Mark 14:32-36

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32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” 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.” ~ Mark 14:32-36

Today, we return to Mark 14 where the Lord Jesus has just told His disciples that after His crucifixion, they will all run for their lives. In doing so, they will deny their association with the Lord Jesus. In response, all of the disciples pled that they would never abandon the Lord. Of course, the Lord already knew their hearts, and this is why we love the Lord so much. He knows us better than we do ourselves, and yet, He is still committed to us.

In v.32-34 of today's passage we read,"32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, 'Sit here while I pray.' 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 'My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,' he said to them. 'Stay here and keep watch.'"

"Gethsemane" comes from two Hebrew words meaning "the olive press." In those days, olive oil was made by taking two stones, an upper stone which would revolve around the lower stone. And anything between the two stones was crushed. When the olives were crushed, the oil that came forth was gathered and collected and sold.

The real value of the olive comes when it's crushed. You can eat the olives, but the real value is discovered in the crushing of the olives. This is yet again another picture of the economy of God. The Lord Jesus came to this earth to be crushed for the forgiveness of our sin. In 2 Corinthians 5:21 we read, "God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might be the righteousness of God in him." 

The Lord Jesus took Peter, James, and John along with Him while He prayed. He left the other eight at the entrance of the garden, but He took Peter, James, and John deeper into the garden because they were the leaders. 

Interestingly, there were two other occasions when this inner circle joined the Lord Jesus exclusively: The first was at the house of Jairus when the Lord raised the daughter of Jarius from the dead. The second time was on the Mount of Transfiguration when the Lord Jesus was transfigured before Moses and Elijah and the three disciples. There the Lord Jesus spoke with Moses and Elijah about His departure.

All three of these instances have something in common, and, it is death. And, here in today's passage, the Lord Jesus presented Himself to the Father for death. I also find it interesting that the very first Christian martyr was James. And, the last to die was John. The middle one was Peter who would be crucified upside down in Rome. 

According to v.33, the Lord Jesus was "deeply distressed and troubled." The word "distressed" is a compound form of the verb "to be amazed." Even though He was omniscient, death was an experience that He had never had, and He was about to have it. He was amazed because death was totally alien to everything He had ever experienced and had ever known.

And, death caused Him to be troubled meaning to be astonished. The Lord Jesus was deeply amazed and astonished in His anguish. He possessed something we have never known with reference to sin: He had a perfect hatred for sin. Everything in His being was repulsed by the thought of it. His plea to avoid it was absolutely consistent with His nature as God.

As indicated in v.34, the Lord Jesus was "overwhelmed with sorrow" which literally means to be surrounded by sorrow. He was engulfed in this grief to the point of death. He had never said "yes" to alienation from His Father. He had never said "yes" to guilt. He had never said "yes" to sin-bearing. He had never said "yes" to punishment. His anguish was caused by the cup of God's wrath which He knew awaited Him on the cross, and He struggled with the idea. It bothered Him so much that He asked the Father for a way out of it. 

In v.35-36 of today's passage we read, "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."

Peter, James and John went deeper with the Lord Jesus so that they would be taught how to pray amid weakness. James and John were the ones who were so confident they thought they ought to sit on the right hand and the left hand of the Lord Jesus in His kingdom. And, Peter thought of himself to be the most elevated and exalted of all. Given their strengths, they needed to be reminded of the place of weakness in effective leadership. We are at our strongest when we are most convinced that we need God. We are at our strongest when we are dependent upon the Lord.

The Lord Jesus referred to the Father as "Abba" which is a very intimate word meaning "daddy." No Jew would ever even consider calling God Father, let alone call Him Abba. But, our Lord calls on the affectionate, intimate, personal name of God as if pleading for that intimate love to rescue Him. And, notice the way the Lord Jesus prayed was to request of His Daddy and then rest in His response. This is the way we should prayer, to request and rest. The Lord Jesus submitted to the will of His Daddy. In His human nature the Lord Jesus felt anxiety, but, in the end He said,  "Yet not what I will, but what you will." The Lord Jesus submitted Himself to whatever the Father wanted because He knew the character and nature of his Daddy, that He could be completely trusted with the outcome, even though He struggled with it.

Mark 14:27-31

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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. ~ Mark 14:27-31

Today, we return to our study of Mark 14 where the Lord Jesus has just enjoyed His last Passover meal with His disciples in the upper room. At this point in the narrative, the Lord Jesus and His disciples have left the upper room and walked to the Mount of Olives. They are now in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Human history began in a garden, in the Garden of Eden. Human sin and failure began in that garden. And, in a wonderful twist, human history will culminate in the garden of the New Jerusalem. In the garden of Eden, Adam was overcome by sin while in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus Christ, overcame sin. In the Garden of Eden, Adam ran from God while in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus embraced the Father's will to present Himself to the Father on the behalf of sinful mankind.

