Chapter 14

The Conspiracy Against Jesus. 1 The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were to take place in two days’ time. So the chief priests and the scribes were seeking a way to arrest him by treachery and put him to death. 2 They said, “Not during the festival, for fear that there may be a riot among the people.”

14:1 The combined feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread was the greatest holy day of the old covenant, commemorating the exodus. The chief priests and the scribes, along with the elders, were the religious authorities whom Jesus had prophesied would "hand him over" and condemn him to death (8:31; 10:33), and who have long been plot-ling his demise (3:6; 11:18; 12:12). Now they seek to put their plans into action. But they wish to do so by treachery to avoid an inflammatory confrontation with Jesus' supporters.   During the festival the city's population swelled to three times its usual size and Jewish nationalism was at fever pitch. The fact that he did die during the feast, despite the religious leaders' calculations, highlights the fact that everything took place according to the precise plan and timetable of God.

The Anointing at Bethany 3 When he was in Bethany reclining at table in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of perfumed oil, costly genuine spikenard. She broke the alabaster jar and poured it on his head. 4 There were some who were indignant. “Why has there been this waste of perfumed oil? 5 It could have been sold for more than three hundred days’ wages and the money given to the poor.” They were infuriated with her. 6 Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you make trouble for her? She has done a good thing for me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them, but you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could. She has anticipated anointing my body for burial. 9 Amen, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed to the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

In stark contrast to the sinful scheming of the chief priests and scribes (14:1-2) is the tender gesture of the anonymous woman recounted here. In his typical sandwich technique. Mark frames this story between the account of the treachery of the religious authorities (vv. 1-2) and the treachery of Judas (vv. 10-11), accenting two diametrically opposed responses to Jesus.

14:3 The anointing takes place in Bethany, where Jesus and his disciples are lodging during their stay in Jerusalem (11:11). Simon the leper may have been someone healed by Jesus and known by name to the early Church. That they were reclining at table suggests a formal banquet and recalls the earlier scenes of Jesus' table fellowship: his supper with sinners (2:15) and messianic banquets in the desert (6:35-44; 8:1-10).  

During the meal a woman comes onto the scene with an alabaster jar of perfumed oil. Mark does not tell us who the woman is. Nard, an aromatic oil made from a root native to India.  Completely unconcerned about expense or decorum, the woman breaks the alabaster jar and pours the perfumed oil on the head of Jesus. Her boldness in doing so, risking the indignation of host and guests, stands out against the stealth of the chief priests and scribes (14:1).

What did she mean by this gesture? On one level, it was her way of giving Jesus the very best she had. To anoint someone's head with oil was a gracious and hospitable gesture (see Ps 23:5; Luke 7:46). This woman must have experienced Jesus' healing, forgiveness, or unconditional love, and wanted to express her love in return.

But for Jews steeped in the Old Testament, to anoint the head with oil also has another unmistakable significance: it is the way to crown a king (1 Sam 10:1; 16:13) and to ordain a priest (Exod. 29:7). This is a symbolic recognition of Jesus as the messianic king and high priest! Although she may have been only vaguely aware of the significance of her act, Jesus recognized and affirmed it.

14:4-5 But some of the banqueters, perhaps including the disciples (see Matt 26:8), are angry that the oil was not sold to help the poor. Their complaint may seem logical. Jesus, in the tradition of the Old Testament, had taught and modeled the importance of generosity to the poor. The woman's critics are oblivious to the true significance of what is happening.  "Waste" implies giving more than is due for something of little value. But how could anything given to the Messiah be a waste? The woman, with deep intuition, had recognized the primacy of devotion to Jesus over all other works of charity.

14:6-7 Jesus commends the woman and reproaches the grumbling men. They have no authorization to judge her according to their worldly reasoning. “She has done a good thing” for me—that is, she has shown Jesus the honor and devotion of which he is worthy.

Jesus alludes to a teaching of Moses (Deut. 15:11): The poor you will always have with you. This statement is in no way an excuse to ignore the plight of the poor. Jesus, like Moses, affirms that the perpetual presence of the poor, far from being a reason for complacency, is a constant reminder of our obligation to do good to them.  But Jesus now reveals what the critics have missed: you will not always have me. It is a veiled prophecy of his passion.

14:8 Jesus  then interprets the woman's action. Her anointing was a prophetic gesture, anticipating his death. This is the only anointing that he would received because there was no time to anoint him after his death with the start of the sabbath.

14:9 Jesus concludes his praise of the woman with a solemn pledge. Like many exemplary characters in the Gospel the woman remains anonymous, perhaps because Mark invites every reader to identify with her. But her gesture will be remembered and always linked with what Jesus himself did. It will be told as an essential part of the proclamation of the gospel. Indeed, it will lead many others to do what she did: to recklessly "waste" all that is most precious on Jesus.

The Betrayal by Judas. 10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went off to the chief priests to hand him over to them. 11 When they heard him they were pleased and promised to pay him money. Then he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.

14:10 An act of lavish love is followed by one of cold, calculating treachery. Judas Iscariot takes the initiative in going to the chief priests to betray Jesus. Judas had undoubtedly been present during Jesus' confrontations with the religious leaders (11:15-18; 12:1-12), and knew that they wanted him dead. Hand over  is  key word in the passion narrative, expressing the successive betrayals that Jesus had said he would undergo (9:31; 10:33): Judas, a disciple, hands him over to the Jewish leaders; the Jewish leaders hand him over to a pagan ruler (15:1); the pagan ruler hands him over to be crucified (15:15). This chain of events symbolizes the complicity of all human beings in the rejection and crucifixion of the Son of God. Mark accents the painfulness of the betrayal by repeatedly noting that Judas was one of the Twelve (14:10, 20, 43), one of those chosen by Jesus for special intimacy with him and a share in his authority (3:14-15).

14:11 Not surprisingly, the chief priests are pleased with Judas's offer. They have been hampered so far by Jesus' popularity with the crowds (11:18; 12:12; 14:2), but Judas could provide them with an opportunity to arrest Jesus quietly in a private setting. In Mark's account Judas does not ask for money but is offered it.

PASSOVER PREPARATIONS  12 On the first day of the  Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him. 14 Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ 15 Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.” 16 The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

14:12-15 The combined feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread began with the late-evening Passover meal. Jesus' disciples take the initiative in placing themselves at his service for preparing the meal.

At this time, the Passover meal had to be eaten within the Holy City (see Deut 16:5-6).  Jews from all of Palestine and all over the Mediterranean world came to Jerusalem for the feast. As a result, during Passover Jerusalem residents were expected to make space available for pilgrims to celebrate the meal.

Jesus' instructions seem to indicate a prearranged signal. Ordinarily, carrying water jugs was a woman's task. Apparently, Jesus has arranged for this man to be waiting for the disciples, and when they see him they need not say anything but simply follow him.

14:16 Upon following these instructions, the disciples will be shown a large upper room where they  undertake the traditional "preparations" for the Passover meal: the roasted lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs, and other ceremonial items. In crowded Jerusalem the eating quarters of the family were often on the upper story above the din of the street or of a shop below.

Prophecy of Betrayal . 17 When it was evening, he came with the Twelve. 18 And as they reclined at table and were eating, Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19 They began to be distressed and to say to him, one by one, “Surely it is not I?” 20 He said to them, “One of the Twelve, the one who dips with me into the dish. 21 For the Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”

14:17-18 In the biblical world, the greatest expression of communion among  friends is to share a meal (Gen 26:30; 31:54; 1 Sam 9:24). Table fellowship is even the sign of the covenant relationship between God and man.  Jesus desires to enjoy this intimate communion with the Twelve. Yet in this very setting he speaks of a horrendous break in communion: “one of you will betray me. “

This prediction alludes to Ps 41:10 (see Sir 37:2): "Even the friend who had my trust, who shared my table, has scorned me:' In ancient culture, there was no greater breach of loyalty than to turn against someone whose hospitality you have enjoyed and whose table you have shared. The psalmist expresses anguish at this experience, but also confidence that he would be vindicated by God. The very next line reads: "But you. LORD, have mercy and raise me up" (Ps 41:11).

“reclining and eating”: Though Exod. 12: 11 says that the meal should be eaten with staff in hand and ready for a quick departure, by the first century Jewish groups had adopted the Greco-Roman custom of reclining (on one elbow) while eating. Since slaves did not recline while eating, the new custom may reflect the theme of liberation from Egyptian slavery

14:19-20 Jesus accents the pain of the betrayal by reaffirming that the betrayer will be one of the Twelve dipping into the dish with him, perhaps the dish into which herbs were dipped during the Passover ceremony. This statement (unlike that of John 13:26) does not identify the traitor, since several or all of the disciples may have been using the same dish. The other disciples seem to have had no suspicions about Judas, but Jesus sees into the heart (see Mark 2:8).

