INTRODUCTION:

            The last time we were in Mark, he contrasted two events that were not in chronological order.  The first event was two days before the Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread.  This event was the gathering of the chief priests and scribes in the courtyard of the house of Caiaphas the high priest.  This gathering was out of desperation and hate; there had to be some way in which they could seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him.  It had to be done by stealth and privately because of the people.  They determined that it should not be done during the Passover or the feast of Unleavened Bread as the people might riot and the end result could be worse.  The second event had taken place six days before the Passover, it took place in the town of Bethany where Jesus was the honored guest at a dinner party in the home of Simon the leper.  The remarkable thing that took place in this event was when Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, came in with an expensive perfume and anointed Jesus’ head and feet with it and then wiped His feet with her hair.  The disciples, led by Judas Iscariot, scolded Mary for this waste of such an expensive perfume that could have been sold to help the poor.  Jesus stopped the disciples and commended Mary for her love and devotion and for anointing Him for His upcoming burial.  This morning, we will see how this act of love, contrasted with the religious leaders hate resulted in a plot to betray Jesus.  Let’s pray before getting into our passage of Scripture this morning.

--PRAY--

 

SCRIPTURE:

            Turn in your Bibles this morning to Mark 14:10-21.  Please stand, if you are able, in honor of the reading of God’s Word and follow along while I read.

     Mark 14:10-21,

            “Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them. They were glad when they heard this, and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time. On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, ‘Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?’  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; 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?’  And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; prepare for us there.” The disciples went out and came to the city, and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover. When it was evening He came with the twelve. As they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, ‘Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me—one who is eating with Me.’  They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, ‘Surely not I?’  And He said to them, ‘It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl.  For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.’ ” (Mark 14:10–21, NASB95)[1]

PLOT PROPOSED (Mark 14:10-11)

            There are names in human history that become infamous because of the person who bore that name.  For example, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Vladimir Lenin, Judas Iscariot.  The last of those names was one of the twelve disciples and was in the presence of Jesus for more than three years.  Judas wasted that unique privileged opportunity and chose instead to betray the Son of God to His killers.  How soon this took place after that dinner in Bethany we are not told, but what Judas saw as sinful waste of that expensive perfume, and the rebuke that followed as Jesus commended Mary seemed to be the final straw for Judas.  Judas was the only member of the Twelve from outside Galilee.  The title “Iscariot” means “man from Kerioth,” indicating for us that Judas came from that village which was located nearly twenty-five miles south of Jerusalem.  Though Judas followed Jesus for selfish and materialistic reasons, he managed to deceive the other eleven disciples to the extent that none of them suspected him of being a hypocrite and a traitor.  There was one person whom Judas could not deceive, and that was Jesus.  The Lord Jesus knew the condition of Judas’ wicked heart and what he was plotting to do.

            Mark records for us, “Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them.” (Mark 14:10, NASB95)[2]  Notice that this interaction with the chief priests took place on the initiative of Judas.  He went out of his way to seek out those who he knew were taking counsel together to find a way to get rid of Jesus.  His express purpose in going to the chief priests was to betray Jesus to them.  How did the chief priests react?  “They were glad when they heard this, and promised to give him money.” (Mark 14:11a, NASB95)[3] For thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave, Judas was willing to sell out his Master.  After striking a deal with the chief priests, Mark tells us, “And he began seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time.” (Mark 14:11b, NASB95)[4]  Judas knew that the opportune time would be when Jesus was away from the crowds, in a place where He could be arrested privately.

            The rest of the disciples were oblivious to the devious plot of Judas, the Lord knew exactly what he was plotting and planning to do.  Because Judas had chosen to not believe in Jesus, not believe that He was the Messiah and the Son of God, God gave him over to Satan.  Luke 22:3-6 says this concerning Judas, “And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them. They were glad and agreed to give him money. So he consented, and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them apart from the crowd.” (Luke 22:3–6, NASB95)[5]  Satan entered and operated through this unregenerate hypocrite, who like the religious leaders, was himself a child of the devil.  The interesting thing is that Satan by inciting Judas to betray Jesus, brought about his own demise; the devil’s apparent victory actually was his ultimate defeat.  Earlier in Jesus’ ministry, Satan had influenced Peter to try to convince Jesus to avoid the cross altogether.  Through the religious leaders, Satan hoped to disrupt God’s timetable by delaying the crucifixion until after the Passover.  But whatever Satan’s motives, his actions could not override the sovereign will of God.

