Sep 11-17, 2022

Compiled by Dr. "Joey" Alan Le, Ph.D.

Icebreaker: Have you ever been given an excessively generous and ‘perfect’ gift?

The Plot to Kill Jesus

14:1 THE PASSOVER. A feast in which the people of Israel celebrated God’s deliverance of their nation from Egypt where they had been held as slaves (Ex 12). On this particular Passover, God would once again rescue his people, though in a totally unexpected way—namely through the death of his own Son (Coleman 2019, 1625).

The Anointing at Bethany

14:3 RECLINING. Banquets were generally eaten lying on a low couch or pillows. SIMON THE LEPER. Nothing is known of this man, but presumably he was someone Jesus had previously healed. If he were still a leper, no one would have eaten at his house. Observe how his healing restored his access to the community again. Jesus’ healing restores relationships and not just bodies.

A WOMAN CAME. A woman would not be present at a meal like this except to serve. Her entrance would have been scandalous. PERFUME. Nard was a much-prized aromatic oil extracted from an Indian root. It was stored in long-necked alabaster flasks to retain its aroma. The neck was broken off when the perfume was used. Possibly this was a family heirloom.

It was customary to anoint the heads of important guests, but this woman’s action is extreme. Whatever her economic status, this perfume was worth a year of a common laborer’s wages; her family had probably kept it as a status symbol. Its fragrance was preserved by sealing it in alabaster (the favored container for perfume), and once the flask was broken its contents had to be used immediately. Her anointing of Jesus represents a major sacrifice and indicates the depth of her love (Keener 1993, Mk 14:4-5). What would be the equivalent for you to sacrifice? How far would you be willing to give up your status to honor Jesus?

SHE BROKE OPEN THE JAR. Her gesture of emptying out the entire contents of a very valuable vial of ointment might also be compared with that of the widow at the Temple treasury (Mk 12:41-44) (Perkins 1995, 698). What do these women’s sacrifices and Jesus’ view of them teach us?

POURED IT ON HIS HEAD. Typically, this perfume was used very sparingly and only for special occasions. This was a lavish gesture indicating the high honor this woman held for Jesus (Coleman 2019, 1625). Do you feel uncomfortable with this woman’s wastefulness? Why or why not?

15:4 WHY WAS THE OINTMENT WASTED THIS WAY? The woman’s expansive gesture, breaking and pouring out the entire vial of expensive ointment rather than using a few drops, forms a foil to the cheapness of Jesus' life in the eyes of those who seek to destroy him (Perkins 1995, 698). What are expendable things you can live without? What are things that you could not live without?

15:6 JESUS SAID, “LET HER ALONE.” These men openly scold and intimidate the woman. But Jesus comes to her defense. Are there any people in your sphere of influence that needs your defense?

SHE HAS PERFORMED A GOOD SERVICE FOR ME. Is worshiping Jesus more important than serving the poor? No. Jesus is not saying that caring for him is intrinsically better than caring for the poor. Rather, it is a sense of the occasion. Caring for the poor is a regular obligation/duty. But this is a historic moment in human history. Jesus is about to save the world at the cost of his own life! In this moment, caring for the poor should take second place. Serving the poor is good, but in this moment, it is not the best (France 2009, 553).

FOR YOU ALWAYS HAVE THE POOR WITH YOU. Read Deuteronomy 15:11. How did God wish the poor to be treated? How might this have informed Jesus’ statement? (Keener 1993, Mk 14:6–7)

YOU CAN SHOW KINDNESS TO [THE POOR] WHENEVER YOU WISH. Serving the poor is always going to be a worthy cause because our worship of Christ should become embodied and manifest through serving the poor. Our worship becomes intertwined with our service. So, Jesus’ apparently casual statement, “You’ll always have the poor,” does not mean that we just let them remain poor...but rather, that as long as poverty exists, disciples are to serve the poor. And we serve them with the same extravagant care and devotion that the woman had. We give Jesus our all. And if Jesus is in solidarity with the poor, then we are to give the poor our all. What are some ways in which you and your group can show kindness to the poor?

CONSIDER (VV. 3–11): What signs had this woman recognized that the other disciples missed? What can we learn from these verses about the disciples? Why was this anointing a “noble” act?

14:8 SHE HAS DONE WHAT SHE COULD. The Greek wording suggests the sense that the woman had something in her possession, and she put it to use. Other people will have other forms of service to offer. This expensive perfume is the contribution that this woman is uniquely in a position to make (France 2009, 554). What gifts or goods do you possess that you could use to honor God?

14:9 wherever the good news is proclaimed. Jesus has predicted his impending death multiple times. And even though he has not explicitly mentioned the resurrection, it is hard to see why the “good news” must be proclaimed if Jesus remained dead and buried. Mark wants his readers to know that Jesus does not view his death as the end of his life’s work. Jesus is already looking beyond his death, toward the mission of proclaiming the good news to the whole world. The ‘gospel’ is shifting from a message preached by Jesus, to a message about Jesus, which will inevitably include his death (and resurrection) (France 2009, 555). How do Jesus’ death and resurrection give you/us hope?

