Journey Through Holy WeekPrimjer

A King is Anointed

Days before Jesus’ death, Mary, Lazarus’ sister, anointed Jesus’ head with an expensive jar of perfume. And she didn’t hesitate—she kept pouring until the entire bottle was empty. While her act shocked onlookers, here’s why it was significant:

• Mary’s act revealed Jesus’ purpose.

Throughout Scripture, when God chose a king, that person was publicly anointed with oil to show that they were set apart by God. Anointing was so important that the prophesied Savior of the Jewish people was referred to as the Messiah (in Hebrew) or the Christ (in Greek)—terms that mean “Anointed One.”

By anointing Jesus days before He died and rose again, Mary was preparing Him for His burial and proclaiming that He was set apart by God to rescue the world.

• Mary’s act showed her devotion to Jesus and submission to His authority.

Imagine standing before Jesus and giving Him your salary for the entire year. When you do that, you’re not just handing Him your money—you’re giving Him your future, your dreams, and your security. This is what Mary did when she poured her bottle of perfume on Jesus.

Pouring it out would have cost her financially, jeopardized her reputation, and impacted her future security.

But nothing else mattered to Mary except Jesus.

She had seen His glory, and it compelled her to bow at His feet and give Him everything she had.

• Mary’s radical devotion to Jesus mirrored Jesus’ radical devotion to His Father.

Because God loved us, Jesus gave up everything to rescue us. And just like Mary’s expensive perfume was poured out on Him, Jesus’ blood was given up for us. This is something Jesus did without hesitation or regret. He willingly gave up His own life so that we could be anointed by the Anointed One.

As you prepare for Resurrection Sunday, spend some time thinking about the love Jesus has shown you. Jesus doesn’t want anything to hold you back from coming to Him. So allow Him to reveal anything you need to surrender. Then, consider what it would mean for you to follow Jesus the way that Mary did.