Ark of the Covenant - Bible History Online
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Mark 14

1 - It was now two days before the feast of the Passover and the unleavened bread, and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might seize him by deception, and kill him.
2 - For they said, "Not during the feast, because there might be a riot of the people."
3 - While he was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster jar of ointment of pure nard-very costly. She broke the jar, and poured it over his head.
4 - But there were some who were indignant among themselves, saying, "Why has this ointment been wasted?
5 - For this might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the poor." They grumbled against her.
6 - But Jesus said,"Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for me.
7 - For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want to, you can do them good; but you will not always have me.
8 - She has done what she could. She has anointed my body beforehand for the burying.
9 - Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News may be preached throughout the whole world, that which this woman has done will also be spoken of for a memorial of her."
10 - Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went away to the chief priests, that he might deliver him to them.
11 - They, when they heard it, were glad, and promised to give him money. He sought how he might conveniently deliver him.
12 - On the first day of unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the Passover, his disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare that you may eat the Passover?"
13 - He sent two of his disciples, and said to them,"Go into the city, and there you will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him,
14 - and wherever he enters in, tell the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"'
15 - He will himself show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Get ready for us there."
16 - His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found things as he had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.
17 - When it was evening he came with the twelve.
18 - As they sat and were eating, Jesus said,"Most certainly I tell you, one of you will betray me-he who eats with me."
19 - They began to be sorrowful, and to ask him one by one, "Surely not I?" And another said, "Surely not I?"
20 - He answered them,"It is one of the twelve, he who dips with me in the dish.
21 - For the Son of Man goes, even as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born."
22 - As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had blessed, he broke it, and gave to them, and said,"Take, eat. This is my body."
23 - He took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave to them. They all drank of it.
24 - He said to them,"This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many.
25 - Most certainly I tell you, I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it anew in God's Kingdom."
26 - When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
27 - Jesus said to them,"All of you will be made to stumble because of me tonight, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'Zechariah 13:7
28 - However, after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee."
29 - But Peter said to him, "Although all will be offended, yet I will not."
30 - Jesus said to him,"Most certainly I tell you, that you today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times."
31 - But he spoke all the more, "If I must die with you, I will not deny you." They all said the same thing.
32 - They came to a place which was named Gethsemane. He said to his disciples,"Sit here, while I pray."
33 - He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be greatly troubled and distressed.
34 - He said to them,"My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here, and watch."
35 - He went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass away from him.
36 - He said,"Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Please remove this cup from me. However, not what I desire, but what you desire."
37 - He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter,"Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn't you watch one hour?
38 - Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
39 - Again he went away, and prayed, saying the same words.
40 - Again he returned, and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they didn't know what to answer him.
41 - He came the third time, and said to them,"Sleep on now, and take your rest. It is enough. The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
42 - Arise, let us be going. Behold, he who betrays me is at hand."
43 - Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came-and with him a multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders.
44 - Now he who betrayed him had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I will kiss, that is he. Seize him, and lead him away safely."
45 - When he had come, immediately he came to him, and said, "Rabbi! Rabbi!" and kissed him.
46 - They laid their hands on him, and seized him.
47 - But a certain one of those who stood by drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
48 - Jesus answered them,"Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to seize me?
49 - I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you didn't arrest me. But this is so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled."
50 - They all left him, and fled.
51 - A certain young man followed him, having a linen cloth thrown around himself, over his naked body. The young men grabbed him,
52 - but he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.
53 - They led Jesus away to the high priest. All the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes came together with him.
54 - Peter had followed him from a distance, until he came into the court of the high priest. He was sitting with the officers, and warming himself in the light of the fire.
55 - Now the chief priests and the whole council sought witnesses against Jesus to put him to death, and found none.
56 - For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony didn't agree with each other.
57 - Some stood up, and gave false testimony against him, saying,
58 - "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.'"
59 - Even so, their testimony did not agree.
60 - The high priest stood up in the middle, and asked Jesus, "Have you no answer? What is it which these testify against you?"
61 - But he stayed quiet, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"
62 - Jesus said,"I am. You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of the sky."
63 - The high priest tore his clothes, and said, "What further need have we of witnesses?
64 - You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?" They all condemned him to be worthy of death.
65 - Some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to beat him with fists, and to tell him, "Prophesy!" The officers struck him with the palms of their hands.
66 - As Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the maids of the high priest came,
67 - and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him, and said, "You were also with the Nazarene, Jesus!"
68 - But he denied it, saying, "I neither know, nor understand what you are saying." He went out on the porch, and the rooster crowed.
69 - The maid saw him, and began again to tell those who stood by, "This is one of them."
70 - But he again denied it. After a little while again those who stood by said to Peter, "You truly are one of them, for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it."
71 - But he began to curse, and to swear, "I don't know this man of whom you speak!"
72 - The rooster crowed the second time. Peter remembered the word, how that Jesus said to him,"Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." When he thought about that, he wept.
Mark 14 Images and Notes

Brief Summary: Christ anointed at Bethany. (1-11) The Passover, Jesus declares that Judas would betray him. (12-21) The Lord's supper instituted. (22-31) Christ's agony in the garden. (32-42) He is betrayed and taken. (43-52) Christ before the high priest. (53-65) Peter denies Christ. (66-72)

Alabastra - Colored Sketch
Alabaster bottles from the ancient world

Mark 14:3 - And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured [it] on his head.

