Who Washed Jesus Christ’s Feet?
The Gospels describe more than one woman washing Jesus’ feet—and the stories aren’t the same.
Though they sound similar at first, the events took place at different times and locations. One featured Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. The other involved an unnamed woman, described as a sinner, who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and anointed them with perfume.
These deeply personal acts of devotion raise important questions:
- Who was the woman that washed Jesus’ feet with her tears?
- Was it Mary Magdalene—or someone else?
- Why do the stories sound so similar, yet differ in key details?
This article compares the two Gospel accounts and explains why most scholars believe the Bible describes two separate events—each revealing something powerful about who Jesus is and how people responded to Him.
Note: One of the pivotable moments in the Gospels is when Jesus is killed. But there is much more to the story. See Why Was Jesus Christ Crucified? to learn more.
Women wash Jesus’ feet in Bethany and in Galilee
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John tell the story of Mary of Bethany washing Jesus’ feet. The Gospel of Luke, however, describes a separate event—in which an unnamed woman, described as a sinner, washes His feet with her tears.
Though the actions are similar—they both wash Jesus’ feet—the details show that these are two different events. The table below highlights the key differences between the two accounts.
| Anointing at Bethany | Anointing in Galilee |
|---|---|
| Recorded in John 12:1-3, Mark 14:3-9, and Matthew 26:6-13 | Recorded in Luke 7:36-38 |
| Takes place at the home of Simon the Leper (Mark 14:3) in Bethany | Takes place at the house of a Pharisee named Simon (v. 36, 40) in Galilee |
| The three siblings Lazarus, Martha, and Mary are present | The three siblings aren’t present |
| Oil specified as nard | Oil not called nard |
| Mary of Bethany washes Jesus’ feet with anointing oil (John 12:3) | An unnamed prostitute first washes Jesus’ feet with her tears and then anointing oil (Luke 7:38) |
The contrasts continue beyond the location, identity, and actions of the women. The conversations surrounding each event—and the responses Jesus gives—further highlight how different these moments really are.
| There is no mention of Mary crying or kissing Jesus’ feet | The woman cries and kisses Jesus’ feet (v. 38) |
| Judas Iscariot questions Jesus, criticizing Mary’s actions (John 12:4-6) | The Pharisee, Simon, accuses Jesus of not being a prophet (v. 39) |
| Jesus defends Mary’s actions (John 12:7-8) | Jesus demonstrates that he knows Simon’s thoughts and that he is a prophet (v. 40-49) |
| Jesus mentions the poor | Jesus doesn’t mention the poor |
| Jesus mentions his burial | Jesus doesn’t mention his burial |
When Jesus was on the earth, he said that after his death, he would return at an unknown time. See Is Jesus Coming Back Soon? to learn more.
To better understand why these events are distinct, it’s helpful to read the Gospel passages themselves. The first account takes place in Bethany, just days before Jesus’ crucifixion. The second occurs earlier in his ministry, in Galilee, and involves a very different setting and response.
John 12:1-3: Jesus anointed at Bethany
The Gospel of John gives us a detailed account of the anointing that took place in Bethany, involving Mary of Bethany just days before Jesus’ death.
- John 12:1, “Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.”
- John 12:2, “So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table.”
- John 12:3, “Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”
Luke 7:36-38: Jesus anointed at Galilee
Luke describes a separate occasion earlier in Jesus’ ministry, where an unnamed woman approached him during a meal at a Pharisee’s house in Galilee.
- Luke 7:36, “One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.
- Luke 7:37, “And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment
- Luke 7:38, “and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.”
Are these stories describing the same occasion?
Some critics of the Gospels argue that the writers are telling the same story but include different—and sometimes conflicting—details.
However, most conservative Bible scholars strongly disagree. Matthew, Mark, and John describe one event involving Mary of Bethany. Luke, on the other hand, describes a different woman in a different place, under very different circumstances.
New Testament scholar D.A. Carson explains:
“Although there are some critics who hold that one event stands behind the four reports, the discrepancies between Luke’s account and the other three are so large that only unbridled imagination can offer adequate reasons to explain why so many differences would have been invented.” [1]
In short, the woman who washed Jesus’ feet in Luke’s Gospel is not Mary of Bethany—and not Mary Magdalene either. The Bible presents two distinct women and two separate occasions.
Mary of Bethany Washed Jesus’ Feet with Perfume
Mark and John both record the story of Mary of Bethany anointing Jesus, and their accounts share several key details.
John explains that this event took place six days before the Passover, when Jesus arrived in Bethany (John 12:1). He stayed at the home of Simon the Leper (Mark 14:3), where Lazarus, Martha, and Mary were also present (John 12:2–3).
While Jesus was reclining at the table, a woman approached Him with an alabaster flask of pure nard—a costly perfume. Mark notes that the flask was “very costly” (Mark 14:3), and John calls it “expensive” (John 12:3). John identifies the woman as Mary.
- John 12:3, “Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”
- Mark 14:3, “And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head.”
Regarding the act of foot washing, New Testament scholar Andreas Köstenberger explains that it was far more unusual—and more humbling—than head anointing:
“Anointing the head was common enough (Ps. 23:5; Luke 7:46), but anointing the feet was quite unusual (usually, simply water was provided), even more so during a meal, which definitely was improper in Jewish eyes… attending the feet was servant’s work, so Mary’s action shows humility as well as devotion.” [2]
Why don’t Matthew and Mark mention Jesus’ feet?
John mentions that Mary anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them clean. Matthew and Mark don’t mention Jesus’ feet, but report that Mary anointed his head.
Some scholars suggest that only mentioning Jesus’ head fits better with certain themes that Matthew and Mark wanted to develop, for example, his kingship.
However, when Jesus responds to criticism in Matthew and Mark, he says that Mary anointed his “body,” which indicates that she washed more than his head.
- Mark 14:8, “She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.”
- Luke 12:26, “In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial.”
How many Marys are in the Bible?
Because multiple women named Mary appear in the Gospels, it’s important to distinguish Mary of Bethany from other Marys, including Mary Magdalene, who is sometimes wrongly identified as the woman who washed Jesus’ feet.
There are six different Marys mentioned in the New Testament. The ones that are written about the most are Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene.
| Mary | Example |
|---|---|
| Mary, mother of Jesus | Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-20; John 19:25; Acts 1:14 |
| Mary, the Mother of James and Joses | Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40; Luke 24:10; John 19:25 |
| Mary Magdalene | Luke 8:2; Matt. 27:55-56; Mark 15:40-41; John 19:25 |
| Mary of Bethany | John 11:1; Luke 10:42; John 12:3 |
| Mary, mother of John Mark | Acts 12:12; Col. 4:10 |
| Mary of Rome | Romans 16:6 |
References:
[1] The Gospel According to John by D.A. Carson. p. 425.
[2] John by Andreas Kostenberger. BCNT. p. 361.
