ON YOUR MARK: WEEK 12 DAY 5

Mark 14:43 – 52 

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

43 And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” 45 And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. 46 And they laid hands on him and seized him. 47 But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 48 And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? 49 Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.”50 And they all left him and fled.

A Young Man Flees

51 And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, 52 but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.

Have you ever felt lonely or betrayed? Have you ever felt the weight of being in a large group of people, yet feeling alone, like no one can understand what you are going through in your life at that exact moment? What we read today is that moment for Jesus. He has poured out His life into the lives of His followers for the last three years, giving every ounce of who He was and what He had to them; His wisdom, insight into the Father, and life. He gave everything to them, holding nothing back. But when the time came for His followers to give back in return, they ran like scared first graders at a haunted house.

“Then everyone deserted Him and fled” (Mark 14:50).

One of our greatest fears may be that in our moment of greatest need, we will be left to face our greatest test alone. But you are not alone! Jesus made this promise after He rose again:

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). 

 My friend, you are never alone! Whatever you have gone through, are going through, or will go through, take courage in the fact that God is always with you!