Post by foxjj on Mar 27, 2024 6:54:46 GMT
Mark 14:1-26 NIV.
Mark chapter 14 begins with the feast of Passover which commemorates the miraculous exit of the Jewish slaves from Egypt:
“1 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.””
Passover commemorates the time when the angel of The Lord passed over the homes of the Hebrew slaves on the night the first born of the Egyptians died as instructed in Exodus 12:1-17. The feast of Unleavened Bread was a seven day feast following Passover - Exodus 12:18-20. The population of Jerusalem at that time was about 50,000. During the feast the numbers could increase to several hundred thousand. Consequently the priests did not want to cause a riot by arresting the popular teacher.
“3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.”
Bethany was 2 miles outside Jerusalem. Simon is only mentioned here and in Matthew 26. An alabaster jar is a sealed flask with a long neck which was broken off when used. Nard is a perfumed oil extracted from the root of a plant from India, making it expensive. Poring the nard on the head was an act of anointing, a common custom at feasts.
“4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.”
It was a custom on the eve of Passover to give money to the poor.
“6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.””
Although the woman did not understand the actual significance of her anointed, it gave Jesus the opportunity to foretell the spread of the Gospel message, something the disciples would not as yet have imagined.
“10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.”
The content of verse 3 and verse 10 show the contrast between the love shown by the woman, and Judas, who although he had spent three years with Jesus, was willing to betray for monetary reward.
“12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?””
The Passover meal was to be prepared in accordance with Exodus chapter 12: “1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.”
The lamb was required to be ritually slaughtered in the Temple forecourt and must be roasted before eating. The meal also consisted of bitter herbs, wine and a fruit sauce.
“13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” 16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.”
One wonders if Jesus had arranged for the secret location for their Passover meal - also known as a Seder - in order to prevent Judas reporting to the priest the whereabouts of Jesus before the appointed time.
“17 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.” 19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?””
In Exodus 12 the Passover meal was to be eaten standing, however changing traditions had allowed the meal to be eaten reclining on cushions or, on a couch around a low table.
“20 “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me.”
During the feast, to dip bread into the same bowl of stewed fruit was a sign of friendship. Judas was among the ones who asked: “Surely you don’t mean me?” fulfilling Psalm 41:9:
“Even my close friend,
someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
has turned against me.”
“21 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.””
Isaiah 53:10-11 is an example of the suffering servant passages of the Old Testament pointing to Messiah:
“10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.”
Where Jesus said: “But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” He was giving Judas the opportunity to back out from the betrayal. Judas was acting on his own free will: “14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”-James 1:14-15.
We now come to the part of the evening meal that has become known as Communion, or The Lord’s Supper:
“22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.””
In a place of prominence on the table are 3 pieces of matzo stacked one on top of the other called the bread of affliction. The Torah contains an instruction to eat unleavened bread specifically on the night of Passover. Due to the baking method, matzo has markings in the form of strips, and is pricked with a fork in order to prevent it rising. As Christians we see the stripes and piercing symbolical of Jesus’s suffering as foretold in Isaiah 53:5-6: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
“23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them.”
During the meal participants are given four cups of wine as part of the celebration. They represent each of the four promises the Lord made to His people in Exodus 6:6-7: “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.” All of the promises that are commemorated while drinking the cups can also be considered as promises for Christians. In Scripture, Egypt is a symbol of the world and it’s sinful system. The promises of Exodus 6:6-7 are fulfilled in our lives through The Lord Jesus who Sanctified, Redeemed, and Delivered us from the bondage of the sinful world by the shedding of His Blood as Hebrews 9:22 explains: “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Only Jesus can say: “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” As Jesus died upon the cross, He proclaimed “it is finished”-John 19:30. The Lamb of God has been slain, there is no other sacrifice for sin.
“25 “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.””
Jesus is speaking of the New Kingdom which is about to be established through the shedding of His blood. From now on Jesus will sup with anyone who opens their heart and invites Him to be Lord of their life: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”- Revelation 3:20.
“26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”
The Passover meal ends with the singing of the Hallel Psalms in which one person sings the verse, and everyone responds: “Hallelujah.”
Today, let us give thanks for Jesus and the gift of Salvation.
