Mark Bradford's Bible Blog

Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman

¹The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, ²although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. ³When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

⁴Now he had to go through Samaria. ⁵So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ⁶Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

⁷When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” ⁸(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

⁹The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.^[a])
The story of Jesus is one of reaching out to the lowest of the low, of showing love to the unlovable. The hatred between Jews and Samaritans at that time cannot be overemphasized. One of the greatest offenses in Judaism has always been intermarrying with Gentiles. The Samaritans were the descendants of the northern kingdom of Israel who had been exiled, and had intermarried with their conquerors. This, of course, was not the fault of the children of those marriages, but that didn’t stop the hatred. The Samaritan woman who came to the well was probably a woman of ill repute. There would have been a well in the town of Sychar, where she lived, but she had to go to Jacob’s Well, a half mile out of town. She was probably not allowed to use the well in town because of her reputation.

Rabbis at that time were not allowed to speak to a woman in public, even their own wives, daughers, and mothers. So the fact that Jesus engaged in conversation with this Samaritan woman of ill repute in public shows that his message and his love are for everyone, no matter who we are or what we’ve done.

¹⁰Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

¹¹“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? ¹²Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?”

¹³Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

¹⁵The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
Jesus is making a Messianic claim here. Living water was a familiar concept to the Jews. It literally meant running water, like the water of a stream, rather than the stagnant water of a pool. But it also signified the Holy Spirit. There are many passages in the Old Testament about the thirst that only God can satisfy. (Psalm 42:2, Isaiah 55:1) By claiming to be able to provide this living water, Jesus was claiming to be no less than God himself. I think the woman knew what he was claiming, but could not accept it. That’s why she asked him if he was greater than “our father Jacob”. What she says to him in verse 15 could be taken as a taunt. “OK, if you’re so smart, let’s see you produce this living water so I don’t have to lug this bucket a mile every day.”

¹⁶He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

¹⁷“I have no husband,” she replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. ¹⁸The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

¹⁹“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. ²⁰Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

²¹Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²²You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

²⁵The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

²⁶Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.”
When Jesus demonstrates that he knows exactly who she is and what she’s done, she immediately tries to change the subject and talk about doctrine. How often do we get distracted from the real needs of people by getting caught up in doctrinal differences? But Jesus wouldn’t let her get away with it. By talking with her in the first place, then by knocking down the doctrinal barriers between the Jews and Samaritans, Jesus is saying, “All that stuff we think is so important doesn’t matter anymore. The Kingdom of God is here. The Messiah is here, speaking to you right now.” When we meet Jesus, all the stuff we thought was so important doesn’t matter anymore. It doesn’t matter what our reputation is, or what our preconceptions are. The old things have passed away, and all things become new.

Mark Bible Jesus, John, Samaritans, woman at the well

The Believers’ Prayer

²³On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.

After being released by the Sanhedrin, Peter and John reported to the church on what was said at their trial. At this first instance of opposition to Christianity after the ascension of Jesus, the early church showed no fear, though they had good reason to fear. After all, Jesus had been executed by the same group which had just tried Peter and John, and on much flimsier charges. Peter and John were actually guilty of the charges against them, where Jesus was not. They had been arrested for preaching the resurrection of the dead in Jesus Christ, but at their trial, they were only instructed not to preach Jesus, probably because there was disagreement in the council about the resurrection of the dead. They did what all believers should do in times of trial, they prayed.

²⁴When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. ²⁵You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
” ‘Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
²⁶The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One.^[c]‘^{[d] 27}Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people^[e] of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. ²⁸They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. ²⁹Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. ³⁰Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

After hearing the report from Peter and John, the whole church “raised their voices together in prayer to God.” The New King James says “they raised their voice to God with one accord.” The Amplified Bible says they “lifted their voices together with one united mind to God.” The church continued to be united. When the church unites in prayer with one accord, with one united mind, the forces of evil tremble in fear.

Their prayer, much like the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1-4, Matthew 6:5-15, blog), is a model for all of us to follow. It begins with an acknowledgement of who God is. He is the Sovereign Lord. The Greek word for Lord used here is different than the word that’s used in most places in the Bible. It means one who has absolute power. Their prayer then goes on to talk about what God has done. He “made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.” Jesus, in his model prayer, begins with “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” In both prayers, God is glorified first, and requests take a back seat. Do we begin our prayers this way, or do we go straight to our requests? In recent days, I have taken to starting all of my prayers with the traditional Jewish blessing, “Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who ___,” filling in the blank with whatever I’m thanking God for. We’ll be helped greatly in our prayers if we’ll begin by glorifying God for who he is and what he’s done.

They then acknowledged that God spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of David, and they went on to quote scripture (Psalm 2:1-2) in their prayer. How much scripture do we quote in our prayers? The believers (I imagine it was Peter who led this group prayer) acknowledged that God had spoken through David, that David’s words were God’s words. They recognized that God, through David, was referring to the Messiah when he talked about his Anointed One. Therefore this passage from the Psalms was prophecy. Prophecy is literally the Word of the Lord. That’s why so much prophecy begins with the phrase “This is what the Lord says.” (Ex. 8:1, 1 Samuel 2:27, 1 Kings 12:22-24) The early disciples were still benefitting from Jesus’ teaching after the resurrection, where he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself (Luke 24:27). Once again, they showed how much they had learned from Jesus during the 40 days after the resurrection when Jesus opened their minds to the scriptures. They had become experts on prophecy, and that knowledge informed their prayers. The better we know the scriptures, the more effective our prayers will be.

Jesus must also have shown them how prophecy not only foretold what would happen concerning him, but also what would happen to them. They obviously regarded this passage from Psalm 2 to be prophecy about what was happening to them. The kings of the earth and the rulers (the Hebrew word for their religious leaders) were conspiring against the Lord and his Anointed One. Since it had been foretold by God, it was all under God’s control. The key point of Psalm 2:1 was that they conspired in vain. No matter how much the world tries to stop it, God’s plans cannot be thwarted.

Their prayer begins in verse 24, and they don’t request anything from God until verse 29! When I contrast that with the content of so many of my prayers, I am ashamed. And when they finally do request something, they don’t ask for protection from their persecutors. They only ask for more boldness to do what had gotten them into trouble in the first place! Peter had said to the Sanhedrin that they had to obey God rather than men. Men had ordered them not to preach in Jesus’ name, and now they prayed for the courage to do just that. Do we pray for escape from our troubles, or for more boldness to do what we know God wants us to do? The trouble had begun with a miracle, and they asked for more signs and wonders to be done in Jesus’ name. They weren’t asking for the power to work miracles themselves so that they could get the credit. They asked God to stretch forth his hand to do these things, so that he would be glorified. As I keep saying, the purpose of miracles is to glorify God and to help people believe. The miracle that had started all of this had done both, and that was why the church asked for God to work more miracles, so God would be glorified, and more people would believe.

³¹After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

The believers had begun their prayer by recognizing who God was and what he had done. They had grounded their prayer with scripture. They had asked for boldness to continue to preach the gospel, without regard for their own safety. As a result, they received the signs and wonders they asked for. They received the boldness to speak the word of God boldly. If we will pray like they prayed, we will receive from God as well.

Mark Bible Acts, John, Peter, prayer

Peter and John Before the Sanhedrin

¹The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. ²They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. ³They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. ⁴But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.

The same group that was involved in the arrest and trial of Jesus arrested Peter and John while Peter was still preaching. They had been afraid to arrest Jesus openly in the temple courts, but had no problem arresting Peter and John. Maybe this was because Peter and John had not come to the temple with a large crowd of followers the way Jesus had.

Apparently someone had tipped off the chief priests that these two men were teaching the resurrection of the dead. The scribes and teachers of the law in Judaism at that time tended to be Pharisees. Pharisees were very conservative and strict, and believed in the resurrection and afterlife. The chief priests and elders, on the other hand, tended to be members of the Jewish nobility, and Sadducees. Sadducees were very liberal, and did not believe in the resurrection or afterlife (Mark 12:18, blog). When the chief priests and elders found out these two men were preaching the resurrection, that was bad enough, but then they also found out that they were preaching this doctrine in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had recently had executed. And they were calling this Jesus the Christ, and people were believing it!

They put Peter and John in jail for the night and held their trial in the morning, because it was illegal under Jewish law to hold trials at night, even though they had tried Jesus at night. Luke says in verse 4 that the number of men who believed grew to about 5,000 that day. In that culture, only men were counted. For that reason, many believe that the actual number, including women and children, was probably more like 15,000 to 20,000. The same is true for the counting of the number of people at the feeding of the 5,000. That was just the men. The actual number of people was probably 3 to 4 times that number. Talk about a megachurch! They had no music program, no youth program, and didn’t have mutliple services in different styles. They just had the Holy Spirit and the teaching of the apostles.

