“Passover Meal”
Mark 14:17-26
eucharist=thanksgiving
communion (koinonia)=sharing something in common.
Passover: God’s act of mercy and grace to deliver from His judgment those who believed in the blood
“Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy way will be guilty of sin against the body and blood of the Lord . . . and eats and drinks judgment on himself.” 1 Corinthians 11:27-29
In this series, we are taking another look at the events of the last week of Jesus earthly life and ministry. These are familiar stories to many of us but if we’re not careful we will miss or forget or pass over the wonder and splendor of these events. So we want to look again at them and long for God to fill us with awe at what He did during that week 2000 years ago.
In week 1 we looked at the King Jesus being rejected by the religious authorities on that Sunday we call Palm Sunday. On week 2 we saw King Jesus being anointed by a woman which was preparation for His impending death on a cross. Now today we see King Jesus explaining that death in the context of the Passover Meal.
Turn with me to Mark 14:17-26
In just a little while, we’re going to take the Lord’s Supper. Some faith traditions call it communion. Some traditions call it the Eucharist. Eucharist= is the Greek word for thanksgiving, although the word is never applied in Scripture to the Lord’s Supper. Those faith traditions who call it the Eucharist normally also believe that it is a sacrament. The word sacrament= comes from a Latin word which means ‘holy.’ Those who believe in sacraments, and there are 7 of them, believe that participating in a sacrament is salvific, that is, it participating in the sacrament mediates salvation and makes you holy. This of course, is nowhere in Scripture and cannot be true. We are not saved by any action, no matter how wonderful and holy it is—as it says in Ephesians 2:8-9 “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast.”
The word communion (koinonia)=sharing something in common.We share the experience together. I was raised in a tradition that used the term communion. However, the early church called this The Last Supper or The Lord’s Supper because Jesus instituted it at the last meal He shared with His disciples on the night before He was crucified.
The Lord’s Supper in the New Testament is deeply rooted in the occurrence of the Passover in the Old Testament. You might recall that the book of Exodus opens up with the Hebrews living in Egypt. In modern day parlance, they were immigrants. They had left the Promised Land of Canaan, modern day Israel, because of a drought and ended up in slavery in Egypt. For four hundred years they longed to return to their homeland. Finally Yahweh raised up Moses to deliver His message: “Let My people go!”
But Pharaoh wouldn’t listen. So God began to bring plagues on this most powerful nation in the world. Each plague corresponded to an idol or false god that the Egyptians worshipped. Yahweh was proving He was more powerful than any and all of their gods. The final plague was The Death Angel who would be the messenger sent to judge the Egyptians because of the hardness of their hearts. The death angel was going to bring death to the 1st born son and the 1st born of the flocks & herds. You’ve heard me teach on the Principle of First Fruits: that God expects us to give Him the 1st and the best; not what’s left over but off the top. He takes that seriously.
So God told Moses to tell the people, “Take the blood of an unblemished lamb and spread the blood on the doorposts of your house and your 1st born will be saved.” Those that believed the word of the Lord, those who responded in faith, were spared the ravages of the Death Angel. Of course none of the Egyptians believed, and the land was filled with the bodies of 1st born children and 1st born herds and flocks. In response, Pharaoh let the Hebrews go. The Hebrews had to get out so fast that they didn’t have time to make bread the way the normally did, putting yeast in the dough and letting it rise. That would take too much time, so they made the dough, hastily through it on an iron grate that they cooked much of their food on(pic of matzo), packed it away, and headed for the Red Sea. This whole event is called the Passover.
A year later, they are still at the foot of Mt. Sinai while Moses is receiving and writing the 10 commandments and other instructions and the annual observance of Passover was observed and still is to this day. Passover: God’s act of mercy and grace to deliver from His judgment those who believed in the blood
Fast forward 1300 years. God has stepped into our world in human form to become a lamb; the Lamb of God. Jesus is in a small upper room somewhere in Jerusalem. It’s Passover time. He has His 12 disciples around Him and He breaks from tradition and now adds a new dimension to Passover. He inserts Himself as the Passover Lamb. His blood shed the next day on the cross would end the need for any more blood sacrifices.
Mark 14:17-26 (on screen)
v.17-19 one of you will betray me…surely not I? As soon as Jesus said this, there was a pain in each of their hearts. Story of me sitting in group and someone said that something not paid—I knew I hadn’t…as it turned out, someone else hadn’t either. Point: each disciple had betrayal in his heart…and each of us have betrayal in our hearts as well.
v.20 in the bowl This bowl was a part of the Passover meal that was observed each year. The bowl was filled with bitter herbs. It reminded them of the bitterness, the sorrow and tears of their slavery in Egypt. Jesus could have announced the betrayal at any point in the Passover meal but He chose this point for a purpose: the exemplify the bitterness of the betrayal and a foretasting of Judus’ own bitterness once the dastardly deed was done.
v.21 took the bread and broke it explain unleavened bread/fast exodus; show (need matza) (don’t give away brittle, pierced, striped) This was to remind them of the quickness of their exodus and the how God provided for them while they were on the run.
v.23 took the cup and they all drank from it During the Passover meal they participants would drink wine 4 different times, each representing their redemption, their deliverance from slavery. This would have been the 3rd of those 4. Jesus correlates the wine with His blood that is going to purchase, redeem humanity from slavery to sin. This redemption is available to all who will believe.
v.25 will no longer drink…new kingdom of God In all probability Jesus is referring to His resurrection which introduced a whole new era of man’s relationship with God. He is saying “This is the turning point; no other act of redemption will be necessary. My blood will pay it for the sin of the world.
v.26. a hymn hallel; praise Usually chanting parts of Psalm 116. Interesting that this would have added emphasis to what Jesus said. Psalm 118:22-23
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
23 This came from the LORD;
it is wondrous in our sight.”
The next day, Jesus was beaten, bruised and then bludgeoned on an old rugged cross. And those of us who believe in Him, who by faith have taken His blood and splashed it on our hearts will not experience the judgment of God!
This morning we remember what He did for us by partaking of the Lord’s Supper. We don’t take this lightly. It’s a serious moment. The Lord’s Supper is reserved for those who have surrendered their lives to Christ and are walking with Him. If you’re here, and you are not in Christ and Christ is not in you, I suggest you not take the Lord’s Supper. If you are here this morning, and you are not walking the surrendered life, I suggest you not take the Lord’s Supper. Here’s what the Bible says about you, “Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy way will be guilty of sin against the body and blood of the Lord . . . and eats and drinks judgment on himself.” 1 Corinthians 11:27-29
