Mark 14

Mark 14 carries us from a woman’s costly gift in Bethany to Peter’s bitter tears in the high priest’s courtyard. Jesus shares the last Passover meal with His disciples, gives them bread and wine as signs of His body and blood, and prays in agony in Gethsemane. He is betrayed, arrested, condemned, and abandoned by those who swore loyalty, yet at every step He walks the path He knew was written.

Mark 14:1-2

Passover was close, and Jerusalem was packed with pilgrims. The religious leaders wanted Jesus dead but feared the crowds who admired Him. They plotted to take Him quietly and avoid an uproar, little knowing that God’s timetable, not theirs, would decide the hour.

BSA: covert (“secret, surreptitious”): They wanted to seize Jesus out of public sight because His popularity with the people was their obstacle.

See also: Exodus 12:1-14.

Mark 14:3

At a meal in Bethany, a woman broke open a costly jar of nard, a fragrant oil from a plant of the East, and poured it on Jesus’ head. Anointing was a sign of honor. Simon’s title, ’the Leper,’ suggests Jesus had healed him. Her gift was lavish and held nothing back.

BSA: jar (“shattering the vessel, releasing the fragrance”): She broke the jar completely, so the gift could not be saved for any other use.

Greek: συντρίψασα (syntripsasa, G4937) — “having broken, crushed.” The word means to break something thoroughly. She did not tip out a little; she smashed the neck of the jar, and the whole gift was spent on Jesus.

See also: John 12:1-8.

Mark 14:4-5

Some onlookers called her act waste. Three hundred denarii was close to a laborer’s wages for a year. Their concern for the poor sounded good, but it was a harsh scolding of a woman who had just given her best in love.

BSA: denarii (“Roman coins, a day’s wage”): A denarius was a typical day’s pay, so the perfume was worth nearly a year of work.

Mark 14:6

Jesus defended her at once. He called her act beautiful, and He took it as something done to Him personally. Love for Christ that seems extravagant to others is precious in His eyes.

BSA: deed (“work, act”): Jesus calls it a real work, a good action of lasting worth and not a passing impulse.

Greek: καλὸν (kalon, G2570) — “beautiful, noble, fitting.” This word speaks of goodness that is also lovely to look at. Jesus saw her act as both right and beautiful.

Mark 14:7

Jesus does not lessen care for the poor. He says there will always be chances to help them. But His time on earth was short, and a unique moment for honoring Him was passing.

See also: Deuteronomy 15:11.

Mark 14:8

She did what she could, and Jesus saw more in it than she may have known. Bodies of the dead were anointed for burial, and she had anointed Him beforehand. He was speaking plainly about His coming death.

BSA: burial (“interment, preparation for death”): Jesus linked her gift to the preparing of His body for the tomb, hinting at the cross ahead.

Mark 14:9

Jesus promises that her deed will be told wherever the good news goes. Her name is not given here, yet her love is remembered across the world. Small, sincere acts of devotion are not forgotten by Him.

BSA: gospel (“good news, message of salvation”): The word points to the whole message of Christ’s saving work, and her deed is tied to it.

Mark 14:10-11

Right after this scene of lavish love, Judas, one of Jesus’ own Twelve, goes to Jesus’ enemies. They are glad to hear it and promise money. He starts looking for a quiet moment to hand Jesus over. Mark states it plainly and leaves the sadness to speak for itself.

BSA: betray (“surrender, yield, or hand over”): The word means to hand a person into the control of others, which is just what Judas offered to do.

Mark 14:12

The first day of Unleavened Bread was when the Passover lambs were slain in Jerusalem. The disciples asked where to prepare the meal. The Passover remembered how God rescued Israel from Egypt, and Jesus, the true Lamb, would soon be sacrificed Himself.

See also: Exodus 12:21-27; 1 Corinthians 5:7.

Mark 14:13-15

Jesus gave two disciples exact instructions: a man carrying a water jar, which was unusual since women normally carried water, would lead them to a house. The owner would show them a large furnished upper room. Jesus knew every detail ahead of time and was fully in command.

BSA: upper room (“on the upper floor”): It was a large room on the upper level of the house, quiet and suited to a gathering of this size.

