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>>Eric Flickinger:
Welcome to "Sabbath School,"
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brought to you by It Is Written.
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We're glad that you are
able to join us this week
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as we look at lesson
number 11, "Taken and Tried."
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This is a 13-week
journey that we are taking
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through the book of
Mark, and we're glad
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that you are able to join us.
Let's begin today with prayer.
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Father, we ask that You
will bless our time together
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as we continue our journey
through the book of Mark.
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We're learning more
and more about Jesus,
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more and more about
the plan of salvation
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and the price that was paid
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that we might have
access to salvation.
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We ask that You might
bless our time together today,
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and we thank You
in Jesus' name, amen.
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>>Dr. Thomas Shepherd: Amen.
>>Eric: Well, we're also glad
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to have Dr. Tom
Shepherd here with us.
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He is the senior research
professor for New Testament
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at the Theological
Seminary, Andrews University.
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Tom, thank you once
again for joining us.
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>>Tom: It's a joy to be here.
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>>Eric: So,
you've authored this,
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you've taken us on a
10-week journey so far,
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we're getting
toward the very end here,
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and we're getting into
the last bit of Jesus' life,
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as it were, "Taken and
Tried" in lesson number 11.
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We get to Mark 14,
and we hear this story.
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We read about
the story of a woman
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who anoints Jesus' head
with an oil of spikenard.
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Why did she do this?
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>>Tom: [laughs]
It's a good question.
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The text actually
never tells us why she did.
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This is one of the last sandwich
stories in the Gospel of Mark,
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and it puts together
the plot to kill Jesus
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and Judas' betrayal of Jesus
with the story about this woman.
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Mark 14, 15, and 16 are known
as the "passion narrative."
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It's that section that
tells us about the events
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right before and
including His death
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and then His resurrection.
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So, we should read
some of this passage.
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Let's start with
verses 1 and 2 of Mark 14.
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>>Eric: "After two
days it was the Passover
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"and the Feast
of Unleavened Bread.
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"And the chief
priests and the scribes sought
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"how they might take Him by
trickery and put Him to death.
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"But they said,
'Not during the feast,
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lest there be an
uproar of the people.'"
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>>Tom: So, they're
plotting to kill Jesus,
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but they don't
want to do it in public.
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They don't want to,
you know, make a scene.
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They're afraid that the people
will object and stop them,
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so it says "not
during the feast."
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Actually, it might be not
during or not in the feast,
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meaning not in public.
They want to do it in private,
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which is what they end up doing.
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But then we break
away from that story
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of their plot to
the story of this woman.
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So, it's good to
read that whole story,
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it's a beautiful little story,
verses 3 through 9 of Mark 14.
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>>Eric: "And being in Bethany
at the house of Simon the leper,
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"as He sat at the table, a woman
came having an alabaster flask
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"of very costly
oil of spikenard.
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"Then she broke the flask
and poured it on His head.
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"But there were some who
were indignant among themselves,
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"and said, 'Why was
this fragrant oil wasted?
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"'For it might have been
sold for more than 300 denarii
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"and given to the poor.'
And they criticized her sharply.
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"But Jesus said, 'Let her
alone. Why do you trouble her?
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"'She has done a
good work for me.
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"'For you have the
poor with you always,
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"'and whenever you
wish you may do them good;
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"'but me you do
not [always have].
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"'She has done what she could.
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"'She has come beforehand
to anoint my body for burial.
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"'Assuredly, I say to you,
wherever this gospel is preached
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"'in the whole world,
what this woman has done
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will also be told
as a memorial to her.'"
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>>Tom: Okay, she's never named,
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but Jesus says that what she did
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should be part of
the gospel message.
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Now, that story,
this particular story,
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appears in all four gospels,
and that may be the reason why,
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[chuckling[ because
Jesus said it should be there.
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Now, we're never told
exactly why she did this,
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but she comes up and anoints Him
with this very costly perfume.
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Nard or spikenard was
actually from a root of a plant
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that grows in the Himalayas,
so it was a long ways away
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where it came
from, and you had to--
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it was in an alabaster jar,
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so it was all very expensive.
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I mean, $300 denarii would
be close to a year's wages,
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and so that was a lot of
money to pour out at one time,
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but she does it, and she
never speaks in the whole story.
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Now, once she does
this, it's interesting,
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the Gospel of John tells us
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that "the
fragrance filled the house."
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There are some deeds in life
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that are fragrant deeds,
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that they just, I don't know--
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they just speak of love
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and of grace, and you
remember them in wonderful ways.
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Well, that's what
happens with this woman.
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She is criticized by
the people around her,
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and we might wonder, well,
why did they criticize her?
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And, well, they try to
cover their feelings by saying,
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"This could have been
sold for more than 300 denarii
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and given to the poor."
