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| Chapter 14 |
| Bible Text | Notes and Thoughts |
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1 ¶ After two days was the Feast of the Passover and of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by craft and put Him to death. 2 But they said, "Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people." 3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard, very precious; and she broke the box and poured it on His head. 4 And there were some who were indignant within themselves and said, "Why was this ointment wasted? 5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor." And they murmured against her. 6 And Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why trouble ye her? She hath wrought a good work on Me. 7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will, ye may do them good; but Me ye have not always. 8 She hath done what she could; she hath come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. 9 Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of as a memorial of her." 10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests to betray Him unto them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray Him. 12 ¶ And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said unto Him, "Where wilt Thou have us go and prepare, that Thou mayest eat the Passover?" 13 And He sent forth two of His disciples and said unto them, "Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water; follow him. 14 And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the master of the house, ‘The Master saith, "Where is the guest chamber where I shall eat the Passover with My disciples?"’ 15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and prepared; there make ready for us." 16 And His disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found it as He had said unto them; and they made ready the Passover. 17 And in the evening He came with the twelve. 18 And as they sat and ate, Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, one of you who eateth with Me shall betray Me." 19 And they began to be sorrowful and to say unto Him one by one, "Is it I?" And another said, "Is it I?" 20 And He answered and said unto them, "It is one of the twelve that dippeth with Me in the dish. 21 The Son of Man indeed goeth, as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! Good were it for that man if he had never been born." 22 And as they ate, Jesus took bread, and blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." 23 And He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And He said unto them, "This is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. 25 Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the Kingdom of God." 26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives. 27 And Jesus said unto them, "All ye shall be offended because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.’ 28 But after I have arisen, I will go before you into Galilee." 29 But Peter said unto Him, "Although all shall be offended, yet will I not." 30 And Jesus said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee that this day, even in this night, before the cock crows twice, thou shalt deny Me thrice." 31 But Peter spoke the more vehemently, "If I should die with Thee, I will not deny Thee in any way." Likewise also said they all. 32 ¶ And they came to a place which is named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit ye here while I shall pray." 33 And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed and very heavy of heart. 34 And He said unto them, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death; tarry ye here, and watch." 35 And He went forward a little, and fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible unto Thee. Take away this cup from Me; nevertheless not what I will, but what Thou wilt." 37 And He came back and found them sleeping, and said unto Peter, "Simon, sleepest thou? Couldest thou not watch one hour? 38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak." 39 And again He went away and prayed and spoke the same words. 40 And when He returned He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; neither knew they what to answer Him. 41 And He came the third time and said unto them, "Sleep on now and take your rest. It is enough: the hour is come; behold, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise up; let us go. Lo, he that betrayeth Me is at hand." 43 ¶ And immediately, while He yet spoke came Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 And he that betrayed Him had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I shall kiss, that same is he. Take him and lead him away safely." 45 And as soon as he had come, he went straightway to Him and said, "Master, Master!" and kissed Him. 46 And they laid their hands on Him and took Him. 47 And one of those who stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 48 And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Have ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take Me? 49 I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took Me not. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled." 50 And they all forsook Him and fled. 51 And there followed Him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him. 52 And he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked. 53 ¶ And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. 