Published: May 19, 2024 | Speaker: Mark Freitag | Series: Gospel of Mark - Part 101 | Scripture: Mark 14:43-52
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we're in Mark chapter 14 again this morning um also in the Garden of Gethsemane and uh before I read I just if you do follow the outline in the news
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and notes um I've made a mistake um 2 is actually 3 and 3 is actually 2 and I was sure that I had changed them
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in the computer before I sent it but I didn't apparently following in the footsteps of that great Hispanic grandfather senior
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sorry I believe that my it was my father-in-law who said getting old is not for the faint of heart amen Mark 14 I'm going to begin
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reading at um verse 41 and read down through verse
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52 and he that is Jesus came the third time and said to them are you still sleeping and taking your rest it is enough the hour has come behold the son of man is being betrayed into the hands
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of Sinners arise let us be going behold the one who betrays me is at hand and immediately while he was still speaking Judas one of the TW came up and
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accompanied by a multitude with swords and clubs from the pre Chief priests and the scribes and the elders now he was betraying him he who was betraying him
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had given them a signal saying whomever I shall kiss he is the one sees him and lead him away under guard and after
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coming he immediately went to him saying Rabbi and kissed him and they laid hands on him and seized him but a certain one who stood of those who stood by Drew his
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sword and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear and Jesus Jesus answered and said to them have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest
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me as against a robber every day I was with you in the temple teaching and you did not seize me but this has happened that the scriptures might be fulfilled
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and they all left him and fled and a certain young man was following him wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body and They seized him but
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he left the linen sheet behind and escaped naked let us
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pray father as we have just sung We we We we are needful of your your mercy your grace and all we can pray is Lord to
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thee our eyes we raise we we look to Jesus we look to him as Our Savior we look to him as our champion we look to him because there is
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none other none uh before him none above him he alone and so you have given him that we might follow him we might look
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to him we might through him pray to you by the power of His Holy Spirit and we ask that in this time together you would
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you would build your church you would instruct us and teach us us you would give us the energy and strength that we might walk in faith we ask these things in Christ's name
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amen the men that have come with Jesus to the to the Garden specifically these three are still sleeping and Jesus suddenly says to them rise up let
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us be going Rouse yourselves from your sleep lead forth is the
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translation depart the agony of Jesus soul I believe is is over except for that great moment on the cross my God my God why
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hast Thou forsaken me but the agony of his body is about to begin and it's imperative again that we come back to the words that he has given
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them prior to their sleeping Be watchful be praying that you may not enter into temptation the hour has
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come and he says behold perhaps he is actually beholding the the multitude coming with their torches and their swords and their
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clubs the son of man is being betrayed into the hands of Sinners literally the hands I think we could translate it the power John
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tell or Luke tells us that the hour and the power has been given to them the power of sinful man the hands that will soon take him and I think it refers to
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three things that we see in this passage the treachery of Judas but also the Jews delivering their Messiah into the hands of the
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Gentiles and then generally the abandonment of abandonment of Jesus to the enemies of God his father and so we see Mark in his kind of
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his customary perhaps uh we could even say his his favorite word in the in the gospel here is immediately and immediately while Jesus
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was still speaking there is this sense of the action is to take off from here and it's going to unfold very very quickly as he was still
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speaking Judas one of the 12 came up accompanied by a multitude with swords and clubs from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders we don't know how
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long Jesus had spent in this third watching of his disciples coming back after his prayer there were some who say that he may have watched for some
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time perhaps him alone being the one who is watching and praying and perhaps praying specifically for them as their eyes were
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heavy with sorrow and sleep but the moment has finally arrived that the men those some who had been waiting 3
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years to lay hands Upon Jesus is here the moment of treachery the moment of betrayal the
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moment of his seizure we see that the first to approach him out of the multitude is
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Judas and it's become part of our vernacular right when someone gives a a Judas
