THE GOSPEL OF JOHN Small Group Discussion Guide Text: John 12:1-11 Theme/ Big Idea: Mary sees an opportunity to give glory. Judas sees and opportunity to steal glory. The religious leaders look for an opportunity to hide glory. Context/ Background Information: Once the religious leaders made plans to arrest and kill Jesus, he retreated to the wilderness and “no longer walked openly among them” (John 11:54). To be clear, Jesus was not fleeing in fear. Rather, he retreated because no one takes his life apart from his timing and authority (John 10:17-18). It simply was not yet time for him to be arrested and killed. As the time grew near and as Passover approached, Jesus returned to Bethany and the family of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, where a dinner was given for Jesus (John 12:2). Is John’s account of this dinner the same as the stories told in Matthew 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3-9? The similarities between these accounts include: 1) the general location of Bethany, 2) the perfume of pure nard, 3) those at the dinner objecting that the perfume should have been sold and given to the poor, 4) the estimated value of the pure nard was 300 denarii, and 5) Jesus defense of the woman and his reference to his coming burial.(1) The primary differences between John and the Matthew/ Mark accounts include: 1) Matthew/ Mark indicate the disciples object to the use of the nard while John says it was Judas, 2) Matthew/ Mark place the story after Jesus’ triumphal entry while John places it before, 3) Matthew/ Mark indicate Jesus’ head was anointed while John indicates that Jesus’ feet were anointed.(2) Because the differences do not largely contradict but instead add additional details, Matthew, Mark, and John are likely all retelling the same story. A dinner was given for Jesus (John 12:2). Among the guests, John makes clear that one of them who “was reclining with [Jesus] at the table” was Lazarus, who Jesus “raised from the dead” (John 12:1-2). With Jesus’ return and a feast in his honor, Mary sees an opportunity to give him glory. Contrasted with her actions are the actions of Judas, who sees an opportunity to steal glory. Also contrasted with her actions are the religious leaders, who look for an opportunity to hide glory. MARY SEES AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE GLORY With Jesus’ return and a feast in his honor, Mary sees an opportunity to give him glory. “Therefore,” she took a “pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard” (John 12:3). Nard was an exotic and expensive perfume imported from India. In verse 5, we learn that to simply call it “expensive” is an understatement. Judas reveals that the perfume is worth roughly 300 denarii. A denarii was worth one day’s wage, which means the perfume Mary is about to use on Jesus is worth nearly a year’s wage. Next, John says Mary took the perfume and anointed Jesus’ feet. In fact, John emphasizes Jesus’ feet twice. This appears to contradict Mathew and Mark, who say the perfume was used to anoint Jesus’ head. However, rather than see this as a contradiction, we must remember Jesus’ summary of her actions in Matthew 26:12 and Mark 14:8 when he says she anointed his whole body. Rather than see a contradiction, it is more likely a matter of what each writer/ disciple is attempting to emphasize. Whether head or feet, anointing with such costly and rare perfume was reserved for kings. Matthew and Mark want their readers to understand who is being anointed (i.e., the King of Kings). John, on the other hand, wants us to see the one being anointed and the humility of Mary in anointing Jesus’ feet. She takes the posture of a servant (John 1:27; 13:5). Remember, in John 11:48, the religious leaders are concerned primarily with keeping a grip on power, and they are willing to sacrifice everything to maintain it. Here, however, is a woman who is willing to give up everything, willing to humble herself to the position of a servant, and willing to wash the feet of the true king regardless of cost. As Craig Keener notes “Hospitality included providing water for guests to wash their feet (Gen 18:4; 19:2; 24:32; Luke 7:44) or providing servants to wash their feet.”(3) It was rare, however, for hosts or people of prominence to actually wash the feet of their guests. Keener continues, “The most demeaning tasks performed by a household servant involved the master’s feet (washing the feet, carrying sandals, or unfastening thongs of sandals); to do such work was to be a slave.”(4) This is why John the Baptist announces he is unworthy to untie Jesus’ sandals in John 1:27. It is also why Jesus’ stooping to wash his disciples’ feet in John 13:5 was so astounding. The historical evidence verifies that Mary’s actions were intentional displays of humility and servitude to the one deserving of all honor. John makes one more point about Mary’s actions that is unique from Matthew and Mark. John says she brought an expensive and costly perfume, she anointed Jesus’ feet, and she did this with her hair. A woman’s hair was her glory, covering, honor, and dignity (1 Cor 11:15). For Mary to use her hair in such a way in a room full of men signifies that she is not concerned with what others think. Nothing was going to stand in her way of giving her glory to Jesus. “At the very least,” D.A. Carson writes, Mary’s actions signify “the utmost in self- humbling devotion and love, regardless of cost or of what others might think.”(5) All of Mary’s actions are an extravagant act of worship. John emphasizes the magnitude of her actions by the volume of the perfume, the cost of the perfume, the posture of the one giving the perfume, the act of washing Jesus’ feet, and also by the fragrance filling the whole house. She sees and recognizes Jesus for all that he is and is willing to give up all that she has for him. She took the position of a servant before a king, and she gave an offering fit for a king. There is no mistaking Mary’s actions, nor is there any mistaking the statement her actions make about Jesus. Her actions are a clear statement that Jesus is king, and he is of infinite worth. Her actions stand in stark contrast to the religious leaders in John 11:48 as well as one of the disciples. JUDAS SEES AND OPPORTUNITY TO STEAL GLORY Matthew and Mark both indicate that all of the disciples were shocked by Mary’s sacrifice. John is more specific, saying that Judas objected to her offering, saying, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”(John 12:5). Where Mary saw an opportunity to give glory, Judas saw an opportunity to steal glory. Mary was focused on Jesus, while Judas was focused on himself. Mary served and sacrificed for Jesus. Judas used Jesus for his own ends. John makes it clear that Judas was not being altruistic. He had no care for the poor. Instead, Judas saw an opportunity to personally profit for “he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it” (John 12:6). Judas does not see Jesus and his infinite worth. Judas sees himself and the opportunity to profit. He sees what he can take rather than what he can give. He stands in direct contrast to Mary, who saw Jesus’ infinite worth, and considered what she could give rather than what she could take or demand. Judas reveals that it is possible to walk in proximity to Jesus but not be in a relationship with him. He reveals that it is possible to mask our self-centered hearts with religious language. He also reveals that it is possible to see Jesus for what we can get rather than what we can give. Jesus speaks up and corrects Judas. He defends Mary saying, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me” (John 12:7-8). Jesus affirms Mary’s actions and her confession that Jesus is worthy of such sacrifice. He makes it clear that her extravagant sacrifice is not “wasted or inconsequential.”(6) Only the King of Glory could make such a statement, and it not be arrogant. Jesus also reveals that her act of worship was more than just an act of worship; it was also a sign pointing and preparing us for his coming death. As it turns out, Mary was not just anointing him with perfume and announcing him as king. Jesus says Mary, knowingly or not, was also preparing his body for his coming death and burial. Her actions point us to the one who is worth every sacrifice, and her actions reveal why he is worth every sacrifice. Namely, because he lived the life we could not live and died the death we deserve in order for us to have the life, hope, and peace that God offers. THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS LOOK FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO HIDE GLORY John draws our attention to one last contrast.