Mark 14:17-26 "The Lord's Supper"
Mark 14:17-25 "The Lord's Supper" • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 7 viewsJesus and His disciples share in Jesus' last Passover meal, thus this has been named "The Last Supper" or "The Lord's Supper." And, during this Passover meal, Jesus institutes the sacrament of communion.
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Transcript
Good Morning Calvary Chapel Lake City!
One more announcement… please congratulate John & Michelle Butcher… as their daughter Bia got married yesterday!
Please turn in your Bibles to Mark 14. Mark 14:17-26 today.
As we continue our chapter and verse journey through the Gospel of Mark, we find ourselves in Jesus’ final week prior to the cross.
And, it was quite a week… namely because in this week Jesus would fulfill the Passover… becoming the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world… for all who look to Him in faith.
When we gathered last, we looked at the account of two disciples entering Jerusalem to prepare the Passover meal.
Which first happened around 1400 B.C.… and still is… an annual celebration to commemorate God’s deliverance from the bondage of Egypt as seen in the Book of Exodus.
In Exodus 12, each Jewish household was instructed to take a lamb without blemish, and sacrifice it at twilight… and to apply it’s blood to their doorposts and lintel.
Which clearly points to Jesus’ death on the cross.
Check out the Passover message on or app… if you missed it… because it adds meaning to our message today…
… as we look at Jesus’ final Passover meal…
“The Last Supper” which is synonomous with “The Lord’s Supper”… our message title today.
The very scene where our Lord institutes the ordinance of communion.
Let’s Pray!
In reverence for God’s word, please stand as I read our passage.
Mark 14:17-26 “In the evening He came with the twelve. 18 Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me.”
19 And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, “Is it I?” And another said, “Is it I?”
20 He answered and said to them, “It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish. 21 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.”
22 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
23 Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. 25 Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.
26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”
Praise God for His word! Please be seated.
Our scene today begin in Jerusalem… in an Upper Room…
V17 records it’s evening, so by Jewish reckoning… the next day has begun… making this Friday… what Christians call “Good Friday.”
I quite like how Luke begins this same passage… He draws attention to the significance of the time with the words recorded in…
Luke 22:14 “When the hour had come...”
You may recall early in Jesus’ ministry (at the wedding feast of Cana)… He said to His mother “My hour has not yet come.”
There was a designated time in God’s sovereign plan… and numerous times scripture was clear that His “hour” had not yet come.
This time or hour marked the days when Jesus would “depart from this world to the Father” (John 13:1)… when God’s prophetic plan would unfold to redeem mankind by the blood of Christ...
This idea of the hour is more figurative then literal, thus some verses state His “time” instead of “hour.”
Even six days prior to the Passover, Jesus said in John 12:23 Jesus said, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.”
The literal hour Jesus died on the cross was the ninth hour or 3pm… according to Matt 27:46…
But, the idea of “the hour”… is Jesus’ work was about to be accomplished… and He would be glorified… He would be esteemed glorious by the Father.
I like How Jesus said in John 17:4-5 “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”
This whole final week of Jesus’ ministry is His appointed hour… when He would depart the world… redeem mankind… and return to glory.
As prophesied in scripture.
This was a time unlike any other… and it’s import for us to understand just how sacred these scenes are… and for our hearts to be postured as so… as we study the passage.
This is not just evening… and Jesus and the disciples sitting to eat some bread and drink wine.
This scene… and those before and after… are of the utmost significance.
Which makes V18… that much more difficult to read… “Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me.”
Two weeks ago I preached a sermon about Judas Iscariot and betrayal… titled “One of the Twelve” as we looked at verses 10-11 in Mark 14…
So, we are not going to spend a lot of time on the same subject today… but if you’ve been betrayed… or just want to prepare yourself for dealing with betrayal…
… Then check out that message on our app or website… which also focuses on Jesus’ response to betrayal.
This scene is all the more amazing because Jesus knew for a solid year that Judas would betray Him…
In John 6:70-71 which was a year prior… Jesus said, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” 71 He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.”
