Written by: David Westlake - Tearfund
Mark 14 v 43-47
At once, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve apostles, came
up. With him were many people carrying swords and clubs who had been sent from
the leading priests, the teachers of the law, and the older Jewish leaders.
Judas had planned a signal for them, saying, “The man I kiss is Jesus. Arrest
him and guard him while you lead him away.” So Judas went straight to Jesus
and said, “Teacher!” and kissed him. Then the people grabbed Jesus and
arrested him. 47 One of his followers standing nearby pulled out his sword and
struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
Notes
Out of all the things that happened to Jesus this one affects me deeply. To be
betrayed is one thing. To be betrayed by a friend is terrible. To have that
friend betray you while pretending affection is soul destroying. And so Jesus’
walk to the cross begins. A special time with his friends. Praying and talking.
Jesus knows what is about to happen but his friends do not. Then the crowd
appears. They look dangerous but I wonder whether some of the disciples thought
that it would be OK when they saw their friend Judas with the mob.
Then the betrayal.
A kiss.
From a friend.
And so Jesus knows what it is to be horribly betrayed. He felt what it is like
to have a friend look you in the eyes and lie to you. He felt used and let down.
He felt it, so that when it happens to us, he can give us the strength to start
again, forgive and keep loving. He has been there and he knows.
When we are betrayed anger is the normal response. So it was for one of the
disciples. Anger and lashing out. Perfectly understandable. But not from Jesus.
All the way to the cross we are going to see that Jesus took every bad thing
that could be thrown at him and responded with love and forgiveness. Because he
kept loving He can keep us loving and forgiving when the bad stuff happens to
us. If He lives in us He is still willing to soak up the pain of betrayal so
that we can start over.
Mark 14 v 48-52
Then Jesus said, “You came to get me with swords and clubs as if I were a
criminal. Every day I was with you teaching in the Temple, and you did not
arrest me there. But all these things have happened to make the Scriptures come
true.” Then all of Jesus’ followers left him and ran away.
A young man, wearing only a linen cloth, was following Jesus, and the people
also grabbed him. But the cloth he was wearing came off, and he ran away naked.
Notes
Alone.
Surveys say that for most of us our greatest fear is loneliness. We want to have
people around us who we can trust. Who will tell us the truth and look after us.
We really want these people around when things are bad. To keep believing in us
when no one else does and to stick by us when no one else will.
Jesus is God and He is also human. On this night He needed His friends. Earlier
in Mark 14 He had asked His friends to stay with Him and pray. Jesus knew what
lay ahead and He needed His friends around Him. When He had asked them to pray
they had fallen asleep. Now that the mob was here they ran away.
Jesus was left alone.
It was the beginning of his abandonment. It would reach the climax on the cross
when He cried out ‘My God, my God why have you forsaken me?’ Then He would
be utterly alone.
Nelson Mandela’s ability to lead his country stemmed from the fact that he had
suffered. He could meet anyone who was in pain, look them in the eye and say
‘I know what you have suffered. I have felt the pain and anger but now is the
time to forgive.’ These were not cheap words and so he gave others strength to
forgive.
When we feel terribly alone Jesus does not have cheap words for us. He knows.
Because He was left alone but kept loving and forgiving He knows how to give us
the strength to carry on.
Talk to him about it now.
Mark 14 v 53-56
The people who arrested Jesus led him to the house of the high priest, where all
the leading priests, the older Jewish leaders, and the teachers of the law were
gathered. Peter followed far behind and entered the courtyard of the high
priest’s house. There he sat with the guards, warming himself by the fire.
The leading priests and the whole Jewish council tried to find something that
Jesus had done wrong so they could kill him. But the council could find no proof
of anything. Many people came and told false things about him, but all said
different things—none of them agreed.
Notes
Jesus was arrested and taken to the authorities. They were all there - priests,
leaders and teachers of the law. Together they were called the Sanhedrin - the
high court of the Jews. The Romans trusted them with a lot of power and they
effectively ruled large parts of Jewish life.
