This Mary is not to be confused with the sinful woman's anointing of an earlier time.

It is seen in Jesus' defense of her that she knows what the others have not been able to understand with His previous teachings about His "HOUR." She begins now to prepare His body for the agony and death that she knows will come shortly. What a tremendous comfort and strength to Him this was to provide, ministered now in such a loving way that He would carry with Him through the next lonely and agonizing hours when it would seem all had forsaken Him. He will remember Mary, as He asks of us as well.

TRUTH:
GOD DOES NOT OVERLOOK ONE DEED DONE, NO MATTER HOW TRITE IT MAY APPEAR TO OTHERS, WHEN DONE IN CHRIST'S NAME, AND FOR HIS SAKE. ( Heb.6:10)

Jesus Himself defined its purpose -- anointing for his burial. ( Mk.14:8)

John mentions only Judas' objection to this act of devotion, while Matthew & Mark clearly implicate other disciples. ( Mt.26:8; Mk.14:4-5)

For further insight into "anointing for service" and oil prepared for the Lord, see Exodus 30:22-38.

"CHIEF PRIESTS" = made up primarily of Sadducees, thus one can readily see more than one reason why they wanted to silence this mob by the death of both Jesus and Lazarus. Not only were these rulers (who partly made up the Sanhedrin, along with the Pharisees, Scribes, and Elders) in danger of loosing their position of power with Rome, but also a major tenet of their cherished doctrine was being challenged and clearly disproven. Lazarus was living proof of the Resurrection, and the people were believing enmasse. Their pride, prestige, power, and position, both religious and political, were being threatened, and they would not permit this. The objects of the peoples' belief must be denied them for the very survival of their religious institution.

Another point not to be missed here is, even if it was only a remote possibility to them of Jesus becoming king of the Jews in Judea, these arrogant educated ones were not about to relinquish their long-entrenched power to these Johnny-come-lately uneducated Galilean rabble-rousers without some resistance. No, their pride would not permit this. He will be stopped, whichever the case, at all costs. After all, they had the nation's interest at heart, a matter of national security, they said. (Does this not sound familiar with present day leaders, long-entrenched in power inside the "belt way" of our own country? One can draw the parallel in any institution, be it social, educational, vocational, political, or religious, where pride has long ruled and power has corrupted. What is that saying about power and corruption, and about absolute power?)