Will You Run Away?
Mark 14:43-52
Message #55
In our last message in Mark, Jesus faced the Agony in Gethsemane alone. He faced this agony alone, partly because he had to face the cross alone, and partly because his Disciples couldn’t stay awake to pray with him for one hour.
And after the third time Jesus found his Disciples sleeping, Jesus said,
Mark 14:41–42 (NLT)
41 . . . the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
42 . . . Look, my betrayer is here!”
Jesus had faced the agony in Gethsemane alone, and now Jesus will ultimately face his arrest alone.
When you read the Gospels, do you see the Disciples (or the other characters in the story) as examples of yourselves? Or do you read the Gospels like a newspaper from the “outside”? We have to say to ourselves, who do I relate to? Who do I connect with? Who is the example of my life?
If you are a Christ-follower today then the Disciples in our text today represent you and me.
Mark 14:43(a) (NLT)
43 And immediately, even as Jesus said this (v.42), Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men . . .
Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve chosen Disciples. But there was no evidence in the Bible that he ever believed or put his faith in Jesus because Jesus was not the Messiah that Judas wanted. Jesus wanted Jesus to be the Jewish revolutionary Messiah. He was counting on Jesus to overthrow Rome and return control of Jerusalem to Israel. That is the Messiah Judas was looking for, and that is why Judas never called Jesus “Lord,” but instead, only called him “Teacher” because Judas saw Jesus only as a means to his own end.
Some people might see Jesus as a means to their end. If that shocks you – it’s just true. We look at Jesus and say to ourselves, “What can you do for me?” Or, “What have you done for me lately?” And that’s what Judas is doing. He’s saying, “Jesus, what can you do for me? I want you to be the means to my end.”
When Judas figured out that Jesus was not the Messiah that he wanted Jesus to be, then Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. And Jesus himself said it would’ve been better for Judas if he had never been born.
Judas ran away from who Jesus truly was from the very beginning – please don’t do that.
Who were the men who were with Judas?
Mark 14:43(b) (NLT)
43(b) . . . Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders.
These are the henchmen (made up of Roman soldiers and Temple guards) for those who are “pulling the strings,” and we still have henchmen today for those who are “pulling the strings.” And the henchmen still use swords and clubs today – it’s just “mostly” media swords and clubs. And so, these are the henchmen sent by the religious leaders to take out Jesus because Jesus threatens their power and authority.
If you perceive Jesus to be a threat to your life, your lifestyle, your desires, your will, some serious issues are going on. You are in deep need of receiving Jesus as your Lord. Don’t be like these religious leaders – they’re running away from Jesus. They are running from him because Jesus threatens their power and authority. Don’t be like them.
And then, it just gets worse.
Mark 14:44-45 (NLT)
44 The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss. Then you can take him away under guard.”
45 As soon as they arrived, Judas walked up to Jesus. “Rabbi!” (Teacher) he exclaimed, and gave him the kiss.
Have you ever thought “Why the kiss?” Why would Judas betray Jesus with a kiss?
Consider this.
In the broadest sense, the word “betray” means to be unfaithful or disloyal to a person. To be unfaithful to Jesus with a kiss – isn’t that what Israel did to God in much of the Old Testament? While they claimed to worship God, they were also worshiping the idols of the pagan world. This double worship of Israel in the Old Testament of both the God of Heaven and the idols of this world is often referred to in the Bible as spiritual adultery. They betrayed God with a “kiss of worship” while being spiritually unfaithful and disloyal to God by joining the world in the worship of the world’s pagan idols.
I think that’s a good picture of what Judas is doing here – going through the motions of worshiping Jesus with a kiss, while actually betraying him for the world.
Have you ever betrayed Jesus with a kiss? If so, thankfully, by God’s grace, there is forgiveness and reconciliation in Christ.
So, Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss.
Mark 14:46 (NLT)
46 Then the others (meaning the henchmen who were with Judas) grabbed Jesus and arrested him.
47 But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.
Now – we’ve got to fill in two other events that happened right here. One is before the henchmen grab Jesus. One is after this guy gets his ear slashed off.
For the first one, we have to jump to John’s Gospel.
John 18:4–8 (NLT)
4 Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them (the henchmen). “Who are you looking for?” he asked.
