Lesson # 43 | MARK 14:43-72 | DESERTION, INJUSTICE AND BETRAYAL

I.    Greetings:             

 

II.   Introduction:  There are many who are angry at God because things have not gone well.  Things have gone wrong, these people have been deeply mistreated, and at times it has been by Christians.  Thus, the question asked is, "Where is God?"  It is a good question, worth asking. He is there.  He is not only there, He has been where you are now, He has been to the cross.  The way Jesus went to the cross is very similar to what some of you are experiencing today.

            God has allowed human beings to have free will, therefore He has allowed the possibility of evil, great evil, in this world.  As Charles Williams has reminded us, He came to His world and faced what the humans had become.  He faced the results of giving us our free will, God took His own medicine.  He faced a cruel, free choosing race, and we humiliated and murdered Him.  God came to earth and we brutalized Him.  He knows what you face!  He chose to know!

           

III.  Jesus' Desertion and Arrest:  Mark 14:43-52. 

   A.  The Desertion of His men. 

>>>> Have someone read Mark 14:43-50.

            Q  How did they know which one was Jesus?

               An = It was by a kiss.  It was late at night at a place with no lighting.  Thousands of pilgrims were in the city, so it would be easy to lose Jesus.  Judas used a kiss, a customary greeting to give to a rabbi.  Then Judas called Him, "my master".  Judas used two actions meant to show respect and honor to betray his lord.

            Note:  Jesus had to face the awful gut-wrenching fact that He has been betrayed by one of His own closest associates.  Watch what else Jesus had to face besides betrayal....

            Q  What did the disciples do?

               An = They fled.  They deserted Jesus.  All those closest to Him abandon Him.  When hardship comes, it is hard to be alone.

            Q  Did any disciple do anything else?

               An = Yes, in 14:37 one of them cut an ear off. 

>>>> Have someone read John 18:10.

            Note:  That someone was Peter.

   B.  The Strange Addition. 

>>>> Have someone read Mark 14:51-52.

            Q  Why are these two verses here?

               An = This could have been Mark.  It was written only in Mark's Gospel because it refered to Mark himself.  This passage is in no other Gospel and could be Mark's way of saying that he was there and possibly overheard, as a young man, much of went on in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Nevertheless, he fled too.  The only one left, calmly left, is Jesus.  He is in control and though the one arrested, He is asking the questions. 

>>>> Have someone read Isaiah 53:12.

 

 

IV.  Injustice:  the Sanhedrin Trial:  Mark 14:53-65. 

   A.  The First Legal Maneuver. 

>>>> Have someone read Mark 14:53-59.

>>>> Re-read Mark 14:54.

            Note:  14:54 describes Peter's warming himself at the fire, but this is told to us in the midst of Jesus's trial before the Sanhedrin.  You might wonder why the author put this notice about Peter at this place in the story.

            Most scholars agree this is an attempt to let the reader know that 14:66-72 (the Sanhedrin trial) and 14:55-65 (the story of Peter's denial) happened simultaneously (Lane, p. 532).  While Jesus was getting treated with gross inequity and injustice, His key disciple was out in the courtyard betraying Him.  However, something else should be said about Peter...

            Q  How many disciples ventured into the courtyard?

               An = Mark records only Peter.  Why did Peter, and Peter alone, risk the dangerous proximity to the trial? 

            Q  Did Peter plan on betraying Jesus?

               An = No, he did not.  Only Peter verbally betrayed Jesus because only Peter cared enough to get close enough to be questioned.

            Q  Did Jesus get a fair trial?

               An = No!  Capital offense cases had to have the collaboration of at least two witnesses.  This was not working.  They tried to get Him on temple desecration (a serious offense in those days).  See John 2:19 and Jeremiah 26:1-9.  However, their case did not stick.

            Note:  What is clear is that the purpose and spirit of the law was outweighed by the firm resolve to get Jesus.  >> Have someone read Mark 14:1 and 14:55.  How interesting it is that no witnesses were brought forth that could witness of how Jesus healed them, feed them, brought back their children from demon possession, or the dead, etc.  Only witnesses for the supposed temple desecration.

 

   B.  The Second Legal Maneuver. 

>>>> Have someone read Mark 14:60-65.

            Note:  The chief priest asked a leading question trying to get the defendant to incriminated himself (Barclay, p. 369).  This was not a proper procedure.  Judges were not to interfere in order to get a conviction.

            Q  What was Jesus' Spirit like in 14:60-61a?

               An = Calm, willing to be quiet, not alarmed at the injustice.  It seems to rattle the high priest.

            Q  What is Jesus saying in 14:62?

