Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Mark 14

1 - 11 The Conspiracy against Jesus - Anointing at Bethany - Treachery of Judas

Two days before Passover, the Chief Priests and scribes wish to arrest Jesus and kill him (but not during the feast, lest there be a tumult of the people).

At Bethany in the house of Simon the leper a woman anoints Jesus with scented water. Some believe it wasted and it sold for money for the poor. Jesus tells the apostles will always have the poor, but not Jesus.

Judas slips out agrees to sell Jesus out to the priests for money.

12 - 21 Preparations for the Last Supper

Jesus finds a place for the Last Supper and that evening, when they are gathered, he announces that One of them will betray him.

22 - 31 The Last Supper

Christ offers himself as a sacrifice. My notes: (Jesus' words) show that the sacrifices of the Old Covenant were in fact a preparation for and anticipation of Christ's sacrifice. . . A cleare explanation of the sacrificial nature of the Last Supper are find in Hebrews 8 & 9. See also John Ch. 6. After supper, Jesus foretells how the disciples desert him.

32 - 52 Jesus' Prayer - the Agony in the Garden - the Arrest

In Gethsemane, Jesus prays to the Father "all things are possible with thee; yet not not what I will, but what thou wilt." Judas fingers him while the apostles sleep. (51 - 2 is interesting - found only in Mark: A young man follows with only a linen cloth. They seize him, but he runs away naked. My notes say this might be an allusion to Mark himself!)

53 - 65 Jesus before the Chief Priests

The priests try to corner Jesus into blasphemy. He admits to being the Son of Man (an allusion to Daniel 7:13 - 14). That's enough for the priests who condemn him to death.

66 - 72 Peter's Denial

Peter denies Jesus as predicts. "And he broke down and wept."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Notes indicate that part of the reason they didn't want to apprehend Jesus during the Feast is because the population of Jerusalem increased from about 50,000 to several hundred thousand (kinda like Talledega during the race).
Jesus also explains that the woman with the perfume was preparing him for his burial. They didn't understand this or know how immenent it was. In fact, my notes indicate that Jesus was anticipating a criminal's death for that is the only one where there is annointing.

Last Supper
Jesus again makes mystical arrangements. The disciples ask him where he wants them to go and make preparations for Passover. He tells them, "Go into the city. You'll find a man carrying a jar of water. Follow him. (Notes indicate that this would be unusual because normally only women carry water jars.)
When he enters a house say to the owner of the house, "The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room?" He will show you a large upper room. That's where we'll go."
All happened as he said.
"gave thanks" - notes indicate that "eucharist" is derrived from the Greek term used here.

It's really amazing that we are still performing this event which Christ shared with his disciples. That's why Jesus did it I'm sure; not only to remember what Jesus did for us but to actually have something to participate in to make it more "real".

Jesus tells them that they will all run away when threatened; that this is to fulfill scripture. All, especially Peter, insist on their loyalty.
To me, this shows that it would be better to keep your mouth shut and at least "wait and see" what happens; "famous last words" and all.

Gethsemane
This shows Jesus' humanity. He tells the disciples that he wants their company because his "soul is overwhelmed to the point of death". When he prays (I still don't know how we know what he said when he prayed unless someone sneaked after him) Jesus asks God to "take this cup from me" meaning that he's pleading for his life. But he realizes that God's will must prevail.

Jesus goes to pray 3 times and every time he returns to disciples he finds them asleep. This would REALLY frustrate me to have my best friends sleeping through my last moments on earth.

Judas arrives with armes soldiers and identifies him by kissing him. Jesus asks if he's leading a rebellion that they come with swords and clubs and points out that they've had opportunities to "catch him" every day in the temple. "The scriptures must be fulfilled." All the disciples scatter just as Jesus said.

Jesus is taken before the Sanhedrin. None of their testimonies agree to condemn him. Finally, the high priest asks him, "Are you the Christ,the Son of the Blessed One?" Jesus replies, "Yes." They take him away and beat him and condemned him for blasphemy.

Peter was waiting in the courtyard where someone recognizes him as a disciple which he denies 3 times as Jesus predicted.

You know, the Bible is FULL of predictions which come true. The only way someone wouldn't believe any of it IS that satan is keeping their hearts closed. Scripture proves itself. We've just been reading about things that Jesus predicted which came true during his lifetime but this is nothing in the whole of the Bible.