In v.27-28 of today's passage we read, "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.'"

During the Passover meal, the Lord Jesus told His disciples one of them would betray Him. Then, after the meal while on the Mount of Olives, He told the remaining eleven that all of them would fall away and abandon Him. They didn't understand it at the time, but, the disciples were being introduced to the only success that endures, the success of the Lord Jesus on their behalf.

In Zechariah 13:7 we read about this prophesied event. Zechariah prophesied the Lord Jesus would be struck and the disciples would be scattered. The Lord Jesus knew the disciples had not grasped this fact. Their failure was central to the formation of their walk with Him, though. We should never be surprised that God strategically uses our weaknesses in the formation of our spiritual development. God does not delight in our sufferings, He delights in using them to bring us to the place that we fully trust Him. 

In v.29 of today's passage we read, "Peter declared, 'Even if all fall away, I will not.'"

Peter, the spokesperson for all of the disciples, always listed first in the list of the apostles, for the second time resisted the plan of God. I am sure he thought he was being spiritual, but he knew nothing of the strength of the flesh. Peter thought spiritual maturity was something he produced. Before, when the Lord Jesus had predicted his death and resurrection, Peter rebuked Him. Now, here in today's passage, when the Lord Jesus predicted the failure of all the disciples, Peter declared that he was different than the rest. But, as we know, Peter not only abandoned the Lord Jesus, he also disowned Him three times.

In v.30-31 of today's passage we read, '"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."

Like you and me, Peter believed in the Lord Jesus as the Christ, but he didn’t understand all of what the Lord Jesus was teaching. Like Peter, despite the fact that we fail, the Lord Jesus is yet at work in our lives using all things together to bring about His design in and through our lives. God looks at failure differently than we. And, like Peter, we’ve all professed dogged allegiance to the Lord in moments of confidence in self. We forget that self is our biggest enemy. And, like sheep, we all have been known to fail miserably. In fact, God expects more failure from us than we expect from ourselves.

Through it all, the Lord Jesus refines us and teaches us that our failure isn’t final. In fact, He takes our failure and forms us by showing us that our failure is a part His healing in our lives. The healing comes on the heels of being forced to run to the Lord when we have exhausted all of our resources. Following the Lord through our failures teaches us to listen to Him and to trust and to depend upon Him more fully.

It is quite notable that in His last night with His disciples, the Lord Jesus gave the disciples a meal and an enduring object lesson to impress upon them the reality of what He was doing. His words that night were powerful, but if detached from the meal and the object lesson, we are not left with much. God is not the God of second chances, He is the God who is greater than all of our attempts to accomplish anything on our own. And, as John MacArthur says, "The road to spiritual maturity is paved with an ever increasing understanding of our wickedness." 

Mark 14:22-26

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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. 25 “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives." ~ Mark 14:22-26

Today, we return to Mark 14 where the Lord Jesus was with His disciples in the upper room in Jerusalem. It was Thursday evening and they were enjoying the final Passover meal the Lord would eat with His disciples before He would be crucified and buried.

In v.22-24 of today's passage we read, "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."

At the Passover meal, the head of the family would typically explain the meal as it related to the Exodus story. On this occasion, the Lord Jesus, shockingly, explained the meal, in relation to Himself. He explained the Exodus story in light of His death on the cross and how all sacrifices point us to that momentous occasion when He took sin and death head on and rendered them null and void.

The Lord Jesus, when He offered up the bread, likened it to His sacrifice made for sin. He said, "This is my body.” The wine, He said, represented His "blood." With that, the Lord Jesus referenced the covenant God made with His people after the Exodus. On that night, the Lord Jesus pulled back the curtain revealing the point and the culmination of all of those Passover lambs down through the centuries: they all pointed to Him and the work that He was about to accomplish on His cross. 

In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 the Apostle Paul tells us when we eat the bread and drink the wine, we remember the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross to pay the penalty created by our sin. The Apostle Paul also said that when we do this, we proclaim the death of the Lord Jesus until He returns to take us home to be with Him in heaven.

The Passover was a meal that centered around four glasses of wine. The first glass was the opening glass. It was the cup of blessing where the host blessed the Lord and welcomed the people who had been invited. The second cup was called the cup of judgment. It spoke about the plagues that God brought upon Egypt and delivering His people out of Egypt. It was, at that point, that the Lord Jesus dipped His finger in the wine and sprinkle the cloth and the meal in front of Him to speak about the sprinkling of the blood of the sacrifice.

