Mark 15:22-26

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22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (meaning “the place of the skull”). 23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. 25 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the Jews. ~ Mark 15:22-26

Today, we return to our study of Mark 15 where we have just witnessed the Roman soldiers volunteer Simon of Cyrene to help the Lord Jesus get to Golgotha with His crossbeam. As we learned last time, what started out as something very unwanted by Simon ended up being the greatest blessing ever. Such is the case with the ways of God. Give Him enough time, He will work miracles in and through our lives.

In v.22-23 of today's passage we read, "22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (meaning “the place of the skull”). 23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it."

Golgotha means "the place of the skull," and it is located just outside the Damascus gate in the northern wall of Jerusalem. It is called the place of the skull because it looks like a skull. This is where the Roman soldiers led the Lord Jesus to be crucified. I find it most striking that God allowed puny man to order Him around. In doing so, the Lord Jesus illustrated the greatest display of strength for He gave up the right and the ability to exact His power on the lesser. 

As noted in v.23, the Lord Jesus was offered wine while on His cross. In fact, He was offered wine at two separate times. The first He refused, while He received the second. Mark did not include the second in his account of the narrative. Wine mixed with myrrh was offered to the Lord Jesus for two different reasons. The first, which the Lord refused, was offered to Him in order to decrease His sensitivity to His excruciating pain. The second, which He received, was offered to keep Him conscious for as long as possible, creating a prolonged effect of His pain. This was a sinister attempt by the Romans to be entertained by the suffering of the Lord Jesus.

In v.24-25 of today's passage we read, "24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. 25 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him."

At nine in the morning the Lord Jesus was nailed to the cross. He was there for six hours, from nine in the morning until three in the afternoon. All four gospel writers found it most difficult to go into the details of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. None of them described the driving of the nails into His hands and feet. They all four just wrote four words to describe it: "And they crucified him."

In the latter part of v.24 we are provided a reference to Psalm 22:18, which reads, "They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." 

Each gospel writer focused on certain aspects of the crucifixion. Mark focused on the people gathered around the Lord's cross. Mark's view was not the view of the crowd looking at the Lord Jesus, but rather the Lord's view from the cross, looking at the crowd.

The prediction written here in v.24 was made hundreds of years before this event was fulfilled by the Romans. According to Roman law, the property of the victim became the property of the executioners. The Roman soldiers cast "lots" to see which of them would get the clothing of the Lord Jesus. Their hardened hearts prevented them from seeing the real narrative which was unfolding before their eyes. They had long been trained by this world's values so much so they could not see from an eternal point of view. Because of this they had no interest in the greatest story ever told.

In v.26 of today's passage we read, "The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the Jews."

In those days the Romans included a sign above the criminal who was being crucified to explain why they were there on their cross. The sign above the Lord Jesus was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek due to where He died. Since the Lord Jesus was not guilty of any crime, Pilate simply had written above Him, "THIS IS JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS." Matthew's gospel records it this way. Mark, Luke, and John record part of the saying. Pilate knew that the Lord Jesus was innocent. He knew that out of envy the religious leaders had conjured up lies about the Lord. This explains the sign above the Lord Jesus that day. 

Interestingly, only non-Jews ever used the title "King of the Jews" to describe the Lord Jesus. This seemingly insignificant observation magnifies the truth found in John 1:11, which reads, "He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him." 

The word "own" appears twice in that one verse. The first time it is used, it is written in the neuter. The second, it is written in the masculine. The first "own" refers to created things, whereas the second refers to people. His creation received Him, whereas His people didn't. The water held Him up. Sickness bowed to Him every time. Even the demonic world obeyed Him. But, His people, with all of those predictions made about their Messiah, did not receive Him. 

This underscores the fact that faith is not a result of being provided more miracles or more truth. No, faith is about the informed bowing of our will to the One who created us. When we place our faith in the Lord Jesus, He will go from being our Creator to being our Re-Creator. He recreates us through His choice to bow His will to the plan of the Father. At the place of the skull, He paid the penalty that separated us from God. And, it is our faith that activates His work to begin in our souls.

Mark 15:21

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"A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross." ~ Mark 15:21

Today, we return to our study of Mark 15 where the Lord Jesus has been beaten by the Roman soldiers nearly to death and has been led out to be crucified. At this point in the narrative, the Lord Jesus was so weak from His enormous loss of blood, He was physically unable to carry His crossbeam. The cross of the Lord Jesus was made of two pieces: the vertical stake and the crossbeam.

The crossbeam that was tied to the Lord Jesus weighed between seventy-five and one hundred-pounds. The Lord Jesus was expected to carry His crossbeam to the place they called Golgotha. But, since He struggled to carry it, the Roman soldiers forced a man named Simon from Cyrene to carry it for Him. Simon was an African from Cyrene which was one of the most prominent cities in the country we know today as Libya. Simon was an African Jew who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and he just so happened to be walking by as the Lord Jesus was carrying His cross.

At the point that Simon was ordered to carry the crossbeam for the Lord Jesus, he thought, "I am in the wrong place at the wrong time." However, things were not as they first appeared. As is always the case, in God’s providence, Simon was at "the right place at the right time." There are no coincidences with God. Mark, not only tells us where Simon was from but he also gave us the names of his two sons, Alexander and Rufus. When Mark wrote this gospel these people were still alive. So, the story could be corroborated.

In Romans 16:13 we read, "Greet Rufus chosen in the Lord and his mother." This was the Rufus whose dad was Simon from Cyrene who helped carry the cross of Christ. Also, in Acts 13, we read, "In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul." Simeon or Simon, the same man who carried the crossbeam for the Lord Jesus, became a leader of the church in Antioch with other Christians from Cyrene.

