This prophecy that Jesus made about Mary
has, as we all know, come true.

Mary seemed to be the only one who under-
stood what Jesus meant when He spoke about
His death, burial and resurrection.

Mary wasn't with the other women who went
to embalm Jesus. She knew that the One who
had raised her brother from the dead would
not remain in the tomb.

He was the Resurrection and the Life, and
death could not hold Him!

Judas' protest must have been painful to Mary.
She had by this time been watched unfavorably
and Jesus had to speak up for her.

"And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye
her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
For ye have the poor with you always, and
whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but
me ye have not always. She hath done what
she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my
body to the burying. Verily I say unto you,
Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached
throughout the whole world, this also that
she hath done shall be spoken of for a memor-
ial of her" Mark 14:6-9

Judas saw it was too late the save the ointment,
felt like he had been personally cheated.

We know that for a third of that amount he sold
out the Lord. His pretence of giving the money
to the poor was to conceal that he was a thief.

Of course, the disciples thought Mary had been
extravagant, but they kept their protests low.
One man didn't hold his peace and spoke out
indignantly.

"Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariat,
Simon's son, which should betray him, Why
was not this ointment sold for three hundred
pence, and given to the poor?"
John 12:4-5

This attitude ended up turning him into a
traitor.

Mary had a sense of Jesus' death approaching
and it gave her some grief but not despair,
because He had said that He would rise on the
third day. Her brother had been raised by Him
so see knew what Jesus meant.

Moved by her affection for Jesus, she wanted
to show it outwardly. She got up and picked up
an alabaster box of oinment of spikenard, she
broke the seal, and poured the expensive
perfume over His head and on His feet; then
she took her
hair and
wiped His
feet, while
the room
filled with
its fragrance.

While others were thinking of Jesus going into
Jerusalem the next day was to become the
Messiah of Israel (to become their earthly king)
Mary apparently understood Jesus' words about
His death and burial.

She never thought of disputing His statements
of His death like the disciples did. And she didn't
have any thoughts of taking part in any political
ambitions.

When Jesus spoke of His coming death, she took
it literally.

Then something took place that made this feast
the most remarkable event in the last days of
Jesus' life.

Mary wasn't much of a hostess whenever Jesus
was around. She was always gazing and hanging
on every word He spoke.

She listened to His words and seemed to under-
stand them more than anyone else.

This man known as Simon the leper, knew of
and had affection for Mary, Martha and Lazarus.
Some have wondered if he could have been their
father. They all knew him. Martha had been in
charge of the banquet.

Lazarus sat at the table. His miracle made him
as interesting to the people as Jesus was. We
can about imagine the questions he was asked
regarding what it was like on the other side of
life. They must have had the same questions
for Jesus.

One of the men that lived in Bethany, had a
home that he used for a banquet for Jesus.

His name was Simon the leper. To do this
feast for Jesus shows he didn't have the disease
and more than likely had been healed by Jesus.

So it was proper that he should be able to act
as host for Jesus and His disciples.

Of course Jesus and His disciples were expected
to stay at Mary and Martha's home in Bethany.
Their brother Lazarus had been raised from the
dead just a short time before.

The people of the village gave Jesus a great
welcome, but the Sanhedrin had decreed His
death and had sent out a warrant to have Him
arrested.

The miracle involving Lazarus had produced an
impression on the people of the town and they
didn't pay any attention to the decree.

The next day Jesus and His disciples continued
on the Jerusalem but stopped in Bethany.

"Then Jesus six days before the passover to
came to Bethany, when Lazarus was which had
been dead, whom he raised. There they made
him a supper, and Martha served: but Lazarus
was one of them that sat at the table with him.
Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spike-


nard, very
costly, and
anointed the
feet of Jesus,
and wiped
his feet with
her hair;
and the house was filled with the odour
of the ointment"
John 12:1-3

It would be great to know all that Jesus and
Zacchaeus talked about that day; but Bible
records doesn't tell about him after this visit
with Jesus.

Some say that years later Peter ordained him
as Bishop of Caesarea.

Zacchaeus' turning to the Jesus and his sincere
repentence was Jesus' answer to the people.

Zacchaeus was a new creature and the Lord
could say, "This day is salvation come to this
house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save
that which is lost" Luke 19:9-10

Zacchaeus didn't stop with giving half of his
wealth to the poor, he went on to make every
thing right by saying that if he had taken anything
from any man falsely, then he would not only
return it but he would restore it fourfold.

This act of restitution wasn't painful to him,
the parting with his good was made up many
time over by the joy he had of receiving Jesus
into his life.

Up to this point, money had meant a lot to
Zacchaeus. He had gotten very wealthy.
But it apparently hadn't brought him very
much joy.

Now Jesus had chosen to come to his house.
This seemed to bring a change in his life.
After meeting Jesus he desired to be one of
his disciples. So he first started with giving
half of his wealth to the poor.

To Zacchaeus, who had tried so hard to see
Jesus, Jesus' words were so gracious and the
sweetest he had ever heard.

Jesus hadn't despised him and he hoped to
be worthy of the kindness shown to him. But
Zaccaeus could hear some of the murmuring
against him from some of the people.

So he said, "Behold, Lord, the half of my
goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken
any thing from any man by false accusation,
I restore him fourfold" Luke 19:8

Hebrews 12:25

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