               An = He is the Messiah:  see Psalms 110:1, Daniel 7:13 and Isaiah 52:8.

            Q  What do they convict Jesus of?

               An = Supposed blasphemy:  >>Have someone read Leviticus 24:15-16.

            Q  Is it fair?

               An = No, Jesus is treated totally unfairly, like some of you have.

            Q  What is happening in 14:65?  What did Jesus ever do to deserve this?

               An = >> Have someone read Isaiah 50:6.  Many of you today have suffered unjustly, been railroaded, and if it has not happened to you yet, it easily could.  If it has happened, or when it happens, remember, your Lord knows.  He completely understands.

 

V.  Betrayal:  Peter's Denial.  Mark 14:66-72. 

>>>> Have someone read Mark 14:66-72.

            Note:  There is a double interrogation going on. 

>>>> Have someone re-read Mark 14:65 and 71. 

            Note:  As Peter was acting as he did in 14:71, 14:65 was going on simultaneously. 

>>>> Have someone read Mark 14:29.

            Q  Why did Peter not leave the courtyard in 14:68 when he was recognized?

               An = He wanted to be there.  He wanted to be loyal.

            Q  Again, why is only Peter here?

               An = Only Peter cared deeply enough to be there and to get into the trouble that he got into.

            Note:  Only those of us in this room who really care about God can fail as Peter did.  Lesser men would have never been there (Barclay, p. 370).  What is strange is that some of us really love God, and yet do things that betray Him. 

            In our own strength we try to serve God and we, like Peter, will fail.

            Q  What is the source of this story?

               An = The Gospel of Mark is said to be Peter's preaching memoirs.  It is from Peter himself that we have this story.  There is a power in true Christianity, where the Spirit of God is truly active, that allows us to tell the truth about ourselves and yet survive! 

            William Barclay tells a story,  "There was an evangelist called Brownlow North.  He was a man of God, but in his youth he had lived a wild life.  One Sunday he was to preach in Aberdeen.  Before he entered the pulpit a letter was handed to him.  The writer of the letter recounted a shameful incident in Brownlow North's life before he became a Christian and stated that if Brownlow North dared to preach he would rise in the Church and publicly proclaim what once he had done.  Brownlow North took the letter into the pulpit with him.  He read it to the congregation.  He told them that it was perfectly true.  Then he told them how, through Christ, he had been forgiven, how Christ had enabled him to overcome his sin and put the past behind him, how, through Christ, he was a new creature.  

            He used his own shame as a magnet to draw men to Christ.  That is what Peter did." (Barclay, pp. 371-372)

            That is what we could also do.  Tell the truth about our failures, because in Christ, if we are truly in Him, there is hope.

            Note:  Let me read the last sentence of chapter 14:  "And he began to weep."  No more fitting ending to this chapter can be made.  When we see we are wrong, then hope and restoration have begun.

Lesson # 42 | Mark 14:32-42 | BATTLES BEFORE THE STORM OR HANDLING STRESS

I.   Greetings: 

 

II.  Introduction:   The early church read the Scriptures and proclaimed that Jesus was fully a human being and fully God.  How Jesus could be fully God (infinite) and fully human (finite) is impossible to understand, but this is a mystery we proclaim.  However, that our Lord is fully divine and fully human has huge benefits for us as believers on a practical level.  We may not fathom the depth of the theological and philosophical implications of Jesus' nature, but we profit tremendously from pondering what it can do to bless us.  Because Jesus is completely God we see in Him the nature of God as clearly as can be expressed for us human beings.  If wonder we what God is really like, and what He really thinks, we need to look at Jesus.  Since Jesus was completely human we can see in Him how we are to act as human beings.  If we wonder how to handle certain situations then we can look at Jesus.  Today we will watch Him handle stress, something we humans have to deal with everyday.

            Note:  Outline of Mark 14.

            The chapter contains three key times where Jesus is alone with His disciples:  His anointing by the woman (14:3-9) and discussion that ensues;  communion with the disciples (14:22-26);  and the Garden of Gethsemane (14:32-42).  These three times alone with the disciples can be seen to take place in each one of the three parts of the chapter.  (You can skip this outline, as far as presenting it in the study.  If you do it might help to prepare it before hand on a board or something. 

            PLOTS, PREDICTIONS, BETRAYALS

            I.  Plots to kill Him  1-11

                        A. Scribes plot to kill Him (1-2)

                             B. Interlude of Kindness by the Women (3-9)

                             C. Judas plots to betray Him  (10-11)

            II.  Predictions of Betrayal  12-31

                        A. Setting for Communion (12-16)

                        B. Prediction of Judas Betrayal (17-21)

                        C. Communion (22-26)

                        D. Prediction of Disciple's (Peter's) Betrayal (27-31)

            III. Betrayal and Trial Begins  32-66

                        A. Garden Scene (32-42)

                        B. Judas Betrayal/Arrest of Jesus (43-52)

                        C. Sanhedrin Trial (53-65)

                        D. Peter's Betrayal (66-72)

            Q  Do the plots of the religious leaders and Judas succeed?           

