The Pain of God's Servant
Book of Mark Chapter 14
As we open up chapter 14 in the Book of Mark, we see that Our Lord Jesus will be facing His last day before His murder on Mount Calvary.
Mark first mentions the Jewish Passover because the Passover was the time that a sacrificial lamb would be slaughtered in order for sin to be forgiven for one year.
But if the right sacrifice were offered then this forgiveness could be forever.
Heb 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Heb 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Heb 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Heb 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Heb 9:16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
Heb 9:17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
Some perfect man had to die in payment for our sin or we all would be held accountable for our own sin, and we are all guilty of sin!
Heb_10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
This is why the Lord Jesus came to this earth, to die in sacrifice for all sin from the time of Adam until last human to be born.
We next see that the chief priests and the scribes, the religionists, are plotting to murder the Lord Jesus Christ not realizing that He came to die.
The murder of the Lord Jesus was premeditated murder, but the sacrifice of Jesus was by the hand of God!
We also know it is the religionists of today who are plotting the downfall, the murder of the true Church!
Mark ties the death of Jesus Christ to the Passover, for the Lord Jesus Christ is our Passover!
1Co_5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us":
The same people in the streets, who were openly preparing to praise God and their religious leaders, were now hiding in darkness preparing to kill God!
These religionists had been exposed by Jesus and they hated Him for it, even when it was the truth.
The things Jesus spoke of were always true!
We see many of these same things today!
Those who serve Satan are always plotting to murder the followers of Christ and the Jews!
All religions are corrupt and they hate the true Christian for pointing this out to the world.
It is many false, so-called, Christians who are ruining the testimony of the Church!
False preachers are also being pointed out and they are even turning on the true Church!
In this chapter we see Mary, in the house of Simon the leper, who showed true love to our Savior by anointing Him with oil and washing His feet with her tears and drying them with her hair.
The Lord Jesus rewarded Mary by making sure all those who read the Word of God would know of the thing she had done for Him.
Mar 14:9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
We see where the heart of Judas Iscariot had turned to his own pocketbook, rather than to the Lord.
Judas went to betray Him!
Mar 14:10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.
This fit right into the plan to murder our Savior, but it also fit right into the plan of God for our salvation.
This anointing of Jesus points us toward His burial, His death.
Mar 14:8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
It is fact that the Lord Jesus Christ had to die to save the believers of this world!
The Lord Jesus did die for all mankind, but it must be believed!
We must understand that when jealousy and envy enter into our hearts, we had better find a way to deal with them before they fester into major sin!
Judas had convinced himself that he had been mistaken about Jesus, and He could not be the true Messiah if He came to die.
These are the thoughts of false religion!
Many say a God who could die would be weak and could not be much of a God, yet the grave of Jesus is still empty and the graves of all false messiahs are still full of their bones.
We know that the Lord Jesus gave Judas every chance to repent, but he could not find repentance in his heart.
In this same chapter we have the Lord's Supper.
The Lord Jesus took the bread and divided it among all His disciples.
This bread symbolized the death of Christ!
His body was so broken by the things the Lord went through, but not one of His bones were broken.
He gave the bread to His disciples to eat.
"Take, eat this is my body" This means we are to take and receive Christ into our life.
Next, He took the cup.
The bread and the cup are to remind us that Jesus gave His life freely, no one could take the life of Christ!
Jesus gave thanks and He thanked God the Father for forgiveness knowing God the Father would deliver Him through His sacrifice.
It is the same for each believer who will be delivered through the sacrifice of the true and perfect Messiah.
He gave the cup to all the disciples showing that we all must partake of the blood of Jesus, if we are to live eternally with Him in His Father's house.
Jesus identified His blood as the blood of the New Testament!
These things accomplished our Lord wanted to sing.
One day soon the Lord may allow us the privilege of singing along with Him.
*****Mar 14:26 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
No doubt that Jesus sung with the voice of happiness and the voice of salvation.
God was singing to and with His disciples.
It is believed they sang these hymns from the Book of Psalms, in celebration of the great hope which God gives us in His deliverance and His salvation.
Psa 113:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
Psa 113:2 Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.
Psa 115:3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
Psa 116:1 I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
Psa 116:2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.
Psa 116:3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
Psa 116:4 Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.
Psa 117:1 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.
Psa 117:2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.