How difficult would it be to walk… for a year… so closely to someone you knew would betray you?
Could you… or would you do it? And, why would you?
In the case of Judas… we know that he served a purpose.
In John 13, when Jesus washed the disciples feet… a large part of that scene is Jesus talking about how one of the disciples was “not clean”… meaning one of the disciples would betray Him…
And, in John 13:18-19… Jesus gives purpose to the betrayal, “… that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’
Quoting Ps 41:9
And, in foretelling that this scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus also said, “Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He.”
The prediction and fulfillment of Judas betrayal served as a sign to the disciples that Jesus was Messiah.
And, still to this day… Jesus lays out evidences in our lives to believe that He is our Messiah…
In many and diverse ways…
I can think back on my life to many stones of remembrance when God moved and I believed…
Many… if not all of you… have had those moments… God stories you can recount of God undeniably moving…
Even for unbelievers who suppress the truth of God in unrighteousness… Rom 1 says, “what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.”
And, so for all people… God makes Himself known…
And, in the case of Judas Iscariot… His betrayal served to testify that Jesus is Messiah…
We all serve a purpose… there are workers in God’s kingdom who are approved…
Like Timothy… as seen in Paul’s exhortation to Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Tim 2:15)
And, in that same passage… there were disapproved workers… Hymenaeus and Philetus…
False teachers who Paul said “strayed concerning the truth” … Paul called their message a “cancer” as they ‘overthrew the faith of some.’
And, to paint the picture… Paul laid out a metaphor to the faithful and unfaithful within the Church…
2 Tim 2:20-21 states, “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”
The metaphor speaks to our great house of Christianity…
There are those like Timothy… set apart from the world… a vessel of gold and silver… one honored and useful for the Master.
And, there are those like Hymanaeus and Philetus… betrayers of the faith.
Vessels for dishonor… useless…
Judas was of this sort… a vessel for dishonor…
I like how Jude gives all kinds of examples of historic errors… of “Old and New Apostates...”
And, Jude mentions “the error of Balaam for profit”… a key motivator for Judas as he sold out the Lord for 30 pieces of silver.
And, Jude mentions “the rebellion of Korah”… looking back to Num 16.
Where Korah, a Levite, and his associates… stirred up a rebellion of 250 of the top leaders of Israel… against Moses’ authority… who God appointed… thus truly they rejected the LORD.
And, either by the earth swallowing them up or by being consumed by the fire of the LORD… they perished as vessels of dishonor.
We could look at many biblical examples of good and God honoring kings… as opposed to evil and idolatrous kings… in Israel and Judah… inside the camp.
We could look at examples of the early church when Christians were sacrificing tremendously… selling their properties and homes… to ensure the needs of the early church were met.
Vessels of honor contrasted with vessels of dishonor like Ananias and Sapphira who lied to the Holy Spirit… saying they gave all, but held back…
But, we can also look in… inside of each of us…
We can ask, “Is my life sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work?”
A vessel of honor is set apart from the evil of the world… it’s useful for the Master and prepared for every good work…
Part of the reason we teach the whole counsel of God here at Calvary Chapel is to prepare you for every good work… because that’s what God’s word does.
“Oh really Pastor Marc? I thought I needed the latest book from a contemporary author?”
You could… but let me ask you… do those books come with a promise and a guarantee?
Because my Bible has this guarantee… 2 Tim 3:16-17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
That’s a pretty good promise… and it comes straight from the source… God breathed…
The word is preparing you for good work… Not work to save you… we’re saved by grace through faith…
But, work because you’re saved… work and service to the Lord as an outflow of your faith.
As James wrote, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
Hearing scripture is a good thing… our morning devotions… coming to church… listening to sermons… it’s all good.
But, hearing without doing… faith without action… it’s deceptive… James even rightly calls it “dead faith.” (James 2)
And at the end of the day… we all look in the mirror… and we will stand before God… and He’s going to want to know what you did to further His kingdom with the gifts He entrusted you with.