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kiss there was a signal that Judas had apparently arranged with at least some of the leaders of the mob that was coming it it it means that they had
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agreed in concert before they arrived this is what I'm am going to do and perhaps by Judas Reckoning it it
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had to be something very noticeable so he could be doubly sure that they got the right the right man that in the Dark Shadows of the
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olive trees in the garden even though many of the commentators are sure that because it was the Passover it had to be a bright full moon he wanted to make
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sure they arrested the right man but in Judas and in the Judas kiss is there not not first treachery and then
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betrayal it was supposed to be a customary method of saluting a rabbi I'm told but isn't it very curious as even uh Charles Spurgeon points out nowhere
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in the scriptures any of the other gospels do we ever read that any of the other disciples approached Jesus in a friendly Manner and gave him a kiss
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and yet here we see that it is
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Judas in the language of a couple of the commentators language that is not part of my vocabulary to construct it was called quote treachery cloaked in the Garb of
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affection he came as we see him saying r Rabbi in the other gospels hail Rabbi they he came in that Garb of being
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friendly or in the words of another a contemptible desecration of a friendly gesture or in the words of one of the
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contemporary music contemporary music musicians that's not what a kiss is for the gospels collectively seem to indicate that this kiss was somewhat
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protracted and was ex an exaggerated fervor with which he gave it but again I think there are several things at work here the the Insidious
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nature of the Betrayal one that he had pledged to follow one that he had done many Deeds with and for going out on
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missionary Journeys missionary Journeys and I think that betrayal is is very evident but Judas always seems to be wary even as we saw in Bethany
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wary that Jesus could surprise him and Jesus could do things that they did not
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predict and I think Judas was also motivated to make good before the chief priests on the payment of 30 pieces of
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silver that he had received but when Judas had made up his mind to betray his master his heart seems to be truly
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closed here the idea that he could greet Jesus seemingly with affection at the same time he's handing him over to his
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captors is almost Unthinkable and yet to human to human nature we know that it
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happens when he says in verse 44 at the end and he says he is the one sees him lead him away
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under guard my marginal translation says lead him away safely and some commentators actually think that they want him to take care of
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Jesus but I don't think That's What Judas has in mind maybe I'm wrong but is he concerned for Jesus or is he making sure that Jesus does not as
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he has previously done numerous times in the temple and elsewhere slip away from
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them the depth of judah's sin is emphasized I think by Mark in a few telling words telling words here in verse 43 how is Judas always seem to be
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introduced by the gospel writers Judas one of the 12 that's what he used to be that's how he had been known and he is
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still known as one of the 12 but it's in a very different light from the other 11 now Judas he was one of the 12 but in verse 44 we now know him as he
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who was betraying him that's how he will always be known
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forever is the Blackness of his heart due to his fear of Jesus escape is it due to his desire to get it over and done with I've been thinking
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about this for so long how this could be done I just want it to be over and done
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with I think his struggles with conscience must have been intense and I think over an extended period of
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period of time Alexander McLaren puts it in these words such audacity and nauseousness of hypocrisy is not reached at a
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leap but presupposes long underground tunnels of insincere discipleship through which a man has burrowed unseen by others and perhaps
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unsuspected by unsuspected by himself sin is Insidious sin Insidious sin Burrows and wants to take over our
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hearts and again we must let the words of Jesus sink in and drive out those words that would seek us to betray the one that we
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profess to love watch and pray that you may not enter into
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temptation the multitude the mob comes right behind Judas Mark lists three parties that make up the Sanhedrin he lists the uh that
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they were coming from the chief priests the scribes and the elders it's significant usually naming two of the three is enough to we know
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who they are it is significant emphasis in the scriptures when all three are named together in John's gospel he says so the Roman cohort the commander the
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chiliarch and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him there there is a mixture here and I won't go into all the conjectures of how many it could
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have been but we we know that Mark calls it the multitude that there was a band of Roman soldiers probably with the Jewish police and and this makes for this this
