Mark14

Mark 14 details the plot to kill Jesus, his anointing at Bethany, and Judas Iscariot's agreement to betray him. During the Last Supper, Jesus institutes the new covenant, foretells his betrayal and Peter's denial, then prays in agony in Gethsemane. He is subsequently arrested, tried before the high priest, and condemned, while Peter denies knowing him three times.

The Plot to Kill Jesus

It was now two days before Pesach (that is, the festival of Matzah), and the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers were trying to find some way to arrest Yeshua surreptitiously and have him put to death;

for they said, "Not during the festival, or the people will riot."

The Anointing at Bethany

While he was in Beit-Anyah in the home of Shim`on (a man who had had tzara`at), and as he was eating, a woman came with an alabaster jar of perfume, pure oil of nard, very costly. She broke the jar and poured the perfume over Yeshua's head.

But some there angrily said to themselves, "Why this waste of perfume?

It could have been sold for a year's wages and given to the poor!" And they scolded her.

But he said, "Let her be. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me.

For you will always have the poor with you; and whenever you want to, you can help them. But you will not always have me.

What she could do, she did do -- in advance she poured perfume on my body to prepare it for burial.

Yes! I tell you that wherever in the whole world this Good News is proclaimed, what she has done will be told in her memory."

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

Then Y'hudah from K'riot, who was one of the Twelve, went to the head cohanim in order to betray Yeshua to them.

They were pleased to hear this and promised to give him money. And he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Yeshua.

Preparation for the Passover

On the first day for matzah, when they slaughtered the lamb for Pesach, Yeshua's talmidim asked him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare your Seder?"

He sent two of his talmidim with these instructions: "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him;

and whichever house he enters, tell him that the Rabbi says, `Where is the guest room for me, where I am to eat the Pesach meal with my talmidim?'

He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make the preparations there."

The talmidim went off, came to the city and found things just as he had told them they would be; and they prepared the Seder.

Jesus Predicts His Betrayal

When evening came, Yeshua arrived with the Twelve.

As they were reclining and eating, Yeshua said, "Yes! I tell you that one of you is going to betray me."

They became upset and began asking him, one after the other, "You don't mean me, do you?"

"It's one of the Twelve," he said to them, "someone dipping matzah in the dish with me.

For the Son of Man will die, just as the Tanakh says he will; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him had he never been born!"

Institution of the Lord's Supper

While they were eating, Yeshua took a piece of matzah, made the b'rakhah, broke it, gave it to them and said, "Take it! This is my body."

Also he took a cup of wine, made the b'rakhah, and gave it to them; and they all drank.

He said to them, "This is my blood, which ratifies the New Covenant, my blood shed on behalf of many people.

Yes! I tell you, I will not drink this `fruit of the vine' again until the day I drink new wine in the Kingdom of God."

After singing the Hallel, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Peter’s Denial Foretold

Yeshua said to them, "You will all lose faith in me, for the Tanakh says, `I will strike the shepherd dead, and the sheep will be scattered.'

But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you into the Galil."

Kefa said to him, "Even if everyone else loses faith in you, I won't."

Yeshua replied, "Yes! I tell you that this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will disown me three times!"

But Kefa kept insisting, "Even if I must die with you, I will never disown you!" And they all said the same thing.

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

They went to a place called Gat Sh'manim; and Yeshua said to his talmidim, "Sit here while I pray."

He took with him Kefa, Ya`akov and Yochanan. Great distress and anguish came over him;

and he said to them, "My heart is so filled with sadness that I could die! Remain here and stay awake."

Going on a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that if possible, the hour might pass from him:

"Abba!" (that is, "Dear Father!") "All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me! Still, not what I want, but what you want."

He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Kefa, "Shim`on, are you asleep? Couldn't you stay awake one hour?

Stay awake, and pray that you will not be put to the test -- the spirit indeed is eager, but human nature is weak."

Again he went away and prayed, saying the same words;

and again he came and found them sleeping, their eyes were so very heavy; and they didn't know what to answer him.

The third time, he came and said to them, "For now, go on sleeping, take your rest. . . .There, that's enough! The time has come! Look! The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners!

Get up! Let's go! Here comes my betrayer!"

The Arrest of Jesus

While Yeshua was still speaking, Y'hudah (one of the Twelve!) came, and with him a crowd carrying swords and clubs, from the head cohanim, the Torah-teachers and the elders.

The betrayer had arranged to give them a signal: "The man I kiss is the one you want. Grab him, and take him away under guard."

As he ar ived, he went right up to Yeshua, said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him.

Then they laid hold of Yeshua and arrested him;

but one of the people standing nearby drew his sword and struck at the servant of the cohen hagadol, cutting off his ear.

Yeshua addressed them: "So you came out to take me with swords and clubs, the way you would the leader of a rebellion?

Every day I was with you in the Temple court, teaching, and you didn't seize me then! But let the Tanakh be fulfilled."

And they all deserted him and ran away.

There was one young man who did try to follow him; but he was wearing only a nightshirt; and when they tried to seize him,

he slipped out of the nightshirt and ran away naked.

Trial Before the Sanhedrin

They led Yeshua to the cohen hagadol, with whom all the head cohanim, elders and Torah-teachers were assembling.

Kefa followed him at a distance right into the courtyard of the cohen hagadol, where he sat down with the guards and warmed himself by the fire.

The head cohanim and the whole Sanhedrin tried to find evidence against Yeshua, so that they might have him put to death, but they couldn't find any.

For many people gave false evidence against him, but their testimonies didn't agree.

