Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:
(Mark 14:1) After two days was the Passover and of unleavened bread; and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by craft and put Him to death.
Jesus had been on the Mount of Olives prophesying to four of His disciples about the coming destruction of Jerusalem, and especially the temple. Meanwhile, it was two days until the Feast of the Passover which was, of course, the commemoration of the time in Egypt when God passed over His people to destroy the firstborn of the Egyptians. They ate unleavened bread in memory of their quick departure from Egypt when in their haste, they had no time to leaven their bread. It was at this time that the chief priests and scribes were discussing how they might trick Jesus and be able to put Him to death.
(2) But they said, "Not on the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people."
Although they were eager to get their job done, they feared doing it on the Passover because they were afraid of an uprising of the people.
(3) And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the meal, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard, very precious; and she broke the box and poured it on His head.
Jesus had retired to Bethany, a place about two miles from Jerusalem, where He usually spent His nights when He was in Jerusalem during the day. He was at a meal at the house of Simon the leper, so called because He had once been a leper, but had been healed by Jesus, to distinguish him from the other Simons. A woman came to Him while He was sitting at the table. She had an alabaster box with a very precious and costly oil, of spikenard. The first syllable, "spike," meant "pure," so this was genuine pure unmixed nard or spikenard and very fragrant and precious. She broke the alabaster box, which may have meant merely breaking the seal and opening it and poured the oil on Jesus's head, as if anointing Him as was the custom to anoint the high priests in the Old Testament.
(4) And there were some who had indignation within themselves, and said, "Why was this waste of the ointment made? (5) For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence and given to the poor." And they murmured against her.
Some of the people present, likely even some of the disciples, considered what the woman had done as a waste. They reasoned that the oil could have been sold and the money given to the poor. They murmured these things against the woman.
(6) And Jesus said, "Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me."
Jesus, knowing what they were murmuring among themselves, told them to leave the woman alone. She had done nothing that they should trouble her about. In fact, He said she had done a good thing to Him.
(7) "For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish, you may do them good; but Me, you do not have always."
Jesus told them there would always be the poor for them to help, but He would not be with them always. In anointing Jesus's head with oil, the woman was worshiping her Lord in the highest way she could with what she had while He was present among them. I believe there is a lesson in this for us. The honor of our Lord is more important than the act we might say we do for Him. We do good works because of our love for Him and we should want God glorified in our works. He comes first and foremost and there will always be good works to be done.
(8) "She has done what she could; she has come beforehand to anoint my body for burial."
More than just an act of worship, Jesus proclaimed that the woman, doing all that was in her power to do for Him, was actually anointing His body for burial.
(9) "Verily, I say to you, wherever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, also what she has done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her."
Moreover, Jesus said that this incident, and what this woman had done for Him, would be part of His gospel preached throughout the world. She would always be remembered for this loving act. The Gospels had not been written when Jesus declared this, but sure enough, at least two gospel authors wrote about the woman with the alabaster box, possibly four, but those details were a bit different so they may have been separate incidents.
(10) And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them.
Judas was likely the chief disciple who was indignant at the woman's "waste." The account in John states that it was Mary, sister to Martha and Lazarus, who anointed Jesus with oil, but His feet, not His head. This may have been a different incident, but we do get a clue to the type of person Judas was. In the account in John, he was indignant about the waste, but scripture further stated it was not because he cared about the poor, "but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bore what was in it." Judas was the treasurer of the group and held their money bag and would have liked to have had the money for the expensive box and oil in it, as it seems he stole from it. Having been reproved by Jesus and angry because he did not get the money, it seems he immediately went to the chief priests to betray Jesus.
(11) And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.
The chief priests were very glad as Judas had just made things easier for them. They promised to give him money for his help in capturing Jesus. Judas pondered how he might conveniently do it.
(12) And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the Passover, His disciples said to Him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare that you may eat the Passover?"
It was the first day of the Passover, the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the Passover lamb. The disciples asked Jesus where He would like for them to go and prepare the lamb for eating at the Passover feast.
(13) And He sent forth two of His disciples and said to them, "Go into the city and there a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him."
Jesus sent two of His disciples, telling them to go into the city of Jerusalem where they would meet a man carrying a pitcher of water. They were to follow him. Once again, as in Mark 11:2-3, Jesus would show His knowledge for all things and His spiritual influence over the minds of others:
(14) "And wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, 'The Master says, "Where is the guest room where I might eat the Passover with My disciples?"'"
Jesus further instructed the two disciples to follow the man into the house to which he was going, and to speak to the master of the house, asking him where his guest room was where Jesus might eat the Passover with His disciples. There may have been significance in the way Jesus told them to speak to the master of the house. They were to repeat the words of "The Master," perhaps to someone who already knew Jesus and was a follower, "our Master and yours," so to speak. However, it is just as likely that a stranger under the influence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit would have cooperated.
(15) "And he will show you a large upper room furnished and prepared; there make ready for us."
Jesus went on to tell them that the master of the house would then show them a room furnished and prepared for guests to have a meal. There the disciples were to prepare for their Passover meal.
