March 22 2026, Sunday School Lesson

Jesus Prepares for Death

Lesson Text: Mark 14:32-52

Related Scriptures: Psalm 75:6-8; 88:1-18; Jeremiah 25:15-29; Matthew 6:9-13; Matthew 10:32-34

TIME: between A.D. 26 and 30

PLACE: Jerusalem

“Golden Text “And, he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless, not what I will, but what thou will” (Mark 14:36).

INTRODUCTION

This quarter’s first unit was on God’s wrath on sin. Now we turn to God’s wrath poured out on God’s Son. In today’s passage, Jesus prepares to take the bitter cup of God’s wrath in our place as our substitute. Because Jesus bore God’s wrath for us, we can find safety and security in Him.

Jesus’ humanity was on display as he trembled at the awful prospect of suffering the punishment for the sins of the world. Yet despite His read, He prayed and prepared in perfect obedience to his Father. As we see Jesus preparing to die, and as we prepare to celebrate Resurrection morning, let us marvel at His perfect obedience in the face of His unparalleled death. Let us worship Him with reverence and awe for what He endured.

As Mark’s Gospel so clearly depicts the severity of God’s wrath poured out on Jesus, let the account also serve as a warning. Do not casually dismiss Christ for another day! God’s wrath is severe. Do not foolishly think you can save yourself, for if you do, you too will experience God’s wrath. Instead, put your faith in Christ, who has already taken God’s wrath on sin.

LESSON OUTLINE

1. JESUS PRAYS – Mark 14:32-34

2. JESUS’ PRAYER – Mark 14:35-36

3. THE DISCIPLES REST – Mark 14:37-42

4. JESUS IS BETRAYED AND ABANDONED – Mark 14:43-52

QUESTIONS

1. As a man, what did Jesus experience as He faced death?

2. Why did Jesus bring Peter, James, and John father than the other disciples?

3. How was this prayer unique in Jesus’ life?

4. What was Jesus referring to when He prayed about “this cup”?

5. Why did Jesus pray that not His will, but the Father’s will be done?

6. Why might Jesus have called Peter “Simon”?

7. What do we learn from the fact that Judas had to arrange a sign to identify Jesus?

8. How did Peter initially respond to Jesus’ arrest by the mob?

9. Is it important to identify the young man who fled naked?

10. Why might Mark have included the detail about the young man fleeing naked?

ANSWERS

1. He not only experienced sensations like taste and touch, sight and smell, but He also experienced real emotions as well.

2. Whether that was because they were His closest friends or because He was intentionally preparing them for leadership roles in the early church (or both), we do not know for certain. James was an early martyr (Acts 12:1-2), Peter was a prominent leader in the early church (chapters 1-12), and John was the longest living apostle. They were all leaders in the early church.

3. When Jesus declared that He was sorrowful to the point of death, it was not an empty, melodramatic flourish. Jesus never spoke that way anywhere else in the Gospels. This was a uniquely terrible experience in His life. Knowing that was come, Jesus was grieved. After His arrest, things would happen at a rapid pace, a whirlwind of activity. But this was the calm before the storm, a moment for Him to reflect and agonize over the horror of what was about to unfold. He would suffer a horrible death and bear the wrath of God poured out against sin.

4. But whether Jesus was praying to avoid drinking God’s wrath poured out against sin or whether He was asking to avoid the events that were about to happen, He clearly agonized over His upcoming death on the cross.

5. Despite His confidence that the Father could take this cup from Him and His deep desire that the Father do so, Jesus submitted. He accepted that the Father might have plans that were different from what He was asking for. Praying for something and then submitting to God’s will does not imply a lack of faith. Rather, it demonstrates a recognition that God’s plan might be better than what we have asked for and that we trust His wisdom.

6. He also called Peter “Simon,” referring to him by his old name. Jesus had changed Simon’s name to Peter (John 1:42) but sometimes referred to Him by his old name. When He did this, it seems to have been a sign that Peter was behaving like his old self or that he was about to (cf. Luke 22:31; John 21:15-19). Falling asleep instead of praying earned him the gentle reminder of his old name.

7. Judas had arranged a sign before-hand regarding how they would identify Jesus. This demonstrates that unlike old paintings of Jesus, He did not have a glowing halo. He looked like the people around Him. He did not have an extraordinary appearance or otherworldly good looks that made Him easily identifiable (cf. Isa. 53:2). He blended in with the disciples, and unless someone had seen Him before, they would not be able to identify Him by his appearance.

8. In response, Peter tried to defend Jesus. Although Mark did not name Peter as the one who struck back with a sword, John did. John even names the man Peter struck, Malchus, a servant of the high priest (John 18:10). It is unlikely that Peter was trying to merely cut off Malchus’s ear as a warning to everyone. More likely, he was untrained in how to use a sword and swung it wildly, barely hitting his target.

9. While other guesses have been proposed, the identity of the young man is not important to the point Mark was making. Mark could have named this man but did not. Instead of speculating on what Mark did not say, we should focus on what he did say – that this man fled naked.

10. It is possible that Mark included this detail as a way of highlighting the shame of abandoning Jesus. Though only one man fled naked, all the disciples abandoned their Master and fled. This was a shameful act.