Mark 16:1-8 – He is Risen!

Here we see three devoted women who stayed till they knew where the Lord’s lifeless body was laid. Since it was nightfall, there was no time to embalm the body of Jesus before it was placed in the newly hewed tomb. They saw the huge stone rolled over to cover the tomb. And they left the scene, since night had approached. As darkness filled the atmosphere, sorrow filled their hearts. So on Sunday morning, the first day of the week, still sorrowing, they woke up very early. They brought spices and hurried to the tomb of Jesus with the intention to anoint His body which was not embalmed. And as they were going, they recalled the huge stone that was rolled to cover the grave. So naturally they expressed their worry by asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” They did not have the faintest idea that the Lord could have arisen.

The two words “Looking up…,” in verse 4, suggests that they were probably despondent as they thought about that gigantic stone. They were being very human. Let us not forget that if God could raise Christ from the dead, what is there in life that could be so huge that He cannot do, to roll it away for us. On looking up they saw that the extremely large stone had rolled away from the entrance. Their hearts began to be gripped by another fear. “Who could have stolen the body?” Is this not a common phenomenon with us? We always think the worst and not the best. But little did those women know that He had risen.

As they entered the tomb they saw a young man robed in white, who said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’”  What a marvelous exclamation, “He has risen!” This is the greatest miracle mankind had known and will ever know. To date it remains an irrefutable fact that the grave of Jesus was empty. He was not there that morning when the ladies came to anoint His body. It was not there then and it had not been there since. Why? HE HAD RISEN!

The angel then told them that The Risen Jesus would go ahead of them to Galilee and it would be there that He would meet them. They were so over taken with fear and did not say anything to anyone. As they left the tomb they were trembling in astonishment. Who won’t? On Saturday, the women were despondent and in despair. All hope was gone. On Sunday, their hope revived. They saw an empty tomb, they were told of Christ’s resurrection. They left the empty tomb with great hope.

How are we living life today? Are we Saturday or are we Sunday people? We must not live with a Saturday mentality of pessimism and hopelessness. We are people who must live every day with a Sunday mentality. We must lay hold of the irrepressible hope, and live life with great anticipation of the wondrous glory of the soon returning resurrected Christ!

Mark 15:42-47 – Rising to the occasion

The impact the death of Christ made was immediate. We are told that evening was approaching. It was the time to begin preparing for the Sabbath, the next day. Mark introduced a member of the Sanhedrin who was impacted by the ordeal of Christ’s death. He was none other than Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin. Luke 23:50 tells us that he was “a good and upright man.” He had been waiting for the Kingdom of God. From John 19:38, we learned that he was a disciple of Jesus, but followed Him secretly for fear of the Jews. Fear is one dominant factor that had caused many followers of Christ not to stand up for Him when He needed it most. It was precisely this fear that had kept him from speaking up in the closing hours of the Lord’s life. Though he could not agree with the Sanhedrin concerning the Lord, there was no sign that he stood with Him in His hour of need. But as he saw the astonishing ordeal and death that Jesus underwent, he finally mustered enough courage to approach Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. We must admire him for this moment. He risked everything to come and get the body of Jesus for burial.

The lifeless body of Christ, together with those two crucified with Him, would had been chucked into the grave of the common criminals. That would have been the ultimate humiliation. Obviously Joseph could not bear that thought.  So he finally found the courage and went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus, to give Him a decent burial. Why was this a brave act? Pilate could take it out on him since he was a member of the Sanhedrin. That governor was possibly seething in anger for being out manipulated by the Sanhedrin into killing an innocent man. Besides, he could be viewed by his colleagues in the Sanhedrin as a turncoat and be expelled from the council. If that happened, he would be despised for identifying with what they thought was a false Messiah, who was crucified. But what’s heartening now is the fact that he was prepared to do something about it, although in many minds there was nothing in it for him. For this Jesus was dead. And the dream of being liberated was over.       

Pilate, having ascertained that Jesus had died, allowed Joseph to have His body. Verses 46 says, “Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.” Meanwhile, Mary Magdalene and Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus, looked on to see where the Lord was buried.  So after many hours of intense and immense activities, the day finally grind to a halt, with Jesus buried and two faithful women knowing where His tomb was. The harsh reality dawned on all who loved Jesus then. He was gone. As the stone was rolled over the grave to shut the entrance, all their hope died with it.  

What was it that gave Joseph of Arimathea the courage to come out boldly to acknowledge His association with Jesus? It can’t be fame nor anything that he could gain. For he was not even aware of what was coming. In fact, he was facing greater risk to be counted with Jesus at that point. Was it his regret that finally made him wanted to do something right? The answers to these and many questions rest alone with Joseph. On this side of earth we probably will never know. But one thing we can take heart from is what he finally did. Though he was not one who was given to public demonstration or could be easily persuaded, when the hour demands his commitment and involvement, he rose to the occasion! He made it count where it matters. Can this be said of us? Are we willing to stand up for Jesus and be counted where it really matters?   

Mark 15:40-41 – Women in ministry

It’s not unusual to find family and relatives at the scene when a condemned man was crucified. Mark tells us that some women from Galilee, who had accompanied Jesus, were looking on from a distance. While only three were named here, verse 41 tells us that there were also many who came to Jerusalem with Him. According to Luke 8:1-3 these women were healed or delivered in the Lord’s ministry. In gratitude they were supporting His ministry financially.

