Mark 14:44
- Those who seized Jesus were both Roman soldiers (John 18:12) and Jewish temple guards (Luke 22:52).
- Greeting someone with a kiss was a common greeting that showed both respect and affection (Romans 16:16).
- Since Judas had to point out Jesus with a kiss, Jesus must surely have looked normal enough to be indistinguishable from the other disciples. From this we can learn that Jesus’ appearance was typically Jewish and that he did not wear any extravagant clothes.
- Knowing that Jesus had miraculously escaped an angry mob on a previous occasion, Judas now makes sure that they will take him away “under safe guard”.
Mark 14:47
- According to John, it was Peter who cut off the ear of the servant Malchus (John 18:10) and according to Luke, Jesus healed Malchus (Luke 22:51).
- Since many believe that Mark wrote his gospel with the help of Peter, it is strange that he does not name Peter. Perhaps Peter was ashamed of this?
- When the Christian uses the “Sword of the World” and goes on a crusade to defend the Christian faith, it will only result in people not listening because we cut off their ears. Instead, when Christians use the “sword of the Spirit,” i.e., the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17), to preach the good news about Jesus, it will result in people listening because it cuts into their hearts (Acts 2:37).
Mark 14:50-52
- Peter and all the other disciples have only moments ago assured Jesus that they would not abandon Jesus and would rather die than deny him (Mark 14:27-31), but now they flee as soon as Jesus is arrested.
- According to tradition, this young man was the author Mark himself. Since the disciples often met at Mark’s home (Acts 12:12), it is quite possible that this was where they celebrated the Passover meal earlier in the evening and that this is where Judas and the guards first looked for Jesus, but when they discovered that Jesus was no longer there, they went to the other place where Jesus used to stay (Luke 22:39). Perhaps Mark had gone to bed in his linen shirt, been awakened by Judas and the guards, and hurried off to the Mount of Olives to warn Jesus that Judas was about to betray Jesus.