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Oh, it sounds very holy,
very, you know, gracious:
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"We want to help
the poor people."
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And you can imagine this
woman, who has done this,
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wanting to slink
away and just not be seen.
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You know, when you
try to do something nice
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and then people
misunderstand it,
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it really cuts, but
then Jesus speaks up:
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"Leave her alone." "Leave
her alone." Don't bother her.
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"Why do you trouble her?
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She has done a
beautiful thing to me."
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So, He affirms her
in no uncertain terms,
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and then He responds to them,
"You always have the poor."
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You can help them
whenever you want.
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But now pointing
towards where we're headed
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with the passion
narrative of Christ, He says,
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"You will not always have me."
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And then He
deepens that by saying,
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"She's anointed my
body beforehand for burial."
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So, in the Gospel of
Mark, she's the only one
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who really anoints His
body before He's, you know--
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well, even after His death,
the women come to the tomb,
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and it's too late. He's
already risen from the dead.
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So, she's the
one who anoints Him,
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and He says that,
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"Wherever the gospel is
proclaimed in the whole world,
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what she has done will
be told in memory of her."
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You wonder, why this act?
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He has interpreted her action,
prompted by the Holy Spirit.
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He interprets her action as that
which was a fragrant act of love
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before His death. You
know, too often we wait
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until somebody dies to
say nice things about them.
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She said something nice
about Jesus before He died,
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and I imagine
that this spikenard--
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I can just imagine that this
smell maybe continued--you know,
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when He walked by, people said,
[sniffs deeply] "What's that?
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That's nard." You know,
a very expensive perfume.
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Maybe even at His trial
that they could still smell
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this spikenard on Him,
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and it was a
fragrant show of love
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before He would suffer.
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>>Eric: So, a beautiful
gift, and not much appreciated
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by those who were nearby.
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>>Tom: Now, we should go
on and read verses 10 to 11
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because that's the outer
story coming to a conclusion.
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>>Eric: Verse 10
says, "Then Judas Iscariot,
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"one of the twelve,
went to the chief priests
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"to betray Him to them.
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"And when they
heard it, they were glad,
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"and promised to give him money.
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So he sought how he
might conveniently betray Him."
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>>Tom: Now, this
is a nefarious deed
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that this man Judas does.
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He's one of the
twelve disciples;
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that's noted a number of times:
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"Judas Iscariot,
one of the twelve."
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He's the last person you
would expect to betray Jesus,
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but he's the one who does it,
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and he goes
down through history.
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There's a reason why we
don't name our children Judas
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[laughs] because it's
a terrible, terrible blot
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on his name. Now,
the interesting thing is
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our gospel
stories report this story
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a little
differently in each one,
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and sometimes I'll ask students,
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I'll say, "How much
was the nard worth?"
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And they'll say,
"More than 300 denarii."
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And I say, "Who tells you that?"
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And they'll sort of
guess, you know, and I say,
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"How much did
Judas sell Jesus for?"
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Thirty pieces of
silver. Who tells you that?
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Well, Mark
doesn't, if you notice.
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Matthew does, but Mark does not.
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In fact, for Mark here,
it's just a promise of money.
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He promises that
he'll get some money.
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Now, what's her name?
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Oh, her name is Mary.
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Who tells you
that? The Gospel of John.
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We tend to put
all of them together,
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join them all together
into one kind of story.
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The Gospel writers did not,
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and sometimes they
left out information
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as part of the
purpose of their story,
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and in this story
the woman is not named,
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but Judas is, one of the twelve,
all right? So here it's already
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he's a man, she's a woman;
he's named, she's unnamed.
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He gets a promise of
money; she gives something worth
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more than 300 denarii, right?
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And she is--her action
by Jesus is called good,
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and Judas is looking for a good
opportunity to betray Jesus.
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So there's all these contrasts,
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it's part of the
sandwich story pattern
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of setting up an
irony that here's a man
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who should be serving Jesus,
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but he's doing
just the opposite.
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Here's a woman who's unnamed,
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and yet she's the true disciple.
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And so there's maybe a
little role reversal there,
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man and woman, a
disciple and unnamed woman,
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so it's a pretty
powerful kind of a statement,
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and that's part
of why Jesus says,
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"Wherever the gospel is told,
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what she has done should
be told in memory of her."
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So that's why we're telling
you today about this story.
00:10:31.19\00:10:34.83
>>Eric: So, a fulfillment
of prophecy, if you will--
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>>Tom: Yeah. >>Eric:
...of Jesus' desires.
00:10:37.50\00:10:39.90
There's something else
we want to try to cover
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before we take a short break,
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and this story leads
right into the communion service
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that you read in
the next section there.
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What's communion all about,
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and why do a lot
of people skip it?
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>>Tom: [laughing]
Yeah, it's a good question,
00:10:53.55\00:10:55.12
why people skip it.