On that day that the Roman soldier seized Simon to carry the crossbeam for the Lord Jesus, he was ordered to do something he did want to do. As a result, Simon became a follower of the Lord Jesus. And, in just a few years, he was a part of the leadership at the church in Antioch. Not only that, his family came to faith in the Lord Jesus. God used the crucifixion of His Son to get to the heart of their father. When once Simon thought he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, after a little bit of time, the whole scenario changed. I find that to be the case in my life. If I just give God time, He has been known to use even the unwanted moments for my good.

In addition, it just so happened that a certain man was being crucified next to the Lord Jesus that day in Jerusalem. Perhaps for the first time in his life, this unnamed criminal had the time to listen to and talk to God. At one point he asked the Lord Jesus to remember him when He entered into His kingdom. To that random man that awful day, the Lord Jesus gave assurance of salvation and eternal life. Again, there are no coincidences with God.

Citing coincidence is how we humans explain unexpected events and surprise meetings. But, just because we are taken by surprise does not mean that God is. Scripture is clear that God allows sinful humans to make mistakes and reap the consequences of those mistakes, but only a sovereign God could also promise that He will make "all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose." 

In ways known only to God, He takes even our mistakes and unplanned events and weaves them together to fulfill His purposes which always render the best results for us. Just like Simon of Cyrene, the criminal that hung next to the Lord Jesus was not at all in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was exactly where he should have been, hearing the Lord Jesus Christ speaking to him, and choosing to believe. With God involved in our lives, there are no coincidences. What always appears to us as random chance is in fact overseen by a sovereign God who knows the number of hairs on our head. We only have to trust Him.

Mark 15:16-20

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16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 18 And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. ~ Mark 15:16-20

Today, we continue our study of Mark 15 where the Lord Jesus has been beaten to a pulp and Pilate has now issued a decree to have Him crucified. Unbeknown to him, Pilate was a major actor in the struggle between good and evil. Coming into view was the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. All of the events of today's passage merely led up to that most crucial moment of all of human history.

In v.16-18 of today's passage we read, "16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 18 And they began to call out to him, 'Hail, king of the Jews!'"

Essentially Pilate handed the Lord Jesus over to a brute mob. There was an ancient Roman game that was played in those days, and it's alluded to here. This game was called "hot hand" which was when the guards took a prisoner and blindfolded him. Then they formed a circle around the prisoner, and they placed him in the center of the circle. Then, all but one of the soldiers would take turns in hitting the prisoner. Then, they took the blindfold off him, and they asked, "Which one of us didn't hit you?" If the prisoner guessed incorrectly, they'd do it all over again until he got it right.

The Roman soldiers did not usually flog and ridicule those sentenced to crucifixion as they did with the Lord Jesus. The flogging of the Lord Jesus was spontaneous. And, out of spontaneity, they hurled their angst on Him. The Lord Jesus was the innocent One who was massacred on the behalf of the guilty. This is the good news which came out of the darkest day in the history of this world. The cross of Christ is good news because through His innocent sacrifice, the possibility of us avoiding hell for eternity became a real reality.

In v.19-20 of today's passage we read, "19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him."

The Roman soldiers mockingly placed a purple robe on the Lord Jesus. Purple was the color of of a king, of royalty. Then, they placed a crown of thorns on His head. This crown was made of thorns, the product of the Fall of man. This crown included the curse and the honor. It has always been impossible for any human to earn the honor of a personal relationship with God by atoning for our sin. This is why the Lord Jesus came: to atone for our sin. And, as a result, we have the chance of being made right in God's eyes simply by believing in His sacrifice on our behalf. Only the Lord Jesus could resolve our sin and curse problem.

Bowing before the Lord Jesus, the Roman soldiers mockingly hailed Him as a king. They also beat and spit on Him. The mistreatment of the Lord Jesus Christ was for all who would believe, because all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. This means that we are all guilty of rebellion against God which has caused us to not be able to dwell in His presence.

One sign that we have come into right relationship with God is that we no longer blame someone else for our sinfulness. Personal responsibility for our sin aligns with what the Bible calls confession. Agreeing with God's assessment in all areas of our lives is a possible sign that we have been born again. This is largely why those in Matthew 7 will hear the worst words ever: "Depart from me for I never knew you." It does not say, "You never knew me." No, "I never Knew you." That which makes it possible for God to know us in this way is our faith placed in Him.

The rugged Roman soldiers knew very little about this One who came to take on the sin of the world. Their pent-up hatred and resentment against the Jews came to a head on that day when the Lord Jesus was placed into their hands. They exacted their ill feelings out on this Galilean Jew whom they had heard was in some sense the King of the Jews. 

Unless we see ourselves standing there with the shrieking crowd and the cruel soldiers, full of hostility and hatred for the holy and innocent Lamb of God, we really do not understand the nature and depth of our sinfulness or the necessity of the cross. Sin was not something created or authored by God. Rather, God created a good universe and good human beings. Sin is the product of man thinking he can make it through life on his own without God.

According to v.20 when the soldiers took the purple robe off of the Lord Jesus, it was quite painful. When blood coagulates it acts like glue. Once they placed that robe on His bloodied body and the blood dried, the garment adhered to His body. And, when they took the robe off, they ripped the freshly mended scabs off of His body with it. That pain only added to the misery He was going through that day. Then they led Him to be crucified.

Crucifixion was not invented by the Romans, the Persians invented it, but the Romans perfected it. The Persians originally invented crucifixion because they thought the earth was holy and sacred, and, they did not want to taint the earth. So, the Persians elevated the guilty ones off the sacred earth for their death. But, this was not the answer and God knew it.

