The Hour of Decision
With the passion narrative (chaps. 14–15) Mark reaches the climax of his Gospel. He has prepared his readers for the events that are about to unfold, first by recounting the increasing hostility of the leaders of Israel toward Jesus, and Jesus’ own prophecies of his passion (8:31; 9:31; 10:33–34). Chapter 11 recounted Jesus’ messianic entry into Jerusalem and his cleansing of the temple, actions that directly precipitate his arrest and execution. Chapter 12 established the basis of Jesus’ authority to carry out these actions: he is the beloved Son sent by the Father to gather the fruit of Israel. Finally, the end times discourse in chapter 13 provided an interpretive key to the passion by showing that it marks the transition from the former age to the new and definitive stage of salvation history, the stage that will be consummated at Jesus’ coming in glory at the end of time.
In the passion narrative the four Gospels come closest to one another in their wording and chronology, showing the importance the early Church placed on the details of Jesus’ sufferings. Mark, like the other three Evangelists, interprets the passion in light of the Old Testament, especially Isaiah’s Suffering Servant poems and the psalms of the suffering just man. Without glossing over the agony of the passion, Mark suffuses his whole account with the light of the resurrection. All that he writes is meant to lead his readers to understand the deeper significance of this mystery: Who is this man who died on a cross under †Pontius Pilate? And what does his death have to do with me?
The Plot to Kill Jesus (14:1–2)
1The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were to take place in two days’ time. So the chief priests and the scribes were seeking a way to arrest him by treachery and put him to death. 2They said, “Not during the festival, for fear that there may be a riot among the people.”
OT: Ps 31:13; 64:2; Jer 20:10
NT: Mark 11:18; 12:12. // Matt 26:1–5; Luke 22:1–2
Catechism: divisions among Jewish authorities concerning Jesus, 595–97
Lectionary: 14:1–15:47: Palm Sunday (Year B)
14:1 It is the third day of Jesus’ visit to Jerusalem, the day that runs from Tuesday evening to Wednesday evening of holy week. Mark notes the time precisely, since the chronology of Jesus’ passion was a matter of great importance for the early Church. The combined feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread was the greatest holy day of the old covenant, commemorating the exodus. Jesus’ passion was to be the fulfillment of this event, God’s definitive deliverance of his people from slavery to sin and death.
The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread
The Passover is the great feast commemorating God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt. The institution of the feast is recounted in Exod 12, where God instructed Moses as to how the people should annually celebrate his mighty act of redemption. Passover began in the afternoon of the fourteenth of Nisan, when the lambs were slaughtered in the temple. After sunset the lambs would be eaten in the ceremonial Passover meal, the Seder. The Feast of Unleavened Bread began with Passover and continued for a full week (like an octave in the Christian liturgical calendar), during which the Israelites allowed no trace of yeast in their homes.
The Passover (or Pasch) was meant not only to commemorate but to relive the events of the exodus, making them present anew to each generation. The paschal lamb recalled the slaughtered lambs whose blood the Israelites had put on their doorposts, saving them from the angel of death (Exod 12:6–13). Unleavened bread recalled the haste with which they departed from Egypt (Exod 12:15, 39); bitter herbs evoked the bitterness of their bondage. When the temple was built, the Passover became a pilgrimage feast: devout Jews traveled to Jerusalem each year to celebrate it, since it was in the temple that the lambs were sacrificed. The Passover was also a feast of hope for future liberation, recalling God’s promise of a new and greater exodus (Isa 52).
For the New Testament, Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection is his Passover or paschal mystery, the event that brings to fulfillment all that was prefigured in the Passover. By curious coincidence, the Greek rendering of the Hebrew word for Passover (pascha) is very similar to the Greek verb for suffer (paschō), highlighting the link between the Passover and the passion.
