Have you ever spent your money extravagantly? Did you do so in order to reward yourself? Was it done to impress someone else? Or was it an act of love from your heart? Did you regret it later or are you glad you did so?
In this passage of Scripture, John 12:1-3, an extravagant act is performed; an act which many might consider to be boastful or wasteful. The Lord Jesus Christ is on the receiving end of that extravagance. Let’s take a look at what happened.
I. THE SETTING (verses 1-2)
Verse 1 tells us that it is now six days before the Passover. Jesus and His disciples have come out of hiding. They “came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.” The Gospel writers, Matthew and Mark, also describe this event, and they tell us that Jesus and His disciples, as well as Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, are at the home of Simon the Leper, and are enjoying a meal together [Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9]. We aren’t told, but it is likely that Simon the Leper was a relative of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. That would help explain verse 2, which says, “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, once again, that Martha loves to serve by preparing the food. She may also have organized this banquet for Jesus and His disciples as a way of thanking Jesus for bringing her brother, Lazarus, back from the dead.
II. MARY ANNOINTS JESUS’ FEET (verse 3)
In verse 3, we observe Mary’s devotion to Jesus. We meet Mary three times in the New Testament scriptures. On the first occasion, Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him (Luke 10:39). The second time, she fell at Jesus’ feet, seeking help and sympathy after the death of her brother, Lazarus (John 11:32). Now, in verse 3, she is about to anoint Jesus’ feet. In each case, Mary is at the feet of Jesus.
Verse 3 tells us that she had, in her hands, “a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard.” This perfumed oil represented the best that money could buy. It was a gift fit for a king or queen and was very expensive for two reasons. First, it was probably imported from India where it was extracted from the roots of the nard plant. Secondly, nard, or spikenard oil, was sealed in alabaster jars to preserve its fragrance. That jar was probably worth at least as much as the perfume itself, and it had to be broken in order to get the perfume out of it. In verse 5, we are given its approximate value: 300 denarii. That’s a year’s wages for a common laborer! Let’s put that in today’s terms. I live in Oregon, and the minimum wage here in Oregon is approximately $12 per hour. That’s $96 a day for eight hours of work. If you multiply that daily wage by 300 days, you have a total of $28,800. That’s almost $30,000 worth of perfume, poured out on the feet of Jesus. Would you call that extravagant? I would!
Why does Mary have this expensive bottle of unused perfume in her possession? The main use of this ointment was that of anointing a dead person’s body in preparation for burial. It may have originally been purchased for the purpose of embalming her dead brother, but the family waited because they were told that Jesus was coming. Now that Lazarus is alive again, she decides to lavish that fragrant perfume on Jesus. Another possibility is that she purchased this perfume after Lazarus came back to life at the command of Jesus. As we study this passage of Scripture, we will understand why this possibility may be what actually happened.
This perfumed oil is the most expensive item that Mary possessed. Martha and Lazarus may have known about her intent and were in wholehearted agreement with her decision. It’s possible that Jesus may have told them, as He did His disciples, what would soon happen to Him in Jerusalem. Mary, who always paid close attention to Jesus’ words and His teachings, must have known that His death was soon to occur. She may also have known the Old Testament prophecies that spoke of it. It seems that Mary may have sensed that this would be the last time that Jesus would be enjoying a meal with them, so she wanted to express her love and devotion to her Messiah and friend in the most generous and unselfish way.
In Matthew 26 and Mark 14, we find that Mary first poured some of the oil on the head of Jesus. Then she poured the rest of it on His feet and wiped His feet with her hair. Just a few days earlier, Mary and Martha were concerned about the stench of their brother’s body when Jesus told them to roll away the stone from his tomb. Now the house was filled with the sweet smell of the perfume. Mary used her hair, what the Scriptures say is a woman’s glory and crown, to wash the dirty feet of Jesus. Bible commentator, William Barclay, tells us about one of the customs in Palestine during the first century AD. “On the day a girl was married, her hair was bound up, and never again would she be seen in public with her hair unbound. It was the sign of an immoral woman to appear in public with her hair unbound.” But Mary wasn’t concerned about what others thought. Her only desire was to express her love for Jesus
Mary didn’t use water but expensive perfume. That is the essence of worship. True worship of Jesus Christ is, first of all, humbling. It is recognizing that He is King of kings and Lord of lords. Secondly, true worship is generous and costly, done out of love for the Lord.
CONCLUSION:
Do you and I have a humble and extravagant love for the Lord Jesus Christ? Is He more valuable to us than everything else we possess? Are we unashamed to be devoted to Him by putting Him first in our lives? Are we unashamed to be identified with Him and to proclaim Him to others?
Having observed the selfless devotion and costly generosity of Mary, there is another person in the Scriptures whose gift was infinitely more extravagant at a cost that was beyond measure. The apostle Paul described that person and His gift in Ephesians 1:7-8. He said, “In Him [the Lord Jesus Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us.” I like the word “lavished”! God loves us so much that He humbled Himself and became a man, in the Person of Jesus Christ, so that He might shed His own blood to pay the penalty for our sins. Not only that but we are also filled with His grace now and forever. G-R-A-C-E: “God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense”. Are you a follower of Jesus Christ? Have you repented of your sins and given your life to Him? Has your life changed as a result? If you are unsure, please visit my sermon entitled, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO RECEIVE CHRIST? – John 1:12-13, and respond to God’s leading in your life.
If you are truly a follower of Jesus Christ, living a changed life because He is living in reigning in you, these words of the apostle Paul will be true of you: “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph, and manifests through us the sweet aroma 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” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16). I think the fragrance Paul speaks of is the fruit of the Spirit of God (“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”). as it is manifested in us when we yield the control of our lives over to Him from moment to moment (Galatians 5:22-23) May those around us feel refreshed and attracted to Christ, as we live our lives devoted to Him and His word.
CONSTRUCTION SITE: COMPLETED
Thank you for visiting this completed, construction site: John 12:1-3 I hope you enjoyed the fragrance as you imagined yourself in the midst of this dinner party.