14:21 This scene depicts the mysterious interaction of God's sovereign will and human freedom. Jesus, the Son of Man, is the suffering Messiah whose vocation to die has been foreordained by God and prophesied in the Scriptures (especially in Isa 52:13-53:12). But that does not excuse Judas of responsibility for the sinful role he played in the process. God's plan anticipates human freewill decisions, but does not cause them. Jesus' statement is a solemn warning, expressing grief at the bitter fate the betrayer is bringing on himself.

The Institution of the Eucharist. 22 While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. 25 Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 26 Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

14:22 To understand Mark's succinct account of the institution of the Eucharist, it is important to read it in light of its setting as a Passover supper (see vv. 12-16). A Passover supper would include the traditional elements: a blessing by the head of the household, the ceremonial foods and wine, the retelling of the story of the exodus, and the singing of hymns. Jesus' initial actions are typical of the host at a Jewish banquet, and are identical to what he had done in the two miracles of the loaves (6:41; 8:6): he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. The customary blessing was a prayer of thanksgiving to God for having provided for his people. The sharing of one loaf was a sign of the fellowship the banqueters were enjoying. Mark implies that even Judas is included in this fellowship, since he has said nothing about his departure.

According to custom the host at Passover interprets each of the ceremonial foods by relating them to the exodus. But Jesus' interpretation goes far beyond the Passover and brings the meal to an entirely new level: “Take it; this is my body.”  With these simple words, the Last Supper becomes a prophecy in gesture, anticipating and interpreting the passion that was to occur the next day. Jesus identifies the broken bread with his own body about to be broken on the cross. In Hebrew thought, 'body" is not merely the flesh but the whole person as a physical being. Jesus is revealing that his death will be a gift of himself to them (see 10:45). By asking them to "take,' that is, to eat the bread that is his body, he is inviting them to receive this gift of himself into the depth of their being.

There is no mention of the central element in a Passover supper: the lamb. It was the blood of sacrificed lambs that saved the Israelites from death (Exod 12:13). But Jesus! words reveal that he himself is the paschal Lamb whose blood will save the many from death. Just as the Passover was not complete without eating the paschal lamb, Jesus' sacrifice is complete only when his disciples consume his body and blood. By inviting them to share the one bread that is his body, Jesus is drawing them into a union with himself and one another that is far deeper than any earthly table fellowship.

14:23-24 Then he took a cup. Jesus invites his disciples to drink from the cup before giving its explanation. The "blood of the covenant" was the phrase used at the moment when God established his covenant with Israel at Sinai (Exod 24:1-8). Nearly all ancient covenants were sealed with blood. The Sinai covenant was ratified by the blood of sacrificed bulls sprinkled on the altar, representing God, and on the people. The wine is his blood that will be shed the following day on the cross to bring about a new covenant relationship between God and humanity.

"For many" also recalls Isaiah's prophecy of the servant who through his suffering would "justify many" and "take away the sins of many" (Isa 53:11-12). "Many" does not mean a limited number, but is a Semitic way of expressing a vast multitude: Jesus "died for all" (2 Cor 5:14). That it will be shed for many means that Jesus' death is more than a martyrdom; it is an efficacious sacrifice, providing the total forgiveness of sin that was only foreshadowed in the animal sacrifices of the old covenant.

14:25 Jesus concludes with a solemn vow, assuring the disciples that his bitter passion will end in the joy of the resurrection. Wine is a symbol of the messianic banquet prophesied in the Old Testament (Isa 25:6; 55:1). Jesus is implying that his joy will not be complete until his disciples—both present and future—are united with him in the final and glorious banquet in heaven (see Luke 13:29; Rev 19:9).

14: 26 The Passover meal traditionally concludes with singing a hymn (or hymns) of praise, especially Psalms 113-118, known as the Hallel Psalms. After the supper, Jesus and his disciples cross the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives which is outside of the city. It is  the same setting where he gave the end times discourse (13:3-37).

Shaken faith and Denial by Peter 27 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will have your faith shaken, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd,  and the sheep will be dispersed.’ 28 But after I have been raised up, I shall go before you to Galilee.” 29 Peter said to him, “Even though all should have their faith shaken, mine will not be.” 30 Then Jesus said to him, “Amen, I say to you, this very night before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times.” 31 But he vehemently replied, “Even though I should have to die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all spoke similarly.

14: 27   Just as he had prophesied the failure of one disciple (14:18), now he prophesies the failure of all: your faith will be shaken, literally, "stumble" or "fall away"

Jesus sees this weakness of faith on the part of his disciples as a fulfillment of Zechariah 13: 7: “I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.”

14:28 If we read verses 8-9 following Zechariah 13:7  we see that after the sheep are scattered that there will be a remnant that will be saved. In a similar way Jesus does not end his prophecy on a note of gloom,  but announces the resurrection. He will regather his scattered flock, since to go before them is to lead them as a Shepherd. This echoes the statement of the Angel in Mark 16: 7. Jesus' mission will end where it began, in Galilee, and there he will commission the disciples to continue his work of salvation by bringing the gospel to the ends of the earth (16:15).

14:29-30 But Jesus' warning is lost on Peter, who brashly asserts that his own faith will not be shaken, evidently confident that his own fortitude exceeds that of the other disciples.  Jesus responds with another solemn warning you will deny me three times. To deny Jesus is to disown or repudiate him, the antithesis of discipleship, which entails denying oneself (8:34). Jesus had warned earlier that some would be ashamed of him (8:38), that is, afraid or embarrassed to be associated with him.  Jesus predicts that the others will have their “faith shaken”, but Peter will “deny” Jesus three times which is even worse.

14:31 As has happened before (8:32; see John 13:8), Peter does not hesitate to contradict his Lord. His strident self-assurance sets the tone for the other disciples, who similarly declare their readiness to die with Jesus

This section continues the pervasive motif of the suffering person who will be abandoned by followers at a time of trial (Job 19: 13-22; Ps 41: 8-10; 55: 12-14; Zech 13: 5-7).

The failure of the disciples is not the last word. Rather, God’s power can triumph not only over death but also over human betrayal and failure. In both art and proclamation the church traditionally, honors Peter and Paul as its first great apostles. We should not forget that one failed Jesus when tested and the other was a persecutor of Jesus and the church (1 Cor 15: 9; Acts 8: 1; 9: 4-5).  

The footnote from the New American Bible summaries this passage well: “Jesus predicted that the Twelve would waver in their faith, even abandon him, despite their protestations to the contrary. Yet he reassured them that after his resurrection he would regather them in Galilee (Mk 16:7; cf. Mt 26:32; 28:7, 10, 16; Jn 21), where he first summoned them to be his followers as he began to preach the good news (Mk 1:14–20).”

The Agony in Gethsemane 32 Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be troubled and distressed. 34 Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch.”  35 He advanced a little and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass by him; 36 he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will.” 37 When he returned he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” 39 Withdrawing again, he prayed, saying the same thing. 40 Then he returned once more and found them asleep, for they could not keep their eyes open and did not know what to answer him.

41 He returned a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough. The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners. 42 Get up, let us go. See, my betrayer is at hand.”

14:32-34 Gethsemane (Hebrew for "oil press") was an olive grove (see John 18:1) on the western slope of the Mount of Olives which overlooked the Eastern wall of the Temple Mount.  According to  John 8: 1 Jesus when in Jerusalem would spend the night on the Mount of Olives. There are caves on the mount where according to Holy Land tradition Jesus slept the night with his disciples.

Arriving there after the Last Supper, Jesus asks his disciples to wait while he prays. This is the third time Mark has shown Jesus at prayer (see 1:35; 6:46), each time at a key moment for defining the nature of his mission. On the previous occasions he prayed in solitude, but now he brings with him his closest companions, Peter, James, and John. We read in the footnote to the NAB  “The disciples who had witnessed the raising to life of the daughter of Jairus (Mk 5:37) and the transfiguration of their Master (Mk 9:2) were now invited to witness his degradation and agony and to watch and pray with him.”

Jesus begins to be troubled and distressed. The Greek verbs are forceful and could be translated "alarmed, distraught, and in anguish'.   In his moment of agony in the face of impending death Jesus seeks the solace and support of his friends. He asks them to keep watch, that is, stay awake, be spiritually alert, and pay attention—the same admonition he gave them in the end times discourse (Mark 13:34-37). It is the disposition needed in a time of testing.