⁵The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. ⁶Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest’s family. ⁷They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! ⁹If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, ¹⁰then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. ¹¹He is
” ‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the capstone.^[a]‘^{[b] 12}Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Here we have Annas and Caiaphas, the same two men who had had Jesus crucified, still dealing with this Jesus problem. They thought they had ended it, but it was just beginning. Like Jesus, Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin, the ruling council in Israel. It was comprised of both Pharisees and Sadducees, teachers of the law and priests. They disagreed on the resurrection and many other things, but they agreed on the need to stop this Jesus movement before it got out of control.

With his response to the council’s question, Peter was living out Jesus’ instruction to them in Luke 21:12-15. Peter, as a fisherman, was not schooled in debate techniques, but he started off with the perfect argument; Are we really on trial for an act of kindness? Actually, that’s not the reason they were on trial. If they had simply performed the miracle and gone on their way, no one would have arrested them. They were on trial for preaching the resurrection of the dead in Jesus. So Peter tied the two together. It was the power of the resurrected Jesus that had healed the cripple. The miracle proved the resurrection.

By quoting Psalm 118:22 to them, Peter reminded them of the time not so long before when these same men had challenged Jesus’ authority, and Jesus had quoted the same verse to them (Luke 20:1-19, blog). Then Peter states one of the central doctrines of Christianity; the exclusivity of Christ. This was a direct challenge to the authority of the chief priests. They thought they had the exclusive way of salvation. They had all of the power, the huge temple complex, and the temple guard to keep order. But God had replaced their old way with a new way. I can imagine their amusement at such a claim by peasants such as Peter and John. But within a generation, the temple would be gone, and the church of Jesus Christ would continue to grow.

¹³When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. ¹⁴But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. ¹⁵So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. ¹⁶“What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”

¹⁸Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. ²⁰For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

²¹After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. ²²For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.

These aristocratic men of higher education could not believe that these two common fishermen, complete with Galilean accents that made them sound like hicks, could give such answers to their rulers. Remember, not that long before, Peter and John were in the high priest’s courtyard during the trial of Jesus (John 18:15-16). Peter was so afraid at that time that he denied even knowing Jesus. But after being restored by Jesus, and after Pentecost, Peter spoke with a boldness that had been absent before. They had not attended any recognized school, but they had discipled with Jesus for three years, and they had had their minds opened to the scriptures by him during the 40 days following his resurrection (Luke 24:45). They were as prepared for this as any rabbi, and they had the Holy Spirit inspiring their words. Not to mention a bonafide miracle standing right there with them!

The high priest knew John personally (John 18:15-16), and he and Peter were known to be disciples of Jesus. They were known to have been with Jesus, and their actions and words backed up their reputation. You and I may be known to be Christians by nonbelievers, but do our lives back up our reputation?

Then the Sanhedrin had Peter and John leave so they could discuss what to do. How did Luke know what was said in their private discussion? Some have suggested that Saul of Tarsus may have been in on that council, as a Pharisee. Perhaps he told Luke what was said. But we also know of two secret believers in Jesus who were members of the Sanhedrin; Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea (Luke 23:50-51, John 3:1). I imagine there was quite a bit of disagreement about what to do with Peter and John, maybe even with Saul of Tarsus on one side of the argument, and Nicodemus and Joseph on the other! Since Luke got so much of his material from interviews, I think he probably talked with all three of these men about these events.

The council came up with a solution they probably thought was very generous; They’d let them go as long as they promised not to preach about Jesus anymore. Peter and John’s reply in verse 19 and 20 was exactly right. They had to obey God rather than men. That pretty much shut the council up, and called their bluff. They couldn’t really prosecute Peter and John, not after the miracle that everyone was praising God for. The persecution of the church had just begun, and it would only spur the church to greater growth.

Mark Bible Acts, John, Peter, sanhedrin

Peter Heals the Crippled Beggar

¹One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. ²Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. ³When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. ⁴Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” ⁵So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

Here is an example of how Jesus’ disciples became like their master. Disciples of rabbis in Jesus’ time left everything to follow their rabbi. They were like apprentices, and the purpose of being a disciple was to learn to be like their master, to do the things that he did. After 3 years of following Jesus and being transformed by him, Peter and John now performed miracles in much the same way that Jesus did, and they taught and preached with the authority of Jesus.

The first believers still practiced a form of Judaism. They didn’t make sacrifices, but they did observe the ritual prayer times and celebrate the Jewish festivals, at least for a while. They were Jews, after all. They had been raised with these traditions. They entered the temple through the gate called Beautiful. There were 9 gates into the temple, all of which were 45 feet high, except for the Beautiful Gate, which was 75 feet high, and made of fine Corinthian brass which shone in the morning sun as it faced east, according to Josephus. A lot of traffic went through this gate every day, which was why this beggar was placed there every day.

Acts 4:22 says that this man was over 40 years old. He was a very familiar sight to those who entered through this gate. How many times had Jesus walked by this man without healing him? When it seems like God delays, it may be because he has a greater purpose in mind. Verse 3 says that when the beggar asked for money, Peter and John looked straight at him. As anyone who lives in a big city knows, when you see someone begging on the street, you don’t make eye contact with them unless you intend to give them something. Otherwise, you pass them by without acknowledging that they’re even there. Peter went a step further in telling the beggar to look back at them. Maybe the beggar had seen someone else who looked like they had more money and was trying to get their attention. But when Peter said “Look at us,” they had his attention again. He was right in thinking he would get something from them, but he was about to get far more than he expected.

⁶Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” ⁷Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. ⁸He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. ⁹When all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

This was not the first time Peter and John had performed miracles in Jesus’ name. Jesus had sent the Twelve out to “preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick” in Luke 9:1-6 (blog). He had done the same with the 72 in Luke 10:1-24 (blog). Though the disciples had had success on those occasions, now Peter and John acted with the power of the resurrected Christ and the Holy Spirit.

This is the second time that Peter used the name Jesus Christ in the Book of Acts, the first being in his sermon on the day of Pentecost (2:38). Matthew, Mark and John use that name to refer to Jesus in their gospels, but at the time the gospels were written, decades later, people were used to hearing the names Jesus and Christ used together. Today, we tend to think of Christ as Jesus’ last name, but it’s not. His given name was Yeshua bar Joseph. Christ is his title. It means Messiah or Anointed One. It was one thing to talk about Jesus of Nazareth in the temple courts in Peter’s day and quite another to do something in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth there that soon after his crucifixion. It’s no wonder this event led to Peter and John being put on trial before the Sanhedrin, which we’ll see in the next chapter.

Just as Jesus had healed cripples and immediately they got up and walked, Peter and John were enabled to do the same in Jesus’ name. When someone is crippled, they don’t retain their muscle tone. Atrophy sets in. But when God heals someone, there is no need for months of physical rehabilitation. Luke, as a physician, notes the man’s feet and ankles in verse 7. In some translations, such as the Amplified Bible and the New King James, ankles is translated ankle bones. Apparently this man’s infirmity resided in his feet and ankles rather than his legs or hips. I don’t think we need to read much into the fact that Peter helped him up. It wasn’t Peter’s touch that healed him, it was the name of Jesus Christ.

Luke doesn’t indicate anywhere in this account that the beggar had any faith at all. When he looked up at Peter and John in verse 5, he wasn’t expecting healing, he was expecting money. What does this tell us about to role of faith in healing? If someone tells you that you weren’t healed because you didn’t have enough faith, point them to this passage. As soon as the man got up, he started walking and jumping and praising God. This fulfilled Isaiah 35:6:

Then the lame shall leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the dumb sing.

It was a sign to everyone there that the Messianic age had come. I believe that the Bible teaches that God performs miracles chiefly for two reasons; to glorify himself, and to help people believe. I came to that conclusion in my study of the Gospel of John. God feels compassion toward us in our suffering, and he may miraculously help us in our time of need, but he doesn’t perform miracles primarily to help us. When God performs a miracle, the purpose of the miracle is to bring glory to his name, and to help those who witness the miracle to believe in him. Both of those things happened as a result of this miracle. God was glorified when the former cripple walked and jumped and praised God in front of all of those witnesses. And in the next passage, which I’ll get to tomorrow, this miracle resulted in Peter preaching a sermon which caused many to believe in Jesus as the Christ.

