FRAGRANT WORSHIP
By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
© God’s Breath Publications
John chapter 12 is a transition in the life and ministry of Jesus. The first eleven chapters of John’s Gospel cover three years of the life and ministry of Jesus. In John chapter 12 the Apostle now covers less than a week of Jesus’ life in this one chapter and then covers three days in chapters 13 through 20. Also in this chapter Jesus begins to shift His ministry from public ministry to more personal mentoring and discipleship of friends and followers.
After raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus had withdrawn from populated areas and went into hiding. Plans for His arrest and death were being made by Jewish religious leaders and Jesus knew His Father wished Him to fulfill His calling according to specific historical timing. Here in John 12 we find Jesus returning to Bethany and the company of friends and followers for a dinner to honor him. Present at this dinner with Jesus are Simon the Leper, Martha, Mary, Lazarus and the disciples. Also present outside the home was a large crowd of Jews, some seeking to see Lazarus, the man raised from the grave by Jesus, but also chief priests who were planning to have Lazarus put to death as well as Jesus.
Four passages in the New Testament speak of a woman anointing Jesus. They are found in Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, Luke 7:36-50 and John 12:1-11.
Following are the three passages that record the anointing of Jesus by Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus.
Matthew 26:6-13
“6 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."
Mark 14:1-11
“1 Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him; 2 for they were saying, "Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people." 3 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." 10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them. 11 They were glad when they heard this, and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time.”
John 12:1-11
“12 Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. 3 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. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, 5 "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?" 6 Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it. 7 Therefore Jesus said, "Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial. 8 "For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me." 9 The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus.”
Luke 7:36-50
“36 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." 40 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."
There are several differences in these accounts and through studying these passages we discover that the Matthew, Mark and John accounts are descriptions of the same incident, where the one in Luke is a totally different situation. Below are some details as to the similarities and differences between the passages.
In the Matthew, Mark and John accounts Bethany is identified as the place the dinner is taking place.
In Luke the city is not named.
In Matthew and Mark, the dinner takes place in the home of a man called Simon who had been a leper. I say "had been," for if he had still been a leper the disciples, Mary and Martha would never venture into his home for he would have been unclean and diseased. It could possibly be assumed that Simon had been healed by Jesus from his leprosy and therefore this was the reason he hosted the meal. Possibly Simon should have been identified as Simon "the former leper." But possibly retaining this name was a witnessing tool he could use to share about what Jesus had done for Him.
In Luke the home where the dinner takes place is in the home of a Pharisee named Simon. This Pharisee was not Simon the leper because lepers were unclean and were never allowed to be Pharisees.
The woman who anoints Jesus in Matthew, Mark and John is identified as Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus.
In Luke the woman is not named and is simply identified as a sinner.
In Matthew, Mark and John we see those present with Jesus are the disciples, Mary and Martha as well as Simon the Leper.
In Luke there is no mention of anyone present except Simon the Pharisee, Jesus and the woman who was a sinner as well as several unidentified guests who were confused over Jesus being able to forgive the sins of the woman anointing Jesus.
Finally we see in Matthew, Mark and John that the theme of the purpose for the anointing by Mary was worship of Jesus in preparation of His death and burial.
In Luke the theme is one of submission by the woman to Jesus as Lord and forgiver of her sins.
It is very apparent that the anointing in Luke is not the same anointing spoken of in Matthew, Mark and John.
In this commentary on John 12, I will focus on the account described in all three gospels of Matthew, Mark and John. Each is an eye witness account of what happened and comes from the personal perspective of each of these godly men; Matthew Mark and John.
John 12:1-2
The Time and Setting of the Anointing of Jesus by Mary
“1 Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was,
whom Jesus had raised from the dead.”
Six days before Passover and His crucifixion, Jesus emerges from hiding and travels to Bethany. This is just two miles from Jerusalem where plots and plans are formulating against Him by His enemies. John 11:45 tells us that among those witnessing the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead were many Jews. A few of these Jews were chief priests, scribes and Pharisees that believed in the deity of Jesus and that He was the Son of God. But most Jewish leaders who were in power rejected His teachings and miracles and were seeking to have Him killed. We see in this account of John that such men were also seeking to kill Lazarus because when he was resurrected from the dead by Jesus, this miracle validated Jesus as divine and it caused many people to accept Jesus as God's son (John 12:9-11).
