Daily Devotions
Mark
Acts 3:20 "And that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before." Acts 3:20"
Day 309 – Mark 14
“And that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before.” Acts 3:20
ALL PRE-PLANNED
Who was the betrayer that Jesus refused to name at the Passover meal? His identity became all too clear.
“And immediately, while He was still speaking,
Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude
with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests
and the scribes and the elders. Now his betrayer had given them
a signal, saying, ‘Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him
and lead Him away safely.'”
MARK 14:43-44
Judas had gone over his plan of the arrest of Jesus with the” great multitude with swords and clubs”. He had anticipated resistance and thus made sure that the captors had come fully armed. The signal was that of a betrayer’s kiss of friendship!
RABBI, RABBI
Judas, filled with dark wickedness, approached Jesus, almost nonchalantly.
“As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him,
and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi!’ and kissed Him.
Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.”
MARK 14:45-46
The best laid plans of the chief priests, scribes and elders had failed miserably. Yet, in a few moments, disguised friendship sealed with the deadly kiss of a betrayer, saw Jesus arrested finally!
CONFUSION AND VIOLENCE
No matter how Jesus had tried to prepare His disciples for this moment, none was ready when it finally came.
1. One of the servants of the high priest had his ear cut off (Mark 14:47).
2. The rest of the disciples fled from the scene [as Jesus forewarned] (Mark 14:50).
THE SCRIPTURES MUST BE FULFILLED
How did Jesus Himself respond to the situation? Mark could not help but note the difference in the way Jesus conducted Himself.
“Then Jesus answered and said to them,
‘Have you come out, as a against a robber,
with swords and clubs to take Me? I was daily with you
in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.
But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”
MARK 14:48-49
Jesus’ calm composure may well be traced to His grasp of the Scriptures!