And, look… don’t think I’m going to lay some trip on you right now about serving here at Calvary Chapel…
Because I’m not the kind of Shepherd that beats the flock… I’ll feed the flock…
And, if the Spirit guides you… or stirs your heart to serve… and you call Him Lord… it would be disobedient NOT to serve.
But, don’t serve out of compulsion… I’d honesty rather you NOT serve if your heart’s not right… and your feel forced into serving.
1 Pet 5:2 “serve… not by compulsion but willingly...”
In the OT, “… everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing...” to assist with the tabernacle… Ex 35
That’s how the Lord wants people to serve…
And, something to take a walk with this week… if your heart’s not willing… why not?
I know there was a season I didn’t serve… because my heart was engulfed in my career… it was my idol.
Maybe that’s not you… maybe you’re in a season of emotional pain… and you have nothing to give… that’s hard… we should grab lunch and talk.
But, if your spirit is not willing with no good cause… pray… and ask the Lord if He is calling you to serve.
And search yourself… are you living out that picture of a “vessel of honor” which is “useful for the Master, prepared for every good work”…?
Well… back in Mark 14… Jesus again predicts Judas betrayal… as they are reclining… and eating the Passover dinner…
My Bible says they “sat and ate”… obviously Leonardo da Vinci’s painting was wrong…
“Sat” in Gk translates as “to recline” and that’s how they customarily ate… they reclined on couches or cushions around a low table.
Romans called the table a “triclinium”…
This is just free information…
And, so it was in this moment of reclining and enjoying the Seder… Jesus just wrecks the Passover dinner.
I mean can you imagine… you’re eating with Jesus… celebrating the Passover… and He drops this bomb… “one of you who eats with Me will betray Me.”
How do you respond to that?
What amazes me in the tremendously humble response of the disciples… at least 11 of them…
We read in V19 “And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, “Is it I?” And another said, “Is it I?”
Matthew 26 records the disciples were “exceedingly sorrowful” and not only did they say, “Is it I?” But, “Lord, is it I?”
This response from the disciples amazes me because it is such a healthy response… such a testimony that they didn’t have confidence in their own flesh.
And, the reason this amazes me is because imagine the lives they lived with Jesus.
Three years ago, the disciples each committed to letting go of their former lives to follow Jesus.
They were fishermen, a wealthy tax collector, a religious zealot… and they left their trades for Jesus.
They heard His teachings… they saw miracles… they even performed miracles…
And, even though they had moments of failings, struggles, and doubts, as recorded in the Gospels…
They were faithful for the past three years to follow Him… even when a lot of disciples turned away
And, so knowing their sacrifice… knowing their experience… and knowing their abiding in Jesus…
It’s amazing to me that they utter the humble words “Lord, is it I?”
To call one “Lord” in and of itself is an act of submission.
They submit to Him… they don’t disagree with Him… they search their souls knowing the flesh is corrupt… that the “… heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked...”
This humble response reflects the heart of God’s people…
As Peter closed out his first epistle, in 1 Pet 5:5-6 he wrote, “… all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time...”
Pride is the opposite of what God is looking for in His people… Pride is attitude that is of the world and will be extinguished in eternity…
That’s what John wrote… 1 John 2:16-17 “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
Pride by def, is “showing oneself above others” and it is characteristic of the world… and the world will pass away… it will burn with fervent heat…
But eternity is forever… and God describes who will dwell there with Him in Isa 57:15 “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit…”
Humble is a word that lit means “low or abased” and carries the idea of a person with low standing, and absent of pride or arrogance.
Contrite by def. means “who are crushed” lit. “powder.”
And, of all the things that God has to purge from our hearts in preparation from eternity… pride has to be high on the list.
It will be interesting to know what trials the Lord sent our way in this lifetime to refine out of us dross… impurities like pride… impatience… ungodly anger…
So many ungodly characteristics need to be extracted from our lives to conform us to the image of His Son… to transform and renew our minds… to prepare us to receive our glorious bodies and to dwell with Him who inhabits eternity…
And, in this moment with the disciples… their response… “Lord, is it I?”