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We'll talk about
that in a moment later.
00:10:56.48\00:10:59.85
So, this is the
time of Passover.
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That's the time when Jesus dies,
and Mark tells us in verse 12
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that, "On the first
day of Unleavened Bread,
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"when they
sacrificed the Passover lamb,
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"His disciples said to
Him, 'Where will You have us go
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and prepare for You
to eat the Passover?'"
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He tells them how to set
things up. And so they do so.
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Now, while they're
eating the Passover--
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we skip down to verse 22:
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"As they were
eating, He took bread,
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"and after blessing it
broke it and gave it to them,
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"and said,
'Take; this is my body.'
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"And He took a cup,
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"and when He had given thanks
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"He gave it to them,
and they all drank of it.
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"And He said to them, 'This
is my blood of the covenant,
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"'which is poured out for many.
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"'Truly, I say to
you, I will not drink again
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"'of the fruit of the vine until
that day when I drink it new
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in the kingdom of God.'"
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So, Jesus takes the
emblems of the Passover meal--
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not the lamb, you'll notice that
there's no lamb being eaten here
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because He is the Lamb of God
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who will take away
the sin of the world.
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But He takes the
bread, and He takes the cup.
00:12:04.29\00:12:07.96
And He uses them to represent.
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He says, "Take,
this is my body."
00:12:11.76\00:12:13.90
It wasn't, it was
obviously not His actual body.
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It was representing
His body. It's a metaphor.
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"This is my body."
00:12:20.47\00:12:22.20
The cup, "This is my
blood of the covenant."
00:12:22.24\00:12:27.61
Now, we're going to
need a little more time
00:12:27.64\00:12:29.51
to probably explain
that blood of the covenant,
00:12:29.54\00:12:31.31
but I want to
mention one thing here,
00:12:31.35\00:12:33.62
that this is never
referred to as wine.
00:12:33.65\00:12:37.75
Anywhere in the New Testament,
00:12:37.79\00:12:39.19
wherever it
references the communion cup,
00:12:39.22\00:12:43.22
it's either called "the cup"
00:12:43.26\00:12:45.56
or it's called
"the fruit of the vine,"
00:12:45.59\00:12:49.16
suggesting that
this is not alcoholic,
00:12:49.20\00:12:51.97
it's grape juice,
00:12:52.00\00:12:53.44
or even as one of
my professors thought,
00:12:53.47\00:12:56.04
maybe a grape syrup.
00:12:56.07\00:12:58.27
They would make grape
syrup sometimes and use that,
00:12:58.31\00:13:01.64
or maybe they
would reconstitute some,
00:13:01.68\00:13:04.85
but this was not
an alcoholic beverage.
00:13:04.88\00:13:08.02
So, whenever I'm teaching
people or elders about that,
00:13:08.05\00:13:12.19
I say, "Please
do not call it wine.
00:13:12.22\00:13:14.02
Please call it the
cup that we're using."
00:13:14.06\00:13:16.56
>>Eric: You've been
on a journey with us,
00:13:16.59\00:13:18.49
about an 11-week journey.
00:13:18.53\00:13:20.60
There's a book that we
still want to encourage you
00:13:20.63\00:13:22.90
to pick up if you
have not yet done so.
00:13:22.93\00:13:25.43
It is not too late, and
that is the companion book
00:13:25.47\00:13:28.04
to this quarter's
"Sabbath School" lesson.
00:13:28.07\00:13:30.11
Tom, tell us a little bit again
00:13:30.14\00:13:31.91
about why this
book is so important
00:13:31.94\00:13:33.91
for people to have
and what they might get
00:13:33.94\00:13:35.74
out of this
week's lesson in there.
00:13:35.78\00:13:37.61
>>Tom: Alright,
so this is the book.
00:13:37.65\00:13:39.41
We've been talking about
it throughout the quarter,
00:13:39.45\00:13:41.58
but if you haven't gotten it,
it's called "The Book of Mark."
00:13:41.62\00:13:43.59
It goes right along
with the lesson quarterly.
00:13:43.62\00:13:45.35
Each chapter is
geared to each lesson,
00:13:45.39\00:13:48.36
and this chapter will talk about
the things we've discussed here,
00:13:48.39\00:13:52.76
the sandwich
story, the Lord's Supper,
00:13:52.79\00:13:55.66
and also about His
struggle in Gethsemane.
00:13:55.70\00:13:59.57
So it's worth it; it gives
you extra information beyond
00:13:59.60\00:14:02.30
what the "Sabbath
School" quarterly describes.
00:14:02.34\00:14:04.27
>>Eric: Thank you, Tom.
00:14:04.31\00:14:05.61
You can pick that up very
easily at itiswritten.shop.
00:14:05.64\00:14:08.71
Again, itiswritten.shop,
just look for the companion book
00:14:08.74\00:14:12.15
to "The Book of Mark."
