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5 min readSaturated 2026: Is Jesus Worth Your Everything?
The Two Responses to Jesus
In Matthew 26, immediately after Jesus finishes his Olivet Discourse about final judgment, he tells his disciples plainly: "You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified." This is the fourth time he has explicitly stated he is going to die. Yet the disciples still hear what they want to hear. As Pastor Joby Martin puts it, "You hear what you want to hear." They believed Jesus was the Messiah but were over-realizing prophecies from Daniel, expecting an immediate kingdom takeover rather than a crucifixion.
Matthew, writing as a Jewish insider who became an outsider and was invited back as an insider, builds his case like a lawyer in a courtroom. He juxtaposes two responses to Jesus side by side: a woman pouring out extravagant worship, and Judas arranging to betray him. There is no middle road. You can love him or leave him, fall at his feet or reject him.
The Gratitude Party at Simon's House
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:00) **Opening & Setup: The Two Responses to Jesus** - Pastor Joby Martin introduces the passage (Matthew 26:1-16) and frames the entire episode around two contrasting responses to Jesus: extravagant worship vs. betrayal.
- 2 (01:38) **Jesus Predicts His Crucifixion** - Jesus explicitly tells his disciples he will be delivered up and crucified during Passover, yet they fail to grasp what he's saying.
- 3 (04:58) **The Significance of Passover** - The Passover feast is contextualized as the most important Jewish holiday, representing salvation from Egypt and pointing directly to Jesus as the ultimate Lamb.
- 4 (08:23) **The Religious Leaders Plot to Kill Jesus** - The chief priests and elders conspire to arrest and kill Jesus, motivated by fear of losing power and the people's approval.
- 5 (12:42) **The Gratitude Party at Simon the Leper's House** - Jesus is in Bethany at the home of Simon (formerly a leper), where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus host a gratitude party for Lazarus's resurrection.
- 6 (15:54) **Mary's Extravagant Worship: The Alabaster Jar** - Mary pours a year's worth of wages worth of expensive ointment on Jesus, representing her entire future, hopes, and security.
- 7 (22:28) **The Judas Rebuke: "Why This Waste?"** - Judas and others are indignant, arguing the money could have been given to the poor, but Jesus defends Mary's extravagance.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
In Matthew 26, we see two very different responses to Jesus.
Mary pours out what is most valuable to her in extravagant worship, while Judas chooses to betray Him. Her response reminds us that following Jesus means surrendering our agenda, our resources and ultimately our lives to Him.
In this episode of Deepen, we unpack what this passage teaches us about worship, generosity and lordship, and what it looks like to believe that Jesus is worthy of our all.
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 What Are the Two Ways We Can Respond to Jesus?
18:10 Was Mary’s Alabaster Jar Her Dowry?
22:44 Why Did the Disciples Call Mary’s Worship a Waste?
24:24 How Should We Think About the Way Churches Use Money?
27:44 How Do We Avoid Judging the Way Other Churches Worship?
34:37 When Does Criticism of the Church Become a Heart Issue?
36:34 Why Was Judas Trusted With the Money?
41:15 Did Judas Think They Would Actually Kill Jesus?
42:44 Are You the Lord of Your Life or Is Jesus?
49:56 How Could Judas See Everything Jesus Did and Still Betray Him?
51:18 What Do You Do When Jesus Does Not Do What You Want Him to Do?
52:02 What Does Lordship Look Like in the Middle of Suffering?
56:00 What Does It Mean to Be Crucified With Christ?
57:51 Is Jesus Worth It No Matter What Comes in This Life?
📌 Supplemental Resources:
• Saturated Sunday: Sermon
• Saturates Sunday: Full Service
• Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior
• Saturated 2026
The Church of Eleven22® is a movement for all people to discover and deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ. Eleven22 is led by Pastor Joby Martin and based in Jacksonville, Florida, with multiple campuses throughout Jacksonville and the surrounding areas.
To find out more about how God is moving in and through The Church of Eleven22, visit coe22.com
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