New Testament Studies: Mark (16): Chapter 14 v1 to 52 -- David Pawson
Summary
TLDRThe video script provides a detailed narrative of events from Mark Chapter 14, focusing on the final days of Jesus Christ leading up to the Passover. It describes the anointing of Jesus by a woman with expensive nard, the criticism of this act by Judas and others, and Jesus' defense of the woman's pious gesture. The script delves into the plot to arrest Jesus, his Last Supper with his disciples, the prediction of his betrayal, and the emotional turmoil Jesus experiences in the Garden of Gethsemane. It also touches on the themes of disciples' denial and flight, the arrest of Jesus, and the poignant moment of Judas' kiss of betrayal. The narrative emphasizes the human and divine aspects of Jesus, his ultimate sacrifice, and the spiritual lessons and opportunities for reflection these events present for believers.
Takeaways
- 📜 The narrative from Mark chapter 14 is a focal point, detailing the events two days before the Passover, leading to Jesus' arrest and the Last Supper.
- 🕯️ A woman's act of anointing Jesus with expensive nard is highlighted as a beautiful, timely, discerning, and memorable deed, symbolizing preparation for Jesus' burial.
- 💰 Judas Iscariot's betrayal of Jesus for money is contrasted with the woman's selfless act, underscoring the theme of greed and the moral choices made by those around Jesus.
- ✝️ The Last Supper is portrayed as a new covenant, with bread and wine symbolizing Jesus' body and blood, and is a meal that looks forward to the Kingdom of God.
- 😔 The disciples' failure to stay awake with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, despite their willingness, demonstrates the human struggle between spiritual commitment and physical weakness.
- 🗣️ Peter's adamant denial of Jesus, despite his earlier assurances of loyalty, is a poignant example of the frailty of human nature and the stark contrast to Jesus' unwavering commitment.
- 🙏 Jesus' prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane reveal his deep anguish and the weight of the impending sacrifice, as he faces the prospect of being forsaken by God.
- 🔪 The arrest of Jesus is described, with references to the use of force and the irony of Judas' kiss as a sign of betrayal, highlighting the depth of the spiritual conflict.
- 🏃 The flight of the disciples, including a young man (believed to be John Mark) who follows and loses his clothing, illustrates the fear and the human instinct for self-preservation.
- 🕊️ Jesus' rebuke to the arresting party for their show of force and the subsequent healing of the high priest's slave's ear demonstrate his authority and compassion.
- ✍️ The Gospel of Mark, attributed to John Mark, is presented as a first-hand account, inviting readers to personally engage with the events and reflect on their spiritual significance.
Q & A
What is the significance of the alabaster jar of ointment in Mark chapter 14?
-The alabaster jar of ointment represents a significant act of devotion and sacrifice, as it was very costly. The woman, believed to be Mary, breaks the jar and pours the ointment on Jesus' head as an act of worship and preparation for his burial, signifying the imminent sacrifice Jesus was about to make.
Why did the disciples criticize the woman for using the ointment?
-The disciples, led by Judas, criticized the woman for what they perceived as wastefulness. They argued that the ointment, worth a year's wages, could have been sold and the money given to the poor, not recognizing the symbolic importance of her act of anointing Jesus.
What was Jesus' response to the disciples' criticism of the woman's act?
-Jesus defended the woman's action, stating that she had done a beautiful thing for him. He emphasized the importance of her deed, saying it was done to prepare his body for burial. Moreover, he noted that while the poor would always be present, he would not, highlighting the unique and timely nature of her act.
How did Judas Iscariot's actions contribute to the plot of Mark chapter 14?
-Judas Iscariot's actions are pivotal as he decides to betray Jesus to the chief priests for money. His betrayal sets in motion the events that lead to Jesus' arrest and crucifixion, making Judas a central figure in the unfolding drama of Jesus' final days.
What does the preparation of the Passover meal reveal about Jesus' control over events?
-Jesus' detailed instructions for preparing the Passover meal demonstrate his foreknowledge and control over the events leading to his crucifixion. He orchestrates the timing and location to ensure that his final meal with the disciples happens without interruption from Judas or the authorities.
What is the significance of Jesus' prediction about Peter's denial?
-Jesus predicts that Peter will deny him three times before the rooster crows, which underscores the theme of human weakness and fear. Despite Peter's protests of unwavering loyalty, Jesus' accurate prediction highlights his divine insight and the inevitable fulfillment of prophecy.
What does Jesus mean by referring to the 'cup' he wishes to pass in Gethsemane?
-The 'cup' Jesus refers to symbolizes the suffering and divine wrath he is to endure on the cross for humanity's sins. His request to let this cup pass, yet submitting to God's will, illustrates his human vulnerability and obedience to his divine mission.
Why did Jesus choose to go to Gethsemane after the Last Supper?
-Jesus goes to Gethsemane to pray, seek solitude, and prepare spiritually for the ordeal of his crucifixion. It is a place of deep anguish where he confronts the full weight of what he is about to endure, highlighted by his intense prayer and the emotional support he seeks from his closest disciples.
How does the narrative of Mark chapter 14 contrast the reactions of different characters to Jesus?
-The narrative contrasts the deep devotion and understanding of the woman with the alabaster jar against the betrayal of Judas and the misunderstanding and eventual denial of Jesus by his disciples. These reactions highlight the range of human responses to Jesus' mission and character.
What does the scattering of Jesus' disciples after his arrest signify?