Jesus’ trial was in two parts. In this passage He appears in the Sanhedrin in
the middle of the night. It seems to be a kind of preliminary trial. In the
morning they met again to make their decision (Mark 15). Then they sent him to
Pilate.
The thing is the midnight trial was illegal. The Sanhedrin, according to Jewish
Law, was not allowed to meet at night. It was a kangaroo court. Hastily convened
to sort out this little problem of Jesus. Arrested and tried at night. There was
very little Justice in Jesus’ trial.
Then there were the witnesses. A kangaroo court filled with people lying. Trying
to rip Jesus’ reputation to shreds. Accusing him of all sorts.
Then Jesus: Alone.
Only not quite alone. Peter had gathered some courage, having run away at first,
has come near to the court. True he is ‘following at a distance’, but at
least he is following. Better than many others.
So, there he is in the courtyard scared out of his life warming himself by the
fire. Probably wondering what on earth he should do. Angry with himself for
running away. Scared about being here and terribly aware that his best friend-
the messiah- is in trouble. In short he is in turmoil. Too committed to Jesus to
run away. Too scared of the consequences to stand with him.
Sound familiar?
What is there in your life at the moment that needs the same kinds of decisions
that Peter was having to make?
Mark 14 v 57-61
Then some people stood up and lied about Jesus, saying, “We heard this man
say, ‘I will destroy this Temple that people made. And three days later, I
will build another Temple not made by people.’ ” But even the things these
people said did not agree.
Then the high priest stood before them and asked Jesus, “Aren’t you going to
answer? Don’t you have something to say about their charges against you?”
But Jesus said nothing; he did not answer.
The high priest asked Jesus another question: “Are you the Christ, the Son of
the blessed God?”
Notes
The Temple was a very big deal to the religious leaders. It was the one place
where God lived. The one place on earth where God had promised to meet with
people and answer their prayers. Right back at the beginning when there was no
stone Temple but a ‘Tent of Meeting’ called the Tabernacle God told Moses
that it would be a special place. Whenever things went wrong the Israelites were
meant to pray there and God promised to answer.
Later on when the first stone temple was built by Solomon, God repeated His
great promises. The nations life, good and bad centred on the Temple. The whole
nation drew its identity from the existence of the Temple. Visiting and
worshipping in the Temple was really important. God lived there.
Anyone claiming to destroy the Temple was threatening to destroy the nation.
Anyone claiming to rebuild it so quickly was clearly mad.
But a new Temple was here. The old Temple would be destroyed and a new one
built. Not literally. The stone Temple in Jerusalem would not be physically
destroyed until AD 70 but over the next few days everything that the Temple
meant would be completely destroyed.
No longer would people have to come to a building to meet with God. They would
come to a person. No longer would God say ‘I live here’, but’ I will be
with you always’. Rather than having to go to a place and go through loads of
rituals and ceremonies people would now be able to have a relationship with God
through Jesus.
Everything was going to be new and centred on relationship. Worship, forgiveness
of sins, help. All would be found in Jesus not in a building. This was the new
Temple. A whole new way of relating to God.
Mark 14 v 62-65
Jesus answered, “I am. And in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting
at the right hand of God, the Powerful One, and coming on clouds in the sky.”
When the high priest heard this, he tore his clothes and said, “We don’t
need any more witnesses! You all heard him say these things against God. What do
you think?”
They all said that Jesus was guilty and should die. Some of the people there
began to spit at Jesus. They blindfolded him and beat him with their fists and
said, “Prove you are a prophet!” Then the guards led Jesus away and beat
him.
Notes
Jesus had just been asked ‘Are you the Christ?’ he answers directly by
quoting from the Old Testament. Remember the people that He was talking to would
have known the Bible back to front and none of Jesus’ quotes would have been
lost on them. Which is why the High Priest reacted so badly.
The major quote is from the Old Testament prophet Daniel. In Chapter 7 verse 13
Daniel is having a vision of how history was going to unfold. He had seen many
pictures of empires and rulers who would all rule for a time. Then Daniel saw in
picture from the day when God would intervene and set up His own Kingdom. As
part of that Daniel sees ‘one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of
heaven’. These were the words that Jesus spoke to the high priest. This was
Jesus explicitly claiming to be the Messiah. The chosen and promised one who
would establish God’s Kingdom.
