←Mark 14→BSB

The final section of Mark is the narrative of Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection.

The plot by the leading priests and teachers of religious law to kill Jesus (see 3:6; 11:18; 12:12) now comes to a climax.

• The story of Jesus’ being anointed by a woman in Bethany (14:3–9) sets the scene for events to follow. Luke’s account (Luke 7:36–50) is significantly different and might be a different event. This incident took place in Bethany, two miles east of Jerusalem on the lower, eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, where Jesus apparently stayed when he was in Judea (Mark 11:1, 11–12). The home belonged to Simon, a former leper (lepers were isolated from society; perhaps he had been healed by Jesus; see 1:40–45).
• eating: Or reclining. The meal was a banquet, as indicated by their reclining. A woman (see John 12:3) broke the neck of a sealed, alabaster jar containing expensive perfume (pure nard) and poured it all on Jesus’ head (see Exod 29:4–7; 2 Kgs 9:1–6).

Some (cp. Matt 26:8; John 12:4–5) were indignant over what they considered a waste of the expensive perfume, said to have been worth a year’s wages for the average worker. This large amount of money could have been given to the poor, and it was obligatory to remember the poor during Passover.

Jesus defended the woman’s action. That the disciples would always have the poor among them did not minimize Jesus’ concern for the poor. The opportunity to minister directly to Jesus was limited. Only hours remained! She chose the best thing she could do with her perfume.

In sharp contrast to the woman, Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, offered to betray Jesus for money (Matt 26:15; 27:3, 9).

• The preparation for the Passover meal (14:12–16) introduces the story of the Last Supper (14:22–25).
• The Last Supper is associated with the Passover meal (14:12, 14, 16; Matt 26:17–19; Luke 22:7–8, 11, 13, 15; cp. John 18:28; 19:14). Many pilgrims celebrated Passover in Jerusalem, where God’s Temple was located (see Deut 16:2).

Jesus’ instructions to the disciples are similar to those of 11:2–6, suggesting that Jesus had prearranged a place for eating the Passover and Last Supper with his disciples. Jesus’ careful preparations for this meal emphasize its importance. The two disciples were to prepare the Passover meal, which included the lamb (which had to be slaughtered, skinned, cleaned, and roasted over an open fire), unleavened bread, a bowl of salt water, bitter herbs, and a bowl of a fruit puree, or kharosheth. Enough wine mixed with water was needed so that Jesus and the disciples could each drink four cups to celebrate God’s fourfold blessing (Exod 6:6–7).

• The Last Supper began with a blessing. In modern practice, Christians ask God to bless the food; Jews in Jesus’ day blessed God for providing the food with the words, “Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.”
• this is my body. . . . This is my blood: Some understand these words to mean that the bread and wine are transformed into the very body and blood of Jesus (transubstantiation); others, that the bread and wine remain bread and wine but that the real presence of Jesus is found in them (consubstantiation). In these two views, when one participates in the Lord’s Supper, one actually eats and drinks the body and blood of Jesus. A third view is that in eating the bread and wine, Christians spiritually feed on Jesus. A fourth view is that the meal is primarily a memorial, and the elements are symbolic of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. See also John 6:53–63 and corresponding study note.

• Then they sang a hymn: It was customary to end the Passover by singing the last part of the hallel psalms (Pss 114–118).
• The singing of hymns brought the Passover meal and Last Supper to a conclusion, and Jesus and the disciples departed for the Mount of Olives to spend the night. As they proceeded, Jesus told his disciples that they would all desert him, which had to happen because the Scriptures foretold it.
• God will strike the Shepherd: As a result, the sheep (the disciples) would be scattered.

Peter’s protests and Jesus’ rebuke recall 8:32–33. Despite Peter’s protests, his denial took place within a few hours.

Jesus went ahead with Peter, James, and John (5:37–43; 9:2–9; see also 13:3) and asked them to watch with him, meaning to agonize with and for him in prayer.

• Jesus fell to the ground to pray because of his deep distress (see Gen 17:1–3; Lev 9:24; Num 14:5; 16:4). Since it was normal to pray out loud, Jesus’ prayer was probably overheard by the three disciples, who would not have fallen asleep immediately.
• Jesus addressed God as Abba, Father, indicating their close relationship (see Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6).
• Please take this cup . . . from me: In faith, Jesus expressed his own feelings and desires to the Father. It was not only the physical agony of crucifixion that terrified him, but also the unique death that he would experience. He who knew no sin would experience the wrath of God against sin (Mark 15:34; 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 3:13).
• Yet I want your will to be done, not mine: Jesus’ submission to the Father’s will is a model for his followers.

• are you asleep? The question was a rebuke, for Jesus knew that Peter had been sleeping.
• Though the spirit is willing to avoid temptation (see Rom 7:18, 22–23), the body (literally the flesh, which denotes the general weakness and vulnerability of humanity) is weak.

