Introductory remarks:
We have come to the longest chapter in the Gospel of Mark. This chapter has seventy-two verses. This chapter brings us to the Passion of Jesus. "Now Christ had come as God's Passover Lamb to liberate men from bondage to sin and bring them into new life. In fulfillment of the prophecy contained in the first Passover, Christ must be sacrificed on the appointed day. Christ knew full well the schedule God had predetermined for Him, and now He informed the disciples as to when that sacrifice would take place" (Pentecost). This chapter may be outlined as follows: The plot to kill Jesus vv. 1-2; the anointing at Bethany vv. 3-9; Judas' agreement to betray Jesus vv. 10-11; the Passover with the disciples vv. 12-21; the institution of the Lord's Supper vv. 22-26; Peter's denial foretold vv. 27-31; the prayer in Gethsemane vv. 32-42; the betrayal and arrest of Jesus vv. 43-50; the young man who fled vv. 51-52; Jesus before the council vv. 53-65; Peter's denial of Jesus vv. 66-72.
The Plot to Kill Jesus
(Matt. 26:1-5; Luke 22:1-2; John 11:45-53)
Verse 1, "After two days was the feast of 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."
LGT "Now it was the Passover and the [feast of] unleavened bread, after two days. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking Him, how, by guile, getting hold of they might kill [Him]."
As we count the days to the His final Passion it was Tuesday evening. "Mark calls it here the feast of Passover and unleavened bread, both names covering the eight days. Sometimes Passover is applied to only the first day, sometimes to the whole period. No sharp distinction in usage was observed" (Robertson). John the Baptist presented Christ at the beginning of His ministry as the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world. Now Christ is Passover Lamb that will be the offering God will make for the sins of the world; the chief priests and scribes were continually seeking Christ to put him to death, and the God given time, Christ will allow them to do it.
Verse 2, "But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people."
LGT "But they said, Not in the feast, unless a tumult there shall be of the people."
After His Triumphal Entry, and the great debate in the Temple, and the Olivet Discourse, the vile religious leaders thought it best not to rile the people, for they saw how they followed after, and hung on Christ's every word. The common people were attracted to Jesus, for He fed them and healed them. These leaders figured they would wait until after the Feasts Days were accomplished, and the people would leave Jerusalem, then they would seize Him and have Him put to death.
The anointing at Bethany
(Matt. 26:6-13; John 12:1-8)
Verse 3, "And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head."
LGT "And He, being in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as He reclined [at the table], a woman came, having an alabaster flask of ointment of nard, pure of great price, and having broken the alabaster box, she poured [it] on His head."
"And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,"
Jesus was fellowshipping in the house of Simon the leper; He was able to enter his house because He had healed Simon (Matt. 8).
"As he sat at meat,"
The word "sat" in the Greek NT is katakeimenou, meaning to recline back; the tables were low and the custom was to lie on one's side on small couches when dining.
There came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious;"
"This word ointment does not convey quite the proper meaning. This was a perfume. It was used only to give a pleasant odor, and was liquid. Of spikenard, the nard, from which this perfume was made, is a plant of the East Indies, with a small, slender stalk, and a heavy, thick root. The best perfume is obtained from the root, though the stalk and fruit are used for that purpose" (Barnes).
"And she brake the box, and poured it on his head."
The vase that held the perfume had a narrow neck, and she broke it and poured its contents on Jesus' head.
Edersheim notes:
"Mary may have had that alabaster of very costly ointment from olden days, before she had learned to serve Christ. Then, when she came to know Him, and must have learned how constantly that Decease, of which He ever spoke, was before His Mind, she may have put it aside, kept it, against the day of His burying. And now the decisive hour had come. Jesus may have told her, as He had told the disciples, what was before Him in Jerusalem at the Feast, and she would be far more quick to understand, even as she must have known far better than they, how great was the danger from the Sanhedrin. And it is this believing apprehension of the mystery of His death on her part, and this preparation of deepest love for it - this mixture of sorrow, faith, and devotion - which made her deed sp precious, that, wherever in the future the Gospel would be preached, this also that she had done would be recorded for a memorial of her."
