Friday | 24 April 2026
Having received illumination through the fiery indignation of Christ, and having thereby witnessed the glory of God in the ministry of exanastasis to Lazarus, the house of Mary, Martha and Lazarus obtained faith for the anastasis of Christ. They were now believers, even though they had previously received Jesus and loved Him.
Six days prior to the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where He lodged at the house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Joh 12:1‑2. At the meal table, Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with very costly oil of spikenard, and wiped His feet with her hair. The value of this fragrant oil was 300 denarii – the equivalent of a year’s wages.
Witnessing this expression of agape fellowship and worship, Judas vocalised his discontent, asking, ‘Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?’ Joh 12:5. Jesus responded to Judas’ query, declaring, ‘Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.’ Joh 12:7. This was Mary’s work of faith to honour Christ as King and her Head, for she understood that Christ was about to die and would rise again!
Significantly, John noted that when Mary anointed Christ in this manner, ‘the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil’. Joh 12:3. There was an overflow to the house resulting from the acknowledgement of Christ’s headship towards Mary.
Two days prior to the last Passover, Jesus dined at another house in Bethany. This house belonged to Simon the leper, who may have previously been healed of his leprosy through the ministry of Jesus. Mat 26:1‑2,6. During this meal, an unnamed woman came to Him with an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil which she poured upon His head as He sat at the table. Mat 26:6‑7. The anointing oil ran down His beard and to the edge of His garment as it draped His feet. Psa 133:2. Through this woman’s action, His anointing for burial at the hands of Mary was extended to His whole body.
Further Study:
John 12
References:
Joh 12:1-3
Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
Joh 12:5
‘Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?’
Joh 12:7
But Jesus said, ‘Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.’
Mat 26:1-2
Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, ‘You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.’
Mat 26:6-7
And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table.
Psa 133:2
It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments.