Mark 14:17–26. 17And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” 20He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. 21For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 22And 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.” 23And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25Truly, 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.” 26And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (ESV)
Nearly fifteen hundred years after the first Passover was established by God on the night the Hebrew people were liberated from slavery in Egypt, Jesus and His disciples made their way to an upper room in Jerusalem where they celebrated the last divinely authorized Passover meal. In its place, the Lord instituted a new memorial that pointed to Himself and His work on the cross that we remember on this Good Friday. While the old Passover commemorated Israel’s temporal deliverance from bondage in Egypt, the new Passover celebrated an infinitely greater eternal redemption from the power and penalty of sin. In a single Passover meal, on the night before His death, the Lord Jesus concluded the old celebration and instituted the new. He took components of that final Passover feast and redefined them as elements of His Communion table.
Over the centuries of Old Testament history, millions of lambs were slain as part of the annual Passover observance. Each of those sacrificial animals symbolized the reality that deliverance from divine wrath requires the death of an innocent substitute. But none of those sacrifices could actually atone for sin (cf. Heb. 10:4). This Passover would be different, because the final sacrifice would be slain—Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God (1 Cor. 5:7; cf. John 1:29) to whom all of them pointed. He is the only sacrifice satisfactory to God as the offering for sin.
Last time we met on Palm Sunday, we remembered Christ, the Passover lamb entering Jerusalem. On Thursday of Holy week, Jesus sent Peter and John into Jerusalem to make preparations for the Passover meal (cf. Luke 22:8). That evening, the rest of the Twelve along with Jesus joined them in an upper room to celebrate the final Passover and inaugurate the first Communion. Depicted in Mark 14:17-26, in two ways we see that the New Passover began with 1) The Final Passover (Mark 14:17–21) and concludes with 2) The First Communion (Mark 14:22–26)
On the night that Jesus was to be betrayed, he first gathered for:
1) The Final Passover (Mark 14:17–21)
Mark 14:17–21. 17And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” 20He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. 21For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” (ESV)
The Passover celebration began in verse 17 when it was evening, starting after sunset and ending sometime before midnight (cf. Ex. 12:8–14). Jesus and His disciples arrived in the evening, at a location known only to Jesus. Secrecy was required in order to prevent Judas from alerting the religious authorities to their location, so that Jesus could accomplish all that was necessary before His arrest and execution. As the Lord explained to the Twelve, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:15). Those words express the deep emotion the Lord attached to the final Passover with His disciples. In that one meal, He would bring to a completion an entire system and launch a new one, while also giving His followers the additional instruction they desperately needed to hear in the hours before the cross. Since Jesus had already sent Peter and John ahead of the rest, in order to prepare everything for the Passover meal. Mark’s comment that He came with the twelve is surely a general reference to the apostles, meaning simply that Jesus arrived along with the other ten to join Peter and John. Table fellowship was intimate at the feast; one or two families normally shared the meal, but here Jesus and his closest disciples make up a family (Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (Mk 14:17). InterVarsity Press.).
• There is such a strong link with the remembrance of Jesus’ death and our regular remembrance in communion. Jesus instituted this because we can often forget or misunderstand what is truly important. In this we have a divinely ordained remembrance of who Jesus is, who we are and the necessity of coming to him in repentance and faith for forgiveness and eternal life.
In keeping with first-century Jewish customs, Jesus and the disciples in verse 18 were reclining at the table and eating, resting on cushions with their heads toward the table and their feet extended away from it. The first Passover in Egypt was eaten in a hurry. As the Lord God instructed the Israelites, from what we read Palm Sunday in Exodus 12“You shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste—it is the Lord’s Passover” (Ex. 12:11). But through the centuries, Passover celebrations had become prolonged events, allowing the participants to linger during the meal as Jesus and the disciples did on this occasion. This final Passover lasted long enough for Jesus to wash the disciples’ feet, confront Judas Iscariot, eat the Passover meal, institute the Lord’s Table, and give the disciples a significant amount of additional instruction (cf. John 13–16). The Passover itself consisted of several features. The feast began with a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s deliverance, protection, and goodness. The opening prayer was followed by the first of four cups of diluted red wine. A ceremonial washing of the hands came next, signifying the need for holiness and cleansing from sin. It was probably at this point in the meal, at the very moment they should have been recognizing their sinfulness, that the Twelve began debating who among them was the greatest (Luke 22:24). Jesus responded by washing their feet and teaching them an unforgettable lesson about humility (cf. John 13:3–20). The hand-washing ceremony was followed by the eating of bitter herbs that symbolized the harsh bondage and affliction the Hebrew people endured while enslaved in Egypt. Along with the bitter herbs, loaves of flat bread would also be broken, distributed, and dipped into a thick paste made from ground fruit and nuts. The eating of bitter herbs was followed by the singing of the first two psalms of the Hallel, and the drinking of the second cup of wine. The Hallel (Pss. 113–18) consisted of hymns of praise and is the word from which the term “hallelujah” (meaning, “praise the Lord”) is derived. We read all of Psalm 118 on Palm Sunday. At this point, the head of the household would also explain the meaning of the Passover. Next, the roasted lamb and unleavened bread would be served. After washing his hands again, the head of the household would distribute pieces of the bread to be eaten with the sacrificial lamb. When the main course was completed, a third cup of wine would be received. To complete the traditional ceremony, the participants would sing the rest of the Hallel (Pss. 115–18), and finally, they would drink the fourth cup of wine. Mark counts on his readers to know what a Passover meal was like, but he relates only those portions significant for Jesus’ self-revelation (Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (p. 422). Eerdmans; Apollos.).
At some point in the celebration, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, one of you will betray Me, one who is eating with Me.” The word betray (a form of the Greek verb paradidomi) means “to give over” and was often used to describe criminals being arrested or prisoners being delivered to punishment. Though, on several prior occasions, Jesus had predicted His death, He had not previously explained to the disciples that He would be betrayed by one of them. In a culture where eating together was regarded as a sign of friendship, to betray someone while eating with them compounded the treachery, making it even more contemptible (John 13:18). Jesus, of course, knew who it was that would betray Him since He knew what was in the hearts of everyone (John 2:24), including the wicked intentions of Judas (John 6:70–71; 13:11). But the other disciples suspected nothing. Judas was so skilled at hiding his hypocrisy that they trusted him as their treasurer, even while he was pilfering money from them (cf. John 12:6). They ignorantly considered him a man of integrity. Judas, the very man who would betray Jesus, was at the table with the others. Judas had already determined to betray Jesus, but in cold-blooded hypocrisy he shared the fellowship of this meal. It is easy to become enraged or shocked by what Judas did; yet professing commitment to Christ and then denying him with one’s life is also betraying him. It is denying Christ’s love to disobey him; it is denying his truth to distrust him; it is denying his deity to reject his authority. Do your words and actions match? If not, consider a change of mind and heart that will protect you from making a terrible mistake (Barton, B. B. (1994). Mark (p. 410). Tyndale House Publishers).
• Scripture repeatedly cautions us from merely considering the outward appearance. Because someone holds a prestigious position, is friendly or even works hard, does not negate the danger of the wickedness of the heart. That’s why, under the right circumstances, people are capable of great evil, and even in lesser circumstances, will fail to live up to what God requires.
When the disciples heard the stunning claim that one of them would betray their Master, in verse 19 they began to be sorrowful/grieved and to say to Him one after another/one by one, “Is it I?/Surely not I?” The word sorrowful/grieved (from the Greek verb lupeo) means to be distressed, sorrowful, and profoundly pained. Matthew 26:22 explains that they were “deeply grieved.” With the obvious exception of Judas (cf. Matt. 26:25), the disciples genuinely believed in Jesus and were doubtful when informed one of them was a traitor. Their question was genuine—both in the self-doubt and the sincere affection for Christ that it expressed. Perhaps, having just been rebuked by the Lord for their pride (cf. John 13:5–20), they were sensitized to the potential wickedness of their own hearts. They are too stunned by Jesus’ charge even to begin to suspect or accuse someone else; each looks to himself (Evans, C. A. (2001). Mark 8:27–16:20 (Vol. 34B, p. 376). Word, Incorporated.)
• This is exactly what Jesus wants of us in self-examination. We too quickly blame our environment or someone else for our actions, but the best place to deal with sin is to examine our own hearts and confess our sins to Christ.
Please turn to John 13 (p.846)
At the point when the disciples were eating the bitter herbs along with flat bread dipped in the paste of fruit and nuts, in verse 20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish/bowl with me. Several dipping bowls were likely set around the table, with Judas apparently sitting near Jesus and sharing the same bowl with Him. The disciples apparently did not fully understand the Lord’s somewhat cryptic response. His announcement emphasized the treachery of the betrayal and also gave the betrayer an opportunity to repent (Grassmick, J. D. (1985). Mark. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 177). Victor Books.).
As the apostle John explains in his parallel account in John 13, they continued to be confused as to the identity of Jesus’ betrayer. John notes:
John 13:21–30. 21After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 23One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, 24so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 26Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So, when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 28Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night. (ESV)
• As wretched and foolish as Judas was, motivated by his own carnal desires, he could neither thwart nor alter the plan of God. In fact, the evil designs of Judas were strategically set by God into His redemptive purposes.
• Just like any evil deed that someone makes, no one can legitimately say that God made them do it or God is at fault for allowing it. People will be held accountable for their evil deeds, yet God’s sovereign plan will prevail.
As Jesus went on to explain in back in Mark: 14:21, For the Son of Man goes as it is written of Him. Everything about to happen to Jesus had been foreordained by God and foretold in Scripture (cf. Acts 2:23). Details about His suffering and crucifixion were predicted in Old Testament passages like Psalm 22; Isaiah 53; and Zechariah 12. Thus, Paul could tell the Corinthians “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3). The plan had been determined in eternity past (cf. Rev. 13:8) and recorded in the Old Testament. Jesus did not go to the cross as a helpless victim but as the obedient Son fulfilling both the word and will of His Father (cf. Matt. 26:54; Luke 24:44; Phil. 2:8). Judas’ betrayal is prophesied in Ps 41:9, and by saying “as it is written” the passage emphasizes once again that the events are not out of God’s control but indeed are predicted by God. Nevertheless, sovereignty is not to be used as an excuse, as if Judas cannot be held accountable for his traitorous actions (Mangum, D., ed. (2020). Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (Mk 14:17–21). Lexham Press.)
• The moment we wonder how a good God could allow evil, we need look no further than the cross. God in His infinite wisdom allows things to occur in His providential control to achieve the redemption of His children and the glory of His sovereign will to be done.
Although God used Judas to accomplish His purposes, Judas was still personally culpable for his evil actions. As Jesus went on to explain, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! In His sovereign providence, God constantly overrules people’s sinful choices, like those of Judas, for His own ends and glory (cf. Gen. 50:20; Rom. 8:28). But that reality does not exonerate them for their wickedness. The word woe is more than a warning; it is a pronouncement of divine judgment and condemnation. Through Judas’ willful rejection of Christ, choosing to betray Him rather than believe in Him, Judas doomed his soul to eternal hell (cf. John 17:12). Even though the death of the Son of Man was prophesied, his betrayer would be culpable and would be punished severely (Black, A. (1995). Mark (Mk 14:21). College Press.).
