Prepared to Die.
JOhn 12:1-8
In John 12, just six days before the Passover, we find Jesus at a dinner table in Bethany, reclining with His disciples and recently raised friend Lazarus. The house is filled with celebration, food, and companionship—but it’s about to be filled with something even more profound: the aroma of a life wholly surrendered to God. At this moment, Mary, Lazarus’s sister, walks in and offers something so costly, undignified, and intimate that Jesus says it will be remembered wherever the Gospel is told.
But this isn’t just a story about perfume. It’s a revelation of what true worship looks like and what kind of offering God has always desired. From the beginning, God accepted sacrifices—animals provided to cover the shame and sin of humanity. We see this as early as in the Garden of Eden when God clothes Adam and Eve with garments made from a slain animal, showing that the path back to a relationship with Him would require a substitute. And yet, as Scripture unfolds, we learn that these sacrifices were never the end goal. Psalm 51 makes it plain: “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” God never intended to be worshipped with the blood of animals forever—what He’s always wanted is the whole heart of a person offered freely and fully in love.
That’s precisely what Mary gives. Her offering is not burned on an altar but poured out on the feet of Jesus. Everyone in the room, including Judas, sees her actions and thinks it’s too much. But Jesus accepts it. Because Mary is doing what no one else seems to understand—she is preparing Him to die. She has listened. She’s paid attention. She’s the one who truly sees what’s coming. And she responds with love and surrender.
Mary’s act is radical. The perfume she pours out is pure nard—undiluted, expensive, likely her entire life’s savings. She holds nothing back. She breaks the jar and, with it, breaks open her whole life at the feet of her Lord. At that moment, she isn’t worried about dignity. She lets down her hair, an act considered inappropriate for a woman in public, and wipes His feet with it. It’s a display of utter devotion, humility, and submission. Mary is not budgeting her love. She’s saying, “Jesus, I give you everything.”
And what does Jesus do? He accepts it. He says that she has anointed Him for His burial. Her act of love is not wasted. She doesn’t just honor Him as Lord—she prepares Him to suffer and die as King. And when Jesus rises, that aroma may still be lingering on His body. The fragrance of Mary’s worship may have followed Him all the way to the cross.
More than that, Mary binds herself to Jesus in this moment. Just as Jesus will later wash His disciples’ feet and say, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me,” Mary reverses that picture by washing Jesus’ feet. In doing so, she says, “I want to be part of You. I want what You’re about to do to count for me.” This is not just preparation for Jesus’ death—it’s preparation for hers, for dying to self and being raised with Christ. She shows us what it looks like to cling to Jesus with everything we are.
Mary becomes a picture of what the Church is called to be. She is the Bride at the feet of the Groom, unashamed in her love. She gives generously, listens attentively, and worships extravagantly. Her devotion fills the room. Her love lingers in the air. And Jesus says it will be remembered forever because this is what the Gospel produces in human life: complete surrender.
That’s why what we do on Sundays matters. We don’t just sing songs and go through rituals. We, like Mary, come to the table and bring our confession, need, tears, and praise. We pour ourselves out again—not because Jesus needs a show but because we want Him to have everything. We sit at His feet because we know He is the only one worth giving our lives to.
This is also the turning point of the Lenten journey. Up to this point, we’ve been discussing what we need to die for—our sins, self-reliance, and idols. But now, we begin to talk about what we are living for. If we have emptied our hands, it’s so that we can fill them with Christ. Mary shows us that Lent's goal isn’t just loss—it’s gain. It’s gaining Christ and making Him the most treasured possession.
So, what are you still holding back from Jesus? Is there still a jar of perfume hidden in your closet that you’re not willing to break? Is there something in your life you value more than Him? Do you think offering your whole self to Jesus is a waste, or are you ready to give Him all?
If we’re honest, many of us still clinging to things—our pride, comfort, sin, control. But Jesus is calling us, through Mary’s example, to lay it all down. To be bound to Him. To prepare to die—so that we can truly live.
May we be a church that looks like Mary—fully devoted, deeply humble, and radically generous in our worship. May our lives fill the room with the fragrance of love for Jesus. And may we be prepared to die because we believe He is worth it all, with everything in us.
Watch Sermon HERE.
Listen to Sermon HERE.
Journey on,
Pastor Bruce
