Joh 12:3 | KingComments | STEP | After have heard some things about Lazarus and Martha, who both have their own place in this scene, our attention is turned to Mary. What she does, also without words, is special. She has had no special prophetic revelation. She acts according to the spiritual feeling of her heart that has found everything in the Christ of God, a heart that senses the danger of death He is in. Others may think of His wonders and that He would save Himself, like He did for example when they wanted to throw Him down the cliff in Nazareth ( ), but Mary thinks of His death and His burial. With this in mind she anoints Him, her Lord. For this purpose she uses a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard. Like David before, she doesn’t want to offer an offering that doesn’t cost her anything ( ). For her Lord only the best is enough. She stoops down and anoints His feet with the perfume. His feet speak of the fact that He, the Son of God, has come to earth, sent by the Father to explain Him. She wipes His feet with her hair. Her long hair is her honor ( ). As it were, she puts her honor over the feet of the Lord to wipe them. The result is that her hair is anointed with the same precious perfume and spreads the same delicious fragrance. Through her dedication, of which the long hair as a veil also speaks ( ), the pleasant fragrance of the Lord Jesus is enjoyed by those around her. The entire house is filled with the fragrance of the perfume (cf. ) so that all those present can enjoy it. If a believer worships Christ in the meeting by praising Him, others enjoy it.

‏ John 12:3

Mary Anoints the Lord Jesus

After have heard some things about Lazarus and Martha, who both have their own place in this scene, our attention is turned to Mary. What she does, also without words, is special. She has had no special prophetic revelation. She acts according to the spiritual feeling of her heart that has found everything in the Christ of God, a heart that senses the danger of death He is in. Others may think of His wonders and that He would save Himself, like He did for example when they wanted to throw Him down the cliff in Nazareth (Lk 4:28-30), but Mary thinks of His death and His burial. With this in mind she anoints Him, her Lord.

For this purpose she uses a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard. Like David before, she doesn’t want to offer an offering that doesn’t cost her anything (2Sam 24:24). For her Lord only the best is enough. She stoops down and anoints His feet with the perfume. His feet speak of the fact that He, the Son of God, has come to earth, sent by the Father to explain Him. She wipes His feet with her hair. Her long hair is her honor (1Cor 11:15a). As it were, she puts her honor over the feet of the Lord to wipe them. The result is that her hair is anointed with the same precious perfume and spreads the same delicious fragrance.

Through her dedication, of which the long hair as a veil also speaks (1Cor 11:15b), the pleasant fragrance of the Lord Jesus is enjoyed by those around her. The entire house is filled with the fragrance of the perfume (cf. Song 1:12) so that all those present can enjoy it. If a believer worships Christ in the meeting by praising Him, others enjoy it.