The chief priests and the scribes, along with the elders, were the religious authorities whom Jesus had prophesied would “hand him over” and condemn him to death (8:31; 10:33), and who have long been plotting his demise (3:6; 11:18; 12:12). Now they seek to put their plans into action. But they wish to do so by treachery so as to avoid an inflammatory confrontation with Jesus’ supporters. It is a replay of the scheming of Israel’s leaders of old against the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 18:18–20; 20:10). Treachery, or “deceit,” was one of those evils that Jesus had said defile a person from within (Mark 7:21–23).
14:2 Ironically, the Passover is the one time when the religious authorities do not want to take action against Jesus, for fear of out-of-control popular reactions. During the festival the city’s population swelled to three times its usual size and Jewish nationalism was at fever pitch. Yet at the Last Supper Jesus will deliberately associate this feast with the culmination and most profound meaning of his mission. The fact that he did die during the feast, despite the religious leaders’ calculations, highlights the fact that everything took place according to the precise plan and timetable of God.
The Anointing at Bethany (14:3–9)
3When he was in Bethany reclining at table in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of perfumed oil, costly genuine spikenard. She broke the alabaster jar and poured it on his head. 4There were some who were indignant. “Why has there been this waste of perfumed oil? 5It could have been sold for more than three hundred days’ wages and the money given to the poor.” They were infuriated with her. 6Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you make trouble for her? She has done a good thing for me. 7The poor you will always have with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them, but you will not always have me. 8She has done what she could. She has anticipated anointing my body for burial. 9Amen, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed to the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”
OT: 1 Sam 10:1; 16:13; Ps 23:5; Song 1:12
NT: // Matt 26:6–13; John 12:1–8
Catechism: serving the poor in Jesus, 2449
In stark contrast to the malicious scheming of the chief priests and scribes (14:1–2) is the tender gesture of the anonymous woman recounted here. In his typical †sandwich technique, Mark frames this story between the account of the treachery of the religious authorities (vv. 1–2) and the treachery of Judas (vv. 10–11), accenting two diametrically opposed responses to Jesus. Those from whom we might naturally expect the most—the religious leaders and the specially chosen friends of Jesus—turn out to be the perpetrators of the worst evil. The woman, in contrast, represents the exemplary response of a disciple.
14:3 The anointing takes place in Bethany, where Jesus and his disciples are lodging during their stay in Jerusalem (11:11). Simon the leper may have been someone healed by Jesus and known by name to the early Church. That they were reclining at table suggests a formal banquet, and recalls the earlier scenes of Jesus’ table fellowship: his supper with sinners (2:15) and messianic banquets in the desert (6:35–44; 8:1–10). In the midst of the meal a woman comes onto the scene with an alabaster jar of perfumed oil. Mark does not tell us who the woman is (though John identifies her as Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus; John 12:2–3). Nard, an aromatic oil made from a root native to India, appears in the Song of Songs as the bride’s perfume for the banquet of the king (Song 1:12).[1] Such a treasure might have been a family heirloom. Completely unconcerned about expense or decorum, the woman breaks the alabaster jar and pours the perfumed oil on the head of Jesus. Her boldness in doing so, risking the indignation of host and guests, stands out against the stealth of the chief priests and scribes (14:1). The word for break is literally “shatter”; the woman gives up any possibility of reusing the flask or saving some of its contents.
What did she mean by this gesture? On one level, it was her way of giving Jesus the very best she had. To anoint someone’s head with oil was a gracious and hospitable gesture (see Ps 23:5; Luke 7:46). This woman must have experienced Jesus’ healing, forgiveness, or unconditional love, and wanted to express her love in return. But for Jews steeped in the Old Testament, to anoint the head with oil also has another unmistakable significance: it is the way to crown a king (1 Sam 10:1; 16:13) and to ordain a priest (Exod 29:7). This woman’s gesture is a symbolic recognition of Jesus the messianic king and high priest! Although she may have been only vaguely aware of the significance of her act, Jesus recognized and affirmed it. It is the only time in the Gospel that he is literally anointed (the meaning of “messiah”), and it takes place just days before he completes his messianic mission.