-The scattering of the disciples after Jesus' arrest fulfills the prophecy that the shepherd will be struck and the sheep will scatter. It signifies the profound fear and confusion among the disciples, illustrating their human frailty and the disintegration of the group in the face of crisis.
Outlines
📖 The Conspiracies and Sacrifices of Mark Chapter 14
This segment covers the beginning of Mark 14, where the chief priests and scribes plot to arrest Jesus stealthily to avoid public tumult during Passover. At Bethany, a woman anoints Jesus with expensive ointment, which some onlookers consider wasteful, though Jesus defends her act as preparation for his burial. The narrative then shifts to Judas Iscariot's betrayal, where he agrees to betray Jesus for money, showcasing his greed and the unfolding of biblical prophecy.
🕊️ The Symbolism and Significance of the Passover
The speaker reflects on the deep symbolism of the Passover, linking it to the crucifixion of Jesus. He explains how the Passover celebrates liberation from slavery, drawing parallels between the ancient Jewish observance and Jesus’ last supper, which represents a new covenant. The discussion includes personal anecdotes about observing Jewish customs and the ongoing significance of these traditions in remembering and reinterpreting pivotal biblical events.
🌿 Reflections in the Garden of Gethsemane
This part of the script delves into the intense moments at the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus, deeply distressed, prays for the cup of suffering to pass but submits to God's will. The disciples struggle to stay awake, highlighting their human frailty. The betrayal by Judas reaches its climax when he arrives with a crowd to arrest Jesus, using a kiss as a signal, which Jesus condemns as a profound act of betrayal.
💔 Betrayal and Reflection at Bethany
The narrative explores a poignant evening at Bethany, where Jesus is anointed by Mary with costly perfume, an act seen by others as wasteful but defended by Jesus as timely and profound, acknowledging her insight into his impending death. The scene contrasts Mary’s devotion with Judas’s betrayal, showcasing differing responses to Jesus’s fate. This part emphasizes the personal and communal implications of these actions, both in scriptural context and spiritual reflection.
👺 The Contradiction of Judas's Betrayal
This segment critically views Judas’s decision to betray Jesus for money, discussing broader societal attempts to reinterpret Judas’s motives. It reflects on the human tendency to justify greed and betrayal by altering narratives. The speaker also contrasts Judas’s actions with the genuine, costly devotion shown by others, using this comparison to delve deeper into the complexities of human character and the profound lessons of these biblical events.
🕯️ The Upper Room: A Night of Covenant and Betrayal
In this passage, the preparations for the Last Supper in the upper room are detailed, including Jesus’s strategic instructions to Peter and John to ensure secrecy from Judas. The narrative highlights Jesus’s control over the events and his poignant declaration of impending betrayal among his disciples, which deeply troubles them. This part emphasizes the mixture of loyalty and fear among the disciples, culminating in a night filled with significant spiritual and relational dynamics.
🏃♂️ Denial and Despair Amidst Final Teachings
Peter's vehement insistence that he would not desert Jesus, despite Jesus predicting his denial, characterizes this part of the narrative. The script covers the emotional and spiritual turmoil during the Last Supper as Jesus prepares his disciples for his death and their subsequent abandonment. This segment captures the intense personal and collective challenges faced by the disciples as they grapple with the reality of Jesus's words and their own weaknesses.
🌑 Prayer and Betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane
This closing part of the script focuses on the agonizing moments in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus experiences profound spiritual anguish over his impending separation from God. Despite the disciples’ inability to stay awake, Jesus confronts his fate with resolve. The script portrays Jesus's deep emotional struggle with his mission, juxtaposing it with the disciples' human frailty, setting the stage for the ultimate act of betrayal by Judas.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Passover
💡Betrayal
💡Anointer
💡Last Supper
💡Gethsemane
💡Denial
💡Agnus Dei
💡Disciple
💡Covenant
💡Poor
💡Sacrifice
Highlights
Introduction to the study of Mark chapter 14, highlighting the plot against Jesus by the chief priests and scribes.
Description of the woman who anoints Jesus with expensive ointment, emphasizing the significant symbolic gesture of devotion and sacrifice.
Discussion on the disciple's misunderstanding of the value of the ointment used by the woman, focusing on the spiritual versus material value.
Jesus's defense of the woman's act as something beautiful and timely, underlining the eternal significance of her actions.
Judas Iscariot's decision to betray Jesus, driven by his disillusionment and greed, providing a stark contrast to the woman's generosity.
Exploration of the preparations for the Passover meal, illustrating Jesus's control over the events leading to his crucifixion.
The symbolic and practical elements of the Last Supper, explaining its profound meaning and connection to the Passover.
The disciples' varied reactions to Jesus's prediction of betrayal, revealing their personal fears and uncertainties.
Jesus's poignant discussion on the inevitability of his betrayal and the specific role of Judas.
Reflection on Jesus's emotional turmoil in Gethsemane, confronting the daunting prospect of separation from his Father.
The disciples' inability to stay awake during Jesus's time of greatest need, underscoring human frailty.
Jesus's arrest in the garden, marked by Judas's betrayal with a kiss, a symbol of deep treachery.
Peter's impulsive reaction during Jesus's arrest, leading to Jesus healing the ear of a servant.
Jesus's reflections on his treatment by the arresting party, criticizing their cowardice and timing.
The narrative shift to the young man (likely John Mark) who follows Jesus and the disciples, providing a unique personal perspective on the events.