Verse 4, "And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?"
LGT "And some were indignant within themselves, Why has this waste of ointment been made?"
In John 12:4 we read that it was Judas that made the complaint. This was Judas, the self-appointed spokesman, leading a revolt against Christ.
Verse 5, "For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her."
LGT "For it was possible [for] this ointment to have been sold for above three-hundred denarii, and to have been given to the poor ones: and they murmured at her."
Judas made the complaint, but all the disciples joined in with their objections.
Verse 6, "And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? She hath wrought a good work on me."
LGT "And Jesus said, Let her alone: Why do you cause her trouble? A good work she has brought towards Me."
Jesus rebukes all the disciples and sternly tells them to leave Mary alone, that what she is doing is not a waste, but a very devotional thing to Him.
Verse 7, "For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always."
LGT "For the poor you have with you always, and whenever you desire you are able to do them good, but Me you have not always."
Christ admonishes them with the obvious, that they can help the poor and needy anytime, if this is their desire; but Christ is about to leave them, and no amount of devotion is too much; Christ never desired anything for Himself, but He accepted whatever amount of praise they could give. McGee said, "There will be no elimination of poverty until Jesus comes. The idea today that you can eliminate poverty by handing out dollars is a big mistake. There are so many other things wrong in the world that must be corrected first." There are so many other things worse than poverty; if a man's heart is right with God, being poor is certainly not the worse thing on his agenda. This does not mean that we should turn our backs on the poor, because we are admonished to care for the widows and orphans; but the able bodied men and women should not eat, unless they work; to lay around and expect handouts is a cancer in our society that should be cut out. And by the way, we are not told to correct anything in our world; a man's heart must be made right, and then things change; what this world need is regeneration not reformation.
Verse 8, "She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying."
LGT "What she had she did: she came beforehand to anoint My body for the burial."
Mary had more faith and concern than all the disciples put together. She had saved this perfume to anoint Christ for the last time. Anything done to honor Christ is never wasted.
Verse 9, "Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her."
LGT "But verily I say to you, wherever this Good News is proclaimed in the whole world, and this [woman] has done, shall be spoken of for a memorial of her."
What is remembered to this day about Mary's devotion to Christ is that she gave what she had; Mary understood more than all the disciples of Christ, for they would soon abandoned Him, especially Judas, who would betray Christ completely. It is not remembered how much she did, but the attitude of her heart as she gave; it is this attitude that we must savor; it is not how much but why we do anything; we must reach a place in our spiritual maturity that we would rather serve Christ than anything else; I have not reached that place; it is always motive, motive, motive that is rewarded; not what we do, but why we do it.
Judas' Agreement to Betray Jesus
(Matt. 26:14-16; Luke 22:3-6)
Verse 10, "And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them."
LGT "And Judas Iscariot the one of the twelve, went away to the chief priests, in order that he might deliver Him to them."
Notice Mark's use of the article here, the one of the twelve. Robertson said that it was because Mark was "calling attention to the fact that Judas and Judas alone did this deed." No one coerced or pressured Judas to betray Christ, he offered Christ up willingly for greed.
Verse 11, "And they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him."
LGT "And they having heard, rejoiced, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently deliver Him up."
Mark only mentions that they promised to give Judas money, whereas Matthew mentions thirty pieces of silver. Mark also mentions the fact that the chief priests rejoiced, and well they might, because they had been seeking an opportunity to kill Jesus for a long time, but were fearful of the multitudes that followed Christ. Judas was just the person who might be able to find the right time when Christ would be alone, and they could seize Him.
The Passover with the Disciples
(Matt. 26:17-25; Luke 22:7-14; John 13:21-30)
Verse 12, "And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the Passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the Passover?"
LGT "And the first day of unleavened [bread], when they killed the [sacrifice for the] Passover, His disciples say to Him, Where do You desire [that] going we should prepare, in order that You might eat the Passover."
