Chapter BY Chapter

Mary Anoints Jesus

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John 12:1-11

 

“Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.  Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.  Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

 

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”  He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

 

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.  You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

 

Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.  So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

 

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What did we learn from John Chapter 10?

Key verse was John 10:30.  Jesus says, “I and the Father one are.”  This means that Jesus is God.  The rest of the chapter keeps reaffirming this. 

You must get in the Jesus, God in the flesh, perfect person, complete gift of atonement, Limousine to get on the highway to heaven.  There is no other way.

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What did we learn from John chapter 11?

          Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. 

          Even the Pharisees admitted this was a sign.  They even said he performed many signs.

          What would have happened if the Pharisees believed in Jesus?

                   They would have repented and kept their positions.

          What would have happened if the Pharisees had left Jesus alone?

                   They would have been deposed by the people because of their wrongdoing.

          What did happen because the Pharisees had Jesus killed?

They persisted in their support of real insurgents like Barabbas & eventually lost their kingdom.

                   One man would die for the whole nation and the whole world for that matter. 

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Now we come to John 12 and we see that the Pharisees made plans to kill Lazarus as well as Jesus because many people were believing in Jesus on account of him. 

 

We also have the story about the woman that anointed Jesus, Mary.  She took a pint of expensive perfume, which would have cost a whole year’s wages, and poured it on Jesus’ feet.  Then she wiped his feet with her hair. 

 

This story is also in the other gospels of the New Testament, and it is important to look at them all because they recall different additional details.

 

One of the facts that show that the Gospels of the New Testament are true is that there is a body of testimony that they all include.  One of these inclusions is the story of the woman that anoints Jesus with perfume. 

 

 Matthew 26:6-13

"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 the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. 11 For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have 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.”

 

Notice this! 

 

Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

 

Only the 4 Gospels of the New Testament have this story.

          No other writings that claim to be or have a gospel of Jesus

 

This was in Bethany where Jesus raised Lazarus, at the home of Simon, a leper.  Since he was a leper and had a home in the city and was not put out, we can correctly deduce he was wealthy.

 

Mary poured the perfume on Jesus’ head. 

 

The disciples were indignant because the perfume could have been sold and given to the poor. 

 

Jesus responds by saying that Mary did a good deed to him.

          Jesus reasoning is that they will always have the poor, but they will not always have him.

          Jesus proclaims that she has prepared him for his burial.

          There he goes again.  Jesus is predicting his death.  Now he is saying it is so close that he is being prepared for his burial.

 

Wherever the gospel is preached, this story will be preached in honor of her.  Only the 4 gospels of the New Testament have this story.  This is an absolute test.  If a gospel does not have this story, it is a false gospel.  And there are such false gospels. 

 

Mark 14:3-9

"While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. 4 But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? 5 For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her. 6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. 9 Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

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Here we find out that the perfume is nard.  Spikenard had a strong, distinctive aroma, similar to an essential oil, that clings to skin and hair and continues to give off its heady perfume. It was also thought to have medicinal properties. According to Eastman’s Bible Dictionary, spikenard “is the root of an Indian plant, the Nardostachys jatamansi, of the family of Valeriance, growing on the Himalaya mountains. It is distinguished by its having many hairy spikes shooting out from one root.” The ointment prepared from the root was highly valued. Spikenard symbolized the very best in ancient cultures the way that “Tiffany diamond” or the “gold standard” does to us.  Currently, you can get a .34 ounce bottle of it for $87.55 or 500 ml for $1,342.00. 

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We also find out here that she also poured it over his head.

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The price for this would have been 300 denarii, which was about a year’s wages in that time. 

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Luke 7:36-50

"Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, 38 and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.”

"And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” 44 Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet.

46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47 For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” 49 Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” 50 And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

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Here we find out that Mary fist washed his feet with her own tears, then wiped his feet with her hair, then poured the oil on his feet.  Now it was customary for people to take their shoes off when they entered someone’s home at that time, and for the host or servant to clean their feet while they entered.  Simon, the Pharisee, who is the host here, did not even give Jesus any water to wash his feet.  Now, people in Israel in those days would lay down to eat.  There would be a short table, perhaps just a foot tall that held the food.  Participants would lay next to the table, perhaps leaning on a pillow.  So their feet would be exposed to the person next to them.  You might want the person next to you to have cleaned their feet.  Here, Mary honors Jesus with the biggest act of kindness by anointing his head and feet with the most expensive perfume that could be found. 

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It was also customary to greet one another with a kiss, but we find that the host did not even greet Jesus with a kiss.  This makes us wonder about the guest’s motive for hosting the dinner and having Jesus over.  He did not treat Jesus with a warm welcome.  Perhaps he just wanted to find an accusation to make against Jesus.  Which is what he does.  He says that if Jesus was a prophet, he would know that Mary is a sinner. 

 

Now Jesus used Simon’s objection to let him know what it is all about.  Jesus makes an analogy.

 

“A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?”  Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.”

 

So, in other words, Mary loves Jesus more than Simon.  Simon did not greet Jesus with a kiss. Mary couldn’t stop kissing Jesus’ feet.  Simon did not give Jesus water to wash his feet.  Mary washed Jesus’ feet with her tears.  Simon did not anoint Jesus’ head with oil. Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume. 

 

Then Jesus says, “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.”  Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.”  And, Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

 

Wow!  Imagine that!  Sins forgiven because of love for Jesus and Salvation by faith! 

 

Notice how people react to this:

 

The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 

 

Who is this?  Who is Jesus?  What have we been learning in the gospel of John? 

 

This is what the Gospel of Jesus is all about.  This is the whole crux of the gospel, and it is epitomized in the story of the woman that anointed Jesus with perfume.

 

We can’t get to heaven with the good deeds outweighing the bad deeds self-good works jalopy. 

 

We can only get to heaven in the Jesus paid it all and forgave us Limousine.

 

John 12:1-11

 

“Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.  Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.  Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

 

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”  He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

 

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.  You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

 

We find here 2 additional facts:

1. Judas was the one that was upset about the usage of the perfume, perhaps because he intended to pilfer some of the money.

2. Jesus also said, “You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

   • There would be additional opportunities to help the poor.

   • What was more important was having Jesus.

   • In chapter 9, we saw that the man born blind cherished having Jesus.

   • Here in chapter 12, the sinful woman whose sin was forgiven cherishes Jesus.

   • Do you cherish Jesus today?