Mark 14

1 Now the passover and the [feast of] unleavened bread was after two days. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might seize him by subtlety and kill him.

2 For they said, Not in the feast, lest perhaps there be a tumult of the people.

3 And when he was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he lay at table, there came a woman having an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly; and having broken the alabaster flask, she poured it out upon his head.

4 And there were some indignant in themselves, and saying, Why has this waste been made of the ointment?

5 for this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor. And they spoke very angrily at her.

6 But Jesus said, Let her alone; why do ye trouble her? she has wrought a good work as to me;

7 for ye have the poor always with you, and whenever ye would ye can do them good; but me ye have not always.

8 What *she* could she has done. She has beforehand anointed my body for the burial.

9 And verily I say unto you, Wheresoever these glad tidings may be preached in the whole world, what this [woman] has done shall be also spoken of for a memorial of her.

10 And Judas Iscariote, one of the twelve, went away to the chief priests that he might deliver him up to them;

11 and they, when they heard it, rejoiced, and promised him to give money. And he sought how he could opportunely deliver him up.

12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they slew the passover, his disciples say to him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare, that thou mayest eat the passover?

13 And he sends two of his disciples, and says to them, Go into the city, and a man shall meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him.

14 And wheresoever he enters, say to the master of the house, The Teacher says, Where is my guest-chamber where I may eat the passover with my disciples?

15 and *he* will shew you a large upper room furnished ready. There make ready for us.

16 And his disciples went away and came into the city, and found as he had said to them; and they made ready the passover.

17 And when evening was come, he comes with the twelve.

18 And as they lay at table and were eating, Jesus said, Verily I say to you, One of you shall deliver me up; he who is eating with me.

19 And they began to be grieved, and to say to him, one by one, Is it *I*? [and another, Is it *I*?]

20 But he answered and said to them, One of the twelve, he who dips with me in the dish.

21 The Son of man goes indeed as it is written concerning him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is delivered up; [it were] good for that man if he had not been born.

22 And as they were eating, Jesus, having taken bread, when he had blessed, broke [it], and gave [it] to them, and said, Take [this]: this is my body.

23 And having taken [the] cup, when he had given thanks, he gave [it] to them, and they all drank out of it.

24 And he said to them, This is my blood, that of the [new] covenant, that shed for many.

25 Verily I say to you, I will no more drink at all of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.

26 And having sung a hymn, they went out to the mount of Olives.

27 And Jesus says to them, All ye shall be offended, for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered abroad.

28 But after I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.

29 But Peter said to him, Even if all should be offended, yet not *I*.

30 And Jesus says to him, Verily I say to thee, that thou to-day, in this night, before [the] cock shall crow twice, thou shalt thrice deny me.

31 But he said [so much] exceedingly the more, If I should have to die with thee, I will in no wise deny thee. And likewise said they all too.

32 And they come to a place of which the name [is] Gethsemane, and he says to his disciples, Sit here while I shall pray.

33 And he takes with him Peter and James and John, and he began to be amazed and oppressed in spirit.

34 And he says to them, My soul is full of grief even unto death; abide here and watch.

35 And, going forward a little, he fell upon the earth; and he prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass away from him.

36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee: take away this cup from me; but not what *I* will, but what *thou* [wilt].

37 And he comes and finds them sleeping. And he says to Peter, Simon, dost thou sleep? Hast thou not been able to watch one hour?

38 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed [is] willing, but the flesh weak.

39 And going away, he prayed again, saying the same thing.

40 And returning, he found them again sleeping, for their eyes were heavy; and they knew not what they should answer him.

41 And he comes the third time and says to them, Sleep on now, and take your rest. It is enough; the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is delivered up into the hands of sinners.

42 Arise, let us go; behold, he that delivers me up has drawn nigh.

43 And immediately, while he was yet speaking, Judas comes up, [being] one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd, with swords and sticks, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.

44 Now he that delivered him up had given them a sign between them, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he; seize him, and lead [him] away safely.

45 And being come, straightway coming up to him, he says, Rabbi, Rabbi; and he covered him with kisses.

46 And they laid their hands upon him and seized him.

47 But a certain one of those who stood by, having drawn his sword, struck the bondman of the high priest, and took off his ear.

48 And Jesus answering said to them, Are ye come out as against a robber, with swords and sticks to take me?

49 I was daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye did not seize me; but [it is] that the scriptures may be fulfilled.

