July 19, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Mark? Here’s today’s reading:
Mark 14 (NIV)
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
1 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”
3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard.…..Continue Reading
Our human weakness is so evident in this chapter. From Judas choosing money over Jesus, the apostles falling asleep during such a difficult time for Jesus, the scattering of everyone when Jesus was captured, and the denial of knowing Jesus after his capture. We are weak and that is why we need a Savior and Jesus knew that. He spoke so boldly about all the things that would happen, all the times His followers would let Him down and still He went to His death to save them and us!
Even in his trial the accusations against him were unsubstantiated and the crowd just blindly followed through on killing a man that did nothing wrong out of fear and weakness.
So glad we have a God of mercy and love that accepts us in our frailty and weakness and picks us up and gives us strength through Him!
As I read this chapter, it is all too familiar…both touching and tragic. How right Jesus is to talk about His worth and how fitting for Him to be honored in this way the night before He will be brutally tortured. But it doesn’t make sense if all you care about is dollars and cents. And it is also touching the personal time Jesus spends with His disciples. The Passover was a special time for the Jews laden with great significance of past events…and yet Jesus brings new meaning in an instant, pointing to the redemption that He will bring. His blood will be the blood that saves…not the blood of a lamb. It is also touching that Jesus cries out to His father, knowing full well what is to come, wishing the cup was able to be passed, but resigning Himself to the reality that He must drink it if humanity was to be saved…Your will, not my will be done. Quite possibly the bravest and most selfless words ever spoken. And then for Jesus to want the consolation of His friends…in the depth of turmoil, turning to them…and finding them sleeping. If they only knew what was about to happen……
And then comes the tragedy….the best in all the world, arrested as a criminal. Maintaining His composure even as there is a mockery of a trial. These Jewish leaders hell bent on killing their Messiah. Oh and the tragedy of Judas turning Him over and Peter denying Him. It is amazing to think of someone following Jesus for three years and then betraying Him. Maybe it makes people betraying us a little less hurtful or a little more understandable…And you just have to feel bad for Peter. He is at least where the other disciples are not. He thinks he has got what it takes to stand firm….but then he falters…once…twice..three times. I can almost imagine the heartache of hearing the rooster crow when struck with my own denial of Jesus. May that be something we all experience less and less….
Mark 14
Jesus is now in the house of Simon the leper where a woman came and poured an alabaster of ointment upon Jesus head that was very precious. The disciples complain that it was wasted and might had been sold for 300 pence. Jesus answer was that you always have the poor with you but they would not always have Him. She was preparing His body for burial. Then Judas Iscariot went out to betray Jesus. For the last supper two disciples are sent out to the city and a man carrying a pitcher of water would meet them and to follow him. I think that a man carrying a pitcher of water was not the norm. Jesus is gathered with the 12 disciples for this last supper. He knows who will betray Hiim. Then He as a symbol demonstrates the eaten of the bread as His body and the wine as His blood. Jesus now brings with Him Peter, James, and John to pray in Gethsemane. He is in great agony unto death. In Luke 22;44 is mentioned that His sweat was as great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Also is mentioned that an angel from heaven, strengthening Hiim. [ Luke 22; 43 .] What are the disciples doing but falling asleep. He knew that Judas was coming with a great multitude and would betray Jesus with a kiss. Jesus also knew that all His disciples would flee and even told Peter that before the cock crows twice he would deny Him three times. And he did and wept for he had failed Jesus. In Mark 14;62 Jesus answers the high priest and says I AM which is a reference that He is the I AM which is God. Here is another mention of the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Earlier there is mentioned only in Mark 14;51 that a young man followed Jesus, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and other young men laid hold on him. He fled away naked. Many believe that this young man was Mark. Why else include this detail. So Mark was an eyewitness of this event. It is believed that Mark wrote the book of Mark through the eyes of Peter but here it appears that he was an eyewitness. And it was allowed into the Cannon of scripture. As Pastor taught recently on a Sunday about the requirements of books to be allowed into the Cannon. God bless to all.
It is interesting to compare the two betrayals.
Judas’ betrayal is pre-meditated and leads to Jesus’ death and Judas’ own death.
Peter’s betrayal is unintentional, as we see Peter says he intends to go with Jesus to death, but he doesn’t make it….and chickens out (sorry, I couldn’t resist!) Peter doesn’t run away like the others and is immediately convicted. He later is restored by Jesus (do you love me? Feed my sheep.)
Peter does eventually die in like manner to Christ, at least according to tradition he was crucified upside down.
Mark 14
A great deal of prophesy was fulfilled during the last week of Jesus life. For example, all the disciples said that they would not disown Jesus even if they had to die with him. But the prophesy was set in motion (I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered) and it came to pass. Prophesy will always take place because God is sovereign and his word is true.