What is the meaning of Mark 14:2? But not during the feast – The “feast” is the Passover and the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread that immediately follows (Mark 14:1; Exodus 12:14-20). – Jerusalem swelled with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims (Deuteronomy 16:16), so every street, courtyard, and rooftop was crowded. – In that setting, a public arrest would ignite attention instantly. Matthew records the same caution: “Not during the feast, lest there be a riot among the people” (Matthew 26:5). – Though the rulers tried to avoid action during this timeframe, God’s sovereign plan placed the crucifixion of the true Passover Lamb precisely during the very feast that foreshadowed Him (1 Corinthians 5:7; Acts 2:23). they said – “They” refers to “the chief priests and scribes” (Mark 14:1) who were already plotting “in stealth” (Luke 22:2). – These men, guardians of the Law, now conspire to break it by engineering a murder (John 11:47-53). Their words reveal deliberate calculation, not impulsive outrage. – Their fear of public opinion shows that, at this point, Jesus’ popularity still offered Him a measure of protection (Mark 12:12; John 12:19). or there may be a riot – Riots were not uncommon in festival crowds; Rome watched Passover week closely (Luke 23:5; Acts 21:38). – A disorderly mob would attract Roman troops from the Antonia Fortress, jeopardizing the leaders’ own positions (John 11:48). – They desired Jesus dead, but they wanted it done quietly, without jeopardizing their relationship with Rome or their influence over Israel (Proverbs 29:25). among the people – “The people” (Greek laos, the common populace) had hailed Jesus a few days earlier during the Triumphal Entry (Mark 11:8-10). – Many still listened to His teaching “with delight” in the temple courts (Mark 12:37). – The leaders feared that sudden violence against a perceived prophet would turn the multitudes against them (Luke 20:6). – Ironically, the same crowds that could riot in His defense would soon be manipulated into shouting, “Crucify Him!” (Mark 15:11-13), proving how fickle human allegiance can be when truth is suppressed (Jeremiah 17:9). summary Mark 14:2 reveals a calculated, politically driven pause in the rulers’ plan to kill Jesus. Wanting to avoid a public backlash during the highly attended feast, they chose stealth over open confrontation. Yet their caution only highlights God’s greater design: the Lamb of God would indeed die during Passover, fulfilling centuries of prophetic symbolism, despite every human scheme to the contrary. |
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