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Notes for message:
Cf. to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in John 2, this could be the start of an inclusio that closes in the last week of Jesus’ ministry as He transitions from a very public ministry to a private ministry with His closest disciples (the Twelve).
John gives an emphasis to this last week of Jesus ministry just as He did in John 1-2 with phrases like “on the next day” (2x) ; “the next day again”; “on the third day”.
Here as our text starts in chapter 12, we begin another accounting of days: “Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover ....”
Jesus has continued to work, doing the will of the Father from the beginning of His earthly ministry. Now it is almost time, 6 days away, from when His work on our behalf will be completed, and He will receive His Sabbath rest.
1. The guest honored, 12:1-3.
1. The guest honored, 12:1-3.
Jesus has returned to Bethany, back in the house of Lazarus, this time as an honored guest at a prepared meal. We have Martha doing what she does best, acts of serving but this time with a right attitude. Her brother Lazarus reclining at the table with Jesus as another honored guest who is there only because of Jesus.
We are clued into this being more of a celebratory meal, rather than a normal meal by how the guests are sitting, or rather reclining, around the table with the food. Most of the time meals were ate around the table with people sitting or kneeling; by reclining with heads toward the table and feet away from the table, they physical demonstrated a more relaxed posture.
This meal was probably a Sabbath meal, occuring six days before the crucifixion.
Verse 3 implies that Mary, though she was likely helping Martha at first, now does what she does best, demonstrating her devotion to the Lord.
She takes “a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard.” The measure is Roman, which come to today’s weight of about 12 ounces. The pure nard emphasizes the perfume is of the highest quality, which is normally possessed by only the well-to-do in the Mediterranean world of that day.
Mary then “anointed the feet of Jesus.” Anointing was a setting apart of a person in regard to a particular office or role, establishing them with honor and praise.
By anointing Jesus’ feet, Mary performed a rare and extravagant act in that culture. You see, caring for the feet was the most demeaning task assigned to a household servant—to do so willingly was unheard of! Anointing would normally symbolize royalty was present.
Then Mary went even further by “wiping His feet with her hair.” In the ancient world, this was a symbol of extreme gratitude and humility. But by doing so, Mary willingly chose to open herself up to misunderstanding and shame — a proper lady would never undo her hair except before her husband. Mary did this with her hair rather than with her hands (which would not be as soft) to magnify the honor that was rightly due Jesus, This is such a far cry from the religious leaders who sought to find Jesus in order to have Him killed.
Mary was extravagant in her use of the nard: “the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” She did not use a few drops—she broke to container and used it all on Jesus. This highlights the social status and power of the family, for only the rich had access to this extravagance; by using it on Jesus it highlights His royalty as one worthy of such a fragrance.
Conflict arises in the response of one of the disciples:
2. Indignation and Response, 12:4-8.
2. Indignation and Response, 12:4-8.
Judas Iscariot is the disciple who asks, “Why …?” The value of this nard is worth a year of the average wage of a common laborer. Let’s be generous here: in today’s dollars assuming $15/hour wage at 8 hours/day, we would be speaking of a 12 oz bottle of fragrance worth $36,000 for 300 days of work. Was Judas the only one who felt this way? Others may have voiced similar concerns if they had spoken up, but John reveals details regarding Judas that come from the shocking force of hindsight as he recalls these events.
First, John says that Judas “was intending to betray” Jesus.
Second, the objection raised by Judas displays a certain utilitarianism that pits pragmatic compassion, concern for the poor against extravagant, unqualified devotion. D. A. Carson writes this:
The Gospel according to John 2. Mary Anoints Jesus (12:1–11)
If self-righteous piety sometimes snuffs out genuine compassion, it must also be admitted, with shame, that social activism, even that which meets real needs, sometimes masks a spirit that knows nothing of worship and adoration
Third, Judas had no real concern for the poor according to John. He says this in retrospect because since these events he has realized that Judas’ personal greed for material things masqueraded as altruism. He cared nothing for the sheep. He as keeper of the disciples money bag was not serving with integrity, instead helping himself to some of the resources that were for the disciples. John calls him a thief; the only place in the NT where any charge other than the ultimate betrayal of Jesus by Judas is levelled against him. Of course, in looking back upon these events, it is a very believable charge; anyone who would betray another person for thirty pieces of silver has an unhealthy love of material things.
The response of Jesus to the indignation is “Leave her alone!” Most likely this text is to be understood elliptically; i.e. that what Mary has done is not the anointing itself, but the keeping of the perfume for just such an occasion rather than selling it and distributing the proceeds to the poor. Their is no clear evidence that Mary or anyone else understood before the cross that Jesus had to die. This was for her an act of costly, humble devotion but like Caiaphas (John 11:49-52) signalled more than she knew. In their day, it was not thought inappropriate to spend large sums at a funeral, including the cost of the perfumes that were designed to stifle the smell of decay. Mary, however, was lavishly pouring out perfume on Jesus while He was still alive. It would be very easy for Jesus to see it as a prefiguring of the anointing that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus performed before Jesus’ burial.
The reminder that Jesus gives is to state what should be obvious; the poor will still be around to receive the alms distributed amongst them long after Jesus himself had been taken away. Jesus sees His cross and burial on the near horizon as well as knowing that He is to receive the same honor that is due the Father (John 5:23
so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
these last verses focus on the responses to Jesus just before He enters Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday.
3. The people and the priests, 12:9-11.
3. The people and the priests, 12:9-11.
The large crowds are present to be personally ready for the Passover. They learned that Jesus was nearby and sought to come to Him, probably the evening of the first day (“evening and morning”) to see Jesus and to observe first-hand his latest miraculous sign, namely Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead.
It was that very evidence of Jesus’ miracle that put Lazarus in danger. He became a focus for the plots of the chief priests. Lazarus’ life provided a ground for faith in Jesus, so he too had to be destroyed. Faith grounded on such a sign could not be as pure and strong as faith based on Jesus’ word (John 10:38),
but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.”
… it is far better than no faith.
The raising of Lazarus spoke volumes to many Jews to “go over” to Jesus and put their faith in Him, a move away from the religion practiced by the authorities and a move toward genuine trust in Jesus.