121 Jesus , therefore , six days before the Passover , came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead . 2 So they made Him a supper there , and Martha was serving ; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. 3 Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard , and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair ; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume . 4 But Judas Iscariot , one of His disciples , who was intending to betray Him, said , 5 "Why e was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?" 6 Now he said this , not because he was concerned about the poor , but because he was a thief , and as he had the money box , he used to pilfer what was put into it. 7 Therefore Jesus said , "Let her alone , so that she may keep it for the day of My burial . 8 " For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me."
9 The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there ; and they came , not for Jesus' sake only , but that they might also see Lazarus , whom He raised from the dead . 10 But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also ; 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 12:1-11
Commentary on John 12:1-11
(Read John 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 her and her family. God's Anointed should be our Anointed. Has God poured on him the oil of gladness above his fellows, let us pour on him the ointment of our best affections. In Judas a foul sin is gilded over with a plausible pretence. We must not think that those do no acceptable service, who do it not in our way. The reigning love of money is heart-theft. The grace of Christ puts kind comments on pious words and actions, makes the best of what is amiss, and the most of what is good. Opportunities are to be improved; and those first and most vigorously, which are likely to be the shortest. To consult to hinder the further effect of the miracle, by putting Lazarus to death, is such wickedness, malice, and folly, as cannot be explained, except by the desperate enmity of the human heart against God. They resolved that the man should die whom the Lord had raised to life. The success of the gospel often makes wicked men so angry, that they speak and act as if they hoped to obtain a victory over the Almighty himself.