Mark 14:1

After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. The events of this section appear to have occurred on the fourth day of the Redeemer's Last Week-the Wednesday. AFTER TWO DAYS WAS THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER, AND OF UNLEAVENED BREAD. The meaning is, that two days after what is about to be mentioned the Passover would arrive; in other words, what follows occurred two days before the feast. AND THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND THE SCRIBES SOUGHT HOW THEY MIGHT TAKE HIM BY CRAFT, AND PUT HIM TO DEATH. From Matthew's fuller account (Matthew 26:1) we learn that our Lord announced this to the Twelve as follows, being the first announcement to them of the precise time: "And it came to pass, wh...

1-11 Did Christ pour out his soul unto death for us, and shall we think any thing too precious for him? Do we give him the precious ointment of our best affections? Let us love him with all the heart, though it is common for zeal and affection to be misunderstood and blamed; and remember that charity to the poor will not excuse any from particular acts of piety to the Lord Jesus. Christ commended this woman's pious attention to the notice of believers in all ages. Those who honour Christ he will honour. Covetousness was Judas' master lust, and that betrayed him to the sin of betraying his Master; the devil suited his temptation to that, and so conquered him. And see what wicked contrivances many have in their sinful pursuits; but what appears to forward their plans, will prove curses in the end....

CHAPTER XIV. _The Jews conspire against Christ_, 1, 2. _He is anointed in the house of Simon the Leper_, 3-9. _Judas Iscariot sells him to the chief priests for thirty pieces_ _of money_, 10, 11. _He orders his disciples to prepare the passover_, 12-16. _Predicts his approaching death_, 17-21. _Institutes the holy eucharist_, 22-26. _Foretells the unfaithfulness of his disciples in general_, 27, 28, _and Peter's denial_, 29-31. _His agony in the garden_, 32-36....

See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 26:1. Mark 14:1 AND OF UNLEAVENED BREAD - So called because at that feast no other bread was used but that which had been made without leaven or yeast. BY CRAFT - By subtlety (Matthew); that is, by some secret plan that would secure possession of him without exciting the opposition of the people. Mark 14:3 OINTMENT - This word does not convey quite the proper meaning. This was a perfume. It was used only to give a pleasant odor, and was liquid. OF SPIKENARD - The “nard,” from

EXPOSITION MARK 14:1 NOW AFTER TWO DAYS WAS THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER AND THE UNLEAVENED BREAD; literally, _the passover and the unleavened _τό πάσχα καὶ τὰ ἄζυμα. It was one and the same festival. The killing of the Paschal lamb took place on the first of the seven days during which the festival lasted, and during the whole of which they used unleavened bread. Josephus describes it as "the festival of the unleavened, called _Phaska _by the Jews." THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND THE SCRIBES. St. Matthew (Matthew 26:3) says, "The chief priests and the elders of the people." The two classes in the Sanhedrim who actually combined to put our Lord to death were those here mentioned by St. Mark. They sought how th

AFTER TWO DAYS WAS [THE FEAST OF] THE PASSOVER,.... That is, two days after Christ had delivered the foregoing discourse concerning the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem, was the feast of the passover; which was kept in commemoration of God's passing over the houses of the Israelites, when he destroyed the firstborn of Egypt, and made way for the deliverance of the children of Israel from thence: and which was kept by eating the passover lamb; and which, properly speaking, is the feast of the passover: AND OF UNLEAVENED BREAD; which was the same feast with the other, called so from the unleavened bread which was then eaten; though with this difference, the passover lamb was only eaten on the first night, but unleavened bread was eaten for seven days together. The Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions render it, "the passover of unleavened bread", leaving out the copulative "and"....

Mark 14:1. _After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people. And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,_ A well-known person. There were plenty of Simons, and so they had to put another name to distinguish him. You remember Simon the Pharisee, in whose house Christ was anointed by a woman, who washed his feet with tears. This is another Simon. Not Simon the Pharisee, but Simon the Leper. A healed man, no doubt, or he could not have entertained guests. There can be no question by whom he was healed; for there was nobody else that could heal leprosy, except our Divine Lord. «And being at Bethany in the house of Simon the Leper.»...

PART IV. GIVING HIS LIFE A RANSOM FOR -- CHAPTER S 14-15. Chapter 14 _ 1. Seeking by Craft to put Him to Death. (Mark 14:1 .Matthew 26:2; Luke 22:1 .)_ 2. The Anointing. (Mark 14:3. Matthew 26:6; John 12:1) 3. Judas offers to betray Him. (Mark 14:10 .Matthew 26:14;...

THE DECISION OF THE CHIEF PRIESTS. Two days before the Passover, _i.e._ on Wednesday, if the feast day began on Friday at even, the religious leaders resolve to destroy Jesus, if possible before the feast begins. This decision explains the haste which marks the closing scenes. It also gives the preference to John's view that the Last Supper was not held on the Passover night, but on the night before (pp. 653, 743, 1 Corinthians 5:7_ b*)._ Mark 14:1. The seven days of unleavened bread followed the Passover (pp. 102f.). For the coupling of the two cf. 2 Chronicles 35:17....

The Feast of the Passover and of Unleavened Bread was due in two days' time. And the chief priests and experts in the law were trying to find some way to seize Jesus by some stratagem and to kill him, for they said, "This must not be done at the Feast itself in case there should be a disturbance of the people." The last crowded act of Jesus' life was now about to open. The Feast of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were really two different things. The Feast of the Passover fell on 14th Nisan, that is, about 14th April. The Feast of Unleavened Bread consisted of the seven days following the Passover. The Passover itself was a major feast and was kept like a sabbath. The Feast of Unleavened Bread was called a minor festival, and, although no new work could be begun during it, such work as was "necessary for public interest or to provide against private loss" was allowable. T...