Mark 14

Tonight I want to talk about Mark 14. I read this chapter after I got home from church and got very excited about sharing some things about it.

I first read of how a woman poured some perfumed oil over Jesus's head. Now I know things were a bit different then, but I don't like oily hair. Jesus, however, was pleased by the sacrifice that she made in helping prepare his body for the death that he would soon face. When this happened, his own disciples complained that the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor, but Jesus pointed out that the poor will always be there and he wouldn't be there much longer.

So here is Jesus and he just got done having a bottle of oil worth a year's worth of wages dumped on him, and it turns out that he offended Judus Iscariot. Now, this is just me, but all I see that Jesus has done at this point was tell the truth that he wouldn't be there much longer and said that the woman did a good thing. So anyway, Judas goes off to the leading priests and teachers to tell them of his intent to betray Jesus, and they state they want to arrest him, but have to wait, or there will be a riot.

I find this interesting too. If the people didn't like him either, they wouldn't riot. The people did like him though. Everything I read during this whole process has the teachers and priest behind every step. What occurs to me is that these are the people that are most set in their ways and traditions that are made up by them in the first place and that Jesus condemns. The people, however, that are hungry for truth are found praising him a little bit earlier that same week and following him all over the place to hear him teach.

Next we come to the last supper where Judas goes off to betray Jesus after Jesus essentially tells his disciples that it is Judas that would be the betrayer(we read this in another one of the Gospels). Peter states he would never betray him and then later in the chapter denies him 3 times just as Jesus stated he would do.

I can almost feel what Peter felt. Have you ever known that what you were doing was wrong, and yet you did it anyway. Maybe even just forgotten somehow that you were doing wrong while you were doing it and believed that Jesus could never forgive you? I know I have been in this position myself before. But later on, after Peter runs away believing he can't be forgiven, Jesus asks for him specifically. He is forgiven even of saying he didn't know Jesus because he was afraid of what others would do to him if they knew. My pastor is fond of saying that fear will take you further than faith, but not in the same direction.

After all this, Jesus goes off to pray. This part is amazing to me. Jesus knew what was coming. He knew he was about to be betrayed and knew how he would die as a natural man. He begged God that if there was ANY other way, that this cup pass from him. Jesus didn't want to die on the cross. I am so thankful that Jesus says "not my will, but your's be done" (Mark 14:36)

This is the stuff of hero's. We watch movies where the hero is facing certain death, then cheer when they defy it. Jesus faced death and decended into hell, took the keys, and conquered death by going to heaven. It makes me want to stand up and cheer at how great and powerful and awesome my God is.

Now Jesus is taken before the priests and teachers and falsely accused of saying or doing different things. We don't have all the specific accusations, but whatever they were, Jesus didn't say a word in his own defense the whole time. In fact, we only see one time where he speaks at all in this setting where he says "I am, and you will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God's right hand in the place of power and coming back on the clouds of heaven."(Mark 14:61) This was said after the high priest asked "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the blessed God?"(Mark 14:60)

Jesus did all of this for me and for the whole world. The plan is simple to see and be with him. Know and acknowledge that you are a sinner and at least at some point in your life have missed the mark. This reminds us that we can't be saved without God's help. Our way to God is through the Son, so we also must believe in our heart and say with our mouths that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

To believe also means to obey, so as Jesus would say go your way and sin not. It's not normally going to be a complete transformation overnight, but it will come with time and God will help you with all of it. The blessings come and things just start going right more and more. And when bad things happen, instead of being alone, we have God the Father that will lead and guide us.