14:17-21
“Is it I?” And another said, “Is it I?”
The disciples asked the question in such as way as to expect a negative response.
More literally- “It can’t be me, could it?”… or “Surely, it’s not me, is it?”
They expected a “No, it’s not you” response.
They had often discussed who among them was the greatest.
It was beyond them to think that they could do such a thing.
Judas went along with this, though he knew he was the one.
“It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish.
Dips w/me in the dish – In the East, to break bread w/someone means to enter into a pact of friendship & mutual trust.
As if Jesus was saying to Judas, “I know what you are going to do. Will you not stop even yet?” (Barclay)
To break bread then betray your host is the basest of treachery!
Even this was the fulfillment of God’s Word.
Psalm 41:9 “Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.”
The Jews ate in a unique fashion in that day.
They lounged on the ground, and ate at a very low table.
They would lay on one side, and lean up to the table.
Their feet would recline away from the table, and their heads would be very close to the person next to them.
We are told that John laid his head on Jesus’ chest.
That means that Jesus would have been laying His head on Judas’ chest.
Only John and Judas would have been able to share the dipping bowl with Jesus.
Judas could have, at any time, whispered a quite apology and repentance to Jesus, and been forgiven.
Jn.13:27 “Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him.”
NOTE- Jesus was willing to put his head next to the heart of His betrayer.
Jesus loved Judas though Judas was a betrayer.
Don’t ever doubt God’s love for you.
14:22-25
Jesus explains the conditions of the New Covenant.
His body would be broken, just as Mary’s flask was broken, and her perfume poured out on Jesus.
Her perfume was poured out for Him.
His life was poured out for us.
Her ultimate act of love.
Jesus’ ultimate act of love.
until that day- Jesus spoke of the future, when all believers would be joined with Him in glory.
14:26
Jesus warns the disciples about what is about to happen.
Jesus knows what is going to happen to Him.
We saw Jesus make arrangements for the colt of a donkey to be available for what we call Palm Sunday.
Jesus knew Daniel predicted that day.
We saw Jesus had made arrangements for a man to prepare a room for He and His disciples for the Passover meal.
Now we see Jesus warning them about the immediate future.
The traditional hymn sung at the end of the Passover Meal was called the Hallel Psalm.
Includes Psalms 113-118. Hallel means, “praise God.”
Psalms 118:22-27 (NKJV)
22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This was the LORD s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.
27 God is the LORD, And He has given us light; Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
They sang a psalm that included the idea of sacrifice.
This was done with the Passover Lambs.
Jesus would be bound to the cross.
14:27
Jesus quotes Zechariah 13:7
Zech 13:7 (NKJV) 7 “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, Against the Man who is My Companion,” Says the LORD of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered; Then I will turn My hand against the little ones.
The sword is the sword of the Father.
The Companion speaks of Jesus.
God planned to raise His sword against Jesus, and cut Him away from His disciples.
The striking of the Shepherd would happen in the Garden of Gethsemane.
There, Jesus would be arrested and taken away.
There, the disciples, the sheep, would scatter.
14:28
Jesus now speaks of His resurrection.
Whenever he warned them about His death, He always included the fact of the resurrection.
But they never understood.
Undoubtedly, their hearts were too heavy with the thought of losing Jesus.
“I will go before you…”
John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
John 10:4 he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
The Shepherd is about to be struck; the sheep will scatter.
Jesus assures them that He will rise, and again shepherd them, and go before them.
He will meet them again, and shepherd them.
14:29-31
We see the self assurance of the disciples in following Jesus.
Especially seen in Peter.
Peter is sure that Jesus is wrong.
Peter is sure that he is stronger than he really is.
They have tremendous intentions, but they will fail.
Jesus will experience the abandonment of His friends.
The disciples will experience their own failure and inability to do what they had promised Jesus they would do.
All the self-assurance of Peter will soon fade away.
Jesus says three things…
- Today
- This night
- Before the cock crows twice.
Jesus knows very well that Peter is well intentioned, but that He will fail.
He tells Him exactly how it will happen.
But Jesus also encourages Peter.
Luke 22:32 “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
Peter would go on to be an encourager.
Keep in mind, that though Mark wrote this gospel, it is generally agreed that Peter dictated it to him.
That would mean that Peter was humble enough to include this passage of his coming failure.
14:32-36
Here begins the terrible striking of the Shepherd.
Gethsemane means “the press”.
It was a place where olives were grown and pressed into olive oil.
Here Jesus would feel the press of the Father’s will for Him.
Throughout the ministry of Jesus we see that He delighted to do the will of His Father.
John 4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.
John 6:38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
John 8:29 ” for I always do those things that please Him.”
But here in the Garden, we see the striking of the Shepherd.
Zechariah says the Father raises His sword against His companion, the Shepherd.
Swords are designed to sever and separate.
When Jesus went to the cross, there was some degree of separation between Him and the Father.
That perfect fellowship which had been eternally enjoyed in heaven would be broken for a time.
This is the first time we see Jesus struggling to do the Father’s will.
The first time we see Him praying that He might be able to avoid the Father’s will.
14:36
Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”
We see Jesus battling between His will and the will of the Father.
He was in deep sorrow.
He knew what the Father’s will included.
