The Betrayer Approaches

What task has God been calling you to but you have been caught yawning at that critical moment or you have fallen spiritually asleep when the critical moment occurred. What is it that God has for you? Have you spent time in prayer or are you focusing on something else? I thank God for his provisions for me and for his forgiveness when I have fallen short

of the mark set for me. When I am met with different motives from individuals can I remember the one who sits up high and focus on His motive alone? Father God you show me that in the end it is only I who will stand alone before you.

 

 

MARK 14:1-42

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

 ¹Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. ²"But not during the Feast," they said, "or the people may riot."
 ³While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
 ⁴Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? ⁵It could have been sold for more than a year's wages^[a] and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.
 ⁶"Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ⁷The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. ⁸She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. ⁹I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
 ¹⁰Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. ¹¹They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

The Lord's Supper

 ¹²On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?"  ¹³So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. ¹⁴Say to the owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' ¹⁵He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there."
 ¹⁶The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
 ¹⁷When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. ¹⁸While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me."
 ¹⁹They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, "Surely not I?"
 ²⁰"It is one of the Twelve," he replied, "one who dips bread into the bowl with me. ²¹The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."
 ²²While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body."
 ²³Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it.
 ²⁴"This is my blood of the^[b] covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them. ²⁵"I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God."
 ²⁶When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial

 ²⁷"You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written:
   " 'I will strike the shepherd,
      and the sheep will be scattered.'^{[c] 28}But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."  ²⁹Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not."
 ³⁰"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice^[d] you yourself will disown me three times."
 ³¹But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the others said the same.

Gethsemane

 ³²They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." ³³He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ³⁴"My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."  ³⁵Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. ³⁶"Abba,^[e] Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
 ³⁷Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? ³⁸Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
 ³⁹Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. ⁴⁰When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
 ⁴¹Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴²Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"