Mark 14

Mark 14
OUR SUFFERING SERVANT:
As the Lord had steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, so He steadfastly set His heart to do the Father’s will. “Obedient unto death…Phil. 2:8
Mark gives us a strong contrast of the treachery of Judas with the love and loyalty of Mary. The ugliness of their sins makes the beauty of her sacrifice even more meaningful.
Mary is found 3 times in the Gospel story…at the feet of Jesus. She is a great model for all of us to follow. It was an expensive offering equivalent of a common worker’s annual income. She gave lavishly and lovingly. Not ashamed to display her love openly. 3 consequences: 1. filled the house with a beautiful fragrance. There is always a sp. Fragrance in the home where Jesus is loved and worshiped. 2. She was criticized for wasting her money, but Judas wasted his entire life! 3. Jesus commended her…he knew her heart and the heart of Judas. No matter what others may say about our worship and service, the most important thing is that we please the Lord. His approval alone! Mary gave her best in faith and love; Judas gave his worst in unbelief and hatred.
Mary was always at Jesus’ feet: listening, learning, not missing a word, watching – not missing other signs that sent messages to her heart. If we sit at the feet of Jesus, we will know – as Mary did – the secrets of the Lord.
THE LORD’S SUPPER: The original Passover – roasted lamb…reminded the Jews of the blood that was applied to the doorposts in Egypt to keep the angel of death from slaying their firstborn. The bread…reminded them of their haste in leaving Egypt. The bitter herbs…spoke of their suffering as Pharaoh’s slaves. Jesus fulfilled the Passover by dying on the cross as the spotless Lamb of God.
WASHING OF THE DISCIPLES FEET: *showing hospitality, demonstrating humility, peacemaker, asking and receiving forgiveness, giving forgiveness.
Some people try to defend Judas by arguing that he betrayed Jesus in order to force Him into revealing His power and setting up the Jewish kingdom. Others say that he was nothing but a servant who obediently fulfilled God’s Word. Judas was neither a martyr nor a robot. He was a responsible human being who made his own decisions, but in so doing fulfilled the Word. He must not be made into either a hero (After all, somebody had to betray Jesus!) or a helpless victim of merciless predestination. He was lost for the same reason millions are lost today – he did not repent of his sins and believe on Jesus Christ. Anyone who has never been born again, one day they will wish they had not been born at all.
“This do in remembrance of me.” Bread and wine were 2 common items that were used at practically every meal, but Jesus gave them a wonderful new meaning. He did not transform either the bread or the wine into anything different. They would serve as memorials of His death.
On the cross, Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant and established a New Convenant. The O.C. was ratified with the blood of animal sacrifices, but the N.C. was ratified by the blood of God’s Son. The New did what the Old could not do – take away sin and cleanse the heart and conscience of the believer.
In remembrance means more than in memory of…you can do something in memory of a dead person, but Jesus IS alive! Present participation in a past event. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper, by faith we have communion with Him. Not magical experience produced by the bread and cup. It is a spiritual experience that comes through our discerning of Christ and the meaning of the Supper. Then they sang…Imagine our Lord SINGING when the cross was only a few hours away!
The disciples were unable in their minds and hearts to receive and retain His words regarding their betrayal and denial. There are eloquent sermons blaming Peter for “following afar off,” but they completely miss the point. He was not supposed to follow at all! He seemed to have a difficult time applying Jesus’ commands to himself. Peter was not the only self-confident one in the group…all of them failed.
Being perfectly human, Jesus wanted companionship as He faced the cross. Peter James and John. Jesus struggle: He would be made sin for us. II Cor. 5:21. And bear the curse of the Law Gal. 3:13. It was not the physical suffering that was overwhelming with anguish and sorrow, but the contemplation of being forsaken by His Father Mark 15:34. This was the cup John 18:11. Heb. 5:7-9…He asked to be saved, not from death but out of death; that is, raised from the dead…and the Father did just that.
3 times Jesus prayed – did not tell the Father what to do…He was perfectly confident in God’s will. Each time He yielded to the Father’s will in loving surrender.
3 disciples? – sleeping! “Be alert as you pray! Keep your spiritual eyes open, for the enemy is near.”
Peter’s attach on Malchus: Foolish – for we do not fight spiritual battles with physical weapons. He used the wrong weapon, at the wrong time, for the wrong purpose, with the wrong motive.
When the disciples fled, it may have appeared that the Lord was left ALONE: “and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.” (John 16:32) But later…
The judicial scene began: The High Priest’s Palace…when under oath, the Lord identified Himself. “Son of man” is messianic and the members of the council knew exactly what Jesus was saying: He was claiming to be God come in human flesh! - blasphemy to the Jews and they declared Him guilty and worthy of death.
Peter in the courtyard: It was not the crowing of the cock that convicted Peter; it was the remembering of Christ’s words. It is always the Word that penetrates the heart and brings about true repentance. Before we judge Peter too severely, we need to examine our own lives. How many times has we denied the Lord and lost opportunities to share the Gospel with others? Do we, like Peter, talk when we should listen, argue when we should obey, sleep when we should pray, and fight when we should submit? Peter at least was sorry for his sins and wept over them, and the Lord forgave him.