In Mark 14 God through Peter records the plot against Jesus, His anointing in Bethany, the Last Passover/First Lord’s Supper, Jesus’ time in Gethsemane, His betrayal and arrest, one of His unjust trials, and Peter’s denials.  The thing that strikes me most in this chapter is the amount of people who sin against Jesus. The chief priests and scribes plot against Jesus to have Him killed, Peter, James and John are more concerned with their own comfort than they are with Jesus’ anguish in the garden, Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, all the disciples abandon Him, people give false testimony against Him, and Peter denies Him three times.  Yet Jesus stays on mission and continues toward the cross, so He could die for sins like the ones just committed against Him.  I need to remember that when I am sinned against, I too need to stay on mission and remember that through Jesus’ life, death, burial and resurrection He provided forgiveness to all who would repent and believe in Him as Savior and Lord.  Lord, help me stay on mission, spreading the Gospel to all those that have sinned against me (and ultimately You) and to all those who I have sinned against.  Thank You for Your amazing grace.

– Bryan McKenzie

3 replies
  1. Winter camp gals
    Winter camp gals says:

    Bryan, we found the verses about the man who drops his linen cloth strange. What was the purpose of placing that within the context of the text?

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  2. Bryan McKenzie
    Bryan McKenzie says:

    Winter Camp gals,
    So glad to see you were reading God’s Word together while at Winter Camp. Yes the account of the young man having his linen cloth ripped from him and fleeing naked seems strange (vv. 51-52). Most interpreters believe this young man was Mark himself. It is possible that Mark had gone to bed before this event, and laid aside his outer garment. When the crowd, led by Judas, came for Jesus it awakened Mark and in haste did not put on his outer garment. He then sought to follow the crowd who had taken Jesus. The crowd probably recognized him and sought to seize him to be a witness against Jesus, therefore he ripped away from their grasp to escape and his linen garment was left behind. We cannot be positive about these events, but the key to understanding why this account is included is found in verse 50 which says, “And they all left Him and fled.” Verses 51-52 seems to stress and reiterate the fact that all Jesus’ disciples and “left Him and fled” – just as He had said they would. By HIS Grace, lets follow Him no matter the cost.

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  3. Daycie Harden
    Daycie Harden says:

    That’s very helpful, thanks! We were just slightly confused at that particular passage. Cause we know from 2 Timothy that “all scripture is breathed out by God” and we were just wondering the significance. Thank you for your help!

    Reply

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