Easter is the season when we pause, reflect and reground our faith in Jesus Christ. The last thing we would want is for our celebration of the most important event of all time to become prosaic or ordinary. If you are looking for a renewed sense of meaning this Easter, use faith journaling to go deeper! It will help you to respond to Jesus’s death, burial and resurrection in a way that is personal and authentic.

Four years ago I made the journal entry shown above. As I look over the insights and verses contained on the page, it’s so refreshing to rediscover a prophetic act by Mary of Bethany. You might like to use these verses and thoughts to make a journal entry this Easter, or allow them to inspire your own spiritual practice.

Exploring John 12:1-7

Let’s do a quick recap on the background and story of John 12:1-7. About one week before his death on the cross, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, hosted a banquet to honour Jesus. It must have been a big celebration, as many people had heard about this extraordinary miracle. The news was spreading like wildfire, with many people arriving in Jerusalem for the Passover festival. The resurrection of Lazarus proved to many that Jesus had divine power over life and death…and speculation was going wild that he would soon declare himself the Messiah. The high point of the banquet was when Mary broke open a jar of very expensive perfumed oil and poured it on Jesus’s feet. As the room was filled with fragrance, Jesus didn’t take the stage an announce his true identity. Rather, he stunned everyone by saying, “She did this in preparation for my burial.” (John 12:7b NLT)

Use Your Journal For an Easter Reflection

Take a little time to slow down and reflect on the passage. What really stands out to you as you read? For me, what really jumps out is Jesus’s words. No one knew yet that he would soon die on the cross…not even his closest followers like Mary of Bethany. In this festive atmosphere, Mary anointed Jesus as a prophetic act. Even she probably didn’t fully understand the signficance…yet.

Jesus proclaimed that she was enacting his anointing before burial. It was not a new thing for an inspired servant to use a prop or an action to prophesy. I think of Ezekiel: God asked him to make a diorama of besieged Jerusalem using a brick (Ezekiel 4:1-3). In the new testament, Agabus prophesied about Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem by tying his own hands together with a belt (Acts 21:10-11). Here, Jesus is placing Mary in the long tradition of prophets who performed actions or used objects to prophesy.

Mary’s prophecy has two parts: 1. Anointing Jesus’s feet with oil, and 2. wiping his feet with her hair.

Perhaps Mary’s anointing of Jesus seems very odd to our modern imagination. We don’t go around washing people’s feet and putting fragrance on them. Notably, in the Middle East of 2000 years ago, this was not a weird occurrence. People wore sandals, and foot washing and grooming with scented oils were a normal part of life. But what about her hair? In my Easter journal of 2021, I asked the question, Why did Mary use her hair to wipe the dripping oil, rather than using a cloth or a towel?

Why did Mary wipe Jesus’s feet with her hair?

When a prophet does a prophetic act, every part is symbolic. If the oil depicts Jesus’s burial preparations, where does the hair fit in? It’s such an odd detail to include in this short account, I am sure it is significant.

I got thinking about what Jesus said his anointing represents: it’s like anointing his body for burial. The dead were washed and covered in oil and spices before being wrapped and buried. If the oil of burial is applied to Jesus and also applied to Mary’s hair, is she also sharing in his anointing and his death? This reminds me of Paul’s words in his letter to the Philippians:

I want to know Christ – yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. (Philippians 3:10)

What does it mean to participate in Christ’s sufferings?

Oh what a powerful verse. It says that Paul wants to participate in the selfless, glorious and holy sacrifice of Jesus. And this is not the only verse on the subject. I think some of Paul’s other writings, about being crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20) and his quote, “if we die with him, we will live with him” (2 Timothy 2:11). Jesus said we are to take up our cross and follow him. He also said we are to be one with him. Can you think of any verses that speak about how we are included in Christ’s death and resurrection? Any verses that you receive are treasures to include in your Easter journal entry.

The idea of being part of Jesus in his sacrifice is well-founded in scripture, but of course, no one understood any of this at the time Mary performed this act of worship for Jesus. It has taken me years to understand about it, as well! Many years ago, when I first believed in Jesus, I didn’t understand how Jesus shares his glory with me. I often felt this time of year to be heavy and sad, in a way that was far from life-giving. How about you? Do you know that Jesus is not resentful about your sins and mistakes? Did you know he is not blaming you for the suffering he endured? Rather, Jesus counts you and I as being with him in his suffering. It’s as though you and I are on the cross with him.

Getting Ready to Journal About Easter

Jesus acknowledged Mary’s ministry to him, and made it the keynote of the banquet. This is an amazing example of a woman prophet at work for Jesus, being inspired by the Spirit to bring a deeper meaning. While others celebrated, this humble disciple knelt at Jesus’s feet, as she had often done while learning from him. She poured out a perfume of great value on her Lord, in gratitude and worship, with divinely empowered purpose.

As a woman who also worships Jesus, I feel uplifted to know I am in the tradition of others before me who declared messages about Jesus using creative worship. As you write verses and reflections and include colour and imagery on your page, what is emerging in your journal this Easter? What inspires you about Jesus in this account? You might like to write in your journal a personal prayer of thanks to Jesus. I have included mine below.

Lord, how precious it is to know you, to be loved by you, and included in your death and your life. You alone are worthy of worship, yet, you have lifted us up with you in your glory. I want to soak up everything that is precious about you like Mary did. I am full of excitement and curiosity to know what you will reveal to others about yourself, through me.

To find out more, click the link to read another Easter article on how Jesus showed love and respect for his women followers.