Mark 10:40

10:40 but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give. It is for those for whom it has been prepared.” ¹ 

Mark 14:11

14:11 When they heard this, they were delighted ²  and promised to give him money. ³  So ⁴  Judas ⁵  began looking for an opportunity to betray him.

Mark 10:45

10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom ⁶  for many.”

Mark 12:14

12:14 When they came they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and do not court anyone’s favor, because you show no partiality ⁷  but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. ⁸  Is it right ⁹  to pay taxes ¹⁰  to Caesar ¹¹  or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

[10:40]  ¹ sn After the first passion prediction in 8:31 Jesus rebuked Peter as having been used by Satan. After the second passion prediction in 9:31 the disciples were concerned about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. After the third passion prediction in 10:33 James and John asked for positions of honor and rulership in the kingdom, revealing their complete misunderstanding of the nature of the kingdom and exposing their inadequacy as true disciples of Jesus. Jesus replied that such positions were for those for whom it has been prepared.

[14:11]  ² sn The leaders were delighted when Judas contacted them about betraying Jesus, because it gave them the opportunity they had been looking for, and they could later claim that Jesus had been betrayed by one of his own disciples.

[14:11]  ³ sn Matt 26:15 states the amount of money they gave Judas was thirty pieces of silver (see also Matt 27:3-4; Zech 11:12-13).

[14:11]  ⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[14:11]  ⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:45]  ³ sn The Greek word for ransom (λύτρον, lutron) is found here and in Matt 20:28 and refers to the payment of a price in order to purchase the freedom of a slave. The idea of Jesus as the “ransom” is that he paid the price with his own life by standing in humanity’s place as a substitute, enduring the judgment that was deserved for sin.

[12:14]  ⁴ tn Grk “and it is not a concern to you about anyone because you do not see the face of men.”

[12:14]  ⁵ sn Teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Very few comments are as deceitful as this one; they did not really believe this at all. The question of the Pharisees and Herodians was specifically designed to trap Jesus.

[12:14]  ⁶ tn Or “lawful,” that is, in accordance with God’s divine law. On the syntax of ἔξεστιν (exestin) with an infinitive and accusative, see BDF §409.3.

[12:14]  ⁷ tn According to L&N 57.180 the term κῆνσος (khnso") was borrowed from Latin and referred to a poll tax, a tax paid by each adult male to the Roman government.

[12:14]  ⁸ tn Or “the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).