by Gary L. Evans
(revised 7/31/2023)
Mark — Part 22
Mark 14:43 And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
Then Judas came up to Jesus with a lot of men carrying swords and clubs who had been sent by the chief priests and scribes.
Mark 14:44-46 And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely. And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him. And they laid their hands on him, and took him.
Then Judas kissed Jesus to signal to the soldiers which one they should arrest. So then they arrested Jesus.
Mark 14:47-50 And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me? I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled. And they all forsook him, and fled.
One Disciple used his sword and cut off the ear of one of the soldiers of the high priest. Then Jesus asked them why were they coming as a troop of soldiers with swords and clubs, when I was always teaching in The Temple openly, so you could have easily arrested Me there? Then all of the Disciples ran away, to fulfill Prophesy.
Zec 13:7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.
So it was necessary that Jesus would be arrested in a situation that would terrify the Disciples to cause them to run away. And Jesus had explicitly told them that they would all do that very thing.
Mark 14:51-52 And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.
A “certain young man” escaped the soldiers and ran away without his outer garment. Don’t let the word, “naked,” confuse you, because he was surely still wearing his inner garment, which today we call, underwear.
And note that according to Hebrew tradition, a “young man” was a man under the age of 40, because only men aged 40 and above were permitted to engage in mortal combat. Younger men were referred to as “youths,” and could only be water carriers or run other errands such as carrying messages or equipment.
And it was the custom in those days, that an author would not be so bold as to identify himself when his narrative described him in the context. Who was this “certain young man?” Mark was not one of the Chosen Disciples of Jesus. But he was an eyewitness of the events he wrote about.
Was he a young bystander, one of our Lord’s disciples among the crowds? Was he following Jesus and His Disciples wherever they traveled so that he could hear many words that Jesus said and observe many miracles that Jesus did? Well, after Jesus ascended, the Disciples, then called, Apostles, regarded Mark very highly, and included him on many of their evangelical journeys.
Mark 14:53-56 And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire. And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.
The soldiers took Jesus to the high priest, the highest religious muckadeeduck in Jerusalem at the time. Peter followed along to witness what was happening to Jesus. And of course those hypocrites tried to find false witnesses to testify against Jesus.
Mark 14:57-62 And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. But neither so did their witness agree together. And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
They brought several false witnesses to the trial, but their statements contradicted one another. Finally the high priest asked Jesus if He was The Messiah, The Son of God. And Jesus said, I AM.
Mark 14:63-64 Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.
When Jesus said that, the high priest tore his clothes and declared that Jesus had blasphemed. And the other hypocrites agreed and condemned Him to death. Jesus answered that He was The Messiah, but He also implied even more than that, which we as Christians understand because we study all of God’s Word.
Exo 3:13-14 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
“I AM THAT I AM” is the most sacred Name of God Most High who appeared to Moses on the mount before he went back to Egypt to rescue all of the descendants of Jacob (Israel) from slavery. Jesus had answered, I AM, which can be understood as “Yes,” that He was The Messiah, but can also be understood to imply that He was “That I Am.” Note that Jesus NEVER explicitly claimed to be God. That declaration is reserved for The Antichrist at the end.
Mark 14:65 And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.
Some of the soldiers spit on Jesus, and covered His face so that He could not see, and pushed Him around, and slapped Him in the face, and mocked Him asking who it was that had slapped Him?
Mark 14:66-68 And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest: And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.
Peter denied knowing Jesus, and the rooster crowed the first time.
Mark 14:69-70 And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them. And he denied it again…
Peter denied knowing Jesus the second time.
Mark 14:70-72 …And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto. But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak. And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.
Peter denied knowing Jesus the third time, and the rooster crowed the second time, according to the Prophesy that Jesus had spoken to Peter. Peter cried.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.
Mark — Part 23
Mark 15:1 And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.
The chief priests and scribes took Jesus to Pilate, who was the Roman Governor of Jerusalem and the surrounding region.
Mark 15:2 And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it.
Then Pilate asked Jesus, Are you the king of the Jews? And Jesus replied, You said that.
Mark 15:3-5 And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing. And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee. But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.
The chief priests accused Jesus of many things, but Jesus refused to answer them. Then Pilate asked Him, Won’t you say anything about all of the things these people accuse you of? Jesus still refused to answer.
Isa 53:6-7 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Jesus refused to answer in His own defense in order to fulfill Scripture, because He was to become The Lamb of God going to the slaughter.
