Bible Commentaries
Mark 14

Verse 1

When men’s hearts are set upon doing mischief, their minds will be fruitful in resources to accomplish.

Verses 1-9

Christ’s head anointed. Matthew 26:1-13 .

Verse 3

Love is fruitful in ways of expressing itself towards the object beloved. That which would be thought by others quite too expensive, and requiring too much self-denial, is performed, under the influence of true affection, with alacrity and delight.

Verse 4

Persons may be in the same society, and yet their hearts be going out towards totally different objects. Mary, in the fervor of love for the Saviour, was anointing him with very precious ointment, while Judas was saying, "Wherefore is this waste?" and preparing to go to his murderers with the question, "What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?" Surely, "He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats."

Verse 5

Three hundred pence ; in the Greek, three hundred denarii. The denarius is commonly estimated at about fifteen cents. Three hundred denarii, then, would be about forty-five dollars.

Verse 8

She hath done what she could ; showed her love in the best way in her power.

Verses 10-11

Judas selleth his Master. Matthew 26:14-16 .

Verse 12

Killed the passover ; killed the lamb that was slain on that occasion.

Verses 12-16

Passover prepared. Matthew 26:17-19 .

Verse 13

The city ; Jerusalem.

Verse 14

Good man ; the master of the house.

Guest - chamber ; a spare room for the use of visitors. It was customary at the time of the passover to keep such rooms ready furnished for the accommodation of strangers.

Verses 17-31

The last supper. Matthew 26:20-35 .

Verse 19

The thought of being instrumental in betraying Jesus Christ, and injuring his cause, is painful to his friends, and should lead them to earnest prayer and vigorous effort, that they may be kept from the commission of such dreadful sin.

Verse 23

The "fruit of the vine" is a proper element with which to celebrate the Lord’s supper. It is a representation of his blood, which was shed for many for the remission of sins. All his friends should drink of it, in kind and grateful remembrance of him.

Verse 29

Great self-confidence is a disciple of Christ is the forerunner of a speedy downfall. "He that trusteth his own heart is a fool." Proverbs 28:26 .

Verses 32-46

The agony in the garden. Matthew 26:36-50 .

Verse 35

The most earnest desires and fervent prayers for deliverance from evils are entirely consistent with perfect resignation to the will of God with regard to them.

Verse 36

Abba ; a Syriac word, meaning, Father.

This cup ; the sufferings that were before him.

Verse 41

Sleep on now-it is enough ; some take the first clause interrogatively: Do ye now sleep on in such circumstances? it is enough that ye have slept, etc. Others take the first clause ironically, and the second earnestly: Sleep on now, if ye can in such circumstances, etc. Others still take the first clause permissively, as much as to say, My season of prayer when I desired you to watch is ended: sleep on for the rest of the time before the betrayer comes. And then, after a pause, as he sees Judas coming, It is enough that you have slept, etc. The latter is perhaps the preferable view.

Verse 45

Master , Master ; appearing to acknowledge him as his Lord, and to be rejoiced to see him.

Verse 49

The scriptures must be fulfilled ; those scriptures which foretold that he would be taken and put to death.

Verse 50

All forsook him , and fled ; all the disciples, lest they should be taken also. In times of great danger, our dependence cannot safely be placed on men; not even on good men. They cannot trust themselves. Their good resolutions may vanish, and their courage die. There is no safe dependence but on God.

Verse 51

A certain young man ; who this young man was we have no means of knowing. He had perhaps been awakened by the tumult, hastily left his bed, cast a loose covering over him, and joined the crowd.

Young men ; the soldiers or servants.

Laid hold on him ; seized him, as if he were one of Christ’s disciples.

Verse 55

The council ; the sanhedrim, which was the highest Jewish tribunal.

Found none ; none that testified in such a manner as to answer their purpose.

Verse 58

Made with hands ; this was not true. What he did say, and what he meant, is stated in John 2:19-21 .

Verse 68

No one knows to what depths of iniquity a good man, when left to himself, will fall. He may deny his best friend, desert his greatest benefactor, and even testify and swear to a known lie. Were it not for the grace of God, he would never rise, but sink lower and lower in wickedness and woe for ever.

Verse 69

One of them ; one of the disciples of Jesus.

Verse 70

Thy speech agreeth thereto ; he spoke like a Galilean.