00:14:12.18\00:14:14.22
We're going to be back in
just a minute as we continue
00:14:14.25\00:14:17.05
with lesson 11 here
on "Sabbath School,"
00:14:17.09\00:14:19.22
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:14:19.25\00:14:21.22
¤¤¤
00:14:21.26\00:14:23.59
>>John Bradshaw:
The Bible is filled
00:14:25.99\00:14:27.60
with stories of
flawed human beings
00:14:27.66\00:14:29.96
God called to serve
Him in incredible ways.
00:14:30.00\00:14:33.64
He took a violent,
impulsive, racist fisherman
00:14:33.67\00:14:37.01
and transformed him into
one of Jesus' closest disciples
00:14:37.04\00:14:40.58
and one of the most influential
leaders of the early church.
00:14:40.61\00:14:44.38
Join me for another
episode of our series
00:14:44.41\00:14:46.51
"Great Characters of the Bible"
as we look at the life of Peter.
00:14:46.55\00:14:51.69
Peter was far from perfect.
00:14:51.72\00:14:53.32
He was overly confident, he
made promises he didn't keep,
00:14:53.36\00:14:57.29
but his experience
is an encouragement
00:14:57.33\00:14:59.39
to anyone who knows
the feeling of messing up
00:14:59.43\00:15:02.30
as a follower of Jesus,
00:15:02.33\00:15:04.13
of falling short and wondering
if you'll ever get it right.
00:15:04.17\00:15:08.57
God stuck with
Peter and helped him grow,
00:15:08.60\00:15:11.41
and if you'll let Him,
He'll do the same for you.
00:15:11.44\00:15:15.41
"Great Characters
of the Bible: Peter,"
00:15:15.44\00:15:19.08
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:15:19.11\00:15:22.12
>>John: You know
that at It Is Written,
00:15:25.95\00:15:27.42
we are serious about
studying the Word of God,
00:15:27.46\00:15:29.79
and we encourage you
to be serious as well.
00:15:29.82\00:15:32.36
Well, here's what you do
if you want to dig deeper
00:15:32.39\00:15:34.86
into God's Word. Go
to itiswritten.study
00:15:34.93\00:15:37.93
for the It Is Written
Bible Study Guides online,
00:15:37.97\00:15:40.80
25 in-depth Bible
studies that will take you
00:15:40.84\00:15:43.47
through the major
teachings of the Bible.
00:15:43.51\00:15:45.41
You'll be blessed,
00:15:45.44\00:15:46.68
and it's something you'll want
to tell others about as well:
00:15:46.71\00:15:49.11
itiswritten.study.
00:15:49.14\00:15:51.05
Go further: itiswritten.study.
00:15:51.08\00:15:53.42
¤¤¤
00:15:55.98\00:16:00.29
>>Eric: Welcome
back to "Sabbath School,"
00:16:00.32\00:16:01.82
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:16:01.86\00:16:03.83
We're on lesson number 11,
00:16:03.86\00:16:05.23
taking a look at
the communion story.
00:16:05.26\00:16:08.10
Tom, share a
little bit more with us
00:16:08.13\00:16:10.43
about this communion
story and what's happening here.
00:16:10.47\00:16:12.53
>>Tom: All right, so in
Mark, chapter 14 and verse 24,
00:16:12.57\00:16:16.67
Jesus says, "This is
my blood of the covenant,
00:16:16.71\00:16:18.74
which is poured out for many."
00:16:18.77\00:16:20.58
Now, using that terminology
"blood of the covenant"
00:16:20.61\00:16:23.55
actually links us
back to the covenant
00:16:23.58\00:16:26.72
that God made with
the Israelites at Sinai.
00:16:26.75\00:16:30.22
So, if we turn over to Exodus,
chapter 24 and verses 5 to 8,
00:16:30.25\00:16:36.62
we'll read about this.
00:16:36.66\00:16:37.96
It's very
interesting the way it's stated.
00:16:37.99\00:16:40.20
Exodus, chapter
24, verses 5 to 8.
00:16:40.23\00:16:45.20
Wonder if you could
read that for us, Eric.
00:16:45.23\00:16:46.94
>>Eric: "Then he sent young
men of the children of Israel,
00:16:46.97\00:16:49.44
"who offered burnt offerings
and sacrificed peace offerings
00:16:49.47\00:16:52.67
"of oxen to the Lord.
00:16:52.71\00:16:54.51
"And Moses took half the
blood and put it in basins,
00:16:54.54\00:16:57.45
"and half the blood he
sprinkled on the alter.
00:16:57.48\00:16:59.88
"Then he took the
Book of the Covenant
00:16:59.91\00:17:01.48
"and read in the
hearing of the people.