5 “Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied. “I AM he,” Jesus said . . .
6 As Jesus said “I AM he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground!
I love this because it gives us a glimpse of God that is so awesome. Jesus IS the Inexpressible, Eternal, All-Existing – I AM. Jesus is the God of the “All Consuming Fire” of Exodus Chapter 3 where he gives Moses his name – I AM (meaning I AM the Ever-Existing One) and throughout the Bible, this name for God – I AM – puts on display more and more of God’s power. And so here, Jesus is just giving his “supposed captors” a glimpse of the power of the great I AM God as he knocks them all down, like dominos, just by speaking his own name. The All-Eternal, Ever-Existing I AM God is in charge.
Don’t run away from or get knocked over by the indescribable power of the I AM God. Instead, run to him and be protected by him.
Then, for the second insight, we have to jump over to Matthew’s account – and please hear me – this is a picture of you getting in God’s way by doing what you think is best.
Matthew 26:51–54 (NLT)
51 But one of the men with Jesus (John tells us it was Peter, of course) pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave (servant), slashing off his ear.
52 “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him . . .
53 Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?
54 But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”
Can you just hear Jesus saying to Peter, “Peter, do you think I need your help with that little sword of yours? Peter, do you think there are not thousands of Angels just outside where you could see them who are all standing “at the ready” to protect us if that were the Father’s plan. Peter, you doing what you think is best is getting in God’s way. So put away your little sword and try to work with me instead of against me here.” (I don’t know if you can hear Jesus saying that to Peter, but I can.)
If you think God needs you, you think too highly of yourself. You have the privilege of joining God in this miraculous, transformational work with the eternal Kingdom of God growing.
Just think, if Peter would have started an all-out sword battle right there. That might have stopped the whole process of Jesus getting to the cross. Then Peter would be like, “What do you think of me as the first Pope now?” We need to work with God, not for him.
Anyway, Jesus overcame Peter’s attempt to help God out, and Dr. Luke tells us Jesus picked up this guy’s ear and put it back on his head where it belonged.
And then, we go back to our text in Mark.
Mark 14:48-49(a) (NLT)
48 Jesus asked them, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me?
49 Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there among you teaching every day . . .
I love this – because (again) it seems like Jesus is kind of messing with them. But here is the point, throughout this “arrest” Jesus is clearly demonstrating to his Disciples that he is in complete control and fully in charge. They are not getting it, but it is absolutely true.
Do we get it? Do we say, “God you are completely in charge, completely in control, you have this all worked out”? “There’s no reason to fear, there’s no reason to run. You are in control.”
And so, Jesus questions this mob that has come to arrest him, and then he tells them the truth about what’s really happening.
Mark 14:49(b) (NLT)
49 . . . But these things are happening to fulfill what the Scriptures say about me.”
Jesus is in complete control.
This moment was arranged, orchestrated, and determined before the foundation of the world was laid by God.
But the Disciples haven’t learned that yet. They still don’t fully understand who Jesus really IS. That will only come after the Resurrection and after the Holy Spirit is poured out in Acts Chapter 2.
For now, they are terrified, confused, and they are turning on their heels and running away.
Mark 14:50 (NLT)
50 Then all his disciples deserted him and ran away.
WHOA! Where did that come from? What do you mean “all his disciples deserted him and ran away”?
After three-and-a-half-years of being physically with Jesus
seeing more miracles than they could count,
seeing Jesus calm the storms,
seeing Jesus control nature, demons, and man.
After all, they had personally witnessed, they all deserted Jesus and ran away.
WHY?
What would make them desert Jesus so easily?
Just wait a minute… think about it. It was probably fear for them, but – what would make you desert Jesus? What would make you run away from Jesus? I think fear could be an answer. I think the temptation of the world, or your flesh, or perhaps the work of the demonic world could be an answer here. But right now, would you answer? What would make you desert Jesus? What would cause you to run away from Jesus? I think it’s a really big lesson.
What about you?
Would you say, “Oh I would never desert you Jesus, not me, Lord, I would never do that”? “I would die with you before I deserted.”
Oh, wait a minute, that’s exactly what Peter and all these eleven Disciples had just said, and they said it with confident machismo, but… that was hours ago.