14:9 what she has done will be told in remembrance of her. Jesus promises that her deed, not her name, will be a permanent memorial to her wherever the gospel is preached (Perkins 1995, 699). Examining your heart, how much do you desire to be recognized for your service?

The Passover with the Disciples

14:12–26 Through this meal, Jesus formally introduced the fact that his death was the means by which a new covenant was to be established between God and his people. It is this meal that declares Jesus’s abiding presence with his people and also illustrates Jesus’s death as a sacrifice for sins (Coleman 2019, 1626). How do you understand God’s covenants with his people?

14:20 DIPPING BREAD IN THE BOWL WITH ME. To share in a meal was a sign of friendship, accenting the act of betrayal (Coleman 2019, 1626). How do you handle (or not handle) people who’ve hurt you? Are you able to see yourself in the position of Judas or Peter, at the table, as Jesus offers you his fellowship?

Peter’s Denial Foretold

14:31 I WILL NOT DENY YOU. Peter's adamant denials reveals that he thinks that Jesus' death will mean the end of the road, and that his own denial of Jesus would be the end of their relationship. Given Jesus' predictions, however, we know that neither perception is true (Perkins 1995, 705). How do these two points give you hope?

The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

14:44 KISS. The fact that a kiss is needed to signal the mob is a commentary on the character of the mob. The Jewish leaders and even the most common people would have recognized Jesus without the need for a kiss to identify him. This shows that the crowd who seeks Jesus’ life do not even know who he is (Sparks 2008, 1353).

14:45 RABBI! This title was a form of respect. It meant literally, “My Great One.” By his greeting, by his kiss, and by sharing the same bowl (v. 20; to eat together was a sign of friendship), Judas conveys the sense of a warm relationship with Jesus.

14:46 ARRESTED HIM. The charge is not given. Perhaps it was blasphemy (2:7), violation of the Sabbath (2:24; 3:2–6), or the practice of magic (3:22) (Coleman 2019, 1628).

14:47 ONE OF THOSE WHO STOOD BY. According to John’s Gospel (Jn 18:10), this was Peter. DREW HIS SWORD. That Peter should have a sword is not unusual. Travelers carried them as protection against robbers, and the disciples had just completed a journey from Galilee to Jerusalem (Lk 22:36–38) (Coleman 2019, 1628).

14:48 HAVE YOU COME OUT WITH SWORDS AND CLUBS TO ARREST ME? Mark emphasizes the injustice and violence of the arrest in Gethsemane. The story illustrates the random violence that breaks out when an angry mob apprehends a criminal. Although Jesus points out the absurdity of treating him as though he were a robber, the crowd follows its own logic, which does not perceive the difference between chasing a criminal and someone who teaches God's Word in the Temple. The danger of crowds turning hostile is always a reality (Perkins 1995, 711). How trustworthy are the opinions of the crowds/masses?

Jesus has renounced entirely exercising power on his own behalf. The random violence and injustice of crowds who have been incited against a person or group are pressing realities in urban settings (Perkins 1995, 711). How should Christians follow Jesus’s example when publicly confronting violence and injustice?

14:48 AS THOUGH I WERE A BANDIT? Jesus has purposely avoided being associated with Zealot and insurrectionist ideology since Mk 12:13-17 (France 2009, 594). Ironically, he will be crucified as one between two revolutionaries.

14:49 DAY AFTER DAY I WAS WITH YOU IN THE TEMPLE TEACHING, AND YOU DID NOT ARREST ME. First, they had ample opportunity to arrest Jesus, during daylight at the temple. But they knew they couldn't arrest him due to his popularity. But this also underlines the inappropriateness of the role they have cast him in by coming for him with swords and clubs (France 2009, 595). They act like he is a violent, militaristic general when he is clearly a teacher.

Peter Denies Jesus

14:68 YOU ALSO WERE WITH JESUS. How much does your character and lifestyle associate you with Jesus?

14:68 BUT HE DENIED IT. Mark narrates Peter’s denial immediately after Jesus’ hearing in order to show a sharp contrast. Each will be under pressure, but whereas Jesus stands firm, Peter crumbles. Jesus will die while staying true to his mission; Peter will escape with his life at the cost of abandoning his mission. It is a study in witnessing under pressure, in how to do it and how not to do it (France 2009, 598). How do you assess your own faithfulness and strength for witnessing in a potentially hostile world?

14:71 STARTED TO CURSE AND SWEAR. Peter goes so far as to call down on himself the wrath of God if he is not telling the truth (which he knows he is not) (Coleman 2019, 1629). Does Peter’s denial resonate with you? Do you have some empathy for his reaction?

14:72 AND HE BROKE DOWN AND WEPT. In the ancient world, no one cared about the tears of a common peasant. To regard a rustic as worthy of attention would have offended the sensibilities of ancient nobility. The Christian gospel is a revolution, a slave revolt. This scene of Peter’s tears subverts the ancient culture, granting dignity to someone whom others would have dismissed (Hart 2003, 125). How does this story of Peter’s tears begin the revolution towards recognizing universal human rights?

CONSIDER (VV. 66–72): What did Peter do right in this chapter? In what ways did he fall short? When have you failed Jesus?

APPLY: Are you currently allowing the failures of your past to prevent or hinder you from serving Jesus in the present?