Why did Mary anoint Jesus with such expensive ointment? Study John 12 with context, apologetic analysis, and cross-references.
Dr. Lucas D. Shallua Commentary · John 12
Mary anointed Jesus with expensive ointment as an act of extravagant devotion. She understood what the disciples did not: Jesus was going to die. She anointed Him for burial. Her act was a prophetic sign. It was wasteful by human standards, but beautiful in God's eyes. Jesus commended her and promised that her story would be told wherever the gospel is preached.
Judas objected to Mary's act because he was a thief. He pretended to care for the poor, but he was stealing from the common purse. His objection was hypocritical. He did not care about the poor; he cared about the money. The contrast between Mary and Judas is stark. She gave everything; he would soon sell Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
Jesus rode on a donkey to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, which describes the Messiah as humble and mounted on a donkey. He was making a deliberate, public claim to be the Messiah. But He was also redefining what kind of Messiah He was. He came in peace, not in conquest. He came to suffer and die, not to overthrow Rome.
The Greeks wanted to see Jesus because they were drawn to the God of Israel. They were Gentiles who had come to worship at the feast. Their request is a signal that the gospel is going to the nations. The arrival of the Greeks prompts Jesus to declare that His hour has come. The cross is the means by which the Gentiles will be gathered.
The seed must die to produce fruit. Jesus must die to produce the harvest of the nations. The cross is not a tragedy; it is the means of fruitfulness. The saying also applies to discipleship. Whoever loves his life will lose it. Whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. The way up is down. The way to life is through death.
The Greek word helkyō means "to draw, to attract." The cross is the magnet. It draws people from every nation, every tribe, every tongue. The "all people" does not mean that every individual will be saved. It means that people from all nations will be drawn to Jesus. The cross is the means of gathering the scattered children of God.
Many believed but did not confess because they feared the Pharisees. They feared being put out of the synagogue. They loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. Their faith was secret, and secret faith is not saving faith. Jesus said, "Whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven."
The first coming of Christ is not for judgment but for salvation. The purpose of the incarnation is redemption. The judgment is already at work, because those who reject the light are condemned already. But the purpose of the incarnation is to save, not to condemn. The word of Jesus will be the judge on the last day. Those who reject His words reject the Father.
Chapter 11 ended with the raising of Lazarus, the plot to kill Jesus, and Jesus withdrawing to Ephraim. Now the Passover is six days away, and Jesus returns to Bethany, where Lazarus lives. The chapter marks the transition from Jesus' public ministry to His passion. John has completed the seven signs, and now he begins the final week. The setting moves from Bethany to Jerusalem to the temple courts. The chapter contains the anointing at Bethany, the triumphal entry, the request of the Greeks, the voice from heaven, and a final public discourse. The cross is now inevitable. The hour has come.
Some critics argue that the raising of Lazarus and the subsequent events are legendary embellishments. But the narrative is deeply rooted in historical and cultural detail. The village of Bethany, the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, has been identified. The anointing with nard, the value of three hundred denarii, the custom of serving at table, and the plot against Lazarus are all historically plausible. The most plausible explanation is that it preserves genuine historical memory. The triumphal entry is also historically plausible. The detail of the donkey, the palm branches, the crowd's shouts, and the Pharisees' reaction are consistent with the Gospel accounts. The most plausible explanation is that it preserves genuine historical memory. The voice from heaven is also historically significant. The crowd heard the voice and thought it was thunder. Some said an angel spoke. The detail is vivid and specific. The most plausible explanation is that it preserves genuine historical memory.
This study preserves the hard questions, explanations, context, apologetic note, and references from Dr. Shallua's Commentary.