The disciples ask Christ where they might go to prepare the Paschal Lamb, and the things that go with it. "The Passover was to be eaten with unleavened bread, and then there were seven days of unleavened bread to follow (Exod. 12:14-20). Now the disciples here were meticulous in following the letter of the Mosaic Law. They wanted know where they were going to eat the Passover. They were going to do it right. In a few hours Jesus was to fulfill the meaning of the Passover" (McGee).
Verse 13, "And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him."
LGT "And He sends forth two of His disciples, and says to them, Go into the city, and you will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water: follow him."
Luke names these two, Peter and John. A man, that is, a slave whose job it was to carry water. It was generally a woman's job to fetch water, so it would be even more noticeable to see a man carrying the pitcher.
Verse 14, "And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?"
LGT "And wherever he may enter, say to the master of the house, The Teacher says, Where is My guest-chamber where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"
In reading commentaries on this verse I have noted much speculation, and the problem for me is that I have a problem with speculating on the Scripture. Here we have the Lord telling Peter and John to go and follow His instructions; whether or not He made previous arrangements with this unnamed man, or used His omniscient powers to make His plans is of little notice to me. The fact that He told them to go and prepare a room, and that it would happen as He says, is certainly no mystery to me.
Verse 15, "And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us."
LGT "And he will show you a large upper room, furnished [and] ready: and there prepare [it] for us."
"The unnamed disciple [the master of the house] would assign to Him, not the Hall, but the best and chiefest, the upper chamber, or Aliyah, at the same time the most honorable and the most retires place, where from the outside stairs entrance and departure might be had without passing through the house. And the upper room was large, furnished and ready. From Jewish authorities we know, that the average dining-apartment was computed at fifteen feet square; the expression furnished, no doubt, refers to the arrangement of couches all round the Table, except at its end, since it was a canon [standard], that the very poorest must partake of that Supper in a reclining attitude, to indicate rest, safety, and liberty; while the term ready seems to point to the ready provision of all that was required for the Feast. In that case, all that the disciples would have to make ready would be the Paschal Lamb" (Edersheim).
Verse 16, "And the disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the Passover."
LGT "And the disciples went away, and came into the city, and found as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover."
This is similar as to when Christ sent them to fetch a donkey for His Triumphal Entry. McGee believes that Christ knew the master of this house, and had made preparations for them ahead of time; however, it is not necessary to speculate on this, for the Holy Spirit was at work throughout Christ's earthly ministry. Everything was just as Christ had told His disciples; accept it as it is written.
Verse 17, "And in the evening he cometh with the twelve."
LGT "And evening being come, He comes with the twelve."
"It is assumed here that Jesus is observing the Passover meal at the regular time and hour, at 6 P.M. at the beginning of the fifteenth (evening of our Thursday, beginning of Jewish Friday). Mark and Matthew note the time as evening and state it as the regular Passover meal" (Robertson).
Verse 18, "And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me."
LGT "And as they were reclining [at table] and were eating, Jesus said, Verily I say to you, that one of you will deliver Me up, the one who is eating with Me."
Jesus declares to His disciples that one of them that sits at the table and shares communion of the supper will betray Him.
Verse 19, "And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? And another said, Is it I?"
LGT "And they began to be grieved, and to say to Him, one by one, [Is it] I?"
The disciples, realizing that they are exceedingly sinful, and realizing they are capable of such an act, ask Christ, Is it I?
Verse 20, "And he answered and said unto them, It is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish."
LGT "But He said to them, [It is] one of the twelve, the one who is dipping with Me into the dish."
The deception of Judas as they all asked "Is it I"; Judas played along with them (Matt. 26:25) in order that they would not suspect him. Jesus then identified the traitor with this verse, he that is dipping with Me, the same will betray Me.
Verse 21, "The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! Good were it for that man if he had never been born."
LGT "The Son of Man indeed goes, just as it has been written [and stands written] concerning Him; but oooeee to that man by whom the Son of Man is delivered up: it were good for that man if he had not been born."
Christ gives the purpose of His being betrayed by an intimate, that is, it is the fulfillment of Scripture, "Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me" (Psalm 49:1).
The Institution of the Lord's Supper
(Matt. 26:26-30; Luke 22:15-20; I Cor. 11:23-25)
Verse 22, "And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body."