               An = Yes they do.

            Q Is Jesus caught off guard by the conspiracy against Him?

               An = No!  He anticipates their plot in 14:3-9 by pronouncing the woman's act of kindness as anointing for His death.  He also predicts both Judas' and Peter's betrayal.

            Jesus was not caught off guard.  They seemed to be succeeding against Him, and all the while He knew God was succeeding through Him.  They wanted to get their evil way, while He wanted to redeem the world.  I saw a good bumper sticker, it stated:  "I have seen the future, God wins!"

            Q  Given Jesus' awareness of such things, how depressed would you expect Him to be given the fact He knew they were going to kill, humiliate, and betray Him?

               An = It is natural to be deeply disturbed by what is taking place.  When people hurt, plot against, and betray us it will affect us emotionally in a profound way.  Christ understands what you are dealing with.

            Q  Does Jesus have a nervous breakdown?  Would it not be understandable if He did?

               An = Yes, but He does not.  He is being betrayed, will be murdered, and He knows it, but He remains steadfast.

            Q  What does He do?

               An = Jesus is creatively appreciative of the woman's impulsive anointing.  He sees her act through different lenses.  Strong people can face their own pain and see the needs of others (He protects her from verbal abuse of the disciples who strongly react in a negative way to her action.)  He sees the kindness of others.  We need to look beyond our own nose and verbalize our observations of other people's good deeds as He did.

            Note:  If you are going through stress this week, decide to verbalize someone's good actions as often as it can be legitimately done.

            Q  How does Jesus see His death in the communion service?

               An = As death for others.  >> Have someone read Mark 14:24.

 

III.  Dealing With Stress Through Prayer and Being With the Disciples:  Mark 14:32-34.

    A.  With Disciples:  

>>>> Have someone read Mark 14:32-34.

            Note:  He does not let His feelings surface until he is alone with the three of His closest disciples.  It is important to let a few into our deepest struggles. 

            Note:  His pain is intense.  Notice though that He does not break down in general but only lets His feeling surface when He chooses to.  He maintains control but also does not bottle things up.

            Q  Does Jesus ask for help from His friends?

               An = Yes He does.  He asks them to keep watch.  Jesus asks for help.  We need to be willing and open enough to ask for help from our closest friends.  Psychologists tell us this is healthy, but Jesus was modeling this for us a long time before modern psychology.

            Q  Who are they to pray for, themselves or Jesus?

               An = Mark does not tell us.  It is unclear.  Perhaps, what is important is that people pray.

    B.  With God: 

>>>> Have someone read mark 14:35-36.

            Note:  Jesus' posture was to fall on the ground, normally they stood when they prayed in those days.

            Q  In Mark 14:35 what is emphasized?

               An = Jesus' desire not to suffer.  Jesus did not want to suffer, neither should we.  Scholars believe the "cup" is the same as the "hour".  Jesus did not want to go through this suffering (cup) or this event (hour).  It is the same thing.  Jesus knows what it is to experience dread like we do.

>> Read Mark 14:41 and 10:38.

            Q  There are three parts to the prayer, what are they?

               An = The three parts are:  Title of address, a request, an act of submission. 

            THE TITLE:  In the title of "Abba" Jesus calls or addresses God so we can see His attitude towards God.  Jesus sees God as "Father" or "Daddy" even though it is His Father's will that He suffer.  Jesus knew sorrow and pain (though they may come from the Father's hand) are not a sign that God does not love Him.  "The Father's hand will never cause His child a needless tear".  (Barclay, p. 362)  Jesus proved His faith and His trust in His Father by the very title He used.

            THE REQUEST:

            Q  What does Jesus request of God when He refers to the "cup"?

               An = Jesus is a healthy person.  He did not want to die or drink such judgment.  No healthy person would.

            Note:  Jesus spoke the truth about what He really desired.  We too can tell God what we really want, Jesus did.  We may not get what we want but we certainly allowed to tell Him the truth.

            >>>> Have someone read Isaiah 51:17.  It is the judgment of God.  Jesus was to bear the wrath of God on sin.  He who knew no sin was to bear sin's curse. 

           

            THE ACT OF SUBMISSION:

            Q  Is Jesus willing to let God's will be done even though He does not like it?

