Mark 14:43-52

Sermon Brief

A. Foundational Elements

1. Sermon Title: Betrayed but Fulfilled

2. Text: Mark 14:43-52

3. Subject: Jesus’ Betrayal and Arrest

4. ETS: Jesus was betrayed by Judas, one of the disciples and arrested to the Sanhedrin while all the other disciples fled.

5. ESS:  Believers should remain with christ no matter the cost.

6. OSS: Hearers will see that Jesus, as perfect as he was and is, was betrayed wrongfully but he was betrayed to fulfill the scriptures.

Introduction:

1. Talk a little bit about what happened with me.

Mention where we are at or are picking up in the book of Mark.

Give context: Last time we were together and i preached we actually took the Lord’s supper together because that was Jesus and the disciples took the Lord’s supper and so we did the exact same thing. Now Jesus and the disciples have gone to Gethsemane to pray. Jesus goes and prays that the cup of the wrath of God would be taken away from him but then he also says but not my will Lord but yours be done. If you look back at Genesis for this passage as well it so great to see the difference because Adam and eve essentially said not God’s will but man’s be done and now Jesus is back in a garden saying not man’s will but God’s will be done He goes back to the disciples 3 different times when they were supposed to be on guard but they were all asleep every time Jesus came back. Then Pastor Rick our Young adult pastor gave a message on the passage after this one about Jesus before his accusers and how he was silent until asked if he was the messiah, the Christ, and Jesus said “I am he, and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” so then they tore their robes and said that Jesus had committed blasphemy when he did not. So that is pretty much where we are at in the book of Mark. I apologize for the back and forth and for having different speakers and scenarios. I know that it has affected y’all as well so I am glad to be here and to be able to spend some time in the scriptures today.

PRAY            

READ

Body:               

I. The Kiss of Betrayal (Verses 43-45)

ILL: How many of y’all know or have heard about greeting brothers and sisters with a holy kiss that Paul and Peter both talked about. This is not a kiss on the lips usually, it is usually a kiss on the cheek or the hand. You might think nawh aint no way i want somebody to greet me with a kiss. Gaston is this a kissing church?!?! It usually doesn’t happen in our contexts it depends on the church and location but more so in the middle east this is still a practice for them. I will say that the church i was at in New Orleans they 100% did this and luckily for me I was tall enough compared to the older ladies in that Church that I never got a holy kiss because y’all might not know this about me but i am a germiphobe i kiss my wife and my son and thats it. I’m really not the biggest hugger either but I will give a hug but kissing someone that is reserved for family for me but thats just me. and y’all i was doing so good about my streak of not having someone give me a holy kiss that I dont think i ever got one in New Orleans then i moved here and was going to give a lady in our church a hug from being back from everything because you know she kinda like motioned like she wanted a hug or whatever and so she is sitting down and i am standing up and so i go to give her a hug and y’all she got me right on the cheek. I was like man i was doing so good. I say that jokingly in my weirdness but also to show you that it is a kind gesture that some people in the world still do today. It is a good thing even if you think it is weird. In this time they usually did this as a sign of someone being a friend or family or did it for a sign of hospitality. This action that is usually thought to be a sign or gesture of love or greeting someone is a good and common thing.

EXP: If you recall Jesus has predicted that this would take place he knows when it is going to take place and it does not catch him by surprise but he actually knows exactly when Judas and the Sanhedrin are coming to arrest him. How is he arrested? by a kiss. Judas took 30 pieces of silver as we know, and he was to figure out how he could betray Jesus to the Sanhedrin. He figures out how he is going to do it he is going to approach Jesus as he and the disciples are about to go in the middle of the night to pray. Not to do something sketchy, not to plan something against Rome, not to do anything harmful Jesus was going to PRAY. Judas wants to show those who it is that they need to arrest by a kiss. Look with me at a couple of different verses of what the proverbs say and an event where someone kissed someone but betrayed them as well.

Proverbs 27:6 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.”

2 Samuel 20:9–10 “Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. But Amasa was not on guard against the sword which was in Joab’s hand so he struck him in the belly with it and poured out his inward parts on the ground, and did not strike him again, and he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.”

II. The Arrest that led to Fulfillment (Verses 46-49)

ILL: how many of you like crime tv shows or like police tv shows, movies, or books where there is some dangerous criminal on the loose and the police have to chase them down, find them, and arrest them? Like can you imagine being one of those police officers or law enforcement employees and you are told we are going to make an arrest, there is a criminal on the loose who is a very dangerous man. Make sure you are armored up, keep your heard on a swivel we are going to get him tonight in the dark at this one place where it will be us, his followers, and him. You and your team get there and the lead you have goes in because he was part of the group that followed the man but he wanted out so he betrayed him for some money and so he arranges now for you and your team to come in and arrest this man who has apparently committed a horrible deed so bad that the people that want him arrested think he deserves to be put on death row and get the electric chair. You find the man and he is one his knees praying and he has no weapon no way or plan of hurting anyone and doesn’t. You put him in cuffs and are leading him to jail but then one of his followers strikes you and cuts your ear off and he rebukes them and tells them they have messed up and he reaches and grabs your ear that was just cut off and he puts it back on your head and now you have your ear again. This man you are going to arrest and put on death row. Now obviously there are some differences here in this illustration and Jesus but this is roughly the scenario taking place. They treated Jesus as if he was a dangerous robber, insurrectionist, or a revolter like he was going to get a bunch of people together to overthrow the roman government or something.

