Mark 14

CHAPTER 14THEME: Plot to put Jesus to death; Jesus at supper in Bethany; Judas bargains to betray Jesus; the Passover; the garden of Gethsemane; the arrest of Jesus; the trial of JesusNow, friend, we come to the longest chapter in the Gospel of Mark; it has seventy-two verses. We are certainly in a chapter of action now. However, Jesus is no longer the one performing the action. He is being acted upon by othersboth friends and enemies. The time has come for Him to be delivered up. His earthly ministry is concluded in the fulfillment of prophecy. “He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter …” (Isa_53:7). He is delivering Himself into the hands of men. Mary anoints Him, Judas betrays Him, Peter denies Him, and the Sanhedrin arrests Him. He delivers Himself into the will of the Father. As we come into the shadow of the Cross, the reverent heart realizes we are on holy ground. There are depths that have not been plumbed and heights that have not been scaled. The action of this moment involves the anguish and agony of His soul. His hour has come! Do you remember that at the wedding of Cana He had said to His mother, “mine hour is not yet come” (Joh_2:4)? But now it has come! In this chapter and the one that follows there is a strange agreement of heaven and hell. Light and darkness are going together in the same direction. Righteousness and sin are going to the Cross, and God and Satan have decided that Jesus shall be crucified. And there are individual decisions converging upon the Crossas there are even to this day. Here is my outline of the chapter:

1. Chief priests and scribes plot to kill Jesus (vv. Mar_14:1-2).
2. Mary of Bethany pours ointment upon the head of Jesus (vv. Mar_14:3-9).
3. Judas plans to betray Jesus (vv. Mar_14:10-11).
4. Jesus prepares for last Passover and first Lord’s Supper (vv. Mar_14:12-25).
5. Peter pledges his allegiance (vv. Mar_14:26-31).
6. Jesus prays in Garden of Gethsemane (vv. Mar_14:32-42).
7. Jesus placed under arrest (vv. Mar_14:43-52).
8. Jesus put on trial before the Sanhedrin (vv. Mar_14:53-65).
9. Peter protests that he does not know Jesus (vv. Mar_14:66-72).

Mark 14:1

PLOT TO PUT JESUS TO DEATHThe Passover was observed on the fourteenth day of the first month, which is the Jewish month Nisan and corresponds to our April. “In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S passover” (Lev_23:5). Then the Feast of Unleavened Bread was on the fifteenth day of the same month and it continued for seven days thereafter. “And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread” (Lev_23:6). It was, I think, the intention of these eleven rulers to take Jesus at the end of the Passover season, after the crowds had left Jerusalem, and then put Him to death. They decided they would not do it on the feast daythat is, during the Passover season, which is the Feast of Unleavened Bread and which extended for seven days. You see, at the end of that seven days the people would begin to leave Jerusalem and then they would reach out and put their hands upon Him. The reason they didn’t want to touch Him during the feast days was that they feared an uproar or a riot. The crowds were in Jerusalem for the feast and the people held Jesus in high esteem. The common people heard Him gladly. He fed and healed them.

Mark 14:3

JESUS AT SUPPER IN BETHANYHere is a lovely thing. John’s Gospel places this incident six days before the Passover (see Joh_12:1). Then have Matthew and Mark erred in placing this incident just before the Passover? No. We must remember that neither Matthew nor Mark is attempting to give a chronological order. Their obvious purpose is to place this lovely incident next to the dark deed of Judasthat is, the plot to betray Jesus.

They are portraying a vivid contrast and conflict of light and darkness, and that is the reason they are brought together like this. Matthew and Mark do not attempt to give a chronological biography of Christ. Both friend and foe are moving toward the Cross but by different routes. Mary of Bethany is coming the way of light and love. Judas is moved by foul and dark motives. And, by the way, it is John who tells us that this woman was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus (see Joh_12:3).

Mark 14:4

John also tells us in his account that it was Judas who led in the defection and caused the others to follow along. The pious suggestion that proceeds be used for charitable purposes has covered up the real reason. Judas wanted to appropriate it for his own selfish ends. Sad to say, sometimes we find the same sort of thing today in Christian work. If they had given the money to Judas, where do you think it would have gone?

