Jesus takes his disciples to Gethsemane to pray and there he tells them to keep watch and pray. They do neither. Jesus however can be found in deep prayer as his death looms. His flesh is afraid, His spirit is willing. Yet again we see that Jesus accomplishes obedience that no human can, and it is this obedience that is our hope.

The Lord breaks bread and speaks of it as his body, shares wine and calls it his blood. This is the establishment of the Lord’s Supper, a pointer to his death on the cross. But the story does not end in death because Jesus promises his return. Although man will make empty promises, Christ never will.

Jesus and His disciples’ preparation to celebrate the Passover reveals twin truths that seem to be at odds with one another: the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. We are told that although Judas’ plan to betray Jesus was his plan, it was ultimately a necessary part of the Father’s plan of redemption–yet Judas was still morally responsible for his sin. Thus what Mark is showing us in this text is that God’s plan of redemption unfolds, despite the sins and failures of mankind.

Two plots to kill Jesus sandwich a story of a woman who prepares Jesus for his burial by giving up what was costly to her. What is being juxtaposed for us is the sacrifice element. What Mark is showing us then is that there are two types of sacrifices being shown in these characters and it is worthy to understand their differences so that Christians would know which model to follow.