The unleavened bread was broken and then dipped into bitter herbs. Holding up the bread, the Lord Jesus said, "Blessed art thou, Lord God, King of the universe." Then, He passed to His disciples the dipped bread. After that, they enjoyed the meal together. After the meal there were two other glasses of wine. The third glass of wine was the cup of redemption. With it, the Lord Jesus spoke of the death of the firstborn and the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. Before He gave the cup to the disciples, He said, "Blessed art thou, Lord God, King of the universe, who gives us the fruit of the vine."

The fourth and final cup was a cup of praise. and with that cup the Lord Jesus said, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many." 

This is why the Lord Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, which is designed to be led by His Spirit who focuses us on His death, burial and resurrection. He knows well the tendency of the human heart to drift from the reminder of His intense love for us. It is His undying love that keeps our hearts close to Him. During the Lord's Supper, believers enjoy interaction with the Lord in our hearts and through His word, while focusing on His work on the cross.

In Revelation 3:20 we read, "Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." This was a verse written to believers, to those who had trusted in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross.

The word "sup" is used four times in the New Testament. In that culture, this word referred to the main meal of the day. And, in Middle Eastern fashion, it was a significant occasion for having intimate fellowship with the closest of friends. The Lord Supper is meant to be such: to sup or to experience intimate fellowship with our closest friend. 

In v.25-26 of today's passage we read, "25 “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives."

After the Lord shared the fourth cup with the disciples, He said these words indicating this was the last Passover He would share with them on this earth. And, with these words, the Lord Jesus promised we will celebrate the Passover with Him during the Millennium. At that time, we will celebrate like we never have before because we will understand it all most clearly. 

Mark 14:17-21

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"17 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.” 19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?” 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.” ~ Mark 14:17-21

Today, we return to our study of Mark 14. The setting was Thursday night in the upper room where the Lord Jesus was celebrating the last Passover with His disciples. It was the day before He was to be crucified. In that day, when they ate a meal with others, they reclined on one elbow and laid on their side at a table that had three sides. They laid diagonal from the center of the table with their feet toward the side and the back. For 1,500 years, since the Exodus, the Passover had been celebrated at that time of year, by the Jews, without a break. This would be the last Passover, because the Lord Jesus would fulfill all the righteous requirements of the Law. This final Passover marked the end of the Old Covenant and the beginning of the New. 

In v.17-18 of today's passage we read, "17 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, 'Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.'"

Somewhere in the middle of the Passover meal, the Lord Jesus made this prediction. As predicted in Psalm 55, the Lord Jesus was about to be betrayed by one of His own disciples who was at the table with Him in the upper room. 

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, 'Surely you don’t mean me?'"

Saddened at the idea, each disciple asked the Lord the obvious question. The word translated "saddened" means to be distressed, sorrowful, profoundly pained. One by one, each of them agonized. They knew their hearts. They knew they were capable of doing such a thing. 

Knowing that His betrayer was Judas, the Lord Jesus allowed each of the disciples to wrestle with the possibility because it could have been any of them. It is in all of our hearts to betray the Lord. He was probing their hearts for their benefit. In so doing, the Lord Jesus made them aware of their total depravity apart from His involvement in their lives.

This reminds me of the song, In the Light, written by Charlie Peacock and performed by DC Talk. They sang, "This disease of self runs through my blood, it's a cancer fatal to my soul. Every attempt on my behalf has failed to bring this sickness under control." We all are fully aware that we are potential Judas'.

In v.20-21 of today's passage we read, 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 very instructive when I consider the responses of the twelve disciples. A study of Matthew 26 enables us to see this. Every one of the disciples responded with, "Is it I?" The 11 responded with, "Is it I, Lord?," whereas Judas responded with, "Is it I, Rabbi?" It is never recorded in the Gospels that Judas ever one time referred to the Lord Jesus as "Lord." For the 11, they existed for the Lord. For Judas, the Lord existed for him.

Judas, like anyone who rejects God's free gift of salvation, made his own choice that night. It appears that he acted on greed, but he received so little, 30 pieces of silver, about $200 in today's currency. Everything Judas did that night fit into God’s plan. And, Judas played a crucial role in the death of Christ, but, God is not to be blamed. 

The word translated "woe" in v.21 means cursed and damned to hell. Sadly, Judas, hanged himself, the rope broke, and his bowels were exploded on the rocks below, and he was thrown into the dump, the trash heap outside Jerusalem, and worse, into the eternal lake of fire.

There is no stronger statement in Scripture on human responsibility than this statement the Lord made concerning Judas: "It would be better for him if he had not been born." That is the strongest statement in Scripture on human responsibility. Better never born than damned forever. The most severe punishment of hell is for those who knew the most about Christ and yet rejected Him.

But, it does not have to be that way. 

In John 3:16-21 we read, "16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God."

