Human Nature on Display
The Gospel of Mark • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction:
Introduction:
This morning, we come to one of the most somber and revealing passages in the Gospel of Mark—one that exposes the depths of human character in contrast to the unwavering faithfulness of our Lord. In Mark 14:43–59, we witness Jesus betrayed by one of His own disciples, arrested by an armed mob, abandoned by those who once pledged their allegiance to Him, falsely accused in a corrupt trial, and ultimately standing alone in the face of injustice.
These events unfold with a heavy reality: Christ is betrayed not by a stranger but by one who walked with Him for years. He is arrested not as a criminal but as the sinless Son of God who came to save sinners. His disciples—men who once declared their willingness to die with Him—flee in fear. The religious leaders, rather than seeking truth, manipulate justice to serve their own desires.
As we prepare to study this passage, I want us to reflect on how these same attitudes persist today. How often do people, even those who profess faith, turn their backs on Jesus? How easily do we justify our own sins while condemning others? How do we respond when following Christ is no longer convenient or safe? This passage is not just a historical account; it is a mirror revealing the human heart. But more importantly, it is a reminder of the faithfulness of Jesus—the One who, despite betrayal, abandonment, and injustice, willingly endured all things for the salvation of sinners.
Communion:
Communion:
In the midst of betrayal, denial, and injustice, one of the most profound truths of this passage is that Jesus remained steadfast in His mission. Just hours before His arrest, He had gathered His disciples for the Passover meal and instituted what we now know as the Lord’s Supper. While His disciples may not have fully grasped its significance at the time, we can now see how it was intricately tied to the events that followed.
When we partake in Holy Communion, we are remembering the very sacrifice that Jesus was about to make. The bread represents His body, which was broken for us. The cup represents His blood, poured out for the forgiveness of sins. As we read about His betrayal, we should remember that He endured it so that we could be reconciled to God. As we read about His unjust trial, we should remember that He took our guilt upon Himself. As we read about the disciples' failure, we should be reminded that His grace is greater than our weaknesses.
[Come get communion]
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Holy Communion is not just a ritual; it is a proclamation of the gospel. Every time we take the bread and the cup, we are declaring the Lord’s death until He comes again (1 Cor. 11:26).
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
It is a moment of reflection, repentance, and renewal—a reminder that Jesus willingly suffered all things so that we could be forgiven and brought into covenant with God.
So, as we walk through this passage, let us not only see the tragedy of betrayal and injustice, but let us also see the triumph of Christ’s love—a love so great that He laid down His life so that we might live.
[Bread]
[Cup]
vv. 43–59) The Arrest:
vv. 43–59) The Arrest:
[43-45] The first person we are going to look at this morning, concerns the fallen disciple who was a turncoat. This is a terrible tragedy. Judas was a professed follower of Jesus; he was actually a disciple, one of the twelve, yet he is seen taking the lead against Jesus. Remember, he had begun his downward spiral by stealing just a little at a time; but as with all thieves, he became bolder and began to take more and more. Scripture calls him a thief and John’s gospel calls him a robber (John 10:1). He fell so deeply, he was a betrayer, a leading the charge against Jesus.
How many followers have forsaken Jesus? How many now stand against Him? How many began with little sins but are now involved in greater and greater wickedness?
Judas abandoned Jesus due to selfish motives (14:43–45).
It was night and already dark, and some of the arresting party would not know Jesus, not well enough to arrest Him in the cover of darkness. This also probably means His appearance was normal enough, it was necessary for Judas to identify Him.
Judas arranged to identify Jesus with a kiss. It was the custom of the day for a disciple to greet his teacher with a slight kiss on the cheek. But not what Judas did: as he approached Jesus, he not only attempted to deceive Jesus, he poured it on. He said, “Rabbi, Rabbi!” and kissed him. The word kiss here is different from the word kiss in verse 44. In 44, the word is philein which is the respectful kiss of greeting. But in verse 45 when Judas kissed Jesus, the word is kataphilein, which is a kiss of intense feelings.
Judas was not only portraying hypocritical deception, he was drenching Jesus with deception and soaking himself in hypocrisy. He was standing face to face with Jesus fervently declaring his discipleship, yet at that very moment, he was leading others to sin.
How many approach Jesus Christ in church and pour it on? Professing discipleship, but at the same time, live in sin and shame. How many feel they are actually getting away with it, actually able to keep the truth from Christ? How incredibly foolish…deceiving ourselves and trying to deceive others too!
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;
13 and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.
9 “The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
10 I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings.
11 “As a partridge that broods but does not hatch,
So is he who gets riches, but not by right;
It will leave him in the midst of his days,
And at his end he will be a fool.”
[46] Our second study concerns the men who wrongly laid their hands on Jesus. This is a descriptive statement full of application. Note three simple things:
The hands laid upon Jesus were the hands of the rude, the abusive, the unconcerned, the neglectful, the violent. When they should have been concerned over Jesus and their own souls, they were rejecting and reacting against Him.
Jesus desired mankind to lay hold of Him in humility and belief, not in rebellion.
