John 12:3-8 (WEL) Then Mary took a litra [10.3 ounces/292 grams] of very expensive, unadulterated oil of nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped his feet with her hair. The fragrance of the perfumed oil filled the house. 4 Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples, the one who was going to betray him, said, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfumed oil sold for three hundred denarii [300 days’ wages] and given to the poor?” [300 hundred denarii are 300 days’ wages. 1 denarius is 1 day’s wage. 1 denarius was about 6.81 grams of silver]. 6 He didn’t say this because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief. He held the money box and took from it what was put into it. 7 Now then, Jesus spoke, “Leave her alone. She has kept this for the day of my burial. 8 “You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.”
V3 Then Mary took a litra [10.3 ounces/292 grams] of very expensive, unadulterated oil of nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped his feet with her hair. The fragrance of the perfumed oil filled the house.
This Mary is the sister of Lazarus. The cost of this ointment is nearly 1 year of work.
Nard is:
ChatGPT:
“Nard, also called spikenard, is a fragrant plant whose roots and rhizomes have been valued for thousands of years as a perfume, incense, and traditional herbal remedy. It comes from the Himalayan plant Nardostachys jatamansi.
“Some key facts:
- Origin: It grows naturally in the Himalayan regions of India, Nepal, Bhutan, and China.
- Fragrance: Nard has a rich, earthy, woody, and slightly musky scent, making it a prized ingredient in ancient perfumes.
- Historical use: It was considered extremely valuable in the ancient world and was often imported over long distances, making it expensive.
- Traditional medicine: In Ayurvedic and other traditional systems, it has been used for relaxation, sleep, and various health conditions, though scientific evidence for many of these uses is still limited.”
To take the family spikenard and use it on the Lord Jesus is a costly use, but here, Mary uses it to show her thankfulness, joy, love, loyalty, dedication, and honoring the Lord Jesus.
Principle: Expensive things used for the glory of God instead of ourselves is an honor recognized by God. Can you give like this?
V4 Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples, the one who was going to betray him, said,
The Lord Jesus knew who and what Judas Iscariot was, is, and would do. There are always fakes ready to do the work of God as a cover-up for some evil, some sin, and something selfish.
Beware that we do not imitate Judas.
Judas:
- Jesus knew he was evil and would not repent—John 6:7
- Judas had plenty of opportunities to believe and trust in Jesus alone.
- Jesus knew Judas would betray Him—John 13:21
- Judas was possessed by satan Himself—Luke 22:3 (compare John 6:70)
- Judas was deceitful and a hypocrite—Psalm 101:7
- Judas was guilty of covetousness—Colossians 3:5
- Judas loved money—1 Timothy 6:10 and Matthew 6:24
V5 “Why wasn’t this perfumed oil sold for three hundred denarii [300 days’ wages] and given to the poor?”
300 denarii are 300 days’ wages. 1 denarius is 1 day’s wage. 1 denarius was about 6.81 grams of silver.
His words sound so pious; his heart was so impious. Compare Psalm 55:21.
Beware of people whose words are soft, pious, flatting, and feel-good words. Check out their life in public and private. We need to seek truth both to speak it and do it.
V6 He didn’t say this because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief. He held the money box and took from it what was put into it.
John informs us of Judas’s real motive—money.
It is like J. Warner Wallace states, “People kill for three reasons—money, power, and/or sex.”
V7 Now then, Jesus spoke, “Leave her alone. She has kept this for the day of my burial.
Jesus knows Judas’s heart, his thoughts, his motives, his activities, just like He knows your heart (soul, thoughts, desires, personality, reason, etc.) and mine.
Judas must have been angry for two reasons: 1) he wanted money and 2) seething from Jesus’s rebuke.
Jesus’s rebukes are for life (Psalm 94:12), for repentance (Mark 8:33), and lead evil people to judgment (Proverbs 15:10).
V8 “You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.”
This is the reason to leave her alone. Mary must have felt sad and grieved when Judas said this, but Jesus accepts her gift and rebukes Judas.
Principle: Do things approved by God.
We learn:
- Not to love money.
- Following God’s ways and laws leads to life.
Questions:
- Does money control you?
- How do you handle godly rebukes?