In verse 40 we are told of the three Mary’s. The first Mary was probably from the village of Magdala, so she came to be called Mary Magdalene. And Jesus had delivered her of seven demons that dominated her life. The second Mary is referred to as the mother of James and Joses. This is probably Mary, the earthly mother of the Lord. And we are told that the third Mary was Salome. According to Matthew 27:56, she was the wife of Zebedee, the mother of two of the apostles, James and John.  

They would become eye-witnesses to all the events that would be declared in the Gospel. In verses 40-41 they saw His death. In verse 47 they saw where His body was buried, and Mark 16:4-6, they witnessed His resurrection. These verses came as a surprise. They suggest that these women actually came with Jesus, followed Him from Caesarea Philippi to Jerusalem, accompanying the 12 men. And there were other women who followed as well.

Why weren’t they mentioned earlier? Why did Mark only tell us when the journey is nearly over? Perhaps to contrast their faithfulness to the disciples’ unfaithfulness. Besides, in a Jewish male dominated society, female witness was not valued. However, Mark considered them valuable so He included them here. They were there, they saw everything and that made their testimony reliable.  

The fact that we see so many women in the Lord’s ministry tells us that they have a place in the heart of God. They seemed to be more concerned than the male disciples, who fled the scene where the Lord was crucified. Women have an important place in the ministry of the Gospel and now in the church of Christ. In most churches today we find that women still outnumber the men. We must not downgrade the role of women in ministry. The Lord did not and so we mustn’t.  

Mark 15:38-39 – Truly, He is God!

There was a veil that covered the entrance into the Holy of Holies in the temple. It was the place that the high priest could only enter once a year to offer sacrifice for the people. The moment the Lord gave up His spirit, verse 38 tells us that that veil was torn into two from top to bottom. Considering the thickness of the veil and the manner in which it was torn, we know that only God could have done it. It was supernaturally slashed from top to bottom. The way into the very presence of God was no longer barred. It was thrown wide open the moment Jesus died. Now we can come into the presence of God without hindrance.  By the blood of Christ we can now have full access.  

Firstly, the tearing of the veil was needful, so that what covers our eyes and prevents us from seeing the divine nature in Christ, could be removed. Now we can have a better revelation of God. Secondly, death removed the necessity to carry out the whole range of ceremonies and sacrifices in order to get to God. Thirdly, through His death we now have access to the very presence of God. He made the way.

We said that death did not take the Lord’s life. It was He, who of His own, yielded His spirit to the Father. He was conscious to the very end, very unlike anyone who died on the cross. This was attested to by the centurion who stood right in front of the cross before Him. When he saw the way the Lord breathed His last, there was one thing that could only be said of Him, “Truly this man is the Son of God.”

When we see the way He died, we are forced to come to a conclusion on Who Jesus really is. The centurion was merely stating the obvious. He was not just declaring his faith. It was a statement of the depth of all that Jesus went through, just so that we could be made righteous. Consider the pain he went through from head to toe. See Him writhing in pain as our sin, waves upon waves, was poured over Him. Think of the awkward silence and total separation from God and man, as the surrounding was covered by darkness. Can we not see that this was no ordinary man? He was and still is the Son of God! And He tells us in John 12:31 that when He is lifted up He will draw all men to Himself.

Like a magnet, let’s be drawn to God through Christ each day. If the presence is so easily accessible in Christ, why don’t we enjoy the liberty, and come freely daily and bask in God’s presence?! 

Mark 15:33-37 – The Ultimate Sacrifice

Who can truly fathom the depth of Christ’s love for us? Nailed to the cross and for three solid hours from 12 noon, darkness engulfed the whole land. At an hour where the sun should be shinning at its brightest, darkness overcame the land. The darkness probably only covered the Holy City of Jerusalem and its surrounding areas. It came suddenly and supernaturally. In the thick darkness there was deep silence. No word was spoken. Just imagine a contrasting scene for a moment! Thirty-three years back, at His birth, bright light and music from heaven filled the sky in the middle of the night. Thirty-three years later, as He died, darkness and silence blanketed the sky in the middle of the day. Darkness signifies mourning. This was an indication of God’s judgment. In Amos 8:9-10 the Lord God declared, “It will come about in that day… that I will make the sun go down at noon. And make the earth dark in broad daylight. Then I will turn your festivals into mourning. And all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring sackcloth on everyone’s loins and baldness on every head. And I will make it like a time of mourning for an only son, and the end of it will be like a bitter day.”

Then again, darkness is a sign of the curse of God. It had once covered the whole of Egypt when the Jews partook of the first Passover. Now again darkness had overtaken Jerusalem and its surrounding areas as the definitive Passover Lamb was being slain. Waves of sin of the entire human race was poured into the sinless Christ. He who knew no sin was made sin for us. Hanging between heaven and earth, He took our place in judgment. He was completely cut-off from God, an agony that surpassed the pain He felt in His physical body. It was not just for an hour, not for two, but for three hours. There had never been a moment in all His life, not even for a minutest second, that He was ever separated from the Father. But now for three solid hours, the God who is everywhere present with Him, was nowhere near Him. What depth of misery?

Ordinarily in similar scene, intermittent cries of deep agony would be heard. But for three hours there was complete silence. And at the end of the third hour, from the Lord’s deep misery came the cry, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ When interpreted, it meant ‘My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?’” This was a quotation of Psalm 22:1 that had been foretold, years before, that this would happen. Shock by His loud cries, the onlookers jested over the two words “Eloi, Eloi….” Saying that He was calling Elijah to come to His assistance.

