Mark 14 – Judy in the Sky

Read Mark 14:27-72 – Timing is everything. In 2004 I had just come to the realization that Jesus was real, and surrendered my life to His care and control. Also that year, THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, was released, and I went to see it on a layover in San Diego. It was filmed in the Biblical languages of the time with English subtitles. I wanted to look away when the betrayal and brutal scenes played across the screen, but the foreign dialog would not give me any hints as to when to look up. I returned to the hotel aching and bewildered. I opened my Bible; surely the filmmaker exaggerated. My tears streamed as God’s Word told me a truth I could hardly bear, my Savior endured this, knowing beforehand the cost of my sin.

Jesus says, “Go ahead and sleep. have your rest. But no – the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” :41 The time has come… for betrayal, false witness, mockery and abandonment. The time has come for beating and persecution. The time has come for Jesus to endure the unimaginable agony of laying His life down, that we might be saved. Jesus endured this. He knew full well the cost, and He did it anyway.

As I write, I am again on a layover in San Diego. Scripture blended with my memories. I recall my younger self, then an infant in the faith, as you may be now, Beloved. Do your best to read the hard parts and don’t look away. Remember Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.” John 10:11

Jesus did all this with steadfast love and determination, for sinners like us. I pray these last chapters of Mark meet you in a personal and unique way, strengthening your faith and filling you with the desire to know Jesus even more.

Reflections on Mark 14:1-26 – Beloved, we are blessed with the ability to take our time, so let’s spend more than one day in Chapter 14.
Meet the woman with the alabaster jar of perfume. Mark does not name her, but in the book of John we are told she is Mary, the sister to Lazarus and Martha (John 11:2). She was praised once before for sitting at Jesus’s feet, and now she is being praised for anointing his head with this expensive perfume. Mary had a special love for Jesus and she was never hindered to show him love, although some of the men at the table didn’t like her actions (:4-5). When they begin to scold her, Jesus tells them to leave her alone, and gives a few reasons why. May you remember her, and remember that your acts of love for Jesus, no matter how big or small, all are seen and priceless to Jesus.

Judas agrees to betray Jesus (:10-11). It breaks my heart that those entrusted to keep and teach the Word of God and the one who walked with the living Word Himself, conspired against Him. It says the religious leaders were ‘delighted’… that is such a lovely word, but their delight was purely sinister. It says Judas ‘began looking’ for an opportunity to betray Jesus…. Beloved, the anticipation to do evil can be titillating… the devil whispers and entices, don’t fall prey to his schemes. Once one acts on sin, the enticing whispers become damning condemnation.

In Judaism, there are seven main festivals. I once did a study on the festivals and discovered that the spring festivals all point to Jesus’s first coming and the fall festivals point to His second. Amazing, right? Everything the Lord calls us to has a multidimensional quality.

Our chapter began two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread (:1). This is a precious detail because the Passover celebration is both a remembrance of when the Lord sent the plague to Israel, killing all the first born, but ‘passed over’ the Israelite homes marked with the blood of the lamb (see Exodus 12), AND it is a dress rehearsal of Jesus’s life and atonement for sinners like me and you! This Passover meal in particular is known as The Last Supper, where Jesus gives instruction on Holy Communion (:22-25).

I would love to go on and on, but my purpose is to encourage you to read the Bible for yourself. Happy reading!