The Only Solution

This morning we are picking back up in the Gospel of Mark.

If you’re new to MCF, it would be good for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”. What that means is, we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible, and then studying them from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in order to understand what they mean in our lives today.

With that said, we are currently working our way through the Gospel of Mark. A Gospel written primarily to teach us who Jesus is, what He came to do, and what it means for you and I to follow Him.

So, if you are new, I would encourage you to go online to marysvillefellowship.com or download our smartphone app where you can listen to all of the messages leading up to today.

As we come back to our study today, we are picking back up in chapter 14. And as you may recall, chapter 14 begins the final stretch of this gospel as Jesus is now just a couple of days away from his arrest and death on the cross.

We see this beginning in chapter 14 as Mark tells us there is a group of religious leaders known as the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes, who have been plotting to kill Jesus, and with the passover weekend just a couple days away, an opportunity to kill Jesus has presented itself. An opportunity that has come through an unexpected and shocking circumstance. Listen to what Mark tells us beginning in verse 10:

“Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.” (ESV)

English Standard Version Chapter 14

10 mThen nJudas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, nwent to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to obetray him.

Mark says one of Jesus’s closest followers, one of the twelve, a man named Judas Iscariot, is now working with the enemies of Jesus to betray and kill him. And as you can imagine, this represents an unbelievable betrayal that will eventually lead to the arrest and death of Jesus. The betrayal is shocking.

I mean imagine how you would feel or how shocked you’d be if one of your closest friends, somebody you’d spent time with, somebody you’d shared meals with, somebody you’d invested in, somebody you cared about and you thought cared about you, betrayed you.

And when I say betray, I’m not talking about them posting something negative about you on Facebook. I’m not talking about them stealing your girlfriend or boyfriend. I’m not talking about them betraying your confidence. When I say betray, I’m talking about one of your closest friends plotting to have you killed.

Hard to imagine, right? That’s what’s going on here. That’s what’s about to happen.

Now, at this point, a lot of questions about this betrayal come to mind. One question might be, “How could Judas do this? How could he betray Jesus?” Well, as we learned a couple weeks ago, we really don’t know why Judas betrayed Jesus. Unfortunately the Bible doesn’t give us a clear cut reason.

Some say it was for the money. Some say it was for political purposes. And others say it was demonic influence. In fact, the gospel writer John tells us that Satan himself was involved in influencing Judas’s decision. So, it could have been one or all of those reasons.

But the truth is, it doesn’t really matter why he did it. The fact is, he did.

A second question we might be tempted to ask is, “How could Jesus not of known? I mean he is the Son of God after all? Shouldn’t Jesus have seen this coming? And if he did know, why didn’t he do something about it? Why did he allow Judas to throw him to the wolves?”

That’s a great question. In fact, it’s a question we need to know the answer to if we want to follow Jesus. In fact, I would go as far to say, if you don’t understand why this betrayal had to take place and why Jesus allowed this to happen, then you can’t follow Jesus. That’s how important this next section is.

So, in order to set up where Mark is taking us, and help us get a framework, I want to begin by asking you a question. And to be honest, this question is going to date me. And there’s a good chance that some of you born after 1990 won’t even know what I’m talking about. So here goes. Here’s the question.

Question - How many of you remember the television series called “The A-Team”. Some of you over the age of 40 know what I’m talking about. And for those of you that don’t know what I’m talking about, then you missed out one one of the greatest television series of all time. Some of you are like, “Really pastor, greatest television series of all time?” Well, at the age of 10, I thought it was.

So, just so we can all be on the same page, let me give you a quick reminder of what the A-Team was all about. Check this out:

Video - A-Team Intro

Now, at this point, some of you are probably thinking, “Where in the world is he going with this message? And what does the A-Team have to do with Judas, Jesus, and the betrayal?” Here’s where I’m going.