Mark Bible Acts, John, Luke, miracles, Peter

The Resurrection

¹When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. ²Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb ³and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” (Mark 16:1-2)

The Jewish Sabbath is from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. So the women were able to buy the spices they intended to use on Jesus’ body on Saturday night, but they couldn’t go to the tomb to do their work until Sunday morning, when it was light enough. I wonder who this Mary the mother of James was. Is it the same Mary that Mark calls “the mother of Joses”? Matthew tells us that Mary Magdelene and “the other Mary” went to the tomb on Sunday morning (Matthew 28:1). I can’t help but think this was Mary the mother of Jesus. Jesus had a brother named James, who wrote the book of James. I don’t know if he had a brother named Joses or a sister named Salome, but we know Jesus had brothers (Mark 3:31) and probably had sisters too. Plus, the job of treating bodies for burial was the responsibility of the closest family members. So it would make sense that Jesus’ mother and sister would be among those who went to the tomb. Many Biblical scholars also believe that the myrrh that the Magi left when they visited the Christ child was intended for use at his burial. I can imagine Mary carrying this container of myrrh that she had saved for over 30 years to the tomb, finally expecting to use it, but never being able to! If this Mary was Jesus’ mother, why did Mark keep referring to her by the names of her other children? Maybe Mary wanted anonymity. Maybe Joses and Salome became leaders in the early church, and Mark wanted to mention them. Or maybe this was some other Mary altogether.

If Mary and Salome were immediate family members, that explains why they were going to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body. So why was Mary Magdalene with them? Her devotion to Jesus was well known, but she was not related to him as far as we know. But her devotion was rewarded a little later in the story, as we will see.

As the women went to the tomb, they wondered who would roll the stone away from the entrance for them, since it was too big and heavy for them to move. There was supposed to be a Roman guard there, but they would not have helped these Jewish women. Why didn’t any of the disciples come with them to help? They let these women go by themselves, even though they wouldn’t be able to get in without help?

⁴But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. ⁵As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

⁶“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ “

⁸Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. (Mark 16:4-8, NIV)

When the women arrived, they saw that they didn’t have to worry about who would help them roll the stone away. It had already been done. The stone had been rolled away, not so that Jesus could escape (we know from John 20:19 that Jesus in his resurrected body could pass through solid walls), but so that others could enter the tomb and see that he had risen. The fact that neither the women nor the disciples were expecting this shows how little they understood of what Jesus had been telling them. How many times had he told them he would rise again on the third day? We are often surprised by miracles. Why should we be surprised when a miracle happens if we say we believe in a miracle working God?

Mark says they were alarmed when they found the entrance to the tomb open. At first, they may have thought his body was stolen. What would you think if you went to the grave of a loved one and found the grave open and their body missing? Instead of the body of Jesus, they found an angel. The angel identified who they were looking for, as if they might think they had gone to the wrong tomb. He not only told them Jesus was risen, he showed them the place where his body was laid. These same women had followed Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus and had observed his burial two days before (Mark 15:47). They had seen where they laid his body. So by showing them this place, the angel proved the resurrection to them. This started a long series of physical evidence given to prove the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus appeared to his disciples and showed them his scars. He knew they would need that kind of proof to be able to endure the persecution that lay ahead for them. Most people will not endure torture and death for what they know is a lie. The martyrdom of the Apostles proves that Jesus really is risen.

In verse 7, Peter is singled out from the rest of the disciples. Some think he was no longer considered a disciple at that point because he had denied Christ, and had not yet been restored. I think it may be that, since scholars believe that the Gospel of Mark is really Peter’s gospel, it’s not that the angel didn’t want to count him among the disciples right then, it’s that Peter himself did not want to be considered a true disciple before Jesus restored him. It’s interesting to me that the angel singled Peter out to be notified of Jesus’ resurrection. None of the others were mentioned by name. Even when we have failed Christ miserably, he seeks us out personally and calls us by name in order to restore us to him.

¹Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. ²So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

³So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. ⁴Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. ⁶Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. ⁸Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. ⁹(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) (John 20:1-9, NIV)

As we just saw above, Mark 16:8 says that the women who went to the tomb “said nothing to anyone”, but here in verse 2, John says that Mary Magdalene did tell Peter and John about it, as the angel told them to do. I don’t think this is necessarily a conflict. Since Mark tells us that three women went to the tomb, but John only mentions Mary Magdalene, I can’t help but think that maybe she went back with the other women and stayed quiet at first, but then felt driven to go back to the tomb again by herself, as if to make sure she hadn’t imagined the whole thing. Maybe it was at that point that she went and told Peter and John. It’s clear from John 20:2 that she still didn’t really accept that Jesus was risen. She thought the body had been stolen. It’s possible she didn’t realize that it was an angel who had appeared to them earlier. Mark 16:5 simply calls him “a young man in a white robe.” It seems she didn’t know what to believe, and who could blame her?

So Peter and John ran to the tomb to see for themselves. This passage in John 20 struck me several years ago, and since then I’ve had my own belief about what it means. John specifically describes the way Jesus’ grave clothes are folded, and I wondered why. I’ve heard other theories about this, but naturally, I like mine best!

This was a group of guys that had traveled together for 3 years. When you travel with someone for that long, you get to know them pretty well. John was Jesus’ best friend. It occurred to me that there must have been something about the way the linens were folded that spoke to John, because verse 8 says “he saw and believed”. In that group of 13 guys, it’s easy for me to picture Jesus as “the neat one.” I imagine that his mother Mary taught him to fold his bed clothes neatly every morning when he got up. I imagine that Jesus and John, being best friends, roomed together when they stayed in some rich person’s house, which they did quite a lot. Best friends tease each other, and I’m sure Jesus and John were no exception to that. When you travel with someone for that long, there are gonna be some inside jokes. Just ask anyone who’s ever toured. I can see John giving Jesus a hard time about the way he folded his clothes so neatly every day. These are the kinds of things you learn about people when you live with them.

When I come back from a gig out of town, sometimes I get home during the day after my wife has left for work. If I wanted to look for signs she’s been there, I’d look for personal details only I know about her. The half empty water bottle she leaves on the nightstand, for example. Peter went into the grave first, and saw the linens first, but he didn’t get it. Maybe he didn’t room with Jesus on the road that much. He probably roomed with his brother Andrew. I think John went into the tomb, and saw the grave clothes folded up the way only Jesus would have folded them. I believe that Jesus rose from the dead, and before he left the tomb, he folded his clothes the way he always did, for John’s benefit. He did it so that John would take one look at the way the linens were folded and think,  “Only Jesus would fold his clothes like that. He’s alive!”

¹⁰Then the disciples went back to their homes, ¹¹but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb ¹²and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

¹³They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”(John 20:10-13, NIV)

Now, in verse 10, John says there were two angels, rather than just one young man in a white robe, seated where Jesus’ body had been laid. Mary is still so distraught that she isn’t afraid of the angels. Her only thought is for Jesus. Others had come to the tomb, and one believed, but they had all gone back to their homes, except for Mary. She would not rest until she found him. If we seek Jesus with that much passion and commitment, we will find him.

¹⁴At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

¹⁵“Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

¹⁶Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

¹⁷Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”

¹⁸Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. (John 20:14-18, NIV)

Mary’s devotion to Jesus was rewarded. She was the first one to see his resurrected body. Apparently, she was so glad to see him that she grabbed onto him and wouldn’t let go. That’s easy to understand. When we really meet Jesus, we want to grab onto him and never let go. But Jesus didn’t rise from the dead to go back to his old life. He had to ascend to the Father. Now he sits at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us (Romans 8:34). His instruction to us is the same as it was to Mary; go and tell that he is risen!

I hope that my Holy Week posts have been helpful to you, and that they’ve added to your observance of our Lord’s death and resurrection. Tomorrow I will pick up where I left off in Luke 18.

Mark Bible Jesus, John, Mark, Mary Magdalene, resurrection

The Burial of Jesus

³⁸Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. ³⁹He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. ⁴⁰Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. ⁴¹At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. ⁴²Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. (John 19:16-42)

⁴²It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, ⁴³Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. ⁴⁴Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. ⁴⁵When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. ⁴⁶So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. ⁴⁷Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid. (Mark 15:40-47)

Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy man, and a prominent member of the Sanhedrin. John says he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews (John 19:38). He must have been there at Jesus’ trial, but did nothing to stop it. Now, perhaps out of guilt, he goes to Pilate to ask for Jesus’ body. When we feel we should speak up for Jesus, but don’t because we’re afraid, we may regret it bitterly later. By the time we find our courage, it may be too late. Even now, Joseph is taking a risk because of his position. Those who followed Jesus at that moment had good reason to fear for their lives.

Normally, the bodies of the crucified were left on the crosses to rot or be eaten by animals. But the Jews would not stand for that horror being on display during Passover, so Rome allowed the bodies of those crucified during Passover to be given to the families for a proper burial. But even then, someone had to go and request the body. Since Jesus’ mother, Mary, was a widow, and probably poor, they might not have had a tomb available, or at least not one this nice. But Joseph of Arimathea did, and he offered it to Jesus. This was probably a tomb he had had cut out of the rock for himself, the way we buy grave plots in advance for ourselves and family members. Grave sites are not cheap. They are like family heirlooms. And it’s not like Joseph knew he was going to get the grave back in a few days. He thought he was losing the use of it forever. Are we willing to give our most precious things to Jesus, not expecting repayment?

