Mark 14:43-54

2. JESUS BETRAYED, 14:43-54

TEXT: 14:43-54

And straightway, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he; take him, and lead him away safely. And when he was come, straightway he came to him, and saith, Rabbi; and kissed him. And they laid hands on him, and took him. But a certain one of them that stood by drew his sword, and smote the servant of the high priest, and struck off his ear. And Jesus answered and said unto them are ye come out, as against a robber, with swords and staves to seize me? I was daily with you in the temple teaching and ye took me not; but this is done that the scriptures might be fulfilled. And they all left him and fled.
And a certain young man followed with him, having a linen cloth cast about him, over his naked body: and they lay hold on him; but he left the linen cloth, and fled naked.
And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and there come together with him all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. And Peter had followed him afar off, even within, into the court of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers, and warming himself in the light of the fire.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 14:43-54

822.

Please attempt a location of Jesus and His apostles when he said, Behold, he that betrayeth me is at hand.

823.

At what time was the betrayal made? How many were with Judas?

824.

Show how each of the three groups mentioned were involved in the betrayali.e.: (1) the chief priests, (2) the scribes, (3) the elders.

825.

Did Judas hate Jesus? Why betray Him?

826.

Why the need for a token. Why use a kiss as a sign? Notice the footnote on the word kissthis was not just a casual kiss.

827.

Is there any thought that some feared Jesus would escape?

828.

Show how Jesus willingly gave Himself up to His betrayer.

829.

What is the meaning of Rabbi? Why use this greeting?

830.

What was involved in laid hands on Him.

831.

What was right and wrong with Peter's defense of Jesus?

832.

What did Peter imagine Jesus would do when he began his attack?

833.

Why strike the servant of the high-priest?;was he the nearest one or was there some other reason?

834.

What particular rebuke was in the words of Jesus in Mark 14:48-49? i.e. what reflection on their power?

835.

What scripture was fulfilled in the betrayal and capture of Jesus?

836.

Why the incident of the young man as in Mark 14:51-52?

837.

Why was this young man following Jesus?

838.

Why take Jesus to the high-priest for trial?

COMMENT

TIME.After the midnight of Thursday, April 6, A.D. 30. Probably between one and three o-'clock on the morning of Friday, April 7th. PLACE.The betrayal took place at Gethsemane, near the base of the western slope of the Mount of Olives, where the Lord had passed the agony. Gethsemane was at the western foot of the Mount of Olives, beyond the Kedron (black brook), so called from its dark waters, which was still more darkened by the blood from the foot of the altar in the temple. The spot now pointed out as Gethsemane lies on the right of the path to the Mount of Olives. The wall has been restored. Eight olive trees remain, all of them very old, but scarcely of the time of our Lord, since Titus, during the siege of Jerusalem, had all the trees of the district cut down.Schaff.

PARALLEL ACCOUNTS.Matthew 26:47-58; Luke 22:47-55; John 18:2-18.

LESSON OUTLINE.1. The Traitor's Kiss. 2. The Flight of the Disciples. 3. The Lord Delivered to the Priests.

ANALYSIS

I.

THE TRAITOR'S KISS, Mark 14:43-46.

1.

Enemies Guided by Judas. Mark 14:43; Matthew 26:47; Luke 22:47; John 18:3.

2.

The Traitor's Sign. Mark 14:44; Matthew 26:48.

3.

Betrayed by a Kiss. Mark 14:45; Matthew 26:49; Luke 22:48.

4.

The Lord Laid Hands Upon. Mark 14:46; Matthew 26:50.

II.

THE LIGHT OF THE DISCIPLE:, Mark 14:47-50.

1.

Peter Draws the Sword. Mark 14:47; Matthew 26:51; Luke 22:50; John 18:10.

2.

The Lord's Demand of His Enemies. Mark 14:47-48; Matthew 26:55-56; Luke 22:52-53.

3.

The Apostles Panic-stricken. Mark 14:50; Matthew 26:56.

III.

THE LORD DELIVERED TO THE PRIESTS, Mark 14:51-54.

1.

Mark Following at a Distance. Mark 14:51-52.

2.

Jesus Led to the Sanhedrim. Mark 14:53; Matthew 26:57; Luke 22:54; John 18:13.

3.

Peter in the Palace of Caiaphas. Mark 14:54; Matthew 26:58; Luke 22:54; John 18:18.