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great force and a kind of an impressiveness if you kind of picture them coming through the garden of GE Gethsemane through the Groves of olive
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trees you have this impressive scene with the Torches and the swords perhaps gleaming in that light and some carrying these wooden these wooden clubs you you have Romans the Roman
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power power of Rome on the one hand you have Israel's have Israel's degradation of their rulership on the other hand and you have other men who
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have attached themselves to this Mo mob perhaps representing the world's assault on the savior of the world but their hatred is with
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ignorance the one of the commentators and and I thought it was a modern uh phrase that we use but we we sometimes call people a tool and he says these
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these men are just passive tools some of them are just acting out of blind obedience to the rulers of Israel some of them are just caught up
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in where are we going what are we doing oh this sounds like fun grab the sword these men are coming with ignorance and blind
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obedience and I know this quote that I have is now Point number two in your outline is from the Gospel of John in chapter 18 but it appears to
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me to be appropriate here I know that Jesus in John says it to a question of pilate when he's before Pilate and in
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John he he says I'm not a Jew I I don't know why they brought you before me what have you done and Jesus gives this curious answer my kingdom is
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not of this world and I think it's appropriate here because none of the people in this mob fully grasp that phrase my kingdom is
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not of this world yes they have authorization the chief priests the scribes the scribes the elders they have the numbers they have a
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multitude and they have the weapons of weapons of warfare human
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Warfare but Jesus asked them have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as against a robber you you've come out to arrest me with your swords and your clubs a as as if I was a man
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inciting a Revolt or perhaps I'm one of those armed Bandits that that line the highways to Jerusalem this highway robber by the way we're going to meet a
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highway robber who became a cult hero his name is barabus he was one that Jesus might have been referring to here but the question that Jesus asked
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not only reveals his innocence you're coming to me I I I've done nothing nothing wrong I I'm not like one of them why are you treating me like a a common
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hardened criminal but it also reveals their impotence sure they thought the disciples would put up a fight several of them were told had
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swords John says it's Peter who grabbed a sword his sword and aimed at the slave's head and missed and just chopped
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ear but Jesus I think essentially says that's the wrong weapon
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Peter Jesus said to Peter put the sword into the sheath the cup which the father has given me am I not to drink it Jesus says I was with you daily in
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the temple you you had plenty of opportunities to come and arrest me you you you didn't seize me there what has
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changed why was I hailed as a king in the streets of Jerusalem not just a few days ago in fact he may have been looking at some of the mob and saying I
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recognize you there you were putting palm branches in the road you were dropping cloaks in front of me as I rode through the streets what has changed
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what has happened now that you come to me you you you acknowledge me publicly then and now in the dark of night in secret you come to arrest
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me my kingdom is not of this world and you don't get it he says if my kingdom were of this world in John 18 my servants would be
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fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews but I'm not advocating fighting those are the wrong weapons Paul Echoes this for us in 2
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Corinthians beautifully when he says for though we walk in the flesh we do not wage battle according to the flesh for the weapons of our Warfare are not of the flesh but divinely powerful for the
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destruction of fortresses the doctrines of the Gospel the disciplines of the church these are the weapons of our Warfare and yes
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ignorance Prejudice human Pride human reasoning human conceit as the scriptures say exalt themselves against
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the knowledge of God and yet those are not the weapons with which we return the fight my kingdom is not of this
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world and they needed to understand that and yet they were ignorant and they laid hands on him and seized him Mark
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says I think a better translation for the context is they held him fast not They seized him because do we
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see Jesus struggling no he he's not wriggling to get free he's not shouting to his disciples to grab their swords he
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is as Isaiah says in chapter 5 3 like a lamb being led to slaughter and I think that's evidenced by the ending phrase in
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verse 49 Jesus says but this has happened that the scripture might be
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fulfilled I know that the Theologian argue over the that and the in order that and how the phrases ought to go and they argue over whether he's speaking specifically about one scripture or
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whether he's speaking generally about all of all of scripture and I don't think I'm the one to answer all of those questions and get all the grammatical points in order but
