Final Preparations Series

Introduction

A. The story is told about a football game that took place between the big animals and the little animals.

1. As you might expect, the large animals had a big lead going into halftime.

2. With a big lead, at the start of the second half, on first down, the big animals called a running play up the middle with Tiger carrying the ball.

a. When Tiger reached the line of scrimmage, down he went.

b. He hobbled back to the huddle and the big animals asked him, “What hit you?”

c. Tiger said, “That centipede.”

3. Next, on second down, the big animals handed the ball off to Lion.

a. With a roar, Lion ran to the line of scrimmage and down he went.

b. Back in the huddle the big animals asked, “What happened?”

c. Lion answered, “It was that centipede!”

4. On third down, the big animals handed the ball off to Rhino.

a. When he too tumbled to the ground at the line of scrimmage, they asked him, “What happened?”

b. Rhino answered, “It was that centipede!”

5. Bewildered, the big animals asked the little animals why the centipede wasn’t in the game during the first half and they said, “He was putting on his shoes.”

6. It would take a centipede a long time to put on his football shoes!

a. He had obviously not planned ahead enough to be prepared for the start of the game.

B. Preparedness is very important.

1. How prepared are you for the game of life?

2. How prepared are you for the mission you’re called to as a disciple of Jesus?

C. Jesus spent three years getting His disciples ready for their mission and here in Mark 14, in His final days before His crucifixion, we see Jesus making final preparations for Himself and His disciples.

1. In today’s sermon, we will explore three special scenes of preparation.

2. First, we will explore the institution of the Lord’s Supper, then the prediction of the disciples’ desertion, and finally, the night of prayer in Gethsemane.

I. Scene #1: Instituting the Lord’s Supper (Mark 14:12-26)

A. Mark wrote: 12 On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrifice the Passover lamb, his disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare the Passover so that you may eat it?” 13 So he sent two of his disciples and told them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.” 16 So the disciples went out, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. (Mk. 14:12-16)

1. The feast of Unleavened Bread had arrived.

a. It was a celebration that lasted for seven days and began with the slaying of the Paschal lamb on the first day of the festival.

b. The meal was then observed at sundown of the second day of the festival.

2. We notice that Jesus had made advance preparations for this meal, just as He had done in advance of the triumphal entry a few days earlier.

a. Jesus maintained a bit of secrecy by only sending two apostles and I’m certain Judas wasn’t one of them.

b. They were to look for a man carrying a water jar – since it was customary for women to carry out this task, a man carrying a water jar would stand out.

c. The two apostles went into the city, found the man, followed him and made preparations for the meal.

3. At that time in history, it was a rule in Jerusalem that anyone with available space was expected to allow strangers to utilize the space for the special Passover celebration, because many out of towners came to Jerusalem for the Passover and would need a space for the celebration.

a. This man may have been a follower of Jesus or may have been a friend of a follower.

4. Let’s pause a moment and recognize the contribution made by the owner of the house.

a. We don’t know if the man participated in the meal with Jesus or not, but this meal would not have happened without his cooperation.

b. This man represents for us the countless men and women who have made some kind of behind the scenes contribution to God’s kingdom work.

c. Every person’s contribution is needed, no matter how big or small, no matter how noticed or unnoticed by us, but God knows and God rewards.