LGT "And as they were eating, having taken bread, having blessed, He brake, and gave to them, and said, Take, this is My body."
"Bread and wine were significant parts of the Passover meal. Bread was used throughout the Old Testament as a symbol of God's provision for His people. Wine was used throughout the Old Testament as a symbol of the joy that would be the experience of those in Messiah's kingdom. The lamb signified the sacrifice by which God would provide a covering for sin so as to receive men into His kingdom. These elements played a significant part in the Passover Feast. It came as no surprise to the disciples that Christ used bread in the observance of the meal and that He passed the cup from which all drank. But now Christ departed from the normal use of these elements at the Passover Feast He gave a new significance to the bread and wine. He took unleavened bread such as He had given to each guest. He gave thanks for that bread, broke the bread into pieces, and distributed the pieces to the eleven. Then He said, This is My body given for you. Christ thus attached special significance to the bread. The bread He used was unleavened, broken, and divided. They were to eat this bread. This was bread given as a perpetual memorial, for He commanded, Do this in remembrance of Me. Bread was the commonest part of every meal in the Lord's day. Jesus took that common element and attached special significance to it. He wanted them, whenever they ate Bread, to be reminded of His body that soon was to be given as a sacrifice on their behalf" (Pentecost).
Verses 23, 24, "And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And He said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many."
LGT "And having taken [the] cup, having given thanks, He gave to them, and they all drank of it. And He said to them, This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out on behalf of many."
"Christ now took the cup of wine that had been passed on a number of occasions during the Passover meal. He also attached special significance to this cup. He said, This is My blood of the covenant. His emphasis was primarily on the blood. His covenant reference was to the new covenant of Jeremiah 31:31-34, where God promised the forgiveness of sins. Since according to Old Testament revelation, sins could be forgiven only on the basis of shed blood; the new covenant necessitated the shedding of blood to provide the forgiveness of sins. Christ said that this cup represented His blood, the blood of the covenant. Thus He meant that His blood would provide for the forgiveness of sins. He said, This cup is the new covenant in my blood (1 Cor. 11:25). The emphasis in Christ's statement was on the covenant - the covenant that necessitated the blood that was shed. By these two statements Christ revealed that through His death He would institute the new covenant that Jeremiah had promised. The institution of the new covenant would terminate the Old Mosaic covenant under which God had dealt with His people previously. Whenever and wherever these men would drink from the cup, they were to be reminded that a new covenant based on Christ's shed blood had been instituted and they were to eat and drink in remembrance of Him. Christ would not Himself drink the cup while He was at His Father's right hand. However, He did promise that the time would come when He would drink of the cup with them again in His Father's kingdom. Thus there would be two memorials to Christ in the future millennial kingdom. From Ezekiel 46:13-25 we know that Israel will offer memorial sacrifices in the millennial temple as memorials of the death of Christ. We know that church saints periodically memorialize the death of Christ by breaking bread and drinking from the cup because the apostle Paul was told by special revelation that Christ's church should do this" (Pentecost). (Of course I do not believe this last statement is theologically sound based on Pentecost's own accepted lessons on Hermeneutics; The first church certainly did observe the Lord's Supper, in view of the fact that the Word of God had not yet been completed; now that we have the completed Scriptures, I believe we should thank God every time we eat, and certainly remember His death, burial, and resurrection; I do not believe that any pre-canon ceremony has any significance in this age of Grace)
Verse 25, "Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
LGT "Verily I say to you, that not any more in any way, will I drink of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God."
The entire ceremony of the Passover Feast, and then changed to the Lord's Supper, is looking forward to the Kingdom, and now in this age of grace, the church is looking forward to the rapture and not His second coming to set up His millennial Kingdom.
Verse 26, "And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives."
LGT "And having sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives."
After singing the Paschal hymn (See Matt. 26:30) they all went out to the Mount of Olives.
Peter's Denial Foretold
(Matt. 26:31-35; Luke 22:31-34; John 13:36-38)
Verse 27, "And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered."
LGT "And Jesus says to them, All ye shall be offended, for it has been written [and stands written], I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered abroad."