50 And all left him and fled.

51 And a certain young man followed him with a linen cloth cast about his naked [body]; and [the young men] seize him;

52 but he, leaving the linen cloth behind [him], fled from them naked.

53 And they led away Jesus to the high priest. And there come together to him all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.

54 And Peter followed him at a distance, till [he was] within the court of the high priest's palace; and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself in the light [of the fire].

55 And the chief priests and the whole sanhedrim sought testimony against Jesus to cause him to be put to death, and did not find [any].

56 For many bore false witness against him, and their testimony did not agree.

57 And certain persons rose up and bore false witness against him, saying,

58 *We* heard him saying, *I* will destroy this temple which is made with hands, and in the course of three days I will build another not made with hands.

59 And neither thus did their testimony agree.

60 And the high priest, rising up before them all, asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? What do these testify against thee?

61 But he was silent, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and says to him, *Thou* art the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?

62 And Jesus said, *I* am, and ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.

63 And the high priest, having rent his clothes, says, What need have we any more of witnesses?

64 Ye have heard the blasphemy; what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.

65 And some began to spit upon him, and cover up his face, and buffet him, and say to him, Prophesy; and the officers struck him with the palms of their hands.

66 And Peter being below in the palace-court, there comes one of the maids of the high priest,

67 and seeing Peter warming himself, having looked at him, says, And *thou* wast with the Nazarene, Jesus.

68 But he denied, saying, I know not nor understand what thou sayest. And he went out into the vestibule; and a cock crew.

69 And the maid, seeing him, again began to say to those that stood by, This is [one] of them.

70 And he again denied. And again, after a little, those that stood by said to Peter, Truly thou art [one] of them, for also thou art a Galilean.

71 But he began to curse and to swear, I know not this man of whom ye speak.

72 And the second time a cock crew. And Peter remembered the word that Jesus said to him, Before [the] cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice; and when he thought thereon he wept.

Mark 14 Commentary

Chapter 14

Christ anointed at Bethany. (1-11) The passover, Jesus declares that Judas would betray him. (12-21) The Lord's supper instituted. (22-31) Christ's agony in the garden. (32-42) He is betrayed and taken. (43-52) Christ before the high priest. (53-65) Peter denies Christ. (66-72)

Verses 1-11 Did Christ pour out his soul unto death for us, and shall we think any thing too precious for him? Do we give him the precious ointment of our best affections? Let us love him with all the heart, though it is common for zeal and affection to be misunderstood and blamed; and remember that charity to the poor will not excuse any from particular acts of piety to the Lord Jesus. Christ commended this woman's pious attention to the notice of believers in all ages. Those who honour Christ he will honour. Covetousness was Judas' master lust, and that betrayed him to the sin of betraying his Master; the devil suited his temptation to that, and so conquered him. And see what wicked contrivances many have in their sinful pursuits; but what appears to forward their plans, will prove curses in the end.

Verses 12-21 Nothing could be less the result of human foresight than the events here related. But our Lord knows all things about us before they come to pass. If we admit him, he will dwell in our hearts. The Son of man goes, as it is written of him, as a lamb to the slaughter; but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed! God's permitting the sins of men, and bringing glory to himself out of them, does not oblige them to sin; nor will this be any excuse for their guilt, or lessen their punishment.

Verses 22-31 The Lord's supper is food for the soul, therefore a very little of that which is for the body, as much as will serve for a sign, is enough. It was instituted by the example and the practice of our Master, to remain in force till his second coming. It was instituted with blessing and giving of thanks, to be a memorial of Christ's death. Frequent mention is made of his precious blood, as the price of our redemption. How comfortable is this to poor repenting sinners, that the blood of Christ is shed for many! If for many, why not for me? It was a sign of the conveyance of the benefits purchased for us by his death. Apply the doctrine of Christ crucified to yourselves; let it be meat and drink to your souls, strengthening and refreshing your spiritual life. It was to be an earnest and foretaste of the happiness of heaven, and thereby to put us out of taste for the pleasures and delights of sense. Every one that has tasted spiritual delights, straightway desires eternal ones. Though the great Shepherd passed through his sufferings without one false step, yet his followers often have been scattered by the small measure of sufferings allotted to them. How very apt we are to think well of ourselves, and to trust our own hearts! It was ill done of Peter thus to answer his Master, and not with fear and trembling. Lord, give me grace to keep me from denying thee.

