Heidi Norton
The anointing of Jesus is recorded in the four gospels of the Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. While the accounts vary, they all describe a woman anointing Jesus with costly perfume. In the Gospel of John, the woman is identified as Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. However, some sources claim that Mary Magdalene was the woman who anointed Jesus, despite her not being named in the biblical texts. The anointing is significant as it symbolises Jesus' kingship and foreshadows his death and burial.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the woman | Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus |
| Location | Bethany, a village in Judea on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives |
| Timing | A few days before Jesus's crucifixion, six days before Passover |
| Amount of perfume used | 12 ounces, 1 pint, 300 days of work for the average worker |
| Type of perfume | Nard, a plant only grown in India |
| Cost of perfume | A year's wages |
| Significance of the anointing | Preparing Jesus for burial, showing love and devotion |
| Mentioned in | Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 7, and John 12 |
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What You'll Learn
- The woman who anointed Jesus is identified as Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus
- The anointing took place in the home of Simon the Leper
- The perfume was contained in an alabaster jar
- The woman wipes Jesus' feet with her hair
- The anointing is interpreted as an act of love and devotion to Jesus
The woman who anointed Jesus is identified as Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus
The anointing of Jesus is reported in the Gospel of John, where a woman pours a costly jar of perfume over Jesus' feet. In this account, the woman is identified as Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. This identification is given explicitly by the author: "Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha".
The Gospel of John describes Mary's act of anointing Jesus as follows: "Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus' feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair" (John 12:3, NLT). This act by Mary is interpreted as a gesture of love and devotion towards Jesus, and it also points to his identity as the Messiah.
It is important to note that the Gospel of Luke also mentions an anointing of Jesus by an unnamed sinful woman. This has sometimes been associated with Mary Magdalene due to the traditional iconography of the woman's act. However, there is no biblical text that identifies Mary Magdalene as the woman in this account, and modern scholars generally agree that Mary of Bethany, Mary Magdalene, and the sinful woman in Luke's gospel are three distinct characters.
The identification of Mary of Bethany with Mary Magdalene arose in medieval Western Christian tradition, influenced by a homily given by Pope Gregory the Great, where he taught about several women in the New Testament as if they were the same person. However, this interpretation was never adopted by Eastern Christianity, and the Catholic Church revised its common interpretation in 1969 to recognize the three women as separate individuals.
In conclusion, while the woman who anointed Jesus has been traditionally associated with Mary Magdalene in art and literature, the biblical text identifies her as Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. This interpretation is supported by the explicit reference to Bethany as the village of Mary and Martha in the Gospel of John, as well as the distinction made by scholars and the Catholic Church between Mary of Bethany, Mary Magdalene, and the sinful woman in Luke's gospel.
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The anointing took place in the home of Simon the Leper
The anointing of Jesus by a woman with a costly jar of perfume is described in all four gospels. However, the gospels present different accounts of the event, with some discrepancies and contradictions. Matthew and Mark relate the same event, which takes place in the home of Simon the Leper, but do not give the woman's name.
In Matthew's account, Jesus is anointed by a woman with a jar of expensive ointment while reclining at a table. The disciples react with anger, calling the act wasteful extravagance. Jesus defends the woman, saying she has done a "beautiful thing" and that the anointing is to prepare his body for burial.
Mark's version of the story is similar, with an anonymous woman interrupting a meal in Simon the Leper's home to anoint Jesus' head with costly perfume. Again, the woman's critics describe her gift as excessive, but Jesus accepts it as an act of love and devotion.
Luke tells of a different woman, also anonymous, on an earlier occasion. This instance takes place in the northern region, as Jesus was ministering in Nain and Capernaum. Here, Jesus uses the occasion of being anointed to tell a parable about forgiveness.
In John's gospel, the woman is identified as Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus. This anointing takes place in Bethany, a village in Judea, six days before Passover. Mary anoints Jesus' feet with expensive perfume, and wipes them with her hair.
While the gospels present different accounts of the anointing, the event is often interpreted as a prophetic sign of Jesus' death and burial, as well as a symbol of his kingship. The woman's act of anointing is seen as a gesture of love, devotion, and respect towards Jesus.
Therefore, while the gospels provide varying details, the anointing described in Matthew and Mark's accounts did take place in the home of Simon the Leper. This event, where an anonymous woman anointed Jesus' head with costly perfume, is significant for its prophetic nature and Jesus' defence of the woman's act.
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The perfume was contained in an alabaster jar
The perfume Mary Magdalene used to anoint Jesus was contained in an alabaster jar. The alabaster jar held a costly and very expensive perfume, made from essence of nard, which Mary used to anoint Jesus' feet. This is detailed in the Bible in John 12:3, where it is written that "Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus' feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair".
