Heaven will be filled with fragrance – the sweetness of Jesus filling every one of God’s saints.
I am going to eavesdrop in a house in Bethany where a meal is being served and the guests are all men. I invite you to join me. Simon the host, no longer has leprosy but (Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, John 12:1-8) he still carries the tag – Simon the leper. Because his leprosy has been cleansed, Simon now presides in his own home with his servants and his invited guests. Probably this dinner was arranged to honour Jesus for cleansing his leprosy. We can just imagine their conversation as Simon recounts the thrilling transformation from being a reviled outcast to becoming a respected member of society. Suddenly, they were all startled and indignant (except Jesus) by the unacceptable behaviour as a woman walks in. All the men would recognize Mary, the sister of Lazarus. She ignores them and goes directly to Jesus. She brings with her, her adoration and worship and her most expensive possession. Mary’s alabaster jar contains rare and very costly perfume, worth at least a year’s wages for a labouring man. She breaks open the jar and goes right to where Jesus is reclining at the table. Now she pours the perfume on His head. Then she pours the rest of it on His feet and wipes them with her hair. The whole house is filled with the exquisite fragrance. Are you there, are you watching? Don’t miss any of this.
The disciples including Judas, the thief and betrayer, saw nothing of adoration and worship in Mary’s love-gift and they declared it a waste, while professing their questionable concern for the poor. Mary seemed to be the only follower of Jesus who understood that He had come to die. Mary came and went without a word. She expressed her love by lavishing on Him her richest treasure. Then she left as silently as she had come. Jesus rebuked the disciples and said that Mary had done a beautiful thing in preparing for His embalming and burial. He also said that the act would be remembered and discussed wherever the Gospel was preached. Back then Mary couldn’t know that to-day, more than 2000 years later, I would be inhaling that marvellous fragrance, loving her and thanking God for her.
(Dr. Swindoll) “The scene was in the mind of Samuel Stennet when he wrote the beautiful hymn – Majestic Sweetness Sits Enthroned Upon the Saviour’s Brow. Jesus had the aroma of that rich costly perfume on His head when the large thorns of the mocking crown was mercilessly forced into His scalp. That fragrance was on His feet when they hammered in the 5 inch spikes. The aroma would still be on His body when they placed Him in the tomb”.
Caiaphas was not a high priest of the order designed by God. When Rome governed Israel they appointed the high priests. Caiaphas lasted longer than any of Rome’s appointed puppets. Every time he is mentioned he is plotting and planning against Jesus. At this time Caiaphas was in a secret meeting with the religious leaders discussing how to murder Jesus. Judas must have been in cahoots with them previously because why else would they allow a disciple of Jesus into a secret meeting which was being held to discuss plans for killing Jesus. At the very time Caiaphas was planning the murder of Jesus, Jesus was inhaling Mary’s fragrant love.
What are you and I doing when mockery and hatred for Jesus is being expressed? Is our love for Him obvious or are we silent, self-protecting clams? There is no room for neutrality. We are either for Jesus or against Him. We are either on the same team with Mary or on the opposing team with Judas and Caiaphas.
Judas didn’t sell Jesus to the religious leaders, he sold himself to Satan for (Matthew 27:5) 30 pieces of throw-away-silver and became the throw-away-Judas.
The fragrance that lasts is the fragrance of LOVE. That is why we remember: -
- That Abraham (Genesis 22:9) offered Isaac
- That Joseph (Genesis 50:21) forgave his brothers
- That David (1 Chronicles 17:1) wanted to build a house for the Lord
- That Paul (Philippians 1:12) wrote letters to encourage others while he was chained in a Roman prison
- That Abraham Lincoln bought a beautiful young black woman from a slave market just to set her free.
Heaven will be filled with fragrance – the sweetness of Jesus filling every one of God’s saints.
I want to be so one in unbroken union and constant communion with the Almighty Persons of the Triune Godhead that when my earth visa expires I will leave a fragrant memory of Jesus, Whom I admire, adore and worship.
I don’t have any illusions that I’m a poet but sometimes I just have to express my wonder-filled gratitude in this way. Earth’s treasures are so paltry in the light of the holy privileges lavished upon us.
Glorious things of Thee are spoken,
Sovereign Lord of all the earth;
Through the precious Blood of Jesus
Thou hast given to us new birth.
Born anew to share the Life of Jesus,
Unending Life, the Life of God,
And the indwelling Holy Spirit
Makes plain to us God’s Holy Word