               An = Yes He is.  This is key.  When we let God have His way we are no longer god, but God is God.  If we refuse to let God have His way, we prove that we do not really trust God, but must stay in control of our lives because we do not believe God is competent to run it for us.

            Q  Is Jesus forced to submit or does He choose to submit?  Why is that so important?

               An = We must choose.  We must choose to obey God even though we fear or dread the consequences of obeying Him.  It must be our choice.  Emotions must not lead, clear knowledge of God's will must be what we choose, whether we feel like it or not.

    C.  With Disciples: 

>>>> Have someone read Mark 14:37-38.

            Q Do we need to fight the body at times to obey God?

               An = Yes, we must fight the body's desires at times if we want to be loyal to God and others (see 14:37). 

            Q  Does He confront the disciples?

               An = Yes, and we too need to be open when others fail us, and it is not wrong to verbalize such beliefs.

            Q  Who is Jesus concerned with in Mark 14:38?

               An = He is concerned with them.  We can tell others we are disappointed with them, but we can never stop caring about them.  Tell those who have let you down how you see their action but never stop loving them.  In other words, despite Jesus' pain and disappointment He is still other centered.

            Note:  He forgives the disciples who have disappointed Him before they even ask for such forgiveness.  This is so important!  With the "spirit is willing but the body is weak" statement, He verbally recognizes that they were not off selling drugs to children or hurting widows but merely gave into their bodies' need for sleep.  Jesus tried to see things from their perspective not just His own.  We too, must be other centered enough to forgive even when we are stressed.

    D.  Repeatedly Going To God:

>>>> Have someone read Mark 14:39-42.

            Q  How many times did Jesus have to pray?

               An = Three times, often we must battle repeatedly in prayer when we are truly stressed.  Jesus was the perfect human being, and He had to struggle three times.  We need not get discouraged if we repeatedly struggle to win in a tension filled predicament.

            Note:  Jesus does not run from difficulty.  He saw it (41) and arose to meet it (42).  This is the only way to face such things.

 

IV.  Summary of His Response to Stress:

            As fully human

            He modeled for us several things as a human being.

                        He is other centered.

                        He openly asked for help from His friends.

                        He confronted their failure but then forgave.

                        He went to God in Prayer: 

                                    With trust (to His Father),

                                    With honesty (asking to get out of it),

                                    With submission (knowing our will must be sublimated to God's). 

            He modeled true humanity for us. 

            As fully God

            If Jesus is God, we need to fall on our knees.  Jesus was willing to identify with our struggles, our weaknesses, our pains.  God was so humble, so unselfish, so willing to see our pain, that He came to earth and submitted to the horrors we so often face.  If this is God's attitude then this is good news!  If this can open our eyes to God to see how God really is, other centered, open to confront us in our faults and yet willing to forgive, and a God who can be addressed as Father, openly and honestly spoken to, yet submitted to, then we do indeed have a true picture of God.             

Lesson # 41 | MARK 14:22-31 | THE REVERSAL OF DEATH AND FAILURE

I.    Greetings: 

 

II.   Introduction:  One of the things we fear is failure.  Often we will not try something, not because we think it is wrong but because we are afraid to fail.  Another thing we fear is death, and we can often be crippled by the fear of it.  Jesus fears neither.  In His Work and in His Person is the reversal of both death and failure.  Mark 14 deal with both of these issues.

 

III.  The Lord's Supper:  The Reversal of Death.  Mark 14:22-26.

>>>> Have someone read Mark 14:22-26.

            Q  What do you think the bread symbolizes in 14:22?

               An = Lane thinks it does not symbolize the broken body as it does a pledge of personal presence.  Whenever we hold any piece of bread, we hold a reminder that He is with us.  He was once bread for us.  He is now with us. (Lane, p. 506)

            Q  What does the wine symbolize?

               An = That He died for us.  Blood also seals a covenant.             

            Note:  In the Passover service the youngest person present asks what makes this day different.  The head of the household tells the history of Israel down to the passover.  To the Jew it can never become a ritual, rather it always symbolizes the power and mercy of God.  (Barclay, p. 354)

            Note:  Mark records that Jesus and the disciples sung a hymn before they left.  The reason for this is that they sung hymns at a passover service as well.  One of the hymns they sung was from Psalms 118. 

>>>> Have someone read Psalms 118:22-29

            Note:  One thing the Lord's Supper clearly teaches is that our ultimate good cannot be accomplished without His death.  It is not our religious actions, our faithfulness, or our good deeds that accomplish our salvation.  It is His death!

            Q  For His death to be affective can we take communion unworthily?

