The Fragrance Filled The House
Today, we will take our journey through John 12, verses 1-8. This is the third account of Mary of Bethany “at Jesus’ feet”. Here is how I hope the conversation went between Mary and Martha, before Jesus arrived for supper that day. I hope that Martha’s heart had been radically changed by the two previous conversations, we have studied. I hope that she “believed” and “understood” what Jesus had been trying to teach her.
As Mary and Martha prepared supper, before Jesus had come to their house, perhaps Mary said to Martha…”Martha, I have something to ask of you? When Jesus comes to sit at our table I want you to understand that there is “a thing I must do”. I will leave you to serve, by yourself, for a little while. I ask that you grant me this?” I hope that Martha said, “Yes Mary, I bless you in “this thing you must do.”
In John 12:3, we see that Mary uses a very costly ointment to anoint Jesus’ feet. Have you ever smelled this ointment (oil)? It is called ‘spikenard. It has an extremely pleasant, heavenly aroma and could have cost as much as a whole years wages. “The root word for ‘spikenard (sometimes referred to as ‘nard) in the Greek means “genuine” or “pure”. This oil is known as “The Fragrance of the Bride”.
As you study today’s lesson, picture in your mind Mary at the feet of Jesus, for the last time.
Extravagant Devotion To Her Lord ~ Serving From Her Heart
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“Six days before the passover…”
The Feast of Passover (See Exodus 12:1-28) serves as a remembrance of the deliverance and Exodus of the Children of Israel from the dominion of Pharaoh as slaves in Eqypt.
“Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom had been raised from the dead. There they made supper for him, and Martha served. Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with Jesus. Then Mary took a pound of ointment of ‘spikenard, and she anointed Jesus feet with it. Then she wiped Jesus feet with her hair. And the fragrance filled the house.” John 12:1-3 KJ
“Then one of Jesus disciples (It was Judas Iscariot who would betray Jesus) said, ‘why is this woman using this expensive oil’? ‘It should be sold for a year’s wages and given to the poor.” “The Scripture says that Judas was a thief. The ‘Greek word for thief is ‘Kleptes’ and it means he steals by fraud and in secret. He was dishonest and he was a fake. Only Jesus knew who Judas really was.” John 12:4-6 Quote From The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible
What a ‘Kleptes’!!! (I added that)
“Then Jesus said, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.” John 12:7-8
Mary’s servant act foreshadows the typical ‘Jewish anointing of the dead, and she had apparently saved the ‘spikenard for “the anointing”.
“In that she hath poured this ointment on My body, ” Jesus said, “she did it for My burial.” As the alabaster box was broken, and filled the whole house with its fragrance, so Christ was to die, His body was to be broken; but He was to rise from the tomb, and the fragrance of His life was to fill the earth. ‘Christ hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor’ Quote by Unknown Author (See Ephesians 5:2).”
Thought to Ponder: Remember when we were kids, and the local firemen would come to the school for fire prevention week or fire safety week? Perhaps you remember this saying, “Stop, Drop and Roll! This is the picture I have in my mind about that.
Mary ~ Stopped! Dropped! and Listened!
Your assignment today, is to write down what you have learned from Jesus’ conversations with Mary and Martha. And, what qualities of “A Disciple of Christ” do you see in Mary’s life?
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