00:17:01.52\00:17:03.39
"And they said, 'All that
the Lord has said we will do,
00:17:03.42\00:17:06.89
"and be obedient.'
00:17:06.92\00:17:08.22
"And Moses took the blood,
sprinkled it on the people,
00:17:08.26\00:17:10.79
"and said, 'This is
the blood of the covenant
00:17:10.83\00:17:13.13
"'which the Lord
has made with you
00:17:13.16\00:17:14.63
according to all these words.'"
00:17:14.66\00:17:16.80
>>Tom: Okay, so there's
the very kind of terminology,
00:17:16.83\00:17:19.93
"This is the
blood of the covenant,"
00:17:19.97\00:17:23.07
and it was a covenant at Sinai.
00:17:23.10\00:17:26.01
Sometimes people
question why did the people say,
00:17:26.04\00:17:30.01
"All that the Lord
has spoken we will do,
00:17:30.05\00:17:32.15
and we will be obedient,"
when they very shortly fail.
00:17:32.18\00:17:37.32
Well, what else
are you going to say
00:17:37.35\00:17:39.15
when you're making
a covenant with God?
00:17:39.19\00:17:40.32
"Oh, I'm not going
to keep it," you know.
00:17:40.36\00:17:42.79
No, that's not the expectation.
00:17:42.82\00:17:44.96
So, when we come over to
Mark and Jesus says these words,
00:17:44.99\00:17:51.03
those words
from Exodus would be,
00:17:51.07\00:17:54.00
like, ringing in their ears:
00:17:54.04\00:17:56.17
"This is my
blood of the covenant,
00:17:56.20\00:17:57.94
which is poured out for
many." Notice it's "my blood."
00:17:57.97\00:18:00.78
So, He is the blood of
the sacrifice; He is the Lamb.
00:18:00.81\00:18:04.95
It is His death that will
bring salvation to the world.
00:18:04.98\00:18:09.78
This is the new covenant.
00:18:09.82\00:18:11.29
Now, that's actually
where we get the names
00:18:11.32\00:18:13.29
for the parts of our Bible.
There's the Old Testament--
00:18:13.32\00:18:16.46
"testament" is
another name for "covenant"--
00:18:16.49\00:18:17.76
and the New
Testament, or new covenant.
00:18:17.79\00:18:20.16
And so, the communion service
00:18:20.20\00:18:22.13
is especially
linked up with this idea.
00:18:22.16\00:18:25.10
In the Adventist church,
00:18:25.13\00:18:26.43
we celebrate communion
typically once a quarter.
00:18:26.47\00:18:29.10
The Bible never says how
often you should celebrate it.
00:18:29.14\00:18:32.91
We put with it what we call
"the ordinance of humility,"
00:18:32.94\00:18:36.44
the foot-washing service
00:18:36.48\00:18:37.78
that is described
in John, chapter 13,
00:18:37.81\00:18:40.32
and it's a very
meaningful service,
00:18:40.35\00:18:43.72
where Jesus comes to
especially be with His people.
00:18:43.75\00:18:47.76
It's sad to me that
there are some people
00:18:47.79\00:18:49.42
who absent
themselves from church
00:18:49.46\00:18:51.76
when the communion
service is going on.
00:18:51.79\00:18:53.43
Maybe they don't like
that kneeling down and washing
00:18:53.46\00:18:56.20
somebody else's
feet, I don't know,
00:18:56.23\00:18:58.37
but you really miss out when
you don't stay for communion.
00:18:58.40\00:19:03.04
It's when Christ
comes to be with His people.
00:19:03.07\00:19:05.21
He told us to do this.
00:19:05.24\00:19:06.78
Paul tells us that
as often as we do this,
00:19:06.81\00:19:09.34
we show the Lord's
death until He comes.
00:19:09.38\00:19:11.28
So, we're looking
back to the cross,
00:19:11.31\00:19:12.91
and we're looking
forward to His second coming.
00:19:12.95\00:19:15.75
Very meaningful service,
00:19:15.78\00:19:16.95
very important for you
and me to be involved in.
00:19:16.99\00:19:21.02
>>Eric: So, the
communion service here
00:19:21.06\00:19:22.89
leads us then almost directly
into the Garden of Gethsemane
00:19:22.92\00:19:28.16
in the book of Mark in
chapter 14, where we are.
00:19:28.20\00:19:32.10
Share a little bit
about Jesus' experience
00:19:32.13\00:19:35.67
in the Garden of Gethsemane.
00:19:35.70\00:19:37.24
What was that like for Him?
00:19:37.27\00:19:39.14
>>Tom: So, this is a very dark
scene in the Gospel of Mark.
00:19:39.17\00:19:42.44
In fact, it's a lot of
what we're going to see
00:19:42.48\00:19:44.11
from now on, it's pretty dark,
00:19:44.15\00:19:46.08
and Mark just kind of
lays it out and displays it.
