John 12:1-3 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. 3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.

The Apostle John gives us a time marker in this text. This is “six days before the passover”, the last week before Jesus will die on Calvary for our sins. Almost one half of John’s Gospel focuses on the events of this week. Matthew spends a third of his Gospel, Mark about 40%, and Luke about a quarter of their Gospels focusing on this very important week. Jesus has raised Lazarus from the Grave just prior to this. If you remember from last week

John 11:53-54 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death. 54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.

As the Passover was at hand, Jesus moved from Ephraim to Bethany, about two miles from Jerusalem (John 11:18). Our Lord Jesus is the “Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, 36). Jesus Christ, God’s Only Begotten Son, must die for our sins on Calvary. His sacrifice will make payment once for our sins:

Hebrews 9:26-28 For then must {Jesus} often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Paying for our sins, Jesus will fulfill the Law of sacrifice and circumcision (Matthew 5:17-18).

Because Jesus died FOR our sins, we do not have to die IN our sins.

Lazarus sat at the Table with Jesus as a trophy of Grace. Lazarus’ death and resurrection proved once and for all that Jesus is THE Messiah, for only God has the power to impart life to the certifiably dead. Martha as the older sister to Lazarus is waiting on Jesus, feeding Him and the other men at the table. The reason for the feast is the resurrection of Lazarus. As they are meeting, we find out from the other Gospels that Jesus is NOT at Martha’s home, but at the home of Simon the Leper. Simon was not currently a leper, or they would not have been sitting with him.

Matthew 26:6-7 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. (also Mark 14:3)

It is very possible that Jesus was with both Lazarus and Simon the leper because He had healed both men from death. Lazarus was actually dead for 4 days, but the leper was considered dead – the walking dead – by all who knew him. According to Dr. Bob Peterson of the Legacy Imperative,

“Even breathing the same air as a leper was thought to be dangerous. These walking dead were forced to live outside towns in wilderness colonies, caves, tents, or garbage dumps. Lepers were required to wear distinctive clothes … to warn others that they were near. The laws demanded that they keep at least twelve steps distance, put a cloth across their mouths, and loudly repeat, “Unclean! Unclean!”

Simon had suffered a fate worst than death, a living death, before he met Jesus. So both Lazarus and Simon had been raised from the dead by Jesus. As Jesus prepares Himself to go to Calvary, I am sure what is about to occur is on His mind. If you knew you were going to die a peaceful death you would worry about it. But Jesus knew that the death that was coming for Him would be horrific.

John 12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.

Then Mary comes in. Mary has always been at the feet of Jesus, listening and learning. She has been paying attention to what Jesus has said. Jesus had repeatedly told His listeners that He was going to die for the sins of the world. John the Baptist had also repeatedly told those who followed him that Jesus was going to die for the sins of the world.

Jesus saved Lazarus from death, and Simon the Leper from a fate worst than death. But Jesus can’t save Himself from death.

Mary uses a pound of ointment – the Roman pound was about 12 ounces – of “spikenard”. This is an oil extracted from the roots and trunk of the NARD plant, also called MYRRH, the aromatic resin of the thorny Commiphora tree. One commentary notes:

“ The name ‘myrrh’ has roots in ancient Aramaic and Arabic languages. In which the words ‘murr’ and ‘mur’, respectively, denote bitterness. These terms were appropriated by many of the great languages of the ancient and modern world. Entering English from the Hebrew Bible and even inspiring the root for the Greek general term of perfume, ‘mýron’.”

The Wise Men brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11) to the young toddler Jesus while He was in Bethlehem. Myrrh was used in perfumes, as a sedative to calm the nerves when imbibed, and was mixed with Aloe when embalming a dead body.

The next time Myrrh will touch Jesus after Mary’s anointing will be when a Roman guard tried to get Jesus to drink it. The Roman soldiers used Myrrh to extend the time of the crucifixion. It is like drinking sea water when you are stranded on the ocean. It will give you a moment of relief, but then your suffering will intensify just as quickly. The Bible tells us that when they offered Jesus Myrrh (the mixture of Myrrh and Wine were called GALL)

Mark 15:23 (ESV) … they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. (also Matthew 27:34)

Jesus said (John 10:18) “No one takes My life, but I lay it down of my Own will”. Jesus would not be a plaything for the Roman soldiers cruelty. He refused the Myrrh that they put on His lips. But Jesus did not refuse Mary’s offering. This is, by the way, not Mary Magdalene, but Mary of Bethany, Lazarus’ other sister. As she anoints Jesus’ feet, it costs her something.

The ointment was “very costly”. Judas Iscariot said:

John 12:4-5 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, 5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

Spices and ointments were used in the ancient world like richer people would use gold or silver. This amount of Myrrh was valued by Judas Iscariot at “three hundred pence”, about one years wages for a blue collar worker. To put that in perspective, the average wage of a blue collar worker in Tennessee is around $50,000 per year. Mary would have had to save wages for an entire year to buy this bottle of Myrrh.