INTRODUCTION

After his prayer (recorded in John 17) was ended, Jesus went with his disciples over the brook Kedron to the garden of Gethsemane, where he would await the coming of Judas. The apostate, after leaving the supper-room, had gone to the priests, and with them made arrangement for the immediate arrest of the Lord. Coming to the garden, Jesus takes with him Peter and James and John, and retires with them to a secluded spot. Here he begins to be heavy with sorrow, and, leaving the three, goes alone to pray. Returning, he finds them asleep. Leaving them, he again prays, and, in his agony, sweats a bloody sweat, but is strengthened by an angel. Again returning to the three disciples, he finds them asleep; he goes a third time and prays, and returning bids them sleep on, but soon announces the approach of Judas.Andrews. The order of events, as indicated by a comparison of the four accounts, I think it to have been substantially as follows: Christ's prayer is broken in upon by the tramp of the approaching guards, and the gleaming of their lights as they issue from the gate of the city; their approach, observed across the intervening brook Kedron, he interprets as God-' final answer to his prayerit is the divine will that he should drink the bitter cup. He proceeds to the entrance of the garden and arouses his disciples (Mark 14:46); Judas, who leads the band, draws near to kiss Jesus according to the pre-arranged signal; is abashed by the Lord's reproachful question, Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? and makes no reply (Mark 14:49-50; Luke 22:48); the band shares his confusion, and, under the influence of the superhuman majesty of our Lord, falls backward (John 18:4-6); the disciples, emboldened, ask permission to resist (Luke 22:49), and Peter, more impetuous than the rest, does not wait for an answer, but initiates the attack (Mark 14:51; John 18:10); Christ rebukes him (Mark 14:52-54), heals the wounded servant (Luke 22:51), and demands of the officers that they let the disciples go their way (John 18:8); the disciples, forbidden to resist, interpret this as a hint to escape, and flee (Mark 14:56); at the same time the officers, who have recovered from their momentary awe, proceed to bind Jesus (John 18:12), disregarding his dignified remonstrance against being treated as a thief (Mark 14:55). For a full understanding of all the elements in this midnight scene, all the accounts should be carefully compared, but especially Matthew and John.Abbott.

EXPLANATORY NOTES

I.

THE TRAITOR'S KISS.

Mark 14:43. Cometh Judas. Between one and two o-'clock Friday morning. The movements of Judas, after the last supper, we may readily picture to ourselves in their outline. Going immediately to Caiaphas, or to some other leading member of the Sanhedrim, he informs him where Jesus is, and announces that he is ready to fulfill his compact, and at once to make the arrest. It was not the intention to arrest Christ during the feast, lest there be a popular tumult (Matthew 26:5); but, now that an opportunity offered of seizing him secretly at dead of night, when all were asleep or engaged at the paschal meal, his enemies could not hesitate.Andrews. Judas knew the place, for it was a frequent resort of Jesus with his disciples (John 18:2). A great multitude. This consisted, (1) of the band (John 18:3; John 18:12), or Roman cohort, which, consisting of 300 to 600 men, quartered in the tower of Antonia, overlooking the temple, and ever ready to put down any tumult or arrest any disturber. Probably so much of the band as could be spared was present. (2) There were the captains of the temple (Luke 22:52), with their men, who guarded the temple and kept order, (3) Some of the chief priests and elders (Luke 22:52). (4) And, finally, their servants, such as Malchus (John 18:10), and others, who had been commissioned by the Jewish authorities.Clark. Swords and staves. The soldiers were armed with swords, the officers of the priests with staves. They also had torches, though the moon was at the full, probably to search under the shadows of the trees and the rocks.

Mark 14:44. He that betrayed. a token. Judas had given them the sign previously. It was necessary, inasmuch as (the Roman soldiers did not personally know Christ, and) in the darkness he might be confounded, by the officers, with the disciples. The whole account indicates anxiety lest he should escape as he had done before (John 7:45-46; John 8:59; John 10:39).Abbott. Shall kiss. The kiss, among the ancients, was a sign of affectionate and cordial intimacy, and particularly a token of fidelity. Nothing could be baser than to come in enmity with the signs of deepest affection. Thus Joab betrayed and murdered Abner; a treacherous deed that David could not forget when he was dying.

Mark 14:45. Master, master; and kissed him. The salutation was hypocritical reverence. Master is the same as Rabbi, or teacher. Kissed him. An emphatic compound of the verb in the preceding verse, without exact equivalent in English, but denoting that he kissed him in an affectionate and earnest manner, adding to the guilt of the betrayal by the manner of committing it. .