Mark 14:16-17

The disciples found everything just as Jesus had said and prepared the meal. In the evening He came with the Twelve. The Passover supper would be held after dark, and the long night of His suffering was about to begin.

Mark 14:18-19

In the middle of the meal Jesus says one of those eating with Him will betray Him. Eating together was a sign of friendship and trust. The disciples were grieved, and each asked if it was he. None of them felt entirely sure of himself.

BSA: eating (“partaking, having fellowship”): Sharing a table meant fellowship, which makes the betrayal a sin against friendship.

See also: Psalm 41:9.

Mark 14:20-21

Jesus says the betrayer is one of the Twelve, one who dips into the same bowl with Him. His death fulfills Scripture, yet the betrayer is still answerable for his choice. The woe is a solemn warning, spoken with sorrow more than anger.

BSA: woe (“deep sorrow, divine judgment”): The word carries both grief and a warning of judgment on the one who hands Jesus over.

See also: Isaiah 53:7-12.

Mark 14:22

As they ate, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying it was His body. The breaking points to His body soon to be given up for them. Christians have always remembered Him with this bread, though they understand its meaning in different ways.

BSA: body (“physical person, whole being”): Jesus gives Himself entirely, not just a part, and offers it to the disciples.

Greek: εὐλογήσας (eulogēsas, G2127) — “having blessed, spoken well of.” The word means to speak good over something, here praising God for the bread. It gives us our word ’eulogy.'.

Mark 14:23

Then Jesus took the cup, gave thanks, and passed it to all of them, and they all drank. Even with betrayal and abandonment ahead, He gave thanks. He shared the cup with every one of the Twelve.

Mark 14:24

Jesus calls the wine His blood of the covenant, poured out for many. A covenant was a solemn binding agreement, and in the old one blood sealed the promise. His death opens a new relationship with God for a great multitude.

BSA: covenant (“a formal agreement”): It is a solemn agreement that God Himself makes and seals with the blood of His Son. poured out (“being shed”): His life is given out freely and willingly for others.

Greek: διαθήκης (diathēkēs, G1242) — “covenant, a binding arrangement.” The word can also mean a will or testament. Jesus’ death makes a promise that others receive as a gift.

See also: Exodus 24:8; Jeremiah 31:31-34.

Mark 14:25

Jesus says He will not drink wine again until He drinks it new in God’s kingdom. The supper looks forward as well as back. A joyful feast is coming, and His death is the road to it.

BSA: kingdom (“reign, dominion, rule”): It points to God’s kingly rule fully come, where Jesus again shares a table with His people.

See also: Revelation 19:9.

Mark 14:26

They sang a hymn, probably the closing psalms of the Passover, and walked out to the Mount of Olives. Jesus went into His suffering with a song of praise on His lips, and the disciples were with Him.

Mark 14:27-28

Jesus tells them all will fall away, as Scripture foretold, for the shepherd is struck and the sheep scatter. Yet He adds a promise: after rising, He will go ahead of them to Galilee. Their failure would not be the end.

BSA: fall away (“be offended, stumble”): They would trip over what happened to Jesus and lose their footing for a time.

See also: Zechariah 13:7.

Mark 14:29-31

Peter insisted he would never fall away, even if everyone else did, and then insisted again he would die first. Jesus knew better and named the very night and the three denials. The others all echoed Peter. Good intentions are sincere but not strong enough on their own.

BSA: deny (“utterly refuse, disown”): To deny Jesus is to refuse any connection with Him, which is just what Peter would do.

Mark 14:32

Jesus came to Gethsemane and asked most of the disciples to sit while He prayed. The name means ‘oil press,’ a fitting name for the place where He would be crushed with sorrow.

BSA: Gethsemane (“the oil-press, a garden near Jerusalem”): The name points to a place where olives were pressed, and Jesus would be pressed with grief here.

Mark 14:33-34

Jesus took Peter, James, and John closer and let them see His anguish. He tells them His soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Our Lord was not above human grief. He asked His friends only to stay near and keep watch.

BSA: troubled (“amazed, distressed”): It describes a shuddering shock at what lay before Him. soul (“the seat of emotions and desires”): His whole inner being was in agony, not just His thoughts.

