Mark 14

14:4,5Where Mark says “some of those at the table,” John specifically mentions Judas (John 12:4, 5). Judas’s indignation over Mary’s act of worship was based not on concern for the poor but on greed. Because Judas was the treasurer of Jesus’ ministry and had embezzled funds (John 12:6), he no doubt wanted the perfume sold so that he could benefit from the proceeds.

14:6,7Jesus was not saying that we should neglect the poor, nor was he justifying indifference to them. (For Jesus’ teaching about the poor, see Matthew 6:2-4; Luke 6:20, 21; 14:13, 21; 18:22.) Jesus was praising Mary for her unselfish act of worship. The essence of worshiping Christ is to regard him with utmost love, respect, and devotion and to be willing to sacrifice to him what is most precious.

14:13The two men Jesus sent were Peter and John (Luke 22:8).

14:14,15Many homes had large upstairs rooms, sometimes with stairways both inside and outside the house. The preparations for the Passover would have included setting the table and buying and preparing the Passover lamb, unleavened bread, sauces, and other ceremonial food and drink.

14:19Judas, the very man who would betray Jesus, was at the table with the others. Judas had already determined to betray Jesus, but in cold-blooded hypocrisy he shared the fellowship of this meal. It is easy to become enraged or shocked by what Judas did; yet professing commitment to Christ and then denying him with one’s life is also betraying him. It is denying Christ's love to disobey him; it is denying his truth to distrust him; it is denying his deity to reject his authority. Do your words and actions match?

14:20It was often the practice to eat from a common bowl. Meat or bread was dipped into a bow! filled with sauce often made from fruit.

14:22-25Mark records the origin of the Last Supper, which is still celebrated in worship services today. Jesus and his disciples ate a meal, sang psalms, read Scripture, and prayed. Then Jesus took two traditional parts of the Passover meal, the passing of bread and the drinking of wine, and gave them new meaning as representations of his body and blood. He used the bread and wine to explain the significance of what he was about to do on the cross. For more on the significance of the Last Supper, see 1 Corinthians 11:23-29. The Last Supper is remembered by different terms. Each name believers use for this sacrament brings out a different dimension to it. It is the “LORD’s Supper” because it commemorates the Passover meal that Jesus ate with his disciples; it is the “Eucharist” (thanksgiving) because in it we thank God for Christ's work for us; it is “Communion” because through it we commune with God and with other believers. As we eat the bread and drink the wine, we should be quietly reflective as we recall Jesus’ death and his promise to come again, grateful for Gad’s wonderful gift to us, and joyful as we meet with Christ and the body of believers.

14:23Whatever name your church uses for this event (Communion, LORD’s Supper, or Eucharist) and on whatever schedule you celebrate it, the importance is that through celebrating Communion together believers experience the presence of Christ. The celebration of Communion: (1) humbles us before God. We confess our sin and restate our need for Christ to guide us. (2) reminds us that we are forgiven. We remember that his shed biood paid the price. (3) expresses our oneness in Christ. We are unified in our faith. (4) encourages us to recommit. We are reminded to pledge ourselves to serve him who died for us.

14:24Jesus’ death for us on the cross seals a new covenant between God and us. The old covenant involved forgiveness of sins through the blood of an animal sacrifice (Exodus 24:6-8). But instead of a spotless {amb on the altar, Jesus offered himself, the spotless Lamb of God, as a sacrifice that would forgive sin once and for all. Jesus was the final sacrifice for sins, and his blood sealed the new covenant between God and us. Now all of us can come to God through Jesus, in full confidence that God will hear us and save us from our sins.

14:26The hymn they sang was most likely taken from Psalms 115-118, traditionally sung at the Passover meal.

14:27-31This was the second time in the same evening that Jesus predicted the disciples’ denial and desertion, which probably explains their strong reaction (14:31). For Jesus’ earlier prediction, see Luke 22:31-34 and John 13:36-38.

14:31Peter was so emphatic. It is easy to say we are devoted to Christ, but our claims are meaningful only when they are tested in the crucible of persecution. How strong is your faith? Is it strong enough to stand up under intense trial? We need the Holy Spirit, not boastfulness and human resolve. We must never discount our vulnerability to pride, greed, or even indifference.