At this point someone came to offer Him a sponge soaked in numbing narcotic wine and cruelly jested, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down.” It was also at this point that the other Gospels said that the Lord cried, “It is finished!” It was followed by, “Father into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Mark tells us in verse 36 that He uttered a loud voice and yielded His breath. It was common for anyone on the cross to get progressively weaker till there’s no strength left. Then he would fall into unconsciousness and into his death. But with the Lord it was different. He was fully conscious to the very end. Death had no power to take Him had He not gave up His life willingly. As He yielded His spirit to the Father, He signaled the completion of the mission given to Him.  

God’s rescue operation was put into effect as Christ gave up His spirit. At the Cross our salvation was radically and utterly done. Any belief or attempt today, to try and add anything for us to be saved, will do injustice to what Christ went through. What we see is the absolute depth Christ had taken to gain us our salvation. Here is a more pertinent question for us today: What must we bring to Him that will be a fitting response for all that He had done for us? May our song today and always be:-

My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior Divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
O let me from this day
Be wholly thine!

Mark 15:27-32 – Believing is seeing

Now at Golgotha, besides the Lord, two other criminals were also nailed to the cross, one on His left and the other on His right. We recall that earlier, two of His disciples asked to be seated in those positions when they come into glory. They had vowed to go all the way with Him but now, not only had they deserted the Lord, but every one of His disciples also deserted Him in this critical hour.

Verse 28 is a quotation from Isaiah 53:12, to show that Jesus was counted among the transgressors. For He was crucified among the criminals. They were there because they rebelled against the Roman authority and rightly deserved it. But Christ did not deserve that treatment. He was hanging there on our behalf because we all have rebelled against God. He hanged there to identify with us, transgressors.

The Roman crucifixion was carried out in the full view of the people as a deterrent. Mark tells us that some passers-by began to mock Him, hurling abuses against the Lord. They were blaspheming against the Son of God. Some must have recalled or heard that Jesus had claimed that He was going to build the temple in three days, after it was destroyed. So they derided Him and told Him to come down from the cross and save Himself. Little did they know that by coming down from the cross, He could be saved but the world would be totally lost! 

Verses 31-32 tell us that the chief priests also joined in the mockery, very much in similar line. They exclaimed, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!”  The last part of verse 32 also tells us that even the insurrectionists, crucified with Him also derided Him.

The content of the three groups who blasphemed against Jesus were essentially the same. They claimed that Jesus could not even save Himself, how could He be the Savior of the world. They were looking through the natural eyes. They want to see before they would believe. But the principle of faith is entirely different: It’s in believing that we will see.

People want to see a visible king and kingdom. But Jesus’ kingship and kingdom is in a realm that is not visible to the naked eye. Yet whatever happens there affects the visible realm – broken body are healed, oppressed are delivered, fractured relationships are mended and etc. For those who subscribe to His rule, these are made possible because of their faith in the King. Only a Messiah on the cross is believable, and believing in Him we shall also see. 

Mark 15:22-26 – The mingling of sorrow and love

Previously we learned that Simon of Cyrene was made to bear the cross on Jesus’ behalf. This reminds us of the necessity to bear our own cross, to deny ourselves daily and to follow after the Lord. This is a call to every disciple and not just to the Twelve. Then verse 22 briefly sums up the journey. Mark was just reporting everything matter-of-factly. Walking beside Simon of Cyrene, the Lord stumbled His way down the path of sorrow to Golgotha. It was also called the Skull, because it was shaped like a bald head. Also because it was associated with gruesome death. This place was where criminals convicted to the death sentence would be hanged on the cross. So there they had Jesus fastened to the cross, crucified.  

We are told in verse 23 that the soldiers offered the Lord wine and painkiller to numb His excruciating pain. This was a usual practice and most prisoners would drink of it. But the Lord had told them earlier in Mark 14:25 that “I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until the day I drink it anew in the Kingdom of God.”  Despite their kind offer, He refused to drink of it, for He had chosen to drink of the cup of wrath of God on our behalf. All victims of crucifixion would usually hang naked and totally exposed, but a loincloth was used on Jesus. Mark tells us that the soldiers drew lots to decide who gets to keep the different parts of His garment.

Verse 25 factually said that it was the third hour when they crucified our Lord. We know that He was scourged and mockingly crowned with a crown of thorns, and they made Him walk down the way of sorrow to Golgotha from 6.00 to 9.00 a.m. in the morning. Then at 9.00 am they nailed Him to the cross, hoisted Him up and further mocked Him even as He was hanging midway between heaven and earth, till it was noon.

On the cross above the head of the Lord, they had fastened an inscription of the charge made against Him. It read, “They King of the Jews.”  Interestingly, John in his Gospel gives us some other details that Mark had so briefly summarized here. In John 19:19-22, we are told that Pilate had the inscription written in three languages: Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The Jewish authority requested a few words to be added to the inscription. They wanted the inscription to read, “This man claimed to be the King of the Jews.” But Pilate refused. His answer to them was, “What I have written will always remain written.” He didn’t know how true his words were.  The fact that it was written in three languages tells us the universality of His reign.  

On the cross, Christ not only declares His love for us but also declares His reign over us. The cross speaks of His love, His Lordship and now His substitutionary death on our behalf. In the light of all that He had gone through for us, He not only deserves our total obedience but also our total allegiance. Listen to how aptly two lines of a hymn say our response to Him should be:

Love so amazing so divine

Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Mark 15:16-21 – Not a word in the face of mockery

Jesus’ trials by the Sanhedrin and Pilate were over and both had similar verdict. He was condemned to death on charges that were not even true. Jealousy and envy had triumphed over truth and justice. They judged that He deserved the death sentence and sent him to be scourged. Jesus would soon be carrying His cross, on which He would be hanged, down the streets and to finally die in great torment. As they had treated all insurrectionists, they also intended to make a public show of Jesus as a deterrent to all would be insurrectionists. Before the public execution, He was escorted to the Praetorium, the residence of the governor. There the Roman cohorts, about 600 soldiers, were quickly assembled. They were there to amuse themselves.

