The Compassion of the Servant of the Lord

Sermon on Mark 14:12-21

The Outline (for display only)

I. The Story
II. The teaching about Jesus in the story
III. Our response to what we learn about Jesus from the story

In my preaching this morning, firstly, I would like to read the text, a portion at a time, then I shall explain the story background and the social custom that would help us understand the story better. Secondly, I shall preach the focus of the story – what Mark wants his readers to learn about Jesus. Lastly, I would share how we may respond to Mark’s teaching about Jesus.

I. The Story

The story begins at this time of the year

12 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb,

The Jewish celebrate their new year on the 1st of the month of Nisan (that would be sometime between March & April in our calendar). On the 10th day of the New Year, each family would buy a lamb. The family must good care of that lamb until the 14th day of the same month. By the evening of the 14 of Nisan, the father of the family would bring that lamb to the temple to be examined killed by a priest. Then the family would eat the lamb within the city of Jerusalem.

The Passover feast commemorates God’s historical deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt. The LORD has redeemed them from slavery.

The Passover festive is followed by a seven-day feast of the unleavened bread. For seven days every household must eat bread made without yeast. That feast celebrates the beginning of a new life – people with the freedom to serve the LORD.

The Passover is one of the two Jewish feasts that must be celebrated within the city, Jerusalem. The other feast was the Day of Atonement

In Jesus’ time, over 100,000 Jewish people go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover every year. The housing facilities for the pilgrims were limited and insufficient. Jewish law required those who owned big houses to allow their fellow-Jews to use their premise for celebration.

It was also a custom for disciples to prepare the Passover venue and food for their respective teacher.

So, in this story we read,

Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?"

At that time, unknown to his disciples, Jesus had already made pre-arrangement to celebrate the Passover with His disciples. The arrangement that Jesus made was secretive.

13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him.

It would be easy for the disciple to spot a man carrying a pitcher because that was an unusual sight. Normally, only the women carry water in a pitcher; the men would carry water in animal skins.

14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 15 He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there."

Jesus’ arrangement for the Passover had to be secretive. He knew that the religious leaders were plotting to arrest him and kill Him before the Passover. They were afraid of riots. Jesus also wanted to avoid being arrested prematurely. He still had much to teach His disciple.

Before he went to the cross to fulfill God’s will, Jesus wished to eat a last supper with His disciples. At that communion table He would give a new meaning to the bread and the cup. From John’s Gospel, we learn that Jesus had yet to teach His disciples to wash one another’s feet (John 13); He had yet teach the disciples to expect God’s sending of the Holy Spirit (John 14-16). Mostly of all, Jesus wanted to make an intercessory prayer for all His disciples to set them apart for God’s purpose (John 17).

So much left to be done, and so little time left. That was probably why Jesus had to keep his where about a secret until He had completed His ministry.

In verse 16 we read,

16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

From verse 17 onwards, we begin to read what Mark wanted us to learn about Jesus as the Servant of the Lord…

17 When evening came…

A new day for the Jews begins at sunset and it lasts until the next sunset, that is from 6.00pm to 6.00pm. For us a new day begins at midnight, and it runs until the next midnight. So, a new day, as well as the Passover had begun when Jesus arrived at the house with his apostles.

17 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve.

We do not know for sure whether there were other disciples, who knew about this prearrangement, waiting for Jesus at the house.

18 While they were reclining at the table eating,

It was a custom for the Jews to eat the Passover meal lying on their side. God actually instructed the Israelites to eat in such relaxing manner [show Exodus text]

he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me

At that point, Judas might be thinking “ Ah! Jesus has so many disciples, that ‘one of you’ can refer to someone who is either here or not here with us.”

Then Jesus added,

-- one who is eating with me."

And Judas “wetted his pants;” as for the rest…

9 They were saddened,
but Judas pretended to look sad; “I hope Jesus is only bluffing…”

Then …

and one by one they said to him, "Surely not I?"

Judas also joined the others asking Jesus, “Am I the one?”

