Mark 14 Part 1

Mark 14:1-31

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Well, tonight we will look at the first half of this chapter, we will cover the first 31 verses as we look at Jesus up till we find then in the Upper Room, just before the leave to walk over to the Garden of Gethsemane.

So lets look at the first passage. Verses 1-2 Mark 14:1-2

Mark 14:1–2 ESV

1 It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, 2 for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”

So we have a time line, it was two days before the Passover. That is important for it tells us all that we need to know right now concerning the time.

And the sad part is that the Chief priests and the Scribes were looking for ways to arrest Jesus discretely and put him to death. If they could kill him, they could silence this following that they were threatened by...

But, they did not want to do it during the feast, the Passover time because of the increased numbers in Jerusalem and those who followed Jesus.

Look at verse 3 Mark 14:3

Mark 14:3 ESV

3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head.

So we find Jesus in Bethany, that little community which lay just a couple miles outside of the city of Jerusalem. And he is at the house of not Mary, Martha and Lazarus, but in the house of a man known as Simon the leper, and he was reclining at the table, resting, speaking with others and just fellowshipping with those present I would imagine.

Now Simon the Leper is one we imagine that is one of those Jesus has healed previously. whether the singular one or one of the 12… but other than that, we do not know anything else.

And while reclining at the table, a lady comes up to Jesus and and opens, breaks an alabaster flask of pure nard, and very costly ointment, some stay a years wages most likely. It was a root that was found in India, was very aromatic substance that was used in burial procedures. It was also the base substances used for many perfumes as well.

And she opens the flash and pours the entire contents upon the head of Jesus.

Now the women here is not named, women didn’t usually attend banquets or meals with the men except as a servant. But in Matthew and the gospel of John the woman is identified as Mary the sister or Martha and Lazarus.

As a side note, the event in Luke 7 is a different event.

Verse 4 Mark 14:4-5

Mark 14:4–5 ESV

4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her.

And some there, namely Judas were upset, they couldn’t imagine such waste. Why pure this out on Jesus, what a waste… if you were going to dispose of this we could have sold it . And they scolded here for wasting it.

Wow, why are you doing this, you have just wasted all of this...Now concern for the poor was understandable since it was the Passover time and people often made gifts to the poor. But it was hers to dispose of.… so why the fuss..

Now look at verses 6-9 Mark 14:6-9

Mark 14:6–9 ESV

6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

And Jesus response to those who rebuked her actions are simple, “Leave here alone, why do you trouble her...” The word beautiful there is a word defined as a good morally or ethical action.

It was more than a act of love, it was the right thing to do, whether anyone else recognized it or not. And when Jesus says the poor you have with you always, he is not speaking for or against poverty at all… He is simply telling the disciples they will have many opportunities to to help the poor, but no more opportunities to directly minister to him..

Verse 8 is really special, she has done what she could… or it could be rendered as “She gave what she had...” I think she was burdened to bless and heap bounds of love upon the Savior. And it is possible she could have been led by God, but which ever the reason, she loved him.

And Jesus tells them what she did, well it was good, it prepared his body before burial, as he alludes to his soon coming death, burial and resurrection.

Jesus concludes that verse 9, what she has done would be remembered… and it is true. It has been remembered.

Now verses 10-11 Mark 14:10-11

Mark 14:10–11 ESV

10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.

Now verse 10 we see that Judas is terribly upset by what Mary did to Jesus. Here we see his true colors, it reminds me that not all who Say Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of Heaven.

He went to the priests and told them he would help betray Jesus and they offered him money, and he sought the right occasion to do this thing.

This is the beginning of the most horrorific act mankind has done to God and yet, it Jesus knew it would happen and was using it as the means to fulfill all that God has promised through the centuries.

Now we come to the last supper, and we know the timing of this event, i tis the night before His crucifixion.

Now lets look at verses 12-16 Mark 14:12-16

Mark 14:12–16 ESV

12 And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” 16 And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

Now, the passage starts out with the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was sacrificed...And the disciples asked Jesus where do you want us to go to prepare to celebrate or eat the passover meal?

And Jesus told his disciples to head back into the city, it was the city of Jerusalem. And they would find a man carrying a jar of water. They were to follow him and when He arrives at his house, say to him.. The Teacher says where is my guest room where I can eat the Passover with my disciples?

And he will show you a large furnished upper room and he will prepare it for us.

And they did just as they Master told them. Now we know the place where they went. They went to the house of John Mark’s father, and it was His house and upper room where Jesus celebrated the passover that evening before his arrest and crucifixion.

Now verses 17-18 Mark 14:17-18

Mark 14:17–18 ESV

17 And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”

The time moves forward to the evening hour. And the Scriptures tell us it was evening, and he came with the 12 to the Upper room, that was in the house there inside the old city of Jerusalem. And as I have told you before, We are fairly certain we have the location of this place today. A upper room church is in the same area, and from all the history related to that it is the upper room

And as they are were reclining around this low table, Jesus begins to speak, and it is disturbing to the disciples, He tells them, Truly… I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.

Verses 19-20 Mark 14:19-20

Mark 14:19–20 ESV

19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” 20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me.

Jesus puts it out there. and i am sure, for 11 of them, they couldn’t believe his words. Some one betray you, Master.

And I think of Judas, I think he is shocked as well, maybe thinking “He knows,” How could he know, has someone from the religious leaders betrayed me....

I think it is hard to imagine what is going through the mind of Judas.

But Jesus makes it even more clear, one who dips bread into the dish with me...

Now verses 21-26 Mark 14:21-26

Mark 14:21–26 ESV

21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Verse 21 Jesus makes it clear, this is the way that is set in place for him, but for the betrayer, Woe to that one. It would have been better if they had not existed and God in His sovereign nature would use the betrayer to complete His divine purposes to redeem mankind unto himself.

Verses 22-26 is institution of the Lord’s supper.

These verses bring about a great question in the Christian world, especially among orthodox, Catholic and Protestant world.

Did Jesus really mean this is His blood and body that are preset in the Bread and Wine? I think like others that actually becoming would be offensive to the Jews, especially something that meant drinking blood.

For protestants, we say i tis a symbolic act. The bread and wine are used to represent, but are not his body and blood. So the wine represents the blood shed and the bread represents the body broken and laid down for man kind.

IN verse 24, Jesus says this is a New Covenant. This we beleive is an allusion to Jer 31:31-34, I will let you read it but it means what has once been is being superseded, or done away with and replaced by another.

Poured out describes a violent death, one that is taken away from one and poured out on the ground.

His life was being poured out as an offering to God to take awya the sins of the world.

And they sung a hymn as they left the upper room heading for the mount of olives.. We think the hymn may have been Psalm 118,

Now lets stop there and we will cover the events from leaving the Upper Room and further of the night...

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