Mark 14

In the Gospel of Mark, this is the chapter in which the account of Jesus' suffering (the Passion narrative) begins in earnest. The preceding chapter, Mark 13, contains teaching on the destruction of the Temple and the end times; from this chapter on, events move swiftly toward the cross.

Outline

• Verses 1–2: Two days before the Passover, the chief priests and scribes look for a way to seize Jesus and put him to death. Fearing an uproar among the people, they agree not to act during the feast.
• Verses 3–9: In the house of Simon the leper at Bethany, a woman breaks an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard and pours it on Jesus' head. When some rebuke her because it could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, Jesus says that she has anointed his body beforehand for burial.
• Verses 10–11: Judas Iscariot goes to the chief priests, who promise to give him money.
• Verses 12–16: Two disciples follow a man bearing a pitcher of water and prepare the Passover in a large upper room.
• Verses 17–21: Jesus foretells that one of those eating with him will betray him.
• Verses 22–26: Jesus gives the bread and the cup, saying "this is my body" and "this is my blood of the new testament." After singing a hymn, the group goes out to the Mount of Olives.
• Verses 27–31: Jesus foretells that all the disciples will be scattered. He tells Peter that before the cock crows twice, Peter will deny him three times.
• Verses 32–42: Jesus prays three times in Gethsemane, while the disciples fall asleep.
• Verses 43–52: Judas gives the signal with a kiss, and Jesus is arrested. One man cuts off the ear of the high priest's servant, and all the disciples flee. A young man wrapped in a linen cloth also runs away naked.
• Verses 53–65: The Council examines Jesus. The testimonies do not agree with one another, but when Jesus is asked whether he is the Christ and answers "I am," the Council condemns him for blasphemy.
• Verses 66–72: Peter denies Jesus three times in the courtyard of the high priest's house, and when the cock crows the second time, he weeps.

Key Verses

• Mark 14:24 "This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many": the words instituting the Lord's Supper, which echo "the blood of the covenant" in Exodus 24:8.
• Mark 14:36 "Abba, Father, … nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt": a prayer of obedience offered in the face of suffering.
• Mark 14:62 "I am": the scene in Mark's Gospel in which Jesus openly declares that he is the Christ.

Characters and Places

• Jesus Christ
• Simon the leper: the man who hosted Jesus at Bethany.
• The woman who poured the ointment: Mark does not give her name.
• Judas Iscariot, Peter, James, John
• The high priest and the Council: Mark does not record the high priest's name.
• The young man wrapped in a linen cloth: appears only in Mark's Gospel.
• The maid of the high priest: the servant girl who recognized Peter.
• Places: Bethany, the upper room in Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, and the courtyard of the high priest's house.

Points for Reflection

• Understanding the Lord's Supper: Denominations differ in their understanding of "this is my body" in verses 22–24. The Catholic Church understands it as transubstantiation, Lutherans as the real presence of Christ together with the elements, and the Reformed churches as a spiritual presence. Some traditions emphasize its memorial character. These views are treated in detail in the article Eucharistic controversies.
• The woman who poured the ointment: John 12 identifies this woman as Mary of Bethany. Her identity cannot be determined from Mark's text alone.
• The naked young man: A long-standing interpretation identifies this young man as Mark himself. The text, however, does not name him.
• The cock crowing twice: The detail that the cock crows "twice" appears only in Mark's Gospel.
• Old and New Testament connections: Verse 27 quotes Zechariah 13:7. The words concerning the bread and the cup are read alongside 1 Corinthians 11:20–26 and Luke 22:19–20.

In the Korean Church

This chapter is frequently read in sermons during Holy Week. Verses 22–25 are also sometimes read as the words of institution during the celebration of the Lord's Supper.