Sabbath, May 24 – Mark 14, Luke 22

1. What does Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane show about how we can confront our own trials? (Mark 14:35–36)

2. What is the difference between Judas’s betrayal and Peter’s denial? How does Jesus respond to each? (Luke 22:48, 61)

3. When participating in the Lord’s Supper, how can you reaffirm your commitment to Christ and His sacrifice?

Mark 14 and Luke 22 take us to the brink of Christ’s passion, where the events escalate and the spiritual, emotional, and theological tension peaks. Although these chapters are told from two different viewpoints, they converge on a central message: the perfect obedience of Jesus in the face of suffering, human abandonment, and betrayal.

Let us study how these narratives reveal both human fragility and the unwavering faithfulness of the Savior.

“The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38, NKJV).

In both chapters, the disciples pledge their loyalty (Mark 14:29; Luke 22:33), but they soon succumb to sleep, fear, and betrayal. Jesus warns them of their weaknesses, not to condemn them, but to prepare them. This serves as a call to humility: following Christ necessitates a profound awareness of our dependence on His grace.

Luke 22:19–20 and Mark 14:22–25 illustrate the origin of the Lord’s Supper. Christ imbues the bread and wine with new significance, not just as symbols but as a means of communion with His sacrifice. In the context of the Jewish Passover, Jesus identifies Himself as the ultimate Lamb. This act ties the Exodus to the redemption at the cross, demonstrating the continuity of God’s plan for salvation.

In Mark 14:32–42 and Luke 22:39–46, we observe Jesus’ soul deeply troubled. His prayer reveals a genuine humanity that does not shy away from suffering but willingly surrenders to the Father. This scene marks a pivotal moment in the theology of the cross: Jesus embraces suffering out of love, demonstrating that the Kingdom of God is unveiled through total surrender.

Both Judas and Peter fail, but in different ways. Judas betrays with premeditation, while Peter denies out of fear. Yet, Luke adds a poignant detail:

“And the Lord turned and looked at Peter” (Luke 22:61, NKJV).

That look is pure grace: it does not condemn; it calls to repentance. This moment highlights the redemptive nature of Christ’s love.

In Gethsemane, another garden, the disobedience of Eden is reversed. Jesus, the second Adam, prays:

“Not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Jesus unites Israel’s past with messianic fulfillment by instituting the Lord’s Supper during Passover. Thus, He is the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Despite their failures, the disciples remain the group to whom Jesus entrusts the mission. The Church is born in redeemed fragility.