Transcripts
we're going to study the first 52 verses
tonight Mark chapter 14.
it was now two days before the Passover
and the Feast of unleavened bread
and the chief priests and the scribes
were seeking how to arrest him by
stealth and kill him
for they said not during the feast lest
there be a tumult of the people
and while he was at Bethany in the house
of Simon the leper as he sat at table a
woman came with an alabaster jar of
ointment of pure nard very costly and
she broke the jar and poured it over his
head
but there were some who said to
themselves indignantly why was the
ointment thus wasted for this ointment
might have been sowed for more than 300
Denari and given to the poor
and they reproached her
but Jesus said let her alone
why'd you trouble her
she has done a beautiful thing for me
but you always have the poor with you
and whenever you will you can do good to
them but you will not always have me
she has done what she could
she has anointed my body beforehand for
burying
and truly I say to you wherever the
gospel is preached in the whole world
what she has done will be told in memory
of her
then Judas Iscariot who was one of the
twelve went to the chief priests in
order to betray him to them and when
they heard it they would glad and
promised to give him money and he sought
an opportunity to betray him
and on the first day of unleavened bread
when they sacrificed the Passover Lamb
his disciples said to him where will you
have us go and prepare for you to eat
the Passover
and he sent two of his disciples and
said to them go into the city
and A man carrying a jar of water will
meet you follow him
and wherever he enters say to the
householder the teacher says where is my
guest room where I am to eat the
Passover with my disciples
and he will show you a large upper room
furnished and ready there prepare for us
and the disciples set out and went to
the city
and found it as he had told them and
they prepared the Passover
and when it was evening he came with the
twelve and as they were at table eating
Jesus said truly
I say to you one of you will betray me
one who is eating with me
and they began to be sorrowful and to
say to him one after another is it I
said to them it is one of the twelve
one who is dipping bread in the same
dish with me
for the son of man goes as it is written
of him but woe to that man by whom the
son of man is betrayed it would have
been better for that man if he had not
been born
and as they were eating he took bread
and blessed and broke it and gave it to
them and said take this is my body
and he took a cup and when he had given
thanks he gave it to them and they all
drank of it and he said to them this is
my blood of the Covenant which is poured
out for many
truly I say to you I shall not drink
again of the fruit of the vine until
that day when I drink it new in the
kingdom of God
and when they had sung A Hymn they went
out to the Mount of Olives and Jesus
said to them you will all fall away
for it is written I will strike the
shepherd and the Sheep will be scattered
but after I am raised up I will go
before you to Galilee
Peter said to him even though they all
fall away I will not
and Jesus said to him truly I say to you
this very night before the crows
twice you will deny me three times
but he said vehemently if I must die
with you I will not deny you
and they all said the same
and they went to a place which was
called Gethsemane and he said to his
disciples sit here while I pray
and he took with him Peter and James and
John and began to be greatly distressed
and troubled and he said to them my soul
is very sorrowful even to death
remain hear and watch and going a little
further he fell on the ground and prayed
that if it were possible the hour might
pass from him
and he said Abba Father all things are
possible to thee remove this cup from me
yet not what I will but what thou wilt
and he came and found them sleeping
and he said to Peter Simon are you
asleep
could you not watch wanna
watch and pray that you may not enter
into temptation the spirit indeed is
willing that the flesh is weak
and again he went away and prayed saying
the same words
and again he came and found them
sleeping for their eyes were very heavy
and they did not know what to answer him
and he came the third time and said to
them are you still sleeping and taking
your rest
it is enough the hour has come the son
of man is betrayed into the hands of
sinners rise let us be going see my
betrayers at hand
and immediately while he was still
speaking
Judas came one of the twelve
and with him a crowd with swords and
clubs from the chief priests and the
scribes and elders
now the betrayer had given them a sign
saying the one I shall kiss is the men
sees him and lead him away safely
and when he came he went up to him at
once and said master and he kissed him
and they laid hands on him and seized
him but one of those who stood by Drew
his sword and struck the slave of the
high priest and cut off his ear and
Jesus said to them have you come out as
against a robber with swords and clubs
to capture me
day after day I was with you in the
temple teaching and you did not seize me
but let the scriptures be fulfilled
and they all forsook him
and fled
and a young man followed him
with nothing but a linen cloth about his
body
and They seized him
but he left the linen cloth
and ran away naked
just glancing through the outline of
tonight's passage Mark chapter 14. two
things struck me as I read through this
chapter which I've tried to bring out in
the little subheadings on the right hand
side the first is how many practical
things come into the story material
things a jar of ointment a loaf of bread
a cup of wine a sword it's a very
practical chapter it's concerned with
ordinary things and yet each of these
very ordinary things takes on a
tremendous meaning because Christ had
something to do with it
and there's a profound lesson here
before we go any further
very ordinary Everyday Things become
quite extraordinary when they're related
to Jesus Christ
but the other thing
that struck me tremendously as I read
was this at each of the points at which
something happened one or more of the
disciples did the wrong thing
every time the word disciples or
disciple comes in that little outline
they are doing something they should not
have done
and I found as I prepared this study for
you tonight
that it was perhaps the most humbling
we've had yet
to look at those 12 men and to see them
all doing the kind of thing that I would
have done
the wrong thing the weak thing the
cowardly thing
I think this is why we must study this
chapter
so that we come to the Lord's table as
penitent disciples
as those who are ready to say Lord if we
had followed you two thousand years ago
we would have let you down just as much