Greek: περίλυπός (perilypos, G4036) — “surrounded by grief.” The word pictures sorrow on every side, with no gap left. Jesus felt grief that wrapped around Him completely.

See also: Hebrews 5:7.

Mark 14:35-36

Jesus fell to the ground and prayed that the hour might pass. He called God ‘Abba,’ the warm word a child used for his father. He asked honestly for the cup to be taken away, then yielded: not His will but the Father’s.

BSA: Abba (“dear Father, Papa”): It shows the closeness of the relationship even in His darkest hour. cup (“a drinking vessel”): In Scripture the cup often stands for the portion of suffering and judgment a person must drink.

Greek: Ἀββᾶ (Abba, G5) — “Father, in the language of the home.” It is an Aramaic word, the language Jesus spoke, left untranslated here. It was the tender word of a child for his father.

See also: Romans 8:15; Isaiah 51:17.

Mark 14:37-38

Returning, Jesus finds the three asleep and turns to Peter, addressing him by his old name, Simon. He tells them to watch and pray so they will not fall into temptation. He knows their hearts are eager but their bodies are weak, and He speaks with understanding.

BSA: temptation (“testing, trial”): The word covers any hard test that could make a disciple fail, not only inner enticement. weak (“feeble”): The body’s frailty explains why prayer is needed, since good intentions alone will not hold.

See also: Matthew 26:41.

Mark 14:39-40

Jesus went away again and prayed the same prayer. He came back and found them asleep once more, their eyes heavy. They were ashamed and had nothing to say. Even so, He kept praying alone.

Mark 14:41-42

The third time, Jesus says it is enough, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is being handed over into the hands of sinners. He now rises to meet it. He does not run from His betrayer but goes to him.

BSA: betrayed (“to be handed over, to be surrendered”): The Son of Man is passed from one set of hands to another, first to the authorities and then to Rome.

Greek: ἀπέχει (apechei, G568) — “it is enough, it is settled.” This word was used in business to mean ‘paid in full.’ Jesus says the time for waiting is over; the matter is settled.

Mark 14:43-44

Judas arrived with a crowd sent by the chief priests, scribes, and elders. They carried swords and clubs. The signal was a kiss, a sign of friendship turned into a signal for arrest. He wanted Jesus led away securely, so there would be no escape.

BSA: securely (“safely, without harm, under guard”): The betrayer wanted Jesus held firmly under guard so He could not slip away.

Mark 14:45-46

Judas went straight up, called Jesus ‘Rabbi,’ and kissed Him. Then the men seized Him. A greeting of respect and affection was used as a tool of betrayal.

BSA: kissed (“with strong affection, kissed affectionately”): It was a warm, fervent kiss, which makes the false love more painful.

Greek: κατεφίλησεν (katephilēsen, G2705) — “kissed warmly, kissed again and again.” The word is stronger than a simple kiss. Judas made a show of affection to disguise his treachery.

Mark 14:47

One bystander, John’s Gospel says it was Peter, drew a sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. Mark only reports the bare act. It was a fight of the flesh, and not the way Jesus chose to meet His arrest.

See also: John 18:10-11.

Mark 14:48-49

Jesus points out the unfairness of coming at night with weapons, as though He were a robber, when He had taught openly in the temple every day. He says this is happening so that the Scriptures would be fulfilled. His arrest is not an accident.

BSA: outlaw (“a rebel, a lawless person”): They treated Him as a dangerous revolutionary, though He had taught peacefully in public.

Greek: λῃστὴν (lēstēn, G3027) — “robber, bandit.” The word was often used for violent brigands and rebels. Jesus notes the contrast between the charge and His open life of teaching.

See also: Isaiah 53:7-12.

Mark 14:50

All the disciples left Him and ran. Just as Jesus had foretold, the sheep scattered. He faced the coming hours alone.

BSA: deserted (“left, forsook, abandoned”): They left Him completely, and this made His loneliness total.

Mark 14:51-52

Only Mark records this small scene of a young man in a linen cloth who fled naked when seized. Many think it may be Mark himself, but the text does not say. It shows how complete the panic was that night.

Mark 14:53-54

Jesus was taken to the high priest, and the leaders gathered. Peter followed at a distance and warmed himself by the fire with the guards. He still cared, but he stayed far enough away to be safe, and that is where his fall began.