It stands as a testimony that they were well on their way…
They didn’t look around at one another and point fingers…
John 13:22 records they were “perplexed about whom He spoke.”
Perhaps with a degree of self-confidence, Peter asks “Lord, who is it?”
But, not a one of them accused Judas.
Wolves in sheep’s clothing are hard to spot.
What the disciples did… was they looked within… and asked “Lord, is it I?”
I would encourage you… to cry out to God as the Psalmist David did…
Ps 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties [my disquieting thoughts]; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”
As the disciples sorrowfully hear the words Jesus uttered about one of them betraying Him…
Matt 26:25 records, “Then Judas, who was betraying Him, [present tense] answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?”
Judas was presently betraying Jesus… even prior to Jesus’ arrest at the Garden of Gethsemane where Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss…
Judas had already met with the chief priests and scribes, received the thirty pieces of silver to betray Jesus, and Luke 22:3 records “Satan entered Judas...”
And, so Judas does not reply “Lord, is it I?”
The best he can do is utter, “Rabbi [teacher], is it I?”
Because Jesus was NOT his Lord.
David Guzik wrote, “In Middle Eastern culture, betraying a friend after eating a meal with him was and is regarded as the worst kind of treachery.”
Judas had the same experience as the other disciples… he left all to follow Jesus… he heard the teachings… he saw the miracles… he walk with Jesus for three years…
But, somewhere along the way he let his love for money… and who knows what else… corrupt his heart…
And, this tells us even more… just how important it is to have a healthy distrust of our hearts… and our flesh… and to be vigilant …
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Pet 5:8)
And, Judas indeed was devoured by Satan.
Jesus responds to His disciples question, “Is it I?” in vv 20 saying “It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish.”
John 13:26-27 provides additional detail… Jesus said… “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”
Giving bread at the meal was a sign of honor… a sign of friendship… and some interpret this as Jesus’ final attempt to extend grace to Judas…
And, the fact that John records for a second time that “Satan entered him”… makes you wonder if Judas wrestled in his heart…
Satan already entered Judas… prior to the Passover meal… during the original plot against Jesus when the thirty pieces of silver were paid… Luk 22:3…
So, why does Satan need to enter Judas again after the meal?
It’s most likely that Satan influenced Judas prior to the feast, but now the suggestion of betrayal had been confirmed.
There’s a moment in our hearts when we say ‘yes’ to either good or evil.
A wrestling between light and darkness… will we flee from sin… will we firm up in our hearts our position of holiness?
Or, will we allow desire to conceive… give birth to sin… and when sin is full-grown it brings forth death?… as James 1 describes.
This is probably what happened here with Judas.
And, the words of Jesus as Judas commits to the betrayal are so sobering…
Here in Mark 14:21 Jesus says, “The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.”
Truly for any person who turns away from Jesus… it is betrayal…
John 3:16 records, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Rejecting Jesus is rejecting the love of God… and the means by which He decided to redeem mankind back to Him…
And, there’s NO OTHER WAY… all other roads to heaven lead to destruction… there is one gate and a narrow road that leads to life…
As Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
And, true are the words of Jesus… for anyone that betrays this truth… “It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.”
Because once we exit this lifetime… to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord… we stand before God… and we enter eternity.
Eternal heaven… where those of a humble and contrite heart are… who bowed their hearts in this lifetime to call Jesus “Lord.”
And, Eternal hell… a real place which the Bible describes as…
“outer darkness” and “weeping and gnashing of teeth...” Matt 24 & 25
Where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’ Mark 9
A place where “the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night” Rev 14:11, Rev 20:10
Let me get really real with you for a moment…
This life is not a game… it’s a test that comes down to one question, “Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ… the Savior of the world who died for your sins… and rose again?”
The answer are “yes, I believe” or “no, I reject”… and the test is not graded on a curve… it’s pass or fail.