Mark tells us that Jesus did not say “This is the one!” “He is Judas!” “He still has the nerve to ask me, ‘Am I the one?’ “Strangely, Jesus did not reveal Judas’ name.

20 "It is one of the Twelve," he replied,

"one who dips bread into the bowl with me.

The identity of the betrayer remained hidden. Then Jesus spoke very clearly to his disciples,

21 The Son of Man will go, just as it is written about him.

Yes, it is God’s mission for Jesus to die as an atoning sacrifice. Someone will betray Jesus, but Judas does not need to volunteer himself to be that ‘someone’ who will betray Jesus. They were other former disciples of Jesus who were very unhappy with Jesus. John’s Gospel tells us that there was a day when many of Jesus’ disciples left Him (John 6:66). Probably, those former disciples were equally keen to betray Jesus. They also felt that Jesus had let them down. They might have perceived Jesus as one of the messianic pretenders, just as Judas did now. Judas might have become very disillusioned since that day when Jesus his disciples “The Son of Man must suffer many things… be rejected… and be killed” (Mark 8:30-33). God did not program Judas to betray Jesus. Judas had the freedom to choose what he does and his own life’s destiny.

Then Jesus solemnly declared

But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."

Some readers interpret what Jesus’ comment about the betrayer to be a curse. They understood Jesus to be cursing Judas indirectly, wishing that he had not been born.

Some readers, however, do not interpret the same remark as a curse. They believe that Jesus was expressing His deep sorrow for Judas.

If Jesus had cursed Judas, Judas would have died right away on the spot. There was an incident when Jesus cursed a fig tree “May no one ever eat fruit from you again…” (Mark 11:14); and the next day the disciples saw that the same fig tree had withered from the point of its roots. The root had died first, followed by the leaves falling off the next day (Mark 11:20).

In saying “Woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man,” Jesus could have meant, “I feel very sorry for that person who is going to betray me, the Son of Man. His outcome shall be pitiful, so sad that I wish he were not born to commit that act.”

Such a response from Jesus towards the betrayal is consistent with what Mark’s portrayal of the Servant of the LORD in his Gospel.

I shall explain one of Mark’s portrayal of Jesus as the Compassionate Servant of the LORD in my next point.

II. The Teaching about Jesus in the Story

We have been taught in the Mark’s Gospel preaching series that the evangelist Mark seeks to present Jesus as the Servant of the LORD. Mark makes allusions to the Servant Songs in Isaiah to help his readers understand who Jesus is. One of the virtues that the Servant of the LORD possesses is compassion.

Isaiah 42:2 describes the compassion of the Servant in these poetic words:

3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice…

This Servant Song teaches that the Servant will come to bring justice to the world where injustice prevails. The Servant will usher in justice, and He will also show much compassion.

In chapter 1, Mark shows us that Jesus was filled with compassion when a leper begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus did not only speak to the leper “Be clean!” He reached out His hand and touched the leper (Mark 1:40-44). “A bruised reed He will not break”

In chapter 5, Mark shows us that Jesus was filled with compassion when he saw a large crowd who were wandering like sheep without a shepherd. The disciples suggested to Jesus to send those people away because they cannot afford to feed the hungry. Despite His tiredness and His desperate need for a good rest, Jesus instructed His disciples to feed the crowd with whatever they had – 5 loaves and two fish. A smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

Now in chapter 14, Mark shows us that Jesus was fully aware of the disciple who had conspired to betray Him. Instead of exposing that disciple outright, he indirectly gave him an opportunity to change his mind.

The first time Jesus said,

"I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me-- one who is eating with me."

Judas was not exposed; a chance was given to him.

The second time Jesus said,

"It is one of the Twelve," he replied, "one who dips bread into the bowl with me.

Judas was again not exposed; another chance was given to him.

Then Jesus expressed in his sorrow,

Woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man!
It would be better for him if he had not been born."

