Mark 14:50 - Printer Friendly

Mere hours before, Jesus tells the disciples that they will soon abandon Him. He quotes Zechariah 13:7: "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered." The disciples vehemently deny that they would do such a thing (Mark 14:31). To Jesus, who knows what will happen, it's already a certainty. His prophecy isn't to shame the disciples, but to tell them that after they scatter, they are to meet up again in Galilee (Mark 14:28).

It's common for us to fear our sin. We may do something ambiguous and worry whether it's against God's will. Or we may make a vow that we will not commit a specific sin and despair when we inevitably fail. Or we, try to justify what we want to do to settle in our own minds that it is not sin. There are many ways in which we try to convince ourselves that what we do isn't sin. But those machinations are filled with pride and selfishness. We will sin. Every believer sins. We don't stop sinning when we become Christians. Jesus told the disciples they would scatter, and they do. It doesn't surprise God when we sin. The whole point of Jesus' coming is to cover those sins.

We do need to avoid sin (1 Corinthians 10:31). We do need to consider whether the action we're considering is in God's will. But it's also sin to concentrate on sin so much we lose focus on God. Instead of dwelling on whether something was a sin or if the thing we want to do is a sin, we need to remember that after it all, Jesus promises to forgive and restore us. We sin far more than we imagine, and if we accept Him, He forgives every sin. When we learn to rest in that forgiveness, obeying becomes a lot easier. And, ironically, we're less likely to sin in the first place.

Mark 14:43–50 happens about one week after Jesus rode past the garden of Gethsemane in the daylight, surrounded by people declaring His coming to reestablish David's kingdom (Mark 11:1–10). For several days, He displayed His superior understanding of God over the Jewish religious leaders (Mark 11:27–12:40). Earlier this night, He spent a meaningful Passover meal with His disciples (Mark 14:17–31). Now, He is back in Gethsemane. It is the dead of night and a group has come to take Him before a series of sham trials before He is crucified. The story of Jesus' betrayal is also recorded in Matthew 26:47–56, Luke 22:47–53, and John 18:1–11.

Jesus is anointed in a symbolic anticipation of His death. Judas decides to secretly cooperate with local religious leaders to arrest Jesus in secret. During the Passover meal, Jesus predicts His betrayal by Judas, and Peter's denial. He also institutes the Lord's Supper, also known as communion. After praying on the Mount of Olives, Jesus is captured when Judas identifies Him to a hostile mob sent by Jewish authorities. He endures a corrupt, prejudiced trial, ending in a conviction for blasphemy. Peter, fearing for his life, lies about knowing Jesus, before remembering Jesus' prediction and breaking down in sobs.

Jesus has finished His public teaching ministry and now prepares for the crucifixion. His sacrificial loyalty will provide the means by which the disciples' abandonment will be forgiven. Next, the Romans, as representatives of Gentiles throughout history, will join the Jews and kill Jesus. Jesus will be buried, but He will rise again with the promise that His sacrifice will redeem the world. Matthew 26 and Luke 22 follow Mark 14 more closely while John 13:1—18:27 records more of Jesus' teaching in the upper room.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.