Remain here and keep on watching:  The prominence of the verb grēgorein in the parable of the man going on a journey at the end of the eschatological discourse (13: 34, 35, 37) and in the Gethsemane episode (14: 34, 37, 38) suggests that here too it has an eschatological context with reference to the time of testing that Jesus’ Passion represents. Donahue, John  R.; Harrington, Daniel  J.. Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of Mark: 2 (Kindle Locations 10516-10520). Liturgical Press. Kindle Edition.

Harrington and Donahue quote Raymond Brown:  

In fact, early Christians like Mark regarded Jesus’ death and resurrection as the decisive moment toward the full coming of God’s kingdom. Brown in The Death of the Messiah (168) makes the point well: “Mark is representing a moment that is both historical and eschatological. The suffering and crucifixion of Jesus are a physical trial for him but also part of a cosmic struggle.”  (Kindle Locations 10531-

The first part of Jesus’ prayer in Mark 14: 34 (“ my soul is sorrowful” is generally regarded as a quotation of (or at least an allusion to) the refrain in Pss 42[ 41]: 5, 11; and 43[ 42]: 5: “Why are you sorrowful, O my soul?” .

14:35 Jesus advances away from the presence of his companions. In his supreme moment of decision, he is alone with the Father. So great is his inner torment that he collapses to the ground.  Jesus' prayer is an acknowledgment that the entire passion is in the Father's control, and  plea that, if possible, the Father might somehow rearrange his plan to spare his Son such horrendous suffering.

14:36 Only Mark records Jesus using the Aramaic word Abba, the word used to address one's father ("Dad"). Although the Old Testament sometimes refers to God as the Father of Israel (Deut 32:6; Ps 103:13; Jer 31:9), there is no evidence for anyone prior to Jesus addressing God with this word of daring intimacy. With this term of affection Mark accents the fact that Jesus' obedience is no mere resignation but an act of unbounded trust, commitment, and love for his Father.

Jesus affirms, as he has previously said to his disciples (Mark 10:27), that all things are possible to God. He pleads, Take this cup away from me. The cup, like the hour (14:35), signifies the passion, and evokes the Old Testament image of the cup of devastation that will fall on the wicked in punishment for their sin (Ps 75:9; Isa 51:17; Ezek 23:33.  Jesus, aware of his saving role in God's plan, nevertheless recoils in trembling and horror from his approaching death. The temptation that had been present throughout his ministry (see 1:13; 8:11,32)—to be a Messiah other than that willed by the Father—reaches its climax. But precisely in this culmination of his anguish he surrenders unconditionally to the Father, reversing the whole history of human rebellion: not what I will but what you will.

14:37 Returning to the disciples Jesus finds them asleep, the antithesis of the vigilance he had asked of them (v. 34). On a natural level they are overcome by the lateness of the hour and perhaps on the Passover wine. But spiritually they are oblivious to the eschatological  drama that is unfolding and thus are unable to respond properly. Jesus addresses Peter as the leader: Could you not keep watch for one hour? That Jesus has been praying for an hour suggests that his prayer was not instantaneous but a prolonged struggle to confirm that the way of the cross really was what the Father was asking of him, and to bring his human will into perfect submission to the Father.

14:38 His command, Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test, echoes the sixth petition of the Lord's Prayer: "Lead us not into temptation." The disciples are to pray that God would protect them from a trial greater than their human weakness can bear, like the trial that is about to come upon them at Jesus' arrest. This last admonition of Jesus is also addressed to his future disciples, to be constantly on guard against the temptations that could cause them to "fall away" (v. 27) and to overcome them by prayer (see Col 4:2; Heb 4:16).

“the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”: While Jesus’ comment sounds like a proverb, it fits the situation in Gethsemane very well. The opposition is between the “spirit” as what is noble and godly about humans (thinking, willing, etc.) and the “flesh” as what is weak and fragile about them (their earthly and perishable elements). By sleeping the disciples have shown themselves to be ruled by the “flesh.” Even though Jesus has persisted in meditation and prayer, he too runs the risk of being ruled by the flesh: “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission” (Heb 5: 7). Donahue, John  R.; Harrington, Daniel  J.. Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of Mark: 2 (Kindle Locations 10576-10578). Liturgical Press. Kindle Edition.

The “testing” is not only the historical testing Jesus is undergoing but also the eschatological testing or trial referred to in Mark 13: 19-20 as the “great tribulation.” Jesus has already entered into that testing. Since the disciples are so unprepared for it, Jesus urges them to pray that they not enter it now. Donahue, John  R.; Harrington, Daniel  (Kindle Locations 10568-10571). 

14:39-40 Three times the scene is repeated. Each time Jesus withdraws to wrestle in prayer and returns to the disciples only to find them fast asleep. Three times he had commanded them to watch (vv. 34, 37, 38); their threefold failure, like Peter's threefold denial (vv. 66-72), will humble them and convince them of their need to rely on God through prayer.

14:41-42 Upon returning the third time, Jesus declares, “It is enough”.  The rest of the passion narrative will be an unfolding of the implications of Jesus' resolve.

The hour has come: In light of 14: 35 (and 13: 32) the “hour” refers both to the historical moment of Jesus’ death and to the eschatological “hour.” Whereas Jesus prayed in 14: 35 that “the hour might pass away  from him,” here in 14: 41 he announces that “the hour has come.”  

Jesus now speaks with serenity and resolve: Get up, let us go. He does not wait passively but goes forward to meet those who will unknowingly carry out the Father's plan.

Jesus experiences in Gethsemane is not merely the dread of suffering but the full weight of human sin and its consequence of alienation from God: the 'cup" of wrath (see Isa 51:17). The Christian gospel is far from the Stoic or Buddhist ideal of cool, emotionless detachment from the drama of human suffering. Jesus enters into the depths of the human condition to transform it from within. In Gethsemane, we begin to see that God willed the entire passion process so as to bring about the most perfect act of love conceivable from a human heart. The cross would have no value if Jesus had not freely willed it. it is not Jesus' death in itself that God desired, since God has "no pleasure in the death of anyone" (Ezek 18:32). Rather, what redeems humanity is the fire of divine love enkindled in the human heart of Jesus, the love that bound him to the cross (see John 14:31; Eph 5:2).

Donahue and Harrington in their Sacra Pagina Commentary write of this passage (Kindle Locations 10663-10667).: Taking the OT laments as the background for the Gethsemane episode (and the crucifixion) helps to explain Jesus’ expressions of genuine distress as well as his sentiments of trust in God and the petitions in them. The laments provide some of the language and images for Mark’s descriptions of Jesus’ sufferings. At the same time they link the suffering Jesus to the whole tradition of suffering encapsulated in the Psalms and to the sufferings of many people in our world today. Appreciation of the OT laments is essential for understanding Mark’s Christology and its ongoing theological significance.

Betrayal and Arrest 43 Then, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs who had come from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. 44 His betrayer had arranged a signal with them, saying, “The man I shall kiss is the one; arrest him and lead him away securely.” 45 He came and immediately went over to him and said, “Rabbi.” And he kissed him. 46 At this they laid hands on him and arrested him. 47 One of the bystanders drew his sword, struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his ear. 48 Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs, to seize me? 49 Day after day I was with you teaching in the temple area, yet you did not arrest me; but that the scriptures may be fulfilled.” 50 And they all left him and fled. 51 Now a young man followed him wearing nothing but a linen cloth about his body. They seized him, 52 but he left the cloth behind and ran off naked.

14:43 Mark does not say whether it was during the Last Supper that Judas had slipped away for his rendezvous with Jesus' enemies, or later while the other disciples were asleep in Gethsemane. But he has carried out his plan as an informant who had inside knowledge of where Jesus might be found and arrested without a commotion (14:10-11). Mark again describes Judas as one of the Twelve (see vv. 10,20) to highlight the enormity of the betrayal. He arrives accompanied by an armed crowd, probably consisting of the temple police and others hired by the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders.

14:44-46. Judas had arranged a signal to identify Jesus: a kiss on the cheek. The “kiss” was used by rabbis and their pupils as a greeting and sign of respect. Apparently, those in the arresting party would not know Jesus by sight. How ironic that Judas would choose a sign of affection to betray his teacher.  Since Jesus offers no resistance, he is immediately arrested.