14:4–5 But some of the banqueters, perhaps including the disciples (see Matt 26:8), are indignant at what they consider a breach of propriety and a waste of valuable resources. Mark notes the vehemence of their reaction by adding they were infuriated with her, which could also be translated “they snorted at her,” “they rebuked her harshly” (NIV), or “they scolded her” (NRSV). On the surface their complaint may seem logical. Jesus, in the tradition of the Old Testament, had taught and modeled the importance of generosity to the poor (Mark 10:21; see Luke 14:13; 16:19–31). It was customary to give alms on feast days, and the Passover was near. But like the disciples on many occasions, the woman’s critics are oblivious to the true significance of what is happening (Mark 6:49, 52; 8:17; 10:13). “Waste” implies giving more than is due for something of little value. But how could anything given to the Messiah be a waste? The woman, with deep intuition, had recognized the primacy of devotion to Jesus over all other works of charity. With her gesture she proclaimed that Jesus is worthy of all, worthy of her whole life being poured out.
14:6–7 Jesus, in response, commends the woman and reproaches the grumbling men. They have no authorization to judge her according to their worldly reasoning. She has done a good thing (literally, a beautiful thing) for me—that is, she has shown Jesus the honor and devotion of which he is worthy. Jesus alludes to a teaching of Moses (Deut 15:11): The poor you will always have with you. This statement is in no way an excuse to ignore the plight of the poor. Jesus, like Moses, affirms that the perpetual presence of the poor, far from being a reason for complacency, is a constant reminder of our obligation to do good to them. God’s plan for human life is that no one be in need (Deut 15:4), but he wills to involve us in carrying out that plan. But Jesus now reveals what the critics have missed: you will not always have me. Like his earlier words about the bridegroom being taken away (Mark 2:20), it is a veiled prophecy of his passion.
14:8 Jesus then interprets the woman’s action: She has done what she could. Like the impoverished widow (12:44), she gave everything she had to give, holding nothing back. Where others were moderate, balanced, and measured in their response to Jesus, this woman was extravagant: she poured out on him what was most precious to her. Moreover, her anointing was a prophetic gesture, anticipating his death. Because Jesus would die like a common criminal, his body would not be properly anointed for burial. In fact, the passion account ends with women going to anoint his body (16:1)—but only this woman succeeds, because she has done it beforehand. On a deeper level, she has prepared Jesus for his burial by affirming the unspeakable value of the life he was about to pour out. Whereas Peter had tried to hinder Jesus from his messianic vocation (8:32), this woman prophetically affirms and opens the way for it. She is the first person in Mark, other than Jesus himself, to have an intuition into the meaning of his passion.
14:9 Jesus concludes his praise of the woman with a solemn pledge. The assurance that the good news would be proclaimed to the whole world is a pointer to his ultimate triumph. Like many exemplary characters in the Gospel the woman remains anonymous, perhaps because Mark invites every reader to identify with her. But her gesture will be remembered and always linked with what Jesus himself did. As an act exemplifying the Church’s response to Jesus’ passion, it will be told as an essential part of the proclamation of the gospel. Indeed, it will lead many others to do what she did: to recklessly “waste” all that is most precious on Jesus.
The anointing at Bethany parallels the widow’s offering (12:41–44), forming a frame around the discourse of chapter 13.[2] The two stories are closely connected. Both women give generous gifts at great sacrifice, despite the monetary difference (a penny versus three hundred days’ wages). In each case Jesus alone recognizes the value of the gift. He praises both women, beginning with his solemn “Amen” formula—the only times in the Gospel where Jesus gives praise to a person. And both cases offer a contrast with evil men: the scribes who devour widows’ houses (12:40) and the scribes who plot Jesus’ death (14:1). Each woman’s gift foreshadows the death of Jesus, the widow by giving “her whole living” (literally, “her whole life”) as Jesus was about to do, the other woman by anointing him for his burial.