EXP: Think about this with me real quick so those who are coming to arrest Jesus are the same ones that he has been around for the past several days that he is in Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. He has been in the temple teaching several times and if you recall Jesus had to cast people out of the temple because they had made the temple a robbers den rather than what it was supposed to be which was a house of prayer for the nations. Now they are coming to him as he is PRAYING and they are equipped and armed and ready to come arrest Jesus as if he was a dangerous robber. They arrest him and they are taking him away to be punished. But why he is an innocent man and has not done anything wrong, but in the eyes of man he has, however in the eyes and in the law of God he has done no wrong. Why because he is God, he is fully righteous and holy, there is no darkness in him or sin at all. Jesus has been fully clear and honest and had integrity up to this point. Just like in the chronicles of Narnia, when Aslan takes Edmunds spot, he is arrested or bound up to be slaughtered and killed, he did NOTHING wrong but we have.

There were several events that took place during Jesus arrest. One of them is someone took a sword and cut off one of the guards ears. Mark doesn’t mention who it was but we know from the other Gospels more so John that that it was a disciple who drew his sword and cut off a guy named Malchus’s ear. We also know because of the other Gospels that Jesus healed the man’s ear directly afterwards and said those who live by the sword will die by the sword as well.

This is event is prophesied that it will take place in the scriptures.

Zechariah 13:7 ““Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, And against the man, My Associate,” Declares the Lord of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My hand against the little ones.”

Why is this happening? Why is this horrible thing taking place to Jesus? Scripture and the prophesies are being fulfilled! that’s why!

III. The Fleeing of those who followed (Verses 50-52)

EXP: Once Jesus has been arrested chaos happens to be honest. everyone is in fear of their life. The disciples, well first off one of the disciples betrayed Jesus, then the other disciples pretty much betrayed him as well by fleeing and most of them not seeing him again until he is resurrected most likely. then you also have.

Verses 51-52 This is one of the most interesting two verses in the bible because this only pops up here in the Gospel of Mark and nowhere else in the other Gospels. Scholars don’t really know who this was, some suggest that is was Mark or John Mark because of his family background of being wealthy and wearing linen because that was a luxurious item to wear back then. but it is not super clear who it was and that is okay because i agree with some commentators on this that this just goes to give more of an idea of the circumstance of Jesus’ arrest. People were terrified and scared for their lives. This man was following Jesus so they seized him as well and he in fear of his life left his linen or the only clothes on and ran butt naked in fear. He would’ve rather ran naked in fear and shame and abandon Christ than to remain with Christ no matter the cost. this goes to show the chaos of this event.

Here is the main thing i need you to take away from this passage and to understand. The Lord is using all of these events even before Jesus was born and became a man in human flesh. Even before the foundation of the world this was going to be the plan. God is sovereign. What do i mean by that? I mean that God is absolutely, totally, in unrivaled, rule over all creatures, events, and circumstances. He has authority over and has control over all things. Now don’t hear me say that God causes us to sin or he caused evil to happen because God cannot and will not go against who he is. A holy God cannot committ sin. God knew what was going to take place and he is so good and gracious and merciful and patient and so much more but more so in this case he is so powerful and sovereign that he can use something horrible to bring about his plan of salvation.

“God will accomplish his plan despite and even through the evil actions of sinful human beings.” (647) Mark Strauss.

Jesus was arrested because it is all part of God’s plan to bring about salvation to you and to me and to the rest of the world that will confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Jesus from the dead.

Conclusion:                

APP: When things get tough, they are going to get tough. John 16:33 ““These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”” It’s gonna be tough and it is tough being a christian but it is so worth it because of the reward we get at the end which is Christ our Savior!

Outright Rejection of Jesus —> Judas betraying Jesus and taking 30 pieces of silver over the greatest gift to earth.

Those who have anything above Jesus in their life will betray him at some point or another. Because there is going to come a point where these two things meet and for us in our context believe it or not it is usually something to do with our hobbies or extracurricular activities. We let sports, dance, games, social media, etc. to get in the way of going and worshipping our Lord on Sundays or everyday during the week. Jesus is more valuable than any of this stuff I promise you that.

Abandonment —> Disciples fleeing

please do not do what the disciples did here in this passage. they followed Jesus for a while then when things got tough they left and fled in fear. Now we know that Jesus is going to die and resurrect and essentially address this with them and we know that they are true believers. But those who follow Christ for a little while then turn their back on him when things get tough or hard, they are not true believers. We know that because true believers will persevere through faith because of the work that God has done in their lives. When things get hard don’t flee but rather stand on the promises of God and rely upon him and his strength to get you through it. being a christian is HARD.

Inappropriate action —> peter drawing his sword and cutting off Malchus’ ear.

He had good intentions he, didnt want Jesus to be arrested, he tried to do something, but what he did caused more harm than good

Don’t out of reaction just do something when hard things happen. Make sure that if something terrible happens you cling to the scripture, the promises of God, and you hold fast to the truth.

PRAY