Mark 14:6

If they were sincere, there would be many opportunities to help the poor, and they could avail themselves of those opportunities. The presence of the poor is one of the characteristics of this age. There will be no elimination of poverty until Jesus comes. This idea today that you can eliminate poverty by handing out dollars is a big mistake. There are so many other things that are wrong in the world that must be corrected first.

Mark 14:8

She had done what she could. That is all that God has ever asked any person to do. But the important thing to notice here is that Mary had a spiritual discernment which was sadly lacking even in the apostles at this particular time. She anointed His body for the burial. Just think of it. This frail woman stood on the fringe of the events which were leading to the Cross, and she let the Lord Jesus know that she understood. None of the apostles sensed this, but she did. The fragrance of the box of ointment she broke that day has been borne across the centuries by the Holy Spirit unto our day. It still fills hearts with its sweetness even at the present hour. Here in the shadow of His suffering there was one who understood. It is so easy to read this, and it may become meaningless to us. Have any of us broken our alabaster box upon Jesus so that there might be a fragrance in our lives and it might be a blessing to others? I think that maybe if some broke their alabaster boxes of ointment it would be to help the poor. I’m wondering today if those who are God’s people are really doing what they could do. Now notice that right next to this lovely thing she did, the light of it and the love of it, we have the plans of Judas to betray our Lord.

Mark 14:10

JUDAS BARGAINS TO BETRAY JESUSHere we see Judas in his act of darkness. This man is now plotting to put Jesus to death. The plot was to wait for a convenient time to betray Him. But, you see, the Lord upset the apple cart. We find in the Gospel of John that the Lord said to Judas, “…That thou doest, do quickly” (Joh_13:27). So Judas must have rushed out to the Pharisees and said, “You’d better go get Him now because our plot has been discovered. He told me to do quickly that which I planned to do. He may leave town.” So they got the officers immediately, and they went out to arrest Him.

Mark 14:12

THE PASSOVERGoing back to the Gospel of Mark, we find the next thing mentioned is our Lord preparing for the Passover. The Passover was to be eaten with unleavened bread, and then there were seven days of unleavened bread to follow (Exo_12:14-20). On one occasion I was in Israel at the time of the Passover, and I was staying in a hotel in Haifa. We had unleavened bread for seven days, and I want to tell you, friend, I got pretty tired of that bread. The rest of the food was delicious, but that bread got very monotonous. Now the disciples here were meticulous in following the letter of the Mosaic Law. They wanted to know where they were going to eat the Passover. They were going to do it right. In a few hours Jesus was to fulfill the meaning of the Passover.

Mark 14:13

Now again, I think this reveals the human side of our Lord, and it also reveals the fact that there were those who loved Him at this time and were preparing the Passover for Him. It also reveals the fact that our Lord was the omniscient God. Apparently the “goodman of the house” was some unnamed follower of the Lord. There is no reason to doubt that there had been a previous offer of the guest room to Jesus. I’m of the opinion that sometime during those three years of His public ministry this man had come to the Lord Jesus and had offered this room. I think he told Jesus, “Now, when You come up to Jerusalem to the Passover, I have this room for You and it will be prepared just for You.” I tell you, this was a wonderful service which he performed. There are many things which we can do for the Lord Jesus, and this is what this man did.

Mark 14:15

Notice that Jesus celebrated the Passover in a borrowed room. Obviously the room had been made ready for Jesus; so I think there had been a previous commitment on this. I don’t think that the host of this occasion should be blamed for not being there to wash the feet of the disciples, either. It was to be a private Passover. The Lord had said, “I shall eat the passover with my disciples” (v. Mar_14:14). It would be private, and the host would not interfere. You will recall that we noted a former experience like this when Jesus sent the disciples for a donkey for Him to ride into Jerusalem. They found it as He said they would. I think there had been a previous arrangement made for the little donkey. I think our Lord was making arrangements as He went along.

