Sunday 6 April 2025
The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (v. 3)
Background
Mary’s anointing of Jesus comes at a critical juncture in John’s Gospel, and looks both backwards and forwards in Christ’s life and mission. In the previous 11 chapters, John has described the public ministry of Jesus, recording far fewer incidents than in the other gospels but describing them in much greater detail. In particular, we read of Jesus performing seven great ‘signs’ (not miracles in John) that point to his divinity, culminating in the raising of Lazarus from the dead (11:1-44). Today’s passage includes several of the same characters from that story, notably Jesus’ friend, Lazarus, and his two sisters, Martha and Mary.
Jesus’ public ministry is drawing to a close though and, in a few verses, he will enter Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday. The rest of John's Gospel describes the events of Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection, with much of it recording Jesus’ so-called ‘Farewell Discourses’ – an intimate conversation with his disciples in a private setting (13:1-17:26). Our story today looks forward to these events, with Jesus speaking explicitly about his burial (v. 7) and highlighting the role of Judas Iscariot, who will betray him (v. 4). John uniquely gives us the detail that Judas kept and stole from the disciples’ common purse.
Most important is Mary’s ‘anointing’ of Jesus (v. 3). The application of oil in this manner was part of the process for preparing a dead body for burial, as would happen for Jesus after his crucifixion (Mark 16:1, John 19:39). It was also, in the biblical tradition, a very important ritual action that set apart, or consecrated, someone for special service to God. Most famously, perhaps, the prophet Samuel anointed David, Jesus’s earthly ancestor, to be king (1 Samuel 16:13). (King Charles III was anointed in a very similar way at his coronation in 2023.)
So, Mary’s extravagant anointing of Jesus here, with a very large amount of extremely expensive perfume that came originally from the Himalayas of India, highlighted the vital yet fatal role Jesus was to play in God’s plan of salvation.
To Ponder:
- Why do you think Mary acted in the way that she did here?
- How do you respond to Jesus saying, “You always have the poor with you” (v. 8)?
- What extravagant gesture might be an appropriate response to Christ’s love for us?
Prayer
Loving God, who chose to live among us in the person of Jesus Christ, give us the courage of Mary to ignore the voices of hatred and fear, and share your extravagant love with all humanity; in the power of the Holy Trinity. Amen.
Bible notes author: The Revd Geoffrey Farrar
The Revd Geoffrey Farrar is the Superintendent Minister of the Richmond & Hounslow Circuit in south-west London. He has pastoral charge of Barnes, Putney and Roehampton churches. He is currently studying part-time for a PhD at the nearby University of Roehampton, looking at the impact of the Maccabean Revolt on responses to Jesus. He lives in Putney with his partner and their adopted son.