Matthew 26:12

And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, For the exposition, see the notes at Mark 14:1....

12_She hath done it to bury me. _By these words Christ confirms what we have said, that the _precious ointment _was not valued by him on account of its odor, but solely in reference to his _burial. _It was because he wished to testify by this symbol, that his grave would yield a sweet odor, as it breathed life and salvation through the whole world. Accordingly, we are told by John (John 12:7) that Christ praised Mary _for having reserved that anointing till the day of his burial. _But since the truth of this figure has been made fully apparent, and since Christ, in departing from the sepulcher, perfumed not one house, but the whole world, by the quickening odor of his death, it would be childish to repeat an action for which no reason and no advantage could be assigned....

6-13 The pouring ointment upon the head of Christ was a token of the highest respect. Where there is true love in the heart to Jesus Christ, nothing will be thought too good to bestow upon him. The more Christ's servants and their services are cavilled at, the more he manifests his acceptance. This act of faith and love was so remarkable, that it would be reported, as a memorial of Mary's faith and love, to all future ages, and in all places where the gospel should be preached. This prophecy is fulfilled....

Verse Matthew 26:12. _SHE DID_ IT _FOR MY BURIAL._] Or, _She hath done it to_ _embalm me _- ενταφιασαι με. The Septuagint use ενταφιαστης for the person whose office it was to _embalm_, Genesis 50:2, and ενταφιαζω for the Hebrew הנט which signifies to _prepare with spices_, or _aromatics_, Genesis 50:3. Our Lord took this opportunity to tell them, once more, that he was shortly to die....

EXPOSITION Ch. 26-28:20 THUS JESUS ENTERS UPON HIS KINGDOM. Before attempting to expound this most momentous section of the gospel history, we must make up our minds concerning the solution of the difficulties which are involved in some details in the account of the Supper. The supposed discrepancy between the narrative of the synoptists and that of St. John has exercised the minds of commentators from the earliest times unto the present, and enormous ingenuity has been expended in endeavouring to harmonize what are regarded as conflicting statements. The two chief difficulties are these: According to the synoptists, as generally understood, our Lord and his apostles ate the Passover, _i.e. _the Paschal lamb, when he instituted the Holy Communion; according to St. John, the death of Christ took place before the Passover was celebrated. Hence

FOR IN THAT SHE HATH POURED THIS OINTMENT,.... Which was so very precious, and cost so much, UPON MY BODY: for being poured on his head, it ran down all over his body. SHE DID IT FOR MY BURIAL; not for the interment of his body, but for the embalming of it, previous to it: the Jews used to embalm their dead, to show their constant respect to the deceased, and their belief of the resurrection; at least not only used to wash them, but anoint them with oil; for so runs one of their canons i: "they do all things necessary to the dead, (i.e. on the sabbath day,) סכין, "they anoint him": that is, as Bartenora adds, "with oil"; and they wash him;'' but the body of Christ, when dead, was not to be so used: the women intended it, and prepared materials for it, but the sabbath coming on, they rested according to the commandment; though, according to this canon, they might have anointed him, bu...

6, 7. _Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat._ This is not the woman who anointed Christ's feet with ointment, but another of the holy women who ministered to him. I believe this was Mary, the sister of Lazarus, who came to Jesus, «having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.» 8, 9. _But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor._ When you do the best you can do, from the purest motives, and your Lord accepts your service, do not expect that your brethren will approve all your actions. If you do, you will be greatly disappointed. There was never a more beautiful proof of...

FOR MY Supply to prepare me....

13. THE PASSION OF THE KING. Chapter s 26-27. CHAPTER 26 1. His Death Planned. (Matthew 26:1 .) 2. Mary of Bethany Anointing the King.(Matthew 26:6 .) 3. The Betrayal. (Matthew 26:14 .) 4. The Last Passover.(Matthew 26:17 .) 5. The Lord's Supper Instituted.(Matthew 26:26 .) 6. Peter's Denial Announced and the Scattered Sheep.(Matthew 26:30 .) 7. In Gethsemane. ...

THE ANOINTING OF JESUS (Mark 13:3 *) Mt. follows Mk. very closely, though abbreviating somewhat, _e.g._ in Matthew 26:7; Matthew 26:9; Matthew 26:11. It is the Fourth Gospel that assigns the anointing to Mary of Bethany and the remonstrance to Judas. In Mk. it is some, in Mt. the disciples, who grumble thus there is a gradual defining of the culprit. In Mt. Jesus does not hear the murmuring, but perceives it....