14:47-48 In an impulsive, misguided attempt to rescue Jesus, one of the bystanders draws his sword and cuts off the ear of the high priest's servant. Mark does not give the impression that the assailant was a disciple (though John tells us it was Peter, John 18:10), perhaps to conceal his identity. Jesus reproves the crowd for their violent methods.

The word for robber could also be translated bandit or revolutionary. Jesus had condemned the temple for being a "den of robbers" (Mark 11:17 RSV); now the temple authorities treat the Lord of the temple as if he himself were a robber. A real robber, Barabbas, will be released instead of Jesus (15:15), and Jesus will be crucified between two robbers (15:27), the culmination of his solidarity with sinners that is part of the divine plan.

14:49 Jesus continues his protest against this show of force that misrepresents him as an armed and dangerous criminal. Yet his ordeal fulfills the scriptures. The Scripture passage must from be the first half of Zechariah 13: 7 the second half of which is  quoted in Mark 14: 27. The arrest of Jesus constitutes the first blow against the shepherd.

14:50 Jesus' prophecy of abandonment by his closest companions in 14: is now fulfilled: “they all left him and fled”. The apostles are those called to "be with him" (3:14); now in his darkest hour they forsake him. it is the last time we encounter Jesus' disciples—apart from the women disciples (15-4 I)—until after the resurrection.

The agonizing experience of desertion by friends in time of trouble is often described in the Psalms. "To all my foes I am a thing of scorn, to my neighbors, a dreaded sight, a horror to my friends" (Ps 31:12); "Friends and companions shun my pain; my neighbors stand far off" (Ps 38:12; see 88:9).

14:51-52 The account of the arrest ends with a curious incident found only in Mark: The flight of a young man dressed only in a lined cloth.  Who is this young man, and why is he wearing only a linen cloth on a chilly night in April.  One traditional suggestion is that the man is Mark himself, in whose house Jesus may have celebrated the Last Supper. Linen was a fabric of the wealthy, and the absence of an undergarment suggests that the youth may have dressed quickly to follow Jesus to Gethsemane. Perhaps he was there in the shadows, listening to Jesus' prayer of anguish. Although "all" flee after the arrest, the young man follows Jesus, the action characteristic of a disciple. But when seized he too gives way to fear. Nakedness is a sign of misery and shame (see James 2:15; Rev 3:18), and the young man's desertion is all the more poignant in that he prefers to run away naked than to follow Jesus all the way to his passion. This episode is a real-life parable illustrating the failure of the disciples. No one can bear the divine wrath that is falling upon Jesus. He goes to his passion totally alone.

Another "young man," clothed in a white robe, will appear at the empty tomb (Mark 16:5) and announce the resurrection to the women. Perhaps it is symbolic of this unknown disciple's restoration to dignity and faithful discipleship.

Trial before the Sanhedrin 53 They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. 54 Peter followed him at a distance into the high priest’s courtyard and was seated with the guards, warming himself at the fire. 55 The chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, but they found none. 56 Many gave false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. 57 Some took the stand and testified falsely against him, alleging, 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands and within three days I will build another not made with hands.’” 59 Even so their testimony did not agree.  60 The high priest rose before the assembly and questioned Jesus, saying, “Have you no answer? What are these men testifying against you?” 61 But he was silent and answered nothing.  Again the high priest asked him and said to him, “Are you the Messiah, the son of the Blessed One?”  62 Then Jesus answered, “I am; and ‘you will see the Son of Man     seated at the right hand of the Power     and coming with the clouds of heaven.’” 63 At that the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further need have we of witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”  They all condemned him as deserving to die. 65 Some began to spit on him. They blindfolded him and struck him and said to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards greeted him with blows.

Mark's familiar insertion technique is at work again, with Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin placed in the middle of the story of Peter's denial (vv. 54 and 66-72). Peter, who will crumble under pressure, stands in sharp contrast with Jesus, who stands firm in his witness to the truth, even at the cost of his life.

14:53 After his arrest, Jesus is led to the house of the high priest. Mark does not give the name of the high priest, who is known from other sources as Caiaphas. There the Sanhedrin is hastily convened. The highly irregular assembly—at night, and away from their official meeting place inside the temple precincts—is for the sake of secrecy, in view of Jesus' popularity with the people (11:18; 12:12).

14:54 Meanwhile Peter follows the arresting party surreptitiously into the high priests courtyard. His following at a distance is symbolic of his discipleship: he desires to be loyal, yet is still hesitant and safely "distant" from Jesus. Peter has not yet understood or accepted God's plan for a suffering Messiah (see 8:31-32). Twice Mark mentions Peter's warming himself at the fire (14:54 and 67), providing for his own comfort while his Lord faces the hostile machinations of the Sanhedrin. Once again Mark is honest about Peter's failings.

14:55 The trial is rigged from the start, since the chief priests, scribes, and elders have already decided that Jesus must die (3:6; 11:18; 14:1), but they seek at least an appearance of legal propriety to justify their action. Like the suffering just man of the Psalms, Jesus is surrounded by false witnesses who seek to do him in: "Malicious witnesses come forward, accuse me of things I do not know. They repay me evil for good and I am all alone" (Ps 35:11-12; see Ps 27:12). The Sanhedrin finds no lack of people willing to swear falsely, in violation of the eighth commandment (Exod 20:16; see Mark 10:19). In Jewish law at least two witnesses were necessary for any criminal prosecution (Dent 19:15), especially where the death penalty was involved (Num 35:30; Dent 17:6). But the Sanhedrin is unable to produce even two whose testimony agrees.

14:56-59 By twice noting that their testimony did not agree (vv. 56 and 59), Mark draws special attention to the accusation in between: that Jesus threatened to destroy this temple made with hands and build another not made with hands. Had Jesus really said this? He did prophesy that the temple would be destroyed (13:2), and he hinted that God would raise up a new temple, of which he himself would be the cornerstone (12:10-11). He also spoke of his own resurrection after three days (8:3 1; 9:3 1; 10:34). Taken together, these are veiled references to the replacement of the earthly temple with the Church, the true "house of prayer for all peoples" (11:17). But nowhere did Jesus remotely suggest that he himself would destroy the Jerusalem temple.

The fact that this charge is the main accusation against Jesus, repeated in mockery as he hangs on the cross (15:29), indicates its crucial importance in the unfolding drama.

14:60-61 The trial is not going as planned with the witnesses because they cannot agree in their testimony. The chief priest rises to ensnare Jesus in his own speech.  Jesus remains silent because he refuses to participate in this unjust trial.  His silence evokes the Suffering Servant in Isaiah, who "though he was harshly treated. . . submitted and opened not his mouth; Like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his mouth" (Isa 53:7).

The high priest takes a more direct approach: “Are you the Messiah, the son of the Blessed One?” These are the two titles Mark directly attributed to Jesus at the very beginning of the Gospel (1:1). The Messiah was the promised descendant of David who, it was hoped, would restore sovereignty to Israel and bring peace to the world. The "Blessed One" is an indirect reference to God. Although Israel's kings were sometimes called "son of God" (2 Sam 7:12-14;Ps 2:7), it was not atypical title in Jewish messianic expectation. Caiaphas may have in mind Jesus' provocative parable of the vineyard (Mark 12:1-9).

14:62 At this point Jesus is willing to incriminate himself. His response is the first and only time in the Gospel where he directly affirms his messianic identity and divine sonship. Moreover, Jesus may be alluding to his own divinity, since “I am”  is the Greek equivalent of the divine name, YHWH (see Exod 3:14). When Peter had acknowledged him as Messiah, Jesus had commanded strict silence (Mark 8:30). But now it is finally the hour for his full revelation, because there is no longer any danger of his messiahship being misunderstood. His true messianic vocation—to lay down his life as a ransom for many (10:45)—is about to be fulfilled.

Jesus continues with a prophecy, combining two scriptures he has invoked previously (12:36; 13:26) to point to his exaltation by the Father. Psalm 110:1 speaks of the Messiah's enthronement at the right hand of God; Dan 7:9-14 speaks of a "son of man" coming before God's throne with the clouds of heaven and being given dominion, glory, and a kingdom. Jesus interprets this vision to refer to his coming in judgment at the end of the age (see Mark 8:38; 13:26-27). The members of the Sanhedrin who now see before them only a helpless prisoner will see Jesus in the fullness of his divine majesty. They who now stand in unjust judgment over him will instead be judged by him. Jesus knows that this answer will clinch the death sentence. Yet this is according to God's plan, because it is precisely through his cross and resurrection that he will be established in his sovereign majesty at God's right hand.

