Jesus Anointed as High Priest?

Matthew 26:6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper,
7: a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table.
8:But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, "Why this waste?
9:For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor."
10:But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you bother this woman? For she has done a good deed to me.
12:For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial.
13:"Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her."

Last night we finished our June special event with the team Kid's club. It was a very successful endeavor, as new kids came to be taught how to make bowls out of clay. Our artist was Tom Casper and he has done an excellent job and showed great patience with the young people. I could tell he really enjoyed his time sharing his gift with them. They were all excited at the end of the evening when the old-fashioned ice cream truck rolled into the parking lot playing the old-time music on the special machine. We are planning another special art class in August hopefully using some sort of painting classes.

We are going to have a very busy schedule this summer at the Alliance church. We are beginning to send some of our youth to summer camp starting this weekend and for the next several weeks. Some of those going are new to the church and they are able to go for free. I am very thankful to the board for allowing this to happen, because without their support it would not be possible for them to go. In a couple of weeks, there will be a yard sale and also we are going to have free lunches in the front yard for those who are passing by the church and going to various homes for the annual community yard sales. We had a great time last year with this project. People could not believe that a church would just give out free food and not do it as a fundraiser. We also are scheduling another baptism at the end of June. Then another couple being married in July. These events are all opportunities for Christ to continue transforming lives.

I had an opportunity to teach again last night, and we were using biblical examples of people who became vessels of honor after they were washed by the word of God. One of them was that woman who anointed Jesus' head with the expensive perfume. In the Old Testament, there was a ceremony that was to be performed when a new High Priest began his position in which the person was anointed with oil. It is referenced in Psalm 133:2: Where Aaron was anointed with precious oil that ran down his head and beard and continued to flow down his robe. I haven't thought much about this lady who came to Jesus. It was the very last act of love that Jesus received before He faced His death on the cross. He thought greatly about this act of kindness, for He wanted people to always mention this persons testimony whenever the gospel is preached. It reminds me of the scripture where the disciples were trying to figure out which one of them was the greatest, and Jesus told them "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." She was the last to serve are Savior, and she has become first, for she shall be the one talked about when the gospel is proclaimed throughout the world. After Jesus left the earth, we know that He became the King of Kings, the Prophet and our High Priest. As the High Priest, was this women's sacrifice, to pour out and give up this treasure, an illustration to us that Jesus received His anointing, just as all His predecessors had?

AS I was thinking about her story, I was going back through my life, and wondering about anyone who gave that special touch of caring to me. I might have already shared this, but I will share it again. I was just finishing the first grade in elementary school, and I was walking home and I was very upset, because there was a very great possibility that I was going to fail first grade and I was going to have to repeat it. Why? Because I had not learned to read yet. I was in a class of about 30 students, and if you couldn't understand something, the teacher could not spend extra time with one on one teaching. As I was crossing the bridge over French Creek, there was a young lady who attended the Alliance college, which now has been since turned into a state prison. She began a discussion with me, and she shared with me how she was from the other end of Ohio and she missed being with her family and she had a brother who was my age. She was studying elementary education, so she sort of adopted me and every Saturday she would spend afternoons coming to my home and taking me to the library and tutoring me. In the time of just one summer, I was able to read and also was learning comprehension, but she continued tutoring me for four years. About four years ago, I was able to see her for about a half hour. She was the person who encouraged me also as an adult, to begin writing my thoughts down and sharing it with other people. This week I received a special blessing, because one of the posts, I recently wrote about, affected many family members of a young boy named Sammy,and I want to give all the thanks and praise to Christ, because of that special day long ago when I met that woman on the bridge, who was sent by God for such a time as this.