Since this is the week we celebrate our Lord's resurrection we are going to jump ahead in our study of Mark to some of the events that Mark recorded about our Lord's capture, death, burial and resurrection and look at the events that led to the Lord's resurrection from Mark's perspective.

Mark 14:1; In the year Jesus was crucified, the Passover was on a Wednesday so according to way the Jews count days from sundown to sundown, the Passover started on the Tuesday at sundown and went to Wednesday at sundown.

Jesus would eat the Passover with His disciples on Tuesday just after sundown and the Jews would observe the Passover Seder the following evening at sundown on Wednesday. Lev 23:5; Net note 3 The Passover was the day of preparation for the Passover Seder and the First Day of Unleavened Bread.

So Jesus was not on the cross on a Friday as is commonly taught he was on the cross between 9AM and 3PM on Wednesday the same day that the Passover lambs were being slaughtered and He was in the tomb at sundown on Wednesday so the Jews could go keep the Passover and eat the Passover lamb.

We see here that the Jewish government party bosses were looking for a way to seize Him by stealth and kill Him.

The Greek word translated "seeking" is the second person plural imperfect active indicative of "zeteo" that means they were constantly looking for a situation where they could catch Him so they could kill Him.

The Greek word translated "seize" is "dolos" that means with "bait" or "through deceit".

Mark 14:2; Because they said "Not during the feast so the people won't riot." Net note 4

That year the Feast of Unleavened Bread started on a Thursday which according the Jewish calendar starts at sundown on Wednesday with the Passover Seder so they had to capture Him and kill him before sundown Wednesday.

Mark 14:3; In our study of Mark 10:1; we saw that Jesus had started his journey from Peter's house, crossed to the east side of the Jordan and was on His way to Jerusalem and it was along the way that He had been accosted by the Pharisees with the divorce question.

In this verse we see that He has arrived nearby Jerusalem and was staying in Bethany on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives about 2 miles outside of Jerusalem. The Mount of Olives is a 2-mile long ridge on the east side of Jerusalem where many olive trees were planted.

Mark 14:10-11; Here we see that the Jewish bosses got a better chance to capture Jesus when Judas agreed to betray Him. They now had an inside agent working for them and Judas began to look for an opportunity to betray Him. Judas became the NSA or surveillance arm of the Jewish government party.

The word translated "seeking" in the NASB is the same imperfect active indicative of the Greek word "zeteo" that was used to describe what the Jewish government party bosses were doing in Mark 14:1. So now while Judas traveling with Jesus he is constantly looking for an opportunity to call in the gestapo for the take down.

Mark 14:16-17; Just after sundown on Tuesday evening Jesus and the disciples gathered to eat the Passover. This is the evening before the Jews would eat it because Jesus would be in the tomb before the Jewish Passover seder that God commanded for Israel in Lev 23:5; would be eaten the following evening when the First Day of Unleavened Bread starts.

Mark 14:18; During dinner Jesus announces that He will be betrayed by one of the twelve disciples. John 13:26-30; tells us it was Judas Iscariot who left to immediately to go to inform the Jewish party bosses that the opportunity for them to capture Jesus was coming up.

Mark 14:22-26; After Judas leaves to rat Jesus out to the bosses Jesus inaugurates the Lord's Table that is the only ritual for the Church Age. In the Old Testament they used the lamb to depict Christ but now we will use the unleavened bread.

The blood of the lamb in the original Passover in Egypt was sprinkled on the sides and on the top of the doors. Then for a long time in the wilderness the Jews didn't have doors, and so in the second Passover and every subsequent Passover they used the cup.

The cup represents the sins of the world that are poured out on Christ as He hung on the cross and received the imputation and judgment for the sins of the world. On the cross Christ drank the cup. Our drinking of the cup represents Christ bearing our sins.

This is the covenant and only ritual mandated for the Church Age. Luke 22:19; The word translated "do" is the second person present active imperative of the Greek word "poieo."

Mark 14:27; Jesus tells the disciples that that night they will ALL desert Him. This is a prophecy from Zech 13:7; "Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered"

Mark 14:29-31; All of the disciples and especially Peter insisted that they would never desert Him and Peter said he would die with Him.

Mark 14:32-36; Jesus prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus' humanity was under maximum duress contemplating His separation from His Father while He was being judged for the sins of the world on the cross.

The Greek word translated "deeply grieved" in the NASB is "perilupos" that means to be under heavy pressure, distressed or depressed. He was under pressure anticipating coming into contact with sin and being separated from God the Father.