Mark 14:46. Laid their hands on him. This is an epitome of the following verses describing the capture. And took him. But only because Christ offers himself to be taken. He could have had twelve legions of angels to defend and rescue him, had he desired (Matthew 26:53). It was to be emphatically set forth before the eyes of allJudas as wellthat no man had power to bind this Jesus, or to lead him away to death, unless he himself should lay down his life.

II.

THE FLIGHT OF THE DISCIPLES.

Mark 14:47. One of them. drew a sword. The one of them was Peter (John 18:10). Why he was not mentioned is idle to inquire; one supposition only must be avoided, that there is any purpose in the omission. It is absurd to suppose that the mention of his name in a book current only among Christians, many years after the fact, could lead to his apprehension, which did not take place at the time, although he was recognized as the striker in the palace of the high priest (John 18:26). The real reason of the non-apprehension was that the servant was healed by the Lord.Alford. And smote a servant of the high priest. His name was Malchus (John 18:10). The impetuosity of the attack was just like Peter. He asked, Shall we fight? and waited not for the answer, but struck at once. It is likely that Malchus was one of those who had seized the Lord. Peter's blow was one of his mistakes. Carnal weapons cannot defend the cause ofthe Lord. Besides, the Lord needed no defenders. The death of Christ was a voluntary surrendering of himself for the redemption of the world. Knowing the designs of the Pharisees against him, he could have eluded them by remaining beyond Jordan. Knowing the purpose of Judas to betray him, he could have withdrawn to some place of safety. But now that his mission of teaching, of healing, of guiding, was accomplished, the hour of sacrifice had come; and he was prepared to meet it. At the last, he could have summoned legions of angels to his help; but he gave himself for us.

Mark 14:48. Are ye come out, as against a thief? The word is the same as that used in John 18:40, of Barabbas, and points to the brigand chieftain of a lawless band, as distinct from the petty thief of towns or villages.Plumptre. Judas had cautioned the guard to lead Jesus away securely (Mark 14:44), and when they finally arrested him they bound him (John 18:12). This indignity, it appears to me, probably called forth the remonstrance of this verse. Compare the language of Luke 22:52-53Abbott. Throughout his prolonged sufferings he complained of no other injury done to him than this; namely, that they came to apprehend him as a criminal.

Mark 14:49. I was daily with you in the temple teaching. This was not like a brigand. Why did they not arrest him then? Took me not. The offense with which he was charged was one of teaching, not of robbery or violence; it was open, public, unconcealed, and the time to arrest him was the time of his teaching; he had neither hid himself, nor surrounded himself with his followers for self-protection; the indignity of this midnight arrest-was, therefore, gratuitous.Abbott. The Scriptures must be fulfilled. As, for instance, relative to Judas (Psalms 41:9), relative to Christ being treated as a transgressor (Isaiah 53:12), relative to the desertion of the disciples (Zechariah 13:7), According to the counsel of God, for the salvation of a sinful world, as declared in the Scriptures, the Messiah must suffer; that suffering must be thus brought about, Our Lord's death could not be incidental or accidental. This declaration also contained consolation for his terrified disciples.

Mark 14:50. They all forsook him and fled, All had said they would never forsake him, but as soon as he submitted to his captors they were all panic-stricken and fled like sheep. They had never taken up the idea that it would be consistent with the ends contemplated in the mission of the Messiah that he should be ignominiously arrested. This statement of the desertion of Jesus by -all the disciples-' is one of the most remarkable instances of that honesty which led the evangelists to record facts, though to their own dishonor.Mimpriss.

III.

THE LORD DELIVERED TO THE PRIESTS.

Mark 14:51. A certain young man. The incident of this young man occurs very briefly, and is narrated apparently for no purpose whatever. The only solution, certainly the best, is the supposition that it was no other than Mark himself. Mark was at this time a young man, living probably in Jerusalem with his mother, and was more or less a follower of Jesus, and very likely to be present, from his interest in our Lord, during these awful transactions. That he should not name himself is very naturally explained, on the same principle of personal delicacy as induced the evangelist John to allude to himself in the third person. Such are the views of Schaff, Ellicott, Godet, and others. The minuteness of Mark's details of these events points to one who writes from personal knowledge. A linen cloth. A wrapper thrown over his undressed body. Doubtless this was the aba, an outer cloth thrown over the dress, and used even in sleep to enwrap the body. Dr. Thomson (vol. 1, p. 500) speaks of the very poor who sleep in their aba, or outer garment, and have no other raiment for their skin. But the word rendered here naked often signifies undressed, that is, clad in the under-garments alone, Mark had, probably, been roused from sleep, or just preparing to retire to rest in a house somewhere in the valley of Kedron, and he had nothing to cover him except the upper garment; but, in spite of this, he ventured, in his excitement, to press on amongst the crowd. This upper garment was worn much like a Scottish plaid.

