Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany 1 Six days before i the Passover, j Jesus therefore came to Bethany, k where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. l Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table.
3 m Mary therefore took a pound 1 of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his. Mary - First of two anointings by two different women Evening of the 8th of Nisan. Mary, the sister of both Lazarus and Martha, anointed Jesus' feet with spikenard six days before His crucifixion.
Spikenard is an expensive, perfumed ointment used for anointing the dead. Mark and Matthew both mention an unnamed woman who anoints Jesus' head with either nard or ointment. Luke tells us of an unnamed woman "who was a sinner" who bathed Jesus' feet with her tears, anointed them with ointment, and dried them with her hair.
Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Anointing of Jesus Mary Magdalene is traditionally depicted with a vessel of ointment, in reference to the Anointing of Jesus.
Though the Bible suggests that different women washed Jesus' feet, his anointing by Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene are related. This is because, in both stories, Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene anointed Jesus with expensive perfume or ointment. All four gospels present an account of Jesus being anointed by a woman with a costly jar of perfume (Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; Luke 7:36-50; John 12:1-8).
Matthew and Mark relate the same event but do not give the woman's name; Luke tells of a different woman, also anonymous, on an earlier occasion; and, in yet another event, the woman in John is identified as Mary of Bethany. Mary anoints Jesus' feet - Six days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, home of Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Lazarus and his sisters hosted a dinner for him.
Martha served and Lazarus was among those who joined him at the table. Then Mary took an extraordinary amount, almost three-quarters of a pound, of very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She anointed Jesus.
Did Mary Magdalene anoint Christ's feet? Was she the same woman as Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus? And, given that there were two anointings, was she responsible for both, one, or none? Mary (Martha's sister) then took a pound of pure spikenard ointment worth a great price and anointed Jesus' feet, wiping His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the aroma of the ointment (John 12:3).