Accepting The Mission And Danger

Accepting the Mission and Danger

Mark 14:22-25

Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz

22 While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is My body." 23 And when He had taken a cup and 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 covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 "Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

The time had come for Jesus's disciples to decide. Were they going to follow the teaching of their Master and continue the mission of preaching repentance to the world? They had three years of instruction and an understanding of how Jesus wanted the mission to be accomplished. However, they had not committed to the mission. At this Passover, Jesus asked directly, "will you take on my mission?" He also told them that there would be a danger. By taking the bread and drinking from the cup, each disciple agreed to carry on the work of the mission. Unfortunately, there was one person there who was not going to follow the mission. Judas had the opportunity to lie to Jesus one more time.

The communion sacrament that the church developed centers around a person saying to Jesus that he/she believes in the words and actions of Jesus. The communion ritual is a restatement of one's beliefs. The true meaning of the event has been clouded by the church not understanding what the words and actions meant to the men in that room. Suppose the church emphasized that the Communion was an act of doing Jesus's work, then perhaps the churches would be filled and prosperous. The mission is to tell people to repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Once a person has repented, the blessings of the Kingdom of Heaven will become available.

So let's spend a moment with the original meaning. It is essential for us to know what Jesus and His disciples were doing because it will give us a different perspective on the communion sacrament. Jesus had been with His disciples for around three years. He taught them quite a bit during their time together. Throughout the three years, there was always the question in the background as to whether they would carry on His mission when He was gone. The mission was to spread the idea of the Kingdom of Heaven for everyone. Peace and grace were to enter the world by following Jesus' words and actions.

Jesus knew that his death was imminent. Therefore, He gathered the disciples together for one last meal, and too shall we say "seal the deal." When He picked up the bread and passed it around, he asked for the equivalent of a signature on a contract. Each of the men agreed to take Jesus' mission on as their own. This was a sacred moment in Jesus' day. The culture of His day said that if you shared bread in that manner, you were entering into an unbreakable contract. That is one of the reasons that Judas Iscariot hung himself. He entered into the unbreakable contract as a lie.

Jesus was upfront with His disciples that it would be a dangerous mission. He was about to pay the ultimate price. He picked up the cup of wine and said it was His blood. That Semitic movement was to tell His disciples that they would suffer a similar fate as He was about to suffer. If any of them refused the drink, then that person would have been released from their obligation. Even Judas drank from the cup.

If you take on the mission of Jesus, then you are becoming a part of His body and blood. In ancient times this sacrament made you equivalent to a blood relation. Is that not what we do today? When a true Christian takes the body and blood of Christ, is he/she not recommitting him/herself to the mission of Christ? Absolutely! The first time you take Communion you are entering into the contract. All subsequent times you are reaffirming your commitment to Christ.

In many parts of the world, taking on the mission of Christ will not get you killed. However, there are places in the world where death is likely. Here in the United States, death is generally not something that occurs. However, there may be penalties you may have to endure. For example, when I came to know Jesus and accepted Him as my savior, I lost some friends and family. I did not realize that would happen, but it did. I must tell you that I would still have become a Christian with the knowledge of losing friends and family. Being with Jesus is far superior to friends and family.