· Pastor Steve · Sermons · 2 min read
The Sweet Smell of Salvation
Did you know that the perfume Mary poured on Jesus probably stayed with Him through His trial and crucifixion? Every step He took toward the Cross carried the scent of devotion and the promise of life. Join us as we explore the 'sweet smell' of salvation. 🕊️✨
In This Sermon
The Power of Scent and Memory. An opening reflection on how smells—like jet fuel or incense—trigger vivid flashbacks and deep memories [01:35].
The Stench of Death. A look back at the raising of Lazarus, where Martha’s practicality reminds us that death, in its rawest form, stinks [07:33].
Mary’s Scandalous Devotion. Exploring the “extravagant and immodest” act of Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with a year’s worth of wages [09:29].
Judas vs. Jesus. The contrast between Judas’s legalistic “concern for the poor” and Jesus’s defense of Mary’s preparation for His burial [10:32].
The Fragrant Trail to Calvary. A moving narrative of how the scent of Mary’s perfume likely lingered on Jesus’ feet through the Upper Room, Gethsemane, and the Cross [15:06].
Theologically Related Resources:
2 Corinthians 2:15-16: “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.”
Psalm 141:2: “Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!”
The Augsburg Confession, Article IV: “Our churches teach that people cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith…”