The hands of these wicked men took hold of Jesus. They arrested God’s Son and thought they have finally silenced His message too. Their triumph was only temporary.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
[47] The third study concerns the disciples who were courageous but mistaken. The disciples were true followers, save Judas (that rat), true disciples of Jesus Christ. As soon as Jesus was opposed, Peter jumped to the Lord’s defense. He was ready and prepared to stand with his Lord. However note, the way he went about defending Jesus was wrong. His courage was commendable, but his method was mistaken. He tried to attack and to defeat (kill) the enemy of Jesus with physical force.
Physical force was not the way of Christ. Jesus was demonstrating to all His faith and trust, His gentleness and love, His submission and willingness to do, to accomplish the will of His Father.
Family, Courage is needed—not only is physical courage, but spiritual courage too. Christian, you must be courageous and zealous in your spirit, standing with Christ proclaiming the way (which is the original title for Christianity “the way”). To courageously declare both in word and action of your faith and trust, gentleness and love, submission and a willingness to accomplish God’s will.
[48-49] There is a striking scene of Christ being being a peace in the midst of mass confusion. His serenity is an example as you and I face the trials of life. Jesus was able to be have peace through it all because He lived moment by moment in obedience to the Scripture, which is, to the will of God. Two quick points:
The question Jesus posed was piercing: “Have you come out, as against a robber?” They were treating Him as if He was a thief. They acted as though He had stolen from them, because Jesus wouldn’t conform or confirm their incorrect ideologies, their bad theology.He didn’t praise them, boost their egos; he didn’t honor their service or gifts. Rather, He proclaimed they were short of God’s glory and were dying and doomed if they did not repent and begin to live as God commanded.
Family, heed what I am about to say: there is a critical point too often overlooked: Jesus told the truth in order for men to be saved. God is love, however, His love is not the indulgent love of a grandfather who accepts wrongdoing. His love is the ache and acceptance of a true father who receives a repentant and obedient son. Only through repentance and obedience can mankind ever know the love of God:
21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.
10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
Jesus said the Scriptures must be fulfilled.
He had to die; Scripture said so. God’s will was fixed and set in Scripture.
Jesus was dying willingly. He willingly laid down His life just as Scripture declared.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
Our fifth study concerns the disciples who allowed their faith to waver and fail. The disciples were not cowards. Their problem was not lack of courage but weak faith and lack of spiritual understanding. When Jesus was arrested, their courage rose to the occasion. They were willing to stand up and fight even though they were far outnumbered and had inferior weapons.
So what happened? When they saw Jesus’ standing there not freeing Himself:
52 But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
They could not understand. They were disillusioned, probably wondering: “Why doesn’t He free Himself; blast His enemies away with a word?” The disciples had closed their minds to part of the truth, to Jesus’ full mission and purpose. They had refused to accept His word about dying and rising again literally. And the disciples were worldly and materialistic minded. They were hung up on their earthly concepts of the Messiah.
[Example]
The disciples abandoned Jesus due to fearful uncertainties (14:46–52).
[51–52] This brings us to the sixth study concerning a young man who becomes terror stricken when confronted and flees.
Most commentators and pastors believe this young man was Mark, the author of this gospel. If so, he doesn’t name himself out of modesty. I think there are sever facts which lead to this conclusions:
Why is the event recorded if it were not Mark? Seems to me as if Mark is saying, “I was there; I was an eyewitness to what transpired.”
Mark’s mother, Mary, lived in Jerusalem (Act 12:12).
The detail of the account, I believe, points to Mark being an eyewitness (Judas’ approach, saying “Master, Master,” and the two different words for “kiss.”
The trait of fleeing Jesus when the going got rough is the same picture of Mark in the book of Acts. He was the one who cased the schism between Paul and Barnabas.
All of that along with the probability of Jesus having Passover in Mark’s family home. What could have happened, when Judas returned to the Upper Room with the arresting party, Mark heard the commotion, quickly threw the sheet around him and struck out to see or perhaps warn Jesus.
The point I would like to make is this, like the disciples this young man had weak faith, if it was Mark, or lack of faith. The young man failed, as did the others to stand with Jesus. He only sought to save himself.
Family, to think we could be better is naive. Many people seek to escape embarrassment, ridicule, threats, and persecution instead of standing with Christ and being a testimony for Him. Why? Weak faith.
22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel,
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
“The modest spirit of Mark seemed to say, ‘Friend Peter, while the Holy Ghost moves me to, tell thy fault, and let it stand on record, he also constrains me to write my own as a sort of preface to it, for I, too, in my mad, hare-grained folly, would have run, unclothed as I was, upon the guard to rescue my Lord and Master; yet, at the first sight, of the rough legionaries, at the first gleam of their swords, I fled, timid, faint-hearted, and afraid that I should be too roughly handled.”–Spurgeon
Mark does not record the preliminary trial before Annas, who was the real power behind the high priest’s office (John 18:12–13, 19–23), nor did he record the second trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin, the “official” daylight trial recorded in Luke 22:66–71.
There are similarities between the trials because the same people were involved. There were actually three phases of Jesus’ trial before the Jewish authorities and three phases of His trial before the Roman authorities, and they shouldn’t be confused.