“2 So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving;
but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him.”
We see in verse 2 that a supper had been prepared to give honor and praise to Jesus. Very likely it was to celebrate the ministry of Jesus and His miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. Martha, as usual, is busy making the meal and serving. Martha a sister of Lazarus had the gift of helps and she manifested this gift by serving and preparing meals. Early in the ministry of Jesus (Luke 10:38-42) Martha had confronted Jesus in a similar situation where Mary was not helping her prepare the meal. Martha asked Jesus to instruct Mary that she should help her with the preparation of the meal. Martha apparently didn’t feel it was fair to do all the work in the kitchen and setting the table. In that incident, Jesus tells Mary, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Apparently Martha learned a lesson from that instruction and does not appear here in this situation at this meal to be concerned that Mary is not helping. Martha is busy expressing her spiritual gift of hospitality, worshipping Jesus by expressing her practical skills in the kitchen and allowing Mary to worship Jesus in her own unique way.
We should all take this to heart and understand that each of us has a spiritual gift or gifts that God has given specifically to us to express to bring glory to God. We should take joy in the gifts that God has given us and not judge others who do not express their love for God in the same way we do. This does not mean we should not at times ask for help in acts of service, we simply should be careful not to judge others when they don’t demonstrate their love for God in the same way we do.
Lazarus is also mentioned to be present at this meal. He is reclining at the low table with Simon the leper, the disciples and Jesus. It is very likely that because Lazarus had been raised from the dead by Jesus that this miracle contributed to the purpose for the celebratory meal in honor of Jesus. Martha and Mary’s brother Lazarus had been brought back from the dead by Jesus and both sisters were especially joyful to honor Jesus for His miraculous act of returning their brother to them.
John 12:3
The Extravagant and Intimate Anointing of Jesus by Mary
“3 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.”
The setting of the room where this meal takes place is one with a very low U-shaped table in the room with Jesus sitting at the place of honor at the head of the table. The guests would be reclining on pillows with their legs and feet behind them. They would be facing their table engrossed in talking and eating as the Martha served the food.
As we look at the actions of Mary in this passage we must understand that when someone opened their home to guests, it was common for the host to arrange for their feet to be washed as an act of welcome and honor. The roads of this time were usually not paved in any way. Dirt and animal dung were often mixed in with the surface soil of the roads. The open sandal-style shoes would collect all sorts of dirt and debris as a person would travel by foot. It was also a common practice at times for guests to be sprinkled with inexpensive perfume to welcome them and show acceptance of their presence. We might assume that these actions had possibly already been performed, but John does not tell us if these actions of welcome had been done. We will see that Mary is going to express her love and worship for Jesus in a very special extraordinary way.
John tells us that a pound of pure nard, a costly perfume, is presented by Mary in the anointing of Jesus. Matthew and Mark mention that the perfume was contained in an alabaster jar and that Mary pours the perfume over Jesus' head first. John emphasizes that Mary pours it on Jesus feet. Matthew and Mark were very likely impressed that Mary started with Jesus’ head, while John is especially touched by how Mary anoints Jesus’ feet and then wipes them with her hair.
I should discuss something about the oil that Mary used to anoint Jesus. Nard is also called Spikenard, Nardin or Muskroot. It is a class of aromatic amber-colored essential oil derived from Nardostachys jatamansi, a flowering plant of the Valerian family which grows in the Himalayas of Nepal, China, and India. The oil has, since ancient times, been used for many purposes, such as perfume, incense, a sedative for birthing difficulties and as a medicine for various ailments as well as anointing oil in religious contexts, across a wide territory from India, the Middle East and all the way to Europe. The Bible contains several references to spikenard, in both the Old and New Testaments. Spikenard grows to about 3 feet in height and has pink, bell-shaped flowers. It is found in the altitude of about 9,800 to 16,400 feet. The rhizomes (underground stems) of the plant can be crushed and distilled into an intensely aromatic amber-colored essential oil, which is very thick in consistency.
