(This devotional is excerpted from Praying the Gospels: Book of John, our brand-new resource in Scripture-fed, Spirit-led, worship-based prayer. Like its predecessor, Praying the Psalms, this book will introduce you to—or strengthen—an approach to prayer that is biblical and life-giving. Each section of the book will include a helpful summary along with a biblical guide for prayer. Praying the Gospels: Book of John will release late spring 2026.)

John 12:1-26

Title: Jesus’ Anointing by Mary and His Triumphal Entry

Summary: Jesus practices and preaches on the power of radical humility.

Once you begin following Jesus, it doesn’t take long to learn that His Kingdom operates on entirely different rules and values than all the kingdoms of the world. Furthermore, through the combination of biblical revelation and personal life experience you discover that Jesus never asks anything of us that He didn’t also experience Himself during those 33 remarkable years He spent here on planet Earth. He knows what it’s like to have a job and feel the physical strain that comes with it. He had close friends whom He dearly loved and dealt with fierce enemies who meant to do Him harm. He was tempted “in every respect as we are” (Hebrews 4:15). And here in John 12, with the cross rapidly approaching, we find Him leaning into one of most esteemed Kingdom virtues – the virtue of humility; something illustrated here in His own words and deeds, and in those of His companions.

Once you begin following Jesus, it doesn’t take long to learn that His Kingdom operates on entirely different rules and values than all the kingdoms of the world.

First, consider Mary’s anointing of Jesus’ feet in verses 3-8. From the perspective of Judas Iscariot, such an expensive sacrifice was not merely needless, but outrageous, since he cared more about money than for people (v. 6). However, for Mary, such an extravagant gift made complete sense, given that Jesus had transformed her own life and then, more recently, He had raised her brother, Lazarus, from the dead. And the fact that she carried out this act of worship in a roomful of people (and perhaps many more just outside the door) without a care for what any of them were thinking shows a depth of humble, single-minded devotion that believers in every age would do well to imitate in their lives. Even so, she probably wished that she could do even more to express the depth of her gratitude to Jesus.

Then turn your attention to Jesus’ Triumphal Entry in verses 9-15, where the Lord not only fulfilled Old Testament prophecy by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey’s back, but in doing so, put Himself as physically close to the people as possible – the very people He had come to save. How different from the leaders of this world, who on one hand crave as much attention as possible while at the same time typically strive to keep as much physical distance between themselves and the masses as they can. Truly, as Jesus Himself told Nicodemus back in John 3:17, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” And in order for that to happen, the Lord of all Creation humbly took on flesh and placed Himself on dusty roads and at dinner tables where Israel’s lost sheep could look into His eyes, listen to His voice, and even touch the hem of His garment and be saved. Who but God could have ever dreamed up such an astonishing and counter-intuitive salvation plan?

The Lord of all Creation humbly took on flesh and placed Himself on dusty roads and at dinner tables where Israel’s lost sheep could look into His eyes, listen to His voice, and even touch the hem of His garment and be saved.

Finally, look at verses 23-26, where Jesus foreshadows the purpose of His impending death and presents it as the model for authentic spiritual greatness in both this life and in eternity: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” In that moment, only Jesus understood the gravity of the message He was delivering and how literally He would become like that “grain of wheat, humbling Himself “to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). No greater act of humility has been performed in human history – and Jesus did it all for us! And in gratitude for His sacrifice, how can we do any less than to exercise the radical humility of taking up our own cross and following Him wherever He leads us in this gospel-starved world?

In gratitude for His sacrifice, how can we do any less than to exercise the radical humility of taking up our own cross and following Him wherever He leads us in this gospel-starved world?

According to verse 16, it was only sometime after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension that all of these lessons about humility fell into place for His disciples. But thanks to the Scriptures, it doesn’t have to be that way for us. Instead, with the words of John’s Gospel right in our hands, we can prayerfully respond to our Lord’s example of humility in our everyday lives, through which Jesus will be glorified and we will bear witness to others of what a personal relationship with Christ can do.

Prayer Guide

Reverence:

• Jesus is worthy of extravagant, sacrificial gratitude and praise. (vv. 3-8, 12-13)
• Jesus is the fulfillment of Old Testament Messianic prophecy. (vv.14-16)
• Jesus willingly gave His life for the salvation of the world. (vv. 23-24)
• Jesus promises to bless those who joyfully serve Him. (vv. 25-26)

Prompts:

• You are worthy, Lord Jesus, of all that I am and have because… (v. 3)
• If I had been there on the day of Your Triumphal Entry, I would have cried out… (vv. 12-13)
• When I remember how You laid Your life down for me, I want to say… (vv. 23-24)

Response:

• Set me free, Lord, from my worldly allegiance to… (vv. 5-6)
• Forgive me for my unwillingness to openly declare my love for You in front of… (vv. 12-13)
• Today, I repent of my desire to be known for or noticed by… (vv. 24-25)

Requests:

• Help __________ to see that a relationship with You is the greatest treasure they could ever possess. (vv. 3-8)
• Because You are King, I pray that You’d release me from my fear of/that… (v. 15)
• Set me free, Lord Jesus, from the sinful pride I possess over __________, that still has a grip on my heart. (vv. 24-25)

Readiness:

• May the gratitude I have toward You be evident in my life today as I… (vv. 3, 13)
• Because someday soon my King will return, I don’t have to live in fear of… (v. 15)
• I want to be a servant who honors You, Lord, so that… (vv. 25-26)

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