Time of Christ's return - Mark 13:32
Jesus taught that God the Father knows the time of Christ's return. When he said that the
Son does not know he was referring to Jesus' fully human nature. As a human being he learned things and did not know some things. At the same time as fully God he knew all things. See the article on the Person of Christ.
Importance of being alert - Mark 13:33-37
Jesus concluded this message to his disciples by stressing how important it was for them to
be alert! Everything he said in this chapter was aimed at preparing them to live and serve after he was no longer with them. The short parable about a man going on a
journey makes the point that every follower of Jesus must always be ready for him to return. No one knows when he is coming, but Jesus will certainly
come back. See
WCF 33.3;
HC 127.
The Messiah's Experience of Suffering - Mark 14:1–15:47
These are dark, threatening chapters. They are filled with failure: failure of the Jewish leaders, failure of the crowds, failure of the Jewish and Roman legal systems, and failure of the disciples. Writing to a persecuted Roman church, Mark made it clear that the Jerusalem birth pangs of Christianity had been as severe as anything they were experiencing in Rome.
Devotion and Treachery - Mark 14:1-11
The plot in vv.1, 2 to put Jesus to death and the betrayal by Judas in vv. 10, 11 give these verses its foreboding character. Right in the middle of those two sin filled acts is the beautiful testimony to the unnamed woman's devotion. Its placement makes it sparkle like a diamond on a piece of black velvet.
The Passover - Mark 14:1-2
Technically the
Passover was the one day feast celebrating the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. Immediately following Passover was the feast of
Unleavened Bread a seven day feast which stressed the haste with which Israel left Egypt. In the practice of the first century they became merged together in the minds of most. The Jewish leaders wanted to
arrest Jesus
stealthily. At that time the population of Jerusalem was around 25,000. During the Feast it could reach 250,000. Many of the pilgrims would have been from Galilee and might have sided with Jesus in any confrontation. (See 11:18; 12:12.)
She broke the jar and poured the perfume. - Mark 14:3-9
Simon seems to be someone who was well known to Mark's audience. We know nothing else about him unless he is the Simon mentioned in Mark 15:21.
Reclining on a couch around a low table was the normal eating position in ancient Palestine. An
alabaster jar was a flask for perfume. It was typically owned only by the wealthy.
Nard was aromatic oil. Mary
broke the jar because it held enough oil for one occasion and was sealed shut. This story is also reported in Matt. 26:6-13 and John 12:1-8. John identified the woman as Mary the sister of Lazarus. This story is not to be confused with the similar but different event reported in Luke 7:36-50.
Three hundred denarii - Mark 14:5
If Jesus' story in Matt. 20:2 gives a realistic picture of the wages of a day laborer, three hundred
denarii was almost a year's wages for such a laborer. In John 12:4 Judas was identified as the leader of those who
scolded her. That Judas would betray Jesus for silver (v.11) makes it clear that the care of the poor was not really his concern.
A beautiful thing - Mark 14:6
Jesus quickly defended her. Her action was a
beautiful thing. And its beauty appeared all the more beautiful in contrast with the plotting of the Jewish leaders and the betrayal of Judas. No amount of precious oil was wasted when it was used to honor Jesus.
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