Crucifixion disappeared from man's purview until the Romans rediscovered it and when they perfected it, the Romans crucified thousands upon thousands. Interestingly, only One is remembered for having been crucified. The cross of the Lord Jesus was made of two parts: the vertical stake and the horizontal crossbeam. The cross is the greatest axis ever known to man. It is the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ that made it possible for all of mankind to pass out of the darkness of death into the light of His life. This is done only by coming into a personal relationship with God and the passage way into this personal relationship with God is non other than the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mark 15:12-15

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12 “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them. 13 “Crucify him!” they shouted. 14 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” 15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. ~ Mark 15:12-15

Today, we continue our study of Mark 15 where the Lord Jesus Christ was still before the Jewish mob that was gathered at Pilate's place. The Lord Jesus stood before Pilate and He was awaiting Pilate's verdict. Just a few days before, the crowd had welcomed the Lord Jesus into Jerusalem as the Messiah. Now, they see Him differently. Now, they want Him crucified. The Jewish religious leaders had swayed them to see the Lord Jesus differently. At this point, the Lord Jesus did not meet their expectations as the political King they had expected.

The disappointment of the people drove them to reject the Lord Jesus. It is really unwise to be defined by something like disappointment. In the economy of God, disappointment is necessary for the development of our faith in Him. Patience is a must when we are disappointed and we are making a very important decision. Change one little letter and our disappointments turn out to be His appointments. As Philip Yancey says in his book, Disappointment with God, "Where there is no longer any opportunity for doubt, there is no opportunity for faith either."

In Isaiah 55:8-9 we read, "My ways are not your ways, and my thoughts are not your thoughts. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."

God is forever not performing in the way we prefer. His culture is quite different than the culture we grew up being defined by. And, like this crowd, when we are disappointed with God, we usually turn away from Him. When we do this we are in danger of lacking biblical understanding of Him and the situation at hand. And, when we lack proper understanding of Him, we are in danger of following the wrong Jesus.

Patience is so key in our walk with God. Waiting on God is so difficult, but if we are walking with Him, He will produce this fruit of His Spirit, patience, in us. It is in the waiting that we come to know Him and His ways best. Patience is most important because it makes us listen to the Lord. There is also another great part to patience, it seems to give us ears to hear the Lord better.

In v.12-13 of today's passage we read, "12 'What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?' Pilate asked them. 13 'Crucify him!' they shouted."

Pilate knew that the crowd wanted him to release one of his prisoners. In fact, he expected the people to call for the release of the Lord Jesus. But, when given the opportunity, they demanded Barabbas. Pilate had no ground upon which to crucify the Lord Jesus. Yet, the crowd demanded Pilate crucify Him. The crowd had been manipulated by the religious leaders of Israel.

In v.14-15 of today's passage we read, "14 'Why? What crime has he committed?' asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, 'Crucify him!' 15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified."

Pilate released Barabbas and he had the Lord Jesus beaten nearly to death. The flogging the Lord Jesus endured was bloody. Long leather cords were imbedded with bits of metal and bone, so that as the thongs whipped around the body of the Lord Jesus, the skin on His back was cut and flayed open, until He was a bloody mass. 

Pilate ordered the flogging, thinking he would not have to crucify the Lord Jesus. He had hoped to awaken the sympathy of the crowd for the Lord Jesus. In John 19:5, John tells us that after the flogging, "Pilate led the Lord Jesus out before the crowd and said to them, "Behold the man!" The Lord Jesus was a bloody mess and had lost a lot of blood. As a result, the Lord Jesus died a relatively quick death. Those who had been crucified before had hung on their cross for weeks at a time before they died. 

In John 10:18, we read, "No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord." In submitting Himself to the Roman flogging, and by continuing to stand to His feet after being so severely beaten, the Lord Jesus continued to lay down His life. Medically, He died quickly, because he submitted Himself to the torture of flogging. He had once told His disciples, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down his life for his friends." 

Love comes naturally and flows fully out of a heart that is itself conscious of being loved. In Gethsemane that night, the Lord Jesus  Himself reflected on how the Father loved Him. As a result, having been strengthened and steadied, the Lord Jesus availed Himself to the cruelest form of human death. One cannot go further than laying down His life for another, especially when He has the power to wipe those who mean Him harm off the face of the earth in the twinkling of the eye. The Lord Jesus did not wait for us to arrive at the street of loveworthiness to die for us. He knew that we were incapable of such, so, when He died on the cross, He spelled out the fact that God loves us. And, that is enough.

Mark 15:6-11

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6 Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. 7 A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. 8 The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. 9 “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, 10 knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead. ~ Mark 15:6-11

Today, we return to our study of the gospel according to Mark. A careful study of this account of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ enables us to see that much of the information that Mark shares was garnered from none other than the Apostle Peter. This gospel account very well could have been called the Gospel according to Peter.

In v.6 of today's passage we read, "Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested."

The setting of today's passage was Jerusalem and it was Friday morning. Beginning somewhere just after midnight the religious leaders arrested the Lord Jesus and put Him through a series of three trials throughout the early morning which was unlawful according to the law of Moses. These three trials were unlawful because they were held under the cloak of darkness. As we come back into today's passage, the Lord Jesus was standing in front of Pilate for a second time and it was Passover.

The Passover commemorated the release of an entire nation from Egypt. As the Jews who had been in Egypt for so long, the Jews of the first century longed for God to rescue them from Rome. But, they had fallen into thinking as men of this world instead of men of God. Due to their worldly thinking, they expected the redemption from God to be political.

In v.7-8 of today's passage we read, "7 A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. 8 The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did."