Jesus continued with a sobering declaration: It would have been better/good for that man if he had not been born. Like all who reject Christ, Judas would be damned forever. Having been given the ultimate privilege of being one of Jesus’ disciples, Judas would be punished accordingly with extreme measures (cf. Luke 12:47–48). The eternal retribution that awaited him and all unbelievers is so severe that to have never existed would be infinitely better. Denying Jesus, refusing His claim on our lives, and scoffing at His words bear serious consequences. Soon Judas would know in his heart that Jesus was right. Don’t let your life break down so tragically. Seeing the truth, don’t deny it. Hearing the truth, don’t refuse it. Knowing the truth, don’t betray it (Barton, B. B. (1994). Mark (p. 412). Tyndale House Publishers.).
The author of Hebrews describes the dreadful consequences that await all who exhibit such obstinate unbelief in Hebrews 10
Hebrews 10:29-31. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (ESV)
• The description here is of a person who has deliberately, consciously, and persistently deserted “the living God” (cf. Heb. 3:12; 10:31; 12:22), renouncing Christ and the community of faith. The most dangerous thing people can do is live apart from the community of faith. Far from just living life on one’s own terms, its forsaking all that God has ordained daily testing the patience of God (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2378). Crossway Bibles.).
Illustration: 1767 Success On “The Last Supper”
Leonardo da Vinci was one of the outstanding intellects of all history, for he was great as a draftsman, an engineer, and a thinker. Just before he commenced work on his “Last Supper” he had a violent quarrel with a fellow painter. So enraged and bitter was Leonardo that he determined to paint the face of his enemy, the other artist, into the face of Judas, and thus take his revenge and vent his spleen by handling the man down in infamy and scorn to succeeding generations. The face of Judas was therefore one of the first that he finished, and everyone could easily recognize it as the face of the painter with whom he had quarreled. But when he came to paint the face of Christ, he could make no progress. Something seemed to be baffling him, holding him back, frustrating his best efforts. At length he came to the conclusion that the thing which was checking and frustrating him was the fact that he had painted his enemy into the face of Judas. He therefore painted out the face of Judas and commenced anew on the face of Jesus, and this time with the success which the ages have acclaimed.
• You cannot at one and the same time be painting the features of Christ into your own life, and painting another face with the colors of enmity and hatred. (C. E. Macartney as found in Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (pp. 457–458). Bible Communications, Inc.)
Finally, on the night that Jesus was to be betrayed, he gathered for:
2) The First Communion (Mark 14:22–26)
Mark 14:22–26. 22And 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.” 23And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25Truly, 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.” 26And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (ESV)
After Judas left (John 13:30–31), and only the faithful eleven remained, Jesus transformed the Passover into the Lord’s Table (also called the Lord’s Supper or Communion) and thereby signaled the transition from the old covenant to the new. Jesus’ words recorded here in verses 22-26, marked the end of all Old Testament ceremonies, sacrifices and rituals (cf. Mark 15:38). All of the symbols of the old covenant pointed to Christ; in His death, they were perfectly fulfilled and replaced. That Jesus said these things in verse 22 as they were eating suggests that this occurred around the time the roasted lamb was served. In the midst of the Passover celebration, the one true Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7) took of the flat, crisp, unleavened bread, and after blessing it in which He gave thanks to His Father (cf. Matt. 14:19; 15:36), He broke it, and gave it to them. As Jesus handed a piece of bread to each of the eleven, He said, “Take, this is My body.” Eating bread without yeast not only symbolized the Israelites’ hasty departure from Egypt (Deut. 16:3), it also represented their separation from the corrupting influences of sin, idolatry, and worldliness (which were symbolized by leaven). In the Lord’s Table, that same bread was given new meaning. It served as a figure of His body, which He would soon offer as the sacrifice for sin to propitiate the Father. The breaking of the bread did not signify the nature of His death, since none of His bones were broken during His execution (John 19:36; cf. Ex. 12:46; Ps. 34:20). Rather, the fact that the disciples were each given a piece of the same loaf symbolized their unity in Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 12:12–27). According to the parallel passage in Luke 22:19, Jesus added, “given for you; do this in remembrance of Me” (cf. 1 Cor. 11:24). Those words indicate that the Lord intended His table to be observed by His followers as a perpetual memorial of His death. As certainly as the disciples eat the bread which Jesus hands to them, so certainly will He be present with them when they gather for table-fellowship. Jesus’ first gift to the disciples was the pledge of his abiding presence with them in spite of His betrayal and death. The first word thus anticipates the resurrection and the real presence of the Lord at the celebration of (communion) Lane, W. L. (1974). The Gospel of Mark (p. 506). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
