Jesus finished saying all these things. Then he said to his disciples, 2 “As you know, the Passover Feast is two days away. The Son of Man will be handed over to be nailed to a cross.” 3 Then the chief priests met with the elders of the people. They met in the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest. 4 They made plans to arrest Jesus secretly. They wanted to kill him. 5 “But not during the feast,” they said. “The people may stir up trouble.”

A Woman Pours Perfume on Jesus

6 Jesus was in Bethany. He was in the home of Simon, who had a skin disease. 7 A woman came to Jesus with a special sealed jar of very expensive perfume. She poured the perfume on his head while he was at the table.

8 When the disciples saw this, they became angry. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “The perfume could have been sold at a high price. The money could have been given to poor people.”

10 Jesus was aware of this. So he said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 You will always have poor people with you. But you will not always have me. 12 She poured the perfume on my body to prepare me to be buried. 13 What I’m about to tell you is true. What she has done will be told anywhere this good news is preached all over the world. It will be told in memory of her.”

Questions 

1. What events does Jesus Christ say are about to take place at the beginning of this passage? 

2. Why do you think the religious leaders wanted to arrest Jesus “in secret” and not during the festival? 

3. What makes the woman’s act significant or sacrificial? 

4. Why do you think Jesus says her story will be remembered wherever the gospel is preached? 

5. Are there ways we sometimes “calculate” our devotion to God instead of giving freely? 

6. How do we balance caring for the poor with worship and devotion to God? 

7. Have you ever been criticized for doing something out of love for God? How did you respond? 

8. What would “costly worship” look like in your life today? 

9. Is there anything you’re holding back from giving to God (time, resources, reputation)? 

10. Compare the attitudes of the woman, the disciples, and the religious leaders—what contrasts stand out? 

11. How does this passage challenge common ideas about what is “wasteful” versus what is truly valuable?