 

Mark 14:12-16

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12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 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. ~ Mark 14:12-16

Today, we continue our study of Mark 14 where a clear contrast 

has been established between those who are defined by the God of truth and those who are not. With that in the background, the scene shifts to Thursday of the final week of the Lord Jesus on this earth. It was the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread.

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, 'Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?'"

On Passover, the Hebrews gathered to share a meal which celebrated the Exodus, the nations deliverance from slavery in Egypt. The time of Israel's slavery in Egypt was so hard, yet it was the will of God for them. As with all things, good or bad, there is always to be found the purposes of God for our lives and the lives of those whom we love. Sometimes, we find it difficult to imagine that God causes or allows certain things in our lives. But, we can be assured that His will is the best for us and it will come to meaningful fruition. 

For the Jews in Egypt so many years ago, it was during that 400 year period that God grew their nation from one family to up to 2 million people. God clearly uses the trials that come into our lives to tune our hearts and souls to be able to recognize and follow Him. Without tests, there are no testimonies. 

In his first epistle, the Apostle Peter wrote, "These (trials) have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith, of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire, may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."

Within the celebration of Unleavened Bread and the Passover is seen the beauty of this mysterious principle. During the tenth plague in Egypt, those who trusted the LORD applied the blood of the sacrificial lamb to the doorposts of their home. As a result, the death angel passed over their house and their firstborns were spared from death.

When we are going through the intensity of a trial, we struggle to see that each trial has meaning and purpose. And, that purpose is primarily that we would know the LORD and His culture. We must rest in this fact: God is sovereign, He is good, and He has our best interest in mind. But we have difficulty seeing this because we lack the experience with Him to see these most awesome truths.

Max Lucado puts it this way, "God views our lives the way we view a movie after we’ve read the book. When something bad happens, we feel the air sucked out of the theater. Everyone else gasps at the crisis on the screen. Not us. Why? We’ve read the book. We know how the good guy gets out of the tight spot. God views our lives with the same confidence. He’s not only read our story…he wrote it. His perspective is different, and his purpose is clear."

In v.13-15 of today's passage we read, "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.'"

In the culture of that day, men generally carried water in animal skins, while women carried it in jars. These skins retained water naturally and therefore were useful for carrying water. A man carrying a pitcher of water was unusual in those days and would have been an obvious signal to the disciples. And, of course, that was what the Lord Jesus told the disciples to look for when they went into Jerusalem.

There is another feast of the Jews which centers around the carrying of a jar of water by a man. It is referred to in John 7 where the Lord Jesus said, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, 'Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.'" 

We do not know what the next moment of our lives will bring. But, we have come to know the One who has invited us to follow Him through the ebbs and flows of life. As we follow Him through prayer and scripture reading primarily, we learn to see Him with our hearts and our souls. This is not an easy habit to form. It takes time. But, He has promised that if we do that, out of our hearts will flow rivers of living water.

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover."

It all happened as the Lord Jesus had told the disciples. When they arrived in Jerusalem, the sent disciples immediately saw a man carrying a jar of water. The disciples, therefore, followed the instructions of the Lord Jesus and made preparations in a large upper room in a man's house in Jerusalem.

The Lord Jesus very subtly illustrated the beauty of His will and His culture. He gave the disciples reassurance by showing them His omniscience, for He knew in advance that there would be a room and an accommodating owner of the room. The disciples, as a result, obeyed the Lord Jesus, and, as a result of their obedience, they enjoyed the omniscience and omnipotence of the God of the Bible. This all aided the deepening of their relationship with Him. The more they saw Him in control, the more they trusted Him. This is the way it works. Such is the process of knowing God, His power, and realizing His will in and through our lives daily.

Mark 14:10-11

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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. ~ Mark 14:10-11

Today, we continue our study of Mark 14 where we have been studying lessons about worship from Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. True worship is defined by that which  defines us most. The type of worship that Mary displayed at Simon's house was the result of a heart transformed by entering into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. 

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them."

In just one verse the scene makes a dramatic shift from an incredible display of adoration and worship back to the religious leaders and Judas who were plotting to kill the Lord Jesus. Unbeknown to the religious leaders, they were playing right into a plan that was devised by the Godhead before this world was created. 

We are told in Revelation 13:8 that it was from the foundation of the world that it was determined that the Lord Jesus would pay the penalty for man's sin. God is omniscient which means He knows everything. That does not mean He makes all things happen as they do. He allowed man to sin. Could He have prevented it? Absolutely, but if He had, we would all be robots with no will of our own. And, without a will, there is no choice. And, without choice, there is no love.

Before God laid the foundations of the world, He already knew that man would rebel against Him and inaugurate sin. Sin is the suspicion that God is not good. As a result man was condemned in his sinfulness. There was no hope to be found. God had to do something. So, He prepared a plan of salvation, a way for us to be reconciled back to Him through someone in His inner circle.