Verses 32-42 Christ's sufferings began with the sorest of all, those in his soul. He began to be sorely amazed; words not used in St. Matthew, but very full of meaning. The terrors of God set themselves in array against him, and he allowed him to contemplate them. Never was sorrow like unto his at this time. Now he was made a curse for us; the curses of the law were laid upon him as our Surety. He now tasted death, in all the bitterness of it. This was that fear of which the apostle speaks, the natural fear of pain and death, at which human nature startles. Can we ever entertain favourable, or even slight thoughts of sin, when we see the painful sufferings which sin, though but reckoned to him, brought on the Lord Jesus? Shall that sit light upon our souls, which sat so heavy upon his? Was Christ in such agony for our sins, and shall we never be in agony about them? How should we look upon Him whom we have pierced, and mourn! It becomes us to be exceedingly sorrowful for sin, because He was so, and never to mock at it. Christ, as Man, pleaded, that, if it were possible, his sufferings might pass from him. As Mediator, he submitted to the will of God, saying, Nevertheless, not what I will, but what thou wilt; I bid it welcome. See how the sinful weakness of Christ's disciples returns, and overpowers them. What heavy clogs these bodies of ours are to our souls! But when we see trouble at the door, we should get ready for it. Alas, even believers often look at the Redeemer's sufferings in a drowsy manner, and instead of being ready to die with Christ, they are not even prepared to watch with him one hour.

Verses 43-52 Because Christ appeared not as a temporal prince, but preached repentance, reformation, and a holy life, and directed men's thoughts, and affections, and aims to another world, therefore the Jewish rulers sought to destroy him. Peter wounded one of the band. It is easier to fight for Christ than to die for him. But there is a great difference between faulty disciples and hypocrites. The latter rashly and without thought call Christ Master, and express great affection for him, yet betray him to his enemies. Thus they hasten their own destruction.

Verses 53-65 We have here Christ's condemnation before the great council of the Jews. Peter followed; but the high priest's fire-side was no proper place, nor his servants proper company, for Peter: it was an entrance into temptation. Great diligence was used to procure false witnesses against Jesus, yet their testimony was not equal to the charge of a capital crime, by the utmost stretch of their law. He was asked, Art thou the Son of the Blessed? that is, the Son of God. For the proof of his being the Son of God, he refers to his second coming. In these outrages we have proofs of man's enmity to God, and of God's free and unspeakable love to man.

Verses 66-72 Peter's denying Christ began by keeping at a distance from him. Those that are shy of godliness, are far in the way to deny Christ. Those who think it dangerous to be in company with Christ's disciples, because thence they may be drawn in to suffer for him, will find it much more dangerous to be in company with his enemies, because there they may be drawn in to sin against him. When Christ was admired and flocked after, Peter readily owned him; but will own no relation to him now he is deserted and despised. Yet observe, Peter's repentance was very speedy. Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall; and let him that has fallen think of these things, and of his own offences, and return to the Lord with weeping and supplication, seeking forgiveness, and to be raised up by the Holy Spirit.

Footnotes

• [a]. See Note, Matt. 5.25.
• [b]. Perhaps 'liquid.' The word is only found here and John 12.3, evidently a known kind of nard. It is by no means impossible it may be derived from the Latin spicatae, which was the best kind of nard; hence, doubtless, the English translation 'spikenard.' The sense is plain: that it was of the best and most precious kind. See Note, John 12.3.
• [c]. Or 'earthen pitcher,' as Luke 22.10.
• [d]. Not to designate the person, but the character, as adding to grief: see Ps. 41.9.
• [e]. Perhaps 'a cup.' 1Cor. 11.25 has 'the.'
• [f]. Kainos, as Matt. 26.29; not 'anew,' but 'in a new way' or 'of a new kind.'
• [g]. As Matt. 26.30.
• [h]. Or 'find an occasion of stumbling,' as Matt. 13.57.
• [i]. Zech. 13.7.
• [j]. Or 'deeply depressed:' see Matt. 26.37.
• [k]. As Luke 15.20.
• [l]. Naos, the house itself. See Note at Matt. 4.5.
• [m]. Lit. 'in the midst.'
• [n]. 'The Blessed' was used to designate God.
• [o]. Many read, 'received him with buffets.' The sense is the same. Some of the doctors 'began to spit on him;' the officers received him with these insults, another step in the scene of his blessed humiliation: see Note, Matt. 26.67.
• [p]. See Note, Matt. 26.69.
• [q]. Oida: see 1Cor. 8.1.
• [r]. As Luke 19.41.