Jesus and the Gentiles (John 12:1-11)

​Jesus and the Gentiles (John 12:1-11)
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​Even though the Jewish leaders wanted to arrest and kill Him (John 11:53, 57), our Lord still went back to Bethany, which was only two miles from where His enemies were. Why?  So that He could have some peace and quiet with His close friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Martha was busy serving, and Mary was worshipping at Jesus' feet, just like they were. (See Luke 10:38–42.)

Matthew 26:6–13 and Mark 14:3–9 also tell the story of Mary anointing her Lord. But don't get it mixed up with the story in Luke 7:36–50, where a woman who used to be a prostitute anointed Jesus in Simon the Pharisee's house. Mary was a good woman, and she anointed Jesus in Simon's house (Mark 14:3). The event in Luke 7 happened in Galilee, but the one we are now looking at happened in Judea. It shouldn't surprise us that there are two "Simons" involved, since Simon was a common name back then.

Putting all three stories together shows that Mary anointed both His head and His feet. She did it out of pure love because she knew her Lord was about to suffer and die. She knew what Jesus was going to do because she sat at His feet and listened to Him talk. Mary of Bethany was not one of the women who went to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body (Mark 16:1), which is important.

Mary was, in a way, showing her love for Jesus before it was too late. She was "giving the roses" while he was still alive, not bringing them to the funeral! Her act of love and worship was public, spontaneous, selfless, extravagant, personal, and not at all shy. Jesus said it was "a good work" (Matt. 26:10; Mark 14:6) and praised and defended her.

A common worker would have had to work for a year to buy that ointment. Mary, like David, would not give God something that didn't cost her anything (2 Sam. 24:24). Her beautiful act of worship made the house where they were eating smell good, and the blessing of her deed has spread all over the world (Matt. 26:13; Mark 14:9). Mary had no idea that her love for Christ would be a blessing to Christians all over the world for hundreds of years to come!

Mary became a slave when she knelt at Jesus' feet. She undid her hair (something Jewish women didn't do in public), which showed how humble she was and how much she loved Him (see 1 Cor. 11:15). She was, of course, misunderstood and criticized, but that's what usually happens when someone devotes their best to the Lord.

Judas was the first to say something bad, and sadly, the other disciples followed suit. They didn't know that Judas was a devil (John 6:70), and they liked him because he cared about the poor. He was the treasurer, and he would want to share with those who were less fortunate, especially during Passover (see John 13:21–30). The disciples thought Judas was a faithful follower of the Lord until the very end.

The first words of Judas, found in any of the four gospels, appear in John 12:4. Matthew 27:4 has his last words. Judas was a thief who often stole money from the money box he carried. Originally, the Greek word that was translated as "bag" meant a small case that held mouthpieces for wind instruments. Then it meant any small box, but especially a box for money. This word is used in the Greek version of the Old Testament in 2 Chron. 24:8–10 refers to King Joash's money chest. Judas had undoubtedly already decided to leave Jesus, and he sought to maximize his perceived disadvantage. He might have thought that Jesus would defeat Rome and set up the kingdom. In that case, Judas would have been the kingdom's treasurer!

Mary's actions were a blessing for both Jesus and her own life. She was also a blessing to the home, filling it with sweet smells (see Phil. 4:18), and today, she is a blessing to the church all over the world. The one thing she did for the people of Bethany still sends out "ripples of blessing."

But Judas was different. We name our daughters "Mary," but no one would name their son "Judas." His name is even in the dictionary as a word that means treachery. Proverbs 10:7 could refer to the differences between Mary and Judas: "The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall rot." Ecclesiastes 7:1 says, "A good name is better than precious ointment," and Mary had both.

Matthew 26:14 makes it sound like Judas went to the priests right after this rebuke and offered to provide Jesus to them. However, it's likely that the things that happened in Matthew 21–25 happened first. There is no doubt that the Lord's rebuke of Judas at Bethany had a big impact on his choice to betray Jesus. Furthermore, the fact that Jesus once again openly said He would die would make Judas want to run away while he still could.

When we look at this event, we can see some "representative people" who are good examples for us. Martha is a symbol of work because she served the meal she had made for the Lord. This was just as much a "fragrant offering" as Mary's ointment (see Heb. 13:16). Mary is a symbol of worship, and Lazarus is a symbol of witness (John 11:9–11). People went to Bethany just to see the man who had come back to life!

We don't have any written words from Lazarus in the New Testament, but his miraculous life was a strong witness for Jesus Christ. John the Baptist, on the other hand, didn't do any miracles, but his words brought people to Jesus (look at John 10:40–42.) We should "walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4) today because we have been "raised from the dead" (Eph. 2:1–10; Col. 3:1ff.). In fact, the Christian life should be a beautiful mix of worship, work, and witness.

But Lazarus was a walking miracle, which put him in danger: the Jewish leaders wanted to kill both him and Jesus! Our Lord was right to call them children of the devil because they were murderers (John 8:42–44). They kicked the healed blind man out of the synagogue instead of letting him testify about Christ every Sabbath. They also tried to put Lazarus back in the tomb because he was bringing people to faith in Christ. You have to get rid of the evidence if you won't accept it!

This quiet evening of fellowship, even though the disciples were mean to Mary, must have given the Savior's heart extra strength and encouragement as He faced the challenges of the last week before the cross. We ought to scrutinize our own hearts and households to determine if our worship, labor, and testimony are pleasing to Him.