 

The Book of Mark

Mark 1:15 - And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Mark 2:12 - And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

Mark in The New Testament - A Brief Overview

St. Mark by Titian - 1560
Painting of St. Mark by Titian - 1560

Introduction to The Gospel of Mark

The Word Gospel. The second book of the English Bible that most of us read from is the Gospel of Mark. Mark is the second of the four gospel writings, yet there is only one gospel about Jesus Christ and there are four different writers: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The word "Gospel" means "good news", and the good news is about Jesus Christ dying on the cross and then 3 days later conquering death and rising from the dead, offering salvation to all mankind, this is the Gospel.

Summary of The Book of Mark

Brief Summary. Jesus of Nazareth is the suffering servant who came to die for the sins of all men. He did His work and "immediately" went to the cross, so be encouraged all who are suffering because Christ suffered for you.

Purpose. The Book of Mark is the shortest of the 4 Gospel accounts of the life of Jesus Christ. and he seems to write his account of the Gospel of Christ with a sense of urgency. He mentions the word "immediately" 27 times. In Mark many times Jesus exercises actions rather than words, which would impress his Roman readers who the Book seems to be addressing. He portrays Jesus as a man of power and miracles, who could set aside the laws of nature at will. Yet this powerful Son of God was the suffering servant who would give up His life as a ransom for all mankind (Mark 10:45). The clear purpose of mark was to encourage those suffering persecution that their master suffered first, and He suffered for them.

Audience. Apparently Mark wrote his Gospel account to encourage gentile Christians in Rome who were facing the persecutions of the Emperor Nero. History is clear about the atrocious behavior of the Romans and especially the insanity of Nero. The other evidence that scholars bring up concerning mark's audience as being gentiles is the fact that Mark does not deal with Jewish Laws and he only quotes one prophecy from the Old Testament. There is also careful thought into explaining Jewish customs and idioms. (See Mark 3:7; 5:41; 7:2; 10:46; 14:36; 15:34; 9:43; 14:12; 15:42).

Authorship. The gospel of Mark does not proclaim who the author is within the document, yet the information that we know about Mark can be seen in the writer of this gospel. It is evident that the writer was Jewish, he was a Christian, and he was familiar with every day Jewish life, as well as the Jewish Scriptures. We know from the Scriptures that Mark was Jewish, and he knew the teachings of Jesus very well. He also knew the teachings of the rest of the apostles. It is also important to notice that after Peter was imprisoned he went to the house of Mary, the mother of Mark (Acts 12:12-17). Also Peter mentions in his epistle "my son Mark" (1 Peter 5:13). During Paul's missionary journeys Mark became a companion of Paul and Barnabas, and he left them at Perga in Pamphylia (Acts 13:13), after Paul had rebuked him. Many years later Mark regained the favor of Paul  (Col. 4:10; 2 Tim. 4:11). Early Church tradition unanimously ascribes the second gospel to Mark as a companion of Peter and the writer of the second Gospel. One prologue to the Gospels which was written around 160 AD has this statement: "Mark� Was Peter's interpreter, and after Peter's decease wrote down this gospel in the region of Italy." Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian also attest to Mark as the author.

Location. Nothing in the Gospel of Mark indicates where it was written from. Most of the early writers who boast of Mark as the author also name Rome as the place it was written.

Date. Early Christian writers and traditions place the Gospel of Mark sometime close to the end of Peter's life, around 60-65 AD. Most scholars agree that the Gospel of Mark was written before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, while the Second Temple in Jerusalem was still standing (Mark 13:1-2). Many scholars do not believe in the miracle of predictive prophecy and argue that the Gospel of Mark was written after the fall of Jerusalem, because of the accurate details of the events that Jesus spoke about.  Mark's Gospel account seems to have been written as encouragement to the Christians who were facing the persecution of the Emperor Nero which took place in 64 AD.

Outline of the Book of Mark

The Servant Comes - Chapter 1:1-13
The Servant's Work - Chapters 1:14-13:37
The Servant's Death - Chapters 14:1-15:47
The Servant's Resurrection - Chapter 16:1-20

Jesus written in Hebrew
The Name Jesus In Ancient Hebrew Text
"Yeshua" in First Century Hebrew Text. This is how the name "Jesus" would have been written in ancient Hebrew documents. The four letters or consonants from right to left are Yod, Shin, Vav, Ayin (Y, SH, OO, A). Jesus is the Greek name for the Hebrew name Joshua or Y'shua which means "The LORD or Yahweh is Salvation".

Mark Resources

Outline of the Life of Jesus in Harmony
Simple Map of First Century Israel
Topographical Map of First Century Israel
Map of the Ministry of Jesus
Map of the Roads in Ancient Israel
Map of the Roman Empire