But Mary’s gift was costly in another way. In the ancient world, only mothers and servants washed people’s feet. Usually the feet were washed, and the ointment – very expensive – was dabbed on the head. Mary put this costly ointment on Jesus’ feet, saying by her actions that her gift, even though very costly, was unworthy to be placed on the Master’s head. By lowering herself down to wash the Lord’s feet, she humbled herself, saying she was in fact no better than a servant. Finally we note:

John 12:3 … {She} wiped His feet with her hair …

Jewish unmarried women did not let their hair down in public as their hair was considered “the glory of the woman” (1 Corinthians 11:15). The Bible says (NLT) “isn’t long hair a woman’s pride and joy? It has been given to her as a covering.” Mary used that which God gave her as a gift – her beautiful hair – to wipe our Lord’s feet. Morris notes in his commentary:

“The act is all the more striking in that a Jewish lady never unbound her hair in public. That apparently was a mark of loose morals. But Mary did not stop to calculate public reaction. Her heart went out to her Lord and she gave expression to something of her feelings in this beautiful and touching act.”

The Eerdman Commentary notes:

“The life of Mary is painted for us, in three memorable pictures, in each of which she is at the feet of Jesus.”

Luke 10:39: Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and learned.
John 11:32: Mary fell at Jesus’ feet and surrendered.
John 12:3: Mary anointed Jesus’ feet and honored Him.”

C.H. Spurgeon noted, “You must sit at His feet, or you will never anoint them; He must pour his divine teaching into you, or you will never pour out a precious ointment upon Him.”

Contrast Mary’s Actions To Judas Iscariot’s, The Disciple’s, And
Simon The Leper’s

As Mary humbles herself before Jesus, tending to Him, Judas Iscariot criticizes, and the other disciples will join in. When you live your life for Jesus, you may, at times, stand alone. You may be misunderstood. Yet Jesus understands. I am sure that Jesus saw inside the heart of Judas as he said,

John 12:5-6 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

Judas did not care for Jesus. But as we study the parallel texts, we find out that Judas’ murmuring spread throughout the other disciples. We are told in:

Matthew 26:7-9 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. 8 But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? 9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.

This is the problem with murmuring among God’s people. When one murmurs, it’s like a forest fire. James, the stepbrother of Christ saw this and wrote:

James 3:5 (NIV) … the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

While accusing Mary of Bethany in order to fill his own pockets, it is interesting that much of the money that was given to Jesus and His ministry came from women.

Luke 8:1-3 And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, 2 And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, 3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.

It is better to MINISTER to Jesus than to MURMUR and MUTTER. To minister to Jesus aids His work. To murmur hinders His work!

We are told that

John 12:6 {Judas} was a thief, and had the bag, and BARE what was put therein.

Word Study: The word translated “BARE” is the Greek bastazo, which means “to habitually carry and carry OFF”. Though John did not know it till later, Judas had been robbing Jesus the entire time he was with the Lord. When Jesus corrected the disciples – along with Judas – it was the very next day that:

Matthew 26:14-16 (NKJV) … Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

When God corrected Cain (Genesis 4:6-7) for the wrong sacrifice, rather than repent Cain murdered his brother. When Jesus corrected Judas for his lack of love toward Himself, Judas plotted to murder Jesus. Those who are saved by faith in Christ will, when corrected, repent of their sin. But those who are lost, pretenders to salvation, will not only wallow in their sin, but will seek to murder their Savior in their hearts. Oh, how horrible the unconverted heart is! “The heart is DESPERATELY WICKED, who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Unless sin is repented of, and that right quickly, it will lead to a deeper and darker sin!

Jesus Defends True Worship

John 12:7-8 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. 8 For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.

As Jesus said these words, we are told “the fragrance of the ointment filled the house” (verse 3). Jesus does not expect us to be FLAWLESS. Jesus expects us to be FAITHFUL.

If we are serving Jesus in love to the best of our ability, He will never criticize us. Within each one of us is the capability to be Mary or to be Judas. When Judas served the Lord, it cost him nothing. As a matter of fact, Judas gained more following Jesus than he lost – world wise. Judas is a picture of the person who “gained the whole world, but lost his own soul” (Mark 8:34-38). Sadly, there will be many who, beyond this life, will discover that Jesus “never knew you” (Matthew 25:41), and will hear Him say “depart from Me, into everlasting fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels”. These sad people will have missed heaven because they either counted on works alone to save them, or counted on a dead, workless faith to save them. Neither faith will save. That which saves is the life surrendered to Jesus. The great Old Time Preacher Alexander Maclaren said:

“Mark 14:9 says, Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her. The Evangelist who records that promise does not mention Mary’s name; John, who does mention the name {Mary of Bethany}, does not record the promise. It matters little whether our names are remembered, so long as Jesus bears them graven on His heart.”

Does Jesus know you? Oh, how I pray that He does. But only you and He can answer that question. I pray that you make your calling and election sure this very day, for we know not when our last day will come. May God help you to make the right decision! Amen and Amen.