Mark 14:17

Notice that He came in the evening. The Passover begins at sundown, and I think He came in under cover of darkness. He is not going to force their hand until He is ready, but at the proper time He will deliver Himself into their hands and they will crucify Him. It will not be according to their schedule but according to His schedule, by the way. This is a marvelous thing. This was a lovely occasion. He ate the Passover with them in a leisurely and informal way. We’ve made our observance of the LORD’S Supper on Sunday mornings a very formal service. You’ll find that He ate the Passover supper here with them, and the next meal that He had with them was breakfast on the shores of the Sea of Galilee after His resurrection. I think this time was a wonderful time of fellowship. I personally do not criticize church dinners in and of themselves. I think they can serve a wonderful purpose, but the type of church dinners we have today are often not quite what they should be. It is wonderful for people to meet and have fellowship around the person of Christ. If He is not the center, and we’re just having a grand old time, though we call it fellowship, we have missed the point. A church dinner should be an occasion to meet around the person of Christ. That was the purpose of this Passover feast, by the way.

Mark 14:18

All of them knew they were capable of doing it, friend. If you have not discovered that you are totally depraved, that you are not a good person but a sinner, that you are thoroughly capable of turning your back on God, you haven’t discovered very much. Unfortunately there are people in the church who don’t recognize that they are sinners and are lost. And there are saved people in the church who don’t realize they are capable of turning their backs on God. Each of us could ask, “Is it I?”

Mark 14:20

It was Judas Iscariot who had made the decision to betray Him. The responsibility of Judas was great, for he had had the opportunity of being with Jesus for three years. The psalmist had written: “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me” (Psa_41:9). He pointed out Judas Iscariot, and I think that Judas Iscariot left at this particular juncture. Jesus instituted a new feast on the dying embers of the old, the Passover feast. He reared a new monument, not a monument of brass or marble but one that takes these elements that perish so easily, bread and wine. The Passover had looked forward to His coming as the Passover Lamb, and now the LORD’S Supper looks back to His death. The bread speaks of His body that was broken. (Remember that not a bone in His body was broken.)

Mark 14:22

There are several things here that I think are interesting and important. The Passover cup went around seven times during the Passover feast. During that time they would sing one of the great Hallel Psalms. Apparently it was the seventh time around when He did not drink but instituted the Lord’s Supper with them. The Lord’s Supper now looks back to what He did for us on the Cross more than nineteen hundred years ago. The Passover looked forward to His coming, but the Passover will be restored for the millennial Kingdom (as we learn in Ezekiel). And the reason for it, I think, is that during the Millennium there will be a remembrance of His coming; when it was first instituted, it had looked forward to His coming. I see no reason why it couldn’t look forward and also look backward. And, by the way, that would bring out the real meaning of the Passover during the millennial Kingdom. Paul says, “…For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us” (1Co_5:7).

Mark 14:26

THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANEWe find here first that Simon Peter pledges his allegiance. He was sincere, of course, but he did not know his own weakness. That is the problem with most of us today. We don’t know our own weakness. And I personally believe that you don’t find out about this in psychology. I think the only place that you can really see yourself is in the Word of God. That is the only mirror that you have. Let me quote a little excerpt of material that is being printed by a Christian organization, which, I think, gives the wrong impression. It talks about a girl with a problem who went to her pastor. “After several talks together the pastor realized he was not equipped to help her as much as she could be helped. He referred Betty to a competent Christian psychologist; one who as a professional counselor led Betty into a deeper understanding of the sources of her anxiety, many of them stemming from childhood experiences long since forgotten but recalled and understood under the guidance of a skilled helper. The result: a Christian teen released from the grip of emotional problems and given a new relationship with herself, others, and the Lord.” May I say, that type of thing reads like Grimm’s fairy stories"They lived happily ever after." Now, I happen to know that the Christian psychologist is no more competent to solve these problems today than the average pastor. I think we’ve been deluded today into believing that the Christian psychologist is able to say, “Hocus-pocus, abracadabra,” and somehow or another the problems are solved. My friend, may I say to you, none of us knows the depths of the human heart. Only the Word of God can let us see what sinners we are. That was the problem with Betty in the article; that is the problem with me, and that is the problem with you. When we recognize that, we see that anyone who truly knows the Word of God is able to help us. If we take the emphasis away from the Word of God, we can find that people get one problem solved with the help of the psychologist and come away with two more problems. Then the last estate of the man is worse than the first.