14:35,36Was Jesus trying to get out of his task? Jesus expressed his true feelings, but he did not deny or rebel against God's will. He reaffirmed his desire to do what God wanted. Jesus’ prayer highlights the terrible suffering he had to endure— an agony $o much more magnified because he had ta take on the sins of the whole world. This “cup” was the agony of alienation from God, his Father, at the cross (Hebrews 5:7-9). The sinless Son of God took on our sins and was separated for a while from God so that we could be eternally saved.

14:36While praying, Jesus was aware of what doing the Father's will would cost him. He understood the suffering he was about to encounter, and he did not want to have to endure the horrible experience. But Jesus prayed, “Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Anything worth having costs something. What does your commitment to God cost you? We must be willing to pay any price to gain what is priceless—eternal life.

14:38You may not face execution for your faith, but you probably face many problems that wear you down. You deal with irritating people whom you must love and serve; you face the burden of unfinished tasks or lack of obvious results; you cope with helpers who let you down or fail to comprehend. Remember that in times of great stress, you are vulnerable to temptation, even if you have a willing spirit. Jesus explained how to resist: (1) Keep watch (14:34)—stay awake and be morally vigilant. (2) Pray to God (14:35)—this is how you maintain your vigilance. (3) Seek support of friends and loved ones (14:33, 37, 40, 41)—this is how you build up your resistance and help others; when one is weak, others are strong. (4) Focus on the purpose God has given you (14:36)—this is how you do God’s will and not your own.

14:43-45Judas was given a contingent of police and soldiers (John 18:3) in order to seize Jesus and bring him before the religious court for trial. The religious leaders had issued a warrant for Jesus’ arrest, and Judas was acting as Jesus’ official accuser.

14:47According to John 18:10, the person who pulled out a sword was Peter. Luke 22:51 records that Jesus immediately healed the man’s ear and prevented any further bloodshed.

14:50Just hours earlier, these disciples had vowed never to desert Jesus (14:31).

14:51,52Tradition says that this young man may have been John Mark, the writer of this Gospel. The incident is not mentioned in any of the other accounts. JESUS’ TRIAL From Gethsemane, Jesus’ trial began at the home of Caiaphas, the high priest. Jesus was then taken to Pilate, the Roman governor. Luke records that Pilate sent him to Herod, who was in Jerusalem—presumably in one of his two palaces (Luke 23:5-12). Herod sent him back to Pilate, who handed Jesus over to be crucified.

14:53ffThis trial by the high council had two phases. A small group met at night (John 18:12-24), and then the full high council met at daybreak (Luke 22:66-71). They tried Jesus for religious offenses, such as calling himself the Son of God, which, according to law, was blasphemy. The trial was fixed: These religious leaders had already decided to kill Jesus (Luke 22:2).

14:55The Romans controlled Israel, but the Jews were given some authority over religious and minor civil disputes. The Jewish ruling body, the high council, was made up of 71 of Israel’s religious leaders. It was assumed that these men would be just. Instead, they showed great injustice in the trial of Jesus, even to the point of making up lies to use against him (14:57).

14:58The statement that the false witnesses finally agreed to use as an accusation twisted Jesus’ actual words. Jesus did not say, “I will destroy this Temple made with human hands”; he said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). Jesus was not talking about Herod’s Temple but about his own body.

14:60-64To the first question, Jesus made no reply because it was based on confusing and erroneous evidence. Not answering was wiser than trying to clarify the fabricated accusations. But if Jesus had refused to answer the second question, it could have been taken as a denial of his mission. Instead, his answer predicted a powerful role reversal. Sitting at God’s right hand in the place of power, he would come to judge his accusers, and they would have to answer his questions (Psalm 110:1; Revelation 20:11-13).

14:66,67Caiaphas’s home, where Jesus was tried (14:53), was part of a huge palace with several courtyards. John was apparently acquainted with the high priest, and he was ‘et into the courtyard along with Peter (John 18:15, 16).

14:71It is easy to get angry at the high council and the Roman governor for their injustice in condemning Jesus, but Peter and the rest of the disciples also contributed to Jesus’ pain by deserting him (14:50). While most of us may not be like the Jewish and Roman leaders, we are like the disciples because all of us have been guilty of denying Christ as LORD in vital areas of our lives. We may pride ourselves that we have not committed certain sins, but we are all guilty of sin. Don’t try to excuse yourself by pointing at others whose sins seem worse than yours.