Shockingly, someone from another inner circle offered his services to betray the Lord Jesus. In context, Mark contrasts Mary’s devotion with the desire of Judas to make a little money. This was prophesied in Zechariah 11:12-13. It was not determined that Judas would do it, but we were told that the Lord Jesus would be betrayed for the amount of a common slave. 

What a contrast. Mary used her money to honor the Lord Jesus while Judas used the Lord Jesus to get some money. Mary anointed the Lord Jesus for His burial while the religious leaders and Judas arranged for His burial. The Lord Jesus recognized Mary for favoring Him over the poor while Judas seemed to favor the poor over the anointing of the Lord Jesus. Again, what a contrast.

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over."

The religious leaders were delighted to learn of that which motivated Judas to betray God: greed. Interestingly, the name "Judas" is a form of Judah which means "thank you." He didn't live up to His name did he? Judas' family name was Iscariot which reveals he was from the village of Kerioth, 23 miles south of Jerusalem. Judas was the only non-Galilean among the twelve apostles. 

After Judas learned that the Lord Jesus was not going to set up His Millennial kingdom on earth, he was quick to look for the best way to hand over the Lamb of God to the religious leaders for money. According to Matthew 26:15, Judas agreed to betray the Lord for 30 pieces of silver. According to Exodus 21:32, 30 pieces of silver was the price of a slave. 

I find it interesting that Judas Iscariot is always mentioned last whenever there's a listing of the twelve disciples in the New Testament. When Judas bargained with the leaders of Israel for the betrayal of the Lord Jesus, they considered the cost of the death of the Lord Jesus to be that of a slave. The Lord Jesus became the slave of God in order to free slaves from sin.

When considering the real price that was placed on the Lord Jesus, it is helpful to consider Philippians 2:5-11 which reads, "Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

The Lord Jesus took on the form of a slave. The Greek word “doulos” was utilized by the Apostle Paul and it literally means "slave." The significance of the 30 pieces of silver not only ties the Old Testament to the New Testament but also reveals how the Lord Jesus was willing to humble Himself and offer Himself up upon the cross, to purchase what we could never afford. He was the only who could pay the worthy price for our forgiveness in the eyes of God. For that we worship Him.

Mark 14:6-9

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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.” ~ Mark 14:6-9

Today, we return to our study of the day when Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus anointed the Lord Jesus six days before His crucifixion. Previous to this, the Lord Jesus had told the disciples three times that He was going to Jerusalem to die, but, they didn't believe Him. In today's text, we learn that Mary of Bethany believed Him. For Mary, it made sense that the Lord Jesus was heading to Jerusalem to die. So, she anointed Him with the most expensive perfume, similar to the way the sacrificial lamb's were anointed six days before they were to be sacrificed in the Old Testament.

In v.6-7 of todays passage we read, "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."

The disciples felt that Mary's choice to pour the expensive spikenard on the Lord was a "waste," saying, "We could have used that to help the poor." But as the Lord Jesus said, "The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me." In saying that, He was actually saying, "It is in your most vulnerable of moments that your heart is closest to me, make sure you act on that because that is worship."

In v.8 of today's passage we read, "She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial."

The Lord Jesus equated Mary's worship with preparation for His burial. The recording of this act of worship was not shared by Mark in its chronological order. Due to that many miss the fact that it happened six days before the Lord Jesus was crucified. In John 12:1 we learn this incident happened six days before the Passover. This anointing happened on the Saturday before the following Friday when the Lord Jesus was crucified.  

This anointing of the Lord Jesus by Mary paralleled the anointing of the Passover lamb which was annually prepared for the Passover sacrifice. The anointing of the Passover lamb annually took place six days before he would be slaughtered. The anointing in those days was a way of inspecting the Passover Lamb before each Jewish family would bring it into their home to care for it and keep it blemish free. When Mary anointed the Lord Jesus six days before Passover, she drew attention to the many Passover lambs that had been faithfully anointed since the night of the Passover in Egypt so many years before. It also highlighted the fact that the Lord Jesus was the Passover Lamb who took away our sin once and for all.

 

Mary's many years of biblical training served her so well that she knew exactly what she was doing that faithful evening at Simon's the ex-leper's house. In addition, her pain served her in that monumental moment. When her brother, Lazarus, died, Mary experienced excruciating pain that informed her actions that night. In fact, before she arrived upon such good theology, Mary indirectly blamed the Lord Jesus for her brother's death. When the Lord Jesus had arrived in Bethany four days after Lazarus had died, Mary brought attention to His late arrival. This served her in her memorable actions many days following.

