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Gospel of Mark
Part 76: The Preparations
By Rev. Bruce A. Shields
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SERMON TIMELINE
- Introduction
- John the Baptist
- The Baptism of Jesus
- Temptation of Jesus
- The Preaching Ministry of Jesus I
- The Preaching Ministry of Jesus II
- The First Disciples
- A Teacher with Authority
- At the Home of Simon and Andrew
12. Jesus and the Tax Collector
13. Jesus Questioned About Fasting
15. Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath & Resurrection Sunday 2025
16. Hard Hearts and Hard Thoughts
18. Jesus Appoints the Apostles
24. Parable of the Growing Seed
25. Parable of the Mustard Seed
26. Benefits of Private Teaching
30. When Familiarity Breeds Contempt
32. Weakness in the Seat of Power
34. Feeding 5000
38. The Source of True Defilement
39. Gentile Blessed for Her Faith
40. He Has Done All Things Well
41. Jesus Feeds 4000
42. Jesus Sighs
43. Beware of Leaven
44. The Blind Man at Bethsaida
45. Who Do You Say That Jesus Is?
46. Mindful of the Things of God
49. Ashamed of Jesus and His Word
51. The Disciples ask Questions
54. Principles of Discipleship
58. The Cost and Reward of Discipleship
59. A Couple Days Before Palm Sunday
61. Greatness in the Kingdom Comes from Serving
62. Blind Bartimaeus
63. Triumphal Entry
66. Is it from Heaven or from Men?
67. Parable of the Wicked Vine Grower
68. Our Duty to God and Country
69. The Resurrection of the Dead
71. David’s Son and David’s Lord
72. Beware the Pretentious Scribes
76. The Preparations
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Mark 14:1-16 “Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how, after seizing Him in secret, they might kill Him; 2 for they were saying, “Not during the festival, lest there be a riot of the people.”
3 And while He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster jar of perfume of very costly pure nard [An aromatic oil extracted from an East Indian plant]; and she broke the jar and poured it over His head. 4 But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? 5 For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they were scolding her. 6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She did a good work to Me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. 8 She has done what she could; she anointed My body beforehand for the burial. 9 And truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman did will also be spoken of in memory of her.”
10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went away to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them. 11 And when they heard this, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time.
12 And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they were sacrificing the Passover Lamb, His disciples *said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?” 13 And He *sent two of His disciples and *said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him; 14 and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ 15 And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; prepare for us there.” 16 And the disciples went out and came to the city, and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.”
INTRODUCTION - It is now Thursday Evening of the week of Passover.
§ Sunday: Triumphal Entry
§ Monday: Temple cleansing
o The Barren Fig Tree
o The Cleansing of the Temple
§ Tuesday: Jesus teaches extensively in the Temple
o Teaches on Faith and Forgiveness
o Is it from Heaven or Men
o Parable of the wicked Vine Growers
o Our Duty to God and Country
o Resurrection of the Dead
o The Two Greatest Commandments
o David’s Son and David’s Lord
o Beware the Pretentious Scribes
o The Widow’s Coins
o The Olivet Discourse
§ Wednesday: Very little activity is recorded
§ Thursday daytime: Preparations for Passover (TODAY’S MESSAGE)
o Thursday evening after sunset: Jesus eats the Passover meal with the Twelve, institutes the Lord’s Supper
o Late Thursday night: Gethsemane, betrayal, arrest, Jewish hearings
o Friday morning: Jesus before Pilate
o Friday: Crucifixion and death
o Friday before sunset: Burial
Luke 22:15 “And [Jesus] He said to them, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.’”
The first sixteen verses of Mark 14 we read are about the preparations being made for the for what Jesus refers to as His coming suffering.
Two preparations will be done in opposition to Jesus, and two will be done in service of Jesus.
Once these acts are completed, the stage is set for the last night (Thursday) and last day (Friday) of the earthly life of Jesus.
It begins in Mark 14:1-2 where we are told of how…
I. THE LEADERS PREPARE TO KILL JESUS
a. A plot is formed
i. Of course, this was not the beginning of their evil plot
Mark 3:6 “and the Pharisees went out and immediately began taking counsel together with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him”
Mark 11:18 “And the chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.”
Mark 12:12 “And they were seeking to seize Him, and yet they feared the crowd, for they understood that He spoke the parable against them. And so they left Him and went away.”
ii. It is now two days before the Feast of Passover, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
1. Nisan 14, the Passover Lamb is sacrificed.
2. At sunset begins Nisan 15 and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which continues for seven days
iii. According to Matthew 26:3-4, the plot involves chief priests, scribes, elders, along with Caiaphas the high priest.
iv. They intended to take Jesus through trickery (meaning sneaky, or stealth, so that no one would know they worked against Him)
b. However, they wanted to delay the plan because of the feast
i. Not wanting to do anything to interfere with the feast and possibly cause an uproar (Mark 14:2)
ii. Because they did fear the people (Mark 11:32; Luke 22:2)
iii. Despite their intent, though, the events have been orchestrated by the providential will of the Father in heaven and are out of their control.
Acts 2:23 “this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of lawless men and put Him to death.”
Their plot was carried out before they intended it to be. Before we read why, we see in Mark 14:3-9 the second of four preparations.
II. MARY PREPARES FOR JESUS’ BURIAL
a. At the house in Bethany
i. At the home of Simon the leper (who some scholars believe was perhaps the father of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus) where Jesus and the disciples had stayed for the Passover week.