00:19:46.11\00:19:50.32
He goes to Gethsemane,
starting in verse 32,
00:19:50.35\00:19:55.26
and He tells His disciples
to "sit here while I pray."
00:19:55.29\00:19:59.73
And then He
takes with Him Peter,
00:19:59.76\00:20:01.93
James, and John--
this is the inner circle,
00:20:01.96\00:20:03.90
the very men who
had been with Him
00:20:03.93\00:20:05.43
on the Mount of Transfiguration,
and He begins, it says,
00:20:05.47\00:20:09.24
"To be greatly
distressed and troubled."
00:20:09.27\00:20:11.57
Now, in hero stories
in the Greco-Roman world,
00:20:11.61\00:20:15.91
this is not something
that would typically be said.
00:20:15.94\00:20:18.51
The hero is, you know,
like, struggling and everything
00:20:18.55\00:20:21.35
like this, but Jesus, He says,
"My soul is very sorrowful"--
00:20:21.38\00:20:27.12
this is verse 34--"even to
death. Remain here and watch."
00:20:27.16\00:20:32.29
And He goes "a little farther,
00:20:32.33\00:20:33.80
"He [falls] on the
ground," and He prays,
00:20:33.83\00:20:37.13
"if it were possible, [that]
the hour might pass from Him,"
00:20:37.17\00:20:40.47
and He said, "Abba, Father,
all things are possible for You.
00:20:40.50\00:20:44.24
"Remove this cup from me.
00:20:44.27\00:20:46.27
Yet not what I
will, but what You will."
00:20:46.31\00:20:50.01
Now, it's interesting,
00:20:50.05\00:20:52.18
He asked God to take
the cup from His hand.
00:20:52.21\00:20:54.18
Now, remember back in chapter 10
00:20:54.22\00:20:56.35
when we studied James and
John asking Him to give them
00:20:56.38\00:21:00.36
the place on the
right and the left,
00:21:00.39\00:21:01.62
He said, "Can you drink my cup?
00:21:01.66\00:21:04.33
Can you be
baptized with my baptism?"
00:21:04.36\00:21:06.76
And they said, "Sure." [laughs]
00:21:06.80\00:21:08.90
He says, well, yeah,
that is going to happen,
00:21:08.93\00:21:11.00
"but to sit on my right and
left isn't for mine to give."
00:21:11.03\00:21:14.20
Actually, who will end
up on His right and left
00:21:14.24\00:21:16.04
are two thieves on crosses,
00:21:16.07\00:21:18.91
not what James
and John had in mind.
00:21:18.94\00:21:22.61
But here in Gethsemane,
He's bearing the cup of sorrow.
00:21:22.64\00:21:27.12
He's bearing the cup of our sin,
trying to make that decision,
00:21:27.15\00:21:33.46
struggling with that
decision to go to the cross.
00:21:33.49\00:21:36.96
Now, He says, "Abba, Father,
all things are possible for You.
00:21:36.99\00:21:41.26
"Remove this cup from me.
00:21:41.30\00:21:43.13
Yet not what I
will, but what You will."
00:21:43.16\00:21:46.07
How did God answer that prayer?
00:21:46.10\00:21:48.80
>>Eric: In a word, He said no.
00:21:48.84\00:21:50.54
>>Tom: Correct, He said no.
00:21:50.57\00:21:52.31
So, you see, sometimes we
talk about answered prayer.
00:21:52.34\00:21:57.95
I believe that
every sincere prayer
00:21:57.98\00:22:01.25
of the Christian is answered,
but God doesn't always say yes.
00:22:01.28\00:22:05.15
We shouldn't expect
Him to always say yes.
00:22:05.19\00:22:07.96
Sometimes He says no.
00:22:07.99\00:22:09.29
He said no to His own
Son, and if He says no,
00:22:09.32\00:22:13.76
it's for a good
reason why He says no,
00:22:13.80\00:22:16.60
that there's some greater thing,
00:22:16.63\00:22:18.50
some greater goal
in mind that God has.
00:22:18.53\00:22:21.24
And of course, in this case,
00:22:21.27\00:22:22.90
the greater goal was
our salvation, you know,
00:22:22.94\00:22:26.98
so He goes through
with this cup and drinks it.
00:22:27.01\00:22:31.25
Now, what's really striking is,
00:22:31.28\00:22:34.82
He comes to His
disciples three times.
00:22:34.85\00:22:39.45
Why did He go
back to His disciples?
00:22:39.49\00:22:42.76
Well, you know, when
you're going through trouble,
00:22:42.79\00:22:47.00
it's nice to have
somebody by your side.
00:22:47.03\00:22:50.50
I'm reminded of
Philippians 4:13, where it says,
00:22:50.53\00:22:55.47
"I can do all things
through Him who strengthens me."
