Mark 14:43-52
⁴³Immediately while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs, who were from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. ⁴⁴Now he who was betraying Him had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away under guard.” ⁴⁵After coming, Judas immediately went to Him, saying, “Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
⁴⁶They laid hands on Him and seized Him. ⁴⁷But one of those who stood by drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.
⁴⁸And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me, as you would against a robber? ⁴⁹Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me; but this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures.” ⁵⁰And they all left Him and fled. ⁵¹A young man was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body; and they seized him. ⁵²But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked.
Devotional
The dramatic event is full of tension and confusion. All kinds of people play a different role in this.
▪︎ Yet it is a terrible reality,
▪︎ it has a profound background
▪︎ and there is a certain line in it.
It is all foretold:
▪︎ the betrayal of Judas Iscariot (Mark 14:18) (the way in which is the height of meanness and hypocrisy, Mark 14:43-45).
▪︎ Also the enmity of the Jewish religious leaders (Mark 8:31, 9:31, 10:33,34), which erupts here in the unnecessary violence (Mark 14:46, 48, 49).
▪︎ Furthermore, the impotent resistance of Simon Peter, who shows himself like a silly figure here after his big words (John 13:36-38). He takes it rashly (Mark 14:47; John 18:11).
▪︎ A silly figure also beats the young man who changes his spectator position with a fast flight, above all fearful of his own skin (Mark 14:51,52).
▪︎ And then there is the dishonorable flight of all of Jesus’ disciples (Mark 14:50; Foretold in Mark 14:27 and Zechariah 13:7).
So again: how bad we humans show ourselves, in what is happening here, and compared to what Jesus does!
Jesus in royal dignity controls the whole situation, quietly rebukes the people (Mark 14:48,49) and voluntarily surrenders!
And prophetically, He points to the divine background: “but the Scriptures must be fulfilled ”(Mark 14:49), for God’s plan of redemption is revealed therein (Acts 2:22, 23).
What happens here, that people violate the Son of God, and that Jesus, the perfect Man, is ultimately humiliated to the uttermost imaginable, by wicked, sinful people, is so absurd that only the Lord Himself can provide the desired and necessary light about it.
Here the rebellion of the proud man, the man who wants to maintain himself against God, has reached a decisive point. This seems like the absolute end.
But no! It is the beginning of the all-decisive work of redemption;
▪︎ Heaven does not intervene.
▪︎ God keeps the lead in the event.
▪︎ It had to be done (Luke 24:25-27).
In this way Jesus could become the Savior for every person who flees to Him with shame and repentance, because we are partly guilty of His suffering.
Question:
- What is the great goal that Jesus had in mind? (See Luke 24:26; Hebrews 12:2.)
- What does this say to you?
Prayer suggestion
▪︎ Pray for the right understanding of all of Jesus’ suffering.
Twitter: @SchoemakerHarry
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