as they did
and Lord we need your help just as they
needed it
the amazing thing is that though Jesus
knew they were so weak he still kept on
with them they were his disciples
now the chapter opens with a note about
the feast that was happening
it was a double Feast it was the Feast
of the Passover going back through many
centuries and still to this day the
Orthodox Jewish Family just about this
time is celebrating the Passover
it's the feast when they thank God for
bringing them out of Egypt out of
slavery into freedom and into his
service and they still remember it
thousands of years later
I remember that in the road in which I
was brought up
about four doors up was a Jewish Family
and every Easter we naughty children
used to gather outside the house to
watch them sprinkle the gate posts with
blood we thought it was an extraordinary
thing to do and I'm afraid in our
ignorance and in our childishness we
used to laugh at this and mock it
but they used to do it
and they were doing something that had
been done every single year for hundreds
and hundreds of years
the Passover is the greatest time in the
Jewish calendar
some of our church members are in Israel
now and they're hoping to share a
Passover as well as Christian Services
they'll have a wonderful time if they
manage it
now I have already told you that two
million Jews used to gather together
around Jerusalem for the Passover
this of course ensured that our Lord's
death would be public
would be known by as many people as
possible
indeed it was the largest gathering of
people in the then-known world
so it certainly ensured that it would be
a public death
but it there was a much deeper reason
for our Lord coming to die at Passover
time and you get the impression Jesus
decided when to die how to die and where
to die so that it might have this
meaning
and the meaning was that he was going to
have another Passover
another Exodus
as God brought people out of slavery he
was going to bring them out of sin
as God brought them out with the blood
of a physical animal a lamb he was now
going to bring people out with the blood
of another lamb himself and the whole
thing takes on deep meaning this Meal
which we are going to have in a moment
virtually was the Passover for the
disciples that year
and for Christians it has replaced the
Passover
this is now our meal of remembrance and
what we are going to do in a moment has
been done for two thousand years
it is much more meaningful even than the
Jewish Passover
one of the texts in the New Testament
which frequently comes back to me at
Easter is this Christ Our Passover has
been sacrificed for us
that's why we come together like this a
Jew would understand us doing this
though he would say there are some
things missing from the table there are
the bitter herbs missing and the shank
bone and a number of other things the
lettuce The Parsley the egg and we would
say but we don't need all those things
we just need two things Bread and Wine
they would have had those two things and
our Lord simply used the bread and the
wine that was already there prepared for
the Passover to give Christians their
memorial meal
this then is the setting it's the love
before the storm
but the first story we're told takes
place not in Jerusalem but in Bethany
the little village just over the top of
the Mount of Olives out of sight of
Jerusalem and out of the reach of the
Temple Police
and every night Jesus retired to Bethany
this is why they could not arrest him
during the day he was with the crowd the
whole time and they didn't dare to
arrest him fearing that the crowd would
Riot if they dared to touch such a
popular teacher and every night when
they looked for him and asked where is
he staying nobody knew
he slipped out to Bethany
the reason why Judas could betray him
was so simple it is that on the Thursday
night or whatever night of the week it
was Jesus said we're going to stay in
the city tonight
and Judas saw his opportunity that's why
he was needed
the temple priests and the police needed
to know when they could lay their hands
on him privately quietly
and I read in a book today
a modern book about events in another
part of the world that the secret police
of that country always arrests somebody
in the middle of the night
because they know that they could not
avoid public riots if they arrested
people during the day this is precisely
what happened then it has a modern ring
so he's at Bethany one evening
it's the last evening he's going to
spend out of the city and they're having
a meal in the house of a man who's a
leper I wonder if that means that Jesus
had healed him because normally he would
not have been able to eat with others
maybe he was one of the lepers Jesus
cleansed and they're sitting at the
table and Mary brings the ointment and
here we have the first object the first
physical object that becomes so
meaningful in this chapter
now it was certainly a costly thing it
may have been an heirloom
if you're interested in the value of it
it was worth a Year's wages
a Denarius was one day's wage and it was
said to be 300 Denari worth of costly
ointment perfume
it would be kept in the bottom drawer
not for the wedding
but for a person's funeral
and in those days if you could afford it
you bought some very costly ointment and
you put it away for your funeral for the
anointing of your body
that was the only
justification for using such an
expensive thing
and of course it is so often the case
that at a funeral
we don't count the expense
I remember an Undertaker telling me
recently that he had recently arranged a
funeral
in which he estimated that a thousand
pounds were the flowers
had been sent it was a very large and
prominent funeral not here somewhere
else
and so down in her bottom drawer was
this costly jar of perfume kept for her
own funeral
or perhaps her mother's funeral or her
brothers but that's what it would be for
and she brought this into the house now
it was the custom to anoint the guest
with a few drops of perfume when he came
in
as we would show someone to the
cloakroom or ask them if they would like
to wash
they would anoint them with a few drops
of perfume this was normal hospitality
but to use all of this
it was scandalous
and she came in and she smashed the jar
which meant that it would never be used
again and then scooping up the perfume
which must have filled the room with a
powerful scent she just poured it onto
our Lord
which is the most amazing and moving Act
and the commercial attitude was
immediately revealed we know from
another gospel that it was Judas who
criticized her but were told here that
more than Judas criticized her they all
did
and they said what a frightful waste
that could have done so much good if you
were going to waste it you could have
