Death Meal Series

Background:

• Jesus was in his final week of ministry before He would suffer and die.

• It was a time of intensity, both in Jesus’ teaching and the religious leaders’ opposition, as we have seen.

• Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus followers, had already determined to betray Jesus and turn Him over to the religious leaders.

• Jesus and His disciples were all together for the Passover meal.

• Jesus had an important teaching He wanted to demonstrate with the Passover as a backdrop.

• Mark only includes three distinctive of the Lord’s Supper for his Gentile audience, and that is intentional.

• Let’s try to get to the heart of Mark’s message.

The Passover

• The Passover was an important holiday and celebration for the Jews.

• Early in Israel’s history, the nation was being held captive in Egypt.

• God raised up Moses to lead the Children if Israel out of Egypt, back to the land of promise.

• However, the Egyptians were too accustomed to their cheap labor and refused to let them go.

• That is when God sent Moses to Pharaoh to warn him of 10 coming plagues.

• The final plague would be the most severe.

• It would be the death of the firstborn.

• It would fall upon every household, every family and every livestock herd.

• The first born would die when the angel of death passed by.

• There would be a way to be the exception to this.

• Moses instructed the Jews to select a perfect lamb that had not been mated.

• It had to be without blemish.

• Each household was to kill their lamb, paint the blood on the doorposts of the house, and cook the lamb.

• That evening, they were supposed to eat the lamb, with bitter herbs and unleavened bread.

• Small families could go together in one house.

• That night, the death angel passed by every house.

• The ones that did not obey Moses’ directions, in those homes and in their livestock, the first born died.

• The death angel passed over those who followed the instructions.

• Pretty much, the Israelites observed the Passover instructions and the Egyptians didn’t.

• So many first born Egyptians died that night.

• Many first born of their livestock died that night.

• The impact was so great in Egypt, the Egyptians not only begged the Israelites to leave, they paid them with costly treasures to leave.

• From that time, even to today, the Israelites celebrate the Passover with a meal.

• Jesus and His disciples celebrated the meal every year, but there was a special atmosphere the third year of Jesus’ ministry.

• Jesus’ popularity had never been higher, as the disciples witnessed the triumphant entry into Jerusalem with people cheering, singing, and laying their cloaks in the road.

• But the religious leaders’ hatred for Jesus had reached a high mark also.

• Something would have to give, and it seemed to the disciples that it would be a good time for Jesus to continue to rise until He ruled the earth with the power they saw demonstrated throughout His ministry.

• But that understanding of the future was not what Jesus was going to teach during His final Passover of His earthly ministry.

Mar 14:22-26 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body." 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of 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 not drink again 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.

• This morning, I want us to look at the three things that Jesus emphasized in this meal and what He is saying to us today.

• First, I want to touch one item that Jesus did not emphasize.

• Moses instructed the Israelites to roast the lamb in an open fire.

• Yet Jesus did not mention a lamb roasted over a fire.

• Is there a significance? I believe there is.

• I believe Jesus didn’t include a lamb roasted over a fire because HE was the lamb.

• He was tried by fire every day of His life.

• We need no other lamb. Jesus is our lamb.

• He was once slain, and there is no need for another sacrifice of a lamb.

• Hebrews 10:10 tell us that “…we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”