John 11:54-12:11, Pure and Simple Devotion to Christ

The Passover of the Jews was near, meaning Jesus’ hour was almost at hand.  It was now time for Him to go to Jerusalem, for that is where He, our Passover Lamb, must be sacrificed. The other Gospels (esp. Luke) tell us about the final trip to Jerusalem for Jesus.  For some time now, the focus of Jesus had been on Jerusalem (Lk. 9:51).  The actual trek began when Luke says Jesus “passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee” (Lk. 17:11). 

Why did Jesus go from Samaria to Galilee, heading north, and not south toward Jerusalem?  John clarified this for us when he said Jesus and the disciples had gone to “a city called Ephraim” after the raising of Lazarus.  Ephraim was in Judah but right on the border with Samaria.  In order to join the “many” who were going to Passover early, He left Ephraim, went north through Samaria (where He healed ten lepers, Lk. 17:11-19), and continued into Galilee as far as Beit Shean where several roads from the north to Jerusalem joined together.  The road down the Jordan Valley to Jericho would have been crowded, and increased the closer they got to Jerusalem.  Along the way Jesus told several parables and answered questions (Lk. 17:20-19:27).  This explains why, when He finally entered Jerusalem in His “Triumphal Entry,” there was such a high sense of expectation by the people. 

John indicates Jesus turned aside into Bethany to stay with Mary, Martha and Lazarus.  At supper, while the men reclined at the table and the women served, Mary took a very expensive perfume (a denarius was a days wages, so this was almost a years wages worth) and anointed Jesus, pouring it on His head (Mk. 14:3) and then His feet, which she washed with her hair. 

This may seem strange to us, but it was a very loving, worshipful act on Mary’s part.  She was criticized for wasting the expensive perfume, by Judas was all about the money.  But Jesus blessed her.  A study of the Old Testament teaching about “drink offerings” helps me understand this.  Drink offerings (Lev. 23:12-13) were poured on an animal as it was burning.  Thus, the drink offering was totally consumed; it added nothing to the meat sacrifice; and it was totally a sacrifice to God (it went up in smoke, an aroma pleasing to God).  This is what Mary did for Jesus.  It was the epitome of worship and that is why Jesus blessed her.

Jesus understood the full significance of this event.  Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.  This was the beginning of preparing Jesus’ body for burial.  Not only did Judas object to this.  The Jews also objected.  They were there in force, it appears from John’s account. Lazarus was continuing to be a forceful testimony of Jesus’ Messianic claim, and many were continuing to believe in Him. 

Mary had a pure and simple devotion to Christ.  We are called to this devotion (2 Cor. 11:1-4), to be, as Paul (2 Tim. 4:6), a drink offering poured out to the Lord!