Because Spikenard had to be imported into Israel, it was very expensive. We see here in this verse that this is a pound of pure nard that Mary is anointing Jesus with and in verse 4 we are informed by Judas that it is worth at least 300 Denari. 300 Denari at this time in this culture was a year’s wages. When you remove holidays and Sabbaths from the work year for a Jewish man, you are left with 300 - 12 hour work days. 1 Denari was the typical minimum wage for a work day and in today’s wages this would mean that this perfume that Mary was pouring over Jesus was worth over $25,000. What an extravagant gift of worship Mary was giving to Jesus! Such a valuable commodity as this jar of Spikenard would not be carried on a regular basis in public by man or woman. The threat of theft would be too great. Therefore, the fact that Mary has brought it with her to the home of Simon the Leper for this meal implies that she has planned beforehand, her actions of worship towards Jesus on this day.
We should also consider that there was much attention given to Lazarus after he was raised from the dead by Jesus. The chief priests were not only seeking to kill Jesus, but Lazarus as well (John 12:9-11). The witness of him being resurrected from the grave was causing many people to follow Jesus and believe in His teachings. So while the purpose of the dinner in Bethany at Simon the Leper's house was in honor of Jesus, it would also be possible for much attention to be focused on Lazarus as well. It is unheard of to have dinner with any person who was dead and had risen from the grave. Lazarus was a walking miracle of miracles. So another possible side note to mention is this anointing of Jesus by Mary was to possibly also to make sure that the focus of the dinner was to bring glory to Jesus, not attention to Lazarus who had been resurrected from the dead.
It is not known why Mary had this alabaster vial of Spikenard. Some commentators suggest it was her dowry for when she was to wed. If it was Mary's dowry, this costly perfume would have been given to her by her father for her to give to her future husband at a wedding ceremony. This was a Jewish custom during weddings. If this is true, the sacrifice of this costly perfume would have comprised her ability in the future to wed, unless her father could replace the perfume. While we are told the perfume was costly, the cost to Mary personally would be very great if it were her dowry.
Other commentators suggest it was her inheritance from her family to be kept for a financial emergency or an investment to supply her needs in the future. Again, if this were true, Mary is giving up her financial security for the future. Such a generous gift was unheard of for common people and especially by a woman in this culture.
This jar or container was made from a stone found near Alabastron in Egypt. Because of the origin of these jars, vials or boxes, the Greeks gave them the name of the city where they were made; thus the name “alabaster.” Many perfume vessels of this time were made of alabaster. Alabaster resembles marble but is softer in its texture and was an easy material to carve and manufacture into a container. Such an alabaster vessel would have a long and narrow neck from which the perfume could be poured.
Mark mentions that the valuable Spikenard perfume was contained in a sealed alabaster jar. I say sealed, because Mark tells us the alabaster jar is broken to release its contents. The fact that she breaks the alabaster jar and does not simply pour it from the opening means she has no intention of using it beyond this special anointing. Mary could have used just a portion of her perfume and to some degree accomplished the same worship of Jesus, but to commit the entire jar of perfume was both extravagant and sacrificial. Mary was not frugal or stingy with her commitment to honoring Jesus. She gave all she had to worship and honor Jesus. Thus Mary is not giving a portion of what is valuable to her, she is giving absolutely everything that is of worldly value to her future; be it a future marriage and/or her financial security.
Mary’s action of letting her hair down to wipe Jesus’ feet was a sacrificial action on her part. We are told in scripture (1 Corinthians 11:15, that a woman’s hair is a glory to her. So in a sense, Mary was using her glory to magnify and worship Jesus. But I should also mention that letting her hair down to help anoint Jesus with this valuable perfume was a very bold move as well. In Jewish culture at this time, for a woman to let her hair down was usually a sign that she was a promiscuous woman. But the context of Mary’s action had nothing to do with promiscuity; it was an act of love and worship of Jesus. Her hair was her glory and she was using it to serve Jesus by wiping the precious perfume over His dirty and road weary feet. This was cleansing them of the soil and smell of the dirty roads of the day, where donkeys, camels and people of all sorts walked. She was adding a pleasant fragrance to His body to replace the smell of the road He had traveled.