They replaced Jesus’ clothing with a purple robe. This was a mockery using one of the soldier’s robe as a substitute for a royal garment. Then they put over His brow a crown of thorns. In the midst their laughter they shouted, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They beat His head with a reed and spat at Him. He was not given the respect even a real criminal would have deserved. They mockingly knelt and bowed before Him not knowing that they were bowing to the King of kings.

After they had their fun and amusement, they took away the purple robe, put His own clothes back on Him again. Then they led Him down to Golgotha where He would be crucified. Simon of Cyrene, a Jew on his pilgrimage to Jerusalem, was made to bear the cross for Him. Notice that Mark made mention that he was the father of Alexander and Rufus. The Apostle Paul, in Roman 16:13 greeted Rufus and his mother, and even referring to him as a choice man in the Lord, suggests that Simon and his sons and wife became followers of the Lord after Calvary.

As we read and reflect on all that our Lord had gone, we wonder why Pilate went against what he knew he should have done conscionably. We also wonder why the crowd was so vacillating, one moment they were elated by His ministry and the next they would join the popular call to crucify Him. This is the sickening fact of human fickleness. We have seen this ever so often. People would rather run with the crowd, the turkeys and the geese, rather than soar a solo flight like an eagle. It’s easy for us in all that we are reading to miss the Lord Jesus, who stood there alone silently in the furry of activities. How could the Savior remain so quiet? How could He stay so stoutly rooted to please the Father? Is this a reflection of the depth of His prayer life? His quiet resignation to the will of God in the face of His trials, stands as the model for us. He shows us that a life of abiding prayers must be a non-negotiable program if we are to face the uncertainty and even hardship of life. The depth of our prayer life will determine if we can remain solidly rooted in God and His will.

Mark 15:6-15 – Sons of the Father

Among the attendance at the Passover Feast was a disparate crowd. They were supporters of Barabbas. Interestingly, the name Barabbas means “Son of the father.” Mark tells us that he was an insurrectionist, a rebel and one who was arrested in an uprising and had committed murder. He was in prison awaiting his sentence because of his insurrection. The disparate crowd was pro-Barabbas and was from the movement for the liberation of Israel. They were aware of Pilate’s practice, to release a prisoner yearly during the Passover Feast. They came with that expressed purpose of soliciting for Barabbas’ release. This motley crowd were clamoring for Barabbas’ release because they had the mistaken idea that Barabbas had a greater potential of helping them in the fight for freedom. Otherwise why would they prefer a convicted prisoner, awaiting his sentence, to the Lord Jesus, the true Son of the Father?

The purpose of this disparate crowd was to secure Barabbas’ release, not Christ’s crucifixion. They probably didn’t even know that Jesus had been arrested and tried by the Sanhedrin. From their intention, an idea to release the Lord Jesus as a substitute to them, occurred to Pilate. The intention to release Jesus indicates that Pilate was convinced that the Lord was innocent and that He was there because of the religious leaders’ envy. Had it not been the presence of this motley crowd, the original crowd that used to follow Jesus could have accepted Pilate’s suggestion to release Jesus. Why so? The religious leaders knew that their sentiment could shift because of Jesus’ popularity. From Mark 11:18; 12:12 and 14:2, we see how the Jewish leaders all along wanted to avoid involving the crowd who were variedly blessed by the Lord’s ministry. But with this pro-Barabbas crowd they knew they would get a support to secure the Lord’s death sentence. Why? It’s because this crowd had a different agenda. They would want Jesus crucified so that Barabbas could be released. So the religious leaders instigated them to seek for Barabbas’ release.  

Here we see the plan of Pilate backfired. Having had his offer to release Jesus turned down, he could not release Jesus even though He knew that He was innocent. And the pro-Barabbas crowd with a sustained shout clamored for Barabbas’ release. Seeking to alleviate his guilt, Pilate then asked, “What do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?” Their loud response was, “Crucify Him!” Pilate was stuck. His last and feeble attempt was out voiced and he gave in to their desire. He released Barabbas – the son of the father, and sentenced to death the true Son of the Father. He had Jesus scourged before handing him over to be crucified.

Here’s a thought! In a sense, each of us is a Barabbas. We all have the nature of a rebel with propensity to go against God, the ruler of the universe. We all deserve death for that act of treason. But here Jesus, the true Son of the Father, came to take our guilty place in death. He did it so that we can truly become sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father. Jesus is worthy of our devotion. It’s time we bow in sweet adoration and yield in total abandonment and surrender to Him, and to love Him in return.            

Mark 15:1-5 – Jesus facing Pilate

Jewish law required the Sanhedrin to convene a second session after an interval of at least a day in order to pass a death sentence. And for so severe a crime requiring a death sentence, night session was also illegal. Furthermore, to execute the death sentence, they needed the endorsement of the Roman authority. Since they wanted to put the Lord to death hurriedly, so they quickly convened a second session to pass a resolution for the verdict that they had decided in their first session that night. Once that was done that, they quickly bundled the Lord to Pilate.