Immediately after this episode, Jesus will again recline at table, and there will be another ritual action that is a symbolic anticipation of his death: the institution of the Eucharist. There too is a reference to Jesus’ body and a solemn pronouncement, “Amen, I say to you.” Mark has placed these two actions in close proximity so that they shed light on each other. The woman’s gesture anticipates what Jesus himself will do: she breaks and pours out her greatest treasure on him, as he would break and pour out his life for all humanity.
The Plotting of Judas (14:10–11)
10Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went off to the chief priests to hand him over to them. 11When they heard him they were pleased and promised to pay him money. Then he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.
OT: Ps 55:13–15
NT: // Matt 26:14–16; Luke 22:3–6
Catechism: all sinners as authors of Christ’s passion, 597–98, 1851
14:10 An act of lavish love is followed by one of cold, calculating treachery. Judas Iscariot takes the initiative in going to the chief priests to betray Jesus. Judas had undoubtedly been present during Jesus’ confrontations with the religious leaders (11:15–18; 12:1–12), and knew that they wanted him dead. Hand over (paradidōmi) is a key word in the passion narrative, expressing the successive betrayals that Jesus had said he would undergo (9:31; 10:33): Judas, a disciple, hands him over to the Jewish leaders; the Jewish leaders hand him over to a pagan ruler (15:1); the pagan ruler hands him over to be crucified (15:15). This chain of events symbolizes the complicity of all human beings in the rejection and crucifixion of the Son of God. Mark accents the painfulness of the betrayal by repeatedly noting that Judas was one of the Twelve (14:10, 20, 43), one of those chosen by Jesus for special intimacy with him and a share in his authority (3:14–15).
Mark is remarkably reticent about Judas’ motives. But it is noteworthy that Judas makes his move immediately after the anointing at Bethany. It may be that he finally realized that Jesus was not going to buy into the earthly program of action on which he had pinned his hopes, whether a violent uprising against the Romans or radical social reform. Jesus’ values were of an entirely different order. Perhaps Judas could not accept Jesus’ approval of the woman’s costly gesture—and what it implied about who he considered himself to be.
14:11 Not surprisingly, the chief priests are pleased with Judas’s offer. They have been hampered so far by Jesus’ popularity with the crowds (11:18; 12:12; 14:2), but Judas could provide them with an opportunity to arrest Jesus quietly in a private setting. In Mark’s account Judas does not ask for money but is offered it.
Passover Preparations (14:12–16)
12On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him. 14Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” ’ 15Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.” 16The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
OT: Exod 12:6; Lev 23:5
NT: 1 Cor 5:7. // Matt 26:17–19; Luke 22:7–13
Catechism: Christians and Jews both celebrate the Passover, 1096
Lectionary: 14:12–16, 22–26: Corpus Christi (Year B); Blessing of a Chalice and Paten
14:12–15 Mark’s careful reference to the Passover is not merely a chronological but also a theological signal. Jesus chose the setting of the great feast, commemorating the exodus from Egypt, for the culmination of his mission. He is the true paschal lamb that is about to be sacrificed (see John 1:29), and the unleavened bread about to be given (14:22). In him the Passover of Israel is fulfilled and revealed in its deepest meaning.
The combined feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread began with the late-evening Passover meal. In preparation for the feast, that afternoon each family’s Passover lamb would be brought to the temple.[3] After passing inspection, the lamb was sacrificed and its blood sprinkled on the altar. It was then returned to the family to be roasted. Jesus’ disciples take the initiative in placing themselves at his service for preparing the meal. According to Jewish law, the Passover meal had to be eaten within the Holy City (see Deut 16:5–6). Jesus’ precise instructions show that he had already made arrangements, just as he did for his entrance into Jerusalem (11:1–6). As he always does when sending his disciples on a mission (6:7; 11:1), Jesus sends two of them together.
