Mark 14 con't

"Judas immediately went to Him, saying, 'Rabbi!' and kissed Him." v. 45

I never thought about this before, but the fact that Judas kissed Him is huge. The kiss on the cheek in that culture represented respect but moreover it showed the closest love and affection. Then, "They laid hands on Him and seized Him." v.46 What perversion and hypocrisy on Judas' part. The more I learn about Judas the more I realize that his heart was hard and despicable and he more than deserved whatever was coming to him.

This is an interesting side note: A young man was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body; and they seized him. But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked." v.51-52 I don't know about you, but I don't remember this. John MacArthur, "This perhaps was Mark himself. If the mob under Judas' guidance had first gone to Mark's mother's house in search of Jesus - possibly where the last Passover was observed by Jesus and the 12 - Mark could have heard the noise, suspected what was happening, and hurried to follow the multitude." The first "streaker"...LOL

The chapter ends with Peter's three denials. I'm sure Peter was so disappointed in himself but to me it was understandable. In America when someone follows a criminal off to jail or carries signs showing allegiance for someone in custody, nothing will happen to that person. But back in Peter's time, allegiance could get you arrested and end up suffering the same as the accused. And unfortunately Peter, and well as the other 10, did suffer and die for Christ's sake.

Mark 14 con't

Jesus prays in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus "began to be very distressed and troubled." v.33 This word, trouble, in the Greek refers to terrified amazement. I don't think I've ever heard a better description of what Jesus must have been feeling at the time of these prayers. Knowing the agony (not a deep enough word) He was about to face while also knowing that these actions were going to save the world as prophesied. What glory was going to be accomplished at such a cost!

When was the last time you felt terrified amazement?

"Abba Father! All things are possible for You, remove this cup from Me, yet not what I will but what You will." v. 36

Verse 36 is really so far out of our grasp to understand. I can't get past complete terror He was feeling and knowing there was no way out. As a physical being, I would imagine, He was begging God. However, only through prayer could He receive the unimaginable peace that He would need to face the next few days. That same peace is ours when time is spent in prayer. If we are anxious, guess why? We don't need mediation we need "prayeration". LOL

Mark 14

This is another incredibly long chapter. It takes us from the Lord's supper, Jesus' arrest, all the way to Peter's three denials. I am going to take it one thing at a time.

Judas Iscariot: the name "Iscariot" means "man of Kerioth", Kerioth being a small town south of Jerusalem. "Thus, Judas was not a Galilean like the other disciples. It is clear that Judas never had any spiritual interest in Jesus - he was attracted to Him because he expected Jesus to become a powerful religious and political leader. He saw great potential for power, wealth, and prestige though his association with Him." John MacArthur. I don't know where Mr. MacArthur gets that Judas had "no" spiritual interest in Jesus or the potential for power, etc., but it would make sense. Interesting to also note that whenever the 12 disciples are named, Judas is always named last.

The Last Supper, though beautiful imagery of what was to be, these verses here really are kind of freaky, scary, in that the bad guy, Judas, was reclining with them at the table, "'Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me - one who is eating with Me.' They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, 'surely not I?' And He said to them, ' It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl. For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.'" v.18-21

What do you suppose Judas was thinking while Christ was talking? Did he want to change his mind at that time knowing that Jesus already knew his plan and basically said that he was condemned? I would have been terrified! Maybe he was but felt compelled to go through with it anyway since now it was out in the open.