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Texts -- John 12:1-8 (NET)

Context
Jesus’ Anointing
12:1 Then , six days before the Passover , Jesus came to Bethany , where Lazarus lived , whom he had raised from the dead . 12:2 So they prepared a dinner for Jesus there . Martha was serving , and Lazarus was among those present at the table with him . 12:3 Then Mary took three quarters of a pound of expensive aromatic oil from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus . She then wiped his feet dry with her hair . (Now the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil .) 12:4 But Judas Iscariot , one of his disciples (the one who was going to betray him ) said , 12:5 “Why wasn’t this oil sold for three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor ?” 12:6 (Now Judas said this not because he was concerned about the poor , but because he was a thief . As keeper of the money box , he used to steal what was put into it.) 12:7 So Jesus said , “Leave her alone. She has kept it for the day of my burial . 12:8 For you will always have the poor with you , but you will not always have me !”

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Mary

    [ebd] Hebrew Miriam. (1.) The wife of Joseph, the mother of Jesus, called the "Virgin Mary," though never so designated in Scripture (Matt. 2:11; Acts 1:14). Little is known of her personal history. Her genealogy is given in Luke ...
    [isbe] MARY - ma'-ri, mar'-i (Maria, Mariam, Greek form of Hebrew miryam): I. DEFINITION AND QUESTIONS OF IDENTIFICATION The Name Mary in the New Testament II. MARY, THE VIRGIN 1. Mary in the Infancy Narratives 2. Mary at Cana 3. M...
    [nave] MARY 1. The mother of Jesus, Matt. 1:16; Luke 1:26-38; 2:5-19. Visits her cousin Elisabeth, Luke 1:39-56. Attends the feast at Jerusalem with her husband and her son, starts on the return, misses Jesus, seeks and finds him...

  • Martha

    [isbe] MARTHA - mar'-tha (Martha, "mistress," being a transliteration of the feminine form of mar, "Lord"): Martha belonged to Bethany, and was the sister of Lazarus and Mary (Jn 11:1 f). From the fact that the house into which Jes...
    [smith] (a lady), the sister of Lazarus and Mary. [LAZARUS] The facts recorded in Luke 10 and John 11 indicate a character devout after the customary Jewish type of devotion, sharing in Messianic hopes and accepting Jesus as the Chri...
    [nave] MARTHA Sister of Mary and Lazarus, John 11:1. Ministers to Jesus, Luke 10:38-42; John 12:2. Beloved by Jesus, John 11:5. See: Lazarus; Mary.

  • JOHN, GOSPEL OF

    [ebd] The genuineness of this Gospel, i.e., the fact that the apostle John was its author, is beyond all reasonable doubt. In recent times, from about 1820, many attempts have been made to impugn its genuineness, but without succe...
    [smith] This Gospel was probably written at Ephesus about A.D. 78. (Canon Cook places it toward the close of John?s life, A.D. 90-100. --ED.) The Gospel was obviously addressed primarily to Christians, not to heathen. There can be li...

  • Bethany

    [ebd] house of dates. (1.) The Revised Version in John 1:28 has this word instead of Bethabara, on the authority of the oldest manuscripts. It appears to have been the name of a place on the east of Jordan. (2.) A village on the s...
    [nave] BETHANY A village on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, John 11:18. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus dwell at, Luke 10:38-41. Lazarus dies and is raised to life at, John 11. Jesus attends a feast in, Matt. 26:6-13; John 1...

  • KING, CHRIST AS

    [isbe] KING, CHRIST AS - || I. THE REALITY OF CHRIST'S KINGSHIP 1. The Old Testament Foreshadowings In the Psalms and Prophets 2. The Gospel Presentation (1) Christ's Claim to Be King (2) Christ's Acceptance of the Title (3) Christ...

  • JESUS CHRIST, 4E1

    [isbe] JESUS CHRIST, 4E1 - E. THE PASSION WEEK--BETRAYAL, TRIAL AND CRUCIFIXION Importance of the Last Events: We reach now the closing week and last solemn events of the earthly life of Jesus. The importance attached to this part ...

