Mark 14:51-52

‘And a certain young man followed with him, having a linen cloak thrown about him over his naked body, and they laid hold on him, but he left the linen cloak and fled naked.'

Compare the equally anonymous ‘certain one of them' who used his sword in a brave but useless attempt to defend Jesus (until according to the other Gospels he was told off for his pains). Here was another anonymous one who was also brave, but futile.

This one did not flee at first. Not necessarily because he was braver, but possibly because he was not so directly involved and was not a recognised disciple. Who was this young man? A good case can be made out for John Mark himself, especially if the upper room was in John Mark's father's house (compare Acts 12:12) and he had been the carrier of the pitcher of water (Mark 14:13). Intrigued at events he may well have heard Jesus and the disciples leaving and hurriedly flung a linen cloak round his naked body and followed behind, seeing all that occurred.

He might equally have followed the arresting party after the arrest, not fearing arrest himself, until Judas, guilt-ridden, possibly indicated him as someone whom he had spotted at the house, at which point they sought to arrest him, or alternatively and more likely, he might have put in too strong a verbal protest resulting in him being mistaken for a belligerent disciple. Either way he fled leaving his cloak behind. Whether ‘naked' means totally so or simply ‘not dressed' i.e. in undergarments, is debatable and unanswerable. It does, however tend to suggest that comparison with Joseph (Genesis 39:12) was not in mind for it wrecks the comparison (and did not need to be mentioned). Others have suggested a connection with Amos 2:16, ‘and he who is courageous among the mighty will flee away naked in that day'. But it is not likely that he could be seen, or would see himself, as one of the mighty. More likely might be Genesis 3:7; Genesis 3:10 where Adam realised he was naked before God. Perhaps there is the thought here that with Jesus now under arrest he was a symbol that all who fled were naked.

Led Like A Lamb To The Slaughter.

And so Jesus was marched off, alone with His captors. From this point on it is no longer Jesus Who determines events. He is being led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so He will not open His mouth (Isaiah 53:7), except at times when it was necessary to confirm His Kingship and authority (Mark 14:62; Mark 15:2; John 18:33). His disciples are no longer with him, and one who does follow does so ‘afar off' (Mark 14:54), and it would have been better if even he had not been there. Events are now in God's hands Who alone will determine what happens.