given it to the poor surely Jesus would
have been happier if you'd done that now
this is sometimes how worldly people do
argue
I have sometimes heard this argument
used
about erecting a place of worship at
considerable cost
and it may or may not be valid in that
case I've heard it used of other things
but here it was used rightly
and they criticized her now they still
hadn't learned the lesson of the Widow's
might and the lessons when someone gives
something you should not ask about the
value of the gift
but of what it meant to The Giver
and if they had stopped to ask why she
had done this thing they would have
understood and approved
I noticed that it was the man who
criticized her I think the women would
have understood
but let's see what Jesus said now he
said four things about her act
number one she he said it was a lovely
Act
the nearest word in the English language
to the word he used is the word Bonnie
if you know what the word Bonnie means
it was a bunny act it doesn't just mean
something good it means something
beautiful
a most attractive act a lovely Act
secondly he said she's done a very
opportune thing she has seized an
opportunity that she will not have again
she could either do this now or never
she saw an opportunity to do something
that was unique once in a lifetime
and all of us have had such
opportunities to do something and unless
some of us have missed those
opportunities and wished and wished or
if only I'd done that
particularly someone who died shortly
after
and I think when anyone dies there is
some relative who says to themselves oh
if only I just taken the opportunity to
do Sansa
I remember a poor lady dying and
when she died and the News got around a
lot of her friends and relatives sent
flowers
but somebody at the funeral with red
discernment said to me
oh If Only They had sent us some flowers
before she died
and I suppose we all have those moments
when we say oh if I'd only known they
were going I would have just seized that
opportunity I would have done that thing
well now that's what Mary was feeling
like and she was seizing an opportunity
to do something that she could never
have done again nor could anyone else
ever have done so Jesus said don't blame
her she's done a lovely thing she has
seized an opportunity she won't have
again thirdly he said she has done a
most Discerning thing
and here he points out the real meaning
of the ACT
this woman alone of all those in that
room knew first that he was going to die
very soon and second that he would not
that no one would have an opportunity of
anointing his body as was the normal
custom after death
she knew this
how she knew it I don't know if it was
Mary and it seems to be again from
another gospel we have this information
if it was Mary I guess it was because
she had sat at his feet and listened to
what he had to say and she knew
but Jesus said she knows of all of you
she's the one who knows I'm going to die
and that I will die such a death
that there will be no opportunity to
anoint my body
now normally when a criminal was
executed on a cross his relatives were
not allowed to bury the body his body
was thrown into the rubbish Heap in the
valley of gehenna on the west side of
Jerusalem
and so Mary must have seen that he was
going to die a criminal's death and his
body would be discarded and would not
receive Proper Burial as we shall see
tomorrow it was only because a man went
and begged the Roman governor for the
body that there was a burial
otherwise there would never have been
one and this woman saw that here this
man at 33 whom she loved more than any
other was going to die so soon and in
such a terrible way that there would be
no proper funeral for him she understood
it was a Discerning act and Jesus said
don't criticize her
if she had done it in three days time
none of you would criticize her nobody
would have criticized an expenditure of
this kind on a dead body
but she'd done it on a live body that's
why she was reproached
and fourthly he said she has done a
memorable Act
and he predicted then that wherever the
gospel was preached people would hear
about this woman and here we are in
commercial Road Guilford tonight and
we're thinking about that woman
foreign
wouldn't it be wonderful if something
you did were remembered two thousand
years later
this was a lovely thing to do it was an
opportune thing to do it was a
Discerning thing to do and it was a
memorable thing to do
so don't criticize
we step straight from this story into a
terrible
oh I don't know the word to use
so contradictory is it
such a contrast
a lovely woman doing a generous thing to
a dreadful man doing a greedy thing the
contrast is appalling
you see here is the incident a woman has
done this and now look at the reaction
of a disciple
his reaction because he realizes that
Jesus has virtually announced his
forthcoming death
he has now seen what Mary had seen he
now sees that Jesus is willing to die
that he's going to accept death and
Judas is going to cash in what he can
while he can
Judas is going to get out of the
remaining situation as much money as he
can lay his hands on he backed Jesus
thinking it was going to be wonderful
that he would be in a a wealthy
prospering Kingdom and now he realizes
that even Jesus has as it were become a
defeatist and is giving in and is going
to let them kill him what can he get out
of it
and this man can only think of going to
betray Jesus and making some hard cash
out of the Betrayal
now it has become fashionable over the
last 20 years to try and whitewash Judas
there's a half-page article in the daily
mail this morning did Judas do it for
the money
and the new ideas and in fact there's a
craze now to try and turn the gospel
story upside down have you noticed this
newspaper articles paperback booklets
everybody's on the bandwagon now Jesus
didn't die Joseph of Arimathea gave him
a drug and he recovered in the cool of
the Tomb that's schoenfield's latest
book The Passover plot it's a craze Now
to turn the story any way around but the
true way around why do people want to
whitewash Judas why do they want to say
it wasn't the money that really he was a
good Chap and he was just trying to
force Jesus hand and get things moving
why do they do it
because Judas reminds us too much of
ourselves that's why
because there is the same kind of
covetousness and greed in us that was in
him and we don't like it
Judas is a mirror so we try and smash
the mirror but the Bible is quite clear
that the one reason why Jews Judas did
it was because he loved money
we know this from the earliest days
indeed are way up in Galilee Jesus had
sadly said to the twelve one of you is a
devil
he was the treasurer and he was dipping
his hand into the money bag for himself
quite early on