Death by crucifixion normally took much longer than it took for Jesus, so Pilate was surprised that Jesus was already dead. After confirming it with a centurion who was there, he gave the body of Jesus to Joseph. According to John, Nicodemus went with Joseph, and bought myrrh with aloes to treat Jesus’ body for burial (John 19:36). Two prominent members of the Sanhedrin who believed in Jesus, but who were afraid to stand up for him while he was alive, now did what they could for his body. But they were also helping Jesus’ family. As men of means, they could give Jesus a better burial than Mary could have given him. Even if we have missed “God’s best” for us, there is always something we can do for Christ and his kingdom. It could well be that the generosity of Joseph and Nicodemus helped legitimize the testimonies of Jesus’ resurrection. Because of how secure Jesus’ burial was, in a tomb cut from rock with a stone over the entrance, and a Roman guard posted, stealing Jesus’ body was impossible. Even though the authorities spread that rumor after the resurrection, their story had less credibility than it would have had if Jesus was buried in a pauper’s grave, which anyone could dig up. Would Joseph and Nicodemus have been able to stop Jesus’ death if they had defended him at his trial? Probably not. But by coming forward after his death, and doing what they could for him and his family then, they probably caused more people ultimately to believe.

Mark Bible burial, Jesus, John, Joseph of Arimathea, Mark

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

¹⁶The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. ¹⁷They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. ¹⁸And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” (Mark 15:16-18, NIV)

After having scourged Jesus within an inch of his life, the soldiers were not through with him yet. Jesus was in or near a state of shock, and that was the only mercy for him in this ordeal. In shock, Jesus may have been only dimly aware of what was happening to him. On the other hand, he was acutely aware on the cross, so maybe he did feel every blow and hear every insult. I hope not, but if so, it makes his sacrifice for us all the greater. How many soldiers would have been involved in his scourging? 3 or 4? Half a dozen? However many there were, that would have been more than enough to continue beating up a bleeding, exhausted man in shock, but instead they called together the whole regiment or garrison. A garrison, also called a cohort, was 480 men, which was the total amount of soldiers stationed in Jerusalem at the time. This group was probably only those who happened to be in the Praetorium at that time of day, since many would have been stationed throughout the city keeping order during Passover, but it would still have been a large group of soldiers all abusing one helpless man. But of course, Jesus was not helpless. He could have called the armies of Heaven any time he wanted to. But he endured all of this willingly.

Each part of this mockery was a cruel parody of homage to a king. Kings wore purple, it was considered the royal color. It may have just been a faded red soldier’s cape that looked close enough to purple to suit their purposes. They stripped Jesus naked and put that on him, and it would have stuck to the bloody wounds on his back. Then they wove the crown of thorns. Botanists say that there were many thorny plants growing in that area at the time, with long sharp barbs. Some soldier wove together a “crown” out of a thorny branch, using his metal gauntlet to protect his hand, then shoved it roughly onto Jesus’ head. The blood rushing down his face from that crown of thorns probably blinded Jesus. The standard greeting for Caesar was “Hail Caesar”, so shouting “Hail King of the Jews” was a mocking parody of that.

¹⁹Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. ²⁰And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. (Mark 15:19-20, NIV)

Matthew 27:29 says “they placed a staff in his right hand”. Putting that together with what Mark says in verse 19, we can surmise that they put some sort of branch or stick in his right hand as a mock scepter to complete the “mock king” picture. Roman centurions were given sticks to designate rank, and they could use those sticks to beat disobedient soldiers or subjects. It may be one of these that Jesus was given. Whatever it was, after they placed it in his hand, they then took it away from him and beat him over the head with it. This would have resulted in multiple concussions, dazing Jesus further. Another customary way to greet a king was to kneel and kiss his ring. These soldiers mocked Jesus by kneeling before him, and leaning in as if to kiss him, spit in his face instead. Then they ripped the robe or cape off his back, which was stuck to the bloody wounds, tearing more flesh from him, and put his own clothes back on for the march to Golgotha.

Finally, they tired of these cruel games, and led him out to be crucified. Those who were crucified were made to march through Jerusalem in a parade while a herald called out the crimes of the condemned. This was done to make people afraid of offending Rome. This is exactly what Jesus was referring to when he called upon us to take up our cross and follow him (Mark 8:34)(See my blog on this passage).

Do we sometimes feel mocked or persecuted for our faith? There are many throughout the world who are persecuted and martyred for Christ to this day, but for those of us who live in a country with freedom of religion, we don’t really know the meaning of mockery or persecution. If we ever start feeling offended or sorry for ourselves because someone made fun of us, or because the media doesn’t give Christians a fair shake, we need to remember what Christ endured, and be thankful our lot is as comfortable as it is. (Hebrews 12:2-3)

The Crucifixion

²¹A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. ²²They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). ²³Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. ²⁴And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. (Mark 15:21-24, NIV)

To be honest, I have no desire to delve into the details of our Lord’s agony. But we can’t turn away from the cross. Jesus faced it, and we must take up our cross and follow him. By the time Jesus was supposed to carry his cross, the soldiers had abused him to the point that he was too weak to carry it, or even to walk. Mark 15:20 says they led him, but two verses later, they had to bring him. Typically, the condemned had to carry the crossbar, which was tied to their arms. They were marched though the streets naked, carrying crossbeams that weighed from 75 to 125 pounds. With Jesus incapacitated, the soldiers had to force someone else to carry his cross. No Roman would carry it for him, and if they forced a local Jew to carry it, it could start a riot. So they forced a stranger to do it. Simon was from Cyrene, in Northern Africa, so he may have had black skin. That would have made him easy for the solders to pick out of the crowd as an outsider. Cyrene was 800 miles away, on the other side of the Mediterranean. He must have been a pilgrim, a convert to Judaism in Jerusalem for Passover.

It’s not remarkable to me that we know someone was forced to carry Jesus’ cross, but it is remarkable to me that we know not only his name, but his sons’ names, and where they were from. Why would Mark have made sure his readers knew this? Many scholars believe that Simon of Cyrene’s son, Rufus, is the same Rufus mentioned in Romans 16:13. He was a Christian, known in the early church. Since his other son, Alexander, is also mentioned, it seems likely their whole family became Christians, perhaps converted because of this experience.

They offered him wine mixed with myrrh. This was an anesthetic, intended to dull the pain. The women of Jerusalem had adopted this practice in obedience to the admonition in Proverbs 31:6-7. But Jesus refused it. Maybe he did not want to dull the agony. but to continue to suffer for us. It’s also possible that, in his fragile state, he thought if he took the narcotic mixture, he would pass out, and he needed to remain conscious until all was accomplished. Maybe it was both.

They crucified him. Jagged spikes were driven through his feet and wrists. His back, torn open from the scourging, scraped against the upright of the cross every time he tried to breathe. Death by crucifixion was a long, slow, horrible way to die. It took hours, and sometimes days. Insects would light on the faces and eyes of the condemned, and birds of prey would peck at them.

¹⁹Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read:|sc JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. ²⁰Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. ²¹The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”

²²Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” (John 19:19-22, NIV)

The sign that Pilate posted was not a confession of faith. It was a notice of the charge against Jesus. The Romans would not crucify him because he claimed to be God, or the Jewish Messiah. The Romans had many gods, one more wouldn’t matter to them. The charge on which they executed him was that he was called the King of the Jews, which would have been considered treason against Rome. Crucifixion was an instrument of terror meant to intimidate populations and keep them from offending Rome in any way. Even though Jesus refused to take on the role of a political Messiah, he was still crucified on a false political charge.

²³When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

²⁴“Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said,
“They divided my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.” So this is what the soldiers did. (John 19:23-24, NIV)

They divided his clothes. When you see a picture of Christ on the cross, or see it in a movie, Jesus is wearing a loin cloth. But that is only the modesty of the artist, or the movie studio trying to avoid an NC-17 rating. Jesus was crucified naked, as all who were crucified were. This was one more form of humiliation of the Jews by the Romans. Under Jewish law, stoning victims were permitted a loin cloth, but the Romans did not have the moral objections to public nudity that the Jews had. Their athletes competed naked in the public arenas, so to crucify criminals naked was no big deal to them. It was just another way to intimidate those who would commit crimes against Rome.