Psa 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
Psa 118:9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.
Psa 118:10 All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.
Psa 118:17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.
Psa 118:28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
Psa 118:29 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Then Jesus said to His disciples that they all would be offended in Him, because of the things He was about to do.
This would have sounded like very strange words coming from Him, but it was the truth.
*****Mar 14:27 And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.
Mar 14:28 But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.
The Lord Jesus Christ knew there were only a few hours left before His murder on Mount Calvary.
He also knew that His disciples would become afraid of their own death and they would flee away from Him.
Once accepting the truth of Jesus, we do not ever have to fear death again!
Anytime we flee from Jesus it is a sin!
Jesus said "all ye shall be offended of me this night".
That word offend means "to stumble", "to fall", or "a falling away".
Much of the modern Church is doing the same thing today!
The Church has become too afraid to stand on the truth of the Word of God, and are fleeing from the truth of God, and compromising on God's Word.
We are witnessing the "Great Falling Away" from the truth of God, today!
The Church is afraid of being called, "racist", "bigots", and many other names, when we are to let the Word of God speak for us.
The Lord Jesus stated that it was Jehovah, His Father, who would be behind His death.
The Scripture said, "I will smite the Shepherd".
The Lord Jesus had already said that He was the Shepherd of His people.
Joh 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
This Prophecy of the Old Testament applied to our Savior!
Zec 13:5 But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.
Zec 13:6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.
Zec 13:7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.
It is a shame that we do not take our stand on the One who has the power to save us! His name is Jesus the Messiah.
For the disciples, the threat coming from the world and the weakness of their flesh, would be too much to overcome.
This is the same crossroads that much of the Church faces today!
Are we going to take our stand with Jesus or are we going to be so afraid of the world that we scatter and hide from them?
Yes, our flesh is weak, but we are home to the Holy Spirit who has all power.
Then the Lord says, I will meet you at the Sea of Galilee after His resurrection.
The Lord Jesus is informing these disciples that He had already forgiven them for the things they did by fleeing from Him.
He would have to rise from that death to do this!
Our power comes from our resurrected Lord, and not the death of our Lord!
There is no power in His death!
In His death the Lord took all our sin and placed it in the Burning Lake of Fire where it belongs!
Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Php 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Our faith is most important in this issue of the truth.
1Co 15:16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
1Co 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
1Co 15:18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
1Co 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
1Co 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
1Co 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
God the Holy Spirit raised up the Lord Jesus Christ on the third day.
God the Father showed the Lord Jesus openly to chosen witnesses and many did eat and drink with Him.
We know that Jesus appeared to over five hundred people at one time. There were plenty of witnesses to the resurrected Christ.
We know that Christ Jesus made this special appointment to meet with His disciples to gather them, to assure them, to comfort them and to strengthen them, proving what He said was true.
If the Lord Jesus Christ has called us, He will always return to us in our time of need and in the time to redeem us!
It was now up to the disciples to trust Him in His Word!
Again Peter speaks up, not realizing what he would do.
*****Mar 14:29 But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.
What did Peter do?
1) Peter contradicted the Words of Jesus Christ.
Peter could not face his weakness nor his failure.
The Lord had said these things because they would be true.
2) Peter prefers himself, putting himself above all the others.
He said they might Lord, but I never will and Peter was wrong again.
None of us are as strong as we think we are, and the Lord Jesus Christ understands this.
We are still to do our very best, our very best is what we owe to the Lord.
3) Peter placed his strength, his confidence, and his boldness, in his own strength.
Our true strength comes to us when we rely on the Lord and seek His protection in all things!
Peter had to be informed of just how miserable his strength would be, and we can be sure Peter was hurt by this truth.
*****Mar 14:30 And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.
Mar 14:31 But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.
Certainly, Peter was sincere!
The Lord Jesus was not harsh, He just wants us to realize our weaknesses before they get us into trouble in this world.
Certainly, Peter was loyal to Christ and He would remain that way, but we are all just sinners in need of the power of God that comes by Jesus Christ.
We have no power ourselves!
We must depend upon the Holy Spirit who lives within us and the Lord Jesus Christ who loves us and God the Father who is Almighty.
This is our defense in this world and we have no other defense!
We must trust the strength of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Peter became vehement which was close to violent, or furious, that the Lord would say such a thing and the other ten said the same thing.