               An = Today we are quite willing to despise Judas and those who killed our Lord, but it is not despicable to attempt to receive such a great sacrifice with a filthy soul?  Are we not despising Jesus, and His sacrifice, by such actions?

            Note:  It is by His embracing death for us that He breaks the power of death.  He did not want to die, but He did not let the fear of death overshadow His love for us.  He took the power of death and made it the means of our salvation.  He reversed the greatest tragedy on earth and made it the greatest reason to have hope.

            The cross is not a symbol of condemnation but of hope.  By dying Jesus reversed death!

 

IV.  The Disciple's Failure:  The Reversal of Shortcoming.  Mark 14:27-31.

>>>> Have someone read Mark 14:27-28.

            Note:  Jesus told them they would fail Him and all of them would "fall away".

            Q  Do we like to be told that we will fail?  Why not?

               An = (Let them give their answers.)  No one likes to hear bad news about themselves, especially about their actions.  Let me give you a simple reason:  pride! 

 

            Q  Is it cruel to tell someone they will fail when you know it is the truth?

               An = It is not necessarily cruel if it is true, and it has a loving intent behind it.

            Q  Was Jesus trying to put them down?  Was He trying to demean them?

               An = No, He loved them!  He wanted them to succeed, and He knew they were going to fail.  He knows human nature.  He also specifically knew their future, it was predicted in Scripture.

            He knew they would be devastated when they failed and it would eventually be helpful to know that He knew before hand.  He was not devastated.  I once spoke with a young high school age Christian as I was dropping him off from camp on a Sunday afternoon.  He told me he felt so good that he would never feel spiritually low again in his life.  I then warned him about the let down that would happen after the "camp-high" was over.  He defiantly looked me in the eye and said, "You're wrong, it will not happen to me!"   The following Tuesday I was on his campus, and he came up to me privately and said, "How did you know man?"  I told him, I had seen this many times before and had experienced it many times myself.  It did not invalidate his camp experience, nor did it make him a lessor Christian.

            Jesus was not trying to put the disciples down, but warn them.

>>>> Have someone read Mark 14:29.

            Q  Peter was wrong in his brave statements, but was his heart in the right place?

               An = Yes, it was!  Many of us have started out well but failed.  We have the right motives, but as Matthew records Jesus saying,  "The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak."

            Note:  Chrysostom (pp. 494-495) says there are two ingredients to gaining spiritual maturity:  our willingness to struggle and our willingness to receive help from God.  Without both we will fail.  We must be willing, but we cannot succeed alone. 

            Some of us are not willing to struggle and to try.  We want things easier and God will not make it easier.  However, once we truly struggle with all of our might we will soon learn that we cannot succeed without His grace. 

            We must then be willing to ask for His power to backup our efforts.  Peter thought his bravado and natural love for Jesus would be enough to carry him through.  He was wrong.  Peter needed to learn that Jesus' sufficiency was going to be necessary. 

>>>> Have someone read Mark 14:30-31.

            Note:  Is it not amazing that the holy disciples of God did not listen to Jesus Christ, the Holy Son of God?   We did this with our parents when we were young, or if we are young are we doing it now.

            Note:  My dentist in Los Angeles used to tell us:  "Jr. highers should rule the world while they still know everything?"  Sometimes we are like the apostles, we are still in spiritual adolescence, we are spiritual know-it-alls. 

            Note:  Jesus kept pressing on.  He would not give in to Peter's living in denial, until Peter insisted on incriminating himself.  Jesus let him do it, and then painfully Peter learned.

 

V.  Conclusion:

            Q  Why did Jesus allow Peter to fail?

               An = After they have given their answers, share with them some of Chrysostom's view point (if they did not come up with it on their own) that Peter, though the chief apostle, is allowed to fall, it "makes him humbler in mind, training him for greater love".  (Chrysostom, p. 495). 

            It is easy to see how Peter was to become more humble by his failure.  We are less apt to judge others when we experience failure ourselves.  However, ....

            Q  How does Peter's failure train him for greater love?

               An = Chrysostom then quotes Luke 7:47:  about the one who has been forgiven much loves much and who has been forgiven little loves little (p. 495).  Peter received Jesus' forgiveness in a great and powerful manner and was to open his heart to Jesus in an even more powerful loving way.

            RQ Have you ever noticed that those who receive forgiveness for great sins seem to be the more loving Christians?

            Note: It is when we see our failures that we can begin to be true leaders in the church.  So many in church work or christian work today have not seen their failure and consequently they do not see what ministry is really about.  They are so afraid that they will not be accepted by others if someone sees a crack in the armor. 

            As some have put it they do not have a good theology of failure. 

