Mary Anointing Jesus Feet

Mary anoints Jesus' feet - Six days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, home of Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Lazarus and his sisters hosted a dinner for him. Martha served and Lazarus was among those who joined him at the table.

Then Mary took an extraordinary amount, almost three-quarters of a pound, of very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She anointed Jesus. Anointing of Jesus Mary Magdalene is traditionally depicted with a vessel of ointment, in reference to the Anointing of Jesus.

When Mary anoints Jesus' feet and then wipes them with her hair, she foreshadows Jesus' actions at the upcoming Last Supper when the Lord washes the disciples' feet and teaches them how to love one another through sacrificial, humble service (John 13:1-20). Then Mary took about a pint of expensive perfume, made of pure nard, and she anointed Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. 4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him. Mary (Martha's sister) then took a pound of pure spikenard ointment worth a great price and anointed Jesus' feet, wiping His feet with her hair.

And the house was filled with the aroma of the ointment (John 12:3). Mary Anoints Jesus 12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived in Bethany, where Lazarus lived,[a] the man whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 There they gave a dinner for him.

Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3 Mary took a litron[b] of very expensive perfume made of pure nard and anointed Jesus' feet. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair.

The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Jesus returned to Bethany where a supper was prepared for Him. The resurrection of Lazarus meant that many people were now following Jesus.

In these first verses, we have the memorial scene of Mary anointing the feet of Jesus with a pound of pure nard and wiping them with her hair. The fact that Mary wiped Jesus' feet with her hair rather than a towel shows her deep humility and focus on honoring the Lord. The apostle John reports the dinner at Bethany where the anointed took place occurred six days before Passover (John 21:1).

John's mention of Passover is important. This was Jesus' final week on earth.