00:22:55.50\00:22:58.57
It's a great text.
00:22:58.61\00:23:00.31
Nobody remembers verse 14,
which starts, "Nevertheless."
00:23:00.34\00:23:06.55
So, "I can do all things
through Him who strengthens me.
00:23:06.58\00:23:09.72
Nevertheless"--
"Nevertheless" what?
00:23:09.75\00:23:12.39
"Nevertheless"
it was kind of you
00:23:12.42\00:23:14.19
to come to my aid in my need.
00:23:14.22\00:23:17.79
So, Paul is writing
Philippians to a group of people
00:23:17.83\00:23:20.90
who sent him a gift to
help him while he was in prison,
00:23:20.93\00:23:24.30
and Jesus is looking for
the same kind of support,
00:23:24.33\00:23:27.37
and it's not there.
00:23:27.40\00:23:29.84
The disciples are asleep.
00:23:29.87\00:23:31.94
He even calls,
"Simon, are you asleep?
00:23:31.97\00:23:34.38
Could you not watch one hour?"
00:23:34.41\00:23:36.44
And they don't do it.
00:23:36.48\00:23:38.48
Okay, so eventually
He comes and He says,
00:23:38.51\00:23:41.52
all right, "Let's get up
and go. Here comes my betrayer."
00:23:41.55\00:23:45.52
The betrayer
comes, He's arrested,
00:23:45.55\00:23:47.52
and He's taken to the Sanhedrin.
00:23:47.56\00:23:49.19
>>Eric: So, let's
jump to Jesus' trial.
00:23:49.22\00:23:51.69
You've got Peter's
denial of Him, Jesus's trial--
00:23:51.73\00:23:54.56
how do these two events
compare with one another?
00:23:54.60\00:23:57.27
>>Tom: All right,
these two events are the last
00:23:57.30\00:23:58.93
of the sandwich
stories in the Gospel of Mark.
00:23:58.97\00:24:00.90
You remember these stories
have either parallel characters
00:24:00.94\00:24:03.74
who are doing opposite actions
00:24:03.77\00:24:05.41
or opposite characters
doing parallel actions.
00:24:05.44\00:24:07.64
Here we have two
parallel characters,
00:24:07.68\00:24:08.98
Jesus and Peter.
Both are on trial,
00:24:09.01\00:24:12.01
and there's quite a sharp
contrast between what they do.
00:24:12.05\00:24:15.35
Jesus, of course, will
say in verse 62 at His trial.
00:24:15.38\00:24:19.42
Well, the high priest
asked Him in verse 61, he says,
00:24:19.45\00:24:23.93
"'Are you the Christ,
the Son of the Blessed?'
00:24:23.96\00:24:26.56
And Jesus said, 'I am.'"
00:24:26.59\00:24:29.30
There's no doubt
about it, that's who I am.
00:24:29.33\00:24:31.17
"I am, and you will
see the Son of Man seated
00:24:31.20\00:24:33.60
"at the right hand of Power,
00:24:33.64\00:24:34.94
and coming with
the clouds of heaven."
00:24:34.97\00:24:36.71
This is what
brings His condemnation.
00:24:36.74\00:24:38.97
So, you read verse 63,
00:24:39.01\00:24:40.51
"And the high priest
tore his garments and said,
00:24:40.54\00:24:42.84
"'What further
witnesses do we need?
00:24:42.88\00:24:44.91
"'You have heard His blasphemy.
00:24:44.95\00:24:46.78
"What is your decision?'
00:24:46.82\00:24:48.22
"And they all condemned
Him as deserving death.
00:24:48.25\00:24:51.82
"And some began to spit
on Him and to cover His face
00:24:51.85\00:24:55.79
"and to strike Him,
saying to Him, 'Prophesy!'
00:24:55.82\00:24:59.33
And the guards
received Him with blows."
00:24:59.36\00:25:01.50
This is the beginning of
now the mistreatment of Jesus
00:25:01.53\00:25:04.13
with physically
beating Him, whipping Him,
00:25:04.17\00:25:07.94
doing all kinds of
things that we're going to see
00:25:07.97\00:25:09.77
as we go on in this study.
00:25:09.80\00:25:11.27
But at this point,
the story breaks back away
00:25:11.31\00:25:14.44
to what's happening to Peter.
00:25:14.48\00:25:16.78
Peter was down in the courtyard.
00:25:16.81\00:25:18.48
He had followed
Jesus at a distance.
00:25:18.51\00:25:20.98
You don't want to
follow Jesus too close
00:25:21.02\00:25:23.75
[chuckling] when
He's taken to trial.
00:25:23.79\00:25:26.05
So, he's down in the courtyard,
00:25:26.09\00:25:28.22
and let's just read
verses 16 through 72.
