Lavished Gifts
Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.
John 12:3 *all scripture is NLT unless otherwise noted
Christmas is over. We are only a few days into the new year. Are you still enjoying some of your Christms presents? Were you given any gifts that were totally a surprise? What about gifts that felt like they might have been lavished on you?
Have you ever been given a lavish gift? How many times can you remember being given something that made you feel lavished? How did it make you feel?
While there are lavish gifts that could cost a lot of money, there are also lavish gifts that come deep from the heart. In this scripture passage, we see the example of both.
Only twice in scripture are we told about gifts that were lavished on Jesus; several months after his birth by the wise men and a few days before his death by Mary who poured expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiped them dry with her hair. That perfume was worth a year's wages.
Definition of lavished: To bestow something in generous or extravagant quantities on; spend, expend, heap, shower, pour, deluge, give generously, give unstintingly, bestow freely, to cover with (like kisses to a baby).
We see this definition in action here in this passage with Mary at Jesus’ feet. She withheld nothing. She was even ridiculed for “wasting” so much money on such an act.
But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” Not that he cared for the poor - he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself. Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
John 12: 4-6
Have you ever been told that you “wasted” too much money on something that you truly wanted to give to show your love for someone? Not only was the physical jar of perfume a lavish gift, but also the actions she took. She could have just handed the perfume to Jesus, but she didn’t. She poured it on him and wiped it with her hair. Her actions were lavished.
Mary and Martha are in the same positions as the last time Jesus was in their home. Martha was busy serving and Mary was at Jesus’ feet. Nobody else offered to wash his feet. Nobody else thought about honoring Him in any way. Just Mary. Using her hair as a towel. WOW!
Has anybody lavished you with a gift of kindness and love like that, something that didn’t require money, but time? That is one of the most lavish gifts we can receive, the undivided time and attention of someone we love and care about.
To lavish is to give abundantly and extravagantly, pouring out without holding back. And another lavished gift we all have received, or have the opportunity to receive, is from Jesus himself.
The cross is the ultimate expression of Jesus’ lavish gift to us—a gift so extravagant that it defies comprehension. Lavish love isn’t measured by cost but by sacrifice, and Jesus gave everything. On the cross, He bore the weight of all sin, shame, and separation from God, so we could be restored to the Father.
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13
This wasn’t a reluctant gift; it was love poured out willingly and completely. Jesus didn’t just lay down His life for friends—He died for sinners, enemies of God, and those who would reject Him. By doing so, He lavished us with grace, offering forgiveness we didn’t deserve and a relationship with God we could never earn.
This gift doesn’t just cover our sins; it transforms our identity, adopting us as children of God and giving us eternal life. The cross stands as the eternal testimony of His lavish love, reminding us daily that we are valued beyond measure.
In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1:7-8 NIV
Paul writes that God has lavished His grace upon us, forgiving our sins and redeeming us through the blood of Christ. This lavish love is not conditional, reserved, or rationed—it is freely given, overflowing with mercy, grace, and compassion.
Jesus’ ultimate act of lavish love was on the cross, where He bore our sins and bridged the gap between us and God. To be recipients of such love means we are called to live in the fullness of His grace, embracing our worth in Him and reflecting that extravagant love to others.
Salvation, belief in Jesus’ virgin birth, life, death, resurrection and promise of coming again, is available to everyone. If you are not sure of your salvation, or struggle to understand, comprehend or accept this truth, please reach out to the Kindred team and schedule a time to chat. There is no better way to start the new year than in the knowledge that you are His.
Prayer
Spend some time in prayer today reflecting on God’s lavish love for us. May it compel us to live in gratitude, walk in the freedom He has purchased, and share this extravagant love with the world. Because of the cross, we are not only redeemed but embraced, not only forgiven but forever held in His boundless grace
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
1 John 3:1
