Walking With Jesus Through the Passion Week: The First Saturday

Traditionally, Passion Week begins tomorrow – Palm Sunday. But this first Saturday is a day of preparation. Here’s the texts for today. Let’s enter into the narrative…

Jesus arrives in Bethany

Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. – John 12:1

Evening celebration, Mary anoints Jesus

So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at the table. 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. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, "Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me." – John 12:2-8