Such great irony is discovered in the name of Barabbas which means “son of the father.” In Exodus, God identified Israel as God’s son, the son of the Father. In Barabbas, Israel sees itself. Yet, both Barabbas and the nation were very far from being the son of the Father. Ironically, the Son of God became Barabbas so that the sons of men could become sons of God.

In today's passage, we see the Lord Jesus, the true Son of the Father, is bound by the Jews and by Pilate. The crowd asked the Roman Governor Pilate to release a prisoner of their choice, which was his custom. Up to this point, the crowds in Jerusalem had responded favorably to the Lord Jesus, but that changed as the deceit of the religious leaders began to spread.

In v.9-10 of today's passage we read, 9 "'Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?' asked Pilate, 10 knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him."

We are always at our worst when we are defining ourselves. We have been duped by the enemy to follow him by indirectly putting self on the throne of our lives. As a result, we think that we know what is best for us. Not so! We often choose the kingdom of men and man's values, and reject the Father and His Son and His values. If we could only understand that even the unwanted that enters our lives on a given day is a part of His divine will for us for that day. And, it is through such that God largely defines us.

In the midst of it all the Lord Jesus remained silent. Yet, He wasn't silent. His body language spoke the loudest message. As the Son of the Father, the Lord Jesus was submitted to the Father. His selfless approach to it all speaks most loudly into our souls today. If it weren't for His submissive will, we would not be redeemed and we still would be dead in our sins and trespasses.

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead."

Barabbas was an insurrectionist, he wanted to overthrow the Roman government. Pilate wrongly believed that if he allowed the Jews to choose between the most despicable prisoner and the Lord Jesus, they would pick the Lord Jesus to be set free. "But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead." 

To the religious leaders and the people, Barabbas was the savior they chose that day. The Lord Jesus was there to give life, while Barabbas was the one who had taken life. The Lord Jesus was there to save the people from sin, while Barabbas was there to save the people from Rome. The people chose the fake over the real, and, in so doing the crowd fell to the deceptive powers of darkness. The crowd didn’t free Barabbas because they liked him, they freed him because they disliked the Lord Jesus. They had taken up the offense of the religious leaders of Israel. 

It wasn't that the Lord Jesus was so easy to hate. After all, He had only done good for the people. All of this just underscores the incredible deceptive powers of Satan. Having said that, these things had to happen so that mankind could be redeemed back to God. It is not that God made the people choose Barabbas that day, but He allowed the deception of Satan to manipulate the outcome.

Mark 15:1-5

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"1 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. 2 'Are you the king of the Jews?' asked Pilate. 'You have said so,' Jesus replied.  3 The chief priests accused him of many things. 4 So again Pilate asked him, 'Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.' 5 But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed." ~ Mark 15:1-5

Today, we transition into Mark 15 where the Lord Jesus was right in the middle of enduring six different trials at the hands of the Jewish religious leaders and two Roman governors. All of these trials were shams, but, they were necessary. All six of the sham trials led to the death of the Lord Jesus, making Him our substitute. He died in our place, this is the heart of the gospel. It’s not just that He died, but that He died for our sin.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate."

The Lord Jesus was beaten and bound, and He did not look like the king His followers expected. And the disciples struggled to find God in all of it. Like the first disciples, we fail to see the purpose of our troubles. We fail to see that our troubles all have a design which is to cause us to entertain certain unwanted questions and to take those questions to the Lord. Our questions are designed to help us to see Him for ourselves and to know Him accordingly.

For us, every day the unwanted takes place in the midst of the unfolding of God's redemption story in our lives. We fail to see that God saw the Lord Jesus as the King for He behaved as one when He conquered sin and death on the cross. Our problem, along with the first disciples is this: we lack the worldview of God.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we must never be shocked by those moments when we are beaten up and bound by the hatred of the world. It is in these times that we are being positioned to see Him most deeply with our hearts.

In v.2-5 of today's passage we read, "2 'Are you the king of the Jews?' asked Pilate. 'You have said so,' Jesus replied.  3 The chief priests accused him of many things. 4 So again Pilate asked him, 'Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.' 5 But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed."

Previously, the Lord Jesus answered the religious leaders with a claim of deity. Here, in this passage, He answered the Roman governor differently. Literally, He said to Pilate's question "Are you the King of the Jews?" with, "You say." Beyond  these two words in the Greek, the Lord Jesus said nothing to the secular king. He didn’t defend Himself against the false accusations of the Jewish religious leaders. Neither did He answer the charges while standing before Pilate. In each case, both before the religious leaders and Pilate, He only spoke regarding His identity as the Christ.

As prophesied by Isaiah in Isaiah 53, the Lord Jesus went to the cross as the Christ. His silence was that of a confident king. His identity as the Servant of the Lord motivated and sustained Him. He illustrated the best posture of any son of God: the heart of the servant was sustained by God's identity of Him. Out of this identity, the Lord Jesus spoke but not with His lips. No! He spoke most loudly through and with His yielded life.

This is the goal of all of God's children: to be defined by Him. In the 1980's DC TALK sang a song called Jesus Freak. That song is full of deep meaningful concepts pertaining to our relationship with the Lord. In that song we hear these words: "Been apprehended by a spiritual force and a grace that replaced all the me I've divorced." This is where we must want to be continually. To not only be apprehended by the Lord but to be defined consistently by this One who loves us so much that He sent His Son to pay a debt that we could never pay.

The Roman Governor, Pilate, wasn’t accustomed to the silence of a prisoner. Before him, defendants either professed their innocence or defiantly asserted the righteousness of their cause. The Lord Jesus offered neither of these responses. Pilate didn't define Him. As a result we are told Pilate was amazed at the silence of the Lord Jesus. Literally, the lack of a defense from the Lord Jesus "blew Pilate's mind." Standing before Pilate was someone whom he knew was being falsely accused, and He did not say anything in His own defense. 