  • OLIVES, MOUNT OF

    [isbe] OLIVES, MOUNT OF - ol'-ivz, (har ha-zethim (Zec 14:4), ma`aleh ha-zethim, "the ascent of the mount of Olives" (2 Sam 15:30, the King James Version "the ascent of (mount) Olivet"); to oros ton elaion, "the Mount of Olives" (M...

  • Jesus, The Christ

    [nave] JESUS, THE CHRIST. Index of Sub-topics History of; Miscellaneous Facts Concerning; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Ascension of; Atonement by; Attributes of; Compassion of; Confessing; Creator; Death of; Design of His...

  • Love

    [nave] LOVE. Of Children for Parents See: Children. Of God See: God, Love of. Of Mankind for God Ex. 20:6 Deut. 5:10. Deut. 6:5; Deut. 7:9; Deut. 10:12; Deut. 11:1; Deut. 13:3; Deut. 30:6 vs. 16,20.; Josh. 22:5 Deut. 11:1, 13...

  • OIL

    [isbe] OIL - oil (shemen; elaion): 1. Terms 2. Production and Storage 3. Uses (1) As a Commodity of Exchange (2) As a Cosmetic (3) As a Medicine (4) As a Food (5) As an Illuminant (6) In Religious Rites (a) Consecration (b) Offerin...

  • Spikenard

    [ebd] (Heb. nerd), a much-valued perfume (Cant. 1:12; 4:13, 14). It was "very precious", i.e., very costly (Mark 14:3; John 12:3,5). It is the root of an Indian plant, the Nardostachys jatamansi, of the family of Valeriance, growi...
    [isbe] SPIKENARD - spik'-nard (nerd; nardos (Song 1:12; 4:14); neradhim; nardoi (Song 4:13), "spikenard plants"; nardos pistike (Mk 14:3; Jn 12:3), "pure nard," margin "liquid nard"; the English word is for "spiked nard," which com...
    [smith] (Heb. nerd) is mentioned twice in the Old Testament viz. in (Solomon 1:12; 4:13,14) The ointment with which our Lord was anointed as he sat at meat in Simon?s house at Bethany consisted of this precious substance, the costlin...
    [nave] SPIKENARD An aromatic plant, Song 4:13, 14. Perfume prepared from, Song 1:12. A fragrant oil from, used in anointing, Mark 14:3; John 12:3.

  • Lazarus

    [isbe] LAZARUS - laz'-a-rus (Lazaros, an abridged form of the Hebrew name Eleazar, with a Greek termination): Means "God has helped." In Septuagint and Josephus are found the forms Eleazar, and Eleazaros. The name was common among ...
    [nave] LAZARUS 1. Brother of Mary and Martha. Sickness and death of, John 11:1-14. Resurrection of, John 11:38-44; 12:17, 18. Dined with Jesus, John 12:1, 2, 9. Plotted against by the chief priests, John 12:10, 11.

  • Anointing

    [nave] ANOINTING Of the body, Deut. 28:40; Ruth 3:3; Esth. 2:12; Psa. 92:10; 104:15; 141:5; Prov. 27:9, 16; Eccl. 9:8; Song 1:3; 4:10; Isa. 57:9; Amos 6:6; Mic. 6:15. Of guests, 2 Chr. 28:15; Luke 7:46; the sick, Isa. 1:6; Mark 6:...

  • Ointment

    [ebd] Various fragrant preparations, also compounds for medical purposes, are so called (Ex. 30:25; Ps. 133:2; Isa. 1:6; Amos 6:6; John 12:3; Rev. 18:13).
    [nave] OINTMENT. Not Sacred 2 Kin. 20:13; Esth. 2:12; Eccl. 7:1; 10:1; Song 1:3; 4:10; Amos 6:6; Mark 14:3-5; John 12:3-5. The alabaster box of, Matt. 26:7. Sacred Formula for, Ex. 30:23-25. Uses of, Ex. 30:26-33. Compounded...