(16) And His disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found all just as He had said to them, and they made ready the Passover.
The two disciples went into the city as Jesus had instructed and found everything just as He had said they would, and they prepared for the Passover.
(17) And in the evening, He came with the twelve.
Later that evening Jesus came to that upper room in that house with all His disciples.
(18) And as they sat and ate, Jesus said, "Verily I say to you, one of you who eats with Me shall betray Me."
As Jesus and the disciples were eating their Passover meal, Jesus made a sudden prophetic statement that one of those eating with Him at that time, which of course, meant one of His own disciples, would betray Him.
(19) And they began to be sorrowful and to say to Him one by one, "Is it I?" And another said, "Is it I?"
The disciples were very sorrowful at the idea that one of them would betray their Lord. Since it was a prophetic statement, each personally couldn't be sure it wasn't about him, and they began to ask Him one by one if it was him.
(20) And He answered and said to them, "One of the twelve who dips with Me in the dish."
Normally people did not dip from the same dish unless they were very close. This statement made it sound generally that it was one of His close disciples who regularly ate with Him. However, the account in John made it more specific and said it was the one He was dipping with at that very moment, and in fact, Jesus gave Judas the bite He was holding when He spoke. Either Jesus spoke softly at this point and the other disciples did not hear Him, or they still thought He spoke in general about any one of them.
(21) "The Son of man indeed goes as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would be good for that man if he had never been born."
Jesus admitted that He was going to be betrayed and go to His death regardless, but He pitied the man who betrayed Him and sent Him to His death. He said it would have been better for him if he had never been born. I don't believe for a moment that Judas was pre-destined to betray Jesus and there was nothing he could do about it. He was giving Judas an out if he would take it. He was saying that it wouldn't change what would have to happen to Him, but He was warning Judas not to be the one who betrayed Him. However, God knew beforehand who it was with the heart so hardened against Jesus that he would go through with his wicked plan regardless of any warning. How can we know this for certain? Because God is all good and just and righteous, and couldn't do evil such as it would be to use a person who might otherwise be saved from eternal damnation. God is also all-knowing and He knew nothing would change Judas's mind about what he planned, and therefore used him to fulfill His plan.
(22) And as they ate, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave to them, and said, "Take, eat, this is My body."
As Jesus and His disciples were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it as He always did. He broke the bread and gave each of His disciples some, telling them to eat it as it represented His body.
(23) And He took the cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave to them, and they all drank of it.
Jesus then took the cup of wine, gave a blessing of thanksgiving, and gave a drink to all His disciples.
(24) And He said to them, "This is the blood of the New Testament which is shed for many."
Jesus told His disciples that the wine represented His blood, a blood of a New Testament, a new memorial, blood that would be shed for many people. Jesus was instituting a new memorial supper. Whereas they had come together to celebrate and remember the Passover when God had passed over all the Jews who had put blood on their door frames and He therefore did not kill their firstborn, Jesus now instituted a new covenant and memorial, of which the blood on the door frames had only been a symbol of this time to come.
(25) "Verily, I say to you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until the day I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Jesus told His disciples that that would be the last time He drank wine, meaning there on earth, until the day He drank of a heavenly wine in the kingdom of God.
(26) And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives.
Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn at the end of their memorial supper and then went to the Mount of Olives.
(27) And Jesus said to them, "All of you shall be offended because of Me this night, for it is written, 'I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.'"
Jesus told His disciples that they would be offended because of Him that very night. The word that was translated as "offended" is that word "skandalizo" again. It literally meant "trip up" or "cause to stumble," which was exactly what was meant in the prophecy Jesus quoted from Zechariah 13:7. Jesus, the shepherd, would be struck down and all His sheep, His followers, would stumble and be scattered because of it.
(28) "But after I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee."
However, Jesus assured His disciples that after He had risen, He would be back to go before them into Galilee. Not only was it assurance, but I see a very loving gesture. He had been telling His disciples what was to happen for quite awhile, and they were convinced that He was the Son of God, but when those things He foretold began to happen, His closest followers fell away. However, God the Father in heaven, in the form of Jesus on earth, came back to encourage and inspire His disciples again.
(29) But Peter said to Him, "Although all shall be offended, yet not I."
Peter told Jesus that although all others might be offended, he would not, and I'm certain he truly believed that he could never fall away from His Lord.
(30) And Jesus said to him, "Verily I say to you that this day, in this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."
Jesus told Peter that truly he would deny Him that night. Before the rooster crowed twice in the morning, Peter will have denied Christ three times.
(31) But he spoke more vehemently, "If I should die with You, I will not deny You in any way!" Likewise, they all said also.
Peter should have known better than to contradict Jesus, as He was always correct, but he just couldn't believe it of himself. It is interesting to note that before when Jesus had said at their supper that one would betray Him, Peter was probably one of those who asked if it was him who betrayed Him. But now, he very confidently and forcefully said to Jesus, even if he had to die with Him, he would never deny Him. All the other disciples said the same thing.
As this is an especially long chapter, I will end this post here.
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