March 13 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

In March we read the gospel of John. John wrote his gospel so that his readers would know and believe the claims of Jesus. Those who do have everlasting life here and now.

Bible Reading:

John 12:1–19

Bible Text:

"It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial" (John 12:7).

Devotional:

Jesus was on his way back to Jerusalem, and tension was mounting. Almost everyone sensed that something weighty was about to happen. Would the population proclaim him their king? Or would the religious leaders kill him?

Bethany, where Jesus had raised Lazarus from death, was two miles outside of Jerusalem. When Jesus got there, his friends prepared a banquet in his honor. Martha served the meal. Lazarus was there as a living testimony to the power of Christ, the Son of God. And Mary performed an extraordinary act of devotion.

The dinner guests were lying on couches around the table, as was their custom. Mary approached Jesus and poured an excessive amount of nard, or spikenard, on his feet. Then she became even more extravagant. Shamelessly, she loosened her hair and wiped his feet.

Here Jesus finally seems to receive proper recognition for his greatness: At his feet a devoted servant, all around him the scent of the best perfume money could buy. It was a royal setting for the greatest man who ever lived.

But when Judas and others criticized Mary's wastefulness, Jesus explained that the perfume was meant for his burial. He knew his Father was preparing him not to be the king in Jerusalem, but to be the next Passover sacrifice.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.