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55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” 57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him. 1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ~ John 11:55-12:3
John 1-11 covers the first three years of the ministry of the Lord Jesus, and John 12-21 covers the final week of His life. In our text today, are contrasted believers with unbelievers, Mary with Judas.
In John 11:55-57, we learn that many (possibly up to three million) people came to Jerusalem for the Passover. Many of these three million wanted to see the infamous Jesus Christ, who was so popular that the religious leaders had issued a warrant for His arrest.
According to John 12:1-2, six days before the Passover, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were with the Lord Jesus in Bethany. Six days before the Passover. Six, the number of man, the incomplete number, is highlighted. This is half of the theme of John's Gospel: The Fullness of God, the Emptiness of Man. This was the last Sabbath, because through His death, burial, and resurrection, the Lord Jesus ratified the New Covenant. The Old Covenant is no longer binding on man.
In Bethany, a group of transformed believers honored the Lord Jesus with a meal. This meal was not being served in the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, but in the home of Simon the leper. We don't know much about Simon, other than he had been a leper who had been healed by the Lord Jesus.
Filled with gratitude, these who had been transformed by the Lord Jesus, took this opportunity, despite the fact that there was a warrant out for the arrest of the Lord Jesus, to honor the Him. Gratitude is such a key ingredient for worship. Gratitude is the soil within which we bow our all before the Lord Jesus Christ.
Note, in v.2-3, Martha is serving; Lazarus is "with" the Lord Jesus, while Mary anoints His feet with a pound of very expensive perfume and wipes them with her hair. Each of these actions is a form of love and worship. Each did what was most comfortable and natural for them.
Notice, Lazarus, who had recently been raised from the dead, is hardly featured at all. He is content to be "with" Jesus. Never is a word of Lazarus recorded in the Gospels. And, Martha, whose love language was acts of service, is preparing the meal without a complaint.
According to v.3, Mary took a pound of very costly Indian perfume and poured it on the Lord Jesus. Mary's love language was giving gifts. Later, Judas complains about the extravagance of using what, in effect, was the equivalent of a year's pay, to anoint the Lord Jesus. Judas illustrates a very important principle: A man sees in his eyes that which is in his heart.
Mary's heart was so filled with love, joy and gratitude that she breaks the expensive jar full of perfume and pours it upon the Lord Jesus until its fragrance filled the whole house. According to the other gospel accounts, she anointed his head first, and the perfume ran down along his body until it covered his feet. Then she unbound her hair and wiped up the excess perfume with it.
Mary had experienced love from the Lord Jesus through the raising of her brother from the dead. This drilled down deeply into her heart. As a result, she was deeply appreciative of the deep love of the Lord Jesus. So, she expressed her deep love to the Lord Jesus by pouring this expensive perfume on Him.
She spared no expense, she cared nothing for the customs of the day, entering into a supper where women were usually not welcome, letting down her hair in public, an unthinkable act in that culture, and openly expressing her love for the Lord Jesus. But that's how love acts. It is uncaring of cost and expense.
Worship is a heart transformed expressing itself regardless the cost. The transformation of heart included the pain of losing. Simon had lost all of his feeling due to his leprosy. Mary and Martha had lost their brother to death. Lazarus had gotten sick and died. This is service, this is fellowship, this is worship. "We perish for the lack of wonder, not because of a lack of wonders." ~ Chesterton
