Bible in one year 1/19/2022 - Mark 14-16 By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

 Bible in one year  Mark 14-16

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music; pastoral ministry & counseling

 

        Chapter 14 Anointing by Mary and agreement to betray by Judas on Wednesday; Partaking of last Supper; Institution of the Lord’s Supper; Walk to Gethsemane; Betrayal and arrest in Gethsemane; Trials and crucifixion on Friday;  Peter’s denial of Jesus.

 

Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. “But not during the Feast,” they said, or “the people may riot.” (Mark4:1-2)

 Verse 1, the feast of the Passover- One of Israel’s three great yearly festivals (the other two were Pentecost and Tabernacles), commemorating their deliverance from Egypt on the night when God “passed over” the homes of the Israelites during the slaughter of the firstborn. It was celebrated on the 14^th of Nisan (March-April) and was followed immediately by the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which continued from the 15^th to the 21^st. (Ex.12).

 

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as 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. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. (vv.3-5).

 

 Verse 3 Mary of Bethany (John12:3). Nard. A costly aromatic anointing oil extracted from an East Indian plant.

 

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

 

 Agreement to betray by Judas on Wednesday

 

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

 

 Judas’s motive in betraying Jesus was, in part, avarice (matt.26:15), though it may also have been related to his bitterness at Jesus’ failure to be a political Messiah. Basically, however, Judas’s act was inspired by Satan. (John12:6;13:2,27).

 

Supper and Betrayal on Thursday, 14:12-52

 Preparation for the Last Supper

             On the first day of the Feast 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?” 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. 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?” He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” The disciples left went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. (vv.12-16)

            In the Jews’ calendar, which was according to their Scripture, a day began with the evening (Gen.1:5). During the evening of the last Passover day, first the Slave-Savior ate the Passover feast with His disciples and instituted His supper for them (vv.12-25); Then He went with the disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane at the Mount of Olives(vv.26-42.He was arrested there and brought to the high priest, where He was judged by the Sanhedrin late in the night (vv.43-72). In the morning of the same day, He was delivered to Pilate to be judged by him and was sentenced to death (15:1-15). Then He was brought to Golgotha and was crucified there at 9:00 a.m. remaining on the cross until 3:00pm (15:16-41), for the fulfillment of the type of Passover. (Exo.12:6-11) 

 

Partaking of last Supper;

             When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “I tell you the truth , one of you will betray me-one who is eating with me.” They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely not I?”  “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “One who dips bread into the bowl with me. 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.” (vv.17-21)

 

Institution of the Lord’s Supper;

         

 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” He said to them. “I tell you the truth; I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.” (vv.22-25)

Walk to Gethsemane

 

When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. “You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “For it is written: “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “Today, yes; tonight before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”(vv.26-30)

 

Prayer in Gethsemane,

             They went to a place called Gethsemane and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “Everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (vv.21-36)

             Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” He said to Peter, “Are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” (vv.37-38)

             Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. 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 betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” (vv.39-42)

Verse 20 after being exposed, Judas left (John13:21-30) before the Slave-Savior’s supper (Matt.26:20-26).He did not participate in the Slave-Savior’s body and blood, because he was not a real believer in Him but a son of perdition (John17:12), considered by the Slave-Savior even a devil (John6:70-71). Luke22:21-23 seems to indicate that Judas left after the Lord’s Supper, which is mentioned in Luke 22:19-20. However, Mark’s record, like Matthew’s shows that Judas was identified by the Slave-Savior as His betrayer (vv.18-21) before He instituted His supper(vv.22-24).Mark’s record is according to historical sequence, whereas Luke’s sequence is according to morality.