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what I know is that in chapter 14: 27 Jesus said you will all fall away because it is written I will strike down the shepherd and the Sheep will be scattered
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and here we see that they all left him and fled I think that prophecy has been fulfilled here in the
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garden and we know that the disciples fled in conf confusion where they actually went during the next few days I don't know probably not in the Mount of
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Olives and probably not back to Bethany because people knew knew that they had friends there but in general Jesus is bowing to
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the father father's will this has happened that the scriptures might be fulfilled a Guiltless man in full submission to his father headed to the
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Cross as a lamb is led to the slaughter God is acting out his word he's acting through human means
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the word of the prophets in obedience in The Obedience of Christ Jesus told them in John 5 you
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examine the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life but it is those very scriptures that testify about me we have heard someone mention
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the the men on the road to emus as Jesus after his resurrection began to explain the scriptures to them how it point Ed
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to him but we also know the Fulfillment of what he actually did that that Jesus according to the writer of Hebrews he is the final word there there is none above
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him none before him none coming after him isn't that fulfillment in Hebrews 9 we read through his own blood he entered the holy Place once for
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all that's to me is fulfillment of the
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now I know that many of you are curious who is the naked young man some believe it's actually a fulfillment of Amos 2:
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16 again we understood the context this morning the L Lord judging Israel because they committed greed unjust oppression gross immorality
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and idolatry in the last verse of that chapter in his judgment he says even the bravest among the Warriors will flee naked in that
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day many believe that the young man is Mark himself the gospel writer that he had been part of setting up the place where Jesus had the last
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supper with his disciples and then after they left he did the cleanup and went to bed and then Judas and the men came looking for Jesus and
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heard them rush off to the Mount of Olives and he only had time to grab this bed sheet and run curious to see perhaps wanting to warn
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Jesus and yet as he approached being seized as one who obviously identified with Jesus he is frightened and run away ran
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away perhaps it's just well I'll say this one of the commentators believes that it's Mark as an artist paints a picture when they get to the end what do they do in some
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conspicuous inconspicuous Corner sorry they sign their name and sometimes it's fun to see well where did they hide their signature to their painting but as
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one commentator say if he's signing this painting it's in a very conspicuous Place Perhaps it is as Amos tells us it
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is a general characterization of those who would be curious those who would perhaps like Judas pretend to be a
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disciple and they would even be bold enough to say but I would die with you but when it came to crunch time when it came to their own life they were
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frightened and fled away but my thoughts went to the handson to the hands that seized
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Jesus to the hands that grabbed the men out of that mob we don't know who they were we don't know if they were Roman soldiers or Jewish rulers or people they
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said you be the ones to grab him and him but I imagine the great contrast between those who had their hands on
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Jesus and the disciples who had walked with Jesus for those three years and knew
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garden knew nothing of the joy that those disciples those 11 would eventually look back on because they had known him and
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been with him in fact John says in his first letter I'm writing these things that I'm telling you that it because it will make our joy as disciples
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complete when he writes in 1 John chapter 1 verse one what was from the beginning what we have heard what we have seen with our
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own eyes what we have looked at and touched with our hands concerning the word of life that is what drove him that is the
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heart of his ministry that is what he was overjoyed to do let us pray
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our heavenly father the words of the passage can be very enigmatic to us things that seem mysterious and problematic perhaps
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curious and yet father we know that because Jesus fulfilled the scriptures that Jesus went to the Cross being willingly
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LED because he was following your your will we have salvation we have joy we have life in his name and so we thank
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you for these things that the scriptures bring to us we ask that you would allow us to continue to study and meditate on them that we might be built up not only
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in our faith but as we walk together as a body of Believers we ask these things in Christ's name amen please rise for the benediction
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from 2 from 2 Corinthians chapter Corinthians chapter 13 the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and The Fellowship
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of the Holy Spirit be with you all