Mark 14:12-26

We have now officially entered into the epilogue of Mark’s Gospel. This is the final section of the story being told by Mark where we will find out where this is all leading to.

We know that there has been a plot planned to kill Jesus, we know that Judas is part of that.

We know that Jesus has had this anointing by a women of all people.

And now is the time for Passover. Jesus and His fellow disciples all know the meaning behind it, but the disciples have no idea how Jesus is about to change the meaning of this meal for them.

We’re about to witness something that is a HUGE change of course for what the disciples know and have known for all of their lives.

Jesus knows that this is His time to fully reveal the completion of the Old Covenant, and bring forth the New Covenant has come.

READ MARK 14:12-26

The Passover with the Disciples (Vv. 12-21)

For the Jews, the Passover feast was the memorial of a past victory...

The Bible Exposition Commentary (Chapter Eleven: The Servant Suffers (Mark 14:1–15:20))

The original Passover feast consisted of the roasted lamb, the unleavened bread, and the dish of bitter herbs (Ex. 12:8–20).

The lamb reminded the Jews of the blood that was applied to the doorposts in Egypt to keep the angel of death from slaying their firstborn. The bread reminded them of their haste in leaving Egypt (Ex. 12:39), and the bitter herbs spoke of their suffering as Pharaoh’s slaves.

At sometime in the centuries that followed, the Jews had added to the ceremony the drinking of four cups of wine diluted with water.

At the end of this meal, traditionally there would always be this hymn that would be sung from Psalm 115-118.

After this, as the nation of Israel was carried out of Egypt and into the wilderness. The Old Covenant that was followed consisted of animal sacrifices carried out repeatedly.

It was a covenant confirmed by blood and continued with blood. Something we’ll get to here in a moment with the New Covenant. ...

Because this was His last Passover, and on that day, He would fulfill the Passover by dying on the cross as the spotless Lamb of God (John 1:29); 1 Cor. 5:7; 1 Peter 2:21-24).

Between Mark 14:17 & verse 18, we see in John 13:1-20 the details omitted by Mark of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. Who knows why Mark left that out...

JUDAS

But following that lesson, Jesus becomes deeply troubled and announces that one of the disciples was a traitor.

This obviously stuns each disciple in the room except for Judas.

What I love about this… is that you see Jesus withhold the information of who it is to try and give Judas every chance he can to repent. To turn from his sin.

JESUS HAD EVEN WASHED JUDAS’ feet!

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Eleven: The Servant Suffers (Mark 14:1–15:20)

Some people try to defend Judas by arguing that he betrayed Jesus in order to force Him into revealing His power and setting up the Jewish kingdom. Others say that he was nothing but a servant who obediently fulfilled God’s Word.

However,

Judas was neither a martyr nor a robot. He was a responsible human being who made his own decisions but, in doing so, fulfilled the Word of God.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Eleven: The Servant Suffers (Mark 14:1–15:20)

He must not be made into either a hero (“After all, somebody had to betray Jesus!”) or a helpless victim of merciless predestination. Judas was lost for the same reason millions are lost today: he did not repent of his sins and believe on Jesus Christ (John 6:64–71; 13:10–11). If you have never been born again, one day you will wish you had not been born at all.

Now, to make matters worse, Jesus said that His betrayer had even eaten bread with Him at the table!

(In the East, to break bread with someone means to enter into a pact of friendship and mutual trust.)

It would be an act of the basest treachery to break bread and then betray your host. HOWEVER, even this was the fulfillment of the Word of God (Ps. 41:9)

Psalm 41:9 ESV

9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.

We see in John 13:27-30 that Judas leaves the Upper Room to go to make the final arrangements to arrest the Lord Jesus. Even still, the disciples to not know the truth about Judas until they later see him in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Institution of the Lord’s Supper (Vv. 22-26)

Mark suggest that at some point during the Passover meal, or perhaps at it’s end Jesus departs from the traditional observances and institutes a new meal for His followers....

This is commonly called the “Lord’s Supper” or “the Eucharist.” (The word Eucharist comes from the Greek word which means “to give thanks.”)

Before the cup, Jesus took one of the unleavened loaves, blessed it, broke it, and told the men, “This is My body.” He then took the Passover cup, blessed it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My blood” (see 1 Cor. 11:23–26)

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 ESV

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Bread and wine were two common items that were used at practically every meal, but Jesus gave them a wonderful new meaning.

When Jesus said, “This is My body,” and, “This is My blood,” He was giving these things up for You and I! In the harshest way. Body would be peeled from His body and blood would be spilt on your behalf.

He did not transform either the bread or the wine into anything different.

When the disciples ate the bread, it was still bread; when they drank the wine, it was still wine. However, the Lord gave a new meaning to the bread and the wine, so that, from that hour, they would serve as memorials of His death.

What, then, did Jesus accomplish by His death?

On the cross, Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant and established a New Covenant (Heb. 9–10). The Old Covenant was ratified with the blood of animal sacrifices, but the New Covenant was ratified by the blood of God’s Son.

The New Covenant in His blood would do what the Old Covenant sacrifices could not do—take away sin and cleanse the heart and conscience of the believer. We are not saved from our sins by participating in a religious ceremony, but by trusting Jesus Christ as our Saviour.

The command of Jesus was, “This do in remembrance of Me” (1 Cor. 11:24-25)

The word translated “rememberance” means much more than “in memory of,” for you can do something in memory of a dead person---- YET JESUS IS ALIVE!

This word carries with it the idea of a present participation in a past event.

Because Jesus is alive, as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, by faith we have communion with Him (1 Cor. 10:16-17).

The word translated “remembrance” means much more than “in memory of,” for you can do something in memory of a dead person---- YET JESUS IS ALIVE!