The Most Beautiful Devotion by Mary and The Blessed Humble King Jesus

John 12:1–19 (NKJV)

¹ Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. ² There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. ³ Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

⁴ But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, ⁵ “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” ⁶ This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.

⁷ But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. ⁸ For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

⁹ Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. ¹⁰ But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, ¹¹ because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

¹² The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, ¹³ took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:

“Hosanna!

‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’

The King of Israel!”

¹⁴ Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:

¹⁵ “Fear not, daughter of Zion;

Behold, your King is coming,

Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

¹⁶ His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.

¹⁷ Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. ¹⁸ For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign. ¹⁹ The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”

Message

I. Mary’s Most Beautiful Devotion and Judas’ Objection (1-8)

See v1-3.

¹ Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. ² There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. ³ Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

The event of Mary anointing the Lord (3) is also written in Matthew 26:6-13, and Mark 14:3-9. According to v5 or Mark 14:5 NLT, the oil worthed a year’s wages. Mary expressed her gratitude and love toward Jesus. See v4-6.

⁴ But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, ⁵ “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” ⁶ This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.

Judas Iscariot showed his objection to her deed. Mary was willing to spend the expensive fragrant oil for Jesus, but Judas preferred to turn it into cash for his advantage because he used to steal from the money box. This shows Judas didn’t have the heart for Jesus and was an idiot and a thief. See v7-8.

⁷ But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. ⁸ For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

Jesus was going to die on the cross soon. Her deed was for comforting, loving, blessing, and appreciating before it. The opportunity to do this for Him would not come again but there are always a lot of opportunities to help the poor.

II. Impact of Jesus’ Resurrection of Lazarus and the Dark Conspiracy (9-12)

See v9-12.

⁹ Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. ¹⁰ But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, ¹¹ because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

¹² The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

Raising four-day-dead Lazarus impacted many Jews to believe in Jesus (11). The expressions ‘a great many of the Jews’ (9), ‘many of the Jews’ (11), and ‘a great multitude’ (12) show the impact of the resurrection of Lazarus Jesus performed (17-18, John 11:1-44). However, the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus (10) to oppose the impact (11). This shows they were of their father the devil, a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44).

III. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord (13)

What did the great multitude (12) do? See v13.

¹³ took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:

“Hosanna!

‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’

The King of Israel!”

They praised Him as ‘the King of Israel’ and shouted ‘Hosanna’ (Psalm 118:25). ‘Hosanna’ is an exclamation of praise that means ‘Save now’ [1].

The great multitude called Jesus ‘blessed’ for His coming ‘in the name of the Lord’ (Psalm 118:26, John 5:43^a).

The Jews didn’t receive Jesus who came in the name of the Lord (=His Father’s name) (John 5:43^a). Jesus pointed out that if another comes in his own name, they would receive (John 5:43^b). Jesus said they couldn’t believe Him because they would receive honor from one another, and did not seek the honor that would come from the only God (John 5:44). Jesus attributed Jews’ disbelief to their desire for honor from each other, rather than from God.

IV. The Humble King, Jesus (14-15)

They praised Him as ‘the King of Israel’ (13) but the following verses show that Jesus is the humble King. See v14-15.

¹⁴ Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:

¹⁵ “Fear not, daughter of Zion;

Behold, your King is coming,

Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

V15 is from Zechariah 9:9. Jesus, depicted as a humble King, riding into the city on a young donkey fulfilled the prophecy from Zechariah 9:9. See v16.

¹⁶ His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.

His disciples initially didn’t understand these things, but they remembered the prophecies (Psalm 118:25-26, Zechariah 9:9) and these events after Jesus was glorified. Here, His Glorification means His Crucifixion and Resurrection. See v17-19.

¹⁷ Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. ¹⁸ For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign. ¹⁹ The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”

As can be seen also in v9-12, the witnesses of Lazarus’ resurrection testified about Jesus, attracting more people to Him (17-18). John 11:47 shows the chief priest and the Pharisees were together. Therefore, the Pharisees may be part of their dark conspiracy (10-11) to oppose Jesus. Despite their efforts, the Pharisees felt they were accomplishing nothing, observing that ‘the world has gone after Him’.

References

[1] The Holy Bible. New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 2021 Ed