We continue in Mark for our Summer Reading Challenge of 2022. Today’s reflections from Mark chapter 14, address how Jesus’ foretelling of His sufferings is fulfilled.
- Mark chapter 14, the longest chapter in Mark, essentially has 4 main movements: (1) two days before the Passover during which we see the plot to kill Jesus, Jesus anointed, and Judas’ decision to betray Jesus (14:1-11); (2) the first day of Unleavened Bread during which we see the Passover meal with the Disciples, the institution of the Lord’s Supper, and Jesus foretelling Peter’s denial of him (14:12-31); (3) the transition to the trial where we see Jesus praying in Gethsemane, and the betrayal and arrest of Jesus (14:32-52); and (4) Jesus’ trial before the council and Peter’s denial of Jesus (14:53-72).
- Today’s episode focuses on Mark’s culminating emphasis on Jesus as the Son of Man and the anointing of Jesus by an unnamed woman.
Part 1: The Unfolding of His Foretelling
- In this chapter, we see the beginning of the fulfillment of what Jesus had foretold His disciples in Mark 8, 9, and 10. Remember, the Son of Man “MUST” suffer and be rejected (8:31); the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men (9:31); and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes and they will condemn him to death (10:33) — he even includes in 10:34 the mocking & spitting that would take place here in Mark 14:65.
- And while it seems like the disciples may have had a hard time believing and accepting what Jesus was saying ahead of time – there was at least one follower of Jesus who seems to have understood the significance of Jesus entering Jerusalem. And that brings us to Part 2…
Part 2: Jesus Anointed for Burial
- While Jesus was having dinner with his friends, just two days before the Passover — two days before the night He was to be betrayed — a woman comes with an alabaster flask of pure nard oil. And for perspective of how much this woman was sacrificing, the value of this flask and the nard was equivalent to nearly a year’s worth of wages for a laborer. And what did she do with that valuable thing?
- She broke the valuable flask. And she poured out the ointment over Jesus’ head.
- While some of those present scolded her, Jesus stopped them in their criticism and he said, “She has done a beautiful thing to me… She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her” (14:6, 8-9).
- Once again, in this saying, he has predicted his death before any arrest has occurred. But consider the significance of what this woman, whom Mark leaves unnamed, has done.
- Whether or not this unnamed woman understood exactly what was going to happen to Jesus, Jesus proclaims that she has anointed his body for burial. It would seem that she heard the teaching of Jesus, and believed him. He said He would be rejected and killed in Jerusalem – and so, she comes and prepares his body for the burial while he was still alive.
- Her actions here have such significance to Jesus that he tells them – “Truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has does will be told in memory of her.
- So with Jesus now anointed, we fast-forward through the Passover, the Last Supper, Gethsemane, the betrayal and arrest of Jesus, to Jesus’ trial before the council.
Part 3: The Son of Man on Display
- Remember that in each foretelling of his suffering, Jesus uses the title “Son of Man” and again here in Mark 14:62 we see Jesus use the title Son of Man.
- As we zoom in on the trial, our Lord, remained silent in the midst of all the false accusations which were hurled at Him. But when it came to the question of the high priest, He testifies to the truth.
- The High Priest asks, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”
- He has already taught publicly and in the temple that He is the Son of God (see Mark 12:1-12) and that He is indeed the messianic Lord of David (see Mark 12:35-37 where Jesus applies the messianic text of Psalm 110:1 to himself).
- And so Jesus answers the high priest’s question with these words: “I AM.”
- Just as we make much of the “I am” statements in John, here also in Mark 14, Jesus uses the same Greek [SIDE NOTE] construction, “Ego Eimi,” as we see in Exodus 3:14 – Where YHWH gives Moses His name, where he says “I am who I am” [SIDE NOTE: The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Old Testament – and this is what New Testament authors often used when quoting Scriptures]… and here, Jesus applies it to himself.
- Further, Jesus tells the High Priest that “you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
- This also was publicly taught by Jesus in Mark 13:26-27.
- Once again, He undisputedly is applying the language of Daniel 7 to himself. Furthermore, he says that he has the exclusive exalted position at the right hand of God, even having charge over the angels.
- The High Priest understood Jesus’ words. In fact, they understood his claims of the divine Sonship — and the applying messianic promises to Himself — and their response was to reject Him. They could not accept this claim by Jesus, and so with the cry of blasphemy, “they all condemned him as deserving death” (14:64).
- While this chapter is indeed sad as we behold Jesus’ betrayal by one of his 12 disciples, the sleeping of His friends – when he needed them most to watch and pray, His arrest, the scattering of friends — the beating, the mocking, the spitting upon Jesus, the denial by Peter… as we behold all of these things, we remember that each step was foretold by Jesus and prophesied in the Old Testament.
- While it may seem that all is out of control, each step has been ordered by the LORD. As I reflect upon this chapter, and chapter 15, I am reminded of the song “Jerusalem” by CityAlight – see the link in the description.
- The High Priest asks, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”
Conclusion:
- So my friend, as you come to Mark 14, while it is a heavy chapter in the Gospel of Mark, we see the fulfillment of Jesus’ words spoken throughout this book. And thus, like the woman left unnamed by Mark, we wait for his death and burial, but are filled with hope in His resurrection.