The Betrayer Comes

"See, My betrayer is at hand.”
And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Mark 14:42b-43

In the dead of night and with a useful traitor, the religious authorities finally muster the courage to act against Jesus. Of course they don't come themselves. Jesus knew what was up and called out the plays as they began to arrive in a great multitude armed with swords and clubs. Judas Iscariot has just made a name for himself that will last through this age. The authorities needed a traitor, and Judas provided them one for a mere 30 pieces of silver - the price of a slave in those times. As the gospel of Jesus has spread around the world, so has the infamy of Judas Iscariot. That was probably not his intention when Judas started down this road.

Better for us, I think, to promote the name of Jesus Christ than to make a name for ourselves.

Bucky

Someone Represented Us

And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” Mark 14:36

Jesus, the Son of God, prayed in the garden at Gethsemane one night. Strangely, he did not pray as God praying to God, but as a human praying - a son of man. God wouldn't need to pray that His will not be done, the scriptures consistently tell us that He wants His will to be done. Jesus prays as a man submitting his will to the will of God. How extraordinary! All of this because Jesus was about to be the sacrificial lamb, the scapegoat, that we need to atone for our sins. God the Son knelt down before God the Father and represented us the sinners.

And without Jesus we have no hope,

Bucky

The Test

Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Mark 14:37-38

We read some strong words from Peter about not falling, not denying, and even dying for Jesus. The Lord then tested this man's faith by having him keep watch for one hour. Peter failed. Such an easy task for the test too, we think. Some of us have experience in keeping watch, and we know that this is not so easy. Later in the night, a full meal the prior evening, a little walk to get there, and the peace of a night in a garden when everyone else is in bed sleeping combine to make keeping an alert watch difficult. Another difficulty in staying awake on watch can be emotions. Too much fear can make one sleepy. A time of emotional stress, such as the disciples had when Jesus told of His arrest and death during the meal, can cause one to be worn out even without a serious physical exertion. Keeping watch for one hour - not so easy as it may seem in the morning with the sun shining.

Metaphorically speaking, we are keeping watch for one hour while Jesus makes intercession for us with His Father, God. Let us keep watch in the strength of Christ our Lord.

Bucky

See You There

But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee. Mark 14:28

News of coming betrayal by one of His own, ceremonial ingestion of His body and blood, and a prophecy of the frightened flight of the faithful disciples, could Jesus top all of that? Oh, why do we even ask? After telling of His coming death in plain terms and metaphor, Jesus tells His disciples that He will be raised from the grave and meet them in Galilee.

Right, boss, see you there.

The disciples at this time could not believe in Jesus and His absolutely certain foreknowledge. Peter will receive his own personal denial prophecy in our Lord's next statement (v30), but he won't believe that either. And yet, all that Jesus said came to pass.

So, when Jesus says that He is returning, I'll see you there!

Bucky

No Way, Prophet!

Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:

​

​‘​I will strike the Shepherd,
​​And the sheep will be scattered. 
  -- Mark 14:27

Jesus said the prophet said it, Peter immediately denies it; Jesus says Peter will stumble even harder, and the disciple denies it more strongly even if he must die with Jesus. Hey, it's the old doubling down trick! Denial of denials forgotten, Peter will soon be among those sleeping in the garden while our Lord Jesus struggles in prayer. Jesus knew the prophecies, and He knew the fatigue and difficulty of staying awake at night while waiting on someone. Peter denied the prophecy and intended to be strong in his own might. We know who was proved right.

It is easy for any of us to say, "No way, prophet!" but if the Lord God gave the prophecy, we had better dial back those words and listen. Peter learned a tough lesson. Let us learn from his lesson.

Bucky

Eat, The Bread

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Mark 14:22

Jesus had done some extraordinary things up to this time in His ministry, but then He does this we read in our verse today. Jesus symbolically has His disciples eat His body by way of the bread. As we have read many times before, He will do a similar thing with wine and call it His blood. To the outsider and critic, this eating the body and drinking the blood is grounds for many jokes and much criticism. Symbols, no matter who may scoff, are important to the faith.

A stop sign is already stopped. It does not need to stop. However, it is a symbol telling a driver to stop the vehicle at a certain place. Jesus tells His disciples and us that this symbol of the communion tells us to take Him into ourselves. The body and the blood, we see it as His salvation and His cleansing of us, or His presence by the Holy Spirit and His word by the Bible, and others. As drivers we have at times wished the stop sign that other drivers flagrantly ignored was able to do the stopping for them. In the Communion, we get our wish in that Jesus as He comes to live inside of us by His Spirit, does all the work of saving, cleansing, educating, and in all ways making each of us suitable for presentation to His Father.

May God have mercy on the scoffers,

Bucky

Never Been Born

The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.” Mark 14:21

Hardly could a stronger warning have been given to Judas Iscariot to stop his progress down the road of betrayal. Jesus, the Son of Man, was following the prophecy road to His crucifixion, and He did not need the help Judas was giving. If the betraying man had never been born, then he could not do that terrible act he would become infamous for. It seems obvious to us now, but for Judas the warning goes right by him. Jesus gives the word and off Judas goes to his infamy. Can we pray for Judas these many years later? I believe so. Will it be useless? Maybe, but we can look upon it as a test of keeping our love warm and alive. And it reminds us to pray for those who are alive now, and yet our prayers appear to do nothing toward their repentance.

Pray in love, pray always,

Bucky