Mark Part LX - Striking the Shepherd (14:27-52)

In the course of His ministry, Jesus has articulated, on the basis of a thorough reading of the Old Testament, that His calling as Messiah is to give His life a ransom for many, to be the Passover Lamb. As the moment of His betrayal into the hand of sinners arrives, the moment from which there will be no turning back, Jesus is incredibly lonely, full of fear and trepidation. Have I been right, he asks himself? Is this really what God wants Me to do? Is there perhaps another way? In the midst of these struggles, Jesus found himself completely alone. Deserted by his sleepy friends while suffering in the garden, betrayed by Judas, one of the Twelve, forsaken by his disciples, Jesus is alone. But during His wrestling with the Father in the garden, Jesus had received His answer. He knew that what He was doing was what the Father desired. And so Jesus’ doubts vanish and once again He faces the ordeal before Him in confidence and trust, teaching us not only the joy of doing the will of God but His glory as the Second Adam, the founder of a new humanity.