As Jesus travelled up to Jerusalem for the last time before His death on the cross, because He was both human and divine He would have had double dread and agony for the trials that awaited Him. His earthy part would have shrunk away from the coming horror; His divine part would have set His face steadfastly towards Jerusalem; God’s will would be done.
Then at Bethany He was met by the woman with an alabaster jar of this very expensive perfume. Because of her extreme love and devotion towards Jesus she broke it open and poured it over His head. With her overwhelming love I can imagine she shook the jar so that Jesus received every last drop of the fragrant perfume. She had found the Messiah, nothing and no-one would stop her.
In this story we often think about the woman, but this morning I want to think about the difference this act would have meant to Jesus. In this very last week before the crucifixion, He went to the cross having received this great love. As He hung on the cross I wonder if He remembered the action of this woman as the aroma of the perfume mingled with the sweat ran down His face.