Our pain always speaks, and sometimes, the message doesn't make sense to us in the moment. Whatever our beliefs are, they are best recognized as we deal with our pain. It was at that point of greatest pain and confusion that the Lord Jesus came to Lazarus' tomb and asked that the stone covering the tomb be removed. When they removed the stone and the Lord Jesus called Lazarus to come forth, it was at that moment that it all began to make sense to Mary. It was on the heels of that most horrific experience that Mary began to truly worship the Lord Jesus. This led to Mary expending all she had to anoint the Lord Jesus with this most expensive spikenard perfume. 

There is a clear connection between our pain and our worship of the Lord Jesus. We have all been drawn to C.S. Lewis and his perspective on pain. Lewis had tasted pain in ways that few can relate to. He lost his mother at an early age, saw his dad emotionally abandon him, suffered from a respiratory illness as a teenager, fought and was wounded in World War I, and finally had to bury his wife, Joy. Through all of this, Lewis wrote about all of his heartache in his work, The Problem of Pain. In that work, Lewis penned one of his most famous lines ever. He wrote:

"Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."

Locating and listening to God through the pain in our heart is a major step to getting to the place of worship. Instinctively, we avoid pain. To get to reality, we must visit our pain and let it do its work deep within us. It's design is to prepare our heart to experience God. We ordinarily do not do this because it hurts too much. So often we run from our pain, not realizing that it aids us in our pursuit of our Heavenly Father. It is through our brokenness that we see God’s true strength as He meets us right where we are in the moment. God uses our hurts so that He can clearly write the lessons of His grace on our hearts and set our affections on Him.

Once we locate the pain, we must visit it. We must feel it again and again, and, allow God to do His deepest work in us. Then through that pain, we must run to Him over and over and over. There is never a cry that the Lord ignores. Our pain aids us at anticipating and recognizing and hearing His voice. Our pain helps us feel, it helps us to be human, it helps us meet God, it helps us to know God more deeply. Pain unlocks our hearts to be embraced by God. 

When we live life by going through the motions, we do not feel. Our hearts remain locked up and the danger is that they may become cold and steely. I’m convinced that brokenness of heart yields a tenderness and a vulnerability that enables us to see God like never before.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

And here we are some 2,000 years removed in time, thousands of miles removed in geography. And, here we are in another culture, another language honoring this woman who gave, because her story with the Lord Jesus is included in this gospel.

Mark 14:1-5

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"1 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.” 3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. 4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly." ~ Mark 14:1-5

Today, we begin our study of Mark 14 where Mark does what he has done frequently throughout this Gospel; he brings together certain events and themes which occurred at various times during this week and deliberately places them side by side so that we might see the contrast between being with God or being against Him.  

Emphasized in today's passage is Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, who poured costly perfume over the head of the Lord Jesus. Mark does not give her name, but John tells us in his gospel, it was Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus, who seized this occasion to anoint the head of the Lord Jesus.

In v.1-2 of today's passage we read, "1 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 'But not during the festival,' they said, 'or the people may riot.'"

These events took place during "the Passover week."  Passover was immediately followed by the the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The two celebrations were typically lumped together. So, sometimes those terms are used interchangeably because it speaks of an entire week of festivities.

In this context, the religious leaders were so enraged, they looked feverishly for opportunities to kill the Lord Jesus. But, as the Scriptures reveals, this was the unfolding of God's plan to redeem hopeless man. The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ is the apex of redemptive history and the ratification of the new covenant.

The cross was in view of the Passover lambs that were slaughtered in Egypt, whose death and blood provided protection from God's judgment. The cross of the Lord Jesus is explicitly prophesied in detail in the Old Testament, even down to the very things that happened to the Lord Jesus and the very words He said while on the cross. 

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head."

Simon the ex-leper was one of the people whom the Lord Jesus had healed. While gathered at his house, Mary was so grateful for the Lord Jesus that she sacrificed a jar of perfume. The alabaster flask was a hand-carved bottle made from soft marble. It contained oil of spikenard which came from India. Spikenard is a plant that has a root between three inches and twelve inches long. The smell of spikenard is earthy, spicy, and sweet. It was very hard to come by, so it was very expensive. Mary was so appreciative for all the Lord had done for her, especially raising her brother Lazarus from the dead, she had saved the spikenard for this event.

Again, the backdrop to this precious display of love from Mary was the hatred of the religious leaders of Israel which had reached its boiling point. The subtle message here is that liberation is experienced and accessed through our choice of recounting what the Lord Jesus has done for us and subsequently choosing to worship Him. If we have not experienced the Lord Jesus person and power, like Mary, we will not be worshippers of Him.

Worship shows up in our lives in many ways. It is ascribing worth to the Lord Jesus by valuing how He defines things and how He has worked in our lives. Worship is allowing Him to define us. Mary took a pound of very costly Indian perfume and poured it on the Lord Jesus.

