The Kiss of Death

Mark 14:43-52

Mark 14:43-52 “Immediately while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs, who were from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now he who was betraying Him had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away under guard.” After coming, Judas immediately went to Him, saying, “Rabbi!” and kissed Him. They laid hands on Him and seized Him. But one of those who stood by drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me, as you would against a robber? “Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me; but this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures.” And they all left Him and fled. A young man was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body; and they seized him. But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked.”

The reality of two Kingdoms

Last week we looked some of the last words of Jesus as he was about to send His disciples into the world. Everything He was doing had significance and was designed to be an illustration for His disciples as they established His Kingdom from ‘Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the utmost ends of the world’.

Today as we continue in this concept of ‘being sent’ we need to see what Jesus was illustrating and what it means for us today.

So lets consider this passage.

I want to draw your attention to the imagery created here.

Judas and the crowd had come to take Jesus with swords and clubs. Its clear that they anticipated opposition from Jesus and Jesus leans in with the comment

The have a secret sign of who to take and they are armed for that purpose. (hence the meaning of the term ‘kiss of death’).

This situation is pointing to the differences between the Kingdom (or way of) this world and the Kingdom of God.

It demonstrates the nature of each Kingdom, its power, values and focus.

Judas believing it is in His best interest to betray Jesus comes with power to forcibly take Jesus to the ruling elite.

At this juncture even Peter gets caught up in the action and responds according to the Kingdom of the world but drawing his sword and cutting off an ear.

So lets stop and consider the two kingdoms and what it means to be a part of the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of this world.

Our world has at its focus power and the reality of now.

Karl Marx said

We have Judas coming with a kiss ( the kiss of death) and a crowd with clubs and swords

1. Judas shows us the kingdom of this world

2. Peter shows us the difficulty of living in the kingdom of Jesus

3. The mysterious young man gives us insights into how we get to live in Jesus Kingdom

As we consider this passage lets keep in mind Jesus Knew God’s plan and that it was time.

John 13:1-2 “Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him,”

Mark 1:15 “and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.””

1. Judas shows us the kingdom of this world

2. Peter shows us the difficulty of living in the kingdom of Jesus

3. The mysterious young man gives us insights into how we get to live in Jesus Kingdom

The reality of two Kingdoms

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (Chapter 14)

44 Now he who was betraying Him had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away under guard.”45 After coming, Judas immediately went to Him, saying, “Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

This passage shows the clash of the Kingdom Jesus was establishing.

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