The Anointing Of Jesus    

John 12:1-8 (NASB)
¹  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 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."

1. Selfless Love Poured Out As Worship

John 12:1-3 (NASB)
¹  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.

Mark 14:8 (NASB)
⁸  "She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.

Matthew 26:6-13 (NASB)
⁶  Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper,
⁷  a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table.
⁸  But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, "Why this waste?
⁹  "For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor."
¹⁰  But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me.
¹¹  "For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me.
¹²  "For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial.
¹³  "Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her."

2. Selfish Idolatry Portrayed As Concern For Others

John 12:4-6 (NASB)
⁴  But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, *said,
⁵  "Why 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.

John 12:7-8 (NASB)
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."

Deuteronomy 15:10-11 (NASB)
¹⁰  "You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings.
¹¹  "For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.' 

John 12:9-11 (NASB)
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.