Judas had already left to do his dirty work.
The Lord Jesus said to Peter, when you hear the cock crow, you will remember these words you have said.
Peter and the other ten were still blind to the cross.
It may have been the image of Jesus hanging on a cross that caused Peter to deny Him.
The world still has this same image today, a crucified Christ.
The Catholic Church still displays the Lord Jesus Christ dangling from a cross, but I serve a risen Savior!
A person who died on a cross had to be guilty of something, but the Lord Jesus was innocent of all charges.
We must realize just how weak we are in our flesh!
We are not above sin!
We are also not above failure!
We just do not know our strength under certain circumstances unless that strength is in the Lord, who cannot fail and who cannot sin!
The Word of God is true in all cases and we must never deny the truth of the Word of God.
The Lord Jesus is our Creator, and He knows us better than we know ourselves!
We must be obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ!
Jer 17:5 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
Jer 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
Keeping the words of Jesus insures us of the power of the Holy Spirit!
Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
It was time to pray for the strength of the Lord.
It is time today to pray for the strength of the Church!
*****Mar 14:32 And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.
Mar 14:33 And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;
Mar 14:34 And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.
Mar 14:35 And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.
Not any of us could ever understand the depth of sorrow and agony experienced by the Lord Jesus at Gethsemane.
We have just read about this thing with the disciples whom Jesus loved, and He loves all His disciples.
Even greater than this was the fact of His death as He took upon Himself all the sin that had ever been committed and all the sin that would be committed until the end of time upon Himself so He could bury all that sin in Hell where it belongs.
Even great than this, Jesus knew that His Heavenly Father could not look upon sin and for a moment in time, He would lose fellowship with His Father.
The Holy Spirit would leave Him for a moment and He would truly be on His own in this sinful world.
Certainly, there was a search for relief that could not be found.
Certainly, He was disappointed with His close friends.
There was no answer from His Father for a better way, His death was the only way!
These things must be done according to the Word of God, the plan of God!
Our Lord Jesus had a great need for prayer and Gethsemane had been His place of comfort and a place for prayer upon this earth!
Jesus began to sweat as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground.
The conflict within Him began to cry out.
"O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me."
He received no answer from His Father.
This had never happened to Him before.
Jesus felt the need for His friends to give Him strength and all they knew was sleep.
Psa 69:20 Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.
Our Lord Jesus suffered much more than we can imagine and the Devil tried his best to kill the Lord Jesus at this time rather than allow Him the death of the cross.
The Lord Jesus had to die on that cross in order to free us from sin.
Joh_12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
You see in our hour of weakness; the Devil will try his best to kill us all!
He is still a coward looking for any weakness we have.
When we have any separation from God, the Devil will try his best to kill us or ruin our testimony!
Jesus prayed harder because He could find no relief.
*****Mar 14:36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
We must understand that once we are saved, we are then the adopted sons and daughters of the Almighty God.
Since we are then family, we are permitted to address our God with Abba which could be said to mean "Daddy", showing our love and affection for our Heavenly Father.
By being adopted into the family of God, we are also heirs of the Heavenly inheritance.
Because we are family, we are forgiven, and justified, and filled with the Holy Spirit.
Our Heavenly Father could not take what Jesus refers to as "this cup" because Jesus would have to do this Himself, which He had the power to do.
Jesus could have said no to these things if He so chose to do so.
He would have then been unholy and unrighteous and He could not change His character!
Sin is a heavy burden and the Lord took upon Himself all the sin from the time of Adam and Eve until He returns with His wrath.
The Lord Jesus needed to be alone with His Father, but He kept His disciples near to Him, about as far as we could throw a stone.
The Lord Jesus prayed to ask His Father if there was some other way to secure salvation for believers.
He was not trying to get out of His death on that cross.
Jesus just did not want to lose fellowship with His Father even if it would be for just a moment in time.
The Lord Jesus addressed His Father in the most tender of ways saying Abba Father.
The Lord Jesus acknowledged that nothing is impossible for His Heavenly Father.
But God the Father only does what He has willed to do and it is God's will that all be saved.
It was God's will that He gave His Son to bear the judgment of sin for every person.
The Lord Jesus knew all these things but His flesh struggled with this truth.
The pressure of being cut off from His Father for any amount of time was just too heavy.
He knew His Father would not, but He cried out with His love.