            It is shocking to know that the Messiah’s betrayer could come from among the twelve disciples, His closest companions.  But as unthinkable as it might seem, God was in complete control.  The satanically inspired betrayer was actually fulfilling biblical prophecy.  This does not let Jadas off the hook, he is still responsible for his own actions that led him to sin, but God was able to take that action and use Judas’ betrayal as a part of the eternal plan of redemption.

 

PASSOVER PREPARATIONS (Mark 14:12-16)

            In verse 12, Mark moves us forward to the Thursday of Passion Week.  Mark writes, “On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed.” (Mark 14:12a, NASB95)[6]  Jesus knew that the time of His death was near, but before that took place He would share the final Passover meal with His disciples.  The disciples approached Jesus, it was likely early on that Thursday morning.  The disciples of a Rabbi also serve the needs of their Rabbi and that is what we see taking place here.  Mark writes, “His disciples said to Him, ‘Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?’ ” (Mark 14:12b, NASB95)[7]

            Jesus’ response must have puzzled His disciples.  But Jesus answered in the way He did because of the treachery that Judas was planning.  If Judas discovered where Jesus and the disciples would be that evening, he could have alerted the religious leaders, making it possible to arrest Jesus privately during the Passover meal.  But that would have been premature, Jesus needed this time with His disciples to prepare them for His death and departure.  So, to keep the place that they would be eating the Passover meal, Jesus gave a cryptic answer to the disciples to keep the location secret, known only to Him and the two He sent to prepare.  Mark writes, “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.’ ” (Mark 14:13, NASB95)[8]  The parallel passage in Luke 22 informs us that the two Jesus sent were Peter and John.  Jesus’ instructions to them were intentionally vague, mentioning no locations or names, so that Judas would have no advance knowledge about where they would be that evening.  Only Peter and John would find out beforehand by following Jesus’ instructions, arriving there they remained to finish the necessary preparations.  The rest of the disciples did not know where the meal would take place until Jesus led them there later that evening, leaving Judas no time to report the location to Jesus’ enemies.

            Jesus instructed Peter and John to go into Jerusalem and when they arrived they would be met by a man carrying a pitcher of water.  This man, who was likely a servant, would stand out because he was performing a domestic task that in Jesus’ time was normally done by women.  Peter and John were instructed to follow this man, then Jesus said, “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?” ’  “And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; prepare for us there.” ” (Mark 14:14–15, NASB95)[9]  Clearly Jesus had prearranged with the owner to use his guestroom.  It was common in those days to have a guestroom on the roof of your house that could even be reached without going into the house.  Many families used these to eat the Passover as all males were required to come to Jerusalem for this holiday.  The owner was familiar with Jesus since Peter and John were simply to tell him that “the Teacher” had sent them.  Peter and John found everything just as Jesus had said.  Mark writes that after receiving Jesus’ instructions, “The disciples went out and came to the city, and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.” (Mark 14:16, NASB95)[10]  The necessary preparations included taking the lamb to the temple to be slain, then roasting the lamb, the disciples would also need to gather the other items for the meal, unleavened bread, wine, bitter herbs, and the fruit and nuts to make the mash.  This would be the final Passover commemorating Israel’s liberation from Egypt.  Jesus knew that it was critical for Him to celebrate the Passover with His disciples that night because during this final meal He transformed the Passover celebration into the Lord’s Supper, which commemorated His death on the cross.

            Jesus’ celebration of the Passover on the night before His death raises an important question: How could He celebrate the Passover on Thursday night when the actual Passover was on Friday?  To answer this question, we must understand that the Jews had two different methods of reckoning days.  Ancient Jewish sources tell us that Jews from the northern part of Israel, including Galilee and all areas surrounding that region counted days from sunrise to sunrise.  Jews in the southern region of Judea counted days from sunset to sunset.  Though no doubt confusing at times, that dual method of reckoning days would have had practical benefits at Passover allowing the feast to be celebrated on two consecutive days.  Jesus and His disciples being mostly Galileans would have viewed Passover day as running from sunrise on Thursday to sunrise on Friday and thus would have their Passover meal on Thursday evening.  Those from Judea and the religious leaders viewed sunset on Thursday to sunset on Friday as the Passover and would have their meal on Friday evening.  Therefore, Jesus could celebrate the Passover with His disciples on Thursday evening and still die on Passover the next day.