We know that this was what He was thinking about because in the time before the cross there were six trials, and during those trials people struck Him, they spat on Him, they slapped Him, they lied about Him, and they scourged Him.

In addition to that, when He hung on the cross it was excruciating torture because the weight of His own body separated the bones from their sockets. He was in extreme physical pain, but during all of that time "as a lamb before the shearers is dumb so He opened not His mouth", He didn't cry out once.

It was not until twelve noon until three o'clock in the afternoon that He continually screamed and the screams were caused by the sins of the world being incrementally poured out on Him. So His sorrow came from His contemplation of the bearing of sin.

Even though He understood the predetermined decree of God He asked if it was possible for it to be done another way but "not my will but your will be done."

Mark 14:43-49; Jesus is captured in the garden was the result of Judas' betrayal. Judas came from the party bosses with a mob with swords and clubs to capture Him because they were afraid of Him and for good reason.

He let them take Him because it was in the decree of God. Matt 26:53-54;

Judas kissed Him to identify Him to the mob and they seized Him. The Greek word translated "seize" is "krateo" means to grab violently and haul off.

One of the disciples (John 18:10; tells us it was Peter) took his sword and tried to defend Jesus but ended up cutting off the ear of the high priest's servant (Malchus).

Peter had said, "I will die with you," but this shows us that sincerity cannot carry you. He was sincere, he meant it, and he was personally very courageous as demonstrated by the fact that his sincerity put him into action doing the wrong thing for the wrong reason at the wrong time.

Sincerity is not a Christian virtue. Sincerity is strictly a human viewpoint that will inevitably result in failure. The principle is that sincerity can't carry you only doctrine can carry you. There is no substitute for accurate doctrine.

So when Peter should have been relying on the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, instead he relied on a sword and he failed.

So this is a perfect illustration of the energy of the flesh backed by a lot of sincerity and good intentions. Peter intended to keep his promise, he intended to defend the Lord to the end, he intended to die with the Lord; but all good intentions in the world always wind up with human good and human good isn't worth anything.

Peter had good intentions but His good intentions were neutralized by ignorance of Bible doctrine. In the plan of God there is a way to operate and this was the time to be praying and this was the time to stand fast, this was the time to do nothing. There is a time to fight but this wasn't it.

Mark 14:50-52; All of His disciples including Peter abandoned Him. Even Mark who was also following Jesus but when they tried to seize him he escaped by slipping out of his robe and running away naked. No one remained with Jesus, everyone abandoned Him.

Mark 14:53; Jesus' trial before the Jewish religious authorities (The Sanhedrin).

Mark skips a trial. This is the second trial. John recorded the first trial because John didn't run too far away. He turned around and followed from a distance, as did Peter. John tells us that he first trial was held before Annas because Annas was the political party boss of Jerusalem.

Annas was a former high priest, and now he is in charge of "murder incorporated" and the Sanhedrin and about everything else in Jerusalem that was Jewish.

No trial could begin until it was first cleared through Annas. John had turned around and followed from a distance saw this first trial and records it in John 18:12,24;

Mark skips that one, and comes to the second trial. The second trial is an official court session. The high priest must be present and the Sanhedrin acts as the supreme court of the land. They are fully assembled for this purpose in Mark 14:53;

Mark 14:55; This was a kangaroo court because they had already decided He was guilty. They know they have nothing against Jesus but under their law they must find two witnesses who will agree and take their testimony separately but that was impossible.

The trial was held at night which was contrary to Jewish law, all trials must be held in the daytime.

There was no council for the defense.

There was illegal procedure in the courtroom. In attempting to procure an indictment they deliberately seek false witnesses and they deliberately encourage perjury.

The judge attempted to get the accused to incriminate Himself under oath.

The judge and the jury were prejudiced.

There was violence in the courtroom.

They pass sentence without a proper indictment or without a proper trial.

Mark 14:66-72; It was during this court session that Peter denied Jesus three times just as Jesus had said he would do. Mark 14:30;

Some points regarding Peter's denial of Jesus.
Peter was saved when he denied Jesus.
Peter did not lose his salvation when he denied Jesus.
Peter was disciplined as a child of God.

Peter did rebound. John 21:15-17;
If Peter had died right after his denial he still would have gone to heaven based on the work of Christ, not on the work of Peter.

Rebound (1 John 1:9) gives the believer the opportunity to continue serving God in their physical body on this earth in the devil's world.

Peter had failed but he was still alive. If you are still alive when all the smoke clears then God still has a plan for your life. God's plan for your life continues as long as you are still alive.