The other quote is from psalm 110 where it talks about God’s chosen one
sitting at God’s right hand. All the Jews knew that the Psalm was about the
coming Messiah. Now here was Jesus using that Psalm to describe himself.
Jesus knew who He was. He was God’s Son, the promised Messiah, saviour of the
world. Here, under pressure in a courtroom, Jesus used Old Testament quotes to
let his accusers know who he was. He didn’t pretend to be just a good teacher
or a religious leader. He claimed to be the Messiah. The priests couldn’t
handle that and lots of people still can’t. To be a Christian is to
acknowledge that Jesus is who He says that He is and worship.
Mark 14 v 66-68
While Peter was in the courtyard, a servant girl of the high priest came there.
She saw Peter warming himself at the fire and looked closely at him.
Then she said, “You also were with Jesus, that man from Nazareth.”
But Peter said that he was never with Jesus. He said, “I don’t know or
understand what you are talking about.” Then Peter left and went toward the
entrance of the courtyard. And the rooster crowed.
Notes
Jesus was upstairs being beaten up. Below in the courtyard one of his closest
friends was waiting. Trying to blend in with the crowd. Trying to get warm
wondering what on earth to do. He didn’t want to be noticed- yet he was.
Ever been ambushed? You are just going along, minding your own business when
someone starts putting you on the spot for your faith. ‘So, you believe all
that Church stuff do you?’ or when some Christians are doing something naff
and someone says ‘Aren’t you one of that lot?’
It’s decision time. Nail your colours to the mast and accept the consequences
or try to mingle with the crowd.
It’s hard because although we love Jesus we are scared about the consequences.
If we come out as being Christians what will people think. Will we live up to
their expectations of what Christians should be like or will our behaviour
really let God down. What if they really take the mick out of us and reject us.
Peter chose to mingle with crowd and try to keep his head low. It didn’t work.
It never does. Even if we ‘get away with it’ we end up feeling bad about
ourselves because we know that we have let ourselves down.
What situations are you facing where you need to be clear about who you are and
what you believe?
Or maybe there is a time when you chose to ‘mingle with the crowd’ rather
than be true to who you are. Why don’t you talk to Jesus about that situation.
Mark 14 v 69-72
The servant girl saw Peter there, and again she said to the people who were
standing nearby, “This man is one of those who followed Jesus.” Again Peter
said that it was not true.
A short time later, some people were standing near Peter saying, “Surely you
are one of those who followed Jesus, because you are from Galilee, too.”
Then Peter began to place a curse on himself and swear, “I don’t know this
man you’re talking about!”
At once, the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus
had told him: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will say three times that
you don’t know me.” Then Peter lost control of himself and began to cry.
Notes
Failure.
Complete and utter failure. In the space of a few moments Peter had denied the
person he loved the most. The one he had committed to. The person that he had
promised never to leave.
Of course he ended up crying. He couldn’t believe what he had done. Couldn’t
believe that he, the person that Jesus had called ‘the Rock’, had crumbled
so miserably.
Most of us have been there. We sing the songs, take part in church or youth
group, and are part of the crowd. Others think of us as ‘good Christians’.
If only they knew.
If they knew the things that went through our heads. The thoughts we had, the
way we felt about other people. The lusts, anger, bitterness, jealousy and envy.
If they knew about it they wouldn’t want to know us.
And then there are the moments when the bad stuff doesn’t just stay inside but
bursts out in our words or actions and we are left standing there thinking
‘How did I ever do that?’ We often hurt the ones we love. We let ourselves
down and God.
Of course, like Peter we cry. We have blown it.
Jesus of course knew. He had told Peter what was going to happen before hand. I
wonder if that gave Peter any hope. If Jesus knew about it maybe he would
forgive it.
It’s an awesome thought. Nothing that we can do can surprise Jesus. He knows
all of our ways- even the ones that we hide so well from everyone else. In the
middle of failure we can trust that he knows all about us, still loves us and
will forgive us.
word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken from the
Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993 by Word
Publishing Milton Keynes