MARK 14: 1-26
Jesus anointed at Bethany
14 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 ‘But not during the festival,’ they said, ‘or the people may riot.’
3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, ‘Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.’ And they rebuked her harshly.
6 ‘Leave her alone,’ said Jesus. ‘Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.’
10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
The Last Supper
12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, ‘Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?’
13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, ‘Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, “The Teacher asks: where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.’
16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
17 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me – one who is eating with me.’
19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, ‘Surely you don’t mean me?’
20 ‘It is one of the Twelve,’ he replied, ‘one who dips bread into the bowl with me. 21 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.’
22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take it; this is my body.’
23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
24 ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,’ he said to them. 25 ‘Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.’
26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
A bitter man – A loving Saviour
Judas couldn’t say when the bitterness had started but, sitting in Simon the Leper’s home, the bitterness seemed to take control of his mind. Simon had been healed or else they wouldn’t have been there and the evening was filled with a happy atmosphere of gratitude but Judas didn’t feel part of it and hadn’t done for some time.
Take a few days before when Jesus had ridden into Jerusalem, everyone dancing and praising; yes Jesus was a good man and had done amazing things but what he had done that day was over the top. Why cause such a big scene, the money changers were only doing their job? Why challenge the authorities? With his abilities, if he had worked with the authorities, they could have created quite a money making scheme.
And that woman; if he had been given that jar of perfume, yes he could have given some to the poor, but also kept a bit for himself. Jesus needed pulling down to size and Judas knew how to do it. The evening of the Passover Judas had attended in order to know where they were going. It became evident that Jesus knew what was in his heart and he seemed to give Judas the opportunity to confess his plans and, yes, Jesus would have helped him, but Judas had made a bargain.
Jesus also knew that during their lifetime his followers would all fail at times and would need to have a way back so he gave them the broken bread and the wine – his broken body and his blood – to remember his sacrifice of grace. They also needed hope for their future so he reminded them of Isaiah 25 v.6-9 – “On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich foods for all peoples, a banquet of aged wines.” – Jesus said – “I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.” That day when – “he will swallow up death forever.”
1. If, when challenged at the Passover feast, Judas had turned to Jesus and repented would Jesus have forgiven him?
2. If the answer to – 1 – is yes, what sort of things would the disciples have to do to help restore Judas’s faith?
3. As a church, are we looking forward to that feast, wine with Jesus, on – “That Day”? Ref. “I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day.”