
whole world, what this woman has done will also meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow
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be told as a memorial to her.” him. Wherever he goes in, say to the master
10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is
went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. the guest room in which I may eat the
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11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and Passover with My disciples?” ’ Then he will
promised to give him money. So he sought show you a large upper room, furnished and
how he might conveniently betray Him. prepared; there make ready for us.”
12 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, 16 So His disciples went out, and came into
when they killed the Passover lamb, His disci- the city, and found it just as He had said to
ples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go them; and they prepared the Passover.
and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?” 17 In the evening He came with the twelve.
13 And He sent out two of His disciples and 18 Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, “As-
said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will suredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with
Me will betray Me.”
19 And they began to be sorrowful, and to say
to Him one by one, “Is it I?” And another said,
“Is it I?”
14:12 Unleavened Bread. Passover and the 20 He answered and said to them, “It is one of
Feast of Unleavened Bread were so closely the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish. The
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associated that both terms were used inter-
changeably to refer to the 8-day celebration Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of
that began with the Passover. Although Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of
Unleavened Bread is used here, Mark’s clear Man is betrayed! It would have been good for
intention is the preparation for Passover. that man if he had never been born.”
killed the Passover lamb. The lambs were 22 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread,
killed on 14 Nisan at twilight (Ex. 12:6), a blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and
Hebrew term meaning, “between the two said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
evenings,”or between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m.After 23 Then He took the cup, and when He had
the lamb was slaughtered and some of its given thanks He gave it to them, and they all
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blood sprinkled on the altar, the lamb was drank from it. And He said to them, “This is
taken home, roasted whole, and eaten in the My blood of the new covenant, which is shed
evening meal with unleavened bread, bitter for many. Assuredly, I say to you, I will no
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herbs, charoseth (a paste made of crushed longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that
apples, dates, pomegranates, and nuts, into day when I drink it new in the kingdom of
which they dipped bread), and wine. God.”
26 And when they had sung a hymn, they
went out to the Mount of Olives.

DAY 15:Why did Mary’s anointing of Jesus spark a controversy?
In Mark 14:3,Jesus was in the home of Simon the leper at Bethany.“A woman,”who is identified
in John 12:3 as Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, brought an alabaster flask—a long-necked
bottle made out of a special variety of marble, a material which proved to be the best container for
preserving expensive perfumes and oils. The flask contained “spikenard,” which represents two
words in the Greek that could be translated “pure nard.”The oil was derived from the nard plant,
which was native to India.That it was pure meant it was genuine and unadulterated, which is what
made it so costly.She may have simply broken the neck of the bottle so that she could pour out the
contents more quickly, an expression of her sincere and total devotion to the Lord.
Some who were there became indignant (v. 4). John 12:4,5 says that Judas was the instigator,
and Matthew 26:8 indicates that all the disciples, following Judas’s lead, were angry with Mary’s
waste of a very valuable commodity. It was valued at three hundred denarii (v. 5). Since a denarius
was a day’s wage for a common laborer, it represented almost a year’s work for such a person.This
money could have been “given to the poor.”While 11 of the disciples would have agreed to this use
of the money, the fact is the poor may never have seen it. Since Judas was in reality a thief mas-
querading as the treasurer of the 12, he could have embezzled all of it (John 12:6).
In any case,Jesus‘ answer was that “you have the poor with you always”(v.7).Opportunities to
minister to the poor are “always” available, but Jesus would be in their presence for only a limited
time.This was not a time for meeting the needs of the poor and the sick—it was a time for sacrifi-
cial worship of the One who would soon suffer and be crucified.

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