Jesus’ instructions seem to indicate a prearranged signal. Ordinarily, carrying water jugs was a woman’s task. Apparently Jesus has arranged for this man to be waiting for the disciples, and when they see him they need not say anything but simply follow him. These precautions were probably designed to elude the religious leaders who were constantly on the lookout for a chance to arrest Jesus (14:1). He would not fall into their hands until the proper time had come. As in 11:3 Jesus has hidden friends who place their resources entirely at his disposal. Moreover, his exact foreknowledge shows that he is in full control of his destiny as he approaches the passion, freely embracing the Father’s will. The disciples will be shown a large upper room, probably with carpets or couches on which the guests would recline as they ate.
The Upper Room
According to ancient tradition, the upper room or cenacle was on Mount Zion, a hillock on the southern end of Jerusalem’s western hill (Zion is sometimes used poetically to refer to the whole city). This room, whose owner was evidently a follower of Jesus, was probably also the place where the 120 disciples waited in prayer after Jesus’ ascension, and where the Holy Spirit was poured out on Pentecost (Acts 1:13; 2:1). It may have been in the house of Mark himself, which was a gathering place for the early Church (Acts 12:12). An ancient Jewish Christian synagogue was built on the site. Today a medieval church stands there; just beneath the “upper room” is the site venerated as the tomb of King David.
14:16 Upon following these instructions, they find everything exactly as Jesus had described and undertake the traditional “preparations” for the Passover meal: the roasted lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs, and other ceremonial items.
Prophecy of Betrayal (14:17–21)
17When it was evening, he came with the Twelve. 18And as they reclined at table and were eating, Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19They began to be distressed and to say to him, one by one, “Surely it is not I?” 20He said to them, “One of the Twelve, the one who dips with me into the dish. 21For the Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”
OT: Ps 41:10–11; 55:13–15; Sir 37:2
NT: 1 Cor 11:28. // Matt 26:20–25; Luke 22:21–23; John 13:21–30
Catechism: the Last Supper, 610–11
14:17–18 In the biblical world, the greatest expression of communion among friends is to share a meal (Gen 26:30; 31:54; 1 Sam 9:24). Table fellowship is even the sign of the covenant relationship between God and man (Exod 24:11; Deut 12:7). On the night before his passion, Jesus desires to enjoy this intimate communion with the Twelve, his closest disciples. Yet in this very setting, he speaks of a horrendous break in communion: one of you will betray me. This prediction alludes to Ps 41:10 (see Sir 37:2): “Even the friend who had my trust, who shared my table, has scorned me.” In ancient culture, there was no greater breach of loyalty than to turn against someone whose hospitality you have enjoyed and whose table you have shared. The psalmist expresses anguish at this experience, but also confidence that he would be vindicated by God. The very next line reads: “But you, LORD, have mercy and raise me up” (Ps 41:11).
14:19–20 Jesus does not identify who it is who will betray him. There may be two reasons for this. First, his announcement is a sobering admonition for the other disciples, causing each of them to search their hearts and discern whether there is any bitter root inside (see Heb 12:15) that could eventually lead them to such a heinous act. It is as if they need an examination of conscience to be prepared to receive the unfathomable gift he is about to give them (14:22–25; see 1 Cor 11:28). Distressed at his words, they ask him one by one, Surely it is not I? Each disciple must humbly recognize the evil of which he is capable if left to his own devices. Jesus accents the pain of the betrayal by reaffirming that the betrayer will be one of the Twelve dipping into the dish with him, perhaps the dish into which herbs were dipped during the Passover ceremony. This statement (unlike that of John 13:26) does not identify the traitor, since several or all of the disciples may have been using the same dish. The other disciples seem to have had no suspicions about Judas, but Jesus sees into the heart (see Mark 2:8).
14:21 Second, Jesus’ announcement gives Judas a chance to repent and abandon his evil plans without anyone having to know. He appeals to Judas by warning him in advance of the dreadful consequences of his act. This scene depicts the mysterious interaction of God’s sovereign will and human freedom. Jesus, the Son of Man, is the suffering Messiah whose vocation to die has been foreordained by God and prophesied in the Scriptures (especially in Isa 52:13–53:12). But that does not excuse Judas of responsibility for the sinful role he played in the process. God’s plan anticipates human freewill decisions, but does not cause them. Jesus’ statement is a solemn warning, expressing grief at the bitter fate the betrayer is bringing on himself.
