Mark 14:42 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

NIV: Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!'

NASB: Get up, let’s go; behold, the one who is betraying Me is near!'

CSB: Get up; let's go. See, my betrayer is near."

NLT: Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!'

KJV: Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.

NKJV: Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

During the Passover meal Jesus dismisses Judas (John 13:27). The disciples think Jesus has sent Judas to buy supplies for the Feast of Unleavened Bread to be celebrated the next evening (John 13:28–29). In fact, Judas has gone to the Sanhedrin to collect guards to arrest Jesus.

"Betray" is from the Greek root word paradidomi. It infers a position of authority that allows the betrayer to treacherously place the victim in a harmful situation. Judas is almost always named in the context of his betrayal of Jesus. He is the "son of destruction" (John 17:12). "Destruction" is from the Greek root word apoleia which describes the misery and utter ruin that occurs in hell. Jesus chose Judas as a disciple knowing Judas had the character to betray Him.

Today, we would call Judas an especially fiendish type of apostate. An apostate is someone who understands Jesus and the gospel but utterly rejects them. Jesus notes the difference between a weak follower and a strong enemy. Peter will deny he knows Jesus, but Judas is here to betray Jesus. Peter believes in Jesus' authority and waits for Jesus to give him what he wants (Mark 9:33–34). Judas believes in money and hands over Jesus to get what he wants (Matthew 26:14–16). Peter will recover, accepting forgiveness from Jesus and spending the rest of his life in Jesus' service. Judas will awaken to the weight of what he has done and choose the only permanent alternative to Jesus' forgiveness: death without faith (Matthew 27:3–5).

Mark 14:32–42 contains Jesus' wait in the garden of Gethsemane. This describes Jesus' example and the disciples' catastrophic failure to follow the general theme of Jesus' admonition in Mark 13:32–37. Jesus watches how God moves and prays for His part in it. The disciples sleep. Three times, their Master finds them unconscious, both physically and spiritually (Mark 13:35–36). They do not take the time, as Jesus does, to prepare for the hardships in front of them. They so expect Jesus' victory over the Roman occupiers they don't prepare for His spiritual war on the cross. This story is also in Matthew 26:36–46 and Luke 22:39–46.

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.