The Arrest- Mark 14:32-52

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane 

32 And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled.34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” 35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. 41 And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” 

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. 

Summary

At this point in Jesus’s final days, we get a look into the darkness of the weight of Jesus’s sacrifice leading up to the most glorious light… Here Jesus is faced with the physical darkness of the night as he prays earnestly to the Father during some of the final moments leading up to His death on the cross. We are made aware that Jesus knew what was about to happen to Him based on how He is praying. Jesus invited His closest friends into His despair leading up to His death, only to find His friends not watching or praying but asleep. Jesus confronts them only to find them sleeping again only moments later. Finally, he confronts them a third time, only to be interrupted by Judas leading an armed mob, including religious leaders, to Jesus to arrest Him. 

To make matters worse, Judas used a kiss (which was a culturally appropriate form of greeting for family and close friends) to signify to the mob who it was that they were arresting being Jesus. One of the disciples, whom we learn from one of the other gospel accounts, was Peter, took His sword and cut the ear off of the High Priest. From the other accounts, we also know that Jesus healed the High priest’s ear and rebuked Peter. Jesus’s disciples run away, fearful for their own safety, leaving behind Jesus. 

The last two verses are especially peculiar. Many believe that this young man is Mark, the author of this Gospel. The young man is watching what happened, but when the mob grabs onto him, he runs away, leaving his clothing behind him.  

HEAR about it:

What did you HEAR from God’s word today? Use the HEAR method (Highlight, Explain, Apply, and Respond), to examine today’s passage. If you need to know more about the HEAR method, click here.

Talk about it:

• What does this passage show us about Christ? 

• What does this passage show us about man? 

• How would you react if your friends fell asleep in a moment of extreme distress instead of helping you? 

• What is the cup that Jesus is asking to be removed? 

• Why was Judas’s betrayal of Jesus especially offensive? What was the nature of Judas’s relationship with Jesus up until this point? 

• What was the reason for Jesus’s arrest? 

• Reread verse 49. Jesus was wrongfully accused but still accepts His fate. Why? How would you react if you were betrayed by friends and accused for something you did not do? 

• What is one takeaway or action step that you have after reading this passage? Spend some time praying together about it.