Jesus The Defender
In this episode when Jesus was anointed with perfume, notice the beautiful way in which He defended Mary after Judas accused her of wastefulness.
The victim of the muttered sniping of the disciples in general and Judas in particular, she must have felt embarrassed and shamed. But Jesus stepped in and rebuked her critics. ‘Leave her alone, Jesus replied. ‘It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial’’ (John 12:7).
Later, Jesus would promise His disciples that another comforter was coming – in other words, one just like Him – because He was going away in the resurrection and ascension. The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete, the One who comes alongside. ‘Comforter’ is a word that makes God sound like a quilt, or one who commiserates at a funeral. But the word really means ‘advocate’, one who comes along to defend in legal proceedings. Jesus defended, and the Holy Spirit does too. Perhaps you see God more as the accuser than the defender, and of course, there will be times when the Holy Spirit convicts. But there is also another accuser: Satan. In the Old Testament, a ‘satan’ could be a human enemy, while the Holy Spirit gives us assurance when memories of old errors and sins surface.
Some people see God only as a judge. But the person of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit show us He is also the defender of His people. Does Satan accuse? By faith, stand behind Jesus. He has paid for our guilt and shame in full. He cried, ‘It is finished.’ Let Him and His great work be our sole defence.