Bible Commentaries
Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament
Mark 14
When men’s hearts are set upon doing mischief, their minds will be fruitful in resources to accomplish.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The scriptures must be fulfilled; those scriptures which foretold that he would be taken and put to death.
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.
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.
The council; the sanhedrim, which was the highest Jewish tribunal.
Found none; none that testified in such a manner as to answer their purpose.
Made with hands; this was not true. What he did say, and what he meant, is stated in John 2:19-21.
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.
Thy speech agreeth thereto; he spoke like a Galilean.
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