Matthew 26:1-16
Betrayal and Anointing
Read the passage
1When Jesus had finished saying all these things, He told His disciples,
2“You know that the Passover is two days away, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
3At that time the chief priests and elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,
4and they conspired to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him.
5“But not during the feast,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”
6While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper,
7a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, which she poured on His head as He reclined at the table.
8When the disciples saw this, they were indignant and asked, “Why this waste?
9This perfume could have been sold at a high price, and the money given to the poor.”
10Aware of this, Jesus asked, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful deed to Me.
11The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me.
12By pouring this perfume on Me, she has prepared My body for burial.
13Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
14Then one of the Twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
15and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.
16So from then on Judas looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
When Jesus finishes these teachings, he tells his disciples that the Passover is two days away and that the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified. The chief priests and elders gather at the palace of the high priest, Caiaphas, and plot to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.
They decide not to do it during the feast, fearing an uproar among the people. Meanwhile, Jesus is at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper. A woman comes with a jar of very expensive ointment and pours it on Jesus' head as he reclines at the table.
The disciples are indignant and say the ointment could have been sold for much and the money given to the poor. Jesus asks why they are bothering her. He says she has done a beautiful thing, has prepared his body for burial, and will be remembered wherever the gospel is proclaimed.
Matthew then introduces Judas, one of the twelve, going to the chief priests and asking what they will give him if he delivers Jesus over to them. They pay him thirty pieces of silver, and from then on he seeks an opportunity to betray Jesus.
The woman's costly act and Judas's transaction stand in sharp contrast. One gives without calculating personal gain; the other turns closeness to Jesus into an opportunity for profit. The passage holds generosity and betrayal beside the coming cross.
Questions
1 What happens at Bethany while the leaders plan Jesus' arrest?
AnswerWhile the chief priests and elders plan to arrest Jesus by stealth, a woman comes to Bethany and pours expensive ointment on His head at the house of Simon the leper. The disciples object, but Jesus defends her act as preparation for His burial.
2 Why does Jesus defend the woman's expensive ointment?
AnswerJesus defends the woman because she has done a beautiful thing for Him and poured the ointment on His body to prepare Him for burial. He says the poor remain with the disciples, but He will not always be with them.
3 How do her devotion and Judas' betrayal expose different uses of closeness?
AnswerShe pours out something costly for Him; Judas asks what he can gain by handing Him over. Familiarity with Jesus can accompany love or conceal a plan to betray Him.
4 What responsibility or relationship must our household stop using for advantage?
AnswerThe household can offer one quiet act of costly care and examine whether any relationship or responsibility is being used for advantage.
What This Means for Us
The disciples' objection sounds practical, and care for the poor remains important. Jesus is not dismissing the poor; he is recognizing the woman's act in the hour before his burial. A good principle can still be used to criticize a particular act of love when we fail to understand the moment.
Judas's betrayal warns us that proximity to Jesus is not the same as surrendered loyalty. Religious position, familiarity with Scripture, or a visible place in a community cannot substitute for integrity.
The woman is remembered by Jesus for a beautiful act that others misunderstood. Families can honor quiet generosity without demanding that every gift be public, efficient by our calculation, or approved by every observer.
Ask, “Where is love asking for a sincere gift rather than a transaction?” Respond generously, while keeping discernment about people and resources.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, keep our devotion sincere. Teach us to give with love, guard us from using relationships for gain, and help us recognize beautiful acts of faith even when they do not fit our first judgment. Amen.