Learning from Mark 14-16

14:1-25 - Jesus was surrounded by enemies, ‘seeking to kill Him’ (1). There was also a hypocrite, preparing ‘to betray Him’ (10-11). What a joy it was to find a woman with such heartfelt love for Him (3-9). Her love for Christ must never be forgotten (9). There is something else which must never be forgotten - His love for us. Our love for Him can never begin to compare with His love for us. When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper (22-24; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26), we rejoice in His love. Think little of your love for Him. Think much of His love for you. ‘Who His love will not remember? Who can cease to sing His praise? He can never be forgotten throughout heaven’s eternal days' (Songs of Fellowship, 168). Remember Christ, and let your remembering be filled with worship (25; Ephesians 5:19-20; Colossians 3:16-17).

14:26-52 - After ‘they had sung a hymn’ (26), Peter showed that there was a great deal of ‘self’ in him (29). All of us can be like this - ‘they all said the same’ (31). We attend Communion (22-24), we sing hymns (26) - yet still the wrong attitudes persist! We ‘enjoy’ praise, prayer, and preaching - Remember: God is concerned with the whole of life, not just the ‘spiritual’ activities! Christ looked ahead to the Cross - ‘the hour’, ‘this cup’ (35-36). He was far removed from an ‘enjoyable atmosphere’ within which prayer is ‘easy’. Sorely tempted, He prayed, ‘not what I will but what You will’ (36). This was no easy road - the ‘betrayer’ was waiting for Him (42). It was a lonely road - ‘they all forsook Him, and fled’ (50). ‘The gate is narrow, the way is hard’ (Matthew 7:14). May God help us to follow Jesus.

14:53-15:5 - Jesus is ‘the Christ, the Son of the Blessed’. He is ‘seated at the right hand of Power’. He is ‘coming with the clouds of heaven’ (61-62). He is ‘the King of the Jews’: His Kingdom is greater than Herod imagined - it is ‘not of this world’ (2; John 18:36). Why, then, did He remain silent when false charges were brought against Him? He was bearing our sin - That is why ‘He did not open His mouth’ (Isaiah 53:4-7; 1 Peter 2:22-24; 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21). He knew that He was going to the Cross - for us (John 10:11,15,17-18). Jesus did not deny us: His silence was a godly silence - ‘He bore the sin of many’, making ‘Himself an offering for sin’ (Isaiah 53:12,10). Will we deny Him? Our silence is a guilty silence (66-71). May Christ’s Word, and His look of love, cause us to weep - and repent (72; Luke 22:61-62; 2 Corinthians 7:10).

15:6-41 - Jesus did not ‘save Himself’. ‘He saved others’ (31). He sacrificed Himself for our salvation. His was the sacrifice. Ours is the salvation. He ‘put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself’ (Hebrews 9:26). Barabbas was ‘released’. Jesus was ‘crucified’ (15). This is the Gospel - He took my place, He died for me. He was ‘forsaken’ by God (34). We are reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:19,21). We rejoice that Christ ignored the mocking call from ‘the chief priests’ and ‘scribes’: ‘come down now from the Cross’ (32). He paid the full price of our salvation. For us now, there is full salvation. His suffering was complete: ‘It is finished’ (John 19:30) was not a whimper of defeat. It was the declaration of victory. All that was needed - He has done for us. Now, He invites us to receive salvation: ‘Come; for all is now ready’ (Luke 14:17).

15:42-16:20 - Dead and buried (44-46) - ‘The End’? No! There is more. An ‘Appendix’? No! A whole new beginning - For Jesus, for us! He is ‘the first fruits’ (1 Corinthians 15:20,23). The full glory is still to come (1 Corinthians 15:24). He has risen (6). ‘At His coming, those who belong to Christ’ will be raised - with Him and by Him - to everlasting life (1 Corinthians 15:23). This is the glory of the resurrection. It is not simply a thing of the past. It is our glorious future - we ‘will be raised imperishable’ (1 Corinthians 15:52). There is a Gospel to be preached - the Gospel of salvation (15-16). May God help us to preach the Gospel ‘everywhere’ - This will involve all of us, not just a few of us! May He give us the joy of seeing Him at work, confirming the message by the signs that attend it (20).