Can you humble yourself to accept Jesus as Lord… or not?
If you’ve never said ‘Yes’… when we close… say ‘yes’ today. Our Elders and prayer team will be up front… humble yourself before God today…
You are NOT promised even this afternoon… crazy things happen in life.
Biblically speaking… right now… we are either spiritually “alive” or “dead”…
In the case of Judas Iscariot… John 13:30 records “Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.”
William MacDonald wrote, “It was not only night in a literal sense, but it was night spiritually for Judas—a night of gloom and remorse that would never end. It is always night when men turn their backs on the Savior.”
Light/Darkness… Life/Death… Alive/Dead… these all picture not just our experience in this lifetime, but in God’s economy… they extend BEYOND into eternity…
And, if you die without accepting God’s free gift of salvation… spiritually, one remains dead and spends eternity separated from God in the realm of the dead… which the Bible calls Hell…
Rom 6:23 declares, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Eternity is offered to you… for free… it’s a gift… it takes a simple prayer of acceptance…
And, that’s Good News! This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ…
Rom 10:9–10 “… if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
It’s that simple. It doesn’t matter your past…
Rom 3:23 affirms, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...”
It’s not about being a good person…
Rom 3:10 declares, “There is none righteous, no, not one...”
And salvation is not earned by good works…
Eph 2:8-9 states, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
God judges the heart… and if you confess Jesus as YOUR LORD… and truly believe Jesus died for your sins and rose again demonstrating the Father accepted His sacrifice… you’re in.
You’ll be on the good side of eternity.
Make today your day of salvation.
And we will celebrate with you… and the Bible says, “… there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10
Every time someone turns to Jesus… God sees… the angels in heaven see… and it makes all of heaven delight!
You could walk out of here today saying, “I made heaven delight today!”
It’s a blessed picture.
Well back to our text… Judas has departed, and Jesus remains with the eleven… still at the Passover meal… and now we will see Jesus institute what we call “communion.”
Look again at vv 22-24 “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 23 Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks [Gk ĕucharistĕō… which shares a common root word with ĕucharistia… where the Catholic word Eucharist originates from] He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.”
And, so from this passage and the other Gospels… we see the Lord institute Communion… one of the two ordinances we celebrate… baptism and communion.
Communion in Gk is the word kŏinōnia… which means “fellowship or partnership”… it’s root word means “companion.”
And, this is reflected in sharing a meal in ancient times… it was far more meaningful then it is today…
As people shared a common loaf of bread and a common dish of sauce… there was a thought of oneness… that the people sharing a meal became one.
This is in part why Jesus was criticized for “eating with tax collectors and sinners”… for the religious leaders… it was unfathomable to even be associated with those types… yet alone to eat with them.
And, this idea of oneness… this fellowship with the Lord… should always be in mind when we take communion.
And, in how we live… because the Holy Spirit dwells in us… we should not unify our lives with anything above the Lord…
In Corinth, there was an issue where Gentiles were sacrificing to demons… and so Paul warned against eating at idol feasts with the ideal that oneness with idols was unwise.
So, Paul wrote 1 Cor 10:14-16 “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?”
Paul concluded that thought with, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?”
There’s a unity with the things we allow to influence our hearts… and our minds… and our lives…
And, so if we are in communion with Christ… our lives should not be in communion with darkness.
When we, as a church take communion, I read from 1 Cor 11 where Paul recites the account of the Lord’s Supper…
… because Paul also instructs in taking communion we should “examine ourselves” to take communion in a worthy manner… and then eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
If there is some darkness that has crept into our life… deal with it… confess it to the Lord… ask for forgiveness… and then take communion.
Jesus in this passage in Mark takes this Passover meal… which Jews had been celebrating for some 1400 years… and transforms into the Lord’s Supper or Communion.
