Bible Study for the Day: Mark 14:26-52

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Mark 14:26-52

     The reading for today begins the story of Jesus’ passion. After Jesus’ perfect life, after three years of teaching throughout Israel, and after imparting Holy Communion upon His disciples, the time had finally come for Jesus to fulfill the mission He had been sent to Earth to fulfill, the redemption of sinful mankind.

     Some people see Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane that night as a moment of weakness in Jesus, but in realty, we see Jesus’ humanity fully displayed, yet in that humanity, we see His perfection, because not once did he falter from His task, praying that not His will be done but the Father’s.

     And that is why we see Jesus’ so confident even in the midst of His betrayal and arrest. Jesus understood the end of the story, even if all those around Him did not. Indeed, He would have to suffer excruciatingly and die, but He also knew that His death, followed by His glorious resurrection, assured all those who followed Him and any who would ever believe in His sacrifice and resurrection eternal life.

     In the Jesus of Gethsemane, we see the triumphant Savior of all mankind begin His final battle, that battle against sin, death, and the power of the devil. Jesus, far from being the defeated leader of a band of frightened followers, stood that night as the victorious general of the Army of Saints, our Savior and King.

DLH