Mark 15:1; This is Wednesday morning the day of the Passover that is the preparation day for the Passover seder that will be held in that evening and the First Day of Unleavened Bread. Lev 23:5-6;

The Sanhedrin's verdict was guilty of death (Mark 14:64). The Sanhedrin could pronounce a death sentence but it could not exercise capital punishment. So a prisoner who was sentenced to death had to be turned over to the Roman authorities for the execution to occur.

The Roman governor could either ratify or rescind the Sanhedrin's death sentence. If rescinded, a new trial had to be conducted before a Roman court and the Sanhedrin had to prove that the defendant had committed a capital crime under Roman law.

Since the charge of blasphemy (Mark 14:64) was not punishable by Roman law it was not mentioned in the Roman trial. Instead the Sanhedrin substituted a charge of treason, turning Jesus' acknowledgment that He was the Messiah into a political claim that He is the King of the Jews.

If this was the case the Romans would consider it as treason (Mark 15:2) so the Roman court could not ignore the charge.

Mark 15:2; Jesus' trial before Pilate is the first court and judge that Jesus comes to where there is no prejudice.

Pilate questions Him asking, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And Jesus said unto him, "It is as you say," an idiom for and affirmative answer.

Jesus had to answer this question. There was no way he could get around it because He is King of the Jews. He is King of the Jews because He is God, and as God He is the root of Israel.

As God, Jesus Christ, is the founder of the Jewish race; and through His physical birth Jesus Christ was born directly in the line of David so He is the son of David.

In both cases Jesus Christ is the King of the Jews and no one has a greater right to the throne than He has so He could not answer otherwise.

Mark 15:3-4; This passage indicates the fact that in the first three trials Jesus Christ would not speak up or say anything to the Jewish mob bosses because for three years He had presented the evidence of His Messiahship that these religious leaders had completely and totally rejected.

So when the chief priests and the scribes and the Pharisees quiz Him along this line He does not answer them. He does not dignify their questions with an answer. They already have more information than they need because for three years they have seen the accreditation of the Messiah.

From the time He turned away and walked out on religion at the end of the temple discourse that was it. Jesus Christ will have nothing to do with religion. He will not speak to them. They are in His presence but you can be in the presence of someone and be separated from them. He will not answer them because the only purpose of their questioning is evil.

But Pilate has an open mind. He is Roman and under Roman law he has been thoroughly trained in observation and in interrogation. Therefore his interrogation is legitimate and Jesus recognizes that and answers him in the affirmative.

Religion does not deserve an answer because religion has constantly had answers and Jesus has now separated Himself from religion. But Pilate is an unprejudiced judge so he receives an answer.

The Roman procedure was for the accusers to speak first. The chief priests were standing up and declaring that He was guilty, that He claimed to be King of the Jews, and so on.

They were carried away with this thing and they constantly stood up and said derogatory things about Him but Jesus would not answer them.

His lack of response caused Pilate to be amazed. He was constantly amazed at the tremendous poise of the Lord Jesus Christ. The religious leaders have already condemned Him, they wanted Him dead and even though Jesus was forced to be in their presence He was still separated from them.

The point is that separation is not only physical it is also mental. In this particular case we have a clear demonstration of mental separation. Jesus Christ would not speak to the religious mob bosses at all period!!!! because they had already rejected Him.

Mark 15:14-15; Even though Pilate believed Jesus was innocent, like most politicians he was weak. He was trying to please the mob.

Normal Roman procedure would have been to say, "I find this man innocent and he now has Caesar's protection and any man who tries to touch Him will suffer the consequences." In other words, He is under the protection of the Roman army.

Rather than standing for truth and justice and calling for the Roman soldiers to drive the mob out Pilate chose to placate mob with political expedience so he had Jesus beaten and sentenced Him to death by crucifixion.

Mark 15:20-21; After beating Him they led Him out to crucify Him. Even though in His humanity He is the strongest person who ever lived, by now because of the beatings He has experienced in the last 12 hours He was so weak that He could not carry the 100-pound crossbeam on which He would be crucified to the site of the crucifixion.

As they moved along the Roman soldiers and the crowd formed a procession through the streets of Jerusalem. When the centurion noticed that Jesus was staggering and could not carry the cross a Jew from Cyrene is compelled to carry the cross.

Simon was a North African Jew who had come to Jerusalem to observe the holy days, beginning with the Passover, The days of Unleavened Bread and terminating with the Feast of Pentecost.

He was standing in the crowd minding his own business watching and suddenly he is part of it because the Roman centurion commandeers him to assist Jesus with carrying the crossbeam.