Bible in a Year Devotional – John 12

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Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil
.John 12:3

Here’s a devotional on John 12 from our Bible in a Year reading plan. Click here to join us in reading the Bible in a Year.

Devotional - Anointed Worship

In John 12:3, we see a beautifully powerful image of humility as Mary anoints the feet of Jesus. Reading from the NKJV: “Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.”

It was a common Israelite custom to wash the feet and anoint the head of a guest with oil as a form of hospitality, but in this passage, we see Mary anointing the feet of Jesus with spikenard oil—what a powerful expression of the highest form of respect and honour.

Not only was this feet-anointing beautifully humble, as attending to the feet was a task given to the most lowly slave, but it was also incredibly extravagant! In John 12:5, Judas criticizes Mary’s extreme actions, believing the oil was worth 300 denarii, which was about a year’s worth of wages.

Again, when we consider the cultural context, Mary goes against the norm as she wipes “His feet with her hair.” A Jewish woman was never to let down her hair in public! A woman’s hair was tied to her marital status and purity. By letting down her hair to anoint Jesus, Mary wasn’t just giving something of great material value; she was giving herself in an act of worship and honour, regardless of how it would affect her reputation or how it would be perceived in her culture.

I think Spurgeon speaks to this passage so well when he says: “You must sit at His feet, or you will never anoint them; He must pour His divine teaching into you, or you will never pour out a precious ointment upon Him.”

Reflection

Do you live your life in awe of Jesus, or have you become complacent? When you meet with Him, do you bring your most precious offering of worship and honour? Do you anoint Him with your spikenard, with the greatest measure of what you have to pour out, or are you more like Judas, thinking your offering would be better placed somewhere else?

There is nothing, nowhere, or no one that would be of greater benefit to our lives than surrendering ourselves at the feet of Jesus.

Prayer

Lord, may I never take Your presence for granted. Help me to live in awe of You, surrendering myself at Your feet each and every day; honouring You with my greatest offering. May I forever place You in Your rightful place—at the center of my life. Help me to return to my first love, where I longed to dwell in Your presence all day long.

Next Step

Gather and partake in the emblems of communion. “Do this in remembrance of [Him].” (Luke 22:19)

As we continue exploring this topic, we’re unpacking a key tension in the Christian life: why we still struggle with sin even though Jesus has already defeated it. Read the notes below to understand what Christ has done at the cross, what we experience today, and how God is shaping us through the ongoing journey of sanctification.

The Power of Sin

Overview
The Defeat of Sin’s Power
The Struggle with Sin’s Influence
Why We Still Struggle With Sin
The Victory We Can Have Over Sin
Conclusion

Overview

Many of us understand that when Jesus gave His life on the cross, He defeated the power and authority of sin. He became sin in our place so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Yet, it’s clear that sin is still present in the world, and many Christians still struggle with temptation and sinful habits. This can feel confusing. If sin has been defeated in Christ, why do we still struggle with it?

In this blog, we’ll explore:

The defeat of sin’s power at the cross
The ongoing influence of sin
Why believers still struggle today
How we can walk in victory over sin

The Defeat of Sin’s Power

At the cross, Jesus didn’t just deal with sin emotionally or symbolically. He broke its authority and dominion over believers completely.

We are no longer slaves to sin.

Romans 6:6–11 explains this clearly:

Our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

This is a decisive spiritual reality for everyone in Christ:

Sin no longer rules over us
We are no longer under its authority
We are now alive to God in Christ Jesus

Before salvation, sin wasn’t just something we did. It was something that ruled us. Paul uses the image of slavery to explain this:

“You were once slaves of sin…” (Romans 6:17–18)

A slave does not have full autonomy. In the same way, sin shaped our desires, decisions, and direction before Christ.

Freedom through Christ’s exchange.

Jesus broke that system through His death and resurrection:

“For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin…” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Through Christ’s sacrifice:

We are freed from sin’s power
We are transferred into righteousness
Sin is no longer our master

But this leads to an important question: If sin is defeated, why do we still struggle?

The Struggle with Sin’s Influence

Although sin’s power has been broken, its presence and influence remain in the world.

Sin is no longer our master, but it still tries to tempt, lure, and influence us. We still live in a fallen world where spiritual battle is real.

Even Jesus experienced temptation, yet He never sinned.

Scripture is clear that believers must still actively resist sin:

Ephesians 6:10–12 – We wrestle against spiritual forces
1 Peter 5:8 – The devil seeks to devour
James 1:13–14 – Temptation comes through desire

We are still in a spiritual battle

While sin no longer rules us, it still:

Appeals to our flesh
Uses external influences
Seeks to draw us away from God

However, sin will not always remain. Scripture promises a future where it will be completely removed:

“He will wipe away every tear… death shall be no more…” (Revelation 21:4)

Why We Still Struggle With Sin

To understand the tension we live in, we need to understand the three stages of salvation (Ordo Salutis):

Justification

We are saved instantly

Freed from sin’s power
Declared righteous in Christ

2. Sanctification

We are being saved progressively

Freed from sin’s influence over time
Becoming more like Christ

3. Glorification

We will be saved fully in the future

Completely free from sin’s presence

Where we live now

We currently live in sanctification:

Sin’s power is broken
Sin’s influence is still present
Sin’s presence will one day be removed

State of sin vs acts of sin

A helpful distinction:

State of sin: We are no longer separated from God
Acts of sin: We still sometimes fall and miss the mark

Being saved does not mean we never sin again. It means sin no longer defines our identity or separates us from God.

We are:

Fully forgiven in Christ
Still being transformed in daily life

The Victory We Can Have Over Sin

We are not powerless against temptation. Scripture gives us practical ways to walk in victory.

1. Identify the sin

You cannot overcome what you refuse to acknowledge.

2. Understand there is no condemnation

“There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

Conviction leads us to God. Condemnation pushes us away from Him.

3. Recognise triggers

Identify patterns and remove environments that fuel temptation.

4. Repent quickly

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just…” (1 John 1:9)

Don’t delay restoration.

5. Bring sin into the light

Confession breaks secrecy. Sin grows in darkness and weakens in the light.

6. Remember your identity

You fight sin from freedom, not for freedom.

“Be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” (Romans 12:2)

7. Rely on the Holy Spirit

Change is a process empowered by God, not human willpower alone.

“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion…” (Philippians 1:6)

Conclusion

Jesus has defeated sin, but sin has not yet been fully destroyed.

That is why:

We are free from sin’s power
We still face its influence
We still experience the process of sanctification

One day, at glorification, sin will be gone completely. Until then, we live in the tension of already free, but still being transformed.

The good news is this:

Sin does not define you
Sin does not separate you from God
Sin does not have authority over your life

You are justified, being sanctified, and one day will be glorified.

And in the meantime, the Holy Spirit is faithfully shaping you into the image of Christ.

Flourish

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