I would like to make several observations as to the actions of Mary at this dinner. First, Mary's honoring of Jesus through this public worship is an act of faith. Every time Mary is mentioned in scripture she is always humbly at Jesus' feet kneeling and listening to His instruction and teaching. Her faith in who Jesus claimed to be; the Son of God and Savior of the world is apparent by her passion to listen to His teaching and here also in her worship and honor of Him. Secondly, Mary's anointing Jesus is an act of love. She expresses her deep love for Jesus through her actions of sacrificing the most valuable thing she possesses. We are willing to give everything we are and possess for those we love and it is very apparent that Mary is doing this as described in John 12. Thirdly, Mary's anointing of Jesus is an act of service. We see from the accounts in Matthew, Mark and John that Mary anoints both the head and feet of Jesus. The aroma of the perfume had to be uplifting for Jesus and pleasant to smell as well as to experience the cleansing of His feet. This meal was a supper and at the end of a long hot day in the dusty environment of Bethany. Anointing Jesus' head would give Him a pleasant relief from the body odor of Himself, his twelve disciples as well as the smell of animals in and around the town of Bethany. Anointing Jesus' feet would both; soothe His aching feet as well as cleanse and moisturize them from the arduous walking He had done in the day. Service to others is an expression of love to meet their needs and when done to bring honor to Christ results in worship of Him. These three expressions of faith, love and service demonstrated by Mary should be an example we follow as we seek to live like Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to manifest Himself within us as followers of Christ. Mary saw an opportunity to worship Jesus through this act of service. Let's emulate her example.
We should ask ourselves three questions as we let Mary’s example of worshipping Jesus convict us.
1. Do we seek to worship Jesus in our personal and public life through actions of faith?
2. Do we seek to love Jesus inwardly through how we commune with Him as we pray and read His Word?
3. Do we also seek to serve Jesus, as we outwardly minister to those around us who are in need of physical, emotional and spiritual encouragement?
Another observation we can make as Mary is anointing Jesus is that John does not tell us that Mary made any comments during her anointing of Jesus. Very likely Mary was so focused on honoring Jesus she had no desire to speak words of any kind. You might say that she did not speak because her actions spoke louder than words. There is nothing Mary had to say. Her actions spoke volumes of her faith, love and willingness to serve and honor Jesus.
We should also appreciate in this account the impact of the fragrance of the spikenard perfume on people and the surrounding area. Mary chose her anointing oil perfectly. It was a pleasant aroma that permeated the room and filled the house with a pleasant and soothing smell. Everyone would have been affected by this fragrance as it traveled around the room, filling the house and very likely moving out of the windows and doors to be smelled by those gathering outside. Fragrances are very enticing and as soon as we smell them we remember past experiences, moments of pleasure and seasons in time. 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 tells us that because we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior we have a “spiritual aroma” about us.
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life….”
Because we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior (1 John 1:9) and as we continue to walk as He walked (Ephesians 5:8, 2 Peter 1:10-11), as well as strive to keep in step with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16-18) the witness of our life is a fragrant aroma to others. It illustrates to those we come in contact with what having a relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit is all about. The world longs for the fragrance of Christ. Many people, whether they admit it or not, desire to have people like Mary come into their life and not only share the gospel, but model the life of Jesus Christ as well.
John 12:4-6
The Confrontation of Self Worship and Godly Worship
“4 But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, 5 "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?"
The first words spoken by Judas are recorded here in this verse and these are words of complaining criticism. In Matthew and Mark we are also told that all of the disciples agree with Judas’ statement and respond with indignation at the thought of wasting such a costly perfume in this action by Mary. This tells us something about the spiritual condition of not only Judas, but also the disciples. John tells us the motives behind Judas’ statement in the next verse, but why did the disciples respond in such a way? Possibly this reveals something of their spiritual condition. Were they critical because they really thought it a waste of money to anoint Jesus with such costly perfume? Were they agreeing with Judas because of Mary’s worshipful actions and felt intimidated and guilty that they had not initiated such worship themselves? Sometimes when others act more like Christ than ourselves, our fleshly pride can stimulate us to be critical of others. We can feel threatened because we have not responded in love or godly in action; and so to compensate for lack of spiritual action we seek to demean and put down the good actions of those that do. These observations may convict any one of us to evaluate our own spiritual condition at times.