As Isaiah had told us seven hundred years in advance, "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth."

The Lord Jesus had no interest in defending Himself because He came to defend us, the helpless. His silence before those who eventually placed Him on the cross was His defense for us. He not only accepted the unrighteous judgment of men, but He accepted the righteous judgment of God on behalf of us, unrighteous sinners, in order to make us righteous before God. 

Mark 14:65-72

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"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." ~ Mark 14:66-72

Today, we complete our study of Mark 14 where we are presented one of the most important lessons in our walk with the Lord. This is one of those lessons that stretches across the whole terrain of our relationship with the Lord. And, that lesson is this: Our spirituality is never about us, it is always about Him.

In v.66-68 of today's passage we read, "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."

Today's passage has the backdrop of the Apostle Peter vowing to never ever deny knowing the Lord Jesus. In addition, while in the Garden of Gethsemane when the Lord Jesus was arrested, Peter drew his sword in an attempt to defend the Lord Jesus. But, in today's passage, Peter's determination to show himself faithful to Christ failed him greatly. 

While gathered around a fire with those who arrested the Lord Jesus, a young woman who was a servant of the high priest, recognized Peter and identified him as a follower of Christ. Immediately, Peter's defenses rose up and he hurried outside to the gateway so he would be less visible. 

In v.69-71 of today's passage we read, "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.'"

In those days Galileans had a discernibly different accent which caused those who lived in Jerusalem to immediately recognize the one speaking was Galilean. This was the case here for Peter. His accent gave him away and the people noticed. This caused Peter to employ a tactic that was not known for a disciple of Christ. He cursed and swore in his response. As the truth closed in on Peter, he disassociated himself from the Lord Jesus. I have often wondered what curse words he used. I'm sure they were the worst. As a former fisherman, Peter undoubtedly had quite an exhaustive list to choose from that evening. The Apostle Peter dropped a bomb of some sort in order to save himself.

This was a defining moment for Peter. Perhaps it was then that he gave up on the idea of earning or maintaining God's love. In Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus prayed to the Father three times, receiving strength from those prayers. In that very same Garden Peter didn’t pray and he failed. When faced by his accusers, Peter lied three times. When asked whether he was the Christ, the Lord Jesus answered truthfully: "I AM." When Peter was accused of being a follower of Jesus, he repeatedly and cowardly said, "I am not." 

Like Peter, we often believe we need to be our own saviors. This is our default mode given our fallen nature. Often, there are times when we think we are being champions for the Lord, but in those moments we are really denying His lordship in our lives. Never will we be anyone's savior, especially our own. Only the Lord Jesus is the Savior!

Peter distanced himself from the Lord Jesus because, he didn’t share His view on life. It wasn't that Peter’s courage failed; it was Peter's worldview that failed him. After Peter came to believe that the Lord Jesus to be the Christ, the Lord Jesus told Peter and the other disciples three times that He would be rejected and killed. Peter and the other disciples expected a Christ that would triumph over His enemies, not understanding that at His first coming the Lord Jesus came to destroy a much more sinister enemy, sin and death.

Peter did not understand his real enemy: sin and death. The Lord Jesus came to deal a death blow to both. Peter, in some sense, speaks the truth when he says in v.71, "I don’t know this man you’re talking about." Peter knew the Lord Jesus, but he didn’t really know Him. But, after all, it really isn't how much we know the Lord that saves us; it is that we are known by Him, that is what saves us. The key is that we are increasing in our understanding and experience with the words of John the Baptist: "More of Him and less of me."

In v.72 of today's passage we read, "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."

We are just like Peter! We do not really know the ways of God. We do not understand the way of self-giving love. When the rooster crowed a second time, a higher court rendered its verdict. Peter failed at something he had no business succeeding at: Following the Lord Jesus with a seriously flawed understanding of Him and His ways. He failed because his vision of God and reality failed.

Since the Lord Jesus had previously predicted Peter would deny Him, He knew Peter would do this. God is never surprised by our failure. He expects more failure out of us than we do ourselves. But, the beauty of all of this is this: Peter's darkest night was eclipsed by Peter's brightest day when the Lord Jesus raised from the grave. You see, it was after the resurrection that the Lord Jesus met Peter on that Galilean beach. And, it was on that Galilean beach that Peter began to truly love the Lord Jesus. Peter's failure was integral to the success that he experienced thereafter.

Mark 14:60-65

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60 Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 61 But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. 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 on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!" And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands." ~ Mark 14:60-65

Today, we return to our study of Mark 14 where the Lord Jesus was on trial before the religious leaders of Israel. In fact, the Lord Jesus endured six separate trials before He went to His death on the cross. The first three trials were held by the religious leaders of Israel which were all illegal because they happened in the cloak of darkness. The last three trials were before the Roman governor Pilate and Herod Antipas, the governor who beheaded John the Baptist. 

The first trial the Lord Jesus endured was before Annas the high priest. The second was before Caiaphas the son-in-law of Annas, the acting high priest in that year. The third was early the next morning before all the religious leaders of Israel. It was then they passed the verdict that the Lord Jesus should be put to death for blasphemy. But, they had a problem; the religious leaders of Israel didn't have the right to put the Lord Jesus to death. The right of capital punishment was the exclusive right of the Romans. 

So, the religious leaders of Israel got Pilate involved. Pilate tried his best to wash his hands clean of the Lord Jesus. In fact, he tried to give it to Herod Antipas, but Herod didn't want to have anything to do with the Lord Jesus also. So, Herod sent the Lord Jesus back to Pilate. In the end, Pilate finally gave in to the will of the religious leaders to have the Lord Jesus put to death. 