A myriad of misunderstandings have followed the irrational misinterpretations of Jesus’ declaration that this is My body. As with many doctrines, the Roman Catholic Church has perverted the Lord’s Table into the bizarre practice of transubstantiation, in which the substance of the bread and the cup are supposedly transformed into the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ. That He consumed the bread and wine with them, would indicate that He clearly did not refer to a physical transformation of the elements. Yet even when He originally spoke the words of this is My body. Jesus’ words incited the Jewish leaders to ridicule Him when He described His body as a temple (John 2:19–21) and caused many superficial disciples to abandon Him when He called Himself the Bread of Life (John 6:35, 48–66). In the same way that Jesus referred to Himself as a door (John 10:9) and a vine (John 15:1, 5), Jesus’ words in the upper room should be understood in a figurative sense. In the Aramaic, in which Jesus no doubt spoke, there is no verb “is.” A very literal translation would be “this—my body” and “this—my blood.” This lack of a verb in Aramaic probably rules out material identity. The fact that Jesus was physically present probably does also. Drinking blood was so offensive to Jews that something else must have been meant. Furthermore, the preceding Passover meal was full of symbolism so that one might expect the same of the new memorial meal (Brooks, J. A. (1991). Mark (Vol. 23, pp. 228–229). Broadman & Holman Publishers)
After distributing the bread, the Lord Jesus instituted the second element of His table in verse 23. When He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. The verb translated given thanks is a form of the Greek word eucharisteo, from which the English word “Eucharist” is derived. (“Eucharist” is a historical title for the Lord’s Table that has largely been commandeered and corrupted by the Roman Catholic Church.) This would have been the third cup of the Passover meal, following the main course. That they all drank from it demonstrates that Jesus intended all believers to participate in both elements of the Lord’s Supper (cf. 1 Cor. 10:16, 21; 11:28). Nevertheless, the participation itself does not save. Taking communion does not benefit in soul salvation, for Judas Iscariot partook here and it did not save him (Butler, J. G. (2008). Analytical Bible Expositor: Mark (p. 243). LBC Publications.)
• Humanly, we often drift to lives of self-determination and isolation. The command to frequently gather together to celebrate communion corporately, is a divine imperative that guards against these fleshly tendencies, and encourages mutual understanding, identification, and ministry together.
After drinking from the cup, in verse 24 He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Just as the bread symbolized His body, so the cup symbolized His blood. In order for a covenant to be established, there had to be the shedding of blood (a reference to death, cf. Heb. 9:16–20). But unlike the animal sacrifices required for the Noahic (Gen. 8:20), Abrahamic (Gen. 15:10), and Mosaic covenants (Ex. 24:5–8; Lev. 17:11), the new covenant (Luke 22:20) required the precious blood of the spotless Lamb of God to be spilled in death for the eternal benefit of the many whom He would redeem (cf. Isa. 53:12). Matthew 26:28 adds that the reason Christ’s blood had to be shed was “for forgiveness of sins” (cf. Heb. 9:22; 1 Peter 1:2). He endured the penalty of God’s wrath, satisfied divine justice, and ratified the new covenant of forgiveness and salvation (Jer. 31:34). Jesus’ death constituted final payment, so that there is no longer a need for ongoing animal sacrifices (cf. Heb. 10:4–12). That was clearly demonstrated by the tearing of the veil at the entrance of the Holy of Holies (Matt. 27:51), and the promise of the Lord regarding the complete destruction of the temple in a.d. 70 (cf. Mark 13:1–3). Bear in mind the profoundly shocking idea, for a Jew, of ‘drinking blood’, and even more that of drinking the blood of their Lord, was so overwhelming that it left little room as yet for theological analysis. But even if they did not catch the specific echoes, they could hardly fail to recognise the language of sacrifice and to understand that Jesus was speaking of his imminent death as the basis of the redemption of ‘many’. (France, R. T. (2002). The Gospel of Mark: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 571). W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.)
