Mark documented the events of that Thursday evening, the night Jesus was betrayed. Jesus sent his disciples into the city to arrange the Passover meal. They were told to find a man carrying a jar of water and follow him to the place where they would stay for the evening. This mirrors the story of the Triumphal Entry, where Jesus instructed his disciples to find a colt. Both stories show that Jesus had already planned everything, and that all the events that followed—his betrayal, death, and burial—were part of his mission. 

The Passover meal had been handed down for thousands of years since the days of Moses and the Exodus. It included three main elements: the sacrificial lamb, unleavened bread, and wine. Jesus took the bread and distributed it to the disciples, declaring, “Take; this is my body” (Mark 14:22, ESV). Then he took the cup of wine and said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God” (Mark 14:24-25, ESV). Although Mark mentions the Passover lamb at the beginning of the text (Mark 14:12), Jesus does not give it a new significance during the meal. Subsequently, when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we do not eat lamb. Have you ever wondered why? Because Jesus is the lamb who was slain. After his death on the cross, there would be no more need for sacrifices for the sins of the people. 

Before instituting the Lord’s Supper, Jesus told his disciples that one of the twelve would betray him. After they finished the meal, they sang a hymn and then headed to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus had been spending his evenings in prayer all week. As they walked, Jesus said that all of them would abandon him in his hour of need, but after he was raised from the dead, he would meet them again in Galilee. Of course, Peter didn’t understand what Jesus meant, but quickly defended himself, saying he was different from the other disciples and would never deny him. However, Jesus predicted that not only would Peter fall away, but he would also deny Jesus three times before the rooster crowed twice to mark the new day. This prompted all the disciples to declare, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you” (Mark 14:31, ESV). 

Jesus asked the disciples to pray with him in the Garden of Gethsemane. This was his greatest trial. He wrestled with God, crying out, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36, ESV). Jesus knew what God was asking him to do. He was not wavering from the task, but he struggled with the reality that he would suffer the full weight of God’s wrath for the sins of the world. 

Three times, Jesus came to check on his disciples and found them asleep. They did not recognize the signs, and they were unable to stay awake as Jesus had referenced in chapter 13. But it was too late. Judas had shared their location with the religious leaders and led an armed guard to capture him. He betrayed his Rabbi with a kiss. Peter, though not named in Mark’s Gospel, took up a sword and cut off the ear of a servant of the high priest. Jesus accused them of treating him like a robber and mocked their duplicity by pointing out that they had allowed him to act freely in the temple during the day but came to arrest him in secret at night. 

Mark includes a somewhat strange detail about an unnamed young man who tried to follow Jesus but was caught by the guards and ran away naked, leaving his clothes behind. Some argue this was Mark himself. They also suggest that Mark was the Rich Young Man who asked Jesus what he needed to do to earn eternal life in Mark 10:17-22. Although there’s no certainty, this is an interesting detail nonetheless. 

Jesus was taken to the high priest and put on trial at night. They questioned him and brought false witnesses against him, but ultimately, it was Jesus' own testimony that landed him in trouble. When asked if Jesus was claiming to be the Christ, he answered, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62, ESV). This was a direct acknowledgment of his deity. It referred to a vision of the prophet in Daniel 7:13-14. Based on the high priest's reaction, this would have been blasphemy if it were not true. 

Mark then shifts focus from the trial to a glance at Peter warming himself by the fire. Three times, Peter was accused of being a follower of Jesus, and three times he denied it, even going so far as to call down a curse on himself if he was lying. Immediately, the rooster crowed, and Peter remembered what Jesus said, and he broke down in tears. 

Jesus' betrayal caught the disciples completely off guard, but they should have paid closer attention to what Jesus was saying and doing. Still, he reassured them that all the details had already been planned. By giving the Passover feast a new meaning, the disciples would be reminded of that night and how they felt each time they celebrated the Lord’s Supper. When we take communion, we need to think about what Jesus did to secure our salvation. He, who was without sin, took the punishment we deserved. He drank the cup of God’s wrath and offered us the cup of his new covenant. The final sacrifice for sin has been made. There is nothing left for us to do but trust in Jesus. Let us confess our sins and rest assured that we have been forgiven.

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