1. In John 11:2; John 12:2-3, John identifies Mary as the sister of Martha and Lazarus.
2. Not to be confused with the woman who anointed Jesus in Luke 7:36-39 with an alabaster jar of perfume at the Pharisee's house.
Luke 7:39 “Now when the Pharisee, who had invited Him, saw this, he said to himself, saying, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.”
b. Mary now anoints Jesus.
i. Using an alabaster jar of expensive perfume
1. Expensive perfumes today cost anywhere from $600 - $6,000 per ounce!
2. We don’t know how many ounces were in the 12-ounce alabaster jar, but the disciples said it was probably worth 300 denarii, which would make the perfume approximately $4,000 per ounce in today’s currency if it were a full bottle.
3. However much was in there, it filled the house with fragrance.
John 12:3 “Mary then took a litra [12oz bottle] of perfume of very costly pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”
c. The disciples' indignation at the act
i. Some of them (not JUST JUDAS) were angered at what they considered wasteful.
ii. They were literally saying it was wasted on Jesus and could have been sold and the money given to the poor. The one who spoke loudest just happened to be the one who cared least about the poor.
John 12:4-6 “But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was going to betray Him, *said, 5 “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii [Approximately a years wage] and given to the poor?” 6 Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to take from what was put into it.”
iii. Just because you are in a ministry, work with churches, DO THINGS for the poor, does not always equate to actually being concerned about the poor.
iv. Remember Jesus’ warning about the pretentious preachers just a few verses ago, where he warned about how they love attention, fanfare, and adoration of the people. They love to hear their titles and see people fawn over them.
v. We read elsewhere in Scripture about how these kind of people do their works for all to see, so that they may receive their reward.
vi. How many times have you seen people DO WORKS in front of cameras, with reporters or those who take the pictures? It was not done for those in need; it was done for the one doing it to receive praise and attention.
vii. Mark 14:5 reveals how the disciples criticized Mary for what she had done for the Lord. The verse says, “and they were scolding her.”
d. But Jesus praises her!
Mark 14:6-9 “But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She did a good work to Me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. 8 She has done what she could; she anointed My body beforehand for the burial. 9 And truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman did will also be spoken of in memory of her.”
i. Leave her alone! She has done a good work in the eyes of Jesus.
ii. Look at this, she did what she could. Anointing Jesus before His burial.
1. Mary could not stop the crucifixion
2. Mary could not convince the guards to leave Jesus be
3. Mary could not rescue or hide Jesus
4. BUT SHE DID WHAT SHE COULD
5. This is what Jesus sees in our hearts! Our intent!
a. Are you doing what you CAN for Jesus right now?
b. Is there something you are supposed to be doing, or should be doing, or can do, that you are not?
6. Jesus said, leave her alone; she has done what she could. And she received praise from Jesus.
iii. Jesus said, Mary’s actions will be memorialized.
iv. Jesus' prediction of Mary's praise was fulfilled by the inclusion of this story in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John. Sadly, Mary's preparatory act is soon followed by a much different one.
III. JUDAS PREPARES TO BETRAY JESUS
a. Judas goes to the chief priests
i. With the intent to betray Jesus (Mark 14:10)
ii. We know from John 6:70-71 that Jesus knew early on that Judas would betray Him.
iii. We read in Luke 22:3 that Judas was possessed by Satan
Luke 22:3 “And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, who belonged to the number of the twelve.”
1. You can go to church
2. You can read and listen to the Word of God
3. You can surround yourself with Christians
4. You can literally eat, drink, and spend day and night with the Lord Himself
5. But if you do not surrender to Jesus, you are not His. If you are not His servant, He is not your Master.
6. Judas was what we call a carnal Christian, which is no Christian at all.
a. They know the lingo; they can say the phrases and even quote scripture.
b. But their hearts do not belong to Jesus, so neither do they. Just like Judas.
c. And they betray the Lord daily, in their walk, in their talk, in the way they live, the things they do.
d. Because they do not submit to the Lord, they submit to either Satan, their flesh and its desires, or anything other than Christ Jesus, and they, Like Judas, betray the Lord.
e. And if they do not turn from their ways on the broad road, they will lead themselves right to destruction on Judgment Day.
b. The agreement is made between Judas and the priests
i. The priests are happy and agree to pay Judas 30 pieces of silver
ii. Worth about $20,000 today
I Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evils, and some by aspiring to have it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
iii. Judas revealed his love for money in John 12:4-6 when he wanted the money from selling the perfume for the money box. The very money box scripture tells us he would steal from.
iv. What a contrast between Mary, who would pour out everything for Jesus regardless of the value the world placed upon it, and Judas, who would give up everything eternal, even his everlasting soul, for a handful of silver which only has perceived value in this earthly life.
CONCLUSION
Jesus instructs Peter and John (Luke 22:8) to go into Jerusalem and (Mark 14:13b-15) “said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him; 14 and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ 15 And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; prepare for us there.”
So, they prepared the Passover. The stage is now set.
Jesus will keep the Passover. Judas betrays Jesus.
Next, Jesus will be arrested, a trial and execution, and Jesus will be buried.
FINAL THOUGHT
What preparations are you making today?
Are they things that would prove to betray the Lord?
Or things which would show our love and devotion to Him?
Every day we do things which set our stage, though they may seem small, that either prepare us for greater things, or prepare us to do good…or do evil.
Whose example shall we follow today? Mary and the disciples, or Judas and the chief priests? Because every day we decide to love and honor the Lord, or betray Him.
[END]
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