But now, we are shocked by how easily the Disciples turned tail and ran away. Maybe because this sentence forces us to ask the question if the original Disciples could so easily desert Jesus in an instant, why would I think I’m any better than them?
There is a huge lesson here in spiritual humility.
You may think, but I have the power of the Holy Spirit and I have the power of the Resurrection, and if you are IN Christ today – it’s true, you do. But what if you are not walking in the power of the Holy Spirit and the power of the resurrection? You are a sitting duck. The enemy wants to take you out. He wants you to run because whoever is around you, whoever you have influence over, will be shaken hard as soon as the enemy gets you to run away.
If I am not being filled with the Holy Spirit every day, and if I am not walking in the power of the resurrected life, then on my own, in my own strength, even after forty years of following Jesus, this could easily be me, and I have to be very, very afraid of that.
And I think the last two sentences here are a picture – an illustration – of what can happen to any of us if we don’t continue to stand strong IN Jesus.
Mark 14:51-52 (NLT)
51 One young man following behind was clothed only in a long linen shirt. When the mob tried to grab him,
52 he slipped out of his shirt and ran away naked.
Now – basically all the scholars say – this was most likely Mark himself, the writer of this Gospel who had followed the Disciples to Gethsemane.
But to me, this is a picture of a Christian who is facing the enemy not clothed in the full armor of God who turns and runs the first time the enemy comes at him, and this poor Christian is left running through the desert – naked.
Listen. You and I can be that person, spiritually. We go up against the enemy unprepared, and we think we’re all that and that we would never leave Jesus, we’ll be turning our tail and running before the enemy even says, “Boo!”
And knowing that it happened to the original Disciples humbles me and convinces me that I’ve got to cling tighter and tighter to Jesus, and I’ve got to know him better and better every day. I’ve got to trust him more every day. I’ve got to have more faith in him every day. And that I’ve got to have less faith and less confidence in myself.
Guys, this could easily be you or me deserting Jesus and running spiritually naked through the desert.
Here is the lesson. We must crush any spiritual pride in our lives. We must not think too highly of ourselves.
Let’s commit to continually be “being filled” with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) every day and to walk in the resurrected life every day. (All of Romans Chapter 8, Galatians 5, Colossians 3, Ephesians 4).
And let’s commit to never being found running spiritually naked through the desert.
And after the third time Jesus found his Disciples sleeping, Jesus said,
Mark 14:41–42 (NLT)
41 . . . the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
42 . . . Look, my betrayer is here!”
Jesus had faced the agony in Gethsemane alone, and now Jesus will ultimately face his arrest alone.
When you read the Gospels, do you see the Disciples (or the other characters in the story) as examples of yourselves? Or do you read the Gospels like a newspaper from the “outside”? We have to say to ourselves, who do I relate to? Who do I connect with? Who is the example of my life?
If you are a Christ-follower today then the Disciples in our text today represent you and me.
Mark 14:43(a) (NLT)
43 And immediately, even as Jesus said this (v.42), Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men . . .
Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve chosen Disciples. But there was no evidence in the Bible that he ever believed or put his faith in Jesus because Jesus was not the Messiah that Judas wanted. Jesus wanted Jesus to be the Jewish revolutionary Messiah. He was counting on Jesus to overthrow Rome and return control of Jerusalem to Israel. That is the Messiah Judas was looking for, and that is why Judas never called Jesus “Lord,” but instead, only called him “Teacher” because Judas saw Jesus only as a means to his own end.
Some people might see Jesus as a means to their end. If that shocks you – it’s just true. We look at Jesus and say to ourselves, “What can you do for me?” Or, “What have you done for me lately?” And that’s what Judas is doing. He’s saying, “Jesus, what can you do for me? I want you to be the means to my end.”
When Judas figured out that Jesus was not the Messiah that he wanted Jesus to be, then Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. And Jesus himself said it would’ve been better for Judas if he had never been born.
Judas ran away from who Jesus truly was from the very beginning – please don’t do that.
Who were the men who were with Judas?
Mark 14:43(b) (NLT)
43(b) . . . Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders.
These are the henchmen (made up of Roman soldiers and Temple guards) for those who are “pulling the strings,” and we still have henchmen today for those who are “pulling the strings.” And the henchmen still use swords and clubs today – it’s just “mostly” media swords and clubs. And so, these are the henchmen sent by the religious leaders to take out Jesus because Jesus threatens their power and authority.
