A Biblical Picture of Unbridled Worship For Jesus!

From the heart of Dr. Robert L. Taylor, Th.D., Bible teacher & expositor. John teaches us, “Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (John 12:3). Unbridled worship for Jesus means to worship Him with unrestrained, passionate devotion, without holding back or being inhibited. It implies a complete surrender to God in worship, expressing love and adoration without reservation. Mary is demonstrating unbridled passion for Jesus! Mary’s passion and devotion was a picture of her transformation. John says, “The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” In other words, it would have permeated the place and everyone in it. When those people went out from there following the meal, there must have been question after question: “Where have you been? Why do you smell like that?” In 2 Corinthians 2:14–16, Paul uses a similar metaphor to describe the knowledge of Christ. Paul wrote that God uses Christians in this way! It is the “fragrance” of the knowledge of God. Christians are the aroma of Christ in the world. In a very real sense, believers make Christ present on earth, as He is in them. Everywhere they travel, they symbolically “give off the smell” of the Savior to fellow Christians and unbelievers alike. Knowing God leaves God’s fragrance on us. If we can be involved in worship, then walk out, and nobody says, “Where in the world have you been?” then it’s a distinct possibility that we weren’t involved in worship in the first place. Paul speaks elsewhere of the presenting of our bodies as “a living sacrifice”—the act of dedicating one's entire being--body, mind, and actions to God! It's a continuous, active surrender of oneself, a transformation of the inner self that results in a life lived in service and worship of Jesus. In the same breath, Paul mentions "the renewing of your mind" (Rom. 12:1–2). We must ask ourselves: “Is worshipping God transforming me?” If our lives don’t exude something of Jesus’ fragrance, then we need to ponder longer on the example of Mary’s devotion. Be encouraged! Let’s get it, let’s go!