Jesus was telling Judas indirectly, “Judas, I know that there are people who are looking out for me. They are trying to kill me. I know your plan to betray me to them. You don’t have to do this, and I feel very sad for you if you choose to continue… ”

A flickering wick he will not snuff out

John’s Gospel confirms for us Jesus’ intense love towards all His disciples, including Judas.

He loved them till the end (John 13:1c)

However, in chapter 14, Mark does not focus solely on Judas, he was showing his readers that all the disciples of Jesus will fail Him:

First, Judas will betray Jesus (Mark 14:42-46)
Second, the others will flee and abandon Jesus (Mark 14:50); and
Lastly, Peter will deny Jesus three times (Mark 14:55-72)

John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus saw his impending death as the time to depart from this world and go to the Father.

John stresses that Jesus loved all His disciples to the end. The “all” also includes Judas.

3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

III. Our Response to What We Learn about Jesus

As we seek to follow Jesus, we may fail Him from time to time in our walk.

Sometimes, the failures are minor; at other times the failure can be major.

What do we do when have failed Jesus in our Christian living?

Mark wants us to see the compassion of Jesus

In His compassionate Jesus understands our situation;

In His compassion Jesus also gives us a chance to turn back to him;

Turn back to Jesus when He gives you a chance. Do not continue in your wrong-doing.

Even when you have ignored the chance Jesus gives you, and continue to disappoint Him, Jesus will continue to give you opportunity to turn back to Him.

Judas could not see the compassion of Jesus clearly. He chose to hang himself. He felt what he had done was unforgivable. But that is not true. When hanging on the cross in great pain, Jesus prayed for all the people who had a part in His crucifixion. He prayed, “Father, forgive them.” “Father, forgive them for they do know not what they have done.”

Those disciples, actually apostles, who had fled and abandoned Jesus during His arrest, came back to Him. They were all there, standing below the cross. Peter who had earlier swore vehemently that he did not know Jesus at all, also came back to Jesus.

In his Gospel, Mark also mentions a unnamed young man clad only in a linen garment, following Jesus during his arrest. When the people tried to size that young man, his garment dropped, and he fled away naked.

Christian tradition says that that unnamed young man ‘who fled away naked’ was Mark himself. If the tradition is correct, then Mark was also sharing his own failure as a disciple to his reader.

About fifteen years later after the ascension of Jesus, Mark became a missionary intern. He followed the apostle Paul and his cousin Barnabas on a missionary journey. At one place, Pamphylia, Mark deserted Paul and Barnabas for some reason. It seems that Mark had failed in following Jesus again (Acts 15:36-38).

Then In the second missionary journey, Paul did not want to take Mark along with the team any more. Perhaps, Paul saw Mark as a hopeless failure, a poor missionary candidate. However, Barnabas stood by Mark. Barnabas still trusted Mark as a co-worker. Paul and Barnabas had a sharp disagreement over Barnabas; and the missionary team split into two (Acts 15:39).

Barnabas was known as to the early church as the “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36). Barnabas had once stood up for Paul when the disciples distrusted and rejected him. It was very likely that Barnabas had kept encouraging Mark despite his failure.

Towards the end of his ministry, the apostle Paul had a change in his attitude towards Mark. He wrote Timothy a pastoral epistle. At the close of his letter, Paul instructed Timothy “Bring Mark along with you; he is useful to me in ministry” (2 Tim. 4:11).

Obviously, Mark had changed much and had grown in his Christian walk, ever since his experience of failure. Because people like Barnabas had shown Mark compassion and had given him the encouragement when he needed it most, that young man turned back to follow and serve Jesus again. Today, we are reading the Gospel written by Mark, who was a failure at one time.

Jesus is the Servant of the Lord. To Him, “a bruised He will not break; a flickering light he will not extinguished”.

We must respond to this compassion of Jesus. We should also pray that we may reflect Jesus’ compassion towards others who are failing Jesus, and to those who see no hope in themselves because of their Christian failure. Barnabas was an example of a Christian who lived out the compassion of Jesus.

May we continue to experience the compassion of Jesus in our Christian walk, and may God help us also to alive out that kind of compassion towards others.