The Way of Sacrifice
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
John 12:1–8
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
As we near the end of our Lenten journey, we have seen that The Way of the Cross is:
The Way of Trust (Luke 4:1–13)—relying on God’s Word rather than our own strength.
The Way of Suffering (Luke 13:31–35)—the path to salvation goes through the cross.
The Way of Repentance (Luke 13:1–9)—turning away from sin and bearing the fruit of faith.
The Way of Forgiveness (Luke 15:1–3, 11b–32)—receiving and extending God’s mercy.
Today, we The Way of the Cross is made complete in its fifth and final part: The Way of Sacrifice.
1. Love Requires Sacrifice
“Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair.”
John 12:3
Mary’s act was extravagant. The perfume she poured on Jesus was worth a year’s wages—likely her most valuable possession. She didn’t use a small amount or keep any in reserve. She gave it all. And in doing so, she showed that true love is costly. Love is not just expressed in words but in great personal cost.
Love Gives Extravagantly
Love always comes with a cost. When we truly love someone, we don’t ask, “How little can I give?” We give generously, holding nothing back.
Mary’s sacrifice reminds us of another extravagant offering in Scripture: the poor widow in Mark 12:41–44. This widow put two small coins into the offering bowl—everything she had. Jesus commended her because she gave not out of surplus but out of love and trust in God.
Judas, in contrast, saw Mary’s act as wasteful. He claimed the money could have been used for the poor, which sounds like a noble cause, but the gospel writer tells us his true motive: he was a thief. Judas valued money more than Christ. Mary valued Christ above all else.
Paul echoes this kind of sacrificial love when he writes, “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8) True love holds nothing back because love keeps Jesus as the greatest treasure.
Love Humbles Itself
Not only did Mary pour out her most valuable possession, but she also wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair. In that culture, feet were considered dirty and unclean (because they usually were!). Normally, only servants washed the feet of others. But Mary willingly took the position of a servant in devotion to Jesus.
Her act foreshadows what Jesus Himself would do in John 13, when He washes His disciples’ feet. When He does this, He tells them, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:15) Love is not just about sacrifice—it is about humility. True love puts the needs of others before self.
We see this kind of love in everyday life. A mother wakes up in the middle of the night to care for her crying baby. A father works long hours to provide for his family. A friend gives up their own plans to support someone in need. These sacrifices are not made out of obligation but out of love.
Martin Luther once wrote, “A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.” Genuine love always comes at a cost. But when we love sacrificially, we reflect the love of Christ.
Application
What is Jesus worth to you? Do you love Him with a costly, extravagant love, or do you hold back? Are you willing to serve others, even when it’s inconvenient?
Love requires sacrifice. Mary showed her love in the way she gave and humbled herself before Jesus. As we prepare for Holy Week, may we also love with a costly love—one that reflects the ultimate sacrifice of Christ Himself.
2. Pride Avoids Sacrifice
“Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?”
John 12:5
Judas’ words sound reasonable—why waste something so valuable? But John exposes his true motives: “He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief.” (John 12:6) Judas’ complaint reveals a deeper truth—pride always seeks to avoid sacrifice. It makes excuses, finds justifications, and resents the cost of true devotion.
Pride Seeks Its Own Gain
Judas’ objection to Mary’s act was not about generosity—it was about himself. He had been trusted with control over the money, and ultimately, he wanted control over Jesus. His love for wealth was stronger than his love for Christ. This same prideful self-interest is warned against in Isaiah 43, where God rebukes Israel for growing weary of worship. Instead of offering sacrifices with joy, they saw them as a burden.
Jesus teaches the opposite in Luke 9:23: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Pride is unable to deny itself. It resists sacrifice and instead clings to comfort, status, and personal gain.
We see it every day. A person refuses to admit they’re wrong because their pride is more important than their relationships. Someone hesitates to give generously because they fear losing security. Someone else holds onto resentment because forgiveness feels like admitting defeat. Pride makes us defensive, avoiding the cost of love and grace.
Pride Justifies Avoiding Sacrifice
Judas rationalised his greed with a noble-sounding excuse: “Think of what good could have been done with this money!” But Jesus saw through the act. This is what pride does—it finds reasonable justifications to avoid costly love.
The Pharisees in Luke 20 show a similar attitude. In Jesus’ parable of the tenants, they refused to give the vineyard’s fruit to the owner, believing it belonged to them. Pride convinces us that we deserve what we have and that sacrifice is unnecessary or even unfair.
Contrast this with Paul’s words in Philippians 2: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who… made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant… he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” Christ, though He had every right to hold onto His glory, gave it all up.
Application
Where do we make excuses to avoid sacrificial love? Do we justify withholding forgiveness? Do we resist giving because it feels like too much? Do we hold onto pride instead of humbling ourselves?
Pride avoids sacrifice, but Christ calls us to a different way. The way of the cross is costly, but it leads to life.
3. Jesus Made the Greatest Sacrifice
Jesus said:
“It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.”
John 12:7
Mary’s act of anointing Jesus with costly perfume was a foreshadowing of His ultimate sacrifice. While Judas and the Pharisees resisted sacrifice, Jesus willingly embraced it. His journey to the cross was not an accident but a deliberate act of love.
Jesus Gave Everything for Us
Mary’s perfume was expensive, but the sacrifice Jesus was about to make was infinitely greater. He gave His life. In Hebrews 5, we are reminded that “[Jesus] learned obedience from what he suffered; and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.”
Jesus’ sacrifice was not forced upon Him; He willingly laid down His life. In John 10:18, He says, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” This is the heart of the gospel—Christ did not avoid sacrifice, but embraced it for our sake.
Augustine reflected on this mystery, saying, “The cross was not a necessity imposed upon Christ, but the supreme manifestation of His love.” His death was not merely a tragic event—it was the ultimate demonstration of love, a love that cost Him everything.
His Sacrifice Brings Life
Jesus’ words about His burial point to the greater reality of His death and resurrection. Just as Mary’s perfume was poured out, so was His blood—for the forgiveness of sins.“By his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
This is the contrast at the heart of the gospel: Pride clings to self-preservation, but Jesus’ sacrifice leads to new life. In Philippians 2, Paul writes, “He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place.” Because of His sacrifice, we, too, are redeemed, forgiven, and given new life.
Jesus’ death also transforms how we see our own sacrifices. Paul urges us in Romans 12 to “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” We do not sacrifice to earn God’s love; we sacrifice because we have already received God’s love in Christ.
Application
Because Jesus made the greatest sacrifice, we are free. Free from sin, free from guilt, free to love sacrificially. The cross calls us to trust in His perfect sacrifice and to follow in His way—the way of love, humility, and self-giving.
Conclusion: The Way of Sacrifice
Mary’s devotion points us to Jesus’ greater sacrifice. Love gives, pride avoids, and Christ lays everything down.
In this final week of Lent and then as we begin Holy Week, we are called to walk the Way of the Cross: trusting in God’s provision for us, suffering with hope, repenting in faith, receiving and sharing the forgiveness He offers, and sacrificing our pride for the one who gave His life for us.
May we give freely, serve humbly, and live in the joy of Christ’s perfect sacrifice. Amen.
