Mark Chapter 14 Verses 10 – 11

•Now in the scene we looked at last week, (verses 1 – 9 of Chapter 14), we saw Judas receive an open rebuke from Jesus. Mark says that, “there were some (which we know from John this was Judas Iscariot) who were indignant and critical” of Mary the sister of Martha because she had “wasted” the costly oil by anointing Jesus with it. So Jesus comes to the defense, not of Himself, but of Mary and replies, “Let her alone! Why do you trouble her?” And even further Jesus honors her which was totally opposite to what Judas was doing. “Wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, they’ll talk about how awesome this woman is because of what she has done.”

•So, two options for Judas. Respond in wisdom and receive the rebuke…I mean this isn’t Peter rebuking Judas…this is Jesus! Pretty sure you’re not right, Judas…or he can pout like a fool. This was his chance! Prime opportunity for him to humble himself, receive correction and get right with the Lord…and with Mary…and with those he had stirred up…but man he fails. Reacts in the flesh and the result? He betrays Jesus.

•Do you see you in this? I certainly see me. We get all up in arms when it’s time to make our point. When it’s time for them to see it our way. When the day brings hardship…And definitely when we are corrected! But man that feeling of pride being stomped on by others…I know we hate it so much…but that is precisely the moment of prime opportunity! Respond in the spirit and honor the Lord…and find life by the way…or just do your thing, pouting in your heart and objecting, not receiving, picking your pride up and dusting it off…and betray the Lord. Heavy stuff but that’s real talk, man.

•Oh let me just call my home girl, “can you believe she said that? The nerve! I’d like to tell her what-for!” And your homegirl be like, “MMM-HMMMM go on girl! I know dats right!” Why? Because our flesh loves drama! The chief priests are stoked to receive Judas in his flesh! And there will always be chief priests out there man…besties just ready to conveniently join in on the betrayal! Sick stuff for sure. Don’t be the Judas. Don’t be the chief priest. Be Mary!

Mark Chapter 14 Verses 12 – 15

•That must have taken faith! I mean the place is swollen with folks. Upwards of 3 million! Hey go find one man carrying a pitcher of water. Oooooook. Nevertheless, verse 16….

Mark Chapter 14 Verse 16

•Notice, His disciples fount it just as He had said to them. Yup. That right there…that’s always the case. Jesus said in John Chapter 8, “if you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed…” Disciples…disciplined believers man…always find it this way…just as He has said. It’s so encouraging! Because God doesn’t ask us to close our eyes, put our hands out in front of us and hope to find the door to “right!”

•This week I was pushing on the wall in frustration thinking it was a door. Why? Because the lights were out…Man the world asks you to believe blindly…Jesus says, “follow Me!” The Word of God shines man, and then the Bible says you become light even for others! John 8:12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life!”

•So cool! How many walls are you pushing on in your life wondering why the door won’t open? No clue it’s even a wall. Frustration setting in more and more. Man the Word of God…just as God has said…that is how you will find the doors man, the levers, the action buttons! The disciples aren’t super human wisdom warriors! No! They just have the lights on man…um dude, that’s a wall! HA!

Mark Chapter 14 Verses 17 - 18

•So this is the night…the last one…remember verse 12? This is the day that they would kill the Passover lamb. The day beginning at sundown of course (in that culture). And so this night, He will be betrayed, tried and ultimately before the day is over, beaten and nailed to the cross…

Mark Chapter 15 Verse 19

•Now I find this interesting because just a short while back, when Jesus wasn’t around, they were arguing over who was the greatest. Back in Mark 9:33…now they are with Him, talking with Him, close to Him…and one by one they ask Him, “Am I the betrayer?” What’s happened?

•Simple. Happens today. May be happening right now in your home as you struggle for power with your wife. Struggle for power with your husband. Struggle at work for authority or position amongst your coworkers. Whenever Jesus is not in our midst, not close, not right there man…we argue our greatness…our position, our importance…but if we are close to the Lord, with Him and Him with us, we won’t boast of our greatness…we’ll be quite aware of our weakness, and ultimately His graciousness.

•Isaiah Chapters 1 – 5 the prophet continually, “Woe unto you, woe unto you, woe unto you,” and then in the beginning of Chapter 6 he sees the Lord, high and lifted up, and in verse 5 of Chapter 6 we read, “Woe is me.” If you are one who either secretly or openly declares in your heart or verbally, “woe is you, look at you, you, you, you, what about you…” then you haven’t seen the Lord clearly. Maybe you’re not as close as you may think to Him. Because close proximity to Jesus, closeness with Jesus ALWAYS brings humility…we see how sinful and unworthy WE are ourselves and we join the disciples in saying, “Is it me, Lord? Am I selling you out? Am I the betrayer?”

Mark Chapter 14 Verses 20 – 21

•I wonder how many times that rang in the heart of mind of Judas after it was all said and done. The regret. The weight of it all…Here he is, right next to Jesus…we know from piecing together clues in the Gospels that John was on one side of Jesus and on the other, Judas. Listening to everything. Man the regret must have been horrible…

Mark Chapter 14 Verses 22 – 26

•Here is the beginning of the fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover. We went over its origin last week and this week we see the meaning of the Passover, the understanding of it by the disciples, the Jews…totally changed by Jesus. This is, as He says, the “New Covenant.” The Old Covenant being the law. The sacrifice of the animals, the Passover lambs…required because no man could keep the Old Covenant…until Jesus. Jesus kept it. Fulfilled it…and ushered in newness. A rebirth of relationship with the Father. A New Covenant that all could keep because this one has nothing to do with what man must do but is entirely predicated on what Jesus has done…

•And therefore we take Him in…casting our heart’s gaze upon His body broken for our sins…His worthy and sufficient sacrifice…and His blood given to give us life…life now and life forever.

•The traditional song to sing to end the Passover meal is Psalm 118…(verse 21 – I will praise You, for You have answered me, and have become my salvation!)