Upon His arrest, Jesus was first taken to Annas, then to an illegal night court of the Sanhedrin (Which Mark will describe next), then to an official daylight trial of the Sanhedrin, then to Pilate, who sent Jesus to Herod, who sent Jesus back to Pilate, where He then went to the cross.
[53–59] This trial of Jesus was terribly illegal according to Jewish law. There was much in the Jewish legal process to protect the rights of the accused, and all of this was ignored and deliberately broken by those who were determined to put Jesus to death.
“Heard Him say, “I will destroy this temple:”
Jesus, as recorded in John 2:19, clearly spoke of the temple of His body. Jesus never said the words reported by His accusers— “this temple made with hands”
19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
Essentially, they accused Jesus of being a terrorist who wanted to destroy the temple.
This type of accusation was very serious, throughout the Roman world the destruction or desecration of places of worship was regarded as a capital offense.
This is truly one of the most diabolical forms of lying because it is a untruth in which there is an element of truth.
“A lie that is all a lie, may be met and fought outright; But a lie that is partly the truth, is a harder matter to fight.”–Tennyson
Men flock together too often to do evil, we see it time after time throughout Scripture. In our own day and age. Men flocking together to oppose Christ, even in the church. It is easier to do evil or oppose Christ in a group than when alone:
17 Therefore
“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
18 “I will be a Father to you,
and you shall be My sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”
Family a heart which wishes to do evil will twist the rules. If a man looks and lusts, he will usually figure out a way, rationalizing and justifying the matter in his mind:
11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.
17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
The Religious leaders abandoned Jesus due to their unmet expectations (14:53–59).
[54] There was the confused, yet courageous Peter. He had attempted to defend Jesus, but Jesus stopped him and even forbade him to come to His aid. Now, Jesus was giving in to the injustices and indecencies of the mob instead of blasting them away and setting up His kingdom. Peter could not understand, and therefore fled for his life. However, his love for Jesus prevented him from fleeing too far away. His love for Jesus stopped him, turned him around, and led him back to Jesus. He followed the mod from a safe distance though.
The trail ended up in the courtyard of Caiaphas’ palace. It took enormous courage for Peter to enter the courtyard, for Peter was risking his life by being there. Yet, he had to see what happened to his Lord.
Can we pause for a min, so i can ask you an important question?
Do you realize you need a deep love for Christ? A love so great we would risk our lives to follow Him? Too often, our love is weak, so weak we will not even risk ridicule or embarrassment to witness for Him, much less risk our lives.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
Peter’s love caused him to be courageous.
Courage always needs to be rooted in love, and love must always rule over courage.
6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
[55–59] Many today have closed minds; they reject Christ. Some even oppose Him and actively struggle to gather evidence against Him. Why? Primarily for the same reason the religionists of Jesus’ day rejected Him. They desire:
to live as they wish.
to build their image and live as they desire.
to gain personal recognition, position, security, and wealth as they want.
14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’
7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Our passage presents us with a stark contrast: the unfaithfulness of men versus the faithfulness of Christ. Judas betrayed Him. The religious leaders twisted justice. The disciples abandoned Him. But through it all, Jesus remained faithful.
The question is, where do you stand? will you shrink back in fear, or will you stand boldly for Christ? Will you betray Him with empty words, or will you follow Him with full devotion? Jesus calls you to rise up—take up your cross and follow Him, at great cost to yourself.
Our passage isn’t just a history lesson; it is a challenge to our hearts today. Will you stand with Jesus when the pressure mounts? Will you be found faithful?
Family let us be those who will not falter, or stay to the right or the left, but those who will stand firm in the strength of our Savior, who stood for us. Now is the time to rise, now is the time to follow. Jesus has given everything for you—it is only wright we give everything for Him!
Verse 1:
I have decided to follow Jesus,
I have decided to follow Jesus,
I have decided to follow Jesus,
No turning back, no turning back.
Verse 2:
Though none go with me, still I will follow,
Though none go with me, still I will follow,
Though none go with me, still I will follow,
No turning back, no turning back.
Verse 3:
The world behind me, the cross before me,
The world behind me, the cross before me,
The world behind me, the cross before me,
No turning back, no turning back.
24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.” ’
vv. 60–65) The Confession:
vv. 60–65) The Confession:
Jesus’ silence intentionally forced the high priest to confess the truth they wanted to refuse (14:61).
Jesus unashamedly claimed to be the Messiah, the Son of God (14:61–62).
Jesus endured wrongful accusation so he could take the place for our deserving condemnation (14:63–65)
vv. 66–72) The Denial:
vv. 66–72) The Denial:
Followers of Christ will always struggle between embracing Kingdom suffering or seeking personal comfort (16:67).
Denying Jesus and disowning His church are two inseparable tragedies (14:68–70).
Even those who make the most adamant promises to be faithful to God are in desperate need of His grace (14:71–72).
If some of the most pathetic figures in this narrative are in heaven right now, what sin could keep you out?
Your chance for heaven isn’t based on the crime you committed, but on the plea you entered.
For all the times we have abandoned Jesus, He has never once abandoned you!
