Quote:
Originally Posted by OBW
The problem with the whole thing is not that there is a NT priesthood, or that there are not specific things spoken concerning the actions that Mary took, but that there is a presumption that you can just find a common word or idea and force them together.
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OK. let's walk through this account concerning Mary in Mark 14.
The chapter begins with the chief priests and scribes coming together to plot how they might take Jesus by craft and put him to death. The chapter ends with Judas and soldiers coming from the chief priests and scribes and elders to take Him by force in the garden. In between these two is Mary anointing Jesus.
I read that to be a fulfillment of Psalm 2:2 "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed"
Now if you read Psalm 2:2 most everyone will readily admit it is referring to the crucifixion of Jesus. But without this chapter in Mark would you connect "his anointed" with Mary anointing Jesus? I wouldn't. Earlier in the gospel Jesus quoted Isaiah saying "the Lord has anointed me to preach the gospel". Likewise Jesus was baptized for ministry. But Mark in his gospel is clearly placing Mary's anointing of Jesus as being related to the prophecy in Psalm 2.
So then, immediately after this anointing they prepare to eat the Passover.
Now according to Paul, Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. The NT makes it very clear that the Passover is a shadow of Jesus crucifixion. Now according to Luke 22:7 Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. So in this Shadow Christ is the lamb that must be killed, which He explains saying this is my Body and this is my blood.
In Mark's record immediately before this passover Mary anoints Jesus body for the burial. In the shadow she has prepared the passover Lamb, Jesus then goes and serves this to the disciples. According to the actions Mary was acting as a priest to prepare the passover lamb.
I am not forcing these things together, Mark put them together. The reference to Psalm 2:2 presents Jesus as a King. The reference to the Passover presents him as the Passover lamb. She was anointing Him as king, she was also preparing the Passover lamb. By law the Passover lamb had to be roasted with fire. Therefore it is common to anoint the lamb with oil before cooking. But regardless how you want to season the lamb you must prepare the lamb the same day that Mary anointed Jesus.
In Psalm 2:4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
What is funny is that all of these evil people grasping and clawing for power, could never understand that our king is a lamb. I understand that to refer to Christ putting the devil to an open shame at his crucifixion. They plotted, they betrayed Him, they put him on the hill of golgotha thinking they would defeat Him.
Psalm 2:6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion
There is a lot of hate and betrayal of Jesus in this story. But Psalm 2 concludes with the warning to "Kiss the Son". If you did not have Mary's anointing of the Jesus in the middle of this story it would be ugly. But with her anointing it is a beautiful story, all the more so with the black background. So yes, her service was necessary.