The Institution of the Eucharist (14:22–25)
22While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” 23Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. 25Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
OT: Exod 12:13; 24:3–8; Isa 53:11–12; Jer 31:31–32
NT: John 6:51–58; 13:1–17; Rev 19:9. // Matt 26:26–29; Luke 22:15–20; 1 Cor 11:23–27
Catechism: the Last Supper, 610–11; institution of the Eucharist, 1337–44; Eucharist as pledge of glory to come, 1402–5
Mark’s whole account of the public ministry has illumined and prepared readers for what Jesus is about to do. The disciples had shared many meals with Jesus. They had learned that he overturns social and legal barriers, that he is the messianic Shepherd who feeds God’s people, and that he is able to provide more than enough to satisfy all. They had learned that he would “give his life as a ransom for many” (10:45) and be raised from the dead. Although they had not understood “about the loaves” (6:52; 8:17–21), and will still not fully understand until after the resurrection, now the mystery is being unveiled: Jesus himself is the bread, broken and given for many.
14:22 To understand Mark’s succinct account, it is important to read it in light of its setting as a Passover supper (see vv. 12–16). A Passover supper would include the traditional elements: a blessing by the head of the household, the ceremonial foods and wine, the retelling of the story of the exodus, and the singing of hymns. Jesus’ initial actions are typical of the host at a Jewish banquet, and are identical to what he had done in the two miracles of the loaves (6:41; 8:6): he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. The customary blessing was a prayer of thanksgiving to God for having provided for his people. The sharing of one loaf was a sign of the fellowship the banqueters were enjoying. Mark implies that even Judas is included in this fellowship, since he has said nothing about his departure.
According to custom the host at Passover interprets each of the ceremonial foods by relating them to the exodus. But Jesus’ interpretation goes far beyond the Passover and brings the meal to an entirely new level: Take it; this is my body. With these simple words, the Last Supper becomes a prophecy in gesture, anticipating and interpreting the passion that was to occur the next day. Jesus identifies the broken bread with his own body about to be broken on the cross. In Hebrew thought, “body” is not merely the flesh but the whole person as a physical being. Jesus is revealing that his death will be a gift of himself to them (see 10:45). By asking them to “take,” that is, to eat the bread that is his body, he is inviting them to receive this gift of himself into the depth of their being.
The Eucharist, Sacrament of Unity
The Fathers of the Church often spoke of the unifying power of the Eucharist, an efficacious power going far beyond the symbolic value of a loaf shared by friends. St. John Chrysostom writes, “For what is the bread? It is the body of Christ. And what do those who receive it become? The Body of Christ—not many bodies but one body. For as bread is completely one, though made up of many grains of wheat, and these, albeit unseen, remain nonetheless present, in such a way that their difference is not apparent since they have been made a perfect whole, so too are we mutually joined to one another and together united with Christ.”[a]
St. Augustine explains that Holy Communion is both a gift and a task. “ ‘The Body of Christ,’ you are told, and you answer ‘Amen.’ Be members then of the Body of Christ so that your Amen may be true! Why is this mystery accomplished with bread?… Consider that the bread is not made of one grain, but of many. During the time of exorcism [before baptism], you were, so to say, in the mill. When you were baptized you were wetted with water. Then the Holy Spirit came into you like the fire that bakes the dough. Be then what you see and receive what you are.”[b]
There is no mention of the central element in a Passover supper: the lamb. It was the blood of sacrificed lambs that saved the Israelites from death (Exod 12:13). But Jesus’ words reveal that he himself is the paschal Lamb whose blood will save the many from death. Just as the Passover was not complete without eating the paschal lamb, Jesus’ sacrifice is complete only when his disciples consume his body and blood. By inviting them to share the one bread that is his body, Jesus is drawing them into a union with himself and one another that is far deeper than any earthly table fellowship.