14:63-64 In response to Jesus' self-revelation the high priest tears his garments, a customary sign of grief or distress (Gen 37:34; 2 Sam 1:11; 2 Kings 19:1).!9- Here it serves as a theatrical gesture of dismay. In reality Jesus' response was just the kind of self-incrimination the high priest was looking for. There is no more need for witnesses. All that is needed is the Sanhedrin's approval for the verdict. The charge of blasphemy could be leveled not only for the misuse of God's name but for any claim to prerogatives that belong to God alone (see Mark 2:7). In the eyes of the high priest, Jesus' claim to be Messiah and Son of God, enthroned with divine authority, is a sacrilege and an insult to God. The biblical punishment for blasphemy was death by stoning (Lev 24:16). Not surprisingly, the Sanhedrin concurs.

14:65 Once the death sentence has been rendered, there is no longer anything to prevent physical abuse of Jesus. Mark implies that those who began to spit on Jesus are some of the members of the Sanhedrin. Spitting was an act of contempt in the ancient world (Deut 25:9; Job 30:10) as it is today. In mockery of Jesus' claim to prophesy his future exaltation, they blindfold and begin to strike him, demanding that he prophesy and identify the one who delivered the blow (see Matt 26:68). Ironically, the very fact that Jesus is suffering mockery is a fulfillment of his prophecy (Mark 10:34). Moreover, his prophecy of Peter's denial (14:30) is being fulfilled that very moment in the courtyard below (14:66-72). The guards holding Jesus join in the abuse, greeting him with blows.

The scene evokes Isaiah's third Suffering Servant poem: "I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting" (Isa 50:6).

Peter's Denial. 66 While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the high priest’s maids came along. 67 Seeing Peter warming himself, she looked intently at him and said, “You too were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 68 But he denied it saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” So he went out into the outer court. [Then the cock crowed.] 69 The maid saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 Once again he denied it.  A little later the bystanders said to Peter once more, “Surely you are one of them; for you too are a Galilean.” 71 He began to curse and to swear, “I do not know this man about whom you are talking.” 72 And immediately a cock crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times.” He broke down and wept.

14:66-67 After the account of the trial before the Sanhedrin (vv. 53-65), Mark resumes the story of Peter's denial. Peter has shown some courage in following the arresting party all the way into the high priest's courtyard, below the room where the Sanhedrin is assembled. But he is doing his best to lie low and not be noticed. Again, Mark notes that Peter is warming himself at the fire.  A servant girl, seeing Peter in the firelight, recognizes him as a disciple. The Nazarene or "of Nazareth" was a common way of identifying Jesus (see 10:47; 16:6; Acts 2:22). Ironically, to be with Jesus is the very first task of a disciple (Mark 3:14), an association that Peter now refuses.

14:68-69 In contrast to Jesus, who has just affirmed the truth before an assembly of the powerful (v. 62), Peter denies the truth that he knows Jesus when confronted by a woman of no status or authority. Nervous about being identified, he edges farther away into the outer court. When the maid persists in her allegation, Peter disavows any association with his Lord. The verb denied is in a form indicating repeated denials. Jesus had taught that a disciple is one who "denies himself" to follow Jesus (8:34); Peter now does the opposite.

14: 70-71  Soon other bystanders corroborate the maid's accusation. Peter's speech has given him away, since Galileans spoke with a provincial accent (see Matt 26:73). In panic, he reiterates his denial in the strongest possible terms. To curse means to call down God's wrath on oneself if one is lying. More appallingly, it could even imply that Peter is invoking curses on Jesus, as Christians would later be pressured to do under threat of death. To swear is to confirm his denial with an oath. Peter cannot bring himself even to mention the name of Jesus: “I do not know this man about whom you are talking”. There is a progression in Peter’s denials from his claim not to understand (14: 68) through his repeated denials (14: 69) to his cursing and swearing against Jesus (14: 71).

14:72 The third watch of the night, between midnight and 3:00 AM, was called cockcrow because of the predictable crowing of roosters. The sound suddenly brings Peter to his senses, and he remembers Jesus' prophecy of his denial (v.30) and his own rash boast (v.31). Shattered with the realization of what he has done, Peter leaves the scene weeping tears of grief and remorse (see 2 Cor 7:10).

Mark inserted the passage of Peter’s denial into the passage of Jesus’s trial to contrast Peter and Jesus. This comparison and contrast in the trial scene merely continues the comparison and contrast in the garden of Gethsemane in which Jesus prayed for strength and Peter slept. Throughout the trial narrative Jesus appears an innocent victim and a noble hero. Peter, by contrast, appears as cowardly and even pathetic. Because Jesus had prayed in the Garden he received the strength he need to face his time of trial and tribulation. Peter, who slept instead of praying, lacked the personal strength to face the time of trial, but also the strength from God. The comparison between Jesus and Peter from the Garden scene to the trial scene perfectly illustrates perfectly illustrates the final petition of the Lord’s prayer in Matthew to not be led to the time of temptation.

What is remarkable about the Gospel account of Peter's ignominious behavior in the hour of trial is that there could be only one source for this account: Peter himself. The story thus serves as both a warning and a source of profound encouragement to later disciples tempted to fall away. If even Peter's resolve could break down under pressure, so could theirs. They too must heed Jesus' warning "Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test" (v. 38). But if Peter could be forgiven and restored after such abject failure and go on to heroic martyrdom for the sake of Christ, there is mercy for others as well. The scene may have had a familiar ring to Mark's first readers, some of whom may have denied their faith under torture or threats. Others had held fast, and had to forgive their companions who had failed but later repented.

Chapter 15

Finalizing Plans. 1 As soon as morning came, the chief priests with the elders and the scribes, that is, the whole Sanhedrin, held a council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.

Since the Jewish leaders have no power to impose the death penalty, they must formulate a plan for carrying out their verdict. They “held a council” in the morning which is not another trial but a strategy session. Their strategy is to bring Jesus to the Roman governor with an inflammatory political accusation.  Pilate was the prefect of Judea from 26 to 36 AD.  His headquarters was in Caesarea Marittima on the Mediterranean coast, but he stayed in the city for Passover in case problems developed.

Jesus Before Pilate 2 Pilate questioned him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He said to him in reply, “You say so.” 3 The chief priests accused him of many things. 4 Again Pilate questioned him, “Have you no answer? See how many things they accuse you of.” 5 Jesus gave him no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. 6 Now on the occasion of the feast he used to release to them one prisoner whom they requested. 7 A man called Barabbas was then in prison along with the rebels who had committed murder in a rebellion. 8 The crowd came forward and began to ask him to do for them as he was accustomed. 9 Pilate answered, “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” 10 For he knew that it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed him over. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. 12 Pilate again said to them in reply, “Then what [do you want] me to do with [the man you call] the king of the Jews?” 13 They shouted again, “Crucify him.” 14 Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” They only shouted the louder, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them and, after he had Jesus scourged, handed him over to be crucified.

15:2 Pilate begins his interrogation of Jesus by asking: “Are you the king of the Jews?”  This title has not been mentioned before in the Gospel. Jesus did acknowledge that he was the Messiah (Mark 14:61-62) which is a royal title. The implication is that the Sanhedrin has given that claim precisely the political spin that Jesus tried to avoid. Their own verdict of blasphemy would be useless with Pilate, since the Roman governor would have no reason to get involved in a religious dispute (see Acts 18:12-16). But the Roman Empire dealt harshly with any challenge to its authority. But Pilate, a politically experienced ruler, seems to sense that the charge is invented (15:10).

Jesus' reply to Pilate is enigmatic: “You say so.”  It is neither an outright affirmation nor a denial. Indeed, Jesus is the King of the Jews, but not in the sense that Pilate understands it (see John 18:36-37). The title reappears throughout the passion narrative (15:9, 12, 18, 26), for the true nature of Jesus' kingship is revealed precisely in the laying down of his life for the redemption of his people.

15:3-5 Desperate to secure Jesus' condemnation, the chief priests heap other charges on him, which Mark does not specify ( see Luke 23:2). Jesus' refusal to answer, as earlier before the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:61), speaks more eloquently than any words of self-defense. He knows that the outcome is already determined—by the Sanhedrin on one level, but ultimately by God himself. The Jewish and Gentile rulers are unwitting instruments in God's plan of salvation. His silence again evokes the Suffering Servant, who "opened not his mouth" (Isa 53:7). But the prisoner's refusal to defend himself makes no sense to Pilate. Mark conveys not only surprise, but a sense of awe with the phrase Pilate was amazed (see 5:20).