         Verse 22 This was the eating of the Slave-Savior’s supper, after He and His followers had eaten the Passover feast in vv.16-18, He initiated this new feast, which was for His believers’ remembrance of Him, to replace the Passover feast, the old testament feast for the elect’s remembrance of Jehovah’s salvation(Exo.12:14;13:3).This new feast of the new testament is for the remembering of the Slave-Savior through the eating of the bread, which signifies His body given for His believers (1Cor.11:24) and the drinking of the cup, which signifies His blood shed for their sins (Matt.26:28).The bread denotes life (John6:35), the life of God, the eternal life, and the cup denotes blessing (1 Cor.10:16), which is God Himself as the believers’ portion(Ps.16:5). As sinners, the believers should have had the cup of God’s wrath as their portion (Rev.14:10) But the Slave-Savior drank that cup for them (John18:11), and His salvation became their portion, the cup of salvation (Ps.116:13) that runs over (Ps.23:5) the content of which is God as the believers’ all –inclusive blessing. Such a bread and such a cup are the constituents of the Slave-Savior’s supper, which is a table (1Cor.10:21), a feast, set up by Him that His believers may remember Him by enjoying His as such a feast. Thus, as His believers remember Him, they display His redeeming and life-imparting death (1 Cor.11:26 – His blood separated from His body declares His death), testifying to the entire universe of His rich and marvelous salvation.

          Verse 24 in Exo.24:3-8 God made a covenant with redeemed Israel (Heb.9:18-21), which became the old testament, as a base from which He could deal with His redeemed people in the dispensation of law. The Slave-Savior came to accomplish God’s eternal redemption for God’s chosen people by His death, according to God’s will (Heb.10:7,9-10), and with His blood He instituted a new covenant, a better covenant (Heb.8:6-13), with after His resurrection became the new testament(Heb.9:16-17), as a base from which God can be one with His redeemed and regenerated people in the dispensation of grace. This new covenant replaced the old covenant and at the same time changed God’s old dispensation to His new dispensation. The Slave-savior wanted His followers to know this and to live a life based on this and according to this after His resurrection.

Verse 35 The Slave –Savior’s sorrow and His prayer here are the same as in John12:27. There He said that He had come for this hour; that is, He know that the Father’s will was that He should die on the cross for the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan.

Verse 36 The Triune God determined in His divine plan in eternity past that the Second of the Divine Trinity should be incarnated and die on the cross to accomplish His eternal redemption for the fulfillment of His eternal purpose(Eph.1:7-9). Hence before the foundation of the world, that is, in eternity past (1Pet.1:19-20), the Second of the Divine Trinity was ordained to be the Lamb of God. (John1:29); and in the eyes of God He was slain as the Lamb of God from the foundation of the world, that is, from the creation of God’s creatures, who became fallen(Rev.13:8).From the time of man’s fall, lambs, sheep, calves, and bulls were used as types for God’s chosen people(Gen3:21;4:4;8:20;22:13:Exo.12:3-8;Lev.1:2), pointing to Him who was to come as the real Lamb foreordained by God. In the fullness of time the Triune God sent the Second of the Divine Trinity, the Son of God, to come in incarnation to take a human body (Heb.10:5) That He might be offered to God on the cross (Heb.9:14;10:12) to do the will of the Triune God (Heb.10:7), that is, to replace the sacrifices and offerings, which were types, with Himself in His humanity as the unique sacrifice and offering for the sanctification of God’s chosen people (Heb.10:9-10). In His prayer here, immediately before His crucifixion, He prepared Himself to take the cup of the cross (Matt.26:39,42), being willing to do this unique will of the Father of the accomplishing of the eternal plan of the Triune God.   

 

Betrayal and arrest in Gethsemane

 

Jesus 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 laws, and the elders. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them:” The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. The men seized Jesus and arrested him. Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. “Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “That you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” Then everyone deserted him and fled. (vv.43-50)

 

Trails and crucifixion on Friday

         They took Jesus to the high priests, and all the chief priests, elders and teachers of the law came together. 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. 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. Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree. (vv.53-56)

         Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: “We heard him say, “ I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.” Yet even then their testimony did not agree. 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? But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” “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.” (vv.57- 62)

         The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think? They all condemned him as worthy of death. Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” and the guards took him and beat him.(vv.63-65)

 Peter’s denial of Jesus

         While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. “You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said. But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about.” He said, and went out into the entryway. (vv.66-68)

         When the servant girl saw him there, she said, again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” 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.” He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about!”(vv.69-71)

      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. (v72)

 

Bibliography,

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.