The Anointing At Bethany

John 11:45-46 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. ⁴⁶ But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. John continues his persistent theme — that the words and works of Jesus divide humanity between those who believe in Him and those who reject Him.

Some saw the power, authority, and humanity of Jesus yet responded by working against Him. But many who came and witnessed what Jesus did believed in Him. (From grief to awe and faith)

John 11:47-48 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. ⁴⁸ If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”

The religious leaders privately admitted that Jesus performed many signs that proved His claim to be the Messiah the Son of God.

Notice how their opposition changed. First, they opposed Jesus because they weren’t convinced He was the Messiah. Now, they opposed Jesus because they believed that He was the Messiah. They admitted the miracles, but look how they treated the Miracle-working Messiah: They denied Him. They opposed Him. They were afraid of His influence over the people.

It tells that the religious leaders thought of the temple as our temple as if it belonged to them.

John 11:49-53 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰ You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” *** ⁵¹ He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, ⁵² and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. ⁵³ So from that day on they plotted to take his life.

Caiaphas gave an unconscious and involuntary prophecy. John explains to us that this unconscious prophecy of Caiaphas was greater than he could have ever imagined.

Not only would Jesus die for the nation of Israel, but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.

Let me express the thinking of the council: “Never mind about His miracles, or His teaching, or the beauty of His character. His life is a danger to our power and authority and our way of life. This man needs to die!

John 11:54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead, he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. Jesus did not do this out of fear, but because His hour had not yet come.

John 11:55-57 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. ⁵⁶ They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” ⁵⁷ But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover: This means that it was the last few days before the coming Passover — at which Jesus would be betrayed, arrested, condemned, and crucified.

How many times does the bible record an anointing of Jesus? Matthew 26:6-13 While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, ⁷ a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. ⁸ When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. ⁹ “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”¹⁰ Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ¹¹ The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. ¹² When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³ Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Mark 14:3  While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

Luke 7:36-38 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸ As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

 (PIC)

John 12:1-11 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. ³ 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.

(FEET OF JESUS) Luke 10:38-42 Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. Martha was distracted by preparations. “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” ⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ⁴ But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ⁵ “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” ⁶ 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. ⁷ “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. ⁸ You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” ⁹ 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. ¹⁰ So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, ¹¹ for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

In context, Jesus making His way to Jerusalem. This is no ordinary trip. It’s a trip filled with purpose. His steps are not random; they are calculated, deliberate, and intentional. He is heading towards the completion of His earthly mission.

(PIC) Jesus had raised Mary’s brother Lazarus from the dead. He had shown her and her family unimaginable love and mercy. And Mary’s act of worship here is her response to the love that she knew Jesus had for her. This was Mary’s way of saying, Jesus, I love you, too. Jesus, I recognize your worthiness. Jesus, I honor you with my all!

Worship, in its truest form, is about the heart. It is about a love and devotion that is so deep, so profound, so personal that it compels us to give our best, our all, to the One we worship. And that’s what we see Mary doing here.

This act of worship, this anointing of Jesus by Mary was a prophetic act. Mary is unknowingly preparing Jesus for His death. This was not a random act of devotion. It was a divine orchestration of the Father that would foreshadow the greatest event in human history – the death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ.

When I look at this anointing, this act of worship by Mary. I see a woman who is deeply devoted to and who loved Jesus. She doesn’t just admire Jesus from afar, she doesn’t just listen to His teachings, she shows her love and devotion to Jesus in a very tangible, costly, sacrificial way. Because that’s what true worship is!

This perfume that Mary used was worth a year’s wages. Imagine that. A year’s worth of work, a year’s worth of sweat and toil, poured out in a single act of worship. Mary knew the value/cost of what she was giving. Yet, she chose to give it anyway. She chose to pour out what would have been her most valuable possession on the feet of Jesus.

And when she does this, she doesn’t use a cloth to wipe His feet, she uses her hair. In those days, for a woman to let down her hair in public was considered a disgrace. But Mary isn’t concerned here about maintaining her dignity. She’s not worried about preserving her reputation.

She doesn’t hide her love for Jesus. She doesn’t try to keep her devotion to Him a secret. She expresses it openly; she displays it for all to see. She was not ashamed of her love for Jesus.

In Mary, we see a model of devotion that you and I can emulate. We see a love for Jesus that is deep, that is costly, that is humble, that is deliberate, that is public, that is consistent.

We see Mary decide to put Jesus first, putting Him above everything else. A decision to love Him with all her heart, with all her mind, with all her soul, and with all her strength.

Mary’s act of worship is a challenge to me. It challenges me to examine my acts of worship.

• Are my acts of worship an expression of my love for Jesus?
• Are they a response because I understand His love for me?
• Do they recognize His worthiness?
• Are they in recognition of the cost of my salvation?

And it challenges me to live every aspect of my life as an act of worship that honors Him.

Mary’s act of worship filled the entire house with the fragrance of the perfume. In the same way, our worship should have an impact.    It should not only be a blessing to us but also to those around us. It should fill our homes, our relationships, and our communities with the fragrance of our love for Jesus and His love for us.

Let’s remember the heart of Mary, the heart of a true worshipper. She gave without counting the cost, she loved without holding back, and she worshipped without caring about the opinions of others. That’s the kind of heart God honors. That’s the kind of worship that reaches heaven.