Lesson

Mary Anoints Jesus Sunday School Lesson for Kids

A free Mary anoints Jesus Sunday school lesson (John 12:1–8) in four age levels, preschool to preteen, with a game, Bible story, memory verse and take-home.

Preschool–Grade 6

Mary Anoints Jesus Sunday School Lesson for Kids

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Free to print and copy for your church, classroom, VBS and home. Please don't resell or re-post our files; link to the page instead.

Ages: Preschool (3–5), Early Elementary (K–2), Upper Elementary (3–5), Preteen (5–6)
Time: 20–60 minutes (depends on the age level)
Scripture: John 12:1–8
Bible story: Mary Anoints Jesus

What you need

A Bible (mark John 12:3 and John 12:7)
Bibles for the kids to look up verses (3rd grade and up)
3 or 4 small paper cups, each with something that smells (ground cinnamon, an orange peel, a sprig of mint, a little vanilla on a cotton ball), covered with a paper towel
7 paper strips, a marker and tape (memory verse game, kindergarten to 2nd grade)
A whiteboard or large paper and a marker (3rd grade and up)
Paper and pencils (3rd grade and up)
Printed take-home sheets, one per child
Printed Mary anoints Jesus word search and crayons for early finishers

This free Mary anoints Jesus Sunday school lesson teaches kids to give their best to Jesus. Six days before the passover, in Bethany, "took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment" (John 12:3). When Judas complained, Jesus said, "Let her alone" (12:7). It comes in four age levels, each a separate printable teacher lesson, plus one take-home sheet for families. It fits well in the weeks before Easter.

Choose your age level

Preschool (ages 3–5), 20–30 minutes, 2 pages: a sniff-the-cinnamon game, a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, three simple questions, a shortened memory verse ("the house was filled with the odour of the ointment") with a motion, and a drawing activity.
Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 3 pages: the Guess the Smell game, the story in simple words, five recall questions with answers, the Fill the House verse game with seven paper strips, and a Sweet Smell Pass game.
3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: a smell detectives game, kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story (Lazarus raised, the supper at Bethany, Mary's costly gift, Judas and the bag, and Jesus' answer), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: students read John 11:1–5 and 12:1–11 out loud themselves, then discuss costly worship, humility, hidden motives and what Jesus knew about His burying. Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (John 12:3 and Mark 12:30).

Lesson at a glance

Bible passage: John 12:1–8
Main point: Give your best to Jesus.
Memory verse: John 12:3 (KJV), with Mark 12:30 added for preteens
Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

Opening game: a short smell game, because "the house was filled with the odour of the ointment."
Bible story: Jesus comes to Bethany six days before the passover (John 12:1), Martha serves and Lazarus sits at the table (12:2), Mary anoints His feet and wipes them with her hair (12:3), Judas complains about three hundred pence (12:4–6), and Jesus says, "Let her alone" (12:7). Every fact has its verse reference so you can check it.
Questions to ask: with answers, at the right level for each age.
Memory verse: a game or motion to help kids learn John 12:3.
What this means for us: give Jesus your best, the gospel of His death, burial and resurrection (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
Activity: the word search, crossword, maze, worksheet, the Mary anoints Jesus craft, a smell-passing game, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
Prayer.

Tips for teaching Mary anoints Jesus

Read John 12:3 straight from your Bible. The heart of the story is a costly gift given with all her heart.
The lesson follows John's account: Mary anointed Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair. It doesn't mix in details from Matthew 26 or Mark 14.
Check for allergies before the smell games, and keep the smells mild.
Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.

Frequently asked questions

How long does this Mary anoints Jesus lesson take?

It depends on the age level. The preschool lesson takes 20 to 30 minutes, the kindergarten to 2nd grade lesson about 45 minutes, and the 3rd to 5th grade and preteen lessons 45 to 60 minutes. For a short class, do the story, three questions and the memory verse.

What is the main point of the story of Mary anointing Jesus for kids?

Give your best to Jesus. Mary took "a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly," anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair, "and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment" (John 12:3). Jesus said, "Let her alone" (12:7).

Is this a good Easter lesson?

Yes. It happened "six days before the passover" (John 12:1), in the week Jesus died. Jesus said Mary had kept the ointment "against the day of my burying" (12:7). The lesson leads to His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).

Which Mary anointed Jesus in John 12?

Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus (John 11:1–2). Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, and Lazarus sat at the table with Him at this supper while Martha served (12:1–2). This lesson follows John's account.