and it was Judas who said we could have
had 300 Denari in the fund if that
ointment had been sold I have the
feeling he was already thinking of how
much he could slip out
and here was Judas
and for Hard Cash He sowed as Lord
a thought struck me today that has never
struck me before
What would
those priests think of the followers of
Jesus now
they would say you can buy any one of
them grease their Palm enough and you
can buy them out what would they think
one of the twelve have you noticed how
each time judas's name is mentioned in
this chapter immediately after his name
comes the phrase one of the twelve
a man who's lived with Jesus for three
years and still be so greedy that he can
do this
it's an amazing and wonderful story
terrible though it is how can a man be
as close to Jesus as that and not get
rid of such covetousness
well how can we it's the same problem
well now here is Judas and he goes to
the priests and he agrees to sell our
lord for the price of a Slave
now in those days if you could buy a
slave you were definitely one up the
status symbol was to say oh well I have
a slave now you know
as you might talk about a swimming pool
in the garden or something if you want
it to be up in the scale a bit you said
well I've got a slave now
and Judas sold our lord for the price of
a status symbol that would move him up
the social scale
he regretted it of course later more
than regretted it but that's what he did
Judas 2 like Mary has been preached in
the whole world wherever the gospel is
gone
Judas name has been remembered
what would we rather be remembered for
our generosity
or our greed
our sympathy towards the Lord Jesus and
understanding of his death or our
hardness and callous attitude to it
Judas and Mary the song link them
together and history has done so as well
now the scene moves to Jerusalem and
events begin to move rapidly towards
their climax the whole thing is building
up to a terrible denumo
let us look into the upper room
again I'm struck with the fact that
throughout the whole of this last week
our Lord is the master of the situation
he has planned it he controls it
everything that happens he decides when
and how and where and the arrangements
for the upper room and the Last Supper
he has made at some time he has slipped
away to a friend in Jerusalem and said I
want you to have an upper room and he
had even given a secret sign
to find the room now why these elaborate
and secret precautions why a man
carrying a pitcher of water on his head
which only women would normally do it's
it's like a man walking down the road
with a woman's umbrella why such a
secret sign
why didn't he tell the disciples where
it was the street it was and just say go
to such and such a street and number so
do you realize that he still was playing
for time Judas must not know where the
upper room is
our Lord must have one last evening with
them and so he sends Peter and John only
those two and he says look around for
that man follow him go into the house
and so Judas still doesn't know his
plans
our Lord is controlling and timing the
whole thing perfectly
so that when the time has come for him
to give himself up he is able to say to
Judas what you have to do do quickly
so he makes the secret arrangements and
they come to the upper room
there is no servant there there is a
table there are couches there is a basin
full of water and a towel for washing
their feet but no servant to do it we
know who did it in the end
and who was reluctant to do it and there
they are for the meal
now comes one of the most terrible
things that Jesus has ever said during
the middle of the meal he says there's
somebody eating with me
who is going to betray me
now you know the amazing thing is that
he has already said five times I am
going to be crucified and the disciples
are not upset they are puzzled but not
upset
but as soon as he says one of you is
going to do it they get terribly upset
and they began to be sorrowful isn't it
amazing they were not sorry for him
there is no word of their sorrow about
the cross right until this point but as
soon as he says one of you is going to
be involved that's when their sorrow
begins
and you notice they immediately begin to
say is it I
now one could put two interpretations on
the phrase is it I if you were going to
be kind and generous to the apostles you
would say that each of them was prepared
to examine his own heart
if we were going to be more realistic I
think
each of them knew perfectly well that
they were capable of doing it
if I can give you a simple illustration
which I've given before
I remember in our school when the
Headmaster one day came into assembly
looking like thunder
and we said hello there's trouble we
always knew the back of his neck went
red and we knew there was going to be
trouble and we knew his temperature was
well up and his blood pressure was well
up and he began by saying some boy in
this school and every one of us thought
of something we'd done over the last 10
years 10 days and we waited Breathless
in our hearts every one of us said is it
I because we'd all done something that
we knew we shouldn't and he just had to
say some boy for each one of us to feel
like this
now that's how the disciples felt as if
Jesus had said some boy
one of you is going to let me down one
of you is going to betray me
and they immediately said I I they all
wanted to be let off the hook quickly
they wanted him to say no it's not you
no it's not you but he didn't say that
to any of them
he left them thinking that way
and he just said it's someone who's
going to take the bread with me
fancy Judas being able to go through
with that
this last appeal of Our Lord to him
someone I'm going to hand the bread to
said Jesus and he handed it to them all
how could Judah sit there and accept all
that I just don't know he must have had
a heart of granite by this time his
feelings must have been so scarred that
they were dead
but he took the bread
and then Jesus did the lovely thing that
we're going to
do now even in spite of the fact that
one of them would betray him and he said
that one is fully responsible for his
ACT
he mustn't stop blaming predestination
or anything he is fully responsible it
would have been better if he'd never
been born than to do a thing like that
Jesus knowing all that
knowing that the disciples would all run
away knowing there wasn't one of them he
could trust during the next 24 hours he
took bread
and he broke it
and he took the cup and he made them
drink
we're going in utter Simplicity in a
moment to do those two things
we're going to share one loaf and we're
going to drink from a glass together as
they did in that upper room it's so full
of meaning now
I want you to notice five things about
this simple Memorial meal first of all