Please turn to 2 Corinthians 5 (p.908)
Not only is this a clear reference to the particular redemption of “many” and not “all”, but it also helps us understand why everyone will not understand the significance of Jesus’ words here and what He is about to do. On the cross, the Lord Jesus died as the perfect substitute, bearing the guilt of all who were chosen to believe in Him, as the Apostle Paul clearly explained in 2 Corinthians 5:
2 Corinthians 5:17–21. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (ESV)
• For someone to consider themselves righteous, and not seek to fulfill the ministry of reconciliation is the height of hypocrisy. True believers neither have division or separation between them. This is clear in why Christ died on the cross to enable us to be ambassadors for Him, first and foremost, bringing reconciliation and peace. Verse 21 is an excellent Gospel summary.
Jesus concluded the inaugural celebration of the Lord’s Supper in Mark 14:25 with a promise to His disciples, Truly I say to you, I will not/never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” The fruit of the vine was a Jewish colloquialism that referred to wine; in this context, it specifically referred to the diluted red wine of the Passover meal. Earlier that same evening, Jesus had also told them, “I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:16). Those words assured the disciples that He would return (cf. John 14:3), and that He would one day celebrate the Passover with them again in His millennial kingdom (cf. Ezek. 45:18–25). Until His return, believers are to continue to celebrate the memorial meal of His table (cf. 1 Cor. 11:23–24). Thus, the regular celebration of Communion not only looks back to Christ’s death but also looks forward with eager anticipation to His coming. The previous evening, Jesus had instructed His disciples about His return and the end of the age (cf. Mark 13:24–27). Now, on the night before His death, He reassured them that the cross did not represent the end of the story. There is thus a note of sadness, a word of breaking up, closing these human associations, but a more solemn note of gladness, looking forward to the new spiritual associations and joys of the Messianic kingdom (Gould, E. P. (1922). A critical and exegetical commentary on the Gospel according to St. Mark (p. 266). C. Scribner’s Sons.).
Good Friday Communion Remembrance
• Admonition for only believer to participate
• Moment of self-examination when the elements are distributed
• Prayer for the Bread
• Prayer for the Cup
Concluding thoughts:
Mark concludes his discussion of the upper room in verse 26 by noting simply that when they had sung a hymn/that final hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. There, Jesus would pray fervently to His Father that the will of God would be accomplished. Soon the Lamb of God would be arrested and unjustly convicted (1 Peter 1:19; 2:21–24). As the Passover celebration concluded, Jesus and the disciples sang a closing song, likely the final psalm of the traditional Hallel (Ps. 118). It is difficult to imagine a more fitting benediction, since the repeated refrain of Psalm 118 is that the loving-kindness of God is everlasting (vv. 1–3, 29). No refrain could have been more fitting in light of the imminence of the cross. Though the Messiah would be rejected and killed by Israel’s religious leaders (cf. v. 22), He would rise victorious on the third day. As Jesus and his disciples proceeded to the Mount of Olives, they were singing these praises to God. Jesus’ death would be painful, but God could be praised for what was about to occur. The most significant moment in redemption history was but a few hours away, and our Anticipation to celebrate this coming Resurrection Sunday (Turner, D., & Bock, D. L. (2005). Cornerstone biblical commentary, Vol 11: Matthew and Mark (p. 529). Tyndale House Publishers.).
(Format Note: Outline & some base commentary from MacArthur, J. (2015). Mark 9–16 (pp. 283–292). Moody Publishers.)
