Mark 14
1 – 2
It was now only two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and teachers of the law were trying to find a way to use some trick to arrest Jesus and kill him. But they said, “We must not do it during the feast. The people might cause a riot.”
They were planning to take Jesus at night when nobody was watching. It was against their own law to have a trial at night. Evil men work at night hoping to hide what they are doing.
3. Jesus was in Bethany. He was at dinner in the house of Simon, who had a harmful skin disease. While Jesus was there, a woman came to him. She had an alabaster jar filled with very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. The woman opened the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus’ head.
This woman is Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. This perfume was all she had in this world. She was giving up her emergency savings and would have to trust God to take care of emergencies.
4 – 5
Some of those who were there saw this and became angry. They complained to each other, saying, “Why waste that perfume? 5 It was worth a full year’s work. It could be sold, and the money could be given to the poor.” They spoke to the woman sharply.
John only says that Judas talked this way but here we see that he led the rest of them into thinking his way. Evil talk spreads quickly.
6 – 9
Jesus said, “Do not bother the woman. Why are you troubling her? She did a beautiful thing for Me. You will always have the poor with you. You can help them anytime you want. But you will not always have Me. This woman did the only thing she could do for Me. She poured perfume on My body.
She did this before I die to prepare Me for burial. I tell you the truth. The Gospel will be told to people in all the world. And in every place it is preached, what this woman has done will be told. And people will remember her.”
The followers were not ready to see that Jesus would die and be risen from the dead. Mary saw this and trusted God. She showed her trust by preparing Jesus body as was the Jewish custom.
10 – 11
One of the 12 followers, Judas Iscariot, went to talk to the leading priests. Judas offered to give Jesus to them. The leading priests were pleased about this. They promised to pay Judas money. So he waited for the best time to give Jesus to them.
It could be that Judas was so angry about what he thought was a waste of money that he decided to turn against Jesus at this time. John tells us that it was the devil who put these ideas into the heart of Judas. We see how the devil can use anger to make us go further into sin.
12 – 16
It was now the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This was a time when the Jews always sacrificed the Passover lambs. Jesus’ followers came to Him. They said, “We will go and prepare everything for the Passover Feast. Where do you want to eat the feast?”
Jesus sent two of His followers and said to them, “Go into the city. A man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. He will go into a house. Tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks that you show us the room where He and His followers can eat the Passover Feast.’ The owner will show you a large room upstairs. This room is ready. Prepare the food for us there.”
So the followers left and went into the city. Everything happened as Jesus had said. So they prepared the Passover Feast.
Some teachers say that this was the house of another Mary who was the mother of Mark. This family had given their house to God and asked Him to use it for His glory.
17 – 21
In the evening, Jesus went to that house with the 12. While they were all eating, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth. One of you will give Me to My enemies—one of you eating with Me now.”
The followers were very sad to hear this. Each one said to Jesus, “I am not the one, am I?”
Jesus answered, “The man who is against Me is one of the twelve. He is the one who dips his bread into the bowl with Me. The Son of Man must go and die. The Scriptures say this will happen. But how terrible it will be for the person who gives the Son of Man to be killed. It would be better for that person if he had never been born.”
Zechariah said that this would happen (Zechariah 11:13). Peter also asked if he would turn against the Lord. Peter could have thought that he would never do what Judas did. The devil has big plans for you to do something you never thought you would do! Stay close to the Lord in His Word and He will protect you from these plans!
22 – 26
While they were eating, Jesus took some bread. He thanked God for it and broke it. Then He gave it to His followers and said, “Take it. This bread is My body.”
Then Jesus took a cup. He thanked God for it and gave it to the followers. All the followers drank from the cup.
Then Jesus said, “This is my blood which begins the new agreement that God makes with His people. This blood is poured out for many. I tell you the truth. I will not drink of this fruit of the vine again until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” They sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
The promises in the Old Testament were built on the idea that if the Jews would do what God asked them to do and see be set-apart to walk with the Lord then He would walk with them. The Jews did not follow this way of life and even changed God’s Laws to their own ideas.
Jesus was now making a new agreement that if men would agree that His body was given to pay for their sins on the cross, then He would forgive them and they would be with Him in heaven.
27. Then Jesus told the followers, “You will all lose your faith in Me. It is written in the Scriptures: ‘I will kill the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter.’
Strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. Zechariah 13:7
28 – 31
But after I rise from death, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter said, “All the other followers may lose their faith. But I will not.”
Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth. Tonight you will say you do not know Me. You will say this three times before the rooster crows twice.”
But Peter answered strongly, “I will never say that I do not know you! I will even die with you!” And all the other followers said the same thing.
Peter was not thinking of what he was saying. He was saying that he loved Jesus more than all the other followers. Jesus asked him if he still loved Him more than the others in John 21:15.
It is not good for you to think that you love Jesus more than your brothers. You are setting a trap for yourself if you think this way.
32 – 34
Jesus and His followers went to a place called Gethsemane. He said to His followers, “Sit here while I pray.” Jesus told Peter, James, and John to come with Him. Then Jesus began to be very sad and troubled. He said to them, “I am full of sorrow. My heart is breaking with sadness. Stay here and watch.”
Jesus took on Himself the body of a man so that He could show us how life can be lived. He shows us here that the reason He could stand the torture of the cross the next day was because of the war in the spiritual world the night before.
The war is won by prayer. When you have prayed then God makes a way for you to stand on the next day!
35 – 36
Jesus walked a little farther away from them. Then He fell on the ground and kept praying. He prayed that, if possible, He would not have this time of suffering. He prayed, “Abba, Father! You can do all things. Let Me not have this cup of suffering. But do what You want, not what I want.”
The original language says that Jesus kept on standing and kneeling.