Evidently, had they charged Jesus with blasphemy, the case would not have held water with Pilate. He would not be interested in their religious affair. In order to get Pilate to consent to execute the Lord, they brought the charge of treason against Him. That account for the question Pilate asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Here Mark only briefly grossed over this trial. Whereas in John 18:28-37, we find the fuller account of this moment. In the way Pilate questioned Him, we can surmise that Jesus did not appear even a least bit like a political king to him. Jesus’ answer to Pilate was, “You have said so.”  John’s account also tells us that Jesus revealed to Pilate that He was a king not in the political realm but in the spiritual realm. But the governor apparently would not want to hear anything of it.

In verse 3 we see the chief priests accused him of many other things harshly, but the Lord remained silent and refused to answer their charges. This prompted Pilate to ask if He had no answer to their charges. The Lord remained silent. That left Pilate wondering. In Pilate’s heart of hearts, he knew that Jesus was guiltless. From John’s Gospel we learn that he wanted to release Jesus, but the Jews kept at it. They said to Pilate in John 19:12, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.” Pontius Pilate was the only person who could have terminated the mad saga but he gave in. Why? To him social standing was everything. He did not want to offend the Jews and was unprepared to put his career on the line for Jesus.

Perhaps in our days, we still encounter the “Pilate” type of people. People who are not willing to allow their association with the Lord to jeopardize their career or social standing. There are also people who are dissuaded from following Jesus because of some silly sarcasm. For us, we cannot remain silent. We must witness by words and actions what Roman 1:16-17 say, “I am not shamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes...For in this Gospel is the righteousness of God revealed….”    

Mark 14: 66-72 – The trial of Peter

It appears that from verses 53 onwards Mark was narrating two trials, that of Jesus as well as Peter. In the verses leading up to today’s text, we saw how Jesus had successfully proven Himself to be faithful to His call and mission. What about Peter? These verses tell us that the prediction of Jesus came true to the very word.

  

In verses 66-68, a servant girl of the high priest spotted Peter and pointed out that he was associated with Jesus. Peter denied by saying that he didn’t know what she was talking about. He claimed not to understand what she was saying. Here the cock must have crowed once. Probably sensing that he was recognized, Peter moved out into the porch. However, the girl did not back down, she persisted with her claim. This time, she exclaimed to the bystander, “This man is one of them!” Peter again denied that he knew the Lord. But judging from the way Peter dressed and the way he talked, they said, “Surely, you are one of them, for you are a Galilean too.” Then Peter for the third time denied that he knew Jesus. This time he even resorted to curses and even made an oath saying, “I do not know this man you are talking about.”

Of course Peter was not cursing Jesus; he was calling curses upon himself. They were his attempts to make his lie more realistic. The oath is Peter’s attempt to make his lie believable. Little did Peter know that in swearing, he was adopting the language used in the court of law. He was oblivious that he was in fact in the law court of the Most High.

“I do not know this man!” How true were those words? Peter did not know Jesus at this point. Peter failed three times in Gethsemane. He should have prayed but he slept. Here again he failed the Lord three times, he failed to stand up courageously to acknowledge Him publicly. He was one who talked too quick, prayed too little and boasted too much. He failed because he was not prepared for that moment.

The climax of this story was when the cock crows the second time to fulfill what the Lord had told Peter beforehand. It marked the end of the third watch. In it we see the contrast between the faithfulness of the Lord and the unfaithfulness of Peter and others. Suddenly, Peter remembered what The Lord had told him. It brought him to tears and he repented. That crow from the cock woke Peter from his spiritual stupor. Like what Peter had experienced, the Lord would also use distinct events in our lives to wake us from our complacency. When that “cock” crows in our lives, how would we have responded? Spiritually speaking, where are we today? We don’t have to wait till the cock crows on us to wake up to God’s beckoning to move forward with Him. Let’s do so now and every moment of life! 

Mark 14: 53-65 - The trial of Jesus

The religious leaders were bent on bringing their plot to put the Lord to death as quickly as possible. Although it was unusual and likely to be illegal, yet the Sanhedrin, the council of Jewish rulers, managed to come together to put Jesus on trial.  And as Jesus was brought to the house of the high priest, Peter cowardly followed at a distance. Verse 54 tells us that he was right in the courtyard and sitting with the officers and warming himself at the fire. One lesson here for our consideration. When we only follow the Lord at a distance, we only offer Him superficial faith, devoid of true allegiance. It tells us that just merely coming to church is not enough. There must be a deep engagement with the Lord. Let’s not just trail behind Jesus, let’s follow Him closely.   

The trial of Jesus had to do with the temple and His identity as the Messiah. The Sanhedrin was not serious about getting at the truth. They had already pre-judged beforehand and were bent on getting a guilty verdict with a death sentence. Verse 55 tells us that they kept trying to obtain testimony to impeach Jesus, but they could not find any. So verse 56 tells us that the testimony given were not consistent. In other words, they were not even able to find two testimonies that were in agreement to indict Him. Earlier in His ministry, Jesus, in cleansing the temple, did say, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” If that was what they were referring to, they had totally distorted it. They accused Him of saying that “I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.”

At no point did Jesus say He would destroy the physical temple. But He predicted the destruction of the temple. Mark pointed out that even in the testimony against Him by using the temple, the testimony was inconsistent. So ridiculous were their many false accusations and half-truths that the Lord had nothing to respond to. So He remained silent. In His silence was the fulfillment of Isaiah 53:7, “As a sheep that is silent before its shearers so He did not open His mouth.”

Soon the high priest was growing impatient, so he directly asked Jesus, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” To that question the Lord replied, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” At this point the high priest charged Jesus with blasphemy, and they decided that He deserved death. A result they were bent on getting. Some began to condemn Him, they smote Him and spat at Him. They blindfolded Him, then punched Him and told Him to prophesy who it was that had beaten Him.