 

PLOT PROCLAIMED (Mark 14:17-21)

            Mark tells us that when evening had come, Jesus came with the disciples to the place where Peter and John had prepared the meal.  They reclined at the table in Jewish fashion, resting on cushions with their heads toward the table and their feet extended away from it.  Though the first Passover in Egypt was eaten in haste, over the centuries the Passover meal had become a prolonged event, with the meal going well into the night as they lingered around the table.

            The Passover would have several features.  It would begin with a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s deliverance, protection, and goodness.  The opening prayer would be followed by the first of four cups of red wine.  This would be followed by a ceremonial washing of the hands, signifying the need for holiness and a cleansing from sin.  This may have been the part of the meal when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet.  This ceremonial cleansing was followed by the eating of bitter herbs.  These bitter herbs symbolized the harsh bondage and affliction that the Israelites endured while enslaved in Egypt.  Along with the bitter herbs loaves of unleavened bread would be broken, passed out, and dipped into a thick mash made of ground fruit and nuts.  Once the bitter herbs were eaten, they would sing the first two Psalms of the Hallel.  Kathryn read the first Psalm as our Scripture reading this morning.  The first two are Psalms 113 and 114.  They are called the “Hallel” because they are hymns of praise.  This is the same word that is in our English word “Hallelujah” which means “Praise the Lord.”  After the first two psalms of praise were sung, the head of the household or the host would explain the meaning of Passover.  Then the roasted lamb and unleavened bread would be served.  When the main course was finished the third cup of red wine would be received.  To complete the traditional ceremony the participants would sing the rest of the Hallel, psalms 115-118, and then the fourth and final cup of wine would be passed for all to drink.

            At some point during this evening, Mark writes, “As they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, ‘Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me—one who is eating with Me.’ ” (Mark 14:18, NASB95)[11] This was the first time that Jesus revealed to the disciples that one of them would betray Him to death.  Jesus words are very much like David’s who after being betrayed by one whom he trusted, exclaimed in Psalm 55:12-14, “For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, Then I could bear it; Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, Then I could hide myself from him. But it is you, a man my equal, My companion and my familiar friend; We who had sweet fellowship together Walked in the house of God in the throng.” (Psalm 55:12–14, NASB95)[12]  In a similar lament, in Psalm 41:9 David wrote, “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.” (Psalm 41:9, NASB95)[13]  David’s pain was caused by the betrayal of his trusted advisor Ahithophel who joined Absalom in his rebellion against David.  This verse became a prophecy concerning Jesus Christ and was fulfilled by Judas.  In the Jewish culture, eating together was regarded as a sign of friendship, to betray someone while eating with them compounded the treachery, making it even more detestable.

            Jesus knew who was going to betray Him, He knows the hearts of all men, and He knew the wicked intentions of Judas’ heart.  The other disciples suspected nothing, Judas was so skilled at hiding his hypocrisy that they trusted him as their treasurer, though John tells us that Judas was helping himself to the money that he cared for.  The disciples had ignorantly considered Judas as a man of integrity.

            In shock and disbelief at what Jesus had just said to them that one of them would betray Him.  Mark writes their response, “They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, ‘Surely not I?’ ” (Mark 14:19, NASB95)[14] The word “grieved” means to be distressed, sorrowful, and in great emotional pain.  This grief must have gripped all of them, except Judas.  With the exception of Judas, the disciples truly believed in Jesus and were incredulous when informed that one of them was a traitor.  Their question, “Surely not I?” was genuine—both in the self-doubt and the sincere affection and devotion for Christ that it expressed. 

