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IMAGE CREDITS
The pictures in this presentation are
not copyrighted by me, but are free
images available for common use by:
•http://www.visualbiblealive.com/
•http://commons.wikimedia.org/wik
i/Main_Page

The photo of the gibbous moon is
copyrighted by me.

The star chart I created are courtesy
of the Starry Night software
program:
•Graphics courtesy of Starry Night®
(Starry Nigh Pro Plus) (Version 6.3.3)
/ Imaginova® Corp.

(c) by Beth Piepenburg, 2012. All rights reserved. 2

ASTRONOMICAL SIGNIFICANCE
 As the events have progressed from
the triumphal entry of our Lord
Jesus Christ into Jerusalem to dinner
with friends in Bethany, so has the
drama or signs in the heavenly skies.
 No longer is the moon in the
constellation of Arieh (Leo), the
Lion of Judah, but it has shifted to
Bethulah (Virgo), the Virgin. The
moon is now waxing gibbous before
it phases to its fullness.
 Likewise, at the dinner in Bethany,
the memorial story of Mary of
Bethany will point to the final phase
of Jesus’ life – his death and burial.


BETHANY
 Jesus was staying in
Bethany, a small village
below the Mount of
Olives at the house of
Simon the Leper.
 Could it be that Simon
the Leper was the
father or relative of
Lazarus, Martha, and
Mary, or that he was
Lazarus himself?


MARTHA, LAZARUS, & MARY
 We know that Jesus
loved Martha and
Lazarus as well as Mary.
 Martha had a servant’s
heart, Lazarus had
experienced being
brought back from the
dead, and Mary was fond
of sitting at the feet of
Jesus hearing the Logos,
the living Word of God.


LAZARUS
 Earlier, Lazarus’ death had
given Jesus the opportunity
not only to demonstrate that
death is conquered by Him,
but that Lazarus being
brought back from the dead
would be a foreshadow of
Christ’s future death and
resurrection.
 However, Lazarus’ sister
would symbolically anoint
Jesus for his soon
approaching death and
burial.

DINNER
 Because Matthew’s Gospel tells us that after two days is the feast of the
Passover, then we know that this story of the dinner meal takes place on
Wednesday evening (April 1, 33 AD).
 As Lazarus dines with the others, I’m sure Martha is serving. Where is
Mary?
 Dinner would have typically included bread and wine, a metaphoric
foretaste of Jesus’ death.


MARY
 In the Gospels written by
Matthew and Mark, the woman
who anoints the Savior is
unnamed, but in the Gospel of
John, she is identified as Mary.
 Jesus formerly had told Martha,
when she was anxious and
disturbed about her sister, that
Mary had chosen the good
portion. Now we see Mary
choosing the spiritual portion,
but in a prophetic sense.


ALABASTRON
 Mary has an alabastron
of very precious
ointment, a pound of
unadulterated spikenard
to be precise.


SPIKENARD
 Spikenard, grown in the Himalayas, has
an earthy aroma, and was used for
special occasions.
 Breaking the seal, she pours the
spikenard on her Savior’s head while he
is reclining.
 John adds in his Gospel story that she
wipes Jesus’ feet with her hair. Since the
head represents nurturing and the feet
represent authority, Mary is anointing
the Lord in spiritually strategic places.
 The odor of the spikenard, signifying
the presence of the Holy Spirit,
permeates the house.


DENARII
 While Matthew discloses that ALL the disciples were indignant at the
wastefulness of this precious ointment, Mark shares that SOME were
rather indignant. However, John states that JUDAS Iscariot is the one
that asks why this ointment wasn’t sold for three hundred denarii and
the proceeds given to the poor.
 If a man’s daily wage were one silver denarii, then three hundred
denarii was about a year’s wages.
 Not that Judas cared for the poor, because he was a thief pilfering from
the moneybag. His attack against Mary provokes the others to murmur
against her.


BURIAL
 Jesus comes to her defense
acknowledging that she had
done a good work while his
disciples surely have the poor
always with them, but they
would not always have Him.
 He reminds them the purpose of
the anointing is for his burial.
 Jesus desires this particular story
to be told where ever the Gospel
is to be preached as a memorial
to Mary.
 Then Judas, true to his nature,
went and covenanted with the
chief priests for thirty pieces of
silver, about a month’s wages.


POURED OUT
 Her action of anointing
Jesus was inspired because
of a heart brimming with
love for her Lord.
 While the breaking of the
alabaster seal was symbolic
of the body of Jesus being
broken for all and the
ointment symbolic of
Christ’s burial, the
ointment also represents
the Holy Spirit being
poured out upon our lives.
Halleluiah!

PASSION WEEK TAPESTRY
 Thank you for joining me in my
endeavors of Ancient and
Biblical studies as I travel the
paths of the Savior during the
Passion Week.
 Because I savor the pastoral
culture of the Israelites, I like to
flavor my historical writings with
the agricultural representation
and astronomical imagery that
were so interwoven in Scripture,
like spun threads in a tapestry.
 Wyomingsprings.wordpress.com


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Mary of Bethany

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Mary of Bethany