he did not eat and drink
he gave them to eat he gave them to
drink
he did not
he told them he wouldn't be eating and
drinking again with them until the
kingdom came
and Jesus is not eating and drinking
with us tonight he's present in spirit
but he's not eating and drinking one day
he will eat and drink with us again he
didn't in the upper room he won't
tonight secondly notice they had to
partake as if he was saying my broken
body and my shed blood is no use unless
you accept it for yourselves
and it is still true to this day that
our Lord's death on the cross cannot
save us so until they will accept it for
themselves so he didn't just take a loaf
of bread and break it and say there
that's my body broken he said there
that's my broken body you take it
take it into yourselves eat it receive
it make it part of you
otherwise it's no use
thirdly the bread and the wine were mere
symbols there was nothing magic about
them and his real body and blood were
there before their eyes so that they
should never have arisen in the course
of Christian history the confusion
Between the Bread and the wine and his
body and the and the blood they are
symbols emblems no more
his real body and blood were there for
them to see
you can't confuse something on a table
with something on the chair beside it
they were symbols
fourthly
this was the New Covenant the old one
had been made on Mount Sania and sealed
in blood in the broken body of a lamb
and in the shed blood of the lamb now it
was to be sealed again and New Covenant
a new relationship between God and Men
sealed in the body and blood of Jesus
and fifthly and our final hymn tonight
will bring this out it had a forward
look
next time I eat and drink with you will
be in the Kingdom he said
and so this meal tonight we're going to
have looks back to the upper room and
forward to Heaven back to the last
supper and forward to the wedding
breakfast
and it links
and our final hymn speaks of linking
that dark betrayal night with the last
Advent we Unite
here in this meal
now he foretells his death again and he
adds to it the fact that when he is
killed they will run for their lives
and they won't have any of it
strange how they've changed they were
saying a moment ago Lord is it I who
will betray you
now they are saying well we will never
desert you never and dear old Peter
valuable as ever
he comes straight out with a most
incredible slur on the others he points
to the other 11 and out loud in front of
them they wouldn't like him for this he
said well they may
I can well understand that
that lot there at the other end of the
table they will but not me not me
and Jesus says you
you Peter
do you know that before three o'clock
tomorrow morning
you'll deny me
three times
he will deny me that will be worse than
the others they won't deny me they'll
just run but you'll stay around and then
you'll deny me you'll say you don't know
me
you'll swear that I'm not your your
master
Peter you say you'll be the only one
there Peter you will be remembered more
than they
for what you are going to do this night
and Peter has been
Mary has been remembered Judas has been
remembered Peter has been remembered
for his denial
but I think one of the loveliest things
Jesus said to them as he said this was
this
but after I am raised up
we'll go back together
all Galilee is so lovely compared with
the hot noises smelly streets of
Jerusalem
that one can understand their hearts
leaping when he said that all to get
back to the good old days and get
Galilee to get back to the sunshine and
and the lake and the Sea and the open
air without these scheming
enemies in back streets and in the
shadows oh to get back to Galilee and
Jesus said I'll go before you to Galilee
we'll begin all over again we'll have a
new start afterwards and of course he
did
now the scene switches to the Garden of
Gethsemane
they are going to spend the night on the
Mount of Olives and Judas knows so he
hurries out to tell them now is our
Trends there is a delay of about two
hours while they inform the high priests
and gather the soldiers and make
preparations for the arrest and the
trial but soon they will be coming our
Lord's time is now limited to just an
hour or two that's all he has
they go into a garden
and Jesus wants to pray
and he wants to make sure he's got time
to pray and quiet to pray so he says to
the first few disciples would you stay
here at the gate and then he says to
three of them Peter James and John you
come a bit nearer now you sit down there
and then he went a little further two
lines of Defense to secure his prayer
time with God he needs this
now he begins to sweat like drops of
blood
the words used in the Bible
indicate the most
terrible
anguish of spirit
something that he just couldn't face
now as I said last night and forgive me
if you were there if I repeat it it was
not death from which he shrank
people have faced death far more
courageously than Jesus if this cup was
death
what was it it was worse than death what
could be worse than death
20 times in the Bible from cover to
cover 20 times the word cup is used
metaphorically
I mean by that not a literal physical
cap
but some experience that a person has to
go through and it's expressed in the
phrase a cup that they must drink
and out of those 20 times on 17 of the
occasions it is a dreadful cap to drink
it is the cup of God's anger against sin
and an experience of being cut off from
him
and all through the scriptures this is
what the cup means when it's used in a
metaphorical sense do you realize that
Jesus had never never been separated
from his father
never
I know that he'd left heaven but he was
still with his father
he could talk to him at any time
he was always in direct communication as
the President of the United States
wherever he goes is always in direct
communication with the White House our
Lord wherever he went was always in
direct communication with his father
he had never known what it was to be
away from God
never
now we who have been away from God to a
degree cannot understand what it would
be like to have been in perfect touch
with God and to face having that link
cut
I don't think we can realize what it
would be like
I don't think anybody here can realize
what hell will be like because there is
no hell on Earth I've heard so many
people say you make your own hell and
and hell is what you go through on Earth
nobody's been in Hell yet because
nobody's completely cut off from God yet
that Jesus knew that if he was going to
drink this cup
what it would mean would be that for the
first time in all eternity father and
son would be separated and that would be
hell
and he said father I can't go through
with it he even used that intimate term
in his prayer which is remembered and
written down here Dad Dad I can't go