  • JUDAS ISCARIOT

    [isbe] JUDAS ISCARIOT - is-kar'-i-ot (Ioudas Iskariotes, i.e. 'ish qeriyoth, "Judas, man of Kerioth"): One of the twelve apostles and the betrayer of Jesus; for etymology, etc., see JUDAS. I. Life. Judas was, as his second name ind...
    [smith] (Judas of Kerioth). He is sometimes called "the son of Simon," (John 6:71; 13:2,26) but more commonly ISCARIOTES. (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:19; Luke 6:16) etc. The name Iscariot has received many interpretations more of less conj...

  • Judas

    [nave] JUDAS 1. Surnamed Iscariot. Chosen as an apostle, Matt. 10:4; Mark 3:19; Luke 6:16; Acts 1:17. Treasurer of the disciples, John 12:6; 13:29. His covetousness exemplified by his protest against the breaking of the box of oi...

  • Pound

    [ebd] (1.) A weight. Heb. maneh, equal to 100 shekels (1 Kings 10:17; Ezra 2:69; Neh. 7:71, 72). Gr. litra, equal to about 12 oz. avoirdupois (John 12:3; 19:39). (2.) A sum of money; the Gr. mna or mina (Luke 19:13, 16, 18, 20, 24...
    [isbe] POUND - pound (maneh; mna, litra; Latin, libra): Pound does not correctly represent the Hebrew maneh, which was more than a pound (see MANEH). The litra of Jn 12:3 and 19:39 is the Roman pound (libra) of 4,950 grains, which ...
    [nave] POUND The Hebrew word "maneh'' is translated "pound,'' 1 Kin. 10:17; Ezra 2:69; Neh. 7:71, 72, and is equivalent to about one pound, fourteen ounces. In John 12:3 the weight was equivalent to about twelve ounces. In Luke 19:...

  • BAG

    [ebd] (1.) A pocket of a cone-like shape in which Naaman bound two pieces of silver for Gehazi (2 Kings 5:23). The same Hebrew word occurs elsewhere only in Isa. 3:22, where it is rendered "crisping-pins," but denotes the reticule...
    [isbe] BAG - Bags of various kinds are mentioned in the English Bible, but often in a way to obscure rather than tr the original. (1) "Bag" is used for a Hebrew word which means a shepherd's "bag," rendered "wallet" in the Revised ...
    [smith] is the rendering of several words in the Old and New Testaments. Charitim , the "bags" in which Naaman bound up the two talents of silver for Gehazi. (2 Kings 5:23) They were long cone-like bags of the size to hold a prec...

  • Minister

    [nave] MINISTER, a sacred teacher. Index of Sub-topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-topics; Call of; Character and Qualifications of; Charge Delivered to; Courage of; Duties of; Duties of the Church to; Emoluments of; Faithful, Instanc...

  • Hospitality

    [nave] HOSPITALITY. Ex. 22:21; Ex. 23:9; Lev. 19:10, 33, 34; Lev. 24:22; Deut. 10:18, 19; Deut. 26:12, 13; Deut. 27:19; Prov. 9:1-4; Prov. 23:6-8; Isa. 58:6, 7; Matt. 22:2-10; Matt. 25:34-46; Luke 14:12-14; Rom. 12:13; Rom. 16:1, ...
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Arts

Hymns

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  • [Joh 12:3] Lord, When In Simon’s House Of Yore
  • [Joh 12:3] Master, No Offering Costly And Sweet
  • [Joh 12:4] Once He Came In Blessing