54 And Peter followed Him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest. And he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire. 55 And the chief priests and all of the council sought for witness against Jesus to put Him to death, and found none. 56 For many bore false witness against Him, but their witness agreed not together. 57 And there arose certain ones who bore false witness against Him, saying, 58 "We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’" 59 But neither did their witness agree together. 60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, "answerest thou nothing? What is it which these witness against thee?" 61 But He held His peace and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him and said unto Him, "Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" 62 And Jesus said, "I am; and ye shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." 63 Then the high priest rent his clothes and said, "Why need we any further witnesses? 64 Ye have heard the blasphemy. What think ye?" And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. 65 And some began to spit on Him, and to cover His face, and to buffet Him, and to say unto Him, "Prophesy!" And the servants struck Him with the palms of their hands. 66 ¶And as Peter was below in the courtyard, there came one of the maids of the high priest. 67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him and said, "And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth." 68 But he denied it, saying, "I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest." And he went out into the porch, and the cock crowed. 69 And a maid saw him again and began to say to those who stood by, "This is one of them." 70 And he denied it again. And a little after, those who stood by said again to Peter, "Surely thou art one of them, for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto." 71 But he began to curse and to swear, saying, "I know not this man of whom ye speak!" 72 And the second time the cock crowed. And Peter called to mind the words that Jesus had said unto him: "Before the cock crows twice, thou shalt deny Me thrice." And when he thought thereon, he wept. |
As the people prepared for a time of joy during the Feast of the Passover, the religious leaders prepared to kill Jesus, while Jesus was preparing for His coming crucifixion. Phil 2:8. v3-9 Six days before the Passover Jesus is in Bethany, From John 12:1 it appears that this was before the Triumphal Entry and events in the previous two chapters. This event is not the same as Luke 7:36-50. Only John tells us the name of the woman, Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus John 11:1-2. Mary seems to have a very close relationship with Jesus Luke 10:38-42; John 11:31-32; John 12:1-8. In the house of the healed leper Simon, during a meal, Mary comes and pours spikenard on the head and feet of Jesus. Mary is expressing her love for Christ because she has realized what His future involves, v8. Spikenard is an ointment made from plants in Northern India and so is very expensive, it is usually imported in sealed alabaster containers. One jar would probably cost a normal workers wage for a year. v4,5 The disciples, lead by Judas, feel that this action was a waste of money, it sounds good as Judas talks about the poor but he really wants the money for himself, John 12:4-6. v6-9 However, Jesus can understand her action and accepts her gift. As Jesus said, this action of love has been spoken of throughout the world. The woman was showing her love for Christ, prepared His body for burial. Judas Betrays Matt 26:14-16; Luke 22:2-6. v10-11 First Judas has to betray his master for what was considered the price of a slave Exodus 21:32. The Passover. Peter and John are sent to make the preparations for the coming Passover Feast, Luke 22:8-13. Water was normally carried by the women so a man doing this task was not difficult to locate. Some have guessed that this man was John Mark’s father, so the passover would have taken place in the home of John Mark. There is no recorded evidence to confirm except this house was later to become the center of Christian fellowship Acts 12:12. Under the Jewish clock system each new day began with sundown, so it would be a Friday when Jesus and the disciples met in the Upper Room. The final stages of God’s plan was about to be completed. The Spotless Lamb of God was about to die for the sins of the world. v17 The events recorded in John 13:1-20 now take place. v18-21 Jesus reveals that one of them was about to betray Him. The announcement that one of them was a traitor was of great concern to the disciples. Jesus still continued to hid the identity of the person, He even washed the feet of Judas, giving Judas every chance to change his mind. If the disciples had known who the traitor was they might have attacked him and possibly killed him. Some people say that Judas was just a servant who was obeying the Will of God, Judas had a free will in all his actions, making his own decisions, but in doing so fulfilled the Word of God. Judas did not believe in who Jesus was, he thought that Jesus was just a man seeking power. In the East it was considered a sign of fellowship and trust to break bread, yet Jesus announced that someone who had broken bread with Him was the betrayer. When a host gives a guest bread dipped in