The question that confronts us is this: how did Jesus manage to remain so stout and immovable in the face of so fierce an abuse? The fact that He could stand solid and unmoved can be seen in His total dependence on God for the strength and not on His own strength. Here He leaves us with the key on how to live out our faith in a hostile world.

Mark 14: 43-51 – Loving even when we are wronged

At Gethsemane the Lord literally held a night-long prayer, as He thought of having to drink the horrific cup of sin and God’s wrath that sin deserved. He had brought His three closest disciples with Him with the hope to draw support from them. But alas that was not to be! They were overtaken by their weakened flesh and far too sleepy to be counted on. The Lord having been empowered to face the death that sin demands, yielded to the will of God. He woke up His three sleepy disciples, and went forward to face His betrayal and His ultimate death.

In these nine verses we see three things emphasized. Firstly was the kiss of Judas Iscariot. Just imagine the Sovereign Lord willingly submitting Himself to His betrayal. Judas came accompanied by a crowd belonging to the Jewish leaders. Armed with swords and clubs, probably expecting to encounter violence, they came to where Jesus was. And here the diabolical scheme of Judas had reached its zenith. He had already schemed to point out the Lord with a kiss. Just imagine using an expression meant to convey deep love to betray the one he had professed to love so dearly. What an irony! Mark used a word that meant a prolonged kiss or a romantic kiss. Verse 45 tells us that he approached the Lord, addressed Him and planted his prolonged kiss. Immediately they laid hands on Him and seized Him.

Secondly, we are told that the disciples resisted. One of them, John 18:10 tells us it’s Peter, drew out his sword and fought back. He cut off the ear of a slave of the high priest. John tells us that the name of the servant was Malchus. Luke in his account in chapter 22 and verse 51 tells us that the Lord touched Malchus’ ears and healed him. Can you see the heart of Jesus? Even here He compassionately reached out to a man who came to arrest Him. Aren’t we like Peter at times? We try to do ministry with our own effort. Instead of helping, our efforts only lop off people’s ears, figuratively speaking. Let’s think for a little while to something more pleasant. What would Malchus mostly likely be talking about at breakfast table the next morning? Would he be singing the praises of the compassionate Lord, or would he be cursing Peter for his unfortunate experience?

 

Finally, the third thing that happened was that all His disciples fled from the scene. It was likely that they all had expected the Lord to fight back. The fact that they brought swords and resisted, tells us that they had misunderstood the Lord altogether. And when told to put their swords away they were probably disillusioned and disappointed with Him. So they all fled and deserted Him. In the midst of explaining this, we find an unusual description of a man who fled naked. This young man who was following Him covered only with a linen sheet, escaped naked when the crowd tried to seize Him. Most commentators said that this was John Mark’s way of saying “I was at the scene and I witnessed it all.

Lessons such as being watchful so that we will not betray the Lord by our conduct, or be faithful and stay with the Lord till the end, could be said. But one key lesson for us should be this: we may not be expected to drink that cup of wrath but we are called to live in total submission to the Lord. We need to depend on Him and respond in love as our Lord did. As we do His ministry, we need to adopt the mind of Christ. We must not adopt a vengeful attitude. He calls us to love even when we have been wronged. Let’s not approach ministry with a drawn sword looking to lop off ears to inflict wounds. 

Mark 14: 32-42 – Keep watch and pray

Jesus and His disciples now came to Gethsemane, a grove of thick olive trees. This was located at the foot of Mount Olives. Gethsemane means “Oil press.” It was probably owned by a rich friend of Jesus. The Lord then told the rest of His disciples to wait outside to pray, while He took His inner circle of three, Peter, James and John with Him, for a unique experience. They accompanied Jesus further into the garden.

Peter, James and John literally saw the Lord in deep anguish. He was deeply distressed and troubled. And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.”  Why did the Lord ask them to stay awake? The Lord mentioned these words three times here in this short passage. And three times they failed to do so. They failed to keep watch with Him. They failed in their loyalty to Him in the most critical moment of His agony. He wanted them to accompany Him to pray, standing or kneeling in Hs time of distress and grief.  After telling them to keep watch with Him, He went deeper into the grove and fell prostrate and began to pray, asking for the cup or the hour to pass by Him.

Notice how intimately He addressed God: Abba! Father! The very thought that this intimacy would be broken for a moment was so unbearable to the Lord. Why was the Lord so grieved? He called it a cup and even begged for it to be removed. It was the cup of sin as well as the cup of wrath. He saw the horror of sin and the destruction it brought to a human soul. He must have seen the menacing ill of evil and its final destruction, and He recoiled. And being the sin-bearer, He felt the weight of sin and the Holy wrath of the Father against sin. So horrific was hell and the wrath that God had against sin that Luke 22:44 said it this way: And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and sweat became drops of blood, falling upon the ground.” But for the sake of lost humanity, He resolutely said, ‘yet not what I will but Your will be done.’

Meanwhile the three disciples who accompanied Him were asleep. After a period of praying He came to them. Addressing Peter, He asked, “Could you not keep watch for one hour?” He knew that the spirit may be willing but the flesh is weak, so prayer would be the best means by which one finds strength to overcome the temptation. With that instruction, He went and prayed a second period and again He came back finding the three asleep and probably with embarrassment they didn’t know how to answer the Lord. After the third time, realizing the hour had approached, meaning Judas’ transaction with the priest was done, and His enemies with their army would soon arrive, He ordered them to get up and to join Him as they get out to meet them.