00:25:28.26\00:25:33.26
>>Eric: "Now as Peter
was below in the courtyard,
00:25:33.29\00:25:34.93
"one of the servant
girls of the high priest came.
00:25:34.96\00:25:37.50
"And when she saw
Peter warming himself,
00:25:37.53\00:25:39.90
"she looked at him and said,
00:25:39.93\00:25:41.24
"'You also were
with Jesus of Nazareth.'
00:25:41.27\00:25:43.41
"But he denied it, saying,
00:25:43.44\00:25:44.97
"'I neither know nor
understand what you are saying.'
00:25:45.01\00:25:48.21
"And he went out on the
porch, and a rooster crowed.
00:25:48.24\00:25:51.58
"And the servant
girl saw him again,
00:25:51.61\00:25:53.58
"and began to say
to those who stood by,
00:25:53.62\00:25:55.95
"'This is one of
them.' But he denied it again.
00:25:55.98\00:25:58.79
"And a little later those who
stood by said to Peter again,
00:25:58.82\00:26:02.02
"'Surely you are one of
them; for you are a Galilean,
00:26:02.06\00:26:05.69
"and your speech shows it.'
00:26:05.73\00:26:07.23
"Then he began
to curse and swear,
00:26:07.30\00:26:09.40
"'I do not know this
Man of whom you speak!'
00:26:09.43\00:26:12.00
"A second time
the rooster crowed.
00:26:12.03\00:26:14.10
"Then Peter called to mind the
word that Jesus had said to him,
00:26:14.14\00:26:17.97
"'Before the
rooster crows twice,
00:26:18.01\00:26:20.31
"you will deny me three times.'
00:26:20.34\00:26:21.94
And when he
thought about it, he wept."
00:26:21.98\00:26:24.31
>>Tom: What a sad story
00:26:25.48\00:26:26.95
about what happened to Peter.
00:26:26.98\00:26:28.15
Three times he denies
Jesus, and at the second time
00:26:28.32\00:26:32.25
he hears the rooster
crow that second time,
00:26:32.29\00:26:35.29
and he remembers Jesus' words:
00:26:35.32\00:26:37.56
"Before the rooster crows twice,
you will deny me three times."
00:26:37.59\00:26:41.66
Now, that was a prophecy
that Jesus had made earlier
00:26:41.70\00:26:45.73
in this chapter,
earlier that evening,
00:26:45.77\00:26:48.74
and while Peter is down
there and is denying Jesus,
00:26:48.77\00:26:55.31
Jesus' prophecy
is coming to pass.
00:26:55.34\00:26:58.81
Now, back in verse 65,
"Some began to spit on Him,
00:26:58.85\00:27:02.42
"to cover His face, and to
strike Him, saying, 'Prophesy.'
00:27:02.45\00:27:05.62
And the guards
received Him with blows."
00:27:05.65\00:27:07.46
"Prophesy"--and one of
His prophecies coming true
00:27:07.49\00:27:10.56
right at that time
as Peter is down below
00:27:10.59\00:27:13.60
denying his Lord.
00:27:13.63\00:27:14.93
So, Peter's denial is a
fulfillment of the prophecy
00:27:14.93\00:27:19.40
that Jesus had made and proves
that Jesus is the Messiah,
00:27:19.43\00:27:22.77
you see? So, this
is the irony of it,
00:27:22.80\00:27:24.94
where Peter's denial actually
proves Jesus to be the Messiah.
00:27:24.97\00:27:29.24
But of course, Peter went
through a terrible experience
00:27:29.28\00:27:32.75
going through this, but
Jesus never gives up on him.
00:27:32.78\00:27:36.62
There's still hope for him.
00:27:36.65\00:27:38.45
>>Eric: That's right,
and we're going to be looking
00:27:38.49\00:27:39.92
at some of that hope
coming up in our next lesson.
00:27:39.95\00:27:42.72
Lesson 12 is
"Tried and Crucified";
00:27:42.76\00:27:45.93
that's coming up next week.
00:27:45.96\00:27:48.06
We're glad that you have been
able to join us again this week
00:27:48.10\00:27:50.90
here on "Sabbath School,"
brought to you by It Is Written,
00:27:50.93\00:27:53.94
and we look forward to
having you join us once again.
00:27:53.97\00:27:56.67
We are getting
toward the very end
00:27:56.71\00:27:58.57
of the book of Mark, but
we are not quite there yet.
00:27:58.61\00:28:01.81
Some of the most
incredible portions
00:28:01.84\00:28:04.15
of the book of Mark
are just on the horizon,
00:28:04.18\00:28:07.25
and we look forward to having
you join us as we cover them.
00:28:07.28\00:28:10.92
God bless you, and
we'll see you next time.
00:28:10.95\00:28:12.95
¤¤¤
00:28:12.99\00:28:16.99
¤¤¤
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