            Q  When do we not have a good theology of failure?

               An = When we never confess our failures, even though everyone has them.  However, because we do not confess, we do not understand the power of reversal because we have never experienced it ourselves, and therefore we have no hope that it can happen to us or to others by God's power.  We must see our own sin, and failures to see the true meaning of the Gospel.

            The Christian religion is founded on eleven men who were failures.  If you know yourself as a failure, then a true Christian walk can begin.

            Note:  It is our denials of failure that drown out Jesus' promises.

>>>> Have someone re-read Mark 14:28.

            Peter did not hear the promise of rejoining Jesus after the failure in Galilee.  Peter never heard that promise because he was too busy denying his possibility of failure.   If we cannot face our failures we cannot see that Jesus sees beyond the failure.   Jesus sees the hope.  He knows who and what we are and that we will fail and still He wants us back!  

>>>> Have someone read Zachariah 13:9.

            Note:  May we become like refined silver and tested gold and as we face our betrayals of God, for then we can join Him in Galilee.  From there grace begins. 

Lesson # 40 | MARK 14:1-21 | SECRET PLOTS OF MEN VS. THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

I.                Greetings. 

 

II.    Introduction:

            Note:  There is no place or situation you will encounter that scripture has not already anticipated.  As you grow and experience life, it will always be the guide you need.  The more you learn of life the more you will understand of Scripture.  Today's lesson is needed by some of you already, others should put it into their memory for times ahead.

 

III.  The First Plot:  Mark 14:1-2.

            Note:  We now enter upon the Passion Narratives, the narration of Jesus' last week.  It is a pain-filled week, filled with the drama of our salvation, and with the passion and pain of Jesus as He affects our redemption.  All of Mark points toward this.  Some scholars have said all four Gospels are nothing more than Passion Narratives with long introductions.

            Note:  What we wish to do today is to focus on who Jesus is.  He will enter pain, stress, and hardship.  Let us watch Him whom we adore. 

>>>> Have someone read Mark 14:1-2.

            Note:  The desire to put Jesus to death was not new: 

>>>> Have three different people read Mark 3:6; 11:18; and 12:12. 

            Q  Who killed Jesus, the Son of God, God-believing Temple attenders or pagans?

               An = It was the believing community of Jesus's day, the church goers of that time killed Jesus.  The Jews used the Romans to do their wishes.  Mark makes that very clear.

            Q  Who would, no doubt, kill Jesus today if He had come to earth in the flesh in our time?

               An = It would be the church goers of today, and if the Gospels are correct, our high, established church leaders....

            Note:  Anti-semeticism misses the point!  It is not Jews, but religious people who do not love God, who kill God, and try to stop His work.  We have such people around today. 

            Note:  Leaders are often resented and criticized, especially when they speak the truth.  If you become a leader remember this.  Now if you are in leadership, the Gospels are not trying to create a persecution complex.  Some leaders are criticized because they do not brush their teeth, i.e. they do stupid things, or act unfairly, selfishly, or incompetently.  Jesus was disliked because He spoke the truth and stepped on their toes, not because He was incompetent.

            Note:  Passover in Jesus' time was actually two feasts:  Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread.  Most often they were understood as part of one another.  Passover itself was a great feast.  Depending on whose numbers you accept the city either became 5 times its normal number (300,000) or if Josephus can be believed the numbers approximated 3,000,000 in the city of Jerusalem at Passover.  It celebrated two functions:  the deliverance from Egypt when the death angel passed over the homes with blood on their doors, and it was a consecration of the barley crop.

            Note:  It was a celebration of deliverance from slavery - Later we Christians saw Jesus killed for our deliverance from the slavery of sin.

            But, before the plot thickens, Mark tells us a story.  It is an interlude, an interlude of kindness.

IV.  Interlude of Kindness:  Mark 14:3-9.

>>>> Have someone read Mark 14:3-9.

            Q  Why were the disciples upset?

               An = The money represented by the perfume poured on Him could have been given to the poor.  It was worth over 300 denares, roughly worth a year's wages for the average worker.  In fairness to the disciples, it should be understood that it was a common custom at the feasts to help the poor.

            Note:  The contrast between the woman and the High Priest in 14:1,2 is extensive.  She shows an extravagance of honor and love that was extraordinary.  It was obviously not appreciated though by the disciples.  The disciples often did not understand Jesus.  If you become a leader remember this as well.  Even your closest men may not always understand you.

            Q  Are people (Christian people) as calloused today as the disciples were?