37 – 40
Then Jesus went back to His followers. He found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, why are you sleeping? You could not stay awake with me for one hour? Stay awake and pray that you will not be tempted. Your spirit wants to do what is right, but your body is weak.”
Again Jesus went away and prayed the same thing. Then he went back to the followers. Again he found them asleep because their eyes were very heavy. And they did not know what to say to Jesus.
Jesus was watching over them because they were not watching with Him.
41 – 43
After Jesus prayed a third time, He went back to His followers. He said to them, “You are still sleeping and resting? You have been sleeping enough. The time has come for the Son of Man to be given to sinful people. Get up! We must go. Here comes the man who has turned against Me.”
While Jesus was still speaking, Judas came up. Judas was one of the 12 followers. He had many people with him. They were sent from the leading priests, the teachers of the law, and the Jewish elders. Those with Judas had swords and clubs.
John tells us that there was a large group of soldiers. John 18:3
44 – 45
Judas had planned a signal for them. He had said, “The man I kiss is Jesus. Arrest him and guard him while you lead him away.” So Judas went to Jesus and said, “Teacher!” and kissed him.
The original language shows that Judas kissed Jesus with a strong kiss. This was making fun of Jesus and showing the Jewish leaders that Judas was not following Jesus anymore. There is no place in the Bible where Judas called Jesus his Lord.
46 – 47
Then the men grabbed Jesus and arrested him. One of the followers [Peter] standing near drew his sword. He struck the servant of the high priest with the sword and cut off his ear.
We can forgive Peter for not telling Mark to write down that it was him who used this sword. We also would not like to tell about the stupid things we have done.
48 – 50
Then Jesus said, “You came to get me with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal. Every day I was with you teaching in the Temple. You did not arrest Me there. But all these things have happened to make the Scriptures come true.” Then all of Jesus’ followers left Him and ran away.
Jesus is talking about Zechariah 13:7. The things that God has said will happen are going to happen no matter what. This makes us strong when we think of the things that are coming in the last days and how soon we will be with Him!
51 – 52
A young man [Mark], wearing only a linen cloth, was following Jesus. The people also grabbed him. But the cloth he was wearing came off, and he ran away naked.
Some teachers say that this young man was Mark. He may have followed Jesus from his mother’s house.
53 – 54
The people who arrested Jesus led him to the house of the high priest. All the leading priests, the Jewish elders, and the teachers of the law were gathered there. Peter followed far behind and entered the courtyard of the high priest’s house. There he sat with the guards, warming himself by the fire.
Do not follow Jesus from far away and do not warm yourself at the fireplace of the enemy.
55 – 59
The leading priests and all the Jewish council tried to find something that Jesus had done wrong so they could kill him. But the council could find no proof against him. Many people came and told false things about him. But all said different things—none of them agreed.
Then some men stood up and lied about Jesus. They said, “We heard this man say, ‘I will destroy this Temple that men made. And three days later, I will build another Temple—a Temple not made by men.’” But even the things these men said did not agree.
Men will take what you say and twist it into a lie. They knew that Jesus was talking about His own body and not the Temple.
60 – 61
Then the high priest stood before them and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer the charges these men bring against you?” But Jesus said nothing. He did not answer. The high priest asked Jesus another question: “Are you the Christ, the Son of the blessed God?”
It is best to say nothing unless God tells you to say something. Do not answer a fool. Proverbs 26:4
62. Jesus answered, “I am. And in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right side of the Powerful One. And you will see the Son of Man coming on clouds in the sky.”
Some false teachers say that Jesus never said He was God. These men have not been reading their Bibles.
63. When the high priest heard this, he was very angry. He tore his clothes and said, “We do not need any more witnesses!
The Jews did not want Gamaliel and Nicodemus to find out about this night trial which was against the law, so they wanted this to be over with quickly.
64 – 65
You all heard Him say these things against God. What do you think?” They all said that Jesus was guilty and should be killed. Some of the people there spit at Jesus. They covered his eyes and hit Him with their fists. They said, “Prove that you are a prophet!” Then the guards led Jesus away and beat him.
They beat Him so bad that He no longer looked like a man.
His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from His appearance, one would not know He was a man. Isaiah 52:14
66 – 68
Peter was still in the courtyard when a servant girl of the high priest came there. She saw Peter warming himself at the fire. She looked closely at him. Then the girl said, “You were with Jesus, that man from Nazareth.”
But Peter said that he was never with Jesus. He said, “I do not know or understand what you are talking about.” Then Peter left and went toward the entrance of the courtyard.
Jesus had told His followers to go but Peter followed. When the Lord tells us to go we should go or we will face a test that we will not be able to win against. Jesus looked at Peter with nothing but love (Luke 22:61).
69 – 72
The servant girl saw Peter there. Again she said to the people who were standing there, “This man is one of those who followed Jesus.” Again Peter said that it was not true.
A short time later, some people were standing near Peter. They said, “We know you are one of those who followed Jesus. You are from Galilee, too.”
Then Peter began to curse. He said, “I swear that I do not know this man you’re talking about!”
As soon as Peter said this, the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will say three times that you do not know Me.” Then Peter was very sad and began to cry.
Church tradition tells a story that after this, whenever the people would see Peter in the street, they would grow like a rooster to make fun of him. Let us make sure that if we ever see a brother fall down that we lift him back up. Instead of pushing him down further with our foolish words. Galatians 6:1
Maybe it has not happened yet, but a day may come when you do something that you thought you would never do. You will have to make a decision to start over. Tell the Lord, “I cannot believe I did that. Please forgive me and rebuild a right spirit inside of me. I refuse to let the devil hold this over my head. My sins are covered by the blood of Jesus. Here is where I stand there is nothing else I can do.” Psalm 51:10, Proverbs 24:16