²⁵Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” ²⁷and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. (John 19:25-27)

This passage shows how close Jesus and John were. Mary was a widow by this time, as most Biblical scholars believe that Joseph died when Jesus was a teenager. Taking care of widows and orphans was a priority for Jesus, and when it came to the end, he wanted his widowed mother to be taken in by his best friend.

²⁵It was the third hour when they crucified him. ²⁶The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. ²⁷They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left.^{[a] 29}Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, ³⁰come down from the cross and save yourself!”

³¹In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! ³²Let this Christ,^[b] this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him. (Mark 15:25-32, NIV)

Of all the insults that were heaped on Jesus as he hung on the cross, the most revealing is what the religious leaders said about him in verse 31. They admitted that he saved others. The whole city and region were littered with those Jesus had healed and saved from death, yet they still did not believe in him. By throwing this insult at Jesus, they were actually condemning themselves. Those who have seen first hand what Jesus can do, but still refuse to believe are without excuse, and will receive the harshest judgment. There was good reason the people Jesus was most critical of during his ministry were the very religious. We in the church have to keep that in our minds all the time. If we spend our whole lives hearing the gospel preached and seeing the change Jesus makes in people’s lives, but still fail to really believe, we are truly lost.

³³At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. ³⁴And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”^[c] (Mark 15:33-34, NIV)

Many have supposed that the darkness at noon which happened at the crucifixion was a solar eclipse. Luke says that the sun stopped shining (Luke 23:45). But solar eclipses don’t last for 3 hours, and Passover is always held during a full moon. A total solar eclipse is impossible during a full moon, so this was something else. Whatever it actually was. physically, it was the universe reflecting God. God turned away from his Son. He couldn’t look upon him because he became sin for us. Jesus had to experience God’s wrath for the sin of the world while on the cross. Some theologians believe, as it says in the Apostle’s Creed, that Jesus descended into hell when he died in order to defeat hell at the resurrection. I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know that hell is separation from God, and Jesus experienced complete separation from God for 3 hours while being crucified. That sounds like hell to me.

When Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”, he wasn’t complaining that God had turned his back on him. He was quoting Psalm 22, which is prophecy of his death on the cross. He was declaring that that prophecy was fulfilled. Read Psalm 22 and see how it describes both the agony of Jesus on the cross, and also the victory he won with that sacrifice.

³⁵When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

³⁶One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said. (Mark 15:35-36, NIV)

When Jesus cried, “Eloi”, some there thought he said “Eli”, and they either ignored or didn’t hear the rest. If they were Roman soldiers, that’s understandable, since their Aramaic was probably not that good. They would also have missed the fact that Jesus was quoting scripture. And it appears to me they were drunk. The wine vinegar they offered him was different than the wine mixed with myrrh that was offered to him as an anesthetic. This sour wine was a soldier’s ration, and also a common drink among laborers because it was cheap. I can’t prove this, but I imagine that the soldiers who scourged and abused Jesus drank while they did it, and got deeper into a drunken stupor while they tortured him. Alcohol breaks down inhibitions, and those who may have pangs of guilt for doing those things would be able to desensitize themselves by getting drunk. Drunkenness makes the mean even meaner. Once Jesus was helpless on the cross, I can see one of the soldiers offering Jesus some of the sour wine they had been sharing, as if to say, “See, we’re not such bad guys”.

²⁸Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. ³⁰When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:28-30, NIV)

“It is finished”. The three greatest words in our faith. Whatever you’re afraid of, don’t be afraid. It is finished. Spiritual warfare? The war is over, the devil just doesn’t know it yet. It is finished.

³⁷With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

³⁸The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ³⁹And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and^[d] saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son^[e] of God!” (Mark 15:37-39, NIV)

Most victims of crucifixion were exhausted or unconscious when they died. They died of suffocation, and when you’re suffocating, you can’t cry out. The person being crucified had to pull themselves up to breathe. As their legs tired out, they would eventually suffocate. This usually took hours, and sometimes days. So if they wanted to hasten death, they would break the legs of the crucified so they couldn’t support themselves to breathe. That’s why they didn’t break Jesus’ legs. It wasn’t necessary, because he was already dead. This passage shows how nobody took Jesus’ life from him. He gave it willingly. After having had the threat of death hang over him for so long, when it came time for Jesus to give up his life, he breathed his last. Even in his weakened state, Jesus was in control of when and how he died. This was what impressed the Roman centurion so much. He had seen many die on the cross, but this man’s death was different from all the others. Some say that Roman soldier became a believer at that moment, since what he said can be taken as a confession of Christ. That seems like a stretch to me, but verse 39 does say he heard his cry and saw how Jesus died. That was when he said what he did. He experienced darkness at noon for 3 hours, and earthquakes. Then when he heard Jesus cry out when he should not have had the strength, and die of his own free will, he knew this was more than just a man. If we can somehow hear Jesus’ cry and see how he died, it will have a profound effect on us.

The curtain that was torn from top to bottom was the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the sanctuary in the temple. When Jesus died on the cross, that curtain was no longer necessary. We are now able to approach God directly because of the perfect sacrifice of Christ on the cross. (Hebrews 9)

³³But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. ³⁴Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. ³⁵The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. ³⁶These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” ³⁷and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.” (John 19:31-37, NIV)

When they pierced Jesus’ side, as John testifies, blood and water flowed out. Doctors say that the only way for that to happen is if his heart had burst within his chest. Jesus literally died of a broken heart. John is the only one of the gospel writers who mentions the piercing of Jesus’ side and the flow of blood and water. John is the only one of the disciples who is listed as having been there at the cross while Jesus was crucified. The others were no doubt hiding in fear. But John was there, and saw it himself. He didn’t just tell us a story, he gave testimony, and his testimony is true. Why did he give this testimony? He did it so that we might believe. Do you believe?

Mark Bible crucifixion, Jesus, John, Mark

¹²Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him ¹³and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. ¹⁴Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people. (John 18:12-14, NIV)

The Jewish leaders bear the most blame for the death of Jesus. They instigated his arrest and the charges against him. But they were not just defending the status quo, and their own position. It was their job to keep potential troublemakers in line. If they let an insurrection get too far out of hand, the Romans would come down on the whole nation like a ton of bricks, and many would die. I don’t think this was the first time someone spoke out against the established order, gained a following, and the religious leaders tried to quash it in order to keep the peace. I’m sure Jesus seemed like the most dangerous one yet to them, after what he had done the past 3 years, and after the crowds had lined the streets calling him the Messiah just a few days before.

⁵³They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders and teachers of the law came together. ⁵⁴Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire. (Mark 14:53-54, NIV)

This trial of Jesus was illegal under Jewish law. Jewish law had many protections for the rights of the accused, much like the American legal system, but all of those protections were ignored by those who simply wanted Jesus dead. Peter seemed to be inviting discovery, since he followed right into the courtyard area. Much of the crowd that came to Gethsemane to arrest Jesus must have been there by the fire. It would make sense that most of those who went to Gethsemane with swords and clubs would not have been allowed into the trial itself, but told to wait outside in the courtyard. Yet Peter went in there, even after cutting off the ear of the High Priest’s servant! If he didn’t want to be recognized, why even go in there? It seems that in spite of the danger, he wanted to be near Jesus. He had to know what was happening to him.

Note: In order to focus on the trials of Jesus, and to save space in an already very long blog post, I am skipping over Peter’s denials. If you’re interested in my post on Peter denying Christ in Mark 14:66-72, you can read that here.

¹⁹Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.

²⁰“I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. ²¹Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.”

²²When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded.

²³“If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?” ²⁴Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest. (John 18:19-23, NIV)

Here is another example of the illegality of this “trial”. It was the High Priest’s duty to call forth the witnesses first, beginning with those for the defense. These basic legal protections for the accused under Jewish law were not observed in the trial of Jesus. By telling Annas to ask those who heard him teach, Jesus wasn’t being uncooperative, only asserting His legal right. There was to be no formal charge until witnesses had been heard and been found to be truthful.

⁵⁵The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. ⁵⁶Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.

⁵⁷Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: ⁵⁸“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.’ ” ⁵⁹Yet even then their testimony did not agree. (Mark 14:55-59, NIV)

One would think that the chief priests would have gotten their act together enough to have their false witnesses get their stories straight, but apparently not. Under Jewish law, no one could be convicted of a crime unless two or three witnesses testified against him, and there were severe penalties for bearing false witness (Deut. 19:15-19). The accusation against Jesus in verse 58 is a reference to what Jesus said in John 2:18-21, where Jesus was clearly talking about his own body. It’s a classic case of being misquoted. They may have been purposely misquoting Jesus in order to try to convict him, but they may also have just misunderstood what he said, and were very offended by it. The temple was the pride of Israel, and throughout the Greco-Roman world, destruction of places of worship was a capital offense. They may well have been confusing what Jesus said in referring to his body as “this temple” and what he had predicted about the destruction of the temple in Mark 13:2. It wouldn’t have been the first or last time someone was falsely accused because of a misunderstanding.