Mark 14:52. And he left the linen cloth. In attempting to lay hold on him, they grasped only the loose folds of the linen cloth. Letting this remain with them, he fled away and escaped, either not being pursued, or taking advantage of his knowledge of the place, in the darkness of the night, to elude his pursuers.

Mark 14:53. Led Jesus away. Jesus was now absolutely alone in the power of his enemies. At the command of the tribune his hands were tied behind his back, and, forming a close array around him, the Roman soldiers, followed and surrounded by the Jewish servants, led him once more through the night, over the Kedron, and up the steep city slope beyond it, to the palace of the high priest.Farrar. To the high priest. We learn from John (John 18:13-15) that Jesus was first taken to the house of Annas, and, after a brief delay here, to the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest.Andrews. It was the duty of Annas to examine the sacrifices, whether they were without blemish; there was significancy in it that Christ, the great Sacrifice, was presented to him, and sent away bound as approved and ready for the altar.Lightfoot. The actual high priest at the time was Caiaphas; but this Annas had been high priest, and as such enjoyed the title by courtesy. Being also a man of great wealth and influence, and of active habits, he took upon him much of the business of that office, as a sort of assessor to, or substitute for, Caiaphas, who was his son-in-law. Hence the evangelist describes them both as high priests (Luke 3:2), as they were in fact. Were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. It was against the rules of Jewish law to hold a session of the Sanhedrim or council for the trial of capital offenses by night. Such an assembly on the night of the paschal supper must have been still more at variance with usage. The present gathering was therefore an informal oneprobably a packed meeting of those who were parties to the plot; Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea, and probably not a few others, like the young ruler of Luke 18:18, not being summoned.Ellicott.

Mark 14:54. Peter followed him afar off. After their flight in the garden, at least two of the apostles, Peter and John, turned about and followed from a distance the band that led the Savior. Peter followed secretly to see what the result would be. Into the place of the high priest. John, who was acquainted there, as we learn from his account, secured admission for Peter and himself. And warmed himself at the fire. The spring nights at Jerusalem, 2,600 feet above the sea, are often cold. The fire was built in an open court in the interior of the building, open to the sky, around which the palace was constructed.

FACT QUESTIONS 14:43-54

1010.

At what time did the betrayal occur? Why?

1011.

Describe the location of the garden of Gethsemane.

1012.

What shall we say of the olive trees shown to tourists as the very ones under which our Lord knelt?

1013.

Was it necessary to go over the Brook Kedron to reach Gethsemane?Trace the route.

1014.

At what juncture in His agony was our Lord strengthened by an angel?

1015.

Why did Jesus return to His disciples three times?was there any excuse for the sleep of the disciples?

1016.

What does Christ interpret as God's final answer to His prayer?

1017.

What very unusual event occurs to Judas and those who have come to arrest Jesus? Why?

1018.

What two rebukes are given by Jesus during this betrayal scene?

1019.

What was the circumstance that prompted the enemies of Christ not to hesitate in the arrest?

1020.

Describe briefly the four groups in a great multitude who came to arrest Jesus.

1021.

Read John 7:45-46; John 8:59; John 10:39 and show the reason for the anxiety of those who came to take Jesus.

1022.

How did Judas add to the guilt of his betrayal?

1023.

How did Jesus plainly show to all that no man could have taken Him without Jesus-' consent?

1024.

What purpose was there in not mentioning the name of Peter as one who struck Malchus?

1025.

Show three ways Jesus could have used to prevent His capture.

1026.

In what way did Jesus link himself with Barabbas? Cf. John 18:40.

1027.

For what was Jesus arrested? Show how appropriate are the words of Mark 14:49 a.

1028.

Read Psalms 41:9; Isaiah 53:12; Zechariah 13:7 and show how these were all fulfilled.

1029.

Show how Mark 14:50 contains a remarkable instance of honesty on the part of the writer Mark.

1030.

Why record the incident of a certain young man? Who was this young man?

1031.

Why was the young man undressed?

1032.

Did the soldiers arrest the apostles? Why attempt to arrest the unnamed young man?

1033.

Describe the manner in which Christ was led away.

1034.

To whom was Jesus first led? WhyWhat special significance is there in this action?

1035.

How could it be that there were two high-priests? Who were they?

1036.

What type of assembly gathered to judge Jesus? Who was and who wasn-'t there?

1037.

Who followed with Peter? Why?Where?