14:23 Then he took a cup. Jesus invites his disciples to drink from the cup before giving its explanation. The verb for give thanks (eucharisteō) is the origin of the Church’s name for the sacrament commemorating the Last Supper, the Eucharist. Like a shared loaf, wine from a shared cup was a sign of fellowship. Wine is also a symbol of joy, festivity, and abundance (Ps 4:8; Isa 62:9), and of divine life (Mark 2:22; John 2:3, 9). But Mark also suggests another level of meaning: the cup that Jesus will drink is his passion, the full force of God’s judgment on sin, which he willingly accepts (Mark 14:36; see Isa 51:17; Jer 25:16–18). As Jesus already indicated to James and John, for the disciples drink from his cup (Mark 10:38) means to participate in his atoning sacrifice, both to share in his sufferings willingly and to receive their benefit: restored communion with God.
14:24 Jesus’ interpretation of his gift of the cup again transcends and fulfills the Passover: This is my blood of the covenant. For the Jews, it was forbidden—unthinkable—to drink blood (Gen 9:4; Deut 12:16). The Old Testament teaches that blood is sacred because it is the seat of life: “the life of all flesh is in its blood” (Lev 17:14 JB). For the same reason, it is blood that makes atonement for sin (Lev 17:11), since nothing could be offered to God more valuable than the blood of a living creature. But how could Jesus ask his disciples to do what was forbidden in the law? To drink the blood of animals would be demeaning. But to drink the blood of the Son of God is to be elevated to a share in his own divine life.
The “blood of the covenant” was the phrase used at the moment when God established his †covenant with Israel at Sinai at the climax of the exodus (Exod 24:1–8). Nearly all ancient covenants were sealed with blood, since a covenant was the forging of a kinship bond and kinship is constituted by blood. The Sinai covenant was ratified by the blood of sacrificed bulls sprinkled on the altar, representing God, and on the people. That covenant too was consummated in a sacred meal (Exod 24:9–11). Jesus’ declaration that now his blood is the blood of the covenant means that the covenant is now being definitively renewed, just as Jeremiah had prophesied (Jer 31:31–32). Now there is kinship bond between God and his people that can never be broken.
That Jesus’ blood will be shed or poured out signifies a violent death. The verb is actually in the present tense (“is shed”) because Jesus’ words are not merely a prophecy but a window into the inner reality of his passion. His supreme gift of self, offered on the cross, is now made available to all. That it will be shed for many means that Jesus’ death is more than a martyrdom; it is an efficacious sacrifice, providing the total forgiveness of sin that was only foreshadowed in the animal sacrifices of the old covenant. “For many” also recalls Isaiah’s prophecy of the servant who through his suffering would “justify many” and “take away the sins of many” (Isa 53:11–12). “Many” does not mean a limited number, but is a Semitic way of expressing a vast multitude: Jesus “died for all” (2 Cor 5:14).
14:25 Jesus concludes with a solemn vow, assuring the disciples that his bitter passion will end in the joy of the resurrection. Wine is a symbol of the messianic banquet prophesied in the Old Testament (Isa 25:6; 55:1). Jesus is implying that his joy will not be complete until his disciples—both present and future—are united with him in the final and glorious banquet in heaven (see Luke 13:29; Rev 19:9). Thus the Church has always understood the eucharistic meal as not only a making present of the past (the passion) but also a foretaste of the future (the full coming of God’s kingdom).
