Mark 14 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
~AD 30, during Passover week
Location
Jerusalem, Bethany, Mount of Olives, and Gethsemane
Audience
Gentile Christians, likely in Rome
Situation
This chapter depicts the intensifying plot by Jewish leaders to arrest Jesus, the Last Supper where he institutes the Lord's Supper and predicts betrayal and denial, his agony in Gethsemane, and his arrest after Judas' betrayal.
Key Background
Set amid Roman occupation of Judea, Passover drew massive crowds to Jerusalem, heightening tensions as chief priests and elders sought to kill Jesus quietly to avoid riots. The anointing in Bethany echoes prophetic acts of preparation for burial, while the betrayal for 30 pieces of silver fulfills Zechariah 11:12. Jesus' trial before the Sanhedrin reflects their authority limited by Roman oversight, leading to his handover to Pilate.
It was now two days before the and the of The and the were looking for some underhanded way to arrest Jesus and kill him.
"But not during the festival," they said, "or the people might riot."
While Jesus was in eating at the home of the a woman came in carrying an of very expensive perfume — pure She broke open the and poured it over his head.
Some of those present were outraged. "Why waste perfume like that?" they said to one another.
"That perfume could have been sold for more than three hundred and the money given to the poor!" And they scolded her harshly.
"Leave her alone," Jesus said. "Why are you giving her a hard time? She has done something for me."
"You will always have the poor with you, and you can help them whenever you want. But you won't always have me."
"She did what she could — she my body ahead of time for burial."
"I'm telling you the truth: wherever the is announced in the whole world, what she has done will also be told, as a tribute to her."
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the went to the chief priests to to them.
When they heard this, they were delighted and promised to give him money. So he started looking for a good opportunity to hand him over.
On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the is his asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the meal?"
So he sent two of his followers ahead and told them, "Go into the city, and a a will meet you. Follow him."
"Wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, 'The asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover with my followers?'"
"He will show you a already set up and ready. Make the preparations for us there."
The followers left, went into the city, and found everything exactly as he had told them. So they prepared the Passover meal.
When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve.
While they were at the and Jesus said, "I'm telling you the truth: one of you is going to hand me over — someone who is with me right now."
They became and began asking him one by one, "It's not me, is it?"
"It's one of the Twelve," he told them, "someone the with me."
"The of is going to his fate, just as the say about him. But how terrible it will be for the who hands him over! It would have been better for that if he had never been born."
While they were eating, Jesus took a broke it, and gave it to them. "Take it," he said. "This is my
Then he took a and passed it to them, and they all drank from it.
"This is my of the which is out for many people for the forgiveness of their he said to them.
"I'm telling you the truth: I will not drink the of the again until the day I drink it new in
After a they went out to the of
"All of you are going to Jesus told them, "because the Scripture says: 'I will the and the sheep will scatter.'"
"But after I am up, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
Peter declared, "Even if everyone else falls away, I won't."
"I'm telling you the truth," Jesus said to him, "today — this very night — before the rooster crows twice, you will me three times."
But Peter "Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!" And all the others said the same thing.
They went to a place called and Jesus said to his followers, "Sit here while I pray."
He took Peter, James, and John along with him, and he began to be with and
"My is with — to the point of death," he said to them. here and
Going a little farther, he to the and prayed that, if it were possible, this might pass from him.
Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this away from me. But not what I want — what you want."
Then he came back and found them sleeping. he said to Peter, "are you sleeping? Couldn't you stay awake for one hour?"
"Stay awake and pray so that you won't be The is eager, but the body is weak."
He went away again and prayed, saying the same thing.
When he came back, he found them sleeping again — their eyes were so heavy. They didn't know what to say to him.
He came back a third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look — the Son of Man is being handed over to those who have
"Get up, let's go! Look — the one who is handing me over is here."
Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas — one of the Twelve — arrived with a crowd carrying swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests, the legal experts, and the
Now Judas, the one handing him over, had arranged a signal with them. "The one I is the man you want," he'd said. "Arrest him and take him away under guard."
When Judas arrived, he went straight to Jesus and said, and kissed him.
Then they seized Jesus and arrested him.
But one of those standing nearby drew his sword and struck the cutting off his ear.
"Am I a Jesus said to them, "that you come out with swords and clubs to capture me?"
"Every day I was with you, teaching in the and you didn't arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."
Then everyone abandoned him and ran away.