Mark 14:1 It was now two days before the feast of the Passover and the unleavened bread, and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might seize him by deception, and kill him. 2 For they said, “Not during the feast, because there might be a riot of the people.” 3 While he was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining, a woman came having an alabaster jar of ointment of pure nard–very costly. She broke the jar, and poured it over his head. 4 But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and saying, “Why has this ointment been wasted? 5 For this ointment might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the poor.” They grumbled against her. NHEB
Two days before Passover would be Wednesday. (Remember that the Jewish calendar counts a day as the period from one sundown to another. As such, Wednesday evening would be the start of Thursday).
Passover celebrates the Jews freedom from Egyptian slavery and consists of a meal (Seder) followed by seven days where foods containing leaven are not eaten. In their haste to leave, the Israelites didn’t have enough time to allow their bread to properly rise so unleavened bread is eaten to commemorate the exodus. The prohibition against eating chametz goes beyond simply bread to include anything that contains a grain that has been leavened or allowed to ferment.
1Corinthians 5:6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole lump? 7 Purge out the old yeast, that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old yeast, neither with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. NHEB
The bread made by the Jewish people was made by keeping a piece of the old dough and mixing it as a starter with the new dough. It would then spread throughout the new dough (like our modern day yeast packets) and cause it to rise. In these verses, leaven relates to corruption and the inclination to sin (not unlike the Orthodox idea of the 8 deadly thoughts). While typically thought of as negative, Matthew 13:32-33 uses leaven in a positive light in His discussion of the kingdom.
Matthew 13:31 He set another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field; 32 which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.” 33 He spoke another parable to them. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, until it was all leavened.” NHEB
This dinner party is the last night before Jesus will go into Jerusalem. We don’t know anything about Simon other than the fact that he was a leper although we might infer from the text that this is someone that Jesus has healed. Note that Jesus let the woman touch Him. Many think (see John 12) that the woman is Mary, who lives with her sister and brother (Martha and Lazarus) in Bethany.
Mark 14:6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone; why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful deed to Me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them whenever you want. But you will not always have Me. 8 She has done what she could to anoint My body in advance of My burial. 9 And truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” BSB
Jesus isn’t counseling indifference to the poor but rather that while the needs of the poor are constant, this is an exceptional moment. The disciples are still blind but the woman has perceived the importance and just as Jesus said, here it is 2,000 years later and we are still talking about her. This text is often used in stewardship but in context, Jesus was just anointed for death.
Mark 14:10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus into their hands. 11When they heard this, they were delighted and promised to give him money. So Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray him. 12 Now on the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, Jesus’ disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 He sent two of his disciples and told them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” 16 So the disciples left, went into the city, and found things just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. 17 Then, when it was evening, he came to the house with the twelve. 18 While they were at the table eating, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, one of you eating with me will betray me.” 19 They were distressed, and one by one said to him, “Surely not I?” 20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who dips his hand with me into the bowl. 21 For the Son of Man will go as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if he had never been born.” NET
We aren’t sure what Iscariot means but is probably a reference to where he is from. The thought has been expressed that perhaps Judas is disappointed in Jesus because of his expectations of the Messiah. Certainly a possibility but hard to square that thought with Judas’ thievery and the condemnation by Jesus in verse 21 and from the descriptions of him in the Gospel of John. Interesting that no one suspects Judas, or for that matter, any other disciple of being “the one” although Matthew’s Gospel includes an interesting exchange between Judas and Jesus (Matthew 26:25). Suffice to say, Mark is on a roll here and not particularly interested in why Judas betrayed Jesus – just that he did.
Passover had to be celebrated in Jerusalem and Bethany lies outside of Jerusalem. Men don’t carry water as that is a household task so it shouldn’t be too hard for the disciples to find this guy. Among the things needed for Passover are wine, unleavened bread and a lamb that had been sacrificed in the Temple.
Passover begins at sundown on Thursday (Friday on the Jewish calendar) which is Maundy Thursday on our calendar. Mark wants us to know that not only is Jesus betrayed by one of disciples but that Jesus knows who it is.
Mark 14:22 While they were eating, he took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take it. This is my body.” 23 And after taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 He said to them, “This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many. 25 I tell you the truth, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 26 After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. NET
The New Testament wants us to see what Jesus is doing through an Old Testament lens. A number of commentators note that by the time we reach verse 25, Jesus and the disciples have drunk 3 of the 4 cups of wine that accompany Passover. The third cup of wine is known as the cup of redemption (or blessing). The fourth cup, that He refuses to drink, is known as the cup of consummation which normally concludes the meal. As with the Olivet Discourse, there is a future element in His words.