The alabaster jar and its contents are significant for several reasons. Firstly, the act of anointing Jesus' feet with perfume and drying them with her hair was an exceptional gesture, as this combination of actions is not recorded elsewhere in literature from that time. Secondly, the value of the perfume itself is emphasised in the Bible. In Mark 14:5, the critics of Mary's gift describe it as excessive, complaining that it could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.
The anointing of Jesus' feet by Mary Magdalene is also significant in its prophetic nature, alluding to His death and burial. This interpretation is supported by Jesus' own words in defence of Mary's actions. In Matthew 26:10, Jesus says to His disciples: "She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial".
The alabaster jar and its costly perfume are therefore important symbols in the Biblical narrative, representing Mary Magdalene's act of devotion and love towards Jesus, as well as foreshadowing His impending death and burial.
It is worth noting that there is some discrepancy and debate surrounding the identity of the woman who anointed Jesus. While John's Gospel identifies the woman as Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, Luke's Gospel describes an unnamed sinful woman, and some have speculated that this woman could be Mary Magdalene. However, this speculation is contradicted by the fact that Mary Magdalene is never identified as a sinful or immoral woman in the Bible, and her name is given in other Scriptures where she is mentioned.
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The woman wipes Jesus' feet with her hair
The anointing of Jesus is recorded in the four gospels of the Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The gospels of Matthew and Mark describe a similar event in which an anonymous woman anoints Jesus' head with expensive perfume. In Matthew, the event takes place two days before Passover in Bethany at the house of Simon the Leper. In Mark, the event takes place a few days before Jesus' crucifixion.
Luke's gospel describes a different event, in which an unnamed sinful woman anoints Jesus' feet with her tears and wipes them with her hair. This event takes place in the northern region, as Jesus was ministering in Nain and Capernaum.
John's gospel identifies the woman as Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Mary anoints Jesus' feet with a costly perfume and wipes them with her hair. This event takes place in Bethany, six days before Passover.
While the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John mention that the woman anointed Jesus with expensive perfume, only Luke and John specifically mention that she wiped Jesus' feet with her hair.
It is important to note that the Bible does not explicitly identify the woman as Mary Magdalene, as some movies, paintings, and writings have portrayed. However, the iconography of the woman's act has traditionally been associated with Mary Magdalene.
The anointing of Jesus' feet by the woman, followed by her wiping them with her hair, holds prophetic significance. It foreshadows Jesus' humble position as the Servant-King and his upcoming sacrifice on the cross. Additionally, it symbolizes the woman's love, gratitude, and respect for Jesus.
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The anointing is interpreted as an act of love and devotion to Jesus
The anointing of Jesus is an event recorded in the four Gospels of the Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The Gospels of Matthew and Mark describe how Jesus was anointed by an anonymous woman, while the Gospel of John identifies the woman as Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. In the Gospel of Luke, the woman is unnamed but described as a sinful woman.
The anointing of Jesus' feet with expensive perfume is a significant and honourable gesture. It is mentioned in other literature from the time, but the use of long hair to dry Jesus' feet, as described in the Gospels of John and Luke, is considered exceptional and unique. The anointing may also have implications for Christ's identity as a Messiah-King or Servant-King, as the anointing of the head was often associated with the dedication of kings in the Old Testament.
While the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John describe the anointing taking place in Bethany, the Gospel of Luke does not specify a location. The timing of the anointing also varies slightly between the Gospels, with Matthew and Mark placing it on Holy Wednesday, and John stating that it occurred six days before Passover. Despite these discrepancies, the anointing of Jesus by a woman is a consistent theme across the four Gospels, emphasizing its significance in Christian tradition and theology.
It is worth noting that some interpretations and popular culture depictions associate Mary Magdalene with the anointing of Jesus. However, the Bible does not explicitly identify her as the woman in this story. The woman in the Gospel of Luke is described as a "sinful woman," which may have led to assumptions that she was Mary Magdalene, who is mentioned as having seven demons cast out of her by Jesus. However, Mary Magdalene is never identified as a harlot or prostitute in the Bible, and her name is mentioned in other scriptures, suggesting that she would have been identified if she were the woman in the anointing story.
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Frequently asked questions
The Bible does not confirm if Mary Magdalene was the woman who anointed Jesus with perfume. However, it is mentioned that Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, anointed Jesus with expensive perfume.
Mary Magdalene was a follower of Jesus Christ and one of his most devoted disciples.
The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John describe a woman anointing Jesus with expensive perfume. However, only John identifies the woman as Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus.
The woman anointed Jesus' feet with perfume as a sign of respect and gratitude for raising her brother Lazarus from the dead.
Anointing someone with perfume was a way to show respect. It also had prophetic significance, alluding to Jesus' death and burial.