Some stood up and gave this false testimony:

"We heard him say, `I will destroy this Temple made with hands; and in three days I will build another one, not made with hands.'"

Even so, their testimonies didn't agree.

The cohen hagadol stood up in the front and asked Yeshua, "Have you nothing to say to the accusations these men are making?"

But he remained silent and made no reply. Again the cohen hagadol questioned him: "Are you the Mashiach, Ben-HaM'vorakh?"

"I AM," answered Yeshua. "Moreover, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of HaG'vurah and coming on the clouds of heaven."

At this, the cohen hagadol tore his clothes and said, "Why do we still need witnesses?

You heard him blaspheme! What is your decision?" And they all declared him guilty and subject to the death penalty.

Then some began spitting at him; and after blindfolding him, they started pounding him with their fists and saying to him, "Let's see you prophesy!" And as the guards took him, they beat him too.

Peter Denies Jesus

Meanwhile, Kefa was still in the courtyard below. One of the serving girls of the cohen hagadol

saw Kefa warming himself, took a look at him, and said, "You were with the man from Natzeret, Yeshua!"

But he denied it, saying, "I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about!" He went outside into the entryway, and a rooster crowed.

The girl saw him there and started telling the bystanders, "This fellow is one of them."

Again he denied it. A little later, the bystanders themselves said to Kefa, "You must be one of them, because you're from the Galil."

At this he began to invoke a curse on himself as he swore, "I do not know this man you are telling me about!" --

and immediately the rooster crowed a second time. Then Kefa remembered what Yeshua had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will disown me three times." And throwing himself down, he burst into tears.

Study Notes for Mark 14

Verse 1

Chief priests and scribes feared public unrest during the feast (Passover/Unleavened Bread), which marked a high point of pilgrimage to Jerusalem. They sought a way to arrest him quietly, not during the festival.

Verse 3

Spikenard was an expensive perfume, likely imported from India. Anointing the head was a sign of honor; here, Jesus interprets the woman’s action as a prophetic act related to his impending death.

Verse 5

Three hundred pence (denarii) was roughly a year's wage for a common laborer, highlighting the extravagant cost and the depth of the woman's devotion.

Verse 8

Jesus reinterprets the act, shifting the focus from wastefulness to preparation for his burial, emphasizing the imminence of his death.

Verse 10

Mark links Judas's decision immediately after the anointing scene, suggesting that Judas may have been motivated by greed or disappointment that Jesus was not seizing political power.

Verse 12

The first day of unleavened bread was the day the Passover lamb was slaughtered (around 3 PM), marking the start of the seven-day festival.

Verse 13

The detail of the man with the water pitcher (usually women carried water) provides a secret sign, demonstrating Jesus's supernatural foreknowledge and control over the events.

Verse 21

Jesus affirms that his death fulfills Scripture, but this does not absolve the betrayer. This verse emphasizes human responsibility alongside divine necessity.

Verse 22

The breaking of the bread signifies Christ's body broken on the cross. This event institutes the core ritual of Christian worship (Eucharist or Holy Communion).

Verse 24

The 'blood of the new testament' (covenant) references Jeremiah 31:31-34 and the covenant sacrifice in Exodus 24:8. Jesus fulfills the Passover sacrifice, establishing a new relationship between God and humanity.

Verse 27

Jesus quotes Zechariah 13:7, indicating that his disciples' failure and scattering are necessary fulfillments of prophecy concerning the Messiah's suffering.

Verse 30

The specific detail of the cock crowing twice is unique to Mark, emphasizing the accuracy of Jesus's prediction and the severity of Peter's failure.

Verse 32

Gethsemane means 'oil press.' Jesus’s reaction—'sore amazed' (deeply distressed) and 'very heavy'—highlights his genuine human anguish facing the horror of the cross and bearing sin.

Verse 36

Abba is an Aramaic term meaning 'Father,' used by children in intimate address. This prayer reveals Jesus's perfect submission ('not what I will, but what thou wilt') despite his intense desire to avoid the 'cup' (suffering/wrath).

Verse 38

This warning acknowledges the tension between human desire ('spirit truly is ready') and human frailty ('flesh is weak'), explaining the disciples' failure to watch and pray.

Verse 44

The kiss was the traditional greeting between a disciple and a Rabbi, making Judas's action a profound act of hypocrisy and treachery.

Verse 49

By noting that he taught openly in the Temple, Jesus highlights the hypocrisy of arresting him secretly at night like a criminal, confirming that the arrest was orchestrated to fulfill prophecy.

Verse 51

This unique episode, found only in Mark, is often considered a self-reference by the author (John Mark), symbolizing the disciples' complete abandonment and vulnerability.

Verse 54

Peter's attempt to follow 'afar off' demonstrates both loyalty and fear, placing him in a position where he was exposed to temptation and denial.

Verse 58

The false witness twists Jesus's previous statement (John 2:19) about his own body being the temple destroyed and rebuilt, providing the high priest with a charge of sedition or blasphemy.

Verse 61

Jesus's initial silence fulfills Isaiah 53:7. The High Priest shifts the interrogation from political sedition (the temple) to religious heresy (Messiahship).

Verse 62

Jesus confirms his identity ('I am') and asserts his future divine authority, referencing Daniel 7:13 ('Son of Man coming in the clouds') and Psalm 110:1. This clear claim resulted in the charge of blasphemy.

Verse 71

Peter’s reaction escalates from simple denial to cursing and swearing (invoking God to witness his innocence), demonstrating the total collapse of his resolve under pressure.

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