through with it
Abba dead that's what it means dad
and then the battle is won and he says
no I shouldn't be praying like this
dad I will drink it if it is your will
within hours he was going to cry out my
God my God I don't understand it why
why have you gone to everybody else has
gone and now you've gone he was drinking
the cup when he cried that
he was going through hell when he cried
that
and that's precisely what hell is to be
forsaken by God and it's dark and it's
thirsty and it's lonely and you
understand the sufferings of Christ when
you understand that on the cross for
those few hours the Son of God was in
hell
now that's why he shrank
and three times he fought this battle
and each time he came back to the
disciples and
and they were asleep
oh their Spirit was willing but their
flesh was weak
if you've ever taken part in an
all-night prayer meeting you'll know the
truth of these words the spirit is
willing but the flesh is weak
oh you'd love to see it through you'd
love to do it and by about two in the
morning you're beginning to feel heavy
then you can get your second wind
but the spirit is willing to do so much
but the flesh is so weak and they were
asleep already
a minister friend of mine held a rather
interesting Good Friday service he said
for one hour there will be complete
silence in the church
and everybody came and they sat in
complete silence for one hour it was the
first time most of them had ever been
silent for so long
and one lady came to him afterwards and
said to the minister
well I don't think I got much out of it
and he said well what kind of thoughts
passed through your mind while she said
it's funny but I could only think of one
text only one text
and she said I couldn't get rid of it it
just kept going through my mind she said
I really didn't think of anything else
and he said what was the text
she said it was the text could you not
watch with me one hour
the minister said well then you got a
very great deal out of that silence
could you not watch with me one hour
how did anybody know what Jesus was
praying if all the disciples were asleep
I'll tell you the answer in just two or
three minutes
and now comes the contrast may I just
draw it for you two gardens the Garden
of Eden the Garden of Gethsemane the
Garden in which a man
looked up and said not thy will but mine
be done a garden of Disobedience a
garden from which that man went out to
die for his sins
and here is the Garden of Gethsemane in
which a man said not my will but thine
be done a garden of obedience from which
that man went out to die for everybody
else's sins can you see the connection
and now comes Judas
I don't know how Judas could do it
except that I know I could and I suppose
you could too
he could use a token of utmost affection
and there is no deeper token of
affection between two men than a kiss
and he came up and he kissed Jesus
and our Lord's horror at this how could
you betray me with a kiss Judas couldn't
you just have pointed
how could you use a symbol of affection
and friendship to do such a dastardly
Act
so low can a man sink
that tokens become the opposite of that
which they were meant to express
undero Peter impetuous as ever takes a
sword and cuts off the ear of a slave
Jesus had to tell him to stop this
and he healed the slave's ears we know
from another gospel and then Jesus said
why'd you come out as if you're coming
out against the worst man on Earth
he says look at you clubs swords who did
you think you were arresting
did you think you'd come out after a
murderer after a man who when he was
cornered would fight his way out what
kind of a man do you think I am what
kind of a person do you think I am what
kind of character do you think I have
and then he rebukes even those who came
to arrest him he says I accuse you of
being cowards you could have taken me
anytime in Jerusalem and you didn't they
must have felt terribly ashamed of
themselves at that point
they all for succulent fled
James Ren genre Peter wren Thomas wren
they all ran
when it came to the push when it came to
the decisive moment when they could
either stay or run and save their lives
they all ran
and so would we
not one of them was man enough to stay
neither would we have been
this is human nature the spirit is
willing but the flesh is terribly weak
and self-preservation took over in this
moment and they ran
now comes a most interesting little
epilogue
hiding behind some trees in that Garden
was a youth
he had nothing on but a bed sheet
and he ran when the others ran and a
soldier spotted him and grabbed the
sheet and pulled it off him and he ran
away naked in the night and that's all
we know about this young man who was it
we don't know for certain
but we probably do putting two and two
together we can say it was a young man
called John Mark
a man in whose home the early church met
a young man whose home was probably the
home used for the upper room in the Last
Supper
a young man who lying awake that night
in his bed heard the disciples go out
from the upper room and decided to
follow
a young man who hid among the trees and
listened breathless to that prayer of
Our Lord as he sweated drops of blood
someone there to record it for us
a young man who wrote this gospel down
and it is his way of saying I was there
I was there he doesn't even name himself
it's as if he just wanted to put
something into this gospel to say
I was involved too
I was there
and I'll never forget that night trying
to find my way home without any clothes
and trying to get up to my bedroom
but he said I couldn't forget what I'd
seen
couldn't forget what I'd heard
I was there
you see the point of reading this gospel
and of studying at Night by night this
week and of studying it tomorrow morning
is this
that each one of us may be able to say
like John Mark I was there
I was there
when Dame clear about that great Singer
went on a tour of the world she found
herself one Easter singing in the open
air in India to a vast multitude of
Indians gathered on the riverbank
and she sang many songs some sacred some
secular she sang her lovely songs with
her matchless voice and she finished
with a Negro spiritual Were You There
When They Crucified My Lord were you
there
and when she'd finished a deep hush
settled on the crowd and then someone in
the crowd shouted out yes
we were all there
yes we were all there
John Mark says I've been there
I've been to Gethsemane I saw it all
they nearly caught me but I got away
I've been there
and he's really saying to us by saying
that have you been there too
have you been in Gethsemane this Easter
have you seen it all have you been to
the upper room
we're going to sing A Hymn and then
we're going to the upper room ourselves
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