Questions

Sermon Illustrations

Thieves Closely Involved with the Crucifixion

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 1:12-14 The Shulammite girl (6:3) described the effect that seeing Solomon had on her as he reclined at his banquet "table."She wore nard (spikenard, "perfume"NASB, NIV; cf. Mark 14:3; John 12:3), which was an ointment that c...
  • Jesus came to Jerusalem to present Himself formally to the leaders of Israel as the nation's Messiah. He did this when He entered Jerusalem as Isaiah and Zechariah predicted Messiah would appear."Jesus entered Jerusalem for t...
  • 26:6-7 This event evidently happened on the previous Saturday evening (John 12:1).971The reference to two days before the Passover in verse 2 dates the plot to seize Jesus, not the anointing in Simon's house.972Apparently He ...
  • 14:3 For thematic reasons Matthew and Mark both placed this event within the story of the hostility of Jesus' enemies. It is apparently out of chronological order (cf. John 12:1). This rearrangement of the material highlighte...
  • This incident, appearing only in Luke's Gospel, illustrates the truth just expressed in verse 35. Here is a case in point of what Jesus had just described happening (v. 34). Jesus reached out to a sinner only to receive criti...
  • This is another incident involving women who became disciples of Jesus (cf. 8:1-3; et al.). Like the parable of the good Samaritan it shows Jesus overcoming prejudice. As the former parable illustrated the meaning of the seco...
  • Jesus addressed the former parable to His fellow guests, but He directed this teaching to His host. This lesson, like the former parable, could have applied only to social relationships. However, Jesus' teaching was never sim...
  • Luke omitted the story of Jesus' anointing in Bethany (Matt. 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:2-8). He had already narrated a similar event that happened on another occasion (7:36-50). By his omission Luke allowed the story of t...
  • John's presentation of Jesus in his Gospel has been a problem to many modern students of the New Testament. Some regard it as the greatest problem in current New Testament studies.15Compared to the Synoptics that present Jesu...
  • I. Prologue 1:1-18A. The preincarnate Word 1:1-5B. The witness of John the Baptist 1:6-8C. The appearance of the Light 1:9-13D. The incarnation of the Word 1:14-18II. Jesus' public ministry 1:19-12:50A. The prelude to Jesus' ...
  • The writer recorded John the Baptist's witness to Jesus' identity as preparation for his narration of Jesus' public ministry. He was the first of the Apostle John's witnesses to the Incarnation.Previously the writer had menti...
  • The major theme of the Gospel, Jesus' identity as the Son of God, continues dominant. It was just as important for Jesus' disciples to grow in their understanding of who He was and to grow in their faith in Him as it was for ...
  • In this pericope John stressed Jesus' deliberate purpose in allowing Lazarus to die and the reality of his death.11:1-2 "Lazarus"probably is a variant of "Eleazar"meaning "God helps."379The Synoptic writers did not mention hi...
  • The emphasis in this pericope is on Jesus' compassion in the face of sin's consequences.11:30-32 Mary's physical response to Jesus was more emotional that Martha's had been, perhaps reflecting her temperament. Again we find M...
  • In contrast to the hatred that the religious leaders manifested stands the love that Mary demonstrated toward the One she had come to believe in. Her act of sacrificial devotion is a model for all true disciples. This is the ...
  • To make the contrast between belief and unbelief even more striking, John returned from Mary's love to the chief priests' hatred (cf. 11:47-57).12:9 Jesus had disappeared after Lazarus' resurrection and had not yet showed Him...
  • The importance of this incident in Jesus' ministry is evident from the fact that all four Gospel evangelists recorded it. Matthew and Mark placed this event before Mary's anointing of Jesus in Simon's house (vv. 1-8). However...
  • 12:37-38 The majority of the Jews did not believe on Jesus despite the many miracles that He performed that indicated His messiahship (cf. 1:11). John again attributed Israel's unbelief to God's will, though he balanced that ...
  • 13:12 Jesus now returned to His role as the disciples' teacher, which His change of clothing and physical position indicated. He began to explain the significance of what He had done, though full comprehension would come to t...
  • 17:1 "These things Jesus spoke"(NASB, Gr. tauta elalesen Iesous) clearly connects what follows with what Jesus had just been saying (cf. 14:25; 16:1, 4, 25, 33). Lifting up the eyes to heaven indicated prayer, as did Jesus' w...
  • 19:38 All four evangelists mentioned Joseph of Arimathea but only with Jesus' burial. The Synoptics tell us that he was a godfearing rich member of the Sanhedrin who was a follower of Jesus and who had not voted to condemn Je...
  • John followed the climactic proof that Jesus is God's Son with an explanation of his purpose for writing this narrative of Jesus' ministry. This explanation constitutes a preliminary conclusion to the book.20:30 "Therefore"ti...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • Then Jesus, six days before the passover, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom He raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the tabl...
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