Do you think the anointing of Jesus in John 12 by Mary is the same one mentioned in Matthew 26?

“There came unto Him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on His head…” (Matt. 26:7).

“Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus…” (Jn. 12:3).

It is commonly taught that the anointing of Christ in Matthew 26:6-13 and the similar account in John 12:1-8 are the same event. There are similarities between these accounts but also major differences.

The similarities: Both events took place in “Bethany” (Matt. 26:6; Mk. 14:3; Jn. 12:1). The ointment was worth the same amount, “three hundred pence” (Mk. 14:5; Jn. 12:5). Objection was made that the ointment could have been sold and the money given to the poor (Matt. 26:9; Mk. 14:5; Jn. 12:5). The Lord’s response is practically the same in each account (Matt. 26:11-12; Mk. 14:7-8; Jn. 12:7-8).

The differences: John’s account took place at the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary (12:2); the other account is at “the house of Simon the leper” (Matt. 26:6; Mk. 14:3). John’s account took place “six days before the Passover” (12:1); the other took place “two days” before the Passover (Matt. 26:2; Mk. 14:1). In John, it took place before the Triumphal Entry (12:12-15); the other took place after it (Matt. 21:1-11; Mk. 11:1-11). In John, “Mary” is named (12:3); in the other, the “woman” is unnamed (Matt. 26:7,10; Mk. 14:3). In John, the ointment was poured on Christ’s “feet” (12:3); in the other, the ointment was poured on Christ’s “head” (Matt. 26:7; Mk. 14:3). In John, Mary “wiped His feet with her hair” (12:3); in the other, the woman’s hair is not mentioned. In John’s account, only “one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot” objected (12:4-6); in the other, “some” of the disciples objected (Matt. 26:8; Mk. 14:4).

The details of the two accounts differ significantly, and not because of any contradiction, but because these were two similar but different anointings of Christ that took place four days apart.

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Something unexpected happened as the Lord was preaching the Word in a crowded house in Capernaum (Mark. 2:2). There was noise above them. People on the roof began digging out the topcoat of clay, removing and tearing away clay tiles, then pulling, tugging, and pushing at the underlying branches and timbers. One can surmise that debris from the roof rained down on those inside the house, and they clamored and struggled to get out of the way.

We imagine that bright sunlight suddenly streamed into the darkness of the home from a hole in the roof. But the men above kept working until they made a larger opening. Now particles of dust probably hung in the air from the partial demolition of the roof. Then the stream of light was blocked as a stretcher was swung over the hole, and a man who was a paralytic was lowered into the house (2:4). People shuffled and made room as the man on the stretcher was lowered and placed directly before the Lord. Above the scene now were seen four happy, hopeful friends looking down into the house.

These four determined men are examples of true friends who, in love, help needy sinners to come before the Savior. These four had a faith that refused to quit in the face of obstacles. Their friend couldn’t walk, so they carried him. The crowd blocked their access to Christ, so they went around them. The roof was in the way, so they tore a hole in it. The men went to extraordinary lengths and great effort to place their friend before the Lord.

The paralytic is a picture of all who are outside of Christ for, in our sins, we are all spiritual paralytics. The four men believed in Christ (v. 5), and they knew He could help their friend, so they brought him to Christ and were willing to do whatever it took to get that man before Him. May their same heart beat within us, having the kind of faith and zeal that would tear apart a roof to get a person before the Lord and under the hearing of the gospel. By far, the number one reason new people come to a church or go to a Bible study is that a friend invites them. When you stop and think about that hole in that broken roof, what you see is a picture of love.

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“Many people believe that Saul, after his vision on the road to Damascus, began to preach Body truth. But in Galatians 1:23 the Scriptures clearly state that Saul now preached the faith which he once destroyed (Peter’s message).”

As we know, Paul spent the first two chapters in Galatians distinguishing his apostleship and message from the apostleship and message of the Twelve. In fact, he clearly states that the gospel he preached was “not after man,” that is, the Twelve or any other man for that matter. Rather, his message was a direct revelation from the Lord of glory (Gal. 1:11-12). With this in mind, verse 23 must be interpreted in light of the context that precedes it.

“But they [churches of Judea] had heard only, that he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. And they glorified God in me” (Gal. 1:23-24).

We must remember that there was a point in Paul’s life when he rejected Christ and the seemingly ridiculous notion that He had risen from the dead. He believed Him to be nothing more than an imposter. But when the Lord of glory appeared to Paul on the dusty road leading to Damascus, his stony heart of flesh melted within him. He could not deny his senses; he believed Christ was Who He claimed to be! You see, the fact that Christ was the Son of God Who had risen from the dead was common ground between the two programs of God. So it is in this sense the apostle preached the faith that he once sought to destroy.

This is further confirmed by Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 15:11: “Therefore whether it were I [the apostle of the Gentiles] or they [the twelve apostles of the kingdom], so we preach, and so ye believed.” Preached what? Clearly in this context the resurrection of Christ—true, it may have been for completely different purposes; nevertheless, it was a common denominator.

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