Mark 14:55-56

The Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Jews, wanted evidence for a death sentence but could not find any. Many gave false testimony, but their stories contradicted each other. Even a rigged court could not make the lies agree.

BSA: Sanhedrin (“council, Jewish governing body”): It was the highest Jewish court, which makes its injustice more shocking.

Mark 14:57-59

Some men then claimed Jesus said He would destroy the man-made temple and build another without hands in three days. It twisted something He once said about His own body. Yet even this testimony failed to agree.

BSA: man-made (“hand-made, constructed by human hands”): The contrast with a temple ‘without hands’ points to something God Himself builds.

See also: John 2:19-21.

Mark 14:60-61

The high priest stood and demanded that Jesus answer. Jesus stayed silent, as Isaiah described the suffering servant. Then the high priest asked directly whether He was the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One. ‘The Blessed One’ was a reverent way of avoiding God’s name.

BSA: Blessed One (“praiseworthy God, Holy One”): It is a respectful title for God, used by Jews who avoided speaking His name.

See also: Isaiah 53:7.

Mark 14:62

Jesus answers plainly: ‘I am.’ He adds that they will see the Son of Man seated at God’s right hand and coming with the clouds. The accused prisoner declares Himself the future judge. The words come from Daniel and the Psalms.

BSA: right hand (“the position of authority and power”): Sitting at God’s right hand means sharing in God’s own rule. Power (“divine authority, God’s mighty strength”): ‘Power’ is another reverent way of saying ‘God.’.

Greek: ἐγώ εἰμι (egō eimi, G1473) — “I am.” It is a simple answer, ‘I am,’ yet it echoes the way God speaks of Himself in the Old Testament. The high priest heard it as a claim to more than a mere man.

See also: Daniel 7:13-14; Psalm 110:1.

Mark 14:63-64

The high priest tore his robes, a sign of horror, and said they needed no more witnesses. He called it blasphemy, and the council condemned Jesus as deserving death. If Jesus were not who He claimed, they would be right. But He is, and so they had judged the Judge.

BSA: blasphemy (“speaking badly of God, slander”): They counted His claim to share God’s throne as an insult against God.

Mark 14:65

Some spat on Jesus, covered His face, and struck Him, mocking Him to prophesy who hit Him. They treated the Messiah as a joke. He bore it as the suffering servant who gave His back to those who struck Him.

BSA: Prophesy (“speak under God’s inspiration, tell us what is to come”): They mocked the very claim to speak for God that they had just condemned.

See also: Isaiah 50:6.

Mark 14:66-68

While Jesus was on trial upstairs, a servant girl noticed Peter by the fire and said he had been with Jesus the Nazarene. Peter denied it, claiming not to understand. His first denial was quiet, and he moved toward the gateway.

BSA: denied (“rejected, refused to acknowledge”): He refused to admit any link with Jesus when asked directly.

Mark 14:69-70

The servant girl spoke again and then the bystanders joined in, noting his Galilean accent. Peter denied it a second time. Each denial came after pressure from a different direction, and each was firmer than the last.

Mark 14:71

Peter then began to curse and swear that he did not know the man. He was calling down a penalty on himself if he was lying. The man who boasted of dying with Jesus now insisted he did not know Him.

BSA: curse (“invoke a divine penalty”): He called down judgment on himself if his words were not true.

Greek: ἀναθεματίζειν (anathematizein, G332) — “to call down a curse.” The word means putting oneself under a solemn curse. Peter used the strongest possible language to prove he was not a disciple.

Mark 14:72

The rooster crowed a second time, and Peter remembered Jesus’ words. He broke down and wept. His grief shows true sorrow, and the Gospels show that Jesus later restored him. Failure was not the last word on Peter.

BSA: remembered (“recalled to mind, thought of again”): The crowing brought back Jesus’ exact warning, and the truth of it broke Peter’s heart. wept (“cried out loud, mourned”): His tears were open and bitter, a real mourning over what he had done.

Greek: ἔκλαιεν (eklaien, G2799) — “he kept weeping.” The verb form suggests continued crying, not a single sob. Peter’s grief went on.

See also: John 21:15-17.