23: The plot to kill Jesus & the last supper – Mark 14:1-25

14 It was two days before the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him;
² for they said, “Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.” 

The annointing at Bethany

³ While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. ⁴ But some were there who said to one another in anger, “Why was the ointment wasted in this way? ⁵ For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her. ⁶ But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. ⁷ For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. ⁸ She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. ⁹ Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.” 

Judas agrees to betray Jesus

¹⁰ Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. ¹¹ When they heard it, they were greatly pleased, and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an opportunity to betray him. 

The Passover with the disciples

¹² On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” ¹³ So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, ¹⁴ and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks, Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ ¹⁵ He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” ¹⁶ So the disciples set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal. 

¹⁷ When it was evening, he came with the twelve. ¹⁸ And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” ¹⁹ They began to be distressed and to say to him one after another, “Surely, not I?” ²⁰ He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the bowl with me. ²¹ For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.” 

The institution of the Lord’s Supper

²² While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” ²³ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. ²⁴ He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. ²⁵ Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” NRSV

Get into the Word

1. What is going on as this chapter opens? Who is involved? What do they want?

2. What is Jesus’ doing at this point? Where is he? What happens to him next? How do the disciples react to the situation? How does Jesus respond? What does he say to the disciples? How does he interpret what happened?

3. What does Mark mention next? Who is involved? What agreements do they make?

4. How does the next incident begin? Who is involved here? What are they talking about? Why is this important to them? To Jesus? To us?

5. What does Jesus tell the men to do? Who are they to look for? What is unusual about this [see Notes]? What are they looking for? How does this work out?

6. What happens during the meal? What does Jesus tell the disciples? How do they react to his statement? How does Jesus identify the person? What does he say about this person? About himself?

7. What else happens during the dinner? What does Jesus do with the bread? How does he refer to it? Why does he use this term? What does he do with the wine? What does he say about it? Why does he refer to it this way? How do the other Gospels describe this incident [see Notes]? How do you think the disciples reacted to this idea?

Get Personal

How do you feel about the Lord’s Supper? How often do you celebrate it? How has God helped you understand its role in your faith life? How has it affected your walk with Christ?

(Cross-references to Matthew and Luke are given in brackets)

14:1. The Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread — actually two events: the Passover commemorated the night in Egypt that the angel of death passed over the Israelite homes; the seven-day festival of Unleavened Bread marked the haste of the Israelite departure from Egypt.
14:3-9. The anointing — a common practice for special guests; but Jesus gives it significance by relating it to his coming death and burial. Matthew’s report on this incident is almost identical to Mark’s [Matt 26:6-13]. Luke does not include this anointing. (John includes this event but places it before Jesus triumphal entry.)
14:10-11. Judas agrees to betray Jesus — Matthew agrees with Mark that Judas went to the chief priests [Matt 26:14-16], while Luke reports that “Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot,” [Luke 22:3-6].
14:12-16. The Passover meal — Matthew refers only to “a certain man,” but does include Jesus’ remark that “my time is near,” [Matt 26:17-19]. Luke says Jesus sent Peter and John and includes the

man carrying a jar of water, (which was extremely unusual in that culture) [Luke 22:7-13].
14:17-21. Jesus predicts his betrayal — Matthew tracks Mark’s report of this incident, but adds Judas’ comment, “Surely not I, Rabbi,” [Matt 26:20-25]. Luke puts Jesus’ announcement after the institution of the Lord’s Supper: But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed. Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this, [Luke 22:21-23].
14:22-25. Institution of the Lord’s Supper — Matthew’s version is similar to Mark’s except Jesus says the cup is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins, [Matt 26:26-29]. Luke places the institution at the beginning of the meal: Then he took a loaf of bread and broke it and gave it to them, saying “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood,” [Luke 22:19-20].