John 12:3, commentary and pictures

Six days before the Passover at a supper in Bethany given in His honor by Simon whom He had healed, with Lazarus whom He had raised beside Him and Martha serving, Mary poured a pound of very costly spikenard worth three hundred pence over both His head and His feet and wiped His feet with her hair until its fragrance filled the house. Her act was prompted by deep love and gratitude because He had pardoned her many sins and raised her brother, and by sorrow at His words of His approaching death, so she gave what she had long kept to anoint His body beforehand for burial while He was still with her. Judas condemned the gift as wasteful extravagance that should have been sold for the poor, but his plea was a cover for covetousness and dishonesty as the thief who stole from the money bag, and stung by Christ's rebuke his wounded pride and love of money opened him to Satan to betray his Lord. Christ defended her deed as a good work and not waste, teaching that He is to be honored with the best of one's means and that care for the poor must never become an excuse to neglect Him. Through that love she is joined to Christ and the gospel for all time, and the fragrance filling the house shows how pure sanctified love spreads its influence beyond talent or knowledge and must be poured out freely upon all who need it.

Setting at Bethany

The anointing took place at Bethany six days before the Passover, when Jesus stopped on His way from Jericho to Jerusalem to attend the feast for rest and refreshment. It was His last visit there, just before His betrayal and death. Crowds gathered because Lazarus had been raised, and interest in Jesus and His mission was growing as people watched Him closely.

The occasion was a supper made by Simon of Bethany, whom Jesus had healed of leprosy, to show his Master special honor as an expression of gratitude, with Jesus and His friends as guests. Jesus sat at the table with Simon the cured leper on one side and Lazarus the raised dead on the other. Martha served at the table while Mary earnestly listened to every word that fell from the lips of Jesus.

The Bethany home gave Him a quiet resting place for rest and refreshment amid the conjectures, criticism, and accusations of priests and rulers. In that home strife, prejudice, and enmity were absent, and He did not meet words that sting and bruise the soul, finding rest and freedom from the strife of tongues. Though as Son of God with divinity enshrouded in humanity, suffering for mankind and bearing the necessities and woes of the human race, He was not dependent on human sympathy, yet He did not check or repulse it. He welcomed hospitality and ordinary social life, accepted the invitation of His friends, and used such social occasions to teach and to make His character known to those He honored, though critics condemned His presence as worldly conformity.

Mary's Gift and Motives

Mary took a pound of spikenard, very costly, long kept in an alabaster box and valued at three hundred pence, which she had purchased at great personal sacrifice. Though she regarded the ointment as her own, it ultimately belonged to Christ, and her breaking of the box was a giving of herself. She anointed both His head and His feet and wiped His feet with her long flowing hair. She tried to act without drawing notice, but the ointment's fragrance filled the house and made her deed known to everyone present.

Her act expressed deep devotion, love, and gratitude because Jesus had pardoned her many grievous sins. With her brother before her in perfect health, her heart went out in gratitude to Jesus who had raised her beloved brother from the dead. Seeing Jesus sad and knowing He had to seclude Himself to escape persecution after raising Lazarus, having often heard Him speak of His approaching cruel death and grieving over it, she wished to be first to honor Him in love and gratitude while He was still with her. She had bought the ointment to anoint His body after death, but having heard many say He would be elevated to kingly authority at Jerusalem, she believed it and rejoiced that He would no longer be despised and rejected and forced to flee for His life.

Her anointing belonged to a life transformed by Christ: though once controlled by demons and regarded as a great sinner, she found hope, overcame through His strength, and became a close learner and servant through grace. Her devotion continued at the cross and tomb, and she became the first to proclaim the risen Saviour.

Foretelling the Burial

Mary's pouring of costly spikenard upon the feet of Jesus and wiping them with her hair, filling the house with fragrance, was an outpouring of gratitude for the forgiveness of her sins and of love for Him. She gave it with prophetic anticipation of His burial, anointing His body beforehand for burial. Jesus accepted the gift.

Through this act of love she is associated with Christ and the gospel throughout all time. Christ justified the deed so that it was not to be reproved, and it stands as evidence that would be needed later. It is noted in the books of heaven, its memory has inspired many to loving service, and in the day of God she will be permitted to behold the outworking of all those lines of influence and will rejoice as she sees it.

Judas's Objection and Fall

The gift displeased Judas, who murmured against it and called it wasteful, extravagant, and imprudent, objecting that the ointment could have been sold for three hundred pence and the money given to the poor, and other disciples joined in condemning Mary. His stated concern for the poor was false and only an excuse for covetousness, selfishness, avarice, and dishonesty. He cared not for the poor but for himself, for he was a thief who kept the disciples' money bag and was stealing from the money entrusted to him. He prized money above Jesus, and valued his Lord just enough to sell Him for a few pieces of silver.

Christ defended Mary's act as a good work and rebuked the condemning spirit, and Jesus' rebuke vexed and annoyed Judas. Wounded pride and desire for revenge helped the greed he had long indulged gain control of him, so that he yielded to temptation and gave Satan easy access to his mind. The love of money had perverted his nobler nature and made him a fit agent for Satan to use in betraying Christ. Afterward Judas despised the covetousness that had tempted him to sell his divine Master, expecting Jesus would display divine power to deliver Himself, cheat the priests of their bribe, and leave the money for his own use.

The account warns that sin left unresisted and unconquered makes a person vulnerable to temptation and captive to Satan, as shown by how Judas's first dishonest choices began to ruin his character. There are some like Judas among those professing to wait for their Lord, controlled by Satan without knowing it, wrapped up in themselves, close, penurious, and selfish. God cannot approve the least degree of covetousness or selfishness and abhors the prayers and exhortations of those who indulge them.

Honor Due to Christ

Mary's pouring of costly ointment upon Jesus was a liberal offering to Him, not waste. Her act of honoring Him by giving and anointing Him was a good work, which Christ defended against the complaint that the ointment should have been sold for the poor. Satan took advantage of the covetous, selfish disposition of Judas to lead him to murmur against the gift, calling it extravagant and declaring it should have been sold and given to the poor, though he cared not for the poor. Judas prized his Lord just enough to sell Him for a few pieces of silver, and there are some like Judas among those professing to wait for their Lord, controlled by Satan without knowing it, wrapped up in themselves, close, penurious, and selfish. God cannot approve the least degree of covetousness or selfishness and abhors the prayers and exhortations of those who indulge them. Christ is to be honored with the best of one's means, and care for the poor must not become a reason to neglect the cause of Christ, since faithful stewardship provides for both.

Wealth used for good can bring refreshment to Jesus and those around Him, as shown when Mary's costly gift was poured out and its fragrance filled the house. The costly offering was made to Jesus with loving devotion. The gift of salvation moves its recipient not to calculate the offering's value, but to regret that it could not be richer and more precious.

Lasting Influence for Believers

Mary's costly anointing from the broken alabaster box was a giving of herself as an instrument for the Holy Spirit's working. It is noted in the books of heaven. Its memory has inspired many to loving service, and in the day of God she will be permitted to behold the outworking of all those lines of influence and will rejoice as she sees it.

The ointment filling the house with fragrance shows how pure, sanctified love, like the love expressed in Christ's life, spreads its influence. Eloquence, knowledge, and rare talents are precious, but ability and talent cannot take the place of love. Love for God and for those Christ died for is essential to successful missionary work. The broken bottle and outpoured fragrance show that love must not be reserved for a few, but affection and kindness are to be given to all who need them, without neglect or coldness toward anyone.