Christ predicts that the disciples would deny Him, and that the sheep [Israel] would be scattered; He viewed this as a fulfillment of Zechariah 13:7; smite the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.
Verse 28, "But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee."
LGT "But after My arising, I will go before you into Galilee."
Christ never tells of His death without giving His disciples assurance of His resurrection. He tells them that after His resurrection He will shepherd them into Galilee.
Verse 29, 'But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I."
LGT "But Peter said to Him, Even if all shall be offended, but certainly not I."
Peter boasts of His loyalty, even after the Lord says that they all shall be offended.
Verse 30, "And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice."
LGT "And Jesus says to him, Verily I say to you, that today, this [very] night, that before twice [the] cock crow, thrice you will deny Me."
This is not the vote of confidence Peter was expecting; he was looking for a pat on the head. Mark alone adds the word 'twice." The cock crowing marks the third watch of the night. Jesus answers Peter's over-confidence with a statement of reality that Peter will deny Him, not only once, but again, and again, and again. It is certainly true that Peter loved Christ, but the truth of the matter was, that Peter did not really know himself, like His Master did.
Verse 31, "But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all."
LGT "But he exceeding vehemently kept saying, If it were needful for me to die, together with You, I will in no way deny You. And in like manner they all spoke."
Overconfident Peter contradicts the Lord's words and insists that he would never, in any way, ever deny the Lord, even if he were to die with Him; and all the other disciples nod their heads in agreement.
The Prayer in Gethsemane
(Matt. 26:36-46; Luke 22:39-46)
Verse 32, "And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray."
LGT "And they come to a place of whose name was Gethsemane, and He says to His disciples, Sit here, while I shall pray."
Christ leaves the upper room with His disciples and heads to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. "The Synoptic Gospels [Matthew, Mark and Luke) do not give the great discourse of Jesus in John 14 to 17. Hence they represent Jesus going forth to Gethsemane after the institution of the supper. . . . The time was probably not long and they apparently sang the hymn (probably one of the Psalms) as they rose to leave the Upper Room (John 14:31). Hence the passage in John 15 to 17 comes in between the hymn and reaching Gethsemane" (Robertson).
Verse 33, "And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;"
LGT "And He takes Peter and John, and James with Him and He began to be greatly amazed and full of sorrow."
Jesus looked out over Jerusalem and His heart was filled with sorrow; Christ not only suffered physically, He suffered extreme sorrow in His soul.
Verse 34, "And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch."
LGT "And He says to them, Very sorrowful is My soul, even unto death: remain here and watch."
As Christ experienced this great sorrow of soul, He exhorted His disciples to watch and pray; Christ knew that He was being pursued by those who wanted to kill him; however He also knew He had to refresh His soul in order to face what was ahead of him. (See Matt. 26:38 for my comments on this verse).
Verse 35, "And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him."
LGT "And having gone forward a little He fell upon the earth, and began to pray, that, if it is possible, the hour might pass from Him."
Jesus cries out in His humanity, that if were possible, He might not have to undergo the cross. He had been looking forward to the cross, and now that it was near, He would that He did not have to endure it.
Verse 36, "And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt."
LGT "And He said, Abba Father, all things are possible with You: take away this cup from Me: but not what I will, but what You [will]."
The cup that Christ wanted removed was the cross and all that it involved; physical death; spiritual death; separation from the Godhead; the shame of a sinner's death, when all the sins of the world would be placed on Him. Christ spoke both in Aramaic [Abba] and Greek [pater]. In addressing His Father; why He did, I have no idea. The victory over the flesh was when Christ said, not My will, but Yours.
Verse 37, "And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? Couldest not thou watch one hour?"
LGT "And He comes and finds them sleeping, and He says to Peter, Simon, you sleep? Were you not able one hour to watch."
Jesus uses the old name for peter here, fully realizing the weakness of the flesh; Simon, you sleep?
Verse 38, "Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak."
LGT "Watch and pray, in order that you do not enter into temptation: the spirit indeed [is] ready, but the flesh, weak."