If you perceive Jesus to be a threat to your life, your lifestyle, your desires, your will, some serious issues are going on. You are in deep need of receiving Jesus as your Lord. Don’t be like these religious leaders – they’re running away from Jesus. They are running from him because Jesus threatens their power and authority. Don’t be like them.
And then, it just gets worse.
Mark 14:44-45 (NLT)
44 The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss. Then you can take him away under guard.”
45 As soon as they arrived, Judas walked up to Jesus. “Rabbi!” (Teacher) he exclaimed, and gave him the kiss.
Have you ever thought “Why the kiss?” Why would Judas betray Jesus with a kiss?
Consider this.
In the broadest sense, the word “betray” means to be unfaithful or disloyal to a person. To be unfaithful to Jesus with a kiss – isn’t that what Israel did to God in much of the Old Testament? While they claimed to worship God, they were also worshiping the idols of the pagan world. This double worship of Israel in the Old Testament of both the God of Heaven and the idols of this world is often referred to in the Bible as spiritual adultery. They betrayed God with a “kiss of worship” while being spiritually unfaithful and disloyal to God by joining the world in the worship of the world’s pagan idols.
I think that’s a good picture of what Judas is doing here – going through the motions of worshiping Jesus with a kiss, while actually betraying him for the world.
Have you ever betrayed Jesus with a kiss? If so, thankfully, by God’s grace, there is forgiveness and reconciliation in Christ.
So, Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss.
Mark 14:46 (NLT)
46 Then the others (meaning the henchmen who were with Judas) grabbed Jesus and arrested him.
47 But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.
Now – we’ve got to fill in two other events that happened right here. One is before the henchmen grab Jesus. One is after this guy gets his ear slashed off.
For the first one, we have to jump to John’s Gospel.
John 18:4–8 (NLT)
4 Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them (the henchmen). “Who are you looking for?” he asked.
5 “Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied. “I AM he,” Jesus said . . .
6 As Jesus said “I AM he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground!
I love this because it gives us a glimpse of God that is so awesome. Jesus IS the Inexpressible, Eternal, All-Existing – I AM. Jesus is the God of the “All Consuming Fire” of Exodus Chapter 3 where he gives Moses his name – I AM (meaning I AM the Ever-Existing One) and throughout the Bible, this name for God – I AM – puts on display more and more of God’s power. And so here, Jesus is just giving his “supposed captors” a glimpse of the power of the great I AM God as he knocks them all down, like dominos, just by speaking his own name. The All-Eternal, Ever-Existing I AM God is in charge.
Don’t run away from or get knocked over by the indescribable power of the I AM God. Instead, run to him and be protected by him.
Then, for the second insight, we have to jump over to Matthew’s account – and please hear me – this is a picture of you getting in God’s way by doing what you think is best.
Matthew 26:51–54 (NLT)
51 But one of the men with Jesus (John tells us it was Peter, of course) pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave (servant), slashing off his ear.
52 “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him . . .
53 Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?
54 But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”
Can you just hear Jesus saying to Peter, “Peter, do you think I need your help with that little sword of yours? Peter, do you think there are not thousands of Angels just outside where you could see them who are all standing “at the ready” to protect us if that were the Father’s plan. Peter, you doing what you think is best is getting in God’s way. So put away your little sword and try to work with me instead of against me here.” (I don’t know if you can hear Jesus saying that to Peter, but I can.)
If you think God needs you, you think too highly of yourself. You have the privilege of joining God in this miraculous, transformational work with the eternal Kingdom of God growing.
Just think, if Peter would have started an all-out sword battle right there. That might have stopped the whole process of Jesus getting to the cross. Then Peter would be like, “What do you think of me as the first Pope now?” We need to work with God, not for him.
Anyway, Jesus overcame Peter’s attempt to help God out, and Dr. Luke tells us Jesus picked up this guy’s ear and put it back on his head where it belonged.
And then, we go back to our text in Mark.
Mark 14:48-49(a) (NLT)
48 Jesus asked them, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me?
49 Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there among you teaching every day . . .
