Author: Bill Hall

Mark 14:54 “But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.”

John 18:15 tells us that John was familiar with the high priest. He also followed Jesus, but more closely than Peter. It was John who helped him to gain admittance. Otherwise, he would not have been able to get even this close to Christ.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the access we have to you! Christ has made it possible to speak to you directly. We are so blessed by that! You are truly wonderful! Your mercy to us is astounding. How can we ever thank you enough? In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 14:53 “And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes.”

  Jesus is taken to the high priest. Although the priests, elders and scribes were present, it was a highly irregular meeting. These types of proceedings would not generally be held late at night. But, these men were making lots of exceptions in the interest of eliminating their longtime rival. Notice that it seems it took little time to accomplish this gathering, which suggests it had been well planned in advance. Though it was certainly made to ‘look’ like a rushed thing.

Heavenly Father, you give us such opportunity to be forgiven, yet we conspire against you. Your mercy to us is amazing! Thank you for forgiving even these men who conducted the mock trial against Christ. Several of them we know became believers. What grace! What love! You are so wonderful, and I praise you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 14:52
   It is so sad that all forsook Christ. Though John and Peter stayed close by, they are included in the number who ran initially. It is easy for us to say that we would not have run. But, it is easy to say we would not have sinned as Adam did too. And yet, we fail and miss the mark on a regular basis. Only the Lord can help us to have victory over the pattern of failure that sin brings into our lives.

Heavenly Father, how can we thank you enough for your mercy? Only by Christ may we break the chain of failure. Only by him can our lives be truly honoring to you. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 14:51
   We don’t really know for sure who this young man was. However, we have a really good guess. He was likely John Mark. This is likely for two reasons. First, John Mark is thought to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Because this account of the naked man fleeing is only found in Mark, it seems probable that it was Mark himself. Secondly, John Mark would have quite possibly been with Jesus in the garden that night, but yet not have been considered one of the twelve. If this individual had been one of the twelve, the text would likely indicate that.

Heavenly Father, thank you for never leaving nor forsaking your own. Your love is absolutely amazing! Nobody in history will be able to stand on judgment day and say that you have not loved them perfectly. Your measure is just and fair. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 14:50
   Jesus here points out the amazing nature of fulfilled prophecy. Even his arrest is a fulfillment of prophecy. Nobody could have planned that but God. The Jewish leaders themselves would have preferred otherwise. But, the Lord does what he wants to do.

Heavenly Father, teach us to remember that circumstances are in your hands. We cannot know all that you do, but we can trust you to know it all. Thank you for your goodness in revealing to us what we need to know so badly. You are amazing! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 14:49
   We really need to pay attention to what Jesus is doing here. He knows exactly what these people will do. He knows exactly why they had done what they had done. Yet, he still speaks to them and tries to get them to think about the evil of their ways. Why? If he knew it was useless, what is the point? Ah, but we don’t do good because evil exists, we do good in spite of evil. All evil will one day fade, and only the good will of Almighty God shall remain. Even then the truth shall be proclaimed. Even then God shall be praised. Even then, his merits will be compared to all others. Jesus speaks to these people words of encouragement, encouragement to turn their backs on the kingdom of darkness. And why? Because that is always the right thing to do. Even if we know they wont listen.

Heavenly Father, thank you for teaching us about the Truth. You know that it makes a difference. When you intersect with our lives, it is at that point that we truly begin to live. Make us yours, dear Father, by your blessed Son! We praise you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 14:48
   Jesus was treated just like a theif in every respect. In fact the thieves were treated better. Judas, Barabbas, and even the theives on their crosses, were treated better than Christ. He was given no consideration. He was totally undeserving of this treatment.

Heavenly Father, you alone know what will happen tomorrow. Though we may try to guess, you already know everything beforehand. Thank you for your guidance. Thank you for your Word! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 14:47
  This was, of course, Peter. Ever impetuous, he thought it was time to fight. But he had misunderstood the earlier words of Christ concerning the use of the sword. Evidently either he was a poor aim, or the Lord intentionally restrained his hand. In any case, Jesus healed the man’s ear and made it clear that force was not needed. Great multitudes of angels were at Christ’s command had it been necessary to fight.

Heavenly Father, do we forget your plan is not always what we expect? Make us students of your ways! You are so much higher than we, and your ways are so often inscrutable to us. Thank you for always having the best plan! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 14:46
   It is easy to resist evil against oneself. It is much harder to allow it for greater reasons. Many great men in history have responded poorly to mistreatment. Jesus is a shining example of courage, power, calm, and ultimate control. Jesus’ adherence to the plan was perfect. His submission to the Father was complete. And, he is the example for us to follow.

Heavenly Father, we praise you for your power. But yours is a power directed by infinite wisdom. Thus, both your enemies and your friends stand in amazement at your choices. You know exactly what is going on. You cannot be tricked. You cannot be trapped. Thank you, you can be trusted! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 14:45
   We see here the most sinister betrayal in history, and yet it looks so easy. Why? Sin comes easy. Righteousness is harder. But, the reward of sin comes in diminishing returns. The reward of righteousness never fades. It just grows. Judas would pay much for his betrayal.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your mercy. As we consider the depth of our sin, we wonder at the depth of your grace. Christ has justified even the chiefest of sinners. What love! What mercy! Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.