Mark 14

Jesus is sometimes depicted as a mild-mannered religious teacher who was hardly a threat to anyone (except for that atypical outburst in the temple with the moneychangers). He was an illegitimate, uneducated child of a laborer, growing up on the wrong side of the tracks. He had no social or political power - who would ever feel threatened by Him?

Apparently, the religious leaders who plotted his demise were. On the eve of His crucifixion, a “crowd” went with Judas to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Who was in this crowd, whose sole purpose was to arrest Jesus?

John tells us (John 18:3, 12) that a Roman cohort was part of the crowd. A cohort is 600 men – a Roman battalion - easily 20% of the soldiers under Pontius Pilate’s command. Can you imagine 600 of the best trained soldiers in the world showing up at your front door to arrest you? They were led by a commander, a chiliarch – a man over a thousand troops - one of Pilate’s top military aides.

Those enlisted by the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders were also in the crowd. These are three distinct sections of Jewish religious leaders. The chief priests came from the tribe of Levi, and were the beneficiaries of all the perks of being a priest at the temple. The scribes were the lawyers, highly educated, entrusted with preserving the Law. The elders were the community judges, drawn from among the common folks. These three never got along – except apparently when it came to eliminating Jesus, who threatened their power over the people.

John tells us (I know, this is about Mark’s account, but it helps to see the composite picture) that this crowd “drew back and fell to the ground” when He announced He was the one they sought (John 18:6). A mere man, confronted by 600+ tough men ready to do him harm, causes them to fall down in fear? Fear of what?

Of the Holy Son of God. Of the Creator of the Universe, in the flesh. Of the One who could call “twelve legions of angels” to His side in a nanosecond (BTW, a legion is 6000, so Jesus could be surrounded by 72,000 angels instantly. One angel killed 185,000 in one night in 2 Kings 19:35 – a rather formidable army was available to do His bidding).

Let us never forget that while we serve the Lamb of God, He is also the Lion of Judah. And as C.S. Lewis put it, “He is not a tame lion”.


Lee Thrasher
March 5