Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

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Mark 14

The Plot to Kill Jesus

Mark 14:¹ After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by (deception) trickery and put Him to death.

• Chart below: The Jewish Calendar and the Roman Calendar and how they partially overlap.
• 

• Mark 14:¹² Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they (sacrificed) killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?”
  • Exodus 12:¹⁸ In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening.
  • They wanted Jesus taken down before evening when it would be the Passover Sabbath.
  • NOTE: The first day of Unleavened Bread IS a Sabbath! Jesus was killed during the day while the literal Passover lamb was killed at sun set.
    
• Exodus 12:3 ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb…⁶ Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight … ⁸ Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread…¹⁵ Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. ¹⁶ On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you...¹⁸ In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening (is the15th) , you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening.

Mark 14:² But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.”

The Anointing at Bethany

Mark 14:³ And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly (Perfume of pure nard) oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.

• Simon “the leper” had to have been clean for them to eat there. (It might have been someone Jesus healed or it might have been Judas’ father who was named Simon).
• Lazarus, Martha and Mary also lived in Bethany.
• All the disciples were from Galilee except for Judas who was from Jerusalem. Bethany is just across the valley from Jerusalem, a “Sabbath” days journey.
• Judas’ father’s name was Simon, leading to speculation whether or not this Simon was Judas’ father.
• Judas loved money. Mary was “wasting” a fortune, one denarius is equal to one day’s wage. 300 denarii is almost a year.
• Thirty pieces of silver (the amount for betraying Jesus) equal 120 denarii.
  https://www.testamentpress.com/ancient-money-calculator.html
• Judas missed out on 300 denarii, but he was able to negotiate 120 denarii from the chief priests.
  

Mark 14:⁴ But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted?

Mark 14:⁵ For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized (scolded) her sharply.

Mark 14:⁶ But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me.

Mark 14:⁷ For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always.

Mark 14:⁸ She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.

• Unlike the disciples, she understood he would be killed.

                NOTE: Ref. notes on Mark 14:32 on anointing.

Mark 14:⁹ Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

Mark 14:¹⁰ Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them.

• Psalm 41:⁹ Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted,
  Who ate my bread,
  Has lifted up his heel against me. (Acted as a traitor)
• Acts 1:16 “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus;
• Matthew 26:14 [Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus] Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
• Luke 22:48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
• John 18:5 They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them.

Mark 14:¹¹ And when they (the chief priests) heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.

Jesus Celebrates the Passover with His Disciples

Mark 14:¹² Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they (sacrificed) killed the Passover lamb (on the 14th at twilight which is the 15th), His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?”

• This is accurate on the dates of the Roman calendar.

Mark 14:¹³ And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him.

Mark 14:¹⁴ Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’

Mark 14:¹⁵ Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.”

Mark 14:¹⁶ So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover.

Mark 14:¹⁷ In the evening He came with the twelve.

Mark 14:¹⁸ Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me.”

Mark 14:¹⁹ And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, “Is it I?” And another said, “Is it I?”

Mark 14:²⁰ He answered and said to them, “It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish.

• In the Mideast, sharing the bread and the dipping dish has the cultural implication of sharing one’s friendship. This continues even today.
• Jesus loved Judas, and tried to warn him that He knew what Judas was doing. Judas had already made the deal with the Pharisees for twenty pieces of silver to betray Jesus. Judas knew what Jesus was saying, but instead of repenting then and there, he instead chose to leave and go into the “darkness” of the night. He even betrayed Jesus with a kiss, another sign of closeness and friendship.
  • Luke 22:48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

Mark 14:²¹ The Son of Man indeed goes 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 never been born.”

Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper

Mark 14:²² And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

• Judas left before they shared the cup. Since he did not drink of the cup, he did not participate in the “blood” of the new covenant.
  • John 13:30 Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night. (into the darkness)
• At the Great White Throne Judgment Judas will be judged by the Old Covenant law.
• How will it look for the man who walked with the Creator and then betrayed Him even after being warned?

Mark 14:²³ Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

Mark 14:²⁴ And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.

• Jesus, speaking in Hebrew would have used the word Hebrew word “Dom” which has two meanings, it can be red wine or red blood. Which meaning did the disciples hear?