• The content of Jesus’ prayer was probably the same as before (see 14:35–36, 39). The third failure of Peter, James, and John to watch and pray recalls Jesus’ prediction that Peter would deny him three times (14:30, 66–72).
• The words sleep and have your rest can be interpreted as a command, as in the NLT. Others take it as an exclamation (“You are sleeping and resting!”). Still others take it as a rhetorical question (“Are you sleeping and resting?”).
• the time (literally hour) has come: The passion of Jesus had begun, the hour for pouring out the blood of the sacrificial lamb (14:24). This statement coincided with the arrival of Judas and the armed crowd seeking to seize Jesus. Jesus was betrayed into the hands of sinners for whom he willingly went to the cross (2:17; 10:45; 14:21).
• Up, let’s be going: Jesus accepted the cup God had given him. He went out to defeat his enemies by dying for them.

Gethsemane was dark, and Jesus was personally unknown to most of the crowd sent to seize him (see John 18:7–8), so Judas had given a sign by which he would identify Jesus. Judas addressed Jesus as Rabbi and greeted him with a kiss, a common form of greeting (1 Sam 10:1; 2 Sam 19:39; Luke 7:45).

The account of Jesus’ arrest ends with this comment about an unnamed young man. There does not seem to be any theological reason for Mark to record this incident. The explanation that it is an autobiographical detail about Mark is as good as any.

The leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law were not synonymous with the “entire high council” (14:55; 15:1), or Sanhedrin, but they made up a large part of it. Peter followed Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, where the Sanhedrin was meeting. The stage is set for Peter’s denial (14:66–72).

The story of Jesus’ trial follows immediately upon his arrest. Objections have been raised as to the historicity of the various accounts of Jesus’ trial, because of differences of detail from the rules found in the Mishnah tractate Mishnah Sanhedrin. However, (1) the Mishnah was written around AD 200, whereas the Gospel of Mark was written in the late 60s, over 130 years earlier; (2) the rules found in Mishnah Sanhedrin idealize what later rabbis thought should take place in such trials and do not necessarily describe what did in fact take place; (3) it is questionable whether the Sadducees leading the Sanhedrin would have followed the Pharisaic rules found in Mishnah Sanhedrin (see Acts 23:6–10); (4) the rules found in Mishnah Sanhedrin sometimes conflict with what the Jewish historian Josephus wrote; (5) existing laws of conduct were not necessarily followed—Jesus was being tried by a kangaroo court, in which the sentence was predetermined and only the charge for carrying it out was sought (Mark 14:55); (6) if we must choose between the trial accounts found in the Gospels and Mishnah Sanhedrin, there is no reason to choose the reliability of Mishnah Sanhedrin over that of the Gospels.

• The trial took place before the entire high council (Greek Sanhedrin), which had seventy members and was led by the high priest. The Gospels portray a formal trial: There was a search for witnesses (14:55), eyewitness testimony (14:56–59), Jesus being placed under oath (Matt 26:63), Jesus being allowed to defend himself (Mark 14:60), the high priest tearing his robe (14:63), and the concluding verdict by the Sanhedrin (14:64). This does not mean that it was a fair trial—the decision to put Jesus to death had already been made. Evidence was not sought to determine the truth, but to obtain a guilty verdict and death sentence.
• False witnesses giving false testimony misrepresented what Jesus said about the destruction and rebuilding of the Temple (see 15:29; John 2:19; Acts 6:14). Because the false witnesses contradicted each other, their testimony was unacceptable (Num 35:30; Deut 17:6; 19:15).

Since the false witnesses failed to agree (14:56), the high priest sought incriminating testimony from Jesus.

• The high priest tore his clothing at Jesus’ response. This was a judicial act that indicated a guilty verdict and signified that there was no need to find other witnesses. The rest of the Sanhedrin agreed that Jesus was guilty and deserved to die.
• Exactly what was blasphemous in Jesus’ reply is unclear. Perhaps it was his reply “I Am,” which was the way God referred to himself in Exod 3:14 (see John 8:58). However, Mark is not necessarily repeating the actual words Jesus said at his trial (cp. Matt 26:64; Luke 22:70), so these words could simply be indicating Jesus’ affirmative response to the high priest’s question. He was the Messiah, the Son of God. During the second Jewish revolt against Rome, Bar Kokhba (AD 132–135) claimed to be the Messiah, and it was not considered blasphemous. Jesus’ identification of himself as the Son of Man cannot have been considered blasphemous, for we have over fifty instances before Jesus’ trial in which he used this title, and the charge of blasphemy was never raised. Yet it was too much for the high priest and the Sanhedrin when Jesus clearly claimed to be the Son of Man of Dan 7:13 coming in God’s name to judge the world. This declaration was also added to the fact that, during his ministry, Jesus forgave sins (Mark 2:5–7; Luke 7:48–50), claimed to be the Son of God (Mark 12:6), pronounced judgment upon the Temple (14:58), and claimed to be Lord of the Sabbath (2:28). Already convinced that Jesus should be put to death, the religious leaders now pronounced the predetermined guilty verdict (14:55).

Peter’s predicted denials (see 14:30) occurred during Jesus’ trial.

The servant girl repeated her accusation to other bystanders. The others thought Peter was Jesus’ follower because he was a Galilean (see Matt 26:73; cp. Acts 2:7).