            Note:   There was a Jewish custom of anointing someone for a feast, but Jesus sees a far more profound meaning.  He knew He would suffer a criminal's death and not be cleansed and anointed as was commonly done for the dead.  So He took her extravagance and dignified it from an impulsive action to a prophetic event.  He took her impulsive act and made it a significant and appropriate action.  Jesus has a way of seeing things in a different light.  As we try to serve Him, He sees our heart!  Some things we do may not always be wise, but the One we serve is! 

            Jesus sees us in a different light.  We are often ridiculed for our extravagant acts of love towards God but Jesus sees them in the proper light.

            RQ  Do we love Jesus as extravagantly as this woman does?

            RQ  Do we recognize the love others try to show us, or are we too concentrated on our own problems?

            Jesus shows a higher way....

 

V.  The Second Plot:  Mark 14:10-11.

>>>> Have someone read Mark 14:10-11.

            Note:  Jesus' life and His position are being threatened.  Yet, He has the presence of mind to see through the extravagant acts of an impulsive woman.  When we get threatened we often stop thinking of others, Jesus shows us a better way.

            RQ Have you ever been plotted against?

            RQ How are we to feel when we find out?

             Q  How did you feel?

               An = See if some will share their feelings of being truly disliked.

            Q  What does it do to our concept of ourselves when we are betrayed?

               An = It makes us wonder about our worth, what is more it hurts!  How Jesus handles threats and betrayal will now be shown to us.

 

VI.  Understanding Reality:  Mark 14:12-16.

>>>> Have someone read Mark 14:12-16.

            Note:  Jesus knows He is being pursued and He knows about Judas.  By this action Judas will not know where the passover celebration for the disciples will take place.  Since Jesus is either making these arrangements by miracle or by having already set this up earlier, Judas does did not know where they would meet.  It is clear that Jesus and the other ten do not arrive till after dark.  Thus with so many pilgrims in the city, it would be hard to find Jesus after dark and where he would be holding the passover.  Judas does not know where they are going until they arrive there that night.  Only Jesus and the two disciples know the location.  This guarantees they will have privacy in this important time.

            Q  Is this action of Jesus, guaranteed privacy, a sign of mental anguish or a sign of cool, calm intelligence?

               An = It is a sign of a clear thinking and rational individual.  He knows He is going to die, and is being plotted against, but He also knows that His men need some time alone with Him, He uses His brains to obtain it.

            Jesus is thinking, and thinking of others!  We handle betrayal best when He helps us be like Him.

 

VII.  Jesus Is Aware:  Mark 14:17-21.

>>>> Have someone read Mark 14:17-21.

            Q  Is Jesus aware of His betrayal?

            Q  What does He do?

               An = He confronts the guilty party.  This is an example of what we should do in such situations.  Tell people what we truly think.

            Q  In Mark, does Jesus identify Judas the traitor?

               An = The answer is no.  If Jesus had done so the disciples would probably have killed Judas rather than let him hurt Jesus.  Jesus confronts Judas but not in a manner that exposed Judas.

            Q  Why do you suppose Jesus did not stop Judas or turn him over to the disciples?

               An = Jesus confronts but does not need to see immediate punishment. 

            Note:  We too will experience deep betrayal if we live long enough in this world.  Jesus is giving us insights and clues as to how to handle such situations.  He does this lest we become totally destroyed when this is done to us.  We need to remember that even the Son of God was betrayed and plotted against.  He knows what we are going through.

            RQ Do you see why you can pray to Him, He understands!

            RQ Do you see how you might be like Jesus!  He shows us how to handle real life, hard life.

Lesson # 39 | MARK 13:24-37 | THE KEY TRUTH IN THE SECOND COMING

I.    Greetings: 

 

II.   Introduction:

            Note:  This lesson will center on key words today so carefully watch for them.  Hopefully it will help us see what Jesus was saying as clearly as the early church, who were steeped in the Old Testament and its metaphors.

            Note:  Key Phrases for Understanding Mark 13 (Matthew 24 too).

            A.  "that day" = in the Old Testament this phrase refers to the final day of judgment: 

            B.  "these things" = the immediate events that are concerned with Mark 13:4 (the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple).  >>>> Have someone read Mark 13:4.

            Note:  Mark 13:24-27 = "that" or "those days" = End time judgment

                          Mark 13:28-31 = "these things" = destruction of Jerusalem in 68 AD.

                          Mark 13:31-37 = "that day" = End time judgment

 

III.  The Coming of the Son of Man:  Mark 13: 24-27.

>>>> Have someone read Mark 13:24-27

            Q  When will this coming take place?