Mark 14:²⁵ Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine (Hebrew: dom) until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Mark 14:²⁶ And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

Mark 14:²⁷ Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:

‘I will strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep will be scattered.’

• NOTE: Jesus is the Shepherd, the sheep are His disciples.

• John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
• Zechariah 13:7 “Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered;”

Mark 14:²⁸ “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”

Mark 14:²⁹ Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble (fall away), yet I will not be.”

Mark 14:³⁰ Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”

Mark 14:³¹ But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”

And they all said likewise.

The Prayer in the Garden

Mark 14:³² Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”

• NOTE: The meaning of “Gethsemane” is “oil vat”. The Garden of Gethsemane was a garden of olive trees. The word gethsemane is derived from two Hebrew words: gat, which means “a place for pressing oil (or wine)” and shemanim, which means “oils.”

• Isaiah prophesied about Jesus:
  • Isaiah 53:12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

• Olive oil is used for healing and anointing.

• The Holy Spirit is released when the olive is crushed. (The unnamed lad in the linen clothe who ran away naked was symbolic for the Holy Spirit. He left before the crucifixion)

• “First pressed” – means the olives were crushed and pressed only one time. The olive oil extracted from the first pressing is of the highest quality and purity.

• The Hebrew word for Messiah means “to smear” or “anointed”.

• Hebrews 7:²⁷ who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

• Hebrews 9:¹² Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

• Hebrews 10:¹⁰ By that will we have been sanctified (cleansed) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

• As Jesus prayed in great distress Satan pressed him until blood poured out of his pores, even as olives are pressed by mill stones until the oil pours into a basin.
  • Luke 22:44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
  • During Jesus’ time, heavy stone slabs were lowered onto olives that had already been crushed in an olive crusher. Gradually, the slabs weight squeezed the olive oil out of the pulp, and the oil ran into a pit. There the oil was collected in clay jars.

• The image of the Gethsemane on the slope of the Mount of Olives where Jesus went the night before his crucifixion provides a vivid picture of Jesus’ suffering. The weight of the sins of the world pressed down upon him like a heavy slab of rock pressed down on olives in their baskets.

• The color of the olive oil is brownish-red nearly resembling blood. The word for blood is “dam”, and is part of “A-dam’s” name because Adam was made from red clay.  Adam is the first man who sinned and Jesus is the second man who redeemed.
  • 1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
  • 1 Corinthians 15:47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.

• Satan, throughout scripture is described as a reptile: a serpent, a dragon, a crocodile, and a sea monster (leviathan) who lives in a “sea” of mankind. Job 41 describes this leviathan, Satan, the king over the children of pride, as having a heart as hard as a millstone, like the millstone in Gethsamane.
  • Job 41:²⁴ His heart is as hard as stone, even as hard as the lower millstone.
  • Job 41:³⁴ He beholds every high thing; He is king over all the children of pride.”

• Leviathan is a sea monster, leviathan is Satan in Job 41 as the sea monster who lives in the sea of people, who king over the children of pride, and Leviathan has one more translated meaning: a wreath, a twisted, coiled wreath like the crown of thorns wrapped around Jesus’ head. Satan, as the serpent wrapped and coiled himself around Jesus’ forehead sinking his lying, poisonous fangs into Jesus’ forehead impaling Him even as He was being mocked for his royalty by the soldiers. The Leviathan means “to mourn”.

Mark 14:³³ And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.

Mark 14:³⁴ Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, (poured out) even to death. Stay here and watch.”

Mark 14:³⁵ He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.

Mark 14:³⁶ And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup (of death) away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”

• Jesus called it a baptism of death when He spoke to James and John concerning their request to rule with Him.
  • Mark 10:38-39 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”
    (unknowingly) They said to Him (without understanding), “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized;
• Believers, today, are baptized with death to self (dunked under the water to signify death) and then resurrected in hope (being brought up from the water). They are no longer their own, but are to be obedient to the desire of God.

Mark 14:³⁷ Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour?

Mark 14:³⁸ Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Mark 14:³⁹ Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.

Mark 14:⁴⁰ And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.

