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Mark 14

After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.

But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.

And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.

And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?

For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.

For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.

She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.

Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.

And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.

And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?

And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him.

And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?

And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us.

And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.

And in the evening he cometh with the twelve.

And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me.

And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I?

And he answered and said unto them, It is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish.

The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born.

And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.

And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.

And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.

Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.

And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.

But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.

But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.

And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.

But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.

And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.

And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;

And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.

And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.

And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?

Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words.

And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him.

And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.

And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.

And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely.

And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him.

And they laid their hands on him, and took him.

And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me?

I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled.

And they all forsook him, and fled.

And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him:

And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.

And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.

And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.

And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.

For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.

And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying,

We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.

But neither so did their witness agree together.

And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?

But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?

And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses?

Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.

And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.

And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest:

And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.

But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.

And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.

And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.

But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.

And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.

What does Mark 14:37 mean?

Explanation

In Mark 14:37, during the events of the Passion Week, Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane, a crucial moment leading up to His crucifixion.

He had taken Peter, James, and John, three of His closest disciples, deeper into the garden to be with Him as He prayed in deep agony over what was to come.

Jesus, fully human and fully divine, experienced the weight of impending suffering and separation from the Father as He was about to take on the sins of humanity.

The verse shows Jesus returning to His disciples, who were supposed to be keeping watch and praying to avoid falling into temptation.

Instead, He finds them asleep and directly addresses Peter (also known as Simon) with a tone of disappointment or reproof.

Jesus’ question to Peter, "Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?" underscores Peter's earlier proclamation that he would never deny Jesus (Mark 14:29-31).

Yet here, at this critical moment, Peter fails to stay awake and offer support through prayer.

The deeper meaning encompassed in this verse touches on human weakness, the spirit's willingness versus the flesh's weakness, and the need for vigilance in times of spiritual trial.

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

The event occurred during the time of Passover, a significant Jewish festival commemorating the Israelites' liberation from Egyptian slavery. Jesus and His disciples had just celebrated the Last Supper, and He had informed them that one among them would betray Him.

The Garden of Gethsemane is located on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, a place Jesus frequented for prayer and reflection.

The Jewish culture at the time placed great emphasis on prayer, especially in moments of distress.

Throughout the Old Testament, there are numerous instances of figures such as King David seeking God's guidance through prayer when in distress.

Theological Insights

In Christian theology, this verse is often seen from two angles:

Human Frailty: The disciples' inability to stay awake, even for a brief period, illustrates human weakness and the need for grace. It exemplifies how, despite good intentions ("the spirit is indeed willing"), the human nature ("the flesh is weak") often falters.
Spiritual Vigilance: Jesus highlights the importance of being spiritually awake and alert. Just as He called His disciples to watch and pray to avoid falling into temptation, Christians are urged to maintain spiritual awareness and discipline.

Different denominational traditions have varying interpretations of this event, but all agree on the central theme of the need for prayerful vigilance.

For example, Catholic theology might link the idea of watching for an hour with the practice of Eucharistic Adoration, while Protestant denominations might relate it to a disciplined prayer life.

Practical Applications

Modern believers can draw several applications from this verse:

Prayerful Watchfulness: It serves as a reminder to be diligent in prayer, especially during challenging times.
Acknowledging Weakness: Understanding that human beings are prone to weakness, this verse encourages individuals to rely on God’s strength rather than their own.
Supporting Others: It shows the importance of being there for one another in times of trial, as Jesus desired the support of His close friends during His time of anguish.

Cross-References

Matthew 26:40-41: "And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Luke 22:45-46: "And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation."

Language Study

The original Greek sheds further light on the words used in this verse:

"Sleepest thou" (καθεύδεις, katheudeis): This term is more than just physical sleep; it implies a lack of awareness or alertness.
"Watch" (γρηγορέω, grēgoreō): This word holds the connotation of staying awake but also being vigilant and on guard.
"One hour" (ὣρα, hōra): Beyond the literal meaning, "hour" may symbolically refer to a brief period, emphasizing that even for a short time, the disciples could not maintain their vigil.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

The concept of keeping watch and failing to do so can be compared to other cultural and religious narratives where a lack of vigilance leads to consequences.

For example, in Greek mythology, Echo was cursed by Hera for distracting her with long-winded conversations, failing to keep watch over Zeus.

This can be seen as a parallel to the disciples' failure to watch and pray as Jesus asked.

Scientific Perspectives

From a scientific standpoint, one could explore the physiological responses to extreme stress and sleep deprivation.

Jesus’ disciples might have experienced acute stress response, making it difficult to stay awake despite their intentions.

Modern research on the effects of stress and fatigue on mental and physical performance can provide insight into the disciples' behavior.

commentaries

Different scholars and theologians offer diverging views on this verse.

William Barclay suggests that Jesus’ words are not a rebuke, but a sad recognition of human weakness.

John Calvin sees it as a mild admonishment reminding the disciples (and readers) of their need for God's help in staying spiritually vigilant.

Matthew Henry emphasizes the importance of prayer to prevent entering into temptation, drawing on the broader instruction of alertness Jesus was imparting to His followers.

Mark 14

Mark 14

What does Mark 14:37 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?

What does Mark 14:37 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?