Let’s be very clear. The only solution to a problem is the Lord. You don’t solve the problem so that you are enabled to go to the Lord. No, you go to the Lord and He is the Chief and the Great Physician. By the way, He is the Great Psychologist and He alone knows us. In the final analysis, He is the only One.

I am insistent in saying this, as you can see, because I think it is important today for somebody to say it. We are finding that a great many today are making merchandise of the ills of folk when actually only the Word of God can solve their ills. God Himself must do it, if we’d only learn to go to Him and cast ourselves upon Him. Maybe we recognize that we have had a bad childhoodfriend, we’ve had a bad everything! But we have a Savior who loves us, and we can go to Him. How wonderful it is to have Someone to go to. We find the Lord Jesus now telling them that He is going before them into Galilee. He announces His resurrection. He tells them the sheep are going to be scattered but He will go on into Galilee after His resurrection. He promises to meet them there. But Simon Peter couldn’t let it go at that. He declares that he will not be offended even if the others are. Here again we see that he just doesn’t know what he is saying. So our Lord prepared him for what is coming. And He lets Peter know that He is going to stand by him. My friend, the Lord will stand by you in times like this. He will be there in our most desperate and dastardly hour. He certainly was with this man Peter.

Mark 14:32

The Garden of Gethsemane must have been a familiar spot to which they came rather frequently. Whether it is the “Garden of Gethsemane” as it is known today we do not know. I am of the opinion that it should be on the other side of the mountainbut the location is really immaterial. Since they came here rather frequently, it was a place that Judas knew. Our Lord never spent a night inside the city of Jerusalem. He went out to this place. There are only eleven disciples now. He leaves an outer circle of eight. He takes three of them, Peter, James, and John, a step closer to Him in this hour. He went to pray. The language indicates that He faced a sore ordeal in the garden. “Began to be sore amazed” is actually startled or more intensewe would say stunned. It says that He was very “heavy” (literally distressed). He faces here a travail of soul that was as great, if not greater, than the suffering of the body on the Cross. Did He face the tempter again here in the garden? I think He did. I must be very frank and say that we can only stand here on the fringe. There are mysteries in the garden that we cannot understand. I think it is audacious and actually borders on the blasphemous for people to sing, “I’ll go with Him through the garden.” I’m sorry, friend, if you don’t mind, I’ll beg off. I can’t go with Him through the garden. You don’t know how weak and stumbling and bumbling I really am. I can’t go with Him through the garden, but I will stand at the edge and watch Him pray. He asked us to watch and pray so that we enter not into temptation.

Mark 14:35

Mark says that He prayed that the hour might pass from Him. It was not death He dreaded but rather the hour of the Crossthat moment when sin was to be put upon Him. He was made sin for us (see 2Co_5:21). Mark makes the “hour” and the “cup” synonymous. Listen to the writer to the Hebrews: “Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered” (Heb_5:7-8). Now He returns to the place where He had stationed the three disciples.

Mark 14:37

The three disciples were not at all alarmed. In fact, they could sleep through it all. This man, Peter, wasn’t even disturbed that he was going to deny Christ. He should have been watching and praying, but he just went off to sleep. Watching and praying is the way for us to avoid temptation today, friend. Now you’ll notice that Jesus goes back and He repeats the first prayer.

Mark 14:39

And the disciples went to sleep again.

Mark 14:40

They had no explanation for their failure. We certainly learn here that the flesh cannot be trusted.

Mark 14:41

Apparently there was a lapse of time in here so that they had a brief sleep before He was arrested.

Mark 14:43

THE ARREST OF JESUSNow you can see that they have come out to do the thing that they said they would not do. They had said. “Not during the feast days.”