Mary's heart was so filled with love, joy and gratitude that she broke the expensive jar full of perfume and pours it upon the Lord Jesus until its fragrance filled the whole house. According to the other gospel accounts, she anointed his head first, and the perfume ran down along his body until it covered his feet. A picture of the Old Testament sacrificial lamb six days before it was sacrificed at Passover. Then she unbound her hair and wiped up the excess perfume with it.

Mary had experienced love from the Lord Jesus through the raising of her brother from the dead. This drilled down deeply into her heart. As a result, she was deeply appreciative of the deep love of the Lord Jesus. So, she expressed her deep love to the Lord Jesus by pouring this expensive perfume on Him.

She spared no expense, she cared nothing for the customs of the day, entering into a supper where women were usually not welcome, letting down her hair in public, an unthinkable act in that culture, and openly expressing her love for the Lord Jesus. But that's how love acts. It is uncaring of cost and expense. 

In v.4-5 of today's passage we read, "4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly."

The  religious leaders who did not worship the Lord Jesus, were continually looking for a way to do away with Him. They were motivated accordingly because the Lord Jesus was a threat to their kingdom. They were their own gods. On the other hand, Mary was looking for a way to worship the Lord Jesus because she had experienced His goodness and kindness.

The religious leaders unknowingly cooperated with God’s plans. As always, God achieves His best purposes in the midst of the worst evil. Some in the group who gathered at Simon's house that evening complained about the actions of Mary. The perfume was worth about a year’s wages. They reasoned Mary could have devoted her resources to the poor, a more worthy cause in the minds of some of the disciples. In John's Gospel, we are told that it was Judas who raised objection, and, some of the other disciples agreed. Judas illustrates a very important principle: A man sees in his eyes that which is in his heart.

There will always be people who place a monetary value on things. They know the price of everything but the value of nothing. They think money is the answer. It is not! The Lord Jesus is the answer to all of our needs and wants. All of this underscores: what we love, we worship. 

True worship is defined by the priority we place on who God is in our lives and where God is on our list of priorities. True worship is a matter of the heart expressed through the choices we make, allowing God to define us. When we encounter Him, He marks us, and He makes us more hungry for Him. Worship is a heart transformed expressing itself regardless of the cost. The transformation of heart included the pain of losing. Simon had lost all of his feeling due to his leprosy. Mary and Martha had lost their brother to death. Lazarus had gotten sick and died. This is what it looks like to have a personal relationship with God! This is worship!

Mark 13:32-37

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32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. 35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” ~ Mark 13:32-37

Today, we conclude our study of Mark 13 which is a short study given by the Lord Jesus on the Mount of Olives to His disciples on the end times. 

In v.32-33 of today's passage we read, "32 But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come."

When the Lord Jesus spoke these words, He did not know when His second coming would take place. Now, that He has ascended to the Father in heaven, I believe, He now knows that day and hour. For those who will find themselves in the Tribulation, and they have seen the abomination of desolation, as spelled out in the the books of Daniel and Revelation, they will be able to count three and a half years and know when the second coming will happen. They will be able to do this because in the middle of the 70th seven in Daniel 9:27 the abomination of desolation will occur in the newly built temple in Jerusalem.

Before His ascension, the Lord Jesus said "no one knows" when these events will happen, but for those who will be living on earth during the tribulation period, they will be able to count 1260 days beyond the abomination of desolation, and know for certain when the end will happen.  

When the Tribulation begins, the first half of that seven year period of time will be more peaceful than the second half. The Seventieth Seven of Daniel 9 will begin right after the rapture of the church. Nobody knows when the rapture will happen, it could be today. 

In v.33, the Lord Jesus tells us to "Be on guard!" and "Be alert!" which means to be about the Father's business and engaging in the battle for souls that we are waging right now. From our vantage point right now no one knows when the second coming will happen or even the Rapture. But, for those who live during the tribulation, they will be able to calculate the second coming of the Lord Jesus to the day.

In v.34-36 of today's passage we read, "34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. 35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping."

There are few topics that elicit as much interest, discussion and debate in Christians circles as the study of the end times. Trying to understand all the ins and outs of end time theology is quite a task. Today's passage is set during the time after the rapture of the church. The emphasis here is for those left on the earth after the Rapture. The clarion call of the Lord to them is to "watch." 

The Lord Jesus used an illustration taken from the Romans who in those days split twelve hours of the day into what they referred to as "watches." Four three-hour watches were appointed during which a soldier would watch for intrusion or attacks by the enemy while the others slept. The purpose for the doorkeeper was to keep watch for thieves and other criminals to protect their master’s property. The twelve-hour watch began with the first watch which was from six to nine in the evening; then, from nine to midnight was the second; then, from midnight until three in the morning was the third, and then, three until six am was the fourth watch.