The disciples were in constant contact with Jesus, they traveled with Him everywhere. They ate meals with Him. They had numerous discussions about life and God’s truth as spoken through Jesus. Despite this 24/7 exposure, they still seem to be unable to comprehend the worshipful self-sacrificing attitude Mary had in anointing Jesus at this dinner. Possibly we might say that the spiritual maturity of Mary was deeper, more responsive and obedient to Jesus Christ than the disciples. This may teach us that it is not the magnitude and frequency of our exposure to the Truth of God that is critical to spiritual growth, but the acceptance and application of the Truth of God that matters. In other words, Mary demonstrated that she not only absorbed deeply the teaching of Jesus, she also applied it meticulously and appropriately to her life. Despite less exposure to Jesus than the disciples, she grew more in spiritual in knowledge, more mature in application of this knowledge and more intimate in her relationship with Jesus. Thus her discernment of the events that were taking place in the life of Jesus were more keen and accurate which enabled her to plan better how to act on her faith to bring glory to God and demonstrate her love for Jesus.
John reveals to us in verse 6 the real motives of Judas’ criticism of Mary’s actions.
“6 Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.”
John tells us that Judas was not concerned for the poor in his criticism of Mary’s actions. He was a thief and used money from ministry moneybag for his own selfish purposes. Judas was offended that this perfume could have been donated to Jesus and sold for money that Judas could take for himself. While Jesus most assuredly knew of Judas' selfish motives, we see no evidence that the disciples knew about his pilfering of the moneybag until after Judas betrayal of Jesus took place. John wrote of Judas' thievery in his gospel account at a later date when the sin had already been revealed. Possibly the disciples were unable to detect the real motives of Judas until he had revealed himself later as one who had the capacity to betray Jesus. The disciples were not as spiritually discerning as Jesus and were easily deceived by Judas. But you might ask; why did Jesus allow Judas to be in charge of the money if He knew that Judas was stealing? John 6:60-71 tells us that Jesus was well aware of who was loyal and who was not and the choices they would make in the future regarding their commitment to Him. John 6:70 states, “"Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?" In Judas’ case, Jesus very likely was giving an excellent example of the effects of sin on the life of a person and also the consequences that result from such sin. Jesus had stated in Matthew 6:19-24, 33, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.”But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth...But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." We also see in John 13:21-30 that Jesus alludes to the fact that Judas was to be the one who would betray Him, but the disciples were unable to discern this, they were deceived and unaware of Judas' true nature. Paul also wrote of the sin of love of money later in 1 Timothy 6:10.
So it seems that the disciples were poor listeners, spiritually immature and lacked wise discernment. This is evident in this situation during the dinner in Simon the Leper's house because they chime in with Judas and agree with his criticism of Mary. Both accounts of this dinner in Matthew 26:8-9 and Mark 14:4-5 tell us that Judas and other disciples were not only indignant with Mary's lavish gift to Jesus, they also scolded her for being so wasteful in their judgment. It seems that the criticism and scolding by Judas and the disciples had no affect on Mary for we see no indication she stopped with her anointed worship of Jesus. Mary was not only a dedicated follower of Jesus, she also loved Him deeply and was a skilled student of the teachings of Jesus. She absorbed every word He spoke and these words grounded her heart and mind in the truthful bedrock of God's Living Word, Jesus. Next we see Jesus' reply to the critical words spoken by the disciples towards Mary.
John 12:7-8
Jesus’ Response
"7 Therefore Jesus said, "Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial.”
Jesus' response to the indignation and criticism of the disciples towards Mary for her worshipful anointing actions is threefold.
Here is verse 7 Jesus covers the first part of His response. He commands that they all leave her alone. This is a directive to cease verbally attacking Mary for her worshipful actions towards Jesus. Jesus here is telling the disciples to stop criticizing Mary for her hospitable and worshipful behavior towards Him.
When Jesus says, "So that she may keep it for the day of my burial," we might ask what does He mean by this statement? What was it that Jesus was wanting Mary to keep?
Pastor John Piper believes that Jesus was in essence saying, "Don't hinder her from keeping her love and wonder and joy in the face of my death." In other words, Jesus knew His days were numbered, He was coming to the culmination of His life and ministry and He wanted Mary to remember her actions towards honoring Him at this meal by anointing Him with this precious Spikenard while He was still alive. Jesus knew that Mary had a sensitive spirit and loved Him deeply. It is possible that Jesus felt after His crucifixion and burial, Mary could then reflect back on this anointing that she had performed and cherish her actions of love, honor and respect towards Him while He had been still alive.