John Joseph Fox.
Mark chapter 14 begins with the feast of Passover which commemorates the miraculous exit of the Jewish slaves from Egypt:
“1 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.””
Passover commemorates the time when the angel of The Lord passed over the homes of the Hebrew slaves on the night the first born of the Egyptians died as instructed in Exodus 12:1-17. The feast of Unleavened Bread was a seven day feast following Passover - Exodus 12:18-20. The population of Jerusalem at that time was about 50,000. During the feast the numbers could increase to several hundred thousand. Consequently the priests did not want to cause a riot by arresting the popular teacher.
“3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.”
Bethany was 2 miles outside Jerusalem. Simon is only mentioned here and in Matthew 26. An alabaster jar is a sealed flask with a long neck which was broken off when used. Nard is a perfumed oil extracted from the root of a plant from India, making it expensive. Poring the nard on the head was an act of anointing, a common custom at feasts.
“4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.”
It was a custom on the eve of Passover to give money to the poor.
“6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.””
Although the woman did not understand the actual significance of her anointed, it gave Jesus the opportunity to foretell the spread of the Gospel message, something the disciples would not as yet have imagined.
“10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.”
The content of verse 3 and verse 10 show the contrast between the love shown by the woman, and Judas, who although he had spent three years with Jesus, was willing to betray for monetary reward.
“12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?””
The Passover meal was to be prepared in accordance with Exodus chapter 12: “1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.”
The lamb was required to be ritually slaughtered in the Temple forecourt and must be roasted before eating. The meal also consisted of bitter herbs, wine and a fruit sauce.
“13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” 16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.”
One wonders if Jesus had arranged for the secret location for their Passover meal - also known as a Seder - in order to prevent Judas reporting to the priest the whereabouts of Jesus before the appointed time.
“17 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.” 19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?””
In Exodus 12 the Passover meal was to be eaten standing, however changing traditions had allowed the meal to be eaten reclining on cushions or, on a couch around a low table.
“20 “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me.”
During the feast, to dip bread into the same bowl of stewed fruit was a sign of friendship. Judas was among the ones who asked: “Surely you don’t mean me?” fulfilling Psalm 41:9:
“Even my close friend,
someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
has turned against me.”
“21 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.””
Isaiah 53:10-11 is an example of the suffering servant passages of the Old Testament pointing to Messiah:
“10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.”
Where Jesus said: “But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” He was giving Judas the opportunity to back out from the betrayal. Judas was acting on his own free will: “14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”-James 1:14-15.
We now come to the part of the evening meal that has become known as Communion, or The Lord’s Supper:
“22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.””
In a place of prominence on the table are 3 pieces of matzo stacked one on top of the other called the bread of affliction. The Torah contains an instruction to eat unleavened bread specifically on the night of Passover. Due to the baking method, matzo has markings in the form of strips, and is pricked with a fork in order to prevent it rising. As Christians we see the stripes and piercing symbolical of Jesus’s suffering as foretold in Isaiah 53:5-6: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
“23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them.”
During the meal participants are given four cups of wine as part of the celebration. They represent each of the four promises the Lord made to His people in Exodus 6:6-7: “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.” All of the promises that are commemorated while drinking the cups can also be considered as promises for Christians. In Scripture, Egypt is a symbol of the world and it’s sinful system. The promises of Exodus 6:6-7 are fulfilled in our lives through The Lord Jesus who Sanctified, Redeemed, and Delivered us from the bondage of the sinful world by the shedding of His Blood as Hebrews 9:22 explains: “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Only Jesus can say: “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” As Jesus died upon the cross, He proclaimed “it is finished”-John 19:30. The Lamb of God has been slain, there is no other sacrifice for sin.
“25 “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.””
Jesus is speaking of the New Kingdom which is about to be established through the shedding of His blood. From now on Jesus will sup with anyone who opens their heart and invites Him to be Lord of their life: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”- Revelation 3:20.
“26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”
The Passover meal ends with the singing of the Hallel Psalms in which one person sings the verse, and everyone responds: “Hallelujah.”
Today, let us give thanks for Jesus and the gift of Salvation.
John Joseph Fox.