The cup from the Father wasn’t Gethsemane.
The cup from the Father was the cross.
John 18:11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”
The shepherd is in the place of the press.
The sword of the Father has come to strike Him.
We see the distancing and struggling that Jesus has with obeying the Father’s will.
Hebrews 5:7 NLT While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could deliver him out of death.
Jesus pleads, cries, and cries out to the Father that He would be able to avoid the cross.
NOTE- Please do not think that Jesus is unwilling to do the Father’s will.
He was willing, and ultimately, he does the Father’s will.
But it is here we see the struggle of the God-man.
Hebrews 12:2 who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The cross was full of shame.
We see the honest struggle of Jesus.
Knowing what lay ahead, he struggled.
There was no sin in that He struggled.
Disobedience would have been sin.
He struggled, but He obeyed.
Heb. 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.
Luke says Jesus appeared to swat great drops of blood.
An angel came and strengthened Him.
They Jesus resolved to go to the cross.
He rises to go out to meet His accusers.
14:37-42
We see Peter, James and John failing to support Jesus.
They had such determination, especially Peter.
Simple fatigue conquers them.
Matt 26:41 “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Jesus recognizes their willingness, but points out that they are weak b/c of their flesh.
Peter depended upon his own resolve.
He failed in his own strength.
Jesus knew that Peter and the others would be temped very soon.
That is why they should have been praying.
Instead of praying, they were sleeping.
Instead of resisting temptation, they gave into it.
They abandoned and denied Jesus b/c of the crowds.
14:43-50
Judas’ kiss- a long and passionate kiss. A treacherous act of hypocrisy and greed.
NOTE- Jesus needed to be identified; he was indistinguishable in a crowd.
Peter’s defense- Peter is again well intentioned but relying upon his own strength.
Matthew 26:51-54 51 And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
52 But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
53 “Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?
54 “How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?”
Legion- 6000 72,000 angels were available to help Jesus if He wanted
OT- 2 Kings 19: One angel of God took out 185,000 men.
Available help- There were enough angels available to help Jesus fight against 13,320,000,000 people, if that had been needful.
The disciples now flee.
The striking of the Shepherd is well under way, and they forsake Him.
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- They are afraid of the crowd.
- They expected for Jesus to be in charge. They thought He would set up His kingdom.
- Suddenly, Jesus doesn’t seem to be who they thought He was. He seems to not be in control.
- How sad for Jesus to now be alone, and know that He was misunderstood
14:51,52
We believe this to be Mark, the gospel writer.
He was an eyewitness to all these things.
8 of the disciples were not near Jesus.
3 of them slept.
Judas had left to betray.
Mark is the eyewitness of all these things, and then He escapes also.
14: 53-65
53And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes.
54But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.
55Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.
56For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.
57Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying,
58“We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’”
59But not even then did their testimony agree.
60And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?”
61But He kept silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”
62Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
63Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses?
64You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.
65Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.
1. Jesus was first taken to Annas. John 18
Father in law of Caiaphas, the official High Priest
Annas had been the high priest.
Probably still in the quarters of the palace of the high priest.
Annas was one of the most brilliant, one of the most clever, and one of the most satanic of all the high priests.
Caiaphas was the one whom the Roman government accepted, but the real head of the religious group was old Annas.
• Jesus is questioned by Annas, struck in the face by a guard seeming disrespect to Annas, and then bound and sent to Caiaphas, the high priest recognized by Rome.
2. Caiaphas and the rulers question Jesus.
Sanhedrin- 70 member council who ruled over the Jews.
Consisted of the High Priest, other priests, and scribes.
This is a mock trial, for they had already determined to kill Jesus.
John 18:14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
It was also illegal, b/c according to their law, it has to take place in the daytime.
Also, their law said that a verdict could not be determined the same day as the trial.
There needed to be time to consider the facts.
Another illegal aspect was that they had the trial in the palace of the High Priest, instead of an official hall of justice.
They broke their own religious laws at this mock trial.
They need a charge against Him in order to ask Rome to kill Him.
They cannot get false witnesses to agree.
Finally, Caiaphas makes Jesus swear by oath to answer a question.
“Are you the Christ, the son of the living God?”
Jesus answers that He is.
That is making Himself equal to God, and considered blasphemy to the Jews.
This is considered blasphemy.
They begin to spit on Jesus.
Isaiah 50:6 6 I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.
They cover His eyes with a garment, and begin to strike Him on the face, asking Him to prophecy who hit him.
These were Jewish guards from the High Priests’ palace at this mock trial.
The game was called “Hot Hand”.
The prisoner was blind folded and every soldier but one would hit him.
The blindfold was taken off, and the prisoner had to guess which soldier didn’t hit him.
If he failed, the procedure would continue.
They now have a religious reason to kill Jesus, but they must wait until morning to send Jesus to the Praetorium, to get an official guilty verdict.
Jesus is detained over night at the palace of the High Priest.
14:66-72
66Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. 67And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.”
68But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.
69And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.”
70But he denied it again.
And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your £speech shows it.”
71Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”
72A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.
This took place at the palace of the High Priest.
A large building with a central courtyard.
Two stories with balconies.
Luke 22:60-62 60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.
61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”
62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.