Chapter 14

Read Mark 14:1-11; Jesus Anointed at Bethany

We are now in the middle of Passion week, only two days from Passover. The chief priests, Jesus and His disciples were all visiting in a house at Bethany. A woman came and poured very expensive perfume on His head. People were rebuking her harshly for wasting this expensive perfume. Jesus sets things right in verses 6-9…

⁶ “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to Me. ⁷ The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have Me. ⁸ She did what she could. She poured perfume on My body beforehand to prepare for My burial. ⁹ Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

This is one of those cameo appearances that people have heard about for 2000 years.

Then in verses 10-11 the chief priests and teachers of the law got their opportunity…

¹⁰ Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. ¹¹ They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So, he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

We don’t know if the perfume was more than Judas could take, but that seems likely.

Read Mark 14:12-26; The Last Supper

A few days later, Jesus wanted to celebrate Passover with His disciples. He gave two of them directions that must have amazed them as they proceeded in verses 13-16…

¹³ So He sent two of His disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. ¹⁴ Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is My guest room, where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?’ ¹⁵ He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” ¹⁶ The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So, they prepared the Passover.

Maybe after finding the donkey to ride into Jerusalem just as Jesus told them this wasn’t as amazing, but it is amazing to me every time I read it. Everything exactly as Jesus said it would be.

It is Thursday night. The Jews from the north in Galilee actually celebrated Passover on Thursday while the Jews in the south in Jerusalem celebrated on Friday. That fact makes it easier to understand things that happen the next two days.

In an almost casual environment while reclining at the table, Jesus says one of you will betray Me. In verses 20-21 Jesus adds…

²⁰ “It is one of the Twelve,” He replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with Me. ²¹ The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

I find it hard to believe that Judas could continue with his plan of betrayal after hearing that.

After that Jesus goes straight into what we now call communion in verses 22-24…

²² While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take it; this is My body.” ²³ Then He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 

²⁴ “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” He said to them.

This to me must have been a flashback moment for Peter. Imagine sitting there in amazement after the statement about betrayal and then hear Jesus using terminology about His body and blood compared to the Passover feast that they were well aware of. Now imagine Peter as he told the story to Mark all those years later. What was he thinking?

Read Mark 14:27-31; Jesus predicts Peter’s Denial

I love the fact that they sang a hymn before they left the upper room. After that they went to the Mount of Olives where they have been together many times. They must have realized Judas was not with them. Did they suspect his betrayal? An interesting side note is that in Revelation it says that this is where Jesus will come back to. 

In verses 27-31, Jesus predicts Peter’s denial…

²⁷ “You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written:

“‘I will strike the shepherd,
    and the sheep will be scattered.’

²⁸ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

²⁹ Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”

³⁰ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”

³¹ But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.

Peter recalling that moment he probably wishes never happened and yet it was part of God’s plan to build a great leader. We need to remember this if we fall. Our Lord will be there to catch us.

Read Mark 14:32-42; Gethsemane

Jesus took His disciples to Gethsemane. He left the eight and took the three, Peter, James and John, farther to pray. In verse 34 He told the three…

³⁴ “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” He said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”

Keep watch is a key phrase.

Jesus goes a little farther away from the three and prays to His Father in verses 35-36…

³⁵ Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from Him. ³⁶ “Abba, Father,” He said, “everything is possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.”

Jesus is in deep spiritual pain. He asked His Father if it is possible to change the plan. Then adds not My will, but Your will be done. This is a deep truth for us to understand today. God’s plan might have a miraculous change in front of us, like when God stopped Abraham from sacrificing Issac, or He might not change it because what we are going through has great value in God’s continuing plan for us and those around us.

Then He went back to the three and found them sleeping. He singles out Peter in verses 37-38…

³⁷ Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” He said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? ³⁸ Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

There is the “keep watch” phrase again. Jesus adds “watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation”. Twice more Jesus goes away and they are asleep when He comes back. I have wondered for years what exactly Jesus was telling them at that time. However, the truth is for us today. Those choosing to follow Jesus have a willing spirit, but in our own strength we cannot stop temptation from coming. Therefore, we must “keep watch” for the triggers that lead to temptation and “pray” for strength to turn away from it.

With what seems like disappointment with His inner core disciples, Jesus says in verses 41-42…

⁴¹The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. ⁴² Rise! Let us go! Here comes My betrayer!”

Read Mark 14:43-52; Jesus Arrested

Just then Judas appears with a crowd coming to arrest Jesus. Judas signaled who to arrest by kissing Jesus. It makes me remember the lyrics of a song that said, “That is not what a kiss is for”. As they seized Jesus, one of the disciples drew a sword and cutoff a man’s ear. In John’s Gospel verse 18:10 John tells us it was Peter. In Luke’s Gospel verse 22:51 we discover a miracle I have never heard anyone teach about. While being arrested, Jesus reaches out and heals the man’s ear. I wonder how those guards could have witnessed that miracle and still have taken Jesus away.

Then everyone deserted Him. Verses 51-52 seemed insignificant to me until I read in a commentary that the young man was our author, Mark…

⁵¹ A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, ⁵² he fled naked, leaving his garment behind. 

Both Peter and Mark were involved but unnamed in this account.

Read Mark 14:53-65; Jesus before the Sanhedrin

The guards took Jesus to the high priest, the elders and the teachers. They called witnesses for evidence so that they could put Him to death but their testimonies did not agree. Then verses 61-65 give us the interchange that led to conviction…

Again, the high priest asked Him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

⁶² “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

⁶³ The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. ⁶⁴ “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”

They all condemned Him as worthy of death. ⁶⁵ Then some began to spit at Him; they blindfolded Him, struck Him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took Him and beat Him.

Read Mark 14:66-72; Peter Disowns Jesus

In John 18:15-6 we are told that John was with Peter as he followed Jesus…

 ¹⁵ Simon Peter and another disciple (now historians tell us was John) were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, ¹⁶ but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in.

John’s father’s fishing business supplied fish to the high priest’s house. The servant knew John from his many deliveries. They also knew John was a disciple of Jesus. What amazes me is Peter would deny he was a disciple seemingly out of fear and yet the servants welcomed John in with no question. Why was Peter afraid?

Verses 66-72 tell of Peter’s three denials…

⁶⁶ While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. ⁶⁷ When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him.

“You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said.

⁶⁸ But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,” he said, and went out into the entryway. 

⁶⁹ When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” ⁷⁰ Again he denied it.

After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”

⁷¹ He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”

⁷² Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you will disown Me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

I believe Peter’s heart must have been broken again as he told Mark this story. And yet, as only our merciful Lord can do, it was used as a building block for this great disciple.