During the Passover… unleavened bread was part of the meal… meal without yeast… which was a picture of sin…
Unleavened Bread in Hebrew is the word matstsâh (matzah) and it’s striped and pierced and is broken during the traditional Passover Seder… which we know to all point to Jesus Christ…
Sinless, and He body was striped, pierced, and broken for us…
In 1 Pet 2:24, Peter wrote, “… who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”
Even in the OT… this was foretold Isa 53:5 “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”
And, so we take and eat the bread during communion… symbolizing His blessed and broken body… we look back remembering the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
His body broken, as ours remains whole. He took on and satisfied the wrath of God on sin… so we didn’t have to.
And, He took the cup… and there are four cups of wine in a traditional Passover Seder…
… looking back to God’s declaration to Israel in Exo 6:6-7 ‘I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 7 I will take you as My people, and I will be your God.”
So, four cups representing the four declarative statements of God… I will bring you out… I will rescue you… I will redeem you… I will take you…
And, there are various opinions on what the four cups symbolize…
The first is called the Kiddush, meaning sanctification.
The second cup is called the cup of plagues… which were used to deliver Israel from bondage.
The third cup is referred to as either the cup of redemption or the cup of blessing.
The fourth cup is often called hallel which means praise… though some call this the cup of acceptance… and others the cup of Elijah.
And, you can travel deep down this rabbit hole… there are many cross references to how God does the same for us in sanctification, deliverance from bondage, redemption, and acceptance.
Assuming Jesus followed the traditional order of the Seder meal… scholars ascribe the third cup to be that which they drank at this meal, when He declared, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.”
And, so Jesus takes this “cup of redemption” and calls it “the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.”
Paul later calls this “the cup of blessing which we bless” (1 Cor 10:16)…
And, “the cup of the Lord” (1 Cor 10:21)
I see great symbolic significance is Jesus taking this cup of redemption… and linking this to the New Covenant in His blood…
Because it’s by His blood that redemption is made possible… “Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” (1 Cor 5:7)
And, what Jesus does here by calling this cup “the new covenant in My blood” is He links this event to an OT promise found in Jer 31:31-33 “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
The Old Covenant was conditional upon keeping the law… which was impossible for everyone except Jesus… so it’s mentioned in V32 of Jer 31 that the Jews broke the Old Covenant… not surprising.
The New Covenant… which we are under is unconditional and based not on us following the law, but upon Jesus’ finished work on cross.
This is a “better covenant” (Heb 7:22)
It’s a covenant of grace and salvation.
One scholar wrote, “The New Covenant is based on faith in the shed blood of Christ to take away sin, not on repeated sacrifices or any other kind of work. Because Jesus is the holy Lamb of God, His one-time sacrifice is sufficient to atone for the sins of all who believe in Him.”
And, so this was the third cup… and with it… Jesus instituted a New and better Covenant… which we receive by faith.
(Worship team… please come)
Finally… the fourth cup… which… it would seem Jesus did NOT drink… for in V25 of our passage in Mark 14, Jesus said,…
“Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
And, so it would seem… that there is a fourth cup that we all can look forward to sharing with the Lord… when He drinks it new in the kingdom of God.
We look forward to that future time… when Jesus returns… and establishes His literal kingdom on earth for a thousand years… His millennial kingdom…
And, until that time we take communion until He comes… as Paul instructed in 1 Cor 11:26 “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”
And, then they conclude the Passover meal… V26 “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”
So, they meal ends in worship… Jesus and His disciples singing… probably the concluding portion of the Hallel Psalms (115-118)… how beautiful that must have been…
And, then they left Jerusalem and headed to the Mount of Olives where we will pick up next week. Read ahead.
Let’s Pray!
If you’re hear today… you heard the Gospel… the good news that Jesus paid the price for your sins…
And, if you confess Him as Lord and believe in your heart that He rose from the dead… you will be saved…
Our Elders and Prayer team will be available for you to pray a prayer for salvation today.
If you’ve never accepted Jesus… if you’ve never publically confessed His name… come up now and get saved…
Jesus said, “… whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”
We are not guaranteed tomorrow… accept the free gift of salvation today.
And, for all of you be blessed in this week ahead.
