Mark 14
As the time grows short, here is written a profile of those who loved Him, those who hated Him, she who worshipped Him with abandon, he too fearful to be known as His friend, he who in his stubborn willfulness betrayed Him. All line up as the story draws to an end.
Mary ... there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. How she loved Him! So she worshipped Him. She alone seems to understand His words, His prediction. And because she sided with His party, she is ridiculed and shamed, but see, her Savior champions her... "Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her."
Judas ... then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them. Judas could not accept the truth of who Jesus was and also, what He planned to do. We will never really know what was in Judas' heart that night when he went to the chief priests to betray the Lord of Glory, we can only guess. My guess is the sin of stubborn pride. Judas knew better. He thought he was right. In reality, no one was ever more wrong.
Peter ... But Peter kept saying insistently, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And they all were saying the same thing also. Although Peter is highlighted as the one who denied Jesus, we see as the story continues that all run from Him. None can even stay awake to keep watch and pray with Him. Peter's response is the what makes him different from Judas: And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, "Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." And he began to weep. Peter is sorrowful in his sin. Confession is in his heart as soon as he awakens to his sin.
Mark ... Tradition holds that this segment is autobiographical: And they all left Him and fled. A young man was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body; and they seized him. But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked. Mark makes this confession about himself. How daringly honest! We can be encouraged that this fearful naked man wrote a gospel.
Jewish Council ... Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, and they were not finding any. For many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony was not consistent.They were going to have their way. By truth or by lies, they wanted to be rid of Jesus. How they hated Him! In the end, Jesus' truthful testimony allows them to claim blastphemy and to condemn Him to death:
"Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"
And Jesus said, "I am; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN."
Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, "What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?" And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.
This Man Jesus, is not a good teacher. He is God, as He claims. All of His miracles point to this truth.
But not only must we embrace truth, we must embrace Him. We must worship Him. We must humble ourselves and weep when we go astray, and then Jesus demonstrates His love by welcoming us back.
Father, allow me to be more like Mary, worshipping You with reckless abandon. Allow me to notice my sin quickly and weep like Peter, knowing You saw my sin from afar and yet still love me! Let me not be afraid to confess truely who I am with all my faults before others so that they can be encouraged, as Mark did.
Let me not only know the truth but also embrace you as my Beloved!
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