Mary may have sensed or understood something that the Lord’s disciples had failed to grasp; that the time of Jesus’ death was near. It is very likely that because of her sensitive nature and her submissive dedication to the teachings of Jesus she is taking this opportunity to anoint Him because she knew something dramatic was going to happen very soon to Jesus and that this would be His death. Mary may have felt that Jesus would die as He predicted and when you love someone deeply it is difficult to endure seeing them suffer. This may explain why there is no record that Mary was present at Jesus’ crucifixion. This anointing during the dinner in Bethany was possibly an action chosen by Mary to honor Jesus, because she knew she may not have the opportunity in the future. We could also say that Spikenard was not usually used as a burial preparation for the dead. It was used as an anointing oil to honor the living. John 19:38-40 tells us that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus used a mixture of myrrh, aloes and spices to prepare Jesus’ body for burial, not Spikenard.
Jesus continues with two more reasons for the disciples to cease complaining about Mary's anointing of Him.
"8 For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me."
Secondly in response to Judas cruel comment to Mary, Jesus states that "For you always have the poor with you." Jesus is not implying by this statement that the poor do not matter, that they should not be helped with their poverty or that we should not have compassion for their suffering. Jesus is simply stating a fact, that no matter how much money, time, and effort are given to the needs of the poor, there is never enough to fulfill all the needs of all the poor in this world. Their position in life is not just because of the lack of employment opportunities, marketable skills or physical handicaps or health issues. It is also because of the depth of sin that oppresses people. This oppression is caused by the curse placed on creation by God because of the sin of mankind in the Garden of Eden. It is also because sinful people influenced by the world, the flesh and the devil continue to oppress others, steal, abuse people and selfishly misuse resources. While Jesus walked the earth He healed the sick, comforted the oppressed and fed the hungry, but He also taught the eternal truth that will save mankind from their sins, that salvation from sin and eternal life is only available through belief in Him as Savior and Lord. Jesus knew it was important to help those in need, but He taught it was of eternal importance that they come to faith in Him. Spiritual poverty is ultimately the greatest need.
Jesus continues with the third part of His reply to the criticism of Mary. He states, "...but you do not always have Me."
Jesus is implying with this statement that His end is near. His days are short. His Father's plans for the ministry of Jesus on the Earth are drawing to a close. Because of this fact; to worship, show honor and appreciation towards Jesus in His last days is a worthy attitude and action to pursue. This is what Mary was doing in her anointing of Jesus at this dinner. Mary’s sacrifice in anointing of Jesus is a reflection of the sacrifice Jesus made to save the world from sin.
We are not told anything of how Jesus' words affected the disciples and others present at this meal. Very likely nothing else was said because righteous conviction had settled into the hearts of each disciple. Judas though; probably saw this as the last straw. His motivation for following Jesus was selfish motivation to reap a financial reward and a position of honor in the kingdom that Jesus so often spoke of in His teachings. Unfortunately Judas did not grasp the spiritual implications of the godly truth of which Jesus taught. Therefore we see later that Judas gives up on Jesus and pursues other avenues of worldly benefit which will bring only death and dishonor to himself.
In the last few verses of this passage John shares who made up the crowd who had gathered outside the home of Simon the Leper during this dinner.
"9 The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus."
The multitude of people outside the house was made up of various groups of people we often find in our own neighborhoods, towns and cities today. There are those who want salvation and honestly seek Jesus for deliverance and to find truth in a world full of lies. There are those who come out of curiosity and interest in the miraculous and spiritual. There are also those who wish to not only criticize godly Truth, but seek to destroy it if at all possible.
Our Personal Application of John 12:1-8 and Mary’s Example
Continual, Selfless, Obedient, Fragrant Worship
We often think that “worship” is singing songs on a Sunday morning, but worship of the Lord is much more than singing praises to Him. It involves every aspect of our lives. We worship Lord in all we do, in how we work, play, recreate, spend our time in leisure, minister to others as well as how we treat people in relationships of all kinds. We worship God in how we spend our money and use our resources and how we take care of our possessions.
There are several questions we should ask ourselves as we read and study this portion of scripture and see the humble and worshipful example of Mary’s service to Jesus.
Do we wish to give Jesus our most valuable possession; ourselves, or do we instead withhold from Him what He deserves - our lives and our worship of Him? In other words, do we give Jesus the leftovers and surplus of our lives or do we give Him all of who we are and have on a regular basis?
