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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. |
1 - Take him ... put him to death
1 - Sought how they might take him Judas would help them v10. Also lu2201, jn1210, mt2601. |
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| .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 brake the box, and poured it on his head.
4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? .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 is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. 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 for a memorial of her. |
3 -
Being
... in the house See jn12., mt2606,
lu0736.
3 - A woman She was Mary. See jn1203. 8 - She hath done what she could She is an example for us. Too often we consider our opportunities to witness as burdens. We tend to consider our personal comforts and opportunities above seeking ways and places where our ministry would be a strong witness for Christ. When an employment opportunity comes, obedience to Christ is set aside waiting for the work situation to change ac2425. He allows us to be tempted to strengthen our characters rather than sacrifice for our Lord. |
| "[While
plotting about killing Lazarus] was going on at Jerusalem, Jesus and His
friends were invited to Simon's feast. At the table the Saviour sat with
Simon, whom He had cured of a loathsome disease, on one side, and Lazarus,
whom He had raised from the dead, on the other. Martha served at the table,
but Mary was earnestly listening to every word from the lips of Jesus.
In His mercy, Jesus had pardoned her sins, He had called forth her beloved
brother from the grave, and Mary's heart was filled with gratitude. She
had heard Jesus speak of His approaching death, and in her deep love and
sorrow she had longed to show Him honor. At great personal sacrifice she
had purchased an alabaster box of 'ointment of spikenard, very costly,'
with which to anoint His body. But now many were declaring that He was
about to be crowned king. Her grief was turned to joy, and she was eager
to be first in honoring her Lord. Breaking her box of ointment, she poured
its contents upon the head and feet of Jesus; then, as she knelt weeping,
moistening them with her tears, she wiped His feet with her long, flowing
hair.... Instead of waiting to hear what Christ would say of the matter,
he began to whisper his complaints to those near him, throwing reproach
upon Christ for suffering such waste. Craftily he made suggestions that
would be likely to cause disaffection.
"Judas was treasurer for the disciples, and from their little store he had secretly drawn for his own use, thus narrowing down their resources to a meager pittance. He was eager to put into the bag all that he could obtain. The treasure in the bag was often drawn upon to relieve the poor; and when something that Judas did not think essential was bought, he would say, Why is this waste? why was not the cost of this put into the bag that I carry for the poor? Now the act of Mary was in such marked contrast to his selfishness that he was put to shame; and according to his custom, he sought to assign a worthy motive for his objection to her gift. Turning to the disciples, he asked, 'Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein." Judas had no heart for the poor. Had Mary's ointment been sold, and the proceeds fallen into his possession, the poor would have received no benefit. "Mary heard the words of criticism. Her heart trembled within her. She feared that her sister would reproach her for extravagance. The Master, too, might think her improvident. Without apology or excuse she was about to shrink away, when the voice of her Lord was heard, 'Let her alone; why trouble ye her?' He saw that she was embarrassed and distressed. He knew that in this act of service she had expressed her gratitude for the forgiveness of her sins, and He brought relief to her mind. Lifting His voice above the murmur of criticism, He said, 'She hath wrought a good work on Me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but Me ye have not always. She hath done what she could...." (Desire of Ages, pp. 558, 559). |
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| .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. |
11 - Glad But not happy as we may be when at peace with God. mt2614. |
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| .12
¶ And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover,
his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that
thou mayest eat the passover?
13 And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith 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 goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? .15 And he will shew 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 as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. |
12
- First day ... when The preparation for this passover is
also at mt2617, lu2207.
13 - Sendeth ... meet a man This would be a significant sign because men normally carried water in skins. 14 - Goodman See on lu0229. 14 - Guestchamber From kataluma may mean "lodging place." See lu0207. 15 - Large upper room Literally, any room above ground level. A different Greek word in ac0113 actually means "upper room." The room may have been as the same as in mt2618. 15 - Prepared Apparently for the Passover. |
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| 17 And in the evening he cometh with the twelve | The evening of the first day of unleavened bread. |
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.18
And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of
you which 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. 17 - In he evening This event is also recorded beginning in lu2214. Also mt2620. This would have been the first day of unleavened bread. 20 - Dippeth with me "In the east, persons never eat together from one dish, except when a strong attachment subsists between two or more persons of the same caste; in such a case one invites another to come and sit by him and eat from the same dish. This custom seems to have existed among the Jews; and the sacred historian mentions this notice of our Lord's, It is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish, to mark more strongly the perfidy of the character of Judas." (Adam Clarke's Commentary).