15:6-7 Mark tells of a custom whereby Pilate would grant amnesty to one prisoner on the occasion of the feast of  Passover (14:1). This practice is not recorded anywhere outside the Gospels.  Mark explains further that a certain Barabbas was then in prison among a group of rebels who had committed murder. Mark does not say whether Barabbas himself had committed murder ( see Luke 23:18-19), but he was probably a popular Jewish freedom fighter.

15:8 Mark does not tell us whether the crowd that comes forward to petition Pilate was recruited by the chief priests, or whether it had gathered in support of Barabbas or other political prisoners. it is very unlikely that it consisted of the same people who hailed Jesus at his messianic entrance to Jerusalem (11:7-10), who were mostly Passover pilgrims arriving from Galilee and elsewhere. More likely, this crowd is made up of Jewish nationalists who are there to lobby Pilate for the release of a prisoner, as well as the chief priests, their guards, and hired ruffians (see 14:43).

15:9-10 Pilate's question has a tone of sarcasm and contempt; he probably intends to taunt the Sanhedrin by referring to Jesus as a king.  Why would Pilate offer to release him? Mark explains that Pilate knew that Jesus had been handed over out of envy. The chief priests are jealous of Jesus' popularity and see him as a threat to their power and influence. Having decided to get rid of Jesus for reasons of their own, they hope to use the Roman governor as their henchman. But Pilate has interrogated Jesus himself and concluded that this "king of the Jews" presents not the slightest political threat. There is no reason to infer that Pilate is motivated by compassion or a keen sense of justice. Most likely he simply has no wish to be drawn into the Sanhedrin's scheming.

15:11-12  Pilate's attempt to escape the dilemma fails, since the chief priests incite the crowd to clamor for the release of Barabbas instead.

Pilate's next move is unwise: he asks the crowd for its opinion on how to handle Jesus. It is not clear why Pilate would consult the crowd in determining the fate of a prisoner. But it may be that he hopes to play off the nationalists against the chief priests. Perhaps they would call for some milder punishment than the death penalty, or demand the release of Jesus as well as Barabbas. At the same time Pilate may wish to shift responsibility for the execution of an innocent man off himself and onto the crowd.

15:13  Pilate's negotiation tactics backfire. The crowd, which is becoming riotous, responds with the shrill cry: Crucify himWhy would the crowd demand such a horrible fate for their fellow Jew? Mark does not explain, and leaves it as a question for the reader to contemplate. It is also possible that most people in the crowd did not know who Jesus was and were simply willing to go along with the chief priests' agitation.

15:14-15 Pilate protests weakly, Why? What evil has he done? Pilate, fearing uncontrollable violence, placates the people by releasing Barabbas and sentencing Jesus to death. it is important to note that Mark in no way exonerates Pilate from blame for this decision. The Jewish leaders have taken the initiative in the proceedings, but the fate of the prisoner is in Pilate's hands. Although the governor is convinced that Jesus is innocent, he hands him over to death in a heinous act of cowardice and political expediency.

The name of the released prisoner is a clue to the symbolic significance of this scene. Barabbas means "Son of the Father" in Aramaic.  Jesus, the true Son of the Father, is innocent but condemned to death, while a man guilty of rebellion goes free in his place.

The typical prelude to a Roman execution was to be scourged, a terrifying punishment. Once sentence was passed the victim was stripped naked, bound to a post or pillar, and lashed until the flesh hung in shreds. There was no limit to the number of strokes (unlike Jewish law, which set a limit of thirty-nine; see 2 Cor 11:24). It was not unusual for the victim to collapse and die from the scourging alone.

The Mocking of the King 16 The soldiers led him away inside the palace, that is, the praetorium, and assembled the whole cohort. 17 They clothed him in purple and, weaving a crown of thorns, placed it on him. 18 They began to salute him with, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 and kept striking his head with a reed and spitting upon him. They knelt before him in homage. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him out to crucify him.

15:16 For the second time during his passion Jesus is mocked. This time  by the Roman soldiers. The “praetorium” is an open space inside the walls of Pilate’s temporary headquarters in Jerusalem.  A cohort normally consisted of six hundred men, but here the term refers to all of the soldiers who are on duty at the time.

15:17-20  The soldiers probably take their cue from Pilate, who has used the title "king of the Jews" in reference to Jesus and come up with ways to mock and ridicule Jesus. Tthey clothe his naked body with the regalia of royalty, purple and a crown (see Esther 8:15; Sir 40:4; 1 Mack 10:20). Purple was a color of the wealthy because the dye was costly; the soldiers may have used a faded scarlet military cloak or a shabby blanket to serve as "purple." Spiky branches from a nearby shrub are woven together and shoved onto Jesus' head as an improvised crown. The thorns may have been a caricature of the sun rays emanating from the imperial crown portrayed on coins, signifying divine kingship.  In mock homage, the troops begin to salute Jesus: Hail, King of the Jews! mimicking the Latin salutation of the emperor, "Ave, Caesar!" The sarcasm quickly turns to physical abuse as the soldier’s buffet Jesus' head with a reed, a farcical version of a kingly scepter. To ridicule his utter powerlessness they do what no one would dare to do to a king: spit on him (as in 14:65). In a final parody of royal homage, the soldiers kneel before him. Viewed with the eyes of faith, the scene is profoundly ironic for Jesus is  a King.

Once again, the Suffering Servant is in the background of Marks account: "I gave my back to those who best me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced" (Isa 50:6-7).

The Way of the Cross. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him out to crucify him. 21 They pressed into service a passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.

Those condemned to crucifixion would typically be paraded naked through the streets to the site of execution, forced to carry the horizontal crossbeam and flogged along the way. That Jesus, a carpenter by trade who had probably lifted many a hefty beam, is unable to do so shows how severely weakened the scourging had left him. Roman soldiers claimed the legal right to press Jews into temporary service (see Matt 5:41), so they force the person nearest at hand to carry his cross. Mark identifies the man as Simon, a Jew from Cyrene in northern Africa (in present-day Libya), who may have settled in Jerusalem or traveled there for the Passover. Coming on the scene as a mere passer-by, he is suddenly brought into the center of the action and compelled to do what Jesus had described as the essence of discipleship: to take up the cross and follow him (Mark 8:34). The mention of his two sons, Alexander and Rufus, suggests that they became Christians and were known to the early Church (see Rom 16:13).

The Crucifixion. 22 They brought him to the place of Golgotha (which is translated Place of the Skull). 23 They gave him wine drugged with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 Then they crucified him and divided his garments by casting lots for them to see what each should take. 25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 With him they crucified two revolutionaries, one on his right and one on his left. [28 ]

The site for the crucifixion would have been outside the walls of Jerusalem in Jesus’ time (see Lev 24: 14; Num 15: 35-36).  Since crucifixion was a public execution and was intended to deter others, it is likely that it took place by a road leading to and from the city gates. The site of crucifixion was Golgotha, from the Aramaic word for skull —perhaps because of the rounded shape of the hill.  

Those who gave Jesus wine drugged with myrrh were following a custom, based on Prov 31:6-7, of offering condemned criminals strong drink to lessen their torment. It was common to add myrrh to wine to enhance its fragrance and perhaps also its narcotic effects. But Jesus refuses this offer, in accord with his solemn pledge at the Last Supper not to drink wine till he drinks it in the Kingdom.  (Mark 14:25).

15:24 Mark narrates the climactic event of his Gospel in a stark phrase: they crucified him. In a Roman crucifixion, the victim's outstretched arms would be nailed or tied to the crossbeam, then the beam would be lifted with the body and fastened to the upright stake already set in the ground. Sometimes a block of wood was fixed midway up the stake as a kind of seat—only to prolong the agony.

The usual practice was to crucify the victim naked, although the Romans may have allowed a loincloth as a concession to Jewish sensibilities.

By custom the execution squad claimed a right to the victim's belongings. Jesus' clothing probably consisted of an under and outer garment, a belt, sandals, and possibly a head covering.133 Their casting lots for Jesus' garments evokes Ps 22:

A company of evildoers encircle me; they have pierced my hands and feet—I can count all my bones—they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my raiment they cast lots. (Ps 22:16-18 RSV)

For Mark this psalm, which Jesus himself will quote at the moment of his death (15:34), is an interpretive key to the crucifixion. It is the lament of an innocent man suffering unjustly, who is devoid of help or comfort, yet who so trusts in God that he praises God in advance for delivering him:

You who fear the LORD, give praise All descendants of Jacob, give honor; show reverence, all descendants of Israel! For God has not spurned or disdained the misery of this poor wretch, Did not turn away from me, but heard me when I cried out. (Ps 22:24-25)

15:25 Mark notes the time precisely: it was nine o'clock (literally, "the third hour") when they crucified him. The events of the passion occur in precise three-hour intervals (15:1,25,33, 34,42), reminding the reader that nothing is happening by mere chance; all is taking place "by the set plan and foreknowledge of God" (see Acts 2:23).