Christ is assuring Peter that in his own strength he will fail, no matter how emotionally involved he may be.
Verse 39, "And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words."
LGT "And again, having gone away, He prayed, saying the same words."
Jesus prayed again, desiring the agony of all that the cross required, to pass from Him; and again, He prayed, not My will, but Thine.
Verse 40, "And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him."
LGT "And having come, again He found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they knew not what they should answer Him."
Even though they wanted to stay awake, the flesh did not permit it; they knew not how to excuse themselves: "Both their shame and their drowsiness would make them dumb" (Gould).
Verse 41, "And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners."
LGT "And He comes the third time, and said to them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough: the hour has come, behold, the Son of Man is delivered up into the hands of sinners."
The Lord comes the third time, finding the disciples sleeping, and He says to them, Sleep on, the time of My deliverance is at hand. "The term it is enough, is used here in an ironical sense, probably meaning that there was no need of further reproof of the disciples for their failure to watch with Him" (Robertson). "This is no time for a lengthened exposure of the faults of friends; the enemy is at the gate" (Swete). "The Lord tells His disciples that He has conquered His temptation, and He needs their sympathy no longer" (TEGT). The Lord, like on the cross, must suffer for sin alone; there was no room for anyone to share in His agony (See Matt. 26:45).
Verse 42, "Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand."
LGT "Rise up, let us go: behold, the one who is delivering Me up, has drawn near."
There was obviously a short lapse in time here, so the disciples were able to get a little sleep.
The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
(Matt. 26:47-56; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:3-12)
Verse 43, "And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders."
LGT "And immediately, as He was yet speaking, Judas comes up, being one of the twelve, and a great crowd with him, with swords and staves, from the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders."
Judas comes with an embassy from the Sanhedrim whom he had made his bargain of thirty pieces of silver for the capture of Christ (Mark 14:1). Mark has "Scribes" whereas John 18:3 mentions "Pharisees." They bring a large cohort of Temple Police in case Christ might summon that Legion of Angels He spoke to Peter about. "In desperation, they are about to do what they had said they would not do, that is, take Him away and kill Him during the feast days" (McGee).
Verse 44, "And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely."
LGT "Now the one who was delivering Him up, had given a sign to them, saying, Whoever I shall kiss is He; seize Him, and lead [Him] away, carefully."
"Whomsoever I shall kiss, the same is he;"
The word "token" is sussemon, "A common word in the ancient Greek for a concerted signal according to agreement. It is here only in the New Testament" (Robertson). A greeting with a kiss is a mark of friendship; this made Judas' act even more disgusting.
Take him, and lead him away safely."
The word "safely" is the Greek word asphalos, and it means very carefully, for Judas didn't want any slip-ups; Judas knew of Christ's supernatural powers.
Verse 45, "And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him."
LGT "And being come, immediately coming up to Him, he says, Rabbi, and devotedly kissed Him:"
Of course this devotion shown to Christ by this kiss, was fake, brought out in Judas' salute of calling Jesus "Rabbi." McGee makes the point that no man can call Christ "Lord" except by the Holy Spirit; thus Judas could not, because he hated the Christ.
Verse 46, "And they laid their hands on him, and took him."
LGT "And they laid on Him their hands, and seized Him."
This is the point where Christ is delivered up into the hands of sinful men.
Verse 47, "And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear."
LGT "But one [a certain one] of those who were standing by, having drawn his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and took off his ear."
Mark does not give Peter's name to the disciple that cut off Malchus' ear; only John does this, after Peter had been killed. Mark does not give Christ's rebuke to Peter, probably because Mark received his information directly from Peter. McGee said that it was easy to tell Peter was a fisherman and not a swordsman, because Peter was aiming at Malchus' neck.
Verse 48, "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me?"
LGT "And Jesus answering said to them, As against a robber are ye come out with swords and staves to take Me?"
Jesus was not carrying a weapon, and He put up no resistance; He even scolded Peter and told to put up his sword (Matt. 26:52). Mark doesn't record this part.
Verse 49, "I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled."
LGT "Daily I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me: but in order that the scriptures may be fulfilled."