At the time Mark wrote his Gospel, the Eucharist was already the center of the early Church’s worship. Mark’s first audience would have read his account in light of their own celebrations of “the breaking of the bread” (Acts 2:42), “the Lord’s supper” (1 Cor 11:20). Although Mark does not record Jesus’ injunction to “Do this in memory of me” (Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:24–25), the liturgy was already a living fulfillment of that word.[4]
Reflection and Application (14:22–25)
Jesus’ words over the bread and cup reveal that his death on the cross is an atoning sacrifice, fulfilling the Passover and all the sacrifices of the old covenant. He himself is both the sacrifice and the high priest who offers it (Heb 2:17; 4:14). At the same time, according to Luke and Paul, Jesus transforms his last supper into a memorial that will make his sacrifice present in the Church until the end of time (Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:24–25). He instructs his apostles to continue to offer his once-for-all sacrifice and distribute it to the people of God as he had to them. Catholic tradition thus recognizes the Last Supper as the moment when Jesus ordains his apostles as priests of the new covenant, who share in a unique way in his ministry as high priest (Catechism, 1380).
26Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
27Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will have your faith shaken, for it is written:
‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be dispersed.’
28But after I have been raised up, I shall go before you to Galilee.” 29Peter said to him, “Even though all should have their faith shaken, mine will not be.” 30Then Jesus said to him, “Amen, I say to you, this very night before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times.” 31But he vehemently replied, “Even though I should have to die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all spoke similarly.
OT: Zech 13:7
NT: John 16:32; 2 Tim 4:16. // Matt 26:30–35; Luke 22:31–34; John 13:36–38
Catechism: perseverance as a gift, 162
14:26–27 The Passover meal traditionally concludes with singing a hymn (or hymns) of praise, especially Psalms 113–118, known as the Hallel Psalms. After the supper, Jesus and his disciples cross the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives, the same setting where he gave the end times discourse (13:3–37). Just as he had prophesied the failure of one disciple (14:18), now he prophesies the failure of all: you will have your faith shaken (skandalizomai), literally, “stumble” or “fall away.” Jesus quotes the prophet Zechariah to explain this disturbing forecast (Zech 13:7). In this passage, after declaring that the sheep (God’s people) would be scattered, Zechariah goes on to show how God would turn the disaster to good. A remnant would be left, whom God would refine like gold and silver. Humbled by their trials, they would live in true covenant fidelity: “They shall call upon my name, and I will hear them. I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they shall say, ‘The LORD is my God’ ” (Zech 13:9). Jesus identifies himself as the Shepherd-Messiah who will be struck down, and whose followers would scatter in fear and confusion. As he had warned in the parable of the seeds, some who eagerly embraced his words would quickly “fall away” in the face of trials (Mark 4:16–17). By giving this prophecy, Jesus is reassuring the disciples in advance that even their failure will be incorporated into God’s saving plan.
14:28 Jesus does not end his prophecy on a note of gloom but announces the resurrection. He will regather his scattered flock, since to go before them is to lead them as a Shepherd. It is an assurance that forgiveness and restoration are available to all those who desert or deny Jesus under persecution, as some of Mark’s first readers may have done. Jesus’ mission will end where it began, in Galilee, and there he will commission the disciples to continue his work of salvation by bringing the gospel to the ends of the earth (16:15).
14:29–30 But Jesus’ warning is lost on Peter, who brashly asserts that his own faith will not be shaken, evidently confident that his own fortitude exceeds that of the other disciples. Peter’s deep loyalty and love for Jesus is not yet matched by sober self-knowledge and humility. Jesus responds with another solemn warning: you will deny me three times. To deny Jesus is to disown or repudiate him, the antithesis of discipleship, which entails denying oneself (8:34). Jesus had warned earlier that some would be ashamed of him (8:38), that is, afraid or embarrassed to be associated with him. Peter will be singled out not for exemplary conduct but for failure.
14:31 As has happened before (8:32; see John 13:8), Peter does not hesitate to contradict his Lord. His strident self-assurance sets the tone for the other disciples, who similarly declare their readiness to die with Jesus. Like many of Jesus’ later followers they will have to undergo a painful trial to be purified of their self-deception and learn that their faithfulness to him is a pure gift of grace. But even though they do not yet know what they are saying (as in Mark 10:39), Jesus delights in and will eventually fulfill their as-yet-immature desire to give their lives in fidelity to him.