⁶⁰Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” ⁶¹But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.
Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ,^[f] the Son of the Blessed One?”

⁶²“I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14:60-62, NIV)

For the high priest to stand and approach Jesus was a desperation move. Normally the high priest would remain seated and render judgment, but all the evidence they had put up against Jesus had gone nowhere. At that point, the only way to convict Jesus was to try to bully him into making some sort of confession, to try to get him to say something they could condemn him for. So the high priest asked Jesus straight out if he was the Messiah. If Jesus says yes, they can accuse him of blasphemy. If he says no, they can accuse him of being a false prophet and have him stoned.

Jesus could have mounted a magnificent defense of all he had done, the people he had healed, the dead he had raised, and all the rest, but he did not. It’s not surprising to me that Jesus did not respond to the false accusations, because they were not worthy of a reply. The fact that the high priest had to get up and confront Jesus showed that. But when the high priest asked him this question, Jesus responds by first saying, “I AM”, using the same words God used to identify himself to Moses (Exodus 3:14). He’s literally saying “The I Am is here” or “I Am the Lord”. Then he quotes from Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13, both of which were well known as Messianic prophecies. What Jesus is saying back to the high priest is, “I not only am the Messiah you seek, I am the Lord. You may think you judge me, but in reality I come to judge you”.

⁶³The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. ⁶⁴“You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”

They all condemned him as worthy of death. ⁶⁵Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him. (Mark 14:63-65, NIV)

If Jesus had said, “Let me make a deal with you. You know I’m the best candidate for Messiah you’ve seen. You’ve seen the throngs who follow me, and you know the good work I’ve done. Why don’t you just proclaim me Messiah and king, and together we’ll rid Israel of our Roman oppressors and the corrupt reign of Herod”, this whole episode might have ended differently. But Jesus had no interest in self preservation. Jesus gave them the excuse they needed to have him executed. He could have saved himself, but instead he chose to endure what he knew was coming in order to save us.

Jesus Before Pilate

²⁸Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. ²⁹So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

³⁰“If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”

³¹Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

“But we have no right to execute anyone,” the Jews objected. ³²This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled. (John 18:28-32, NIV)

The hypocrisy of the religious leaders is laid bare in this passage. They were worried about ceremonial uncleanness, but they were more than willing to execute an innocent man. If the Jews had executed Jesus, he would have been stoned. But that would not have fulfilled what Jesus had said about “the kind of death he would die”, as it says in verse 32. In John 3:14-15, Jesus said that he “must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” Since only the Romans could crucify, this prophecy could only be fulfilled by turning Jesus over to them.

The Romans had made it illegal for the Jews to execute criminals in 7 A.D. Stonings still happened from time to time, as in the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:54-60), but since Jesus was so popular with the people, if the Jewish leaders put Jesus to death themselves, the crowds might have turned against them. By having the Romans do it, they could always blame the Romans. The reason the chief priests had to have their trial of Jesus in the wee hours of the night, before the rooster crowed, was because Roman trials were held early in the morning, just after sunrise. If they wanted Jesus executed on Friday, they had to hand him over to Pilate early Friday morning. Jesus had been up all night. He endured everything he went through on Good Friday without having slept the night before.

³³Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

³⁴“Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”

³⁵“Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

³⁶Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

³⁷“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

³⁸“What is truth?” Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. (John 18:33-38, NIV)

When Pilate asked, “What is truth?”, I wish Jesus had answered him. Maybe he did, and the gospels don’t record it. We know from what Jesus said elsewhere that he is the truth, the way, and the life. Truth is God’s very nature. We have lost the idea of absolute truth in this culture. But science and mathematics are full of absolute truth. The speed of light is an absolute, immutable fact, not subject to anyone’s opinion or perception. If you think 2 + 2 = 5, you may have a right to that opinion, but you’re wrong. And if absolute truth exists in the physical realm, then it must also exist in the spiritual realm, because both come from the Creator.

²“Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.
“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.

³The chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”

⁵But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed. (Mark 15:2-5, NIV)

The primary charge against Jesus was that he called himself King of the Jews, that he held himself up as a king in opposition to Rome. This charge was completely false, but it was one that would get Pilate’s attention. Jesus claiming he was God would not have mattered at all to Pilate. The Romans had hundreds of gods. One more would not have mattered to them. But if he claimed to be king, that was a problem. There was only one king, and that was Caesar. Jesus’ response in Mark 15:2 was not a straight out “yes”. The “yes” that’s in the NIV in verse 2 is not in other translations. His actual answer was something more like, “You said it”. If he had responded by saying, yes, he was King of the Jews, he would have been calling himself Israel’s true king, and the trial would have been over then and there. That would have been treason against Rome. Pilate was used to men groveling before him, begging for their lives. That’s why he was so amazed that Jesus would not defend himself.

⁶Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. ⁷A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. ⁸The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

⁹“Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, ¹⁰knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. ¹¹But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.

¹²“What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

¹³“Crucify him!” they shouted.

¹⁴“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. (Mark 15:6-15, NIV)

Th crowd that gathered that morning was there because of the custom of releasing a prisoner, and they were probably all supporters of Barabbas. They had gone there with intention of asking for his release. But Pilate, not satisfied that Jesus was guilty of anything, saw this as a way to release an innocent man. But he had two things working against him. First, the crowd was there to get Barabbas released, not Jesus. Second, it was a Jewish crowd, and the Jewish leadership was stirring them up against Jesus. The Jews hated Pilate, so of course they would side with their own religious leaders against whatever Pilate wanted. Though reluctant to execute an innocent man and release Barabbas, a real enemy of Rome, Pilate was afraid of a riot breaking out, which would get him into a lot of trouble with his superiors. History shows that Pilate was a cruel governor who crucified hundreds, if not thousands of Jews during his time. So in the end, he relented and did as the crowd demanded.

All too often I have heard it said that the same crowd that was cheering him during his Triumphal Entry was shouting “crucify him” at his trial. There is no evidence for this assertion. Jerusalem was a large city, even then, and there were thousands of pilgrims there for Passover from other places. Sometimes I think people say that because they have to use the same crowd in their church Easter productions, so they say it was the same crowd in Jerusalem. But the Bible never says that, so please stop saying it when you don’t know that it’s true. If it was the same crowd, why were the Jewish leaders afraid to execute Jesus themselves? Why were they afraid to arrest him in broad daylight? It’s much more likely that they were completely different crowds.

I don’t want to get into the gory details of the flogging of Jesus. We’ve all heard about this many times, and I’ve sure you’ve all seen The Passion Of The Christ. That movie goes overboard on that, by the way. I thought Mel Gibson did an excellent job with that movie, although he did take some liberties, which artists always do. I’m OK with most of the liberties he took, except for the scourging. He went too far with that, way beyond what the Bible says. Roman law stated that only 39 lashes were allowed with the lead and bone tipped whip, and in the movie, there are over 100 lashes, which no one could survive. I counted. There’s no way Jesus could still have been conscious after a beating like that to go back to Pilate, have a conversation with him, and then carry his cross. He would have been dead right there, and the crucifixion would never have happened. I think Mel Gibson was trying to emphasize the brutality of what Jesus went through, because that had not been given its due in previous Jesus films, even the ones by Christan studios. But he went too far with it. What the Bible describes is bad enough. There’s no need to exaggerate it. But 39 lashes were enough to rip Jesus’ back to shreds, and put him in a state of shock. After scourging, most did not survive the cross for long. Keep in mind that Jesus had the power to stop this at any time, but he did not, for one reason. He let it continue out of love for us. It was the only way he could save us.

Mark Bible Jesus, John, Mark, Pilate, trial of Jesus

Jesus Arrested

¹When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it. (John 18:1, NIV)

The Kidron Valley was a ravine with a brook running through it. At the time of the Passover, the water in the brook ran red with the blood of Passover lambs. As they crossed over, this would have been a stark reminder to Jesus of the sacrifice he was about to make.

³²They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” ³³He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ³⁴“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”

³⁵Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. ³⁶“Abba,^[e] Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:32-36, NIV)

Gethsemane means “olive press” It was a place where olives were pressed to make olive oil from the surrounding olive groves on the Mount of Olives. Jesus led the remaining 11 disciples there to find a place to pray. Why did they not simply stay in the upper room? Maybe Jesus didn’t want to cause trouble for whoever owned the house. That person was probably a supporter of Jesus, and Jesus wanted to protect him. Mark tells us that Jesus told his disciples where to sit when they got to Gethesemane, but then took Peter, James and John with him to the place where he would pray. Those three had been included in some of the most amazing times of Jesus’ ministry, and now Jesus wanted them to help support him in his hour of need. Jesus was vulnerable with them, and let them see how troubled he was. If Jesus felt the need to ask for support from those who were closest to him in a time like this, how much more do we need the support and prayers of our closest spiritual brothers and sisters in difficult times?

