Lessons on the Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ and His Apostles
Lesson No. Fifteen

Final Preparations on the Lord’s Last Sabbath in Mortality

The family at Bethany, the Lord’s last Sabbath in mortality, and the Holy Week – The Holy Week began on Palm Sunday and concluded with the resurrection on the following Sunday, but the sacred events that took place in Bethany on the Sabbath, the Saturday before Palm Sunday, are often overlooked.  (See John 12:1-8)  It also should be remembered that Jesus went back to the home in Bethany on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights during the Holy Week.  It is also likely that He spent most, if not all, of Wednesday at the home in Bethany.

A close study of the events that took place in Bethany on the Lord’s last Sabbath in mortality and during Holy Week will prepare us to celebrate the greatest events in the history of mankind.

During His last Sabbath in mortality, and by an ordinance, Jesus is anointed King – “Those who recognized Him as their King showed their devotion by anointing Him (see John 12:1-8)…” (Come Follow Me, Behold, Thy King Cometh, May 20-26).  Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote with great insight about “the holy anointing” and “the scared ordinance” that took place on the Lord’s last Sabbath in mortality:

“Jesus chose to spend a quiet Sabbath, his last on earth, in his beloved Bethany.  There in the home of Simon the leper, enjoying sociality with Mary and Martha and Lazarus and those of his intimate circle, he will receive the holy anointing preparatory to his kingly burial…Jesus and his select friends are just arriving from Jericho.  As we learned in the passing and raising of Lazarus there was communication between our Lord and his associates in Bethany, and it would not surprise us if the beloved sisters and others came to meet and greet him and his party as they neared the place where they designed to spend the approaching Sabbath. 

“But before recounting the circumstances surrounding the sacred ordinance, which will transpire in this Judean village of blessed memory…[Mary] sought some means of expressing her love and worship of the Master before he went to his death.  She took from her treasures an alabaster box containing ‘a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly,’ and poured it on his head, and anointed his feet, and wiped them with her hair ‘and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment’…

“To understand this solemn scene one must both know and feel the religious significance of Mary’s act.  Here sat the Lord of heaven, in the house of his friends, as the hour of his greatest trials approached, with those who loved him knowing he was soon to face betrayal and crucifixion.  What act of love, of devotion, of adoration, of worship, could a mere mortal perform for him who is eternal?  Could a loved one do more than David had said the Good Shepherd himself would do in conferring honor and blessing upon another, that is ‘Thou anointest my head with oil” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mortal Messiah 3:333-339, emphasis added). 

“The unique and unusual familial scenes” concerning the family at Bethany – Elder McConkie continued:  “The intimate and felicitous friendships that prevailed between Jesus and the beloved sisters and their brother Lazarus.  We have reason to believe this relationship was like none other enjoyed by him who came to do all things well and gain all the experiences of mortality.  All scripturalists and authors of insight and renown are aware of the unique and unusual familial scenes portrayed by the Gospel authors with reference to the various happening in this secluded and peaceful village” (Ibid, emphasis added).

As an example of “authors of insight and renown” Elder McConkie quotes Frederic W. Farrar’s great book, Life of Christ concerning the raising of Lazarus from the dead at Bethany.  Farrar points out that the miracle of raising Lazarus, which may be the greatest miracle of the Lord’s mortal ministry, is only mentioned by John which was written long after Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were dead.  Farrar suggests that the reason Matthew, Mark, and Luke, who wrote during the time that Mary, Martha, and Lazarus may have still been alive, did not mention the raising of Lazarus was to protect this family, especially Lazarus who the chief priests sought to put to death because of this miracle.  (See John 12:9-11)

“Even if this danger had ceased, it would have been painful to the quiet family of Bethany to have been made the focus of an intense and irreverent curiosity, and to be questioned about those hidden things none of which have ever revealed.  Something, then, seems to have ‘sealed the lips’ of those Evangelists – an obstacle which had been long removed when St. John’s Gospel first saw the light” (Elder McConkie quoting Farrar, Ibid).

Testimony – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has prepared several wonderful messages about the Holy Week, the last week of the Lord’s life.  (see www.mormon.org/easter/easter-week)  It was at this time our Lord completed His great atoning sacrifice and was the first to be resurrected. 

I testify that Easter reminds us of the most important event in all of history, the atonement and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.His atonement made possible the resurrection of all mankind and salvation/exaltation for the obedient.