John 12:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Jesus said, "Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.

NIV: "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.

NASB: Therefore Jesus said, 'Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial.

CSB: Jesus answered, "Leave her alone; she has kept it for the day of my burial.

NLT: Jesus replied, 'Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial.

KJV: Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.

NKJV: But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.

Mary has just anointed Jesus with a tremendously expensive gift of oil, during a dinner celebrating His resurrection of her brother, Lazarus (John 12:1–3). Judas criticized this as a waste, noting that the value of the used oil could have fed many poor people (John 12:4–5). This is a smokescreen for his real angst: knowing that this is money he now can't steal from the disciples' common money bag (John 12:6).

Jesus now defends Mary's actions, looking ahead to His impending sacrificial death. Whether Mary fully understands what is about to happen, what she has done carries a prophetic element. This Mary is described elsewhere as an avid student of Jesus (Luke 10:38–42). Her motivations are sincere—unlike the criticism of Judas, which is deceptive. This was a chance for Mary to express her worship and appreciation for Christ. As it turns out, she will not be among the women who approach Jesus' tomb after His crucifixion, intent on anointing His body (Mark 16:1). Regardless of her own awareness, Mary is performing this very task, in advance.

Jesus will also point out that this is a rare opportunity (John 12:8). While there is some truth to the idea that the oil's cost could have been used in other ways, those opportunities will continue. The chance to honor Christ, as Mary did, was something that would never come again. Her decision resulted in an example that's been preserved in the very Word of God, for all time (Mark 14:6–11)

John 12:1–8 describes a dinner held at the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Jesus has recently raised Lazarus from the dead, in a spectacularly public miracle. As a result, the religious leaders of Jerusalem have banded together to have Him killed. In this scene, Mary sacrifices an extremely expensive container of oil in order to anoint Jesus. Judas objects to this, dishonestly claiming that his concern is for the poor which the ointment's value could have supported. This is similar to an event related in Mark chapter 14, but not the same as the one recorded in Luke chapter 7.

Jesus is treated to an honorary dinner at the home of Lazarus, whom He has recently raised from death. At this dinner, Lazarus' sister, Mary, anoints Jesus with expensive oil. Jesus then enters Jerusalem to great fanfare, stoking fears that His popularity will attract the anger of the Roman Empire. That anger even inspires a murder plot against Lazarus. After being approached by non-Jewish seekers, Jesus offers a final plea for people to understand His ministry. In effect, these are the last public words spoken by Jesus in the gospel of John.

In the prior chapter, Jesus spectacularly raised Lazarus from death in front of a crowd of witnesses. This inspired local religious leaders to commit to having Him killed. Here, after a celebratory dinner where Jesus is anointed with oil, He will fulfill prophecy by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, celebrated with shouts of ''Hosanna'' and a massive crowd. This leads to a group of curious non-Jews approaching Him. Christ then offers a final plea for belief in Him and His message. After this, His ministry will turn to preparing the disciples for His impending death and resurrection. The next several chapters of the gospel of John are almost entirely made up of his teachings to these men.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.