We must understand that the Lord Jesus was not fearing nor shrinking from death itself!
Joh 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
Joh 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
In reality, death for a cause is not such a great price to pay.
We know that over 2500 members of the terrorist group Hamas gave their lives for a useless cause and it meant nothing to most of the world other than stupidity.
Notice also that their leaders are always far away in another country safe and secure, what a joke that people would blindly follow a false messiah of their own.
There are many who have martyred themselves for many different causes and the only ones that were important where those who gave their lives for the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus Christ did not come to this earth to be a martyr!
The Lord Jesus came to this earth to be a sacrifice for our sin, not His, He had no sin.
The Lord Jesus was the sacrificial lamb of God, given to take away the sins of the world.
How can we describe this cup?
1) Isa 51:17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.
This is the cup of God's fury.
2) Psa 11:6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
This is the cup of God's wrath.
3) Psa 116:13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.
This is the cup of our salvation.
The Lord Jesus wanted the disciples to pray with Him to give Him strength for His own prayer, but after an exhausting day and a special meal and songs of rejoicing, they were just too tired to help their Master.
This is the same excuse many of us will use when it is our time to serve the Lord!
We should ask ourselves, why does God love us so much? Most of us are of little use to Him.
*****Mar 14:37 And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?
Mar 14:38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
Mar 14:39 And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words.
Mar 14:40 And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him.
It is no wonder that the Lord Jesus Christ gets so disappointed with us some days.
When we put on the armor of God, we must always be ready for the battle with evil that surrounds us!
The Lord spoke to all three of them, but the Lord addressed Peter so he could remember what he had said earlier.
Peter declared that he would stand with the Lord Jesus through anything that would happen to Him yet, he could not stand with Him with prayer.
Notice the Lord used Simon rather than Peter.
These were things the old Peter would say and do, and not the new Peter.
When we allow our own flesh to get the best of us, we are a disappointment to our Savior!
The Lord had not asked the disciples to pray all night, He had only asked for one hour.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Even under such a burden, the Lord returned to His prayers searching for strength.
We should understand that if the Devil could have caused the death of the Lord Jesus Christ this night, there would be no salvation for anyone.
Jesus had to die upon that cross.
Joh_3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
Joh_12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
The Lord Jesus had found no relief from His Father so He continued with His prayer.
The Lord Jesus got no answer to His prayer and He was disappointed with His disciples, but He knew the will of God for His life and He continued with His ministry of the truth.
He was satisfied with the task that lay before Him.
*****Mar 14:41 And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Mar 14:42 Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.
God the Father had given the Lord relief in His soul.
We can see this as we read these words in this passage in the Book of Psalms.
Psa 138:3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
There was no shrinking away from the task at hand for the Lord.
Jesus also knew He had been betrayed into the hand of sinners.
We know that this death of the Messiah was the most heinous crime in history for He was the Son of Man, the Perfect man, and was killed by foolish men from Israel but this was also the plan of God for our Salvation.
It is the sin of the world that would cause the death of our Savior beginning with the sin of Adam!
Jesus' relief came to Him because He knew He was in the will of God the Father.
We are never happy nor content until we are in the will of God the Father!
Being in the will of God is the safest most joyous place we can be!
Here comes Judas the traitor.
*****Mar 14:43 And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
Mar 14:44 And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely.
Mar 14:45 And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him.
Mar 14:46 And they laid their hands on him, and took him.
In the darkness of the night He could see the light of the torches coming to get Him.
None of those with Judas would have known where the Lord and His disciples were located without Judas providing that information.
Judas was a follower who turned against the Lord Jesus Christ.
Much of the modern church could be called the Judas Church today!
The modern church is full of swords and staves as they crucify our Lord again and again and again.
Jesus was treated as a false Messiah even though He was the true Messiah and the world has not been the same since.
A kiss on the cheek of our Savior pointed the enemy to this simple humble Savior who had done no wrong.
Judas was a thief, a robber, but also a traitor.
Joh 18:3 Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
Joh 18:4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
Then they laid their hands upon God and God's plan moves right along just as He planned it.
Act 13:26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.
Act 13:27 For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.
Act 13:28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.
Act 13:29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.
Act 13:30 But God raised him from the dead:
The Lord Jesus arose from that death as our Savior because death has no power over the Messiah, our true God!
Amen