If there is a critical lesson, this one must be it. In life we all must come to our own Gethsemane moment. But we still have the availability of prayer to help us through our moment. Of course we can pray for God to have it removed but we know that more often, He will give us strength to go through them rather than removing them. The Father heard the cries of the Lord and answered His prayer by sending angels to strengthen Him, but He still went to Calvary. The key is still this: every one of us must be devoted to prayer and live a life depending on the Father for strength that is received through our prayer. If prayer is not a regular part of life we will find ourselves failing at the moment that counts! So keep watch and pray!

 ! 

Mark 14:27-31 – Don’t be presumptuous, just do your best

Logically the account could have gone on straight from verse 26 to verse 32. But it did not. Mark seemed to have deliberately inserted verses 27-31 to tell us that the Lord was fully aware of the events ahead. His account did not take into consideration when and where these two events were told to the disciples. This prediction of the denial of Peter according to Luke 22:31-34 and John 13:26-37 took place during the Passover. But Mark inserted it here to help the readers to anticipate the desertion of all His disciples, and Peter’s denial of the Lord, which he would narrate later in verses 43-50 and 66-72 respectively.

Quoting Zechariah 13:7, the Lord told them that they would all desert Him the moment the enemies struck Him. Like when a shepherd had fallen, the sheep would be scattered. So the Lord told them that when they had smitten Him, the whole fellowship would be disintegrated and they would scatter. However, He would not remain down. He would rise and go ahead and meet them in Galilee. Here the Lord indirectly told them that He would be smitten and die but He would also rise again. He wanted them to know in advance what would happen.

Peter found what Jesus said offensive. And he refused to take it lying down. So he vehemently declared his absolute loyalty. He was being presumptuous and proud. He asserted strongly that He would never desert Him even though every one of them should fall away. He spoke too quickly and boasted too much. He was abhorred at this suggestion that He would deny the Lord and protested so cock-surely. This prompted the Lord to tell Him saying, “Truly I say to you, that this night before the rooster crows twice you yourself will deny me three times.” The Lord wanted Peter to know in advance how thoroughly he would deny Him. So He referred to his threefold denial of Him which took place as He had foretold. Despite the Lord’s insistence, Peter still refused to back down. And the rest of the disciples also presented their pledge of loyalty.

This account reminds us not to be presumptuous. We will all face hardship following Christ. No one is immune to hard times. It is better to rest in the grace of God that He will supply the strength when we need it most. It is better to determine we will do our best, and not presume that we will never fall. That’s the reason Paul said, “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he falls.” Our best insurance for staying loyal is to stay connected. The best way to stay connected is to stay prayerful. That’s also the prescription given by the Lord. He is still saying to us to “Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation.”

Mark 14:22-26 – The New Covenant enacted

At the climactic moment in the Passover meal, the Lord took bread and wine and turned them into object lessons for His disciples and us believers. Just as the Passover reminded the Jews of what God had done to deliver His people from their Egyptian bondage, this bread and cup was to remind us of what Christ had done to free us from the bondage of sin, and made us a member of His new community – the church. This breaking of bread and partaking of the cup eventually came to be known as the Lord’s Supper or communion. Every time we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we are acting out the story of redemption and recalling what He had done for us. We are presenting and re-enacting the Gospel.

The bread is a symbol of the Body of Christ and by breaking it, we visually recall that His Body was mutilated and broken for us. The pain and suffering He went through was for us. The experience that should have been duly ours, was laid on Him. So when we eat of the bread, we partake in His life. Through the communion, we also participate in the life of one another. And while we are celebrating it, we are also making an invitation for others to join us in in this life.

What does Christ mean when He said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many”? The wine in the cup is a symbol of His atoning blood. Being “poured out for many” recalls what was said in Isaiah 53:12. There the Messiah was seen to have “poured out his life unto death.” It was a violent death. Here the Lord was also referring to the fact that it would benefit many.  The blood of Christ sealed the new covenant, and through the shed blood redemption is provided for, when we rest our faith in His atoning blood. Hence, the cup is a symbol of His blood being shed for us.

The communion tells us that Jesus took the place of us believers in His death. Our sins were dealt with at the cross and we are now no longer slaves to sin, and no longer separated from God. It declares our faith and belief in the death, resurrection, ascension and the second return of Christ. It also shows our reliance on Him and that apart from Christ, we cannot experience true life. It also points to our hope of drinking with Him again in the Kingdom of God.

May the words of Frances J. Crosby echo in our hearts:

I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice, and it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith And be closer drawn to Thee.

Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to Thy precious, bleeding side.

Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord, by the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope, and my will be lost in Thine.

Mark 14:17-21 – A lost opportunity

The evening had come and Jesus and His 12 disciples were in the prepared room and having their Passover meal. As they were comfortably reclining around the table, Jesus had assumed the role of the head of the family. In the midst of it, He suddenly dropped the bombshell on them. He said “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me - one who is eating with Me.” This, of course was already predicted in the Messianic prophecy in Psalm 41:9. John 13:21 tells us that at this stage Jesus was troubled in Spirit. And who would not? For Him it must have been a grievous moment, but for the disciples a horrifying one. Though troubled, we must say that the Lord was very composed. The disciples were all horrorstruck, yet none of them suspected each other to be the traitor, least of all Judas.

