The Scent of a King

The Passover celebration is quickly approaching. Jesus’ enemies are conspiring. Time is running out – and Jesus knows it.

He has dinner one evening in the house of a man named Simon.

While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head. (Mark 14:3, NLT)

Imagine this scene for a moment. Everyone is laughing and talking and eating and enjoying an evening together when a woman – who was not invited to the dinner party – bursts through the door.

She rushes over to Jesus. The room falls completely silent as they watch. She breaks open a jar of perfume worth a year’s wages and begins to pour it on Jesus’ head. The smell of the perfume fills the room.

This is a holy moment.

This is how you anoint a king.

Days earlier the crowds were cheering as Jesus rode into Jerusalem. They waved the Zealot flag and shouted “Hosanna! Save us!” They called for a revolution. They recognized Him as King, but totally misunderstood what kind of King He intended to be.

Now, before a small gathering of friends in a quiet Bethany home, another recognizes Him as King and, perhaps, understood exactly what kind of a King He intended to be.

The others begin to murmur about her extravagant gift. What a waste! That perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor!

I imagine that, until this moment, Jesus’ eyes have not left hers. Now, as the others begin to berate her, He comes quickly to her defense.

“Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.” (Mark 14:6-9, NLT)

Jesus has been predicting His death since near the beginning of His ministry and no one got it.

Is it possible that she alone had understood? Is it possible that she alone realized that this King intended to die for His subjects?

We don’t know. What we do know is that in anointing His head she proclaimed Him as King.

An entire bottle of nard – the expensive ointment she had used – would have lingered on Jesus for days.

It would have lingered as the Roman soldiers arrested Him.

It would have lingered as He stood before Pilate and then before Herod.

It would have lingered as His back was lashed open by the flogging.

It would have lingered as they shoved a crown of thorns onto His head.

It would have lingered as He carried His crossbeam through the crowded streets of Jerusalem.

It would have lingered as they drove nails into His wrists and feet.

It would have lingered as hung there with His arms outstretched under a sign that said, “Jesus, King of the Jews.”

Even through the smell of sweat.

Even through the smell of the blood.

Jesus went to the cross smelling like a king.

Jesus was buried smelling like a king.

And when, three days later, He left the empty tomb behind and claimed victory over sin and death, I think He came out still smelling like a king.

Read Mark 14:1-9 and try to imagine watching this moment unfold. As we read more of the story in the coming days, try to remember the lingering scent that follows Jesus to the cross.