               An = After the tribulation spoken of in 13:14-20.  Christ will come but only after a time of trial and difficulty.  This is often true whenever God comes.  He came to Israel in Egypt after they had been slaves for many years.  Those of you who really know the Lord, think back on some of the times He has come close to you.  Many times, there is something about difficulties, hardships and trials that help us be more receptive and open to God breaking in on us.  I said sometimes though, not always.  But when Christ comes at the end of time, it will be preceded by time a time of tribulation.

            Q  What is being described in 13:24-25?

               An = Convulsions in the heavens:  the "universe is united with man in his destiny" so as human fortunes were to be radically affected they "spoke freely of an upheaval in the heavens themselves" (Lane, p. 475).

>>>> Have someone read Isaiah 13:10-13.

            Q  How will the Son of Man come?

               An = In the clouds with power and glory.

>>>> Have three different people read Nahum 1:3, Psalm 97:2-6, Daniel 7:13-14.           

            Note:  When Jesus started using language like this in Mark 13, Luke 21, or Matthew 24 you can clearly see what the early church was understanding.  It was an exalted and powerful Jesus.

            Q How does this view of Jesus differ from the view presented in the Christmas story?

               An = One speaks of a baby, born poor, lowly and humble.  A baby is sweet, approachable and non-threatening.  Mark 13 speaks of a mighty warrior coming with earth crushing, heaven disturbing power.  Jesus will come again, but it will not be in the same manner as the first coming.  In the first coming He came as a baby and died as a Lamb.  He will return as a warrior and roar as a Lion.

            Note:  God will approach us gently at first but if we do not respond we will meet His wrath!  We may not like to hear that, but it is true non-the-less.

            Note:  Jesus' historical life has always been one of humility, one of veiled power.   His Second Coming will be in the clouds of glory and be open power.

            Q How does Jesus' coming differ from the comings described in Mark 13:21?

               An = Verse 21 describes local manifestations versus world wide unveiling in the clouds with power.  If someone says they are the Messiah tell them:  "Fine, when you spilt the sky, then I will believe!  Until till then don't bother me!"

            Note:  To gather the elect in 13:27 is a classic Old Testament theme: 

>>>> Have someone read Isaiah 43:6-7.

 

IV.  Near Fulfillment = Verification:  Mark 13:28-31.

>>>> Have someone read Mark 13:28-31.

            Q What is the main point stressed in the fig-tree parable?

               An = Figs speak of a coming harvest.  In the Old Testament harvest was a metaphor for judgment:  >>>> Have someone read Amos 8:1-2.

            Note:  Huge fig trees (20-30 feet tall) were on the Mount of Olives.  It was early Spring when Jesus was talking, so they saw fig trees all around them putting forth leaves, Summer was coming.  As they looked across the Valley they could see the Temple.

            Note:  Mark 13:28-31 refers to the Fall of Jerusalem.  It was to happen in their generation.  It was roughly 27 AD when Jesus was speaking and the Fall of the City of Jerusalem was in 68 AD.  That generation would see the most magnificent building they had ever known crumble (Mark 13:2).

            Note:  >>>> Have someone read Isaiah 40:7-8.  God's Word never fails, and Jesus' Word is God's Word.  >>>> Re-read Mark 13:31.  Immediate proof of Jesus' Word was the Fall of Jerusalem, thus it was logical to take serious what Jesus said about the more far off future in Mark 13:32-37.

 

V.  Vigilance Over Speculation:  Mark 13:32-37.

>>>> Have someone read Mark 13:32-37.

            Q  What does Jesus tell us here, to speculate or to be vigilant?

            Note:  From history we know the date of the Fall of Jerusalem, but we do not know the date of the Second Coming of Jesus.  It has not happened yet!  In verse 13:30 and 13:32 we have two distinct dates spoken about.  The one, the Fall of Jerusalem in 68 A.D.,  we can know.  The other, the Second Coming, we are clearly told we can not hope to gain knowledge of the date by speculating about it.

            Note:  Many today want to speculate about the exact date instead of listening to what Jesus says.  We want an exact date so we can be in control.  Jesus says just to be ready.  It stands to reason that if we put Jesus in control of our lives we will be ready.

            Q  How are we to be vigilant or ready?

               An = Each of us is to do our duty.  See 13:34-37.  Chrysostom reminds us, (p. 460)

                        "There is strife on earth ... but a crown in heaven

                        punishment by men ... but honor by God

                        a race for two days ... but reward for endless ages

                        struggle with our corruptible bodies ... but we will inherit incorruptible ones."

            Note:  Do not sell out your souls for a few short years of seeming gain in this life.  Jesus is coming again to the earth and He will come in power and judgment.  He may come for you personally before the world ends, but either way you will face the judgment.  It is the fool that goes for the short term gain and loses the long term gain.

            >>> Give an example.