Mark 14:44

Here we have recorded one of the basest acts of treachery. It is foul and loathsome. Judas knew our Lord’s accustomed place of retirement, and he led the enemy there. A kiss is a badge of love and affection, but Judas used it to betray Christ. This makes his act even more dastardly and repugnant. Incidentally, we learn here that our Lord in His humanity looked no different from other men. He needed to be identified in a crowd.

Mark 14:45

You will notice that Judas calls Him, “Master.” He does not call Him “Lord.” “No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost” (1Co_12:3).

Mark 14:46

This marks the moment that Jesus was delivered into the hands of sinful men. He yields Himself now to go to the Cross. Simon Peter attempts to come to His rescue:

Mark 14:47

Jesus points out that this fulfills prophecy. If these people had believed their own Scriptures, they might have hesitated or even changed their minds.

Mark 14:50

As we suspected, it was Peter who cut off the man’s ear with his sword. John also tells us that the man’s name was Malchus. Simon Peter was a pretty good fisherman but a pretty sorry swordsman. He had intended to get the neck, but he missed it and got an ear. “They all forsook him, and fled” is a fulfillment of prophecy. Then we have this incident of a certain man.

Mark 14:51

There has always been speculation as to who this is. Some think it may have been the apostle Paul. Some think it may have been John Mark. I personally think it would be more apt to have been John Mark.

Mark 14:53

THE TRIAL OF JESUSJesus is now brought before Caiaphas, the high priest who was acceptable to Rome. Annas, his father-in-law, was actually the high priest according to the Mosaic Law. Jesus was first brought before Annas, which John records. Some believe that Annas was the real rascal behind the plot to kill Jesus. This is a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

Mark 14:54

Peter is moving toward his shameful fall. He followed afar off and then sits with the wrong crowd.

Mark 14:55

The meeting of the Sanhedrin was illegal since it was at night. Their method was likewise illegal. They heard only witnesses who were against Jesus.

Mark 14:56

Many were willing to bear false witness, but no two agreed. A charge had to be established in the mouth of at least two witnesses. Of course Jesus did not say that He would destroy the temple and then raise it up in three days. He said, “Destroy this temple”; that is, you destroy this temple, and John explains, “But he spake of the temple of his body” (Joh_2:21).

Mark 14:60

Jesus did not defend Himself against such obvious falsehood. Again He was fulfilling prophecy: “…as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” (Isa_53:7). The silence of Jesus surprised and annoyed the high priest. He wanted Jesus to answer to see if He might condemn Himself. Finally, the high priest put Him under oath. Under oath Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, the Son of God.

He could make no higher claim. He added a claim that could pertain only to the Son of God: “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (Dan_7:13-14). The high priest understood what He said and all the implications of it. He displayed his intense emotion by tearing his garment. In doing this, he broke the Mosaic Law, as the garment of the high priest was not to be torn.

Mark 14:63

They condemned Him to die because He claimed to be the Messiah. The charge was changed when they went before Pilate (see Mar_15:3). Their treatment of Him was the worst indignity He could endure. Imagine spitting in the face of the Son of God! While the farce of the trial of Jesus was in progress, Simon Peter was in the place of great temptation.

Mark 14:66

A little wisp of a maid caused him to deny His Lord. Peter was ashamed to be known as a follower of Jesus at this time. Have we ever been in a similar position? May God forgive our cowardice and weakness as He did that of Peter. On the third encounter notice that Peter’s weakness in wanting to talk too much got him into trouble. His speech gave him away.

Mark 14:71

This man had not known his own weakness. Simon Peter loved Jesus, and he was sincere when he promised to be loyal to Him. But he did not know himself. He had not yet come to the place where he saw no good in the flesh at all. However, Peter could repent of his sin, and that is the real test of a genuine believer. These were tears of heartbroken repentance. Years later in his epistle he wrote, “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1Pe_1:5). Peter knew that the Lord Jesus had kept him! We close this chapter with Jesus in the hands of His enemies. His own are scattered. One has betrayed Him; another has denied Him. It is the night of sin!