Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is not just excusing Mary's actions but revealing a profound prophetic layer: her extravagant act of love was a divine preparation, a sacred, unconscious anticipation of His imminent burial and embalmment. This highlights how God can weave even our spontaneous acts of devotion into His grander, unfolding plan, often in ways we don't fully grasp at the moment.
Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just arrived in Bethany, where his resurrected friend Lazarus lives, and a dinner is held in his honor. While Martha serves, Mary, Lazarus's sister, takes an expensive perfume and anoints Jesus's feet, wiping them with her hair, which prompts Judas to question the waste of money. Jesus responds by defending Mary's action, stating she has preserved it for the day of his burial, an event that is now just days away.
Judas cries foul play, calling Mary's expensive act a waste. But Jesus redefines the moment, revealing a deeper purpose behind her devotion.
When Judas objects to Mary pouring out expensive spikenard on Jesus, calling it a waste that could have gone to the poor, Jesus defends her action. He doesn't dismiss the needs of the poor, stating, "For the poor you will always have with you" (John 12:8). However, he highlights that Mary's act is different; it's a specific, timely preparation for His imminent death and burial. The word for 'burying' here refers to the preparation and embalming of the body, a crucial step in Jewish customs. Mary, perhaps unknowingly guided by the Holy Spirit, has reserved this precious ointment for this very purpose. Jesus isn't endorsing lavish spending for its own sake, but pointing to a unique, prophetic act of love in anticipation of His burial.
Six days before Passover, Jesus arrives in Bethany. He knows what awaits Him in Jerusalem, and this anointing becomes a poignant marker of His willing journey to the cross.
Jesus’ arrival in Bethany, especially to the home of Lazarus whom He had raised, sets the stage for this profound encounter. He is fully aware of the events unfolding, including Judas's betrayal and His own impending death and burial. His statement, 'Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial,' is not just a defense of Mary, but a powerful declaration of His own acceptance of His fate. He is not passively moving towards Jerusalem; He is actively embracing His role as the sacrificial Lamb. This moment, filled with the aroma of costly perfume, serves as a stark contrast to the bitterness of the betrayal to come, underscoring the immense love and willing sacrifice He is about to offer.
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Understand the original words
entaphiasmos · Greek Noun
The day or process of committing a dead body to the ground or a tomb; in the New Testament, it points toward the anticipated death and entombment of Jesus as part of His redemptive work.
Jesus' words about Mary's anointing highlight the divine foresight He possessed regarding His own impending death and burial, a stark contrast to the immediate concerns and motivations of those around Him.
c. AD 30
Jesus arrives in Bethany
Jesus arrived in Bethany six days before the Passover, staying in the home of Lazarus, whom He had recently raised from the dead.
c. AD 30— this verse
Mary anoints Jesus' feet
Mary, in an act of devotion, anoints Jesus' feet with expensive spikenard ointment and wipes them with her hair, filling the house with its fragrance.
c. AD 30
Judas protests the anointing
Judas Iscariot objects to the 'waste' of the ointment, suggesting it could have been sold and given to the poor, revealing his greed and his betrayal.
c. AD 30
Jesus' imminent arrival in Jerusalem
Jesus would travel to Jerusalem within days, where He would be arrested and crucified.
c. AD 30
Jewish leaders plot against Jesus and Lazarus
Enraged by Jesus' miracles, especially the resurrection of Lazarus, the chief priests and Pharisees plotted to kill both Jesus and Lazarus.
c. AD 30
Passover festival begins
The annual Passover festival commenced, a time of remembrance and celebration that would culminate in Jesus' crucifixion.
This passage from Matthew parallels John's account, directly quoting Jesus saying a similar act 'was done to prepare me for burial,' highlighting the prophetic significance of Mary's anointing.
Mark 14:8Mark's Gospel also emphasizes that Mary 'has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burying,' reinforcing the idea that her action was a divinely prompted preparation for Jesus' death and burial.
Luke 7:47In Luke's Gospel, Jesus declares, 'Her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loves much,' speaking about another woman who anointed his feet, showing Jesus' consistent affirmation of love expressed through such acts, even when others question it.
John 19:39-40This passage describes Nicodemus bringing spices to anoint Jesus' body after his death, illustrating the Jewish custom of preparing the dead for burial, which Mary's act preemptively mirrored.
henryJohn 12:1-11: "Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead."
12:1-11 Christ had formerly blamed Martha for being troubled with much serving. But she did not leave off serving, as some, who when found fault with for going too far in one way, peevishly run too far another way; she still served, but within hearing of Christ's gracious words. Mary gave a token of love to Christ, who had given real tokens of his love to…
meyerJohn 12:7: "Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this."
John 12:7-8 . According to the Recepta , Jesus says: “She has fulfilled a higher purpose with the spikenard ointment ( αὐτό ); in order to embalm me with it to-day (as though I were already dead), has she (not given it out for the poor, but) reserved it .” Comp. on Matthew 26:12 . According to the correct reading, however (see the critical notes): “Let her alone, that she may preserve it (this ointmen…
Jesus is not just excusing Mary's actions but revealing a profound prophetic layer: her extravagant act of love was a divine preparation, a sacred, unconscious anticipation of His imminent burial and embalmment. This highlights how God can weave even our spontaneous acts of devotion into His grander, unfolding plan, often in ways we don't fully grasp at the moment.
Jesus has just arrived in Bethany, where his resurrected friend Lazarus lives, and a dinner is held in his honor. While Martha serves, Mary, Lazarus's sister, takes an expensive perfume and anoints Jesus's feet, wiping them with her hair, which prompts Judas to question the waste of money. Jesus responds by defending Mary's action, stating she has preserved it for the day of his burial, an event that is now just days away.
Jesus has just arrived in Bethany, where his resurrected friend Lazarus lives, and a dinner is held in his honor. While Martha serves, Mary, Lazarus's sister, takes an expensive perfume and anoints Jesus's feet, wiping them with her hair, which prompts Judas to question the waste of money. Jesus responds by defending Mary's action, stating she has preserved it for the day of his burial, an event that is now just days away.
"Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial." — Jesus is not just excusing Mary's actions but revealing a profound prophetic layer: her extravagant act of love was a divine preparation, a sacred, unconscious anticipation of His imminent burial and…
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Last reviewed October 2026