1. Mark 14:3-9
3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 

2. Mark 14:3-9
6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

4. Beauty of the Cross - Jesus Anointed
Mark 14:3-9

5. Main idea
When we recognize the beauty of Christ, it leads us to do beautiful things for Him

6. OUTLINE
I. Beautiful thing in anointing Jesus (vs 3) II. Beautiful thing in God's eyes (vs 4-6) III. Beautiful thing pointing to the cross (v 7-9)

7. I. Beautiful thing in anointing Jesus
Mark 14:3 3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head.

8. I. Beautiful thing in anointing Jesus
The Beautiful thing:
The woman anointed Jesus as a King should be.
The woman sacrificed all that she had for Jesus.

9. I. Beautiful thing in anointing Jesus
APPLICATION:
What have you given in dedication to our King Jesus and what have you held back for yourself?

10. II. Beautiful thing in God's eyes
Mark 14:4-6 4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.

11. II. Beautiful thing in God's eyes
The Beautiful Thing:
This devotion and sacrifice from the woman is in direct contrast with Judas’ disloyalty with Jesus.
God knows the heart of how and why we serve Him.

12. II. Beautiful thing in God's eyes
APPLICATION Are we doing things with an eternal perspective or from a worldly perspective? Seek to live for the eternal not the temporal.

13. III. Beautiful thing pointing to the cross
Mark 14:7-9 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

14. III. Beautiful thing pointing to the cross
Beautiful Thing: The woman’s action pointed people to the cross in which Christ will lay down His life.

15. III. Beautiful thing pointing to the cross
From the NIV Application Commentary: “It is a tragic mistake for those in power to think that they are in control.” - Albert Einstein It is also a mistake for us to think that our sacrificial devotion is wasteful or insignificant. Who knows how God will use it?