John 18:28 - Two Passovers?

[Guest]

John 12:1
Just before John narrates that Mary (Lazarus' sister) annoints Jesus, he gives the timing as 6 days before the Passover. John also puts this incident before the Triumphal Entry.

Matthew 26:2 and Mark 14:1
Both states that it was 2 days before the Passover just before they tell the story of an unnamed woman annointing Jesus. Both put this incident after the Triumphal Entry.

If I were to take it literally, I would say there had to be two women who annointed Jesus on separate occasions. Of course, I would agree with you that it is possible that these stories could have been told out of chronological sequence. But if the reason was because the story was intended to contrast against Judas, then I would rather have expected Matthew and Mark to tell us that it was Judas (rather than a group of people) who made the comment about selling the perfume and giving the money to the poor. Instead John is the one that indicates Judas' name. Perhaps Matthew and Mark didn't use Judas' name because they wanted to contrast his actions (rather than words) with Mary's actions.

[Guest]

Hi guys.

In John 12, Jesus' feet are anointed. In Matthew 26:7 and Mark 14:3, Jesus' head is anointed. So the symbolism of these accounts is subtly different, actually. We know that both anointings were for Jesus' burial, but did you ever notice that when Mary Magdalene went to look for Jesus' body, she found two angels. WHERE were the angels found?

John 20:12: "And she saw two angels [clothed] in white, one sitting at the head and the other sitting at the feet [of the place] where Jesus' body had lain."

Interesting, innit?

Damon

[Guest]

Hi Damon,

Wow. That is interesting. Thanks for pointing it out. I wonder why I never noticed the fact that the woman in Matthew and Mark's accounts annointed Jesus' head.