The stage for all of this had been earlier set in the garden of Gethsemane when the Lord Jesus sought the face of His Heavenly Father. As a result, the Lord Jesus agreed to be the Savior of all who would believe in Him. Most think the will of God is an itinerary we must discover, including where God wants us to go, and what He wants us to do. Not so, the will of God is for us to know Him. Once we know Him, everything else falls into its place. When it comes to spirituality, it is best realized through raising our sails rather than rowing our boats.

In v.60-61 of today's passage we read, 60 Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 61 But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

Among the over three hundred prophecies the Lord Jesus fulfilled, one is found in Isaiah 53:7, which reads "As a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth." The silence of the Lord Jesus invited the will of God which led Him to pursue His awaiting death on the cross. 

In v.62 of today's passage we read, “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.”

In this verse the Lord Jesus claimed to be God by saying "I AM" which was the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew YHWH. Twenty-three times in the gospel of John the Lord Jesus said, "I AM." And, He knew this response to the religious leaders would definitely lead Him to His death.

In v.62 of today's passage, the Lord Jesus quoted Psalm 110 & Daniel 7 when He said to the religious leaders, "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

There are those critics who insist that at no time did the Lord Jesus ever claim to be the Messiah or the Son of God. They tell us that these claims were made about Him by His disciples. If you ever hear anyone say that, just turn to this passage where it is made clear that He said He was the Messiah and the Son of God.

In v.63 of today's passage we read, "The high priest tore his clothes. 'Why do we need any more witnesses?' he asked."

According to Leviticus 21, a High Priest would tear his clothes only if God was blasphemed. Of course, the Lord Jesus could not blaspheme God for He was God.

In v.64 of today's passage we read, "You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”  They all condemned him as worthy of death."

The high priest declared the Lord Jesus to be worthy of death. By saying those words, Caiaphas had no idea what he was truly saying. The Lord Jesus was the only One who could be declared worthy of the death that He died because no one could ever pay the penalty that was created by mankind's deliberate rebellion against God except God Himself. 

In v.65 of today's passage we read, "Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, 'Prophesy!' And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands."

After the passing of the verdict, the forces of restraint that had been upon these religious leaders seemed to be lifted, and they committed another illegal act. They began to vent their hatred upon the Lord Jesus by spitting on Him which was the ultimate form of insult. In addition, they beat Him and they covered His face with a garment, and while His face was hidden, they hit Him, and they demanded that He tell them who hit Him. Thus they mocked, scorned, and, insulted Him. 

Seven hundred and fifty years before this, Isaiah had prophesied of this moment when he wrote: "I gave my back to the smiter and my cheeks to those who plucked out the hair. I hid not my face from shame and spitting."

Mark 14:53-59

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53 They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together. 54 Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire. 55 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. 56 Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree. 57 Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.’” 59 Yet even then their testimony did not agree. ~ Mark 14:53-59

Today, we return to our study of Mark 14 where the stage has been set for the Lord Jesus to be put on trial. This sham trial will have six different parts: three in from of the Jewish religious leaders and three in from of the Roman political leaders.

In v.53 of today's passage we read, "They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together."

The leaders of Israel gathered, not to God, they gathered in opposition to the Son of God. Perhaps the worst place one can be is where these "leaders" were: thinking that they were in the light, they were in the darkness. In Matthew 7:23 is recorded the most horrifying words that will ever be heard, "Depart from me for I never knew you." And, sadly those who resist the wooing of the Holy Spirit to believe on the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sin will hear those words.

The Lord Jesus did not say, "Depart from me for you never knew me." No, He said, "Depart from me for I never knew you." 

That which makes it possible for anyone to know that our sin is forgiven us is by simply believing in Jesus Christ and His work on the cross for the forgiveness of our sin. And inviting Him into our lives. This is what starts the relationship which will grow with time. This is what enables us to be known by God, having a personal relationship with Him through His Son.

In v.54 of today's passage we read, "Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire."

Earlier, Peter, who said he would rather die than deny that He knew the Lord Jesus, abandoned the Lord. Peter not only abandoned the Lord, he continued to follow Him at a distance. This led Peter to deny that He knew the Lord three separate times, something the Lord had predicted. When we follow Jesus from a distance, we will deny Him every time.

During that cold night of betrayal and confusion, the heat of the fire was Peter’s friend, but the light of the fire was his enemy. The heat temporarily warmed Peter, but the light that night revealed his identity. And Peter didn't want to be found out. Underscored in all of this were the words of the Lord Jesus: "Depart from me for I never knew you." It will never be our performance that garners God's acceptance of us. It is always His performance on our behalf that puts us in the right place with Him.

In v.55 of today's passage we read, "The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any."

The religious leaders of Israel were determined to prove that the Lord Jesus was a false prophet who was leading Israel astray. They searched feverishly for this evidence that did not exist. This is why they turned to Pilate, the Roman governor of the region of Judea to have Him put to death. 

In v.56 of today's passage we read, "Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree."

There could not be found two people who could corroborate the accusation that the Lord Jesus deserved death. Deuteronomy 19:15 states: "A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established." The testimony needed to be given individually and needed to agree in order to be valid. 

The Mosaic law includes certain crimes that may be punished by execution, but known of them could be hung on the Lord Jesus. This was part of the terrible irony of the Lord Jesus' sham trials. While witnesses against Him committed the last of these crimes, the Lord Jesus could not have even been accused of breaking even the Sabbath. Every time He worked on the Sabbath, He only violated manmade traditions that defined "work." He didn't break the commandment as written or as intended by God. 

