The Third Anointing

The third anointing of Jesus took place two days before the Passover which would be Tuesday of Holy Week. The accounts are found in Matthew 26:6-12 and Mark 14:3-9. There are minor differences in these two gospels while basically presenting identical versions of the same event. Both versions tell us they took place in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper.

To illustrate this point compare: “Now when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the Leper, a woman came up to Him with an alabaster jar of costly perfumed oil and poured it on His head while He was reclining.” Mathew 26:7 and “While He was in Bethany reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of perfumed oil, costly genuine spikenard. She broke the alabaster jar and poured it on His head.” Mark 14:3

The same objection arose in both accounts: the amount spent should have been given to the poor. In Matthew the complaint came from the disciples while in Mark it was from unknown persons at the dinner. Jesus countered with the woman did this in anticipation of His burial. He went further saying  in Matthew 26:13 … wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be spoken of, in memory of her.  and in Mark 14:9, …wherever the gospel is proclaimed to the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.

In the first anointing, Jesus defended the sinful woman, when the Pharisee who hosted the dinner objected to the type of woman who did the anointing, saying: …your sins are forgiven…Your faith has saved you; go in peace. Luke 7:48-50. In the second anointing the complaint came from Judas Iscariot that the money should have been given to the poor. John’s gospel plainly gives Judas another motive that he was a thief; he held the money bag for the disciples. Finally in John 12:7 Jesus said, …leave her alone. Let her keep it for my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.

This seems to indicate there was a fourth anointing of Jesus body at the tomb. and also that he desired it be done. Our Lord Jesus was truly human and divine!