Mark 14:⁴¹ Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

• Sleeping is symbolic for death. They were “in death” for three times, akin the the number of days and nights Jesus was in the grave.

Mark 14:⁴² Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

• Rise-Arise, from their “sleep”, akin to a resurrection.

Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane

Mark 14:⁴³ And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.

Mark 14:⁴⁴ Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely.”

• Judas is concerned about Jesus’ safety? Is he naive about the outcome?

Mark 14:⁴⁵ As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, “Rabbi, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

• Psalm 41:⁹ Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted,
  Who ate my bread,
  Has lifted up his heel against me. (Acted as a traitor)

• Acts 1:16 “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus;

• Matthew 26:14 (Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus) Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests

• Luke 22:48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

• John 18:5 They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them.

Mark 14:⁴⁶ Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.

Mark 14:⁴⁷ And one of those who stood by (Peter) drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest (Malchus John 18:10), and cut off his ear.

• Peter took things into his own hands, trusting in his own power instead of relying on God’s leading. When his sword became useless, Peter lost his sense of power and instead took a defensive mode denying Jesus three times.

• NOTE: The servant of the high priest, without his ear, would be disfigured and would no longer be allowed to serve in the temple. However; Jesus healed him.

• Leviticus 21:21 No man of the descendants of Aaron the priest, who has a defect, shall come near to offer the offerings made by fire to the Lord. He has a defect; he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.

Mark 14:⁴⁸ Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?

Mark 14:⁴⁹ I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”

• Isaiah 45:19 I have not spoken in secret, In a dark place of the earth; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in vain’; I, the Lord, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.

Mark 14:⁵⁰ Then they all forsook Him and fled.

A Young Man Flees Naked

Mark 14:⁵¹ Now a certain young man (neaniskos) followed (sunékolouthei) Him, having a linen cloth (sindon) thrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him,

• An unnamed man is a picture of the Holy Spirit. He is clothed in linen, a symbol of righteousness.
• Neaniskos: meaning he was in the prime of his life, root meaning is “fresh” figuratively, “regenerate”. The verb that is used, sunékolouthei, means “was following as a disciple” or “was accompanying.”
• “Sindon” is a burial cloth. Used only here in Mark, and for Jesus’ linen burial cloth.
• Like Jesus, He is accosted. Like Jesus, He leaves behind His powerful position in the Godhead without defending Himself. Like Jesus, He is left naked in His innocence, devoid of the power of His position, coming alongside Jesus as Jesus’ Paraclete (‘Comforter’ ‘Advocate’ or ‘Helper’. The term Paraclete most commonly refers to the Holy Spirit.) Paraclete literally means, in the Greek, “One called alongside.”
• John 14:²⁵ “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. ²⁶ But the “Helper”, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. ²⁸ You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.

Mark 14:⁵² and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked (in His innocence but in their shame).

Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin

Mark 14:⁵³ And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes.

Mark 14:⁵⁴ But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.

Mark 14:⁵⁵ Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.

Mark 14:⁵⁶ For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree (were not consistent).

Mark 14:⁵⁷ Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying,

Mark 14:⁵⁸ “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’ ”

Mark 14:⁵⁹ But not even then did their testimony agree.

Mark 14:⁶⁰ And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?”

Mark 14:⁶¹ But He kept silent and answered nothing.

Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”

Mark 14:⁶² Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Mark 14:⁶³ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses?

• Leviticus 21:¹⁰ ‘He who is the high priest among his brethren, on whose head the anointing oil was poured and who is consecrated to wear the garments, shall not uncover his head (in mourning) nor tear his clothes;

• When the high priest tore his clothes he disqualified himself from being high priest. Who took his place? The High Priest of believers: Jesus the Messiah.

Mark 14:⁶⁴ You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?”

And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

Mark 14:⁶⁵ Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands (received Him with slaps).

Peter Denies Jesus, and Weeps

Mark 14:⁶⁶ Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came.

Mark 14:⁶⁷ And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.”

Mark 14:⁶⁸ But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.

Mark 14:⁶⁹ And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.”

Mark 14:⁷⁰ But he denied it again.

And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech (accent) shows it.”

Mark 14:⁷¹ Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”

Mark 14:⁷² A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.

• It is daybreak, the first hour.