MARK LESSON 29

     We will begin this lesson in Mark 14:1 "After two days was [the
feast of] the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests
and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put [him]
to death."

     "Passover" was celebrated on the 14th of Nisan in the evening.  The
"Feast of Unleavened Bread" lasted from the 15th of Nisan to the 21st of
Nisan. In fact, even the evening of the Passover was included in Feast
of Unleavened Bread. Officially, Unleavened Bread began on the 15th
of Nisan, but Unleavened Bread was, also, part of the Passover meal.
Passover was celebrated for the sparing of the firstborn of the
Israelites when the firstborn of Egypt were killed by the tenth
plague. The Hebrews sacrificed a lamb and put the blood over the door.
Anyone in the house where the blood was over the door was spared.
Where the blood of the lamb was not over the door, the firstborn
died. The Hebrews were told to remember and celebrate Passover every
year. Jesus fulfilled Passover by being Himself the Passover Lamb.

     Jesus was not only the Passover Lamb, but was the Unleavened Bread,
as well.  He was without sin (unleavened), and He called Himself the
"Bread of life".  Even the fact that He was born in Bethlehem verifies
this. "Bethlehem" means house of bread.  These chief priests and scribes
were the religious people of that day.  I personally believe their
jealousy caused them to want to destroy Jesus.  They knew the people
would follow Him, unless they destroyed Him.

     Mark 14:2 "But they said, Not on the feast [day], lest there be
an uproar of the people."

     Jesus was very popular with the people. Many of them had been
there when He performed a miracle. They were afraid these people would
rise up and fight them to protect Jesus.

     Mark 14:3  "And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,
as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of
ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured
[it] on his head."

     We read in St. John that this woman was Mary, the sister of
Martha.  Simon, probably, was one of the lepers Jesus had healed.  Jesus
was eating a meal with Simon.  This Mary was the sister of Lazarus who
was raised from the dead.  Nothing was too expensive for Mary to give
to her Master.  The anointing of Jesus' head was in addition to
washing His feet with her tears and wiping them with the hairs of her
head. Martha and Mary loved Jesus very much.  This was very expensive
perfume, possibly, the most expensive in the land.  Nothing they would
do would ever repay Him for raising their brother, Lazarus, from the
grave.

     Mark 14:4 "And there were some that had indignation within
themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?"

     John 12:4 "Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot,
Simon's [son], which should betray him," John 12:5 "Why was not this
ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?"
Three hundred pence was nearly a year's wages for a man.  We know that
Judas really wanted that money put in the purse which he carried.  He
really wasn't interested in the poor.  His greed for money later
caused him to betray Jesus.  It seems that more than one of the
disciples thought this perfume being poured on Jesus' head was a
waste.  The main complaint came from Judas though.

     Mark 14:5 "For it might have been sold for more than three
hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured
against her."

     This really was no one's business but hers, what she did with what
belonged to her.  Her unselfishness possibly, showed their greed even
more than usual.

     Mark 14:6 "And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she
hath wrought a good work on me."  Mark 14:7 "For ye have the poor with
you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have
not always."

     The world, then and now, is always full of the poor.  Opportunity
to help the poor is always there.  Jesus' first remark was to protect
her when he said, "Let her alone".  She had humbled herself more than
all of these disciples.  He told them again that He would not be with
them long.  She, possibly, understood more of what Jesus had been
telling them.

     Mark 14:8 "She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to
anoint my body to the burying."

     Please be assured that this was -not- embalming fluid as some of
the Bible dictionaries indicate.  Jesus was not embalmed.  Embalming
is Egyptian.  Hebrews were not embalmed.  This was -perfume-.  This was
anointing perfume.

     Mark 14:9 "Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall
be preached throughout the whole world, [this] also that she hath done
shall be spoken of for a memorial of her."

     This was a prophetic statement by Jesus. Mary would be
immortalized for anointing Jesus before His burial.  The other gospels
mentioned a woman and John said Mary.

     Mark 14:10  "And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the
chief priests, to betray him unto them."

     We see, here, that one of the elect twelve would be the one to
betray Jesus.  The chief priests had decided, you remember, to wait
until after Passover, but they would not overlook this opportunity.
It seems this happened soon after Mary anointed Jesus.  Judas' greed
was overwhelming.  He would not overlook an opportunity for profit.

     Mark 14:11 "And when they heard [it], they were glad, and
promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently
betray him."

     The money they offered him was thirty pieces of silver.  We went
into a good bit of detail on this in the Matthew teaching.  "Thirty" or
3 times 10, is God (symbolized by the number 3) dealing with the world
(symbolized by the number 10).  "Silver" means redemption.  We will see
God redeeming the world in the most unlikely way, by the sacrifice of
the Lamb of God (Jesus Christ) on the cross.  Judas' greed was greater
than his love for Jesus.  Judas plotted to betray Jesus.

     Mark 14:12  "And the first day of unleavened bread, when they
killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that
we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?"

     Actually, unleavened bread was eaten all week.  This was actually
on the 14th of Nisan.  This place they were speaking of had to be
somewhere in Jerusalem.

     Mark 14:13 "And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith
unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing
a pitcher of water: follow him."

     In Luke the 22nd chapter the 8th verse, the Scripture tells us
that the two disciples sent were Peter and John.  The Lord was telling
them how to recognize the man they must follow.

     Mark 14:14 "And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman
of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I
shall eat the passover with my disciples?"

     This was, perhaps, someone that Jesus already knew, but whether he
knew Jesus before or not is unimportant.  God had the man to be in
this particular place.  He would be receptive.  This guest chamber
Jesus told them of was a second story room.  In fact, a very large
room.

     Mark 14:15 "And he will shew you a large upper room furnished
[and] prepared: there make ready for us."

     God had this man prepare this upper room for the feast.  How this
man knew to have this guest chamber ready, we are not told, but we
know that, possibly, the Holy Spirit had caused the man to have these
preparations made.

     Mark 14:16 "And his disciples went forth, and came into the city,
and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover."

     They had gotten the lamb, and had took it to the temple to be
sacrificed by the priest.  This meat would be cooked at the house of
the upper room.  This would consist of the bitter herbs, wine, and
unleavened bread, and be eaten and drunk by Jesus and the disciples.
                          Mark 29 Questions

1.  What two ceremonial feasts overlapped?
2.  What time of the year were these feasts?
3.  In verse 1, we find that the intentions of the chief priests and
    scribes were to do what to Jesus?
4.  What was Passover celebrating?
5.  Who is the passover lamb symbolic of?
6.  Who is the unleavened bread symbolic of?
7.  For how many years were the Jews to celebrate Passover?
8.  Why were the priests planning to wait till after the feast day to
    capture Jesus?
9.  Where did Jesus go, and was sitting at meat, when the ointment was
    poured on His head?
10. Who was the woman?
11. Why do you think she had done this?
12. How expensive was it?
13. How did the disciples feel about this?
14. In St. John, which disciple was mentioned specifically complaining?
15. Why do you suppose he felt this way?
16. Who did Judas go to and make a deal with?
17. How much money did they offer Judas?
18. What does the amount of money mean symbolically?
19. On the first day of Unleavened Bread, what did the disciples ask
    Jesus?
20. What city would the Passover be celebrated in?
21. Who went to make the arrangements?
22. What question were they to ask the man?
23. What name did they call Jesus by to the man?
24. Describe the room where they would feast.
25. What did the disciples do to prepare?

                                 Notes