Everything that was now happening in the garden was prophesied in the Scriptures, and this was the fulfillment; if they had believed their own Scriptures, they would have let Christ go.
Verse 50, "And they all forsook him, and fled."
LGT "And leaving Him, all fled."
All eleven disciples were panic stricken, and they all fled.
The Young Man Who Fled
Verses 51, 52, "And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: and he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked."
LGT "And a certain young man was following Him, having cast a linen cloth about [his] naked [body], and they seize him: but he, leaving behind the linen cloth, fled naked."
This incident is not recorded by any of the other Gospel writers; there has been much speculation as to who this certain young man was; not being given to speculation, it seems that Mark adds this bit of information to accentuate the speediness that the disciples left this scene. The best guess to me was that John Mark had followed the apostles and Jesus to the garden, but stayed a safe distance away; and that when the disciples all fled, he followed after them and was nearly caught.
Jesus Before the Council
(Matt. 26:57-68; Luke 22:54-55, 63:71; John 18:13-14, 19-24)
Verse 53, "And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes."
LGT "And they led away Jesus to the high priest, and there come together all the chief priests, and the elders, and the scribes."
The Sanhedrists were gathered together expecting the arrival of Jesus under guard. "Jesus is now brought before Caiaphas, the high priest who was acceptable to Rome. Annas, his father-in-law, was actually the high priest according to the Mosaic Law. Jesus was first brought before Annas, which John records. Some believe that Annas was the real rascal behind the plot to kill Jesus. This is a meeting of the Sanhedrin" (McGee).
Verse 54, "And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire."
LGT "And Peter from afar off was following Him as far as within the court of the high priest, and was sitting with the officers, and warming himself at the fire [lit. The light]."
"And Peter followed him afar off,"
Peter had separated himself from Christ and followed only from a distance. He showed more courage than the other disciples, except John, who went in with Jesus.
"Even into the palace of the high priest:"
Peter followed them as far as the outer court, where the guards were.
And he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire."
Mark used the term phos which means "light" for fire pur; The reason being that not only was he warming himself, but the fire was light, showing up his face.
Verse 55, "And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none."
LGT "And the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrim, sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, and did not find [any]."
This council of the Sanhedrim was illegal from the very beginning, because they held it at night. They sought a witness against Jesus but came up empty. (For a detailed exposition on the illegality of this trial see my notes on John 18:24).
Verse 56, "For many bare false witness against him, but their witnesses agreed not together."
LGT "For many were bearing false testimony against Him, and their testimonies were not equal."
Each of the liars had a different story, and none could agree. "No two witnesses bore joint testimony to justify a capital sentence according to the Law (Deut. 19:15)" (Robertson).
Verses 57-59, "And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. But neither so did their witness agree together."
LGT "And some, having risen up bearing false testimony against Him, saying, We heard Him saying that I will destroy the temple, the one made with hands, and in three days another, not made with hands, I will build. And neither thus alike was their testimony."
Of course these false witnesses are referring to a physical temple, but Christ is referring to His replacing the old temple with His resurrection, and His beginning of His Church. Besides, He never spoke of destroying the temple, only that they would destroy the temple. To the Sanhedrim, this was blasphemy that Christ spoke of destroying their temple; however, they could never understand this because they were unbelievers, and the natural man cannot comprehend spiritual phenomenon.
Verse 60, "And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? What is it which these witness against thee?"
LGT "And the high priest, having stood up in their midst questioned Jesus, saying, Do You answer nothing to what these testify against You?"
The high priest hopes by ranting and raving he might cover up the fact that he is completely baffled by these false witnesses.
Verse 61, "But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"
LGT "But He kept silent, and answered nothing. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and says to Him, You are the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"
Mark uses the term kept silent showing that through all the false witnessing, Christ said nothing; this is a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:7, as a sheep is before her shearers is
dumb, so He opened not His mouth. The high priest uses the term Blessed One, only as a title for God, certainly not from devotion.
Verse 62, "And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."
LGT "And Jesus said, I am. And ye shall see the Son of Man sitting at [the] right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of the heaven."