15:26 In Roman executions, a placard specifying the crime would be hung  around the condemned man's neck or affixed to the cross. In Jesus' case the charge reads simply. The King of the Jews. The inscription was meant to warn Jews against following other charismatic leaders with messianic pretensions and to tell them that this is what happens to such persons.. But for readers of the Gospel, the phrase is weighted with a profound truth. Jesus is indeed King of the Jews, and he is enthroned on the cross because it is there that he exercises his dominion over sin, Satan, and death.

15:27 Two revolutionaries (or "robbers") are crucified along with Jesus, probably two of those who had committed murder and were imprisoned with Barabbas (v. 7). The Greek word for robber or bandit had also come to mean political insurgent. Jesus thus dies, ironically, in the midst of Zealot-type rebels—exactly the false understanding of messiahship that he had distanced himself from during his whole public ministry. His association with sinners that began with his baptism in the Jordan (1:9) reaches its climax: Jesus is in the midst of those who are separated from God by their sin (Isa 59:2).

Once again there is an echo of Isaiah's Suffering Servant poems: "He surrendered himself to death and was counted among the wicked" (Isa 53:12). The two revolutionaries are crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left; ironically, these are the very positions of royal honor that James and John had requested (Mark 10:37). Jesus had warned the sons of Zebedee that discipleship entails "drinking his cup"; now there is a graphic portrayal of what it means to be close to him.

Reviling and Mocking.  29 Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself by coming down from the cross.” 31 Likewise the chief priests, with the scribes, mocked him among themselves and said, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also kept abusing him.

Jesus' utter isolation is intensified by the threefold mockery he now endures.

 First, he is reviled  by those passing by on the road.  In blaspheming him they are blaspheming God, ironically the very offense for which the Sanhedrin had condemned Jesus (14:64; see 2:6-7

The scoffers' shaking their heads evokes both the suffering just man of Ps 22:8-9 and the scorn heaped on Jerusalem after the destruction of the first temple: "All who pass by... hiss and wag their heads over daughter Jerusalem" (Lam 2:15; see Jer 18:16).

The taunt also links Jesus with the temple by repeating the false accusation of Mark 14:58. Precisely by not coming down from the cross and saving himself Jesus is ushering in the end of the earthly temple (15:38) and the building of a new temple on the cornerstone of his risen body.

15:31 Second, Jesus is railed at by the religious leaders who had orchestrated his death (14:1,55-65; 15:1-11) and who now come to gloat over their success. He saved others refers to Jesus' ministry of healing. The scoffers taunt that despite his reputed wonder-working powers he cannot save himself. Yet it is precisely by refusing to "save himself" that Jesus saves others.

15:32 The religious leaders intensify their derision with a demand for a miraculous sign. It is the final temptation of Jesus' life, the culmination of the testing that began with Satan in the desert (1:13). The temptation is to be a Messiah who gains adherents by stunning displays of power instead of by obediently accepting humiliation and defeat. Significantly, the title "King of the Jews" used up to this point (vv. 2, 9, 12, 18, 26) has been changed to King of Israel, a broader scope of kingship.

Finally, even the two insurgents crucified with him also kept abusing him.

The physical sufferings of a crucified person were intense, and indeed gruesome.  . . . But Mark also helps us to move beyond the physical sufferings of Jesus to recognize what was perhaps an even greater suffering that Jesus endured: misunderstanding and rejection by practically everyone.  . . . Brown’s comment (see the Note on 15: 32) on the scene bears repeating here: “On the cross Jesus has no friends; he is a solitary righteous man closely surrounded on all sides by enemies.” Donahue & Harrington (Kindle Locations 11528-11537).

The Death of Jesus. 33 At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35Some of the bystanders who heard it said, “Look, he is calling Elijah.” 36 One of them ran, soaked a sponge with wine, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to take him down.”  37 Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” 40 There were also women looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses, and Salome. 41 These women had followed him when he was in Galilee and ministered to him. There were also many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

15:33  Mark has carefully structured his passion account in three-hour intervals. Now, during the last three hours of Jesus' agony, darkness envelops the whole land,   The darkness suggests that the whole universe joins in mourning the cruel death of the son of God. It cannot be explained with reference to a solar eclipse  because of its long duration.  In the Old Testament, supernatural darkness is a prominent sign of judgment on "the day of the Lord" (see Isa 13:10-11; Joel 2:10-11; 3:4).

In his end times discourse of chapter 13 Jesus had prophesied that the sun's light would fail at the climax of the great tribulation (Mark 13:24). Mark has given several signals that the great tribulation is being played out in Jesus' own passion: the arrival of "the hour”  his trial and repeated handing over, and now the cosmic darkness.

15:34 The culmination of Jesus' sacrifice takes place at three o'clock, the customary hour of sacrifice. Twice he cries out in a loud voice (15:34,37. Mark records Jesus' cry of anguish in Aramaic, before providing its translation: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? That these words are intended as a cry of despair on Jesus’ part makes no sense at all. Why would Mark write a “gospel” (“ good news”) about a tragic figure whose life ends in total despair? Such a work might qualify as a tragedy or a pathetic biography, but hardly as a gospel.

It is significant that in his moment of supreme agony Jesus cries out not in his own words but in words taken opening verse of Psalm 22, a psalm of lament that plays a key  role in the passion narrative (Mark 15:24, 32; 16:7). I found the following quote from Donahue and Harrington from their commentary on Mark helpful:  

The first part of Psalm 22 (vv. 1-21a) consists of alternating laments over present sufferings (vv. 1-2, 6-8, 12-18) and expressions of trust in God (vv. 3-5, 9-11, 19-21a).

At the same time, Psalm 22 is a statement of confidence in God’s power to act and to vindicate the suffering righteous speaker. That confidence is based on what God has done in Israel’s history (vv. 3-5) and in the speaker’s own life (vv. 9-11). The second part of Psalm 22 (vv. 21b-31) confirms that God has indeed acted: “He did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried out to him” (22: 24b). In fact, the second part of Psalm 22 constitutes an invitation to participate in a thanksgiving sacrifice and the celebration that accompanies it.

It is important to take Psalm 22: 1— the last words of Jesus according to Mark 15: 34— both as the first words of a psalm of lament over real sufferings as well as an expression of trust in God’s power to rescue an innocent sufferer. Donahue & Harrington, (Kindle Locations 11667-11678).

15:35-36 The misunderstanding that has plagued Jesus throughout his whole public ministry continues to the end. Some of the bystanders mistake (or deliberately misinterpret) his cry as a desperate plea for the help of Elijah.  According to popular belief Elijah, who had been taken up to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11), often came to the aid of the righteous in time of trouble.

In response a bystander, probably a soldier, soaks a sponge in pungent sour wine and holds it up on a reed for Jesus to drink. It is not clear whether this gesture is done in sympathy or in cynical mockery—or perhaps with cruel intent to prolong Jesus' last moments of consciousness so that he would see Elijah's failure to come. For Mark this detail evokes another psalm of lament: "for my thirst they gave me vinegar  to drink" (Ps 69:21 RSV).

The statement, “Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to take him down”, can be taken as the sincere hope of a sympathetic bystander  who had heard about Jesus and the messianic hopes surrounding him, or it can be interpreted as the cynical comment of someone who mocks Jesus and what he stands for. The latter approach seems more likely in view of Mark’s emphasis on the hostility of the bystanders.  

15:37 Jesus' final breath is another loud cry of anguish, again evoking the psalm: "0 my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer" (Ps 22:2 NRSV). With this cry he breathed his last, surrendering back to God the human life he had been given (see Gen 2:7). It is his final act of self-abandonment to the Father.

15:38 Jesus' death immediately results in two dramatic events, signaling the beginning of a new stage in salvation history. First, the veil of the sanctuary was torn. Two veils hung in the temple, signifying God's inaccessibility (see Heb 9:8): the outer veil at the enhance to the sanctuary (Num 3:25), and the inner veil curtaining off the most sacred chamber, the Holy of Holies (Exod 26:33; Heb 9:3-4). Mark is probably referring to the inner veil, beyond which only the high priest could go, and only once a year, on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16).

