Mark 14

Just four chapters earlier, Jesus was speaking to someone who thought of himself as one who had kept the Law from his youth. Jesus said to him, "You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." Jesus cared about the poor, and He knew that the Law and the Prophets had much to say about our need to care for the poor. Yet when someone pours a flask of very costly ointment over His head costing almost a year's wages, and the disciples begin to correct her, claiming that this could have been sold and given to the poor, Jesus says, "Leave her alone… You always have the poor with you." Jesus does not despise the poor. He is determined to take care of the worst poverty, our poverty of soul that would keep us from the heavenly presence of God forever. He knows that it is most important for us to love Him above all, and to love His death for us and what it accomplished. This woman is testifying to the impending death of the one she loves. She makes a costly testimony of her faith, and we continue to talk about it to this day.

With this special anointing, the events that will lead to the cross are now in motion. Judas speaks with the chief priests about the betrayal of Jesus. The disciples are preparing to eat the final Passover, when the Lamb of God will be slain to bring freedom to those who are in bondage to sin. When Jesus and the disciples recline at the table that night, we hear these electric words: "One of you will betray me." Jesus did not hear about this betrayal from an informer within the group that is seeking His death. He says, "The Son of Man goes as it is written of Him." The term Son of Man used in Daniel 7 had come to refer to the Messiah, but in Daniel it describes the Lord coming in His glory. Jesus here and in many other places helps us to see that the One who will come in glory will first suffer and die as the Lamb of God.

One of the things that He does around that table is explicitly related to His imminent sacrifice. He eats a meal with His disciples, a simple meal of bread and the fruit of the vine, a meal that He claims is somehow His body and blood. He calls the cup "My blood of the covenant." As the Old Covenant was instituted with the shedding of blood, Jesus is about to shed His blood for us, and this is shown forth for us in this meal. His blood will purify His people from the stain of sin, because His life is the life of the spotless Lamb, whose blood will be "poured out for many." How could it be that one man's death could count for many? It could not have been just any man. The acceptability of the offering is determined by the One who must receive satisfaction for our sin. Our sin is against God, and He has determined the acceptable sacrifice. The blood of Jesus will truly satisfy our guilt. This death Jesus will do alone, again according to the words of Scripture. Though Peter might claim a different plan, no one could overturn the Word of Jesus and the sure testimony of the prophets.

As they leave that place, one episode remains prior to our Lord's actual betrayal. Here in Gethsemane we have a glimpse of what is about to happen. Our Lord is filled with sorrow, "even to death." He knows what is ahead of Him, and He asks that the hour might pass from Him, if possible. Though all things are possible with the One Jesus calls His Father, it is not possible for God to lie, and the Son of God will not sin. He will obey the will of His Father. His disciples find it impossible to stay awake. They may profess great strength, but they are weak, but suddenly they are up and moving, and Judas, His betrayer, is at hand. He kisses Jesus.

Why did it all have to be this way? Again we are told that everything here is happening according to the Scriptures. We feel the confusion of the moment, but God is not confused. Among men it looks like a mob coming at night, a disciple's sword slicing off someone's ear, people running away in every direction, one without his cloak just to get away from this dangerous moment. Yet all will happen according to God's settled decree.

The plan of our Lord's captors is to conduct something that would look like an investigation, though, as much as possible, out of the public eye. They try to justify their plan with some show of order, with witnesses, and some testimony. But there is only One who stands out here, the One who is not defending Himself, the One who seems to display His resolve to be the Lamb of Isaiah 53. "As a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth." Finally He speaks these very dramatic words. "I AM." This declaration comes in response to the plain question of the high priest: "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" Our Lord goes on to declare that He who says and is "I AM," will be seen at the right hand of God, and coming on the clouds of heaven," a clear reference to the Messianic Son of Man from Daniel 7.

That is the testimony they were looking for. One wonders whether they ever could have received any Messiah who did not live up to their expectations in some way. They do not investigate His clear claim to be a man who is truly the Christ, and even the great divine "I AM." It is enough that such a one as Jesus has claimed to be the fulfillment of Daniel 7.

When the Lord returns on clouds of glory, there will be no opportunity for His enemies to put Him on trial. There will be no hitting Him in the face, no rude words, no spitting at Him, no servant girls trying to find out who His friends are. There will also be no more opportunity for those who belong to Christ to deny Him. The day of doubt, shame, and tears of sadness for the beloved disciples of Jesus will be over. The Lord will come in majesty and power, and He will rescue His suffering servants. He has secured for us this glorious deliverance through His own willingness to be our great Suffering Servant so many years ago. Even now He is beyond the hands of His enemies in His present location, and we are in Him. May we live out the life the He has called us to, the life of faith, with firm resolve and quiet obedience that comes from knowing that Jesus is the great I AM, and that this I AM came to free us from our bondage. We were very poor and in the worst kind of soul bondage, but Jesus poured out His costly life all over our heads. He gave Himself for us, and we are free to live for Him forever.