Mark 14:27
- It was important for Jesus to show his disciples that everything that happened was already foretold in the Scriptures, which meant that God was in control.
- It was important for Mark to show his readers that everything that happened was foretold in the Scriptures, which means that Jesus is indeed the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament.
- Jesus quotes Zech 13:7 and prepares his disciples to abandon him. But even if the disciples abandoned Jesus, Jesus did not abandon the disciples.
Mark 14:29-30
- Peter contradicts Jesus, claiming that he will be the only one not to abandon Jesus. Jesus responds by saying that, on the contrary, he will be the only one who also denies Jesus.
- Instead of contradicting Jesus, it would be better to accept what Jesus says and ask how to deal with the situation.
Mark 14:31
- It is important not to base one’s confession on “temporary feelings”.
- Right now, when emotions are strong, Peter is courageous, but in a little while he won’t even dare to confess his faith in front of a little girl (Mark 14:66-72).
- It is better to be aware of the difficulties of Christian confession and to base one’s confession on a well-considered decision.
- There is a big difference between the two occasions when the disciples were alone without Jesus. At Jesus’ death they fled and denied Jesus, but after Jesus’ ascension they confessed their faith in Jesus and endured suffering for Jesus’ sake. The difference was that the disciples received the Holy Spirit after Jesus returned to heaven and then they received power and boldness (Acts 4:29-31).