Wednesday | 25 March 2026
The woman anointed Christ’s feet with fragrant oil because she had seen that the anointing made His face to shine towards her. As Moses declared, ‘The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.’ Num 6:25-26. Likewise, the psalmist said, ‘God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us.’ Psa 67:1.
The woman saw that Christ’s walk of faith as her sin bearer – that is, as the Lamb of God – was established by virtue. In the Scriptures, virtue is likened to oil that is applied on the face in order to make it shine. Psa 104:15. The woman understood that Christ was chosen to be offered to God, and that His journey was through death. He did this to destroy death and him who has the power of death through sin – that is, the devil. Heb 2:14.
With this in view, the woman anointed Christ for His journey to the place of rest after His works, warfare and offering were finished. Jesus testified of burial as a place of rest, saying, ‘Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.’ Psa 16:9-10. Christ’s burial is a place where there is no corruption. It is a place of fragrance! Clearly, the oil diffuses the fragrance of hope. In this regard, the house of Simon was, by the woman’s faith, filled with this fragrance of hope.
Through this encounter with Christ, her Lord and King, the woman received the word that her sins, which were many, were forgiven. Luk 7:47-48. She would be born again and become a son of God after Christ was raised from the dead.
Further Study:
John 12
References:
Num 6:25-26
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.
Psa 67:1
God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us; selah.
Psa 104:15
And wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread which strengthens man’s heart.
Heb 2:14
Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death; that is, the devil.
Psa 16:9-10
Therefore, my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
Luk 7:47-48
‘Therefore, I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.’ Then He said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’