Recent
illustration:
The
Mount of Olives, from the Kidron Valley. © Bible Places
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| .22
And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave
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 an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. |
"Separated from the Eastern
Hill (the Temple Mount and the City of David) by the Kidron Valley, the
Mt. of Olives has always been an important feature in Jerusalem's
landscape. From the 3rd millennium until the present, this 2900-foot hill
has served as one of the main burial grounds for the city. The two-mile
long ridge has three summits each of which has a tower built on it." ©
2000. Used by permission of Todd Bolen, Producer, Pictorial Library of
Bible Lands, Asst. Professor, The Master's College, www.BiblePlaces.com.
26 - Sung a hymn The song may have brought courage to their troubled hearts v19. Information for this verse is in mt2630. Also lu2239. |
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| .27
And Jesus saith 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 that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. 29 But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. 30 And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. 31 But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all. |
27
- Written ... smite From zc1307.
30 - This day even this night The sixth day had begun at sunset. It was the day of death. |
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.32
¶ And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith
to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.
 .33
And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed,
and to be very heavy;
.34 And saith 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 cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou 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 spake the same words. 40 And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him. 35 - Hour Or "time." 38 - Watch and Pray This is an important principle. 40 - "... and they did not know what to answer him." (RSV) 38 - Lest ... temptation Even in His heaviest hour, Jesus thought of the needs of His disciples. 38 - Flesh is weak So does this excuse our falling under temptation? No, God has promised help 1co1013, 2pe0104. We just have to be diligent in asking for it. He could have kept the sleepy disciples awake. They missed their opportunity to unite with the Creator in praying for the success of His mission. We must also avoid joking about sin. |
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| .41
And he cometh the third time, and saith 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. |
41 - It is enough From apechei. Receipts indicating full payment have been found in the papyri [documents]." ... [T]he oldest material commonly employed for writing upon, appears to have been the papyrus, a reed very common in Egypt and other places, and still found in Sicily and Chaldea. From this comes our word paper. At a later period, parchment from skins was invented in Pergamos, and was there used for rolls or volumes. The pen for writing on these soft materials was a small brush, or a reed split at the end, Jer 36:23. The ink was prepared with lampblack coal of ivory, various gums, etc., and the writing was sometimes permanently fixed by fire. Scribes carried their inkhorns hanging to their girdles, Eze 9:2." (ATS Dict.) |
| .43
¶ And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh 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 token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely. 
45 And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith,
Master, master; and kissed him.
46 And they laid their hands on him, and took him. 47 And one of them that 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, Are 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. 47 - One of them Peter jn1810. 51 - Followed him While the others fled. 51 - Young man Maybe the author, Mark. 52 - Naked He likely still had his loincloth (undergarment). |
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| .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 the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. 56 For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together. 57 And there arose certain, and bare 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 so did their witness agree together. |
54
- Peter Compare jn1815ff.
54 - Fire Literally, "light" but "fire is implied. 56 - Witnesses agreed not I've heard that the law code at that time required that the whole case be thrown out of court when this happened. One of numerous legal violations. |
| 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 on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 63 Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? 64 Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty 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 did strike him with the palms of their hands. |
62 - Sitting ... clouds In other symbols He will sit on a white horse with armies of heaven re1911,14. |
| .66
¶ And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh 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, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew. 69 And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them. 70 And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, 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 crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept. |
66 - Peter "No one knows to what depths of iniquity a good man, when left to himself, will fall. He may deny his best friend, desert his greatest benefactor, and even testify and swear to a known lie. Were it not for the grace of God, he would never rise, but sink lower and lower in wickedness and woe for ever." (Family Bible Notes). |
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