            When they were eating the bitter herbs along with the bread dipped in the mash of fruit and nuts, Jesus spoke again. “And He said to them, ‘It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl.’ ” (Mark 14:20, NASB95)[15]  There would have been several of these bowls around the table, and Judas must have been sitting close to Jesus and using the same bowl He was using.  The disciples still did not fully understand to whom the Lord was referring.  John in his parallel account of this event explains that they continued to be confused as to the identity of Jesus’ betrayer.  He writes in John 13:24-30, “So Simon Peter gestured to [John], and said to him, ‘Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking.’ He, leaning back thus on Jesus’ bosom, said to Him, ‘Lord, who is it?’ Jesus then answered, ‘That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.’  So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, ‘What you do, do quickly.’  Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him. For some were supposing, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, ‘Buy the things we have need of for the feast’; or else, that he should give something to the poor. So after receiving the morsel he went out immediately; and it was night.” (John 13:24–30, NASB95)[16]

            Judas was a wretched fool, he was motivated by his own evil desires, but even so he could not frustrate nor alter the plan of God,  In fact, the wicked designs of Judas were strategically set by God into His redemptive purposes.  As Jesus went on to explain in verse 21 of Mark 14, “’For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him.’ ” (Mark 14:21a, NASB95)[17]  Everything that was about to happen to Jesus was foreordained by God and it was foretold in Scripture.  Details of His betrayal, His suffering and crucifixion were predicted in the Old Testament in passages like Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, and Zechariah 12.  The plan had been determined in the eternity past and recorded in the Old Testament.  Jesus did not go to the cross as a helpless victim but as an obedient Son fulfilling both the word and will of His Father.

It is important to note and to understand that although God used Judas to accomplish His purposes, Judas was still personally responsible for his evil actions.  As Jesus went on to explain,  “…but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” (Mark 14:21b, NASB95)[18]  In the sovereign providence of God, God constantly overrules people’s sinful choices like those of Judas, for His own ends and glory.  But that reality does not exonerate them for their sinful wickedness.  The word “woe” is more than a warning; it is God’s pronouncement of judgment and His condemnation.  Through his willful rejection of Jesus Christ, choosing to betray Him rather than believe in Him, Judas doomed his soul to eternal hell.  Jesus did not stop there but said it would have been good for that man if he had not been born.  Like all who reject Jesus Christ, Judas would be condemned forever.  Having been given the ultimate privilege of being one of Jesus’ disciples, Judas would be punished accordingly with extreme measures.  The eternal punishment that awaited Judas and all unbelievers is so severe that to have never existed would be infinitely better.  The author of Hebrews describes the dreadful consequences that await those who display such obstinate unbelief.  He writes in Hebrews 10:29-31, “How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’  It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:29–31, NASB95)[19]

CONCLUSION:

            What can we learn from this passage of Scripture?  We can learn that we do not want to be like Judas Iscariot.  Like Judas, we too have been given much opportunity to go the right way, to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Judas spurned the opportunity given to him even after spending more than three years in the presence of the Lord Jesus.  Instead of believing in Him after seeing the miracles that proved that He was who He claimed to be, and after hearing Him teach with incredible authority and power, after being in His presence, Judas rejected it all and chose instead to betray the Messiah, the Son of God to His enemies.  We have the written record, and it is true, don’t make the same evil choice the Judas made.  Jesus went to the cross just as it was written of Him, and He went to that cross for you.  He loved you and suffered and shed His blood and died for you, so that we might enter into a relationship with Him, that we might be reconciled to God, that we might be declared righteous in Him, that we might have eternal life.  Do not make the same choice as Judas and reject it all.  Instead, repent agreeing with God that you are a sinner and that you deserve nothing from Him but judgment and condemnation.  Believe, that Jesus Christ died for you, paying the penalty required for sin and find forgiveness and salvation in Him.

            If you are a believer already, this is a good time to reflect on your own relationship with Christ.  Have you betrayed Him by not using the opportunities that He gives you to speak about Him?  Have you betrayed Him by going somewhere whether physically or online where you know He would not go?  As we think about the betrayal plot of Judas, it is a good time to do some self-examination and our own confession.  John wrote in 1st John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, NASB95)[20]

 

[1]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[2]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[3]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[4]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[5]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[6]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[7]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[8]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[9]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[10]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[11]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[12]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[13]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[14]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[15]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[16]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[17]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[18]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[19]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[20]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.