The phrase that strikes me in verse 35 is that Jesus fell to the ground. Have you ever been so overwhelmed with sorrow that you could not even stand? I have to admit that I never have. What troubled Jesus so much wasn’t just the physical torture and humiliation that he knew was coming. It was also, and perhaps mainly, the burden of carrying the sin of the whole world. He was made sin for us (2 Cor 5:21). Jesus was sinless and holy, and the horror of bearing all the sin of everyone who had ever lived and ever would live was almost too much for him, especially since he knew that his Father would look upon him and see all of that sin, and turn away.

Even though Jesus knew what he had to do, and had been telling his disciples about it for weeks, when the time came, he asked his Father if there was any other way to save humanity. Don’t you think God wanted to grant that request? The fact that the Father didn’t make another way shows that there was no other way. Jesus called his Father “Abba”, which was a child’s intimate term, the equivalent of “daddy”. Jesus had the most intimate relationship with his Father, and his actions here made it possible for us to have the same kind of relationship with God.

In the end, Jesus submitted to the Father’s will. For me, this passage proves that, despite what some preach, the Bible does not really teach that believers can simply pray the “prayer of faith”, and expect to get whatever they ask for. If even Jesus did not receive what he asked for in this instance, and had to qualify his request by saying “not my will, but yours”, what makes us think we can claim more authority with God than Jesus could?

³⁷Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? ³⁸Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

³⁹Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. ⁴⁰When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.

⁴¹Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴²Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Jesus wanted Peter, James and John to pray with him, to support him in prayer and to keep watch for Judas and the temple guards that he knew were coming. In spite of all Jesus had said, the disciples still did not know what was coming. John knew that Judas would betray Jesus, but apparently Jesus had not spelled out for them that he expected Judas to arrive at Gethsemane with troops to arrest him at any moment. If he had, they probably would have been more alert, but then there might have been premature violence, and a more or less peaceful arrest might not have been possible. Jesus needed prayer and support, and he also needed his disciples to survive this night, so that they could become the leaders of his church later on.

To fall asleep while keeping watch is inexcusable. I don’t know what the penalty for that is in the military, but I’m sure it’s not good. When Jesus came back and found them sleeping, he wasn’t reprimanding them, but trying to encourage them to strengthen themselves spiritually for what was to come. Jesus spent the hour in prayer, and he was strengthened to complete his task. The disciples slept, and when the time came, they scattered. If Peter in particular had watched and prayed like Jesus told him to, maybe he would have found the strength not to deny Jesus. It’s interesting that in that moment, Jesus called him Simon, not Peter. Peter was acting like his old self, not the new man of God Jesus wanted him to be.

Jesus went back and prayed the same prayer three times. What does this tell us about persistence in prayer? And Jesus did not receive what he asked for, but because of his persistence in prayer, he did receive the power to do what God wanted him to do. That’s what prayer is really about, achieving intimacy with God, so we can call him “daddy”, and through knowing him, receive the power to do what he asks of us.

²Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. ³So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.

⁴Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”

⁵“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.

“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) ⁶When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. (John 18:2-5, NIV)

John is the only one who tells this story of the men who came to arrest Jesus falling back to the ground when Jesus says “I am he”. That’s pretty amazing, and it makes me wonder why the others left it out. In Young’s Literal Translation, verses 5 and 6 read like this:

Jesus saith to them, `I am [he];’ — and Judas who delivered him up was standing with them; —

⁶when, therefore, he said to them — `I am [he],’ they went away backward, and fell to the ground.

See that the word “he” is in brackets, which I think means that Jesus’ actual answer is “I AM”. There are more instances coming up in Jesus’ trial when he is asked who he is, and his answer is “I AM”. This may be the first instance of that. If so, no wonder they fell backwards. Jesus is declaring publicly that he is God. It seems to me that at that moment, God the Father was speaking through Jesus in his own voice, and the sheer power of God’s voice made them fall backwards in amazement.

⁷Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?”
And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”

⁸“I told you that I am he,” Jesus answered. “If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” ⁹This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”

¹⁰Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

¹¹Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” (John 18:7-11, NIV)

⁴³Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.

⁴⁴Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” ⁴⁵Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. ⁴⁶The men seized Jesus and arrested him. ⁴⁷Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. (Mark 14:43-47, NIV)

While Jesus was still telling Peter, James, and John to wake up, Judas arrived with the temple guards. Where were the other eight disciples? Maybe the crowd came by a different way than where they were, but I would think they would have seen or heard them coming, and would have warned Jesus and the others. I would also think that since Jesus was a familiar figure in the temple courts, he would not need to be identified by a kiss, but apparently Judas needed to greet Jesus so the guards would know who to arrest. But why the false show of affection? It seems unnecessary and insulting. Maybe Judas was trying to convince himself that he was really doing this for Jesus’ own good. He may not have realized then that the religious leaders intended to kill Jesus. Maybe he even thought Jesus would prove he was the Messiah to the elders, and they would accept him and proclaim him king. Throughout history, many who thought they were doing the church a favor were really doing the Kingdom great harm. Many make the mistake of thinking they know better than God.

We can see from John’s version that Peter was the one who cut off the servant’s ear, and John identifies the servant as Malchus. Only Luke tells that Jesus healed the servant’s ear (Luke 22:50-51). Most Biblical scholars believe that Mark’s gospel is actually Peter’s gospel. Mark was a constant companion to Peter in the early days of the church, and scholars think that Mark’s gospel is largely comprised of stories of Jesus that Mark heard Peter tell. Not for the first time in the Gospel of Mark, Peter leaves out details regarding himself in his account. He doesn’t say that it was he who cut off the man’s ear. But maybe this part of Mark’s gospel is not from Peter, but from Mark himself. He was there, as we will see. Maybe he didn’t want to embarrass Peter further when he was about to relate Peter’s denial of Christ. Peter, not unlike Judas, thought he knew better than God in that moment. If Jesus had not healed Malchus, Peter certainly would have been arrested along with Jesus.

⁴⁸“Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? ⁴⁹Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” ⁵⁰Then everyone deserted him and fled. (Mark 14:48-50, NIV)

The religious leaders were too afraid of the crowds to arrest Jesus in broad daylight where everyone could see. They waited until they could seize him in the dead of night, when the crowds weren’t around. If you have to make sure no one sees what you’re doing, you’re not doing anything good. At this point, Jesus’ prediction in verse 27, “All of you will desert me” comes true. As I said yesterday, Jesus had spent the previous hour in earnest prayer, and he had the strength to face arrest, while the disciples had spent the hour sleeping, and did not have the strength, so they fled.

⁵¹A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, ⁵²he fled naked, leaving his garment behind. (Mark 14:51, NIV)

Most Biblical scholars believe this young man was John Mark, the author of this gospel. As I said in yesterday’s blog, many suppose that the Last Supper was held in an upper room at a house owned by Mark’s family. We know from the account of Peter’s escape from prison in Acts 12 that the home of John Mark’s mother, Mary, was a place the followers of Jesus often gathered to pray (Acts 12:12). So it would make sense that this would have been a place for Jesus and his disciples to “hang out” as well. This might explain why Mark was wearing so little at the garden. Maybe he was at the house, and Judas came there first with the temple guards, because that was where they were when Judas left them. When Judas found they were no longer there, he would have tried the Mount of Olives next, because, as we just read in John 18:2, Judas knew the place. Jesus and his disciples went there often. Perhaps Mark grabbed something to wear in a hurry, and ran to Gethsemane to try to get there ahead of Judas so he could warn them. Why would Mark include this seemingly unimportant detail? Maybe to say, “I was there”, or maybe it was to take some of the embarrassment onto himself and deflect it away from Peter. If you’re willing to embarrass yourself in order to save someone else from embarrassment, that’s being a true friend.

Mark Bible Gethsemane, Jesus, Jesus arrested, John, Mark

The Lord’s Supper

¹²On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

¹³So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. ¹⁴Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ ¹⁵He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”

¹⁶The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. (Mark 14:12-16, NIV)

I’m skipping ahead in the week to the Last Supper in order to cover the “events” of Holy Week. Most of my life I’ve thought of that week in terms of its events; the Triumphal Entry, the cleansing of the temple, the Last Supper, the arrest and trial, etc. But if you read through the chapters of any of the gospels, what you find is that Jesus did a lot of teaching that week. He taught in the temple courts for 3 days after he cleared out the money changers, and a lot of that teaching is recorded. John has 4 chapters of teaching at the Last Supper! But for my Holy Week blogs this year, I’ll focus on the events. That’s why I’m skipping from the temple cleansing to the Last Supper. This event didn’t take place until Thursday, as we all know, but too many things happened on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday to try to cover all of those events on those two days.