In v.57-58 of today's passage we read, "57 Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: 58 'We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.'"

Instead of seeking God and finding Him, these so called "leaders" were literally “seeking” evidence against the Son of God. The best the witnesses before the Ruling Council could do was to report that the Lord Jesus predicted that He would destroy the temple and three days later build another one apart from human effort. Of course, in that prophecy He spoke of His body not the Temple.

In v.59 of today's passage we read, "Yet even then their testimony did not agree."

Ironically, in a court of law, an accusation is thrown out when it does not hold up to scrutiny. The Lord Jesus was convicted by an inconsistent accusation. Thus, it was unjust. But, according to 2 Corinthians 5:21, it had to be unjust. For there we read, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Mark 14:47-52

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47 Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. 48 “Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? 49 Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” 50 Then everyone deserted him and fled. 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. ~ Mark 14:47-52

Today, we return to Mark 14 where the Lord Jesus is with His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, a place they were known to go often to pray. In the darkness of that night, in a place with a name which means "oil press," the Lord Jesus was being squeezed like an olive in a press. And then, a large crowd came to apprehend Him as if He were guilty of some crime.

In v.47 of today's passage we read, "Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear."

In John's Gospel, we learn that Peter cut off the ear of the servant of the High Priest. Peter did this because he was trying to prove something to the Lord Jesus. It was he who said, "Even if all of these flakes forsake you, not me. You can count on me. I'll never do that." 

In Luke's gospel, we are told the Lord Jesus healed this servant of the High Priest. His name was Malchus which means "king." After his ear was chopped off, Malchus wasn’t looking to be healed. Even if he thought his ear could be surgically re-attached, he most definitely would not have turned to the Lord Jesus for help. Yet, out of love, the Lord Jesus reached out to him and did the impossible in an instant, bringing healing and restoration. This was the last healing the Lord Jesus would perform before going to His cross. After this miraculous moment Malchus is never again mentioned in Scripture.

In v.48-49 of today's passage we read, 48 "Am I leading a rebellion," said Jesus, "that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? 49 Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."

The Lord Jesus came not to lead a rebellion, He came to provide forgiveness of sin. His mission was not to condemn but to save by being the truth and speaking the truth and doing the truth. And those who are not of the truth refuse to welcome Him as Savior. His ministry inevitably reveals blindness and unbelief that condemns.

At the end of v.49 we read, "But the Scriptures must be fulfilled." 

This is why the Lord Jesus was betrayed with a kiss of a friend. This is why the religious leaders had the Lord Jesus arrested after the kiss of the betrayer, so that the Scriptures which prophesied of it would happen. This, of course, does not mean that God made Judas betray the Lord Jesus. No, this means God knew that Judas would choose to betray the Lord Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

In v.50-52 of today's text we read, "50 Then everyone deserted him and fled. 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."

The young man spoken of here was none other than John Mark who is the writer of this Gospel. He is the same John Mark who abandoned Paul and Barnabas while they were on their first missionary journey. Perhaps the reason he included himself in this account was to say that even he knew the abandoning nature that was in those first disciples.

Everyone abandoned the Lord because He is the only One who could withstand the onslaught of evil in all of its forms. No mere human could withstand such pressure. It was necessary that He was abandoned for He alone solved our sin and our death problem. The ear of God was closed to the Lord Jesus for a short time so that it might be open to us forever. 

The Lord Jesus took on all the sins of the world so He could be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. Although we know He was the innocent Lamb of God, the ugly sins of the world, past, present and future were all placed upon Him at the same time.

We also know that God the Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, have always been one and in constant fellowship with one another. But, when the Lord Jesus took on even one sin much less all sin, God the Father could no longer be in fellowship with Him while He bore that sin. God is pure and holy, and therefore, He could not allow Himself to be violated by remaining in contact with His beloved Son while He hung on that tree. He had to forsake Him, until the Lord Jesus died and paid the total bill created by our sin.

Mark 14:43-46

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43 Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders. 44 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” 45 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46 The men seized Jesus and arrested him.  ~ Mark 14:43-46

We return to our study of Mark 14 where the Lord Jesus had just noticed a large crowd coming up the Mount of Olives toward Him. The large crowd was led by someone familiar with the nightly habits of the Lord Jesus. Knowing that His hour to be arrested, falsely accused, illegally put on trial, sentenced, and crucified, the Lord Jesus braced Himself and His disciples for the one who had decided to betray Him for 30 pieces of silver.

In v.43 of today's passage we read, "Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders."

While the Lord Jesus was speaking with His disciples, Judas led a large crowd up the hill toward the Lord Jesus. Included in the crowd were those sent from the religious leaders of Israel who all wanted the Lord Jesus dead. They were so jealous of His power to heal the sick and to raise the dead and to give sight to the blind that they wanted Him eliminated. 

According to John's Gospel, "a detachment of troops" were also with Judas to assist in the arrest of the Lord Jesus. A detachment included 200 soldiers. In all of this, it is obvious even though Judas had spent three years with the Lord Jesus, watching His miracles and hearing His teachings, he really didn't know the Lord Jesus for himself. Judas' story teaches us that even the the best example, the most compelling evidence, and the finest teaching, the ultimate environment for incubating faith cannot, in and of themselves, change the human heart. We must have an encounter that brings us to the end of self and to an eternity with the Lord.

In v.44 of today's passage we read, "Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: 'The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.'" 

We read in Proverbs 27, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." 

Ironically, the name Judas means "praise."

In Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus told His disciples to watch and to pray. The design of these two commands was to get His followers to look for hope. I have found that this hope often appears in my life in the form of an intrusion or an anomaly, something that looks as if it doesn’t belong. I have found that those moments of greatest pain and anxiety have served me best in coming to know the heart of my Savior. In fact, when I was seventeen years old my earthly father died, and, through that horrific experience I became a believer in the Lord Jesus. When trained in the culture of the Lord, we begin to see that many of these intrusions into our lives are signs of hope from the LORD. We must be formed by His word, so that when these intruders come, we view them through the lens of His Word.

The challenge to our faith is to believe this promise when we find ourselves in a place where darkness closes in. Perhaps, at times, we need something that reassures us that the story doesn’t end in a place like Golgotha. At such times, if we need the subtle sign, God gives it to us: a glimmer of hope in the darkness. The world needs glimmers of hope and people with eyes to see them. If we do not see Him in the midst of our darkest times, we will never be in the position to help others in their darkest times.

In v.45-46 of today's passage we read, "45 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, 'Rabbi!' and kissed him. 46 The men seized Jesus and arrested him."

It was with a kiss along with a strong embrace that Judas betrayed the Lord Jesus. Slaves kiss feet. Inferiors kiss hands. Equals kiss cheeks. Judas saw himself as an equal to the Lord Jesus and that is what makes his betrayal of the Lord  most repulsive. And, Judas did not hesitate to do his dirty work.

Judas was included in the group of disciples, yet, he was not a believer. Proximity to the teachings and miracles of the Lord Jesus did not change Judas’ heart or secure his salvation, nor did his occasional good works. The offer of grace had been extended to Judas for over three years. Sadly, the opportunity for Judas to inherit the kingdom of heaven and walk with the Lord Jesus in eternity he rejected. Rather than embracing the Lord Jesus from the inside out, Judas feigned love on the outside. Judas did this for three years, sealing his fate with a final kiss.

There are those who blame God for Judas' actions, but, God cannot be held accountable for the choice Judas made. It is not that God told us that He determined that Judas would do such an evil deed. No, God knew in advance that Judas would make that choice in advance, and then, He told us he would do it. The point is this: we all have the choice to believe in the Lord Jesus or not. And, that was the choice Judas had and he chose to not believe.

Mark 14:37-42

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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.” 39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. 41 Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” ~ Mark 14:37-42

Today, we return to our study of Mark 14 where the Lord Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane praying. The Lord Jesus had told the disciples to sit where they were while He went away from them a little further to pray. He just wanted the disciples to be with Him. He didn't want them to do anything for Him; He just wanted them to be with Him while He sought the face of His Father.

In v.37-38 of today's passage we read, "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.'"

A few months before this the Lord Jesus had changed Peter's name from Simon to Peter, but, there were times when He would call Peter by his old name which means weakness. The Lord Jesus always called Peter by his old name when Peter acted like his old self. The Lord was reminding Peter that he still had his old nature, and he needed to be careful of feeding the flesh(the sinful desires that are still in us). 

The Lord Jesus asked Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour?" Peter and James and John had fallen asleep, and, the Lord Jesus returned to discover them asleep. Previously, these three were determined  to be strong but they were weak because they lacked the strength of prayer. Prayer strengthens us. When we lay our hearts before the Lord, we are tuned to His activity in our lives, which in turn, strengthens our faith. We find that we look for Him more, and we discover that He is the only One who is our Savior.

Prayer is the yearning of the awakened soul. But, it is the nature of the flesh to be weak. And, the flesh is our default mode even though we are born again. In the hour of testing, if we are not given to prayer, we will discover self-confidence always fails. Prayer makes His strength apprehensible to us. This is the major lesson that bursts forth in the Garden of Gethsemane. 

In v.39-40 of today's passage we read, "39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him."

Like the disciples, the Lord Jesus knows our frame and our hearts. Like to the disciples, He says to you and me, "I know you love me. Your spirit is perfectly willing because you have been made alive to me through my Spirit. But, when you rely upon our flesh, it gets the best of you."

The disciples did not know what to say to the Lord Jesus on the heels of their failure. Our human sense of independence, the confidence we have in ourselves, is always weak in the hour of testing. It will never stand the test. In our hour of testing, the house built upon the sand will collapse. It cannot stand the test. When we are confident in self, we will definitely fail. The flesh will always fail us.

Our success comes out of our resolve to pray which is the expression of our weakness. His strength is realized through our weakness. The transformation that we desire is realized on the heels of prayer or dependence upon the Lord. And, human words do not do it justice when we try to explain what has happened.

In v.41-42 of today's passage we read, "41 Returning the third time, he said to them, 'Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"

The Lord could see the flames of the torches of the soldiers and the religious leaders who advanced on the slope of the Mount of Olives. It is said that there could have been a thousand people coming up that hill that night with torches. 

The word translated "enough" refers to the final prayer of the Lord Jesus and the inability of the disciples to remain awake and pray. It was that combination that made it possible for the final payment to be made. After returning the third time, the Lord Jesus recognized that He had to go through with the crucifixion. In light of the disciples spiritual inabilities His resolve was enough. The inability of the disciples mandated it. After returning for the third time, the Lord Jesus heard the Father's response to His prayer: that mankind would be without all hope if He did not take on and defeat sin and death. And so, the Lord Jesus gave Himself to the one who betrayed Him. 

God controlled by a man. Sound ridiculous because it is. The Lord Jesus wasn't controlled by any man, He was yielded to the will of the Father. And, it was the will of the Father that we be saved. The Lord Jesus felt "forsaken" by the Father. He felt the desolation of the feeling of a temporarily broken fellowship with His Father. God forsaken of God! Yet, the Son of God was never more pleasing to the Father than at this hour of obedience in His voluntarily laying down His life for the salvation of lost mankind. This is the love of God which has been offered to us as a free gift for the receiving. The question is: Have you received it?

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.