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.