What was the Lord’s intention? Just imagine all the time the disciples traveled in and out with the Lord, none of them suspected Judas to be the one that would do the Master in. Of all the disciples who heard that announcement, Judas probably understood the Lord perfectly. Just imagine what the rest of the disciples, especially Peter, would do to him if the Lord had made it known. But even in this horrific moment, the Lord was gracious. He refused to pull out the plug on Judas. Could it be that the Lord was sounding out a final warning to him? One wonders how Judas had felt at that moment. What was going through him while the rest were seized with a sense of grief, and were doing their soul-searching and saying “surely not I.” Where did Judas find the gall and by-passed his conscience and mouthed those same words to fool everyone? Surely he knew that He could not fool the Lord.  

We cannot help but feel the depth of the Lord’s love for Judas even at this point. And He was still reaching and stretching out His hand of love toward him. In chapter 13 of John’s Gospel, we are told that the Lord washed all His disciples’ feet, yes, even Judas. John 13:11 tells us that Jesus knew the one who was betraying Him. Here was the Lord lovingly appealing to Judas’ conscience. Even when Peter, at the beckoning of John, asked him who it was that would betray Him. Jesus’ response was, ‘It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’ Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon.” (John 13:23-26). He was still extending His hand of love toward Judas at this point.

In Mark 14:21, the Lord cannot be any clearer concerning the outcome of the person who would betray Him. Even in this, He was giving Judas a final opportunity to rethink what he was going to do. But alas! Judas was not moved. Although the Lord knew that he would soon betray Him, yet he would not just let him go without warning him, and giving him the opportunity to come clean. Judas spurned His love.

Let’s pray for ourselves to be more discerning so that when opportunities are being offered to repent and come clean, we will never be found letting the opportunity of the Lord pass us by.  

Mark 14:12-16 – Christ had it all in control

These verses deal with the preparation of the Last Supper Jesus would have with the disciples. This unique event formed the bridge between the communion that the Christians celebrate and the Jewish Passover that signifies God’s act of deliverance from the bondage of Egypt on the night of the Passover.  Here in the Last supper, bread and wine were used in remembrance of the Lord’s death, burial and resurrection, to enact the covenant of God with the believers.  

Like the Passover, the Last Supper is also a forward looking event. Just as the Passover anticipates the great final deliverance of God, the Lord’s Supper also anticipates the grand banquet with the Messiah in the new heaven and new earth.

As the Passover meal was always celebrated in Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples had to find a place in that Holy City as they were staying in Bethany. Jesus here took on the role of the head of the household to lead the feast. Verse 12 suggests that the disciples came offering to help in the preparation, only to realize that the Lord had it all arranged. Much like the earlier situation when He rode triumphantly into Jerusalem on the colt, this one was also arranged by the Lord Himself.

Here again the Lord sent out two of His disciples to do the task. They were told to watch out for a man carrying a water jar who would lead them to the place for the meal. Why a man and not a woman? This would help to make it easy for the two disciples to spot the man. For in those days only women carry water jars, whereas men would carry water skin. Why all this careful preparation? And why did the Lord keep this a secret? We can venture a guess. Firstly, it’s probably because He didn’t want Judas to have wind of it and inform the authority and had Him arrested prematurely. Secondly, He wanted the place and the time to make known the centrality of His redemptive act - His broken body and shed blood.

What we are clear about in all this arrangement, is to show us that He had it all in control. He did not go to His death haphazardly or accidentally. It was a deliberate part of His coming. He obediently chose this path to fulfil the plan of God for the redemption of mankind. His death was no accident. He was in control. He was the master of His own life, and the circumstances that would ensure our redemption.

We can be sure that He does take care of the nitty-gritty of our lives too. We are glad that He didn’t leave our redemption to chance. It tells us how valuable we are in His sight. God Himself was involved in getting our redemption going. No wonder Paul exhorts us to live our lives for the praise of His glory! And so we must! 

Mark 14:10-11 – Grace should motivate responsible choices

One of the saddest passages of the Bible is found in these two verses. We are told that, “Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them. They were glad when they heard this, and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time.” 

This was a shadowy moment. One who had walked so closely with Jesus, and whom the Lord had loved so dearly, should do such a mean thing. Some had argued and tried to make a case that Judas was misled. They said that he was probably expecting Christ to usher in the Messianic Kingdom by driving away the Romans. Though he had walked with Jesus coming to three years, yet nothing that he expected had happened. So they said that Judas was disappointed so he thought he might as well make some quick cash out of his disappointment with the Lord.    

Mark underscored the fact that Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve. The Scripture quite pointedly said that Judas Iscariot was the one who initiated the wicked plan. It was he who went to the chief priests deliberately with his ill-intentioned proposal to betray the Lord. How do we know that he was the one who initiated the betrayal? Verse 11 explicitly said that the chief priests were glad when they heard his proposal. It was then that they promised to give him money. This indicates to us that he was obviously driven by greed and covetousness. Although Luke 22:3 and John 13:2 and 27 tell us that Satan caused the betrayal of Jesus, but Mark put the moral failure squarely at Judas’ feet. Unfortunately we can see that his betrayal of the Lord was premeditated, and he did not give himself a chance to repent and be forgiven, by committing suicide.

Mark was very forthright when he said that “…he began seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time.”  He was not a victim of circumstance. As a person with free moral choice, he chose on his own accord to betray the Master. In these two verses, we find a good reason why we should seek to balance grace and human responsibility. While God’s grace is freely available to us, we are called to act responsibly in our choice to appropriate the benefits of His grace.   

Evil will always lurk around us, but God’s grace will also always be available. But the choice remains ours. We either take the route to follow God and move in tandem with Him or choose to pamper the “self” life and violate God’s best for us.