Since no one knew when the Master was to return whether during the evening or at midnight or in the morning, the servants were to remain vigilant throughout that time period. I find it interesting that these "watches" are also mentioned in Mark 14-15, in the account that is given of the crucifixion and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. 

In v.37 of today's passage we read, "What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch!"

Obviously, the key word in this passage is "watch." Four times in today's text, the Lord Jesus instructs believers to stay alert. The final generation who will see all of these things come to fruition will need to be alert. And, for us who will not be on the earth during the Tribulation, we must engage, now, in the "snatching of the unsaved from the fires of Hell" as we are told in the letter written by the half-brother of the Lord Jesus, Jude. 

The word "snatching" means "to take by force." Not the force of this world, the force of another world that responds to prayer given on the behalf of the unsaved. This is the same word the Apostle Paul uses to describe the Rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4. When we meet somebody who is not believing in the Lord Jesus, we must go after them as if we were engaged in a very serious rescue operation because they are damned by their sin if they have not trusted in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of their sin. And, the best way to reach them is by being committed to praying for them, first. And then, by patiently bringing the truth to them. We bring the truth to them best by being defined by God's truth, by allowing our choices to be hemmed in by His truth.

Having said all of this, we must remember that in order to recognize the false, we, must be well-trained in the truth which sensitizes our souls to the needs of the struggling and the unsaved.

Mark 13:28-31

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"28 Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. ~ Mark 13:28-31

Today, we continue our study of Mark 13 where in context the disciples have asked the Lord Jesus how they would know that the end had come. Of course, the disciples had no idea that they would not be on the earth when the end arrived, but the Lord Jesus, nevertheless, answered their question. He answered their question for the benefit of those who will be on the earth during the Tribulation and the end comes.

In v.28 of today's passage we read, "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near."

In order to help His followers to understand when the end will come, the Lord Jesus used an illustration from the fig tree. "As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near." When these events that the Lord Jesus had been accentuating in this chapter come to fruition, then the end will come. But, the main idea here is the certainty of the Word of God. Just as sure as summer follows winter, the Word of the Lord will come to pass. 

For us who are learning to be defined by the Lord Jesus, we are being convinced that He is trustworthy. Trust is a prevalent theme throughout the Bible, appearing 186 times. Trust is a vital part of our relationship with the Lord, and, to have a healthy relationship with Him, we must be in the habit of proving His Word. Of course, if we are not in His word and we do not know what He has said, we lack the vantage point to know whether He is trustworthy or not.

In v.29-30 of today's passage we read, "29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened." 

Some people see the budding fig tree as a picture of nation of Israel becoming a nation again in 1948. I do not see it that way because the Lord Jesus in context has been describing the happenings of the Tribulation period. He was saying that the generation that sees the events of the Tribulation, they will know that the end will be near and the coming of the Lord Jesus to this earth will be very near.

In v.31 of today's passage we read, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."

Those words were given to undergird our faith in a time when it might appear that the Bible will be wrong and events appear to be going a different route. When it will seem that perhaps the biblical record is just a dream and cannot be trusted, the followers of the Lord Jesus must remember these words: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." 

His words represent His definition of things, and, His Word will endure for eternity. Sadly, we live in a world full of people who are trying to change the definitions to everything. In this we see the rebellion of man against the definitions of God. And, the sad part about it, man's rebellion will not stand. And, for those who refuse to be defined by God, It is sad.

To illustrate the point, we have learned that for many years, Naval Observatory astronomers “observed” the motion of the earth, in relation to the heavens, to accurately measure time. All clocks in this country were set in relation to these very precise measurements. It was God who made the Master Clock of the Universe! He set the heavens in motion and mankind learned how to use its wonderful accuracy. As marvelous as this Great Clock is, the story does not end here.

To illustrate the point, in the early 2000's, scientists discovered that time can be measure by light. Now, time is measured by counting the number of times mercury ions vibrate in a second. Optical frequencies regularly oscillate at one million-billion times per second. By using lasers and mercury ions, scientists have harnessed the most precise measurement of time. Optical clocks only slip by ONE SECOND EVERY 30 BILLION YEARS it is estimated! 

All of this is to say, the God of all of creation has given us a book that we might know Him, to really know Him. His word, the word of God is the most substantive thing in this world. If we do not spend meaningful time in it, we lose out. For it is the word that keeps us from capsizing in a world of torrential waters. We must be diligent to not let anyone or anything turn us aside from spending time in the Word of God searching for God Himself. Investment in the Word of God for ourselves, and investment of the word of God in the souls of people must be our top priority. This is what life is truly all about. Life is not about figuring out the mysteries of prophecy. No, this life is about figuring out the mystery of God.