Do we go beyond head knowledge in our relationship with God and worship Him in every aspect of our lives?
Do we only set aside specific times to worship the Lord, or have we realized that we should worship the Lord in every moment of every day by the way we walk as Jesus walked?
We should understand that our relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit is continual and eternal and so our worship should be also.
Our worship should include several characteristics;
IT SHOULD BE CONTINUAL:
Romans 12:1-2
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
If your heart takes more pleasure in reading novels, or watching TV, or going to the movies, or talking to friends, rather than just sitting alone with God and embracing Him, sharing His cares and His burdens, weeping and rejoicing with Him, then how are you going to handle forever and ever in His presence? You’d be bored to tears in heaven, if you’re not ecstatic about God now!
Keith Green
IT SHOULD BE SELFLESS:
Psalms 95:6-7
“Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.”
" Its time, as worshipers of God, to give him all we have. For
when he is exalted, everything about me is decreased. So many times we stand in the
way of really stepping into the secret place of worship with God.”
Jessica Leah Springer
IT SHOULD BE OBEDIENT:
Psalms 96:9
“9 Worship the Lord in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth.”
Psalms 132:7
“7 Let us go into His dwelling place; let us worship at His footstool."
“Worship has been misunderstood as something that arises from a feeling which “comes upon you,” but it is vital that we understand that it is rooted in a conscious act of the will, to serve and obey the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Graham Kendrick
IT SHOULD BE DONE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT’S ASSISTANCE AND IN LINE WITH HOLY SCRIPTURE:
John 4:23-24
"23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
Philippians 3:3
“for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,”
“If we are going to worship in Spirit, we must develop a spirit of worship.”
Michael Catt
“Worship must be internal, not external conformity to ceremonies and rituals. It must be from the heart. Truth calls for this heart worship to be consistent with what Scripture teaches and centered on the incarnate Word.”
John MacArthur
ADDITIONAL QUOTES ON WORSHIP BY DEDICATED PEOPLE OF GOD
It is in the process of being worshipped that God communicates His presence to men.
C. S. Lewis
"We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the psalms, and that the habit of celebrating the greatness and graciousness of God yields an endless flow of thankfulness, joy, and zeal."
J.I. Packer
"The end we ought to propose to ourselves is to become, in this life, the most perfect worshippers of God we can possibly be, as we hope to be through all eternity."
Brother Lawrence
"For worship is, essentially, the reverse of sin. Sin began (and begins) when we succumb to the temptation, "You shall be as gods." We make ourselves the center of the universe and dethrone God. By contrast, worship is giving God his true worth; it is acknowledging Him to be the Lord of all things, and the Lord of everything in our lives. He is, indeed, the Most High God!"
Sinclair B. Ferguson
"We may be truly said to worship God, though we lack perfection; but we cannot be said to worship Him if we lack sincerity."
Stephen Charnock
"Adoration is the spontaneous yearning of the heart to worship, honor, magnify, and bless God. We ask nothing but to cherish him. We seek nothing but his exaltation. We focus on nothing but his goodness."
Richard J. Foster
"To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God."
William Temple
"Worship changes the worshiper into the image of the One worshiped"
Jack Hayford
"Worship songs can't just be rooted in culture - they won't be deep enough. They have to be rooted in scripture."
Matt Redman
Worship is giving God the best that He has given you. Be careful what you do with the best you have. Whenever you get a blessing from God, give it back to Him as a love gift. Take time to meditate before God and offer the blessing back to Him in a deliberate act of worship. If you hoard a thing for yourself, it will turn into spiritual dry rot, as the manna did when it was hoarded. God will never let you hold a spiritual thing for yourself; it has to be given back to Him that He may make it a blessing to others.
Oswald Chambers
“Worship must be – Christ centered, Holy Spirit led, a Response to the Father, about Intimacy and Service and always lead to Transformation!”
Tim Hughes
"Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness, the nourishment of the mind with His truth, the purifying of the imagination of His beauty, the opening of the heart to His love, the surrender of the will to His purpose."
William Temple
James 4:8
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you…”
We renew our hearts and mind as we worship the Father, Son and Spirit continually and intimately.
Mary is a godly example for us in how to worship God in Spirit and in Truth.