Mark 15:6-9 Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
Pilate had a custom each year to release one Hebrew prisoner. There was a prisoner named, Barabbas, who had committed murder. And the people reminded Pilate of the custom, and he asked them, Do you want me to release The King of The Jews?
Mark 15:10-11 For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy. But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.
Pilate knew how the chief priests envied Jesus and wanted Him killed. But they managed to stir up a mob of people to yell they wanted Barabbas to be released.
Mark 15:12-13 And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him.
So Pilate asked the people what they wanted to be done to Jesus? And they yelled, Crucify Him.
Mark 15:14-15 Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him. And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
Pilate, being the Roman Governor, just wanted to prevent civil unrest, so when the people yelled again to crucify Jesus, he released Barabbas to them as they had demanded and turned Jesus over to the soldiers to be beaten and crucified.
Mark 15:16-20 And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band. And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
The Roman soldiers took Jesus, clothed Him in a purple robe and put a crown made of thorns on His head. Then they mocked Him by pretending to salute Him, calling Him, King of the Jews. Then they beat Him and spit on Him and pretended to worship Him by bowing down before Him. Then they removed the robe and took Him to be crucified.
Mark 15:21-24 And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not. And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.
The soldiers took Jesus to Golgotha, and offered Him wine but Jesus refused it. After they crucified Jesus, they divided up the material of His outer garments, but His inner garment was seamless and could not be torn, so they gambled for that.
Psa 22:16-18 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
These things were done to fulfill Prophesy.
Mark 15:25-28 And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
Mark refers to a Prophesy in Isaiah.
Isa 53:8-12 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
The Messiah must be put to death for the transgressions of God’s People. He must be put to death with criminals. He must be buried in the tomb of a rich man (His uncle, Joseph of Arimathaea).
Mark 15:29-32 And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, Save thyself, and come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
People who walked by to look mocked Jesus.
Psa 22:7-8 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
And their mocking of Jesus was in order to fulfill Prophesy.
Mark 15:33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
The “sixth hour” was twelve noon. So at noon, the whole sky became pitch dark until three in the afternoon. We might imagine this was a solar eclipse, but when has there ever been an eclipse that lasted for THREE HOURS?
Mark 15:34-35 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.
Then Jesus began quoting the Psalm, but those who stood by thought He was calling out to Elijah. There is no doubt that Jesus recited this Psalm to the very last verse while hanging on the cross, because even while on the cross, Jesus continued teaching to His last breath.
Psa 22:1 To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
The Psalm begins, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which in the Hebrew means, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
Psa 22:2-8 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
By reciting this Psalm, Jesus showed to everyone standing around Him how that everything that was happening to Him was the fulfillment of Prophesy.
Psa 22:9-16 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
The wicked ones must pierce the hands and feet of The Messiah. And they accomplished that by nailing His hands and feet to a Roman cross used for execution.
Psa 22:17-18 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
They divided up His outer clothing among them and gambled for His inner garment.
Psa 22:19-24 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.
The Lord had not forsaken His Only Begotten Son, but heard His prayers. Everything that Jesus said and everything that Jesus did and everything that happened to Him was to fulfill Prophesy.
Psa 22:25-26 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
The humble before The Lord who seek Him will be happy and will praise Him and have Eternal Life. This is the Promise of The New Covenant.
Psa 22:27-28 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the LORD’S: and he is the governor among the nations.
When Christ returns to establish His Millennial Kingdom, all of God’s Children will remember and return to Him, and all will worship at the feet of Christ. He is The King of kings and Lord of lords forever.
Psa 22:29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.
Everyone will worship Christ Jesus, everyone, the good, the bad, and the ugly. But those who remain arrogant to the very end of The Millennium will burn into ashes from within at The Judgement. No one can save his own soul.
Psa 22:30-31 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.
The word, “seed,” represents a “remnant.” So a Remnant would serve Christ and be counted for a Generation. These are The Elect, those who were chosen since the destruction of The First Earth Age for The Lord’s service in this world. Do you have a destiny, my friends? Note that the ending phrase of Psalm 22, “he hath done this,” also means in the Hebrew, “it is finished.”
Mark 15:36-37 And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
The last thing the soldiers did was to give Jesus a sponge soaked in wine vinegar.
Psa 69:20-21 Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
All Prophesy leading up to our Lord’s Death had been fulfilled. Finally the last verse Jesus recited with His last breath in a loud voice on the cross was, IT IS FINISHED!
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.