Jesus had obviously prepared for a place to eat the Passover meal with his disciples ahead of time. Jerusalem was packed with pilgrims, and there must have been a booming business in renting out furnished rooms where pilgrims could partake of this feast. It seems that Jesus had booked this room in secret, even keeping it from his disciples. Since he knew Judas would betray him, maybe this was to keep Judas from arranging his arrest too soon. Some scholars believe that the Last Supper was held in an upper room at a house owned by John Mark’s family. I’ll talk about that more tomorrow in my post on Gethsemane. If that’s true, I can’t help but wonder if John Mark was the man carrying the water jar, since he mentions that detail.

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

¹It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

²The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. ³Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.(John 13:1-5, NIV)

Only John mentions this event. John’s gospel was written after the others, and I can’t help but think that John thought the other accounts of the Last Supper were incomplete. So he told us about this act of service on the part of Jesus, and included a lot of teaching that Jesus did that night. Of the gospel writers, only John and Matthew were actually there for this Passover meal. But Matthew didn’t give us this much detail. He pretty much just copied Mark’s version of it. Mark would have gotten his version of it from Peter, a man of relatively few words. We owe John a great debt for giving us so much detail about this last meal Jesus shared with his disciples.

For some reason, I always thought Jesus washed the disciples’ feet as they came into the upper room, as the custom would have been. But verse 2 says the meal was already being served, and still their feet had not been washed. This was normally the duty of a slave, or whoever had the lowest status. I would think one of the disciples would have taken on this responsibility, but they loved to argue about which of them would be the greatest, and even argued about that at this meal! (Luke 22:24) So none of them would volunteer for this task. It would be admitting that they had the lowest status. So Jesus did it for them.

This traditional picture of the Last Supper is nothing like what actually happened. They didn’t sit in chairs like we do. Whenever I see this classic painting by Leonardo Da Vinci, I always think of the old joke that goes, “OK, everybody get on the same side of the table for a picture!” In middle eastern culture to this day, they recline with their heads toward the table, leaning on their left elbows and eating with their right hands. As the disciples reclined at the table with their feet sticking out behind them, Jesus got up from his meal, dressed like a slave, filled the water basin, and went from one disciple to the next, washing their feet as they ate.

⁶He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

⁷Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

⁸“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

⁹“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

¹⁰Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” ¹¹For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. (John 13:6-10)

Of all the disciples, only Peter objects to Jesus washing his feet. Sometimes it’s harder to receive service from someone than to give service to someone. But that’s as much an issue of pride as not wanting to take a menial job. Why would we not want to receive charity from others? Because we are proud. Jesus’ reply to Peter is instructive. If we will not receive the cleansing that Jesus wants to give us, we have no part with him.

¹²When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. (John 13:12-17, NIV)

Jesus was teaching his disciples humility. He showed them what true humility looks like by volunteering for the most menial servant’s task. When we feel entitled to a certain position in the church, or a certain solo in the choir, or recognition for something, we need to heed the example of a servant’s heart that Jesus showed here. And if we will serve others as Jesus did, we will be blessed. This relates to Peter’s objection. If we believe that it’s more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35), then the one who gives gets the greater blessing than the one who receives. So if we refuse someone’s gift to us like Peter tried to, we are robbing them of their blessing. We need to be humble enough to serve, and also humble enough to be served.

¹⁷When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. ¹⁸While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”

¹⁹They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely not I?”

²⁰“It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me. ²¹The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” (Mark 14:17-20, NIV)

²¹After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.”

²²His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. ²³One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. ²⁴Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”

²⁵Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

²⁶Jesus answered, “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. ²⁷As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

“What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him, ²⁸but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. ²⁹Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. ³⁰As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night. (John 13:17-30, NIV)

Now Jesus reveals his knowledge of Judas’ plot. I can imagine the sinking feeling Judas must have had when he knew he was “busted”. In John’s version, Jesus reveals to John who the traitor is, but apparently he didn’t reveal it to the whole group. In Luke’s account of this event, we learn that the disciples had two swords with them at the time (Luke 22:38). What do you think they would have done with those swords if Jesus had revealed to the whole group that Judas was about to betray him? But Jesus kept Judas’ secret, and sent him out ahead of the group so he could do what he intended to do. It strikes me that Jesus was giving Judas one last chance to change his mind, but Judas was committed. He had already made arrangements with the Chief Priests to betray Jesus, so it’s curious to me that John would say that Satan entered into him when he took the bread from Jesus. It seems to me that Satan had entered into him before that. Perhaps Judas was having second thoughts in that moment. Jesus had just washed his feet, too.

In Middle Eastern culture, it was and is still considered the worst form of treachery to betray someone after having broken bread with them. Each of the disciples asked if he was the traitor, including Judas. Matthew tells us that Jesus did answer in the affirmative when Judas asked (Matthew 26:25). So there was no doubt in Judas’ mind that Jesus knew all about what he was planning, but Jesus did nothing to stop him. In fact he sent him on his way, knowing what was to come.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

³¹When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. ³²If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

³³“My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

³⁴“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:31-34, NIV)

This is something we need to be constantly reminded of. How will people know that we are his disciples? By our doctrine? Our beautiful buildings? The cutting edge multimedia in our worship services? By the lifestyle rules we live by? No, by the way we love one another. People may be enticed to enter our church doors because of a special program, but what will attract them to Christ is if they see love in action. Everyone wants to be loved, and to belong to something greater than themselves. Who wouldn’t want to be part of a group that loves each other, cares for each other, and supports each other?

³⁶Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”
Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”

³⁷Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”

³⁸Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times! (John 13:36-38, NIV)

Peter did both things, actually. He denied Christ in a moment of weakness, but sometime after Pentecost, he suffered the same death Jesus suffered; crucifixion. But Peter did not consider himself worthy to be crucified the way Jesus was, so he asked to be crucified upside down. The Romans granted his request. To this day, all across the world, believers are martyred for Christ. Where Jesus went, they follow.

²²While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”

²³Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it.

²⁴“This is my blood of the^[b] covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. ²⁵“I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.”

²⁶When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (Mark 14:22-26)

This was no typical Passover meal. There are strict traditions about what is eaten and what is said, by whom and in what order when eating the Passover. If you’ve ever attended a Seder meal, you know what I mean. Perhaps they had already gone through the established ritual by this point. But now Jesus shared with them a new supper, the Lord’s Supper. The Passover was central to the old covenant, and the Lord’s Supper is central to the new covenant. Jesus is starting the new covenant right here, in that moment.

The Amplified Bible puts verse 24 this way:

²⁵Solemnly and surely I tell you, I shall not again drink of the fruit of the vine till that day when I drink it ^[c]of a new and a higher quality in God’s kingdom.

Jesus’ promise not to drink wine again until he does so in Heaven has always struck me a little odd. After all, he hardly had the chance after that. But according to the Amplified translation, he’s not just saying he’ll wait until then, he’s saying it will be of a new and higher quality. I don’t think he’s just talking about better wine, though I’m sure the wine will be really good in Heaven. I believe he’s talking about the whole meal. The Passover meal, the central feast of the old covenant, was a foreshadow of the Lord’s Supper, which ratified the new covenant (Mark 14:24, Amplified). The Last Supper is a foreshadow of the Marriage Supper Of The Lamb. This is what Jesus is referring to in verse 25. Neither the Passover meal nor the Lord’s Supper could be considered real feasts, at least by any definition I know of. But the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, now that will be a feast! If you think Thanksgiving dinner is good, that will pale in comparison to the spread at that feast. Everything will be “of a new and a higher quality in God’s kingdom”.

It’s interesting to me that Mark and Matthew both mention that they “sang a hymn”. According to the definition of hymns that I learned in my church music courses in college, hymns did not exist then, so I wonder about the translation from Greek. There are other places in the Bible where hymns are mentioned (Psalm 40:3, Acts 16:25, 1 Corinthians 14:26, Ephesians 5:19), and I’m curious what was meant by that term. But the definition of what type of song they sang is not as important as the fact that they sang. How could Jesus sing, knowing what would soon happen? Because his attitude of praise was not based on his circumstances, but on his adoration of the Father, as ours should be.

The traditional psalms that were sung at the end of the Passover meal were Psalms 116, 117, and 118. Maybe those were the songs they sang. Read those Psalms and imagine how they would have ministered to Jesus on the night before his death.

Mark Bible Jesus, John, Last Supper, Mark