"The silence of Jesus surprised and annoyed the high priest. He wanted Jesus to answer to see if He might condemn Himself. Finally, the high priest put Him under oath. Under oath Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, the Son of God. He could make no higher claim. He added a claim that could pertain only to the Son of God: I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed (Dan. 7:13, 14).
The high priest understood what He said and all the implications of it. He displayed his intense emotions by tearing his garment. In doing this, he broke the Mosaic Law, as the garment of the high priest was not to be torn" (McGee).
Verse 63, "Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, what need we any further witnesses?"
LGT "And the high priest, having rent his garments, says, What anymore have we need of witnesses?"
Jesus indicted Himself when He made this claim that He was God, that is, He claims deity.
Verse 64, "Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death."
LGT "You heard the blasphemy: What appears to you? And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death."
The penalty for blasphemy in the Law was death. They all understood that Christ blasphemed, but they did not believe He was God; they only believed that He claimed to be God.
Verse 65, "And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophecy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands."
LGT "And some began to spit upon Him, and to cover up His face, and to beat Him with [their] fists, and to say to Him, Prophecy: and the officers struck Him with the palm of the hand."
This verse depicts the unusually cruel treatment they inflicted on Jesus; they covered His face, that is they blindfolded Him, and beat Him with their fists, and the officers struck him with their staves, and mockingly said, Prophecy Son of God, who struck you.
Peter's Denial of Jesus
(Matt. 26:69-75; Luke 22:56-62; John 18:15-18, 25-27)
Verses 66, 67 "And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest: and when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth."
LGT "And Peter being in the court below, one of the maids of the high priest comes, and seeing Peter warming himself, having looked at him says, and you were with Jesus the Nazarene."
The Sanhedrim had Jesus upstairs while Peter was down below in the outer court; one of the high priests maidservants sees Peter's face by the light of the fire, and identifies him as a disciple of Jesus.
Verse 68, "But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew."
LGT "But he denied, saying, I know not, nor even understand what you are saying. And he went forth out into the vestibule [and a cock crew]."
Peter denied that he even understood what the maid was saying. He left the courtyard and entered the front entryway of the courtyard to get away.
Verse 69, "And the maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them."
LGT "And the maid seeing him again, began to say to those standing by, This is [one] of them."
The maid follows Peter out to the entrance and points him out to the rest as definitely one of Christ's disciples.
Verse 70, "And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto."
LGT "And he denied again. And after a little [time], again the ones standing by said to Peter, Truly you are from among them, for you are also a Galilean."
The last phrase, and thy speech agreeth thereto, is missing in the best manuscripts; however, it probably is not far from what the context means, that is, his being a Galilean is obvious by his speech; McGee says that Peter once again talks too much and it gets him into trouble.
Verse 71, "But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak."
LGT "But he began to curse and to swear, I know not this Man of whom you speak."
Robertson points out that the word "curse" gr. anathematizein, has the meaning of calling down a curse on oneself; Peter was saying, in effect, if I am lying may I be cursed.
Verse 72, "And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept."
LGT "And immediately the cock crew a second time, and Peter remembered the word which Jesus said to him, that before the cock crow twice, you will deny Me thrice: and having thought thereon, he wept."
This chapter concludes on this most dismal account of Peter weeping over denying his Lord. The key to this verse is Peter was repentant, not because he wept bitterly, but because he thought these things out, and then the tears came; repentance is never because we are sorry, but our sorrow is the result of our seeing things from God's viewpoint, then we may cry, and many times, cry we should.
McGee adds:
"This man had not known his own weakness. Simon Peter loved Jesus, and he was sincere when he promised to be loyal to Him. But he did not know himself. He had not yet come to the place where he saw no good in the flesh at all.
However, Peter could repent of his sin, and that is the real test of a genuine believer. These were tears of heartbroken repentance. Years later in his epistle he wrote, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:5). Peter knew that the Lord Jesus had kept him!
We close this chapter with Jesus in the hands of His enemies. His own are scattered. One has betrayed Him; another has denied Him. It is the night of sin!"
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