Rev. Sara Ewing-Merrill, HopeGateWay’s lead pastor, explores the story of Mary Magdalene anointing Jesus through the Gospel of John, suggesting that Mary’s act was not mere devotion but a prophetic, priestly consecration — a conscious acknowledgment of the death that was approaching when others looked away. Drawing on the parallel anointing stories across all four Gospels and the overlooked role of women as the financial backers of Jesus’ ministry, Pastor Sara challenges listeners to see Mary as the one who truly recognized Jesus as the Christ, and to resist the ways the marginalized are used as pawns to distract from deeper injustices.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​