Category: Uncategorized

Mark 14:20
   Traditionally it was just Jesus and the Twelve in the upper room. However, Jesus’ words here would indicate otherwise. So, as we have already seen, there may have been a much larger group there present. It is amazing to think that, in all of this it was still missed that Judas was the traitor. Indeed, Jesus plainly tells them which one it would be. It must be said, though, that he may not have said this to all of them, but only those closest to him.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your care, your love, your amazing grace! You know exactly what we need, and you give us the tools to make it day to day. You will not leave us comfortless. You always have a plan. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 14:19
   Of course, they did not realize that the traitor had already laid his plans. So they ask if it is themselves that will be guilty of this. Judas played along.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your love for us in spite of our sin. We know there will be those that shall not be saved. But it is a wonder what you have made available to mankind. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 14:18
   What a commentary on the evil of this sinful world! Here is the Lord himself, and yet someone would choose to betray him. There seems to be no limit to what sin can do to a person. To betray the very Lamb of God! What an evil! Yet, but for the grace of God, their might be many of us who would do the same. Indeed, we have done no less in that we all began as enemies to him.
   Notice how Jesus says this. He says eating with me, not eating with us. What is he saying? Is he just self-centered? Well, understand that the Lord is completely selfless. There is nothing proud or presumptuous about him. But he is jealous. What I am explaining here is the completely good self-understanding of Almighty God, not an easy concept to grasp. The Lord is entitled to his glory, and that is not selfish because it is totally appropriate. He cannot be guilty of pride becuase he is in actuality absolutely perfect. Pride is a mis-understanding of one’s actual entitlement. God has no such problem.
   So, Jesus was emphasizing that fact that even though they were all sitting there having Passover with Emmanuel, God in the flesh, one would still betray him.

Heavenly Father, it is such a blessing to think of all that you have done for us. You give us your Word, your Spirit, and your Son. How can we ever thank you enough? We will praise you all of our days! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 14:17
   We know that the Twelve were his close group. However, Jesus had other disciples besides them. We don’t really know for sure how many there may have been at this time. So, why did he have the Twelve? He selected them. It is that simple. He chose a special group out of all the rest.

Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing us to be your disciples. We are blessed to be a part of the Great Commission. It is important for us to keep Christ at the center of our lives. He is our focus. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 14:16
   The Passover was, of course, a very important time for the Jewish people. The disciples would have learned at a young age how to prepare for the Passover meal. The Lord wanted them to be involved in the process, not having others do it for them. This was appropriate, and foreshadowed the Communion meal we have today.

Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us your truth. Your grace is amazing! Your justice is perfect! Your holiness is awesome! We cannot stop singing your praises! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 14:15
   This room was already furnished and ready for their preparations. This would be a second story room, which would only be found in upper-scale homes. It would be the idea place for him to meet with his disciples.

Heavenly Father, thank you for always knowing the perfect fit. You are so wise! Your Word is full of the things that we need, all the answers we seek. May we always look to you for guidance! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 14:14
   The goodman of the house would be the owner, or the steward. This suggests once again that Jesus had prearranged this with this man. However, we cannot be certain of this. Certainly, anyone who knew and believed in Christ would have been willing to have him. But, the man seems to have been unknown to the disciples, otherwise Jesus would have told them a name.

Heavenly Father, you know so much more than we ever could! Your infinite knowledge tells us that you cannot be fooled. You know exactly how to control this world with all of its evils. And you will bring evil to an end. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 14:13
   Many have wondered if this person that Jesus sent them to meet was an angel. This is quite possible. However, since Scripture finds it unnecessary to report that, we should find it unnecessary to think that. Either way, Jesus knew exactly what would happen before it happened. It is one of his many miracles involving his omniscience. He knew that this person would find the disciples. And whether an angel told before hand, or a person that he knew and had given instructions to, it is really amazing timing.

Heavenly Father, how can we ever understand you? Ah, and yet it is you that make us want to understand. You inspire that thinking of more than what we see and feel. You bring us beyond what the natural man wishes to admit. You can enliven the spiritual part of every one of us. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 14:12
   This is one of those occasions where we get to see the day to day operations of the Lord and his ministry team. It seems likely that they often assumed that they knew exactly what his next step would be. Indeed, several passages like this one indicate that there was commonly discussion among themselves as to what would transpire next.
   We always want to have things to be predictable. But, it doesn’t always work out the way we think it will. In this case, they were on the right track. Nonetheless, none of them could have predicted what happened next.

Heavenly Father, you can lead us perfectly, yet we often try to make you lead us in one way or another. We can rest in you, even when we are unsure of where we are going. We can know that we are doing the things that honor you, and that we are living by your rule. Thank you for your rule in our lives, and for the way that you make things so good. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 14:11
   So Judas likely met with these men several times. This betrayal was not an overnight thing. Judas looked for an occasion to betray Christ because of the plans of the Jewish leaders. They wanted it to be convenient for them. It was not Judas’s own convenience that he was seeking, though it wouldn’t hurt him to do it in secret either.

Heavenly Father, you have given us the most convenient path. Yet, to us it looks hard and steep. We fail to see the pitfalls along the way on the easy path. Thank you for warning us! You love us so much. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.