That it was ripped from top to bottom signifies that God himself tore it, removing the barrier between himself and humanity. The rending of the veil of the sanctuary  indicates that in Jesus’ death on the cross God has opened definitively the way between heaven and earth.  

The torn veil is probably also an expression of divine judgment upon the continuing efficacy of worship at the Jerusalem Temple. This has been a major theme since Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem in Mark 11, and it comes to a certain anticipatory fulfillment in the rending of the sanctuary veil. For Mark’s readers around 70 C.E. the veil portent at Jesus’ death would help to explain the (real or impending) destruction of the Jerusalem Temple.

15:39 Second, the centurion in charge of Jesus' execution, a Gentile, responds to Jesus' death with a confession of faith that is the climax of the Gospel: “Truly this man was the Son of God.” In contrast to the mockers who had demanded to "see" Jesus come down from the cross so that they may believe (v. 32), the centurion "sees" Jesus give up his life on the cross and believes.  Whatever the centurion may have meant, for Mark his acclamation is the full revelation of the mystery of the crucified Messiah. At the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, the heavens were torn and God the Father bore witness to his beloved Son (1:11). Now, at the culmination of Jesus mission, the temple veil is torn and for the first time a human being acknowledges Jesus as the Son of God. The centurion's coming to faith is the first fruit of Jesus' sacrifice.

15:40-41  For the first time in his account Mark speaks of women who had been accompanying Jesus during his public ministry. In contrast to the male disciples, who "all left him and fled' (14:50), they remain with Jesus in his hour of trial, all the way to Golgotha. They are models of fidelity in contrast to the unbelief and cowardice shown by the twelve. But there is a hint that their discipleship too is hesitant: they look on from a distance, as Peter had followed "at a distance" after the arrest (14:54).

Mark identifies three of the women, perhaps because they were known by name to the early Church. Mary of Magdala (a village near the Sea of Galilee) is the key figure, since she witnesses the death of Jesus (15: 40) and his entombment (15: 47), and at Easter she will find his tomb empty (16: 1-8). Most commentators identify the mother of “James the Younger” as the mother of the member of the Twelve known as James the son of Alphaeus (3: 18) rather than of James “the brother of the Lord” (Jas 1: 1). Salome was a fairly common Jewish woman’s name, and this figure is otherwise unknown. Compare the lists of women’s names in Mark 15: 47 and 16: 1.

The Burial of Jesus 42 When it was already evening, since it was the day of preparation, the day before the sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a distinguished member of the council, who was himself awaiting the kingdom of God, came and courageously went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate was amazed that he was already dead. He summoned the centurion and asked him if Jesus had already died. 45 And when he learned of it from the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. 46 Having bought a linen cloth, he took him down, wrapped him in the linen cloth and laid him in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses watched where he was laid.

15:42 Marks account of the burial establishes two important points: that Jesus was truly dead and that, contrary to the usual practice for crucified criminals, he was given a reverent burial. Mark notes carefully that Jesus' death took place on Friday.  Since burials were considered work prohibited on the sabbath, Jesus' body would need to be buried before the sabbath began at sunset. Moreover, it was against the law of Moses to leave a corpse hanging on a tree overnight (Deut 21:22-23), a law that was applied to crucifixions.

15:43 Joseph of Arimathea is introduced as a distinguished member of the council (the Sanhedrin). Mark does not indicate that he is a disciple of Jesus (but see Matt 27:57); he is simply a devout Jew longing for the fulfillment of Gods promises. Normally the Romans would leave a crucified body to decay so that the disgrace of execution would continue even after death. Thus, it took courage for Joseph to approach Pilate requesting the body.  Joseph's deed of mercy is in the tradition of Jewish piety exemplified by Tobit, who also buried the dead at risk to himself (Tob 1:18-19; 2:8).

15:44-45 Pilate is amazed that he was already dead, since victims often hung on a cross for days before expiring. Jesus' death after only six hours is an indication of the severity of the scourging he had already received (15:15-21). Pilate verifies the death by summoning the centurion who had witnessed it (v. 39).  He hands the body to Joseph.

15:46-47 Only Mark notes that Joseph bought a cloth of linen, the fabric of the wealthy, in which to wrap the body. Joseph must have been wealthy. The burial is apparently too hasty to allow for the customary anointing with spiced oils. The burial again evokes the Suffering Servant, who was assigned a grave 'with a rich man" (Isa 53:9 RSV).

It was customary to cut out burial caves from the soft limestone rock. A large flat circular stone was rolled in front of the opening.   The two Maries watched the burial of Jesus at a distance (see 15: 40). They serve as witnesses to the places in which these events occurred.

Chapter 16

The Resurrection of Jesus.[a] 1 When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint him. 2 Very early when the sun had risen, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb. 3 They were saying to one another, “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back; it was very large. 5 On entering the tomb they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were utterly amazed. 6 He said to them, “Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him. 7 But go and tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.’”  8 Then they went out and fled from the tomb, seized with trembling and bewilderment. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Most contemporary scripture scholars think that originally the gospel of Mark ended at 16: 8 with the women telling no one about the empty tomb, and that verses 9 to 20 were added by the early Church because this is such a strange ending. This does not mean that verses 9 to 20 are not inspired scripture, but simply not written by the original author. The footnotes to this chapter in the NAB have a good explanation of this.

16:1-2  On Saturday evening, when the sabbath is over, the three women are able to buy the spices and oils needed to anoint the body properly. At dawn on Sunday, the women come to the tomb. Mark's mention that the sun had risen is the first hint that the darkness accompanying the death of Jesus (15:33)—the apparent triumph of evil—has been definitively overcome.

We are told that 3 women went to the tomb for the anointing: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Solome.  These three witnessed the death of Jesus according to 15: 40. The two Marys witnessed Jesus’ burial according to 15: 47. The second Mary (“ the [mother] of James”) is presumably the same as “the (mother) of Joses” in 15: 47, though the alternation in names is peculiar.

16:3-4 As we see in verse 3 as they are going to the tomb they are wondering who will roll back the stone, but when they get to the tomb the stone is already removed.

16:5 The women enter the tomb to find only a young man—clearly an angel —clothed in a white robe. Mark does not call him an angel, but instead calls him a “young man” This is the same time used in 14:51 for the young man clothed only in a linen cloth.  At the sight of the angel the women are utterly amazed. The women did not expect to discover the tomb opened, a living being (an angel?) in it, and the corpse of Jesus nowhere to be found.

16:6-7 The angel reassures the women and gives the Easter proclamation that is at the heart of the Church's preaching: Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. . . has been raised. This message stresses the reality of Jesus' passion: it is the same Jesus who truly suffered and died on the cross, who now is truly risen from the dead. He is not here: that is, he is not to be found in the tomb, the place of the dead.  The passive verb "has been raised" means that it is God who raised him.

The women are told to confirm with their own eyes the reality of the empty tomb, Jesus’ body is not there.

The women are commissioned (as in the other gospels) to convey the message of Jesus’ resurrection to the Eleven (with special prominence given once more to Peter). They are to tell the 11 and Peter that “he goes before you into Galilee. There you will see him , as he told you”. This recalls the words of Jesus in 14: 28. The combination of 14: 28 and 16: 7 leads the reader to anticipate a report about an appearance of the risen Jesus to his disciples in Galilee (see Matt 28: 16-20; John 21: 1-23).

16:8  The reaction of the women is strange. That they are seized with trembling and bewilderment suggests not just fright but a holy awe at the overwhelming divine power manifested in the resurrection. It is the reaction displayed throughout the Gospel to the disclosure of Jesus' divine dignity (4:41; 5:15, 33; 6:50; 9:6). Instead of carrying out the angel's commission, they said nothing to anyone.

If we assume that Mark does end his gospel at 16:8 what are we to make of this ending?  One important point in answering this question is to realize that Mark is writing for Christians who already know of the resurrection. How would this ending speak to the Christians of his day who know, believe, and live the resurrection?

Harrington and Donahue explain it in this way: “To those who know about and believe in Jesus’ resurrection Mark is effectively saying: Go back and read again the story of Jesus the wonderful teacher and healer who is the suffering but now vindicated Messiah and Son of God.” (Kindle Locations 11907-11908).

Mark Allen Powell writes in Introducing The New Testament about the ending:  Most scholars regard the silence as serving a rhetorical purpose: the story is left  unfinished so that readers must  put themselves into the narrative and discover what could happen next. The  reader is left to ask, “What would I do?”