I love this – because (again) it seems like Jesus is kind of messing with them. But here is the point, throughout this “arrest” Jesus is clearly demonstrating to his Disciples that he is in complete control and fully in charge. They are not getting it, but it is absolutely true.
Do we get it? Do we say, “God you are completely in charge, completely in control, you have this all worked out”? “There’s no reason to fear, there’s no reason to run. You are in control.”
And so, Jesus questions this mob that has come to arrest him, and then he tells them the truth about what’s really happening.
Mark 14:49(b) (NLT)
49 . . . But these things are happening to fulfill what the Scriptures say about me.”
Jesus is in complete control.
This moment was arranged, orchestrated, and determined before the foundation of the world was laid by God.
But the Disciples haven’t learned that yet. They still don’t fully understand who Jesus really IS. That will only come after the Resurrection and after the Holy Spirit is poured out in Acts Chapter 2.
For now, they are terrified, confused, and they are turning on their heels and running away.
Mark 14:50 (NLT)
50 Then all his disciples deserted him and ran away.
WHOA! Where did that come from? What do you mean “all his disciples deserted him and ran away”?
After three-and-a-half-years of being physically with Jesus
seeing more miracles than they could count,
seeing Jesus calm the storms,
seeing Jesus control nature, demons, and man.
After all, they had personally witnessed, they all deserted Jesus and ran away.
WHY?
What would make them desert Jesus so easily?
Just wait a minute… think about it. It was probably fear for them, but – what would make you desert Jesus? What would make you run away from Jesus? I think fear could be an answer. I think the temptation of the world, or your flesh, or perhaps the work of the demonic world could be an answer here. But right now, would you answer? What would make you desert Jesus? What would cause you to run away from Jesus? I think it’s a really big lesson.
What about you?
Would you say, “Oh I would never desert you Jesus, not me, Lord, I would never do that”? “I would die with you before I deserted.”
Oh, wait a minute, that’s exactly what Peter and all these eleven Disciples had just said, and they said it with confident machismo, but… that was hours ago.
But now, we are shocked by how easily the Disciples turned tail and ran away. Maybe because this sentence forces us to ask the question if the original Disciples could so easily desert Jesus in an instant, why would I think I’m any better than them?
There is a huge lesson here in spiritual humility.
You may think, but I have the power of the Holy Spirit and I have the power of the Resurrection, and if you are IN Christ today – it’s true, you do. But what if you are not walking in the power of the Holy Spirit and the power of the resurrection? You are a sitting duck. The enemy wants to take you out. He wants you to run because whoever is around you, whoever you have influence over, will be shaken hard as soon as the enemy gets you to run away.
If I am not being filled with the Holy Spirit every day, and if I am not walking in the power of the resurrected life, then on my own, in my own strength, even after forty years of following Jesus, this could easily be me, and I have to be very, very afraid of that.
And I think the last two sentences here are a picture – an illustration – of what can happen to any of us if we don’t continue to stand strong IN Jesus.
Mark 14:51-52 (NLT)
51 One young man following behind was clothed only in a long linen shirt. When the mob tried to grab him,
52 he slipped out of his shirt and ran away naked.
Now – basically all the scholars say – this was most likely Mark himself, the writer of this Gospel who had followed the Disciples to Gethsemane.
But to me, this is a picture of a Christian who is facing the enemy not clothed in the full armor of God who turns and runs the first time the enemy comes at him, and this poor Christian is left running through the desert – naked.
Listen. You and I can be that person, spiritually. We go up against the enemy unprepared, and we think we’re all that and that we would never leave Jesus, we’ll be turning our tail and running before the enemy even says, “Boo!”
And knowing that it happened to the original Disciples humbles me and convinces me that I’ve got to cling tighter and tighter to Jesus, and I’ve got to know him better and better every day. I’ve got to trust him more every day. I’ve got to have more faith in him every day. And that I’ve got to have less faith and less confidence in myself.
Guys, this could easily be you or me deserting Jesus and running spiritually naked through the desert.
Here is the lesson. We must crush any spiritual pride in our lives. We must not think too highly of ourselves.
Let’s commit to continually be “being filled” with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) every day and to walk in the resurrected life every day. (All of Romans Chapter 8, Galatians 5, Colossians 3, Ephesians 4).
And let’s commit to never being found running spiritually naked through the desert.