the herbs it was considered a special gracious sign, but this has no effect on Judas and Satan enters his heart. Judas now leaves the room to make the final arrangements, John 13:27-30. The Lord’s Supper. v22-25 Following the third Passover cup, Jesus takes one of the unleavened loaves, blesses and then breaks it. He tells the disciples "Take, eat; this is My body." He then takes the fourth and final Passover cup and passes it round saying "This is My blood of the New Testament." See 1 Cor 11:23-26. The bread and wine, very common food for the Jews, now had an additional special meaning to the disciples, they were still bread and wine but serve as a reminder of His sacrifice for each of us. v26 The group sing a traditional Passover hymn, based upon Psalms 115-118. Would you be able to sing knowing that the pain and rejection of the cross was only hours away? v27-31 Peter’s denial prophesied. Matt 26:31-35; Luke 22:31-34; John 13:36-38. As Jesus and the disciples walked to the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus warns them that everyone of them will run away from (forsake) Him that day, Zechariah 13:7 but He then tells them that He will meet them again in Galilee. The disciples were unable to understand this warning even three days later when they heard of His resurrection from the angels, the angels reminded them of these words, Luke 24:4-8. v29-31 Peter, has a problem, everyone else will run, but not him. Jesus gives him a special warning that he too will deny Jesus three times before the cock crows to indicate the morning. Peter and the others were so confident, yet they were all to fail Him. v32-42 The time in the Garden of Gethsemane. Matt 26:36-52; Luke 22:39-53; John 18:1-11. To appreciate and understand what Jesus went through in those hours in the Garden are difficult for us. He, the sinless Son of God was about to become sin for all the world. 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 3:13. This "cup" would also involve being forsaken by His Father, who cannot look upon sin. Mark 15:34; John 18:11. v33-35 Jesus takes Peter James and John and moves slightly away from the others, there He reveals His feelings, He then turns to prayer. "Abba," an Aramaic word meaning "daddy" or "papa," showing the closeness to His Father. As children of God, a believer now belongs to the Father in the same way Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6. Jesus prays three times, but each time He accepts the Father’s Will. What were the disciples doing? Only a matter of minutes before would die for their Lord, were now fast asleep. v41,42 "You can rest now, the hour has arrived." v43 Judas arrives with a large group of armed men, showing that neither Judas or the religious leaders had understood what Jesus was about to do, see v44,49 "scriptures fulfilled." v44 Judas gives Jesus a sign of fellowship and trust, a kiss, to betray Him. v47 Peter attacks Malchus John 18:10. This was not what Jesus wanted, He heals Malchus and so prevents Peter being arrested as well. v50-52 The disciples run away. Mark also mentions that a young man was also involved. Only Mark’s gospel mentions this fact, was it John Mark? Order of events for crucifixion. v53-72 The High Priest’s Palace. Matt 26:57-68; John 18:12-24. The Jewish and the Roman trials were both in three stages. The Jewish trial started by Annas, a past High Priest. It then moved onto the next stage before the full council to gather and hear witnesses. Finally, in the early morning there is a vote of condemnation. Peter and John have ignored the instructions and warnings of Jesus and enter the courtyard. They would not be allowed into to see the actual trial but would be able to see the result of the council vote. Peter is cold and moves nearer to the fire, exposing himself to the eye’s of those gathered there. v55 Witnesses are called, but their statements did not agree, so they created false stories but still cannot get that right. Two witnesses are require for Jewish trials. How sad that religious leaders were encouraging lies. v58 Jesus is talking about His body, not the building. v60-61 During this period Jesus keeps quite 1 Peter 2:23. The High Priest puts Jesus under oath and Jesus has to reply. v62 Jesus confirms that He was the Son of God. "Son of Man" is a Messianic title and the council knew what Jesus said, God in human form. This statement was blasphemy to the Jews and so were able to declare that He was guilty. It was Jesus who had to supply the evidence for them! It was wrong for the Sanhedrin to vote on such cases at night, so the council reform early the next morning. Mark 15:1. v66-72 Peter Denies his Lord. v67 First a servant girl of the high priest recognizes Peter and speaks to him, the first denial and leaves the fire. v69 Second servant girl challenges Peter, second denial. v70 Third challenge, this time Peter denies with curses. The cock crows and Peter is reminded of the Words of Jesus,. v30. It was not the cock crow which touched Peter but the Words of the Lord, the prediction had happened. In Luke 22:61, while Peter considers what he has done, we are told that as Jesus was being taken to Pilate Jesus turns and looks at Peter in love. Peter’s heart is broken, and leaves crying. After His resurrection Jesus went out of his way to meet with Peter. Luke 24:34; John 21:15-19. |
Easy English Translation
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