As you saw in the video, the A-Team was the 80’s version of a Navy Seal team, kind of. And because they were the A-Team, they were the best of the best when it came to dealing with what you might call no win situations.

In fact, that’s how every episode would go as each episode began with somebody in a life threatening situation or circumstance. Something their friends couldn’t help them with. Something the police couldn’t help them with. Something only the A-Team could take care of.

And what was amazing about the A-Team, is when they were called in to help, they could always see a way to solve the problem in a way no one else could. And typically, their plan to solve the problem didn’t make any sense and often seemed ridiculous. Because it always involved some kind out of the box solution or plan that seemed crazy.

For example, they’d take an old pick up and turn it into a tank. Or they’d take a bicycle and turn it into an airplane with machine guns on it. And you’d be watching the show thinking, “Come on, how in the world are they going to make that work.”And somehow, as crazy as it was, the plan always came together. In fact, one of the most quotable lines of all time comes from the A-Team as each episode ended with Hannibal saying, “I love it when a plan comes together.”

So, here’s where I’m going with this. As we come back to , like an A-Team episode, we have a problem that needs a solution. Something that is threatening us. Something we need help with. Something that is going to take us out. So, what’s the problem?

The problem is sin. The Apostle Paul puts it like this, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...” (ESV)

Paul says, “Listen, we are all guilty of sin. Guilty of offending a holy and righteous God. Guilty of living in a way that is dishonoring to our creator.” We have a sin problem and it’s a universal problem, it affects all of us.

A sin problem that has separated us from God and is leading us to certain spiritual death. The Apostle Paul puts it like this:

But not only is it a problem, it’s a lethal problem. Because Paul goes on to say in , “3 For the wages of sin is death...” (ESV)

In other words, because we are all sinners, and because sing brings death, we are all going to die. And we know that’s true, right? The fact of the matter is, every one of us in this room, at some point, is going to die. It’s inevitable. There’s no escaping it.

But that’s not the only thing we have to worry about. Because not only does sin bring physical death, it brings spiritual death as well. Because according to the Bible, if a person dies in their sin, not only do they die physically, they die spiritually as well. The Apostle John puts it like this in :

“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (ESV)

John says, “Listen, when a person dies, they don’t just die physically, they die spiritually as well.” John calls it “The Second Death”. It’s an eternal death.

But the problem doesn’t end there. Not only do we have a spiritually lethal sin problem, there’s nothing we can do to fix our problem. In other words, we can’t go to church enough. We can’t do enough good works. We can’t confess enough. We can’t say enough hail Marrries. There’s nothing we can do to take care of our sin problem and appease a holy and righteous God. In fact, in God tells us what he thinks of our attempts to please him. Isaiah writes, “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” (ESV)

Not to be to graphic, but the literal translation of that passage is, “Your attempts to please me are like a ministerial rag”. That’s what God thinks of our solutions to fixing our sin problem.

But not only are we helpless to fix our problem, there’s nothing anybody else can do. Nothing your parents can do. Nothing your friends can do. Nothing a priest or pastor can do. There’s nothing on planet earth that has the ability to help you and I overcome our sin problem. We are in big trouble.

So, in a way, we need somebody like the A-Team. We need someone or somebody to come into our situation and take care of our sin problem. Somebody who can save us from certain death. Somebody who has a plan.

Well, the good news of the Gospel is, not only is God aware of our problem and our inability to solve it, God has sent us someone to help. Someone who has the ability to take care of the sin problem. Someone that can do what we can’t do. Someone who has a solution. And no, it’s not the A-Team. Instead, that someone’s name is Jesus. The Apostle John puts it like this:

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (ESV)

John says God sent us his Son, Jesus. And not only did Jesus come, John says he came with a plan to save us.

And as we come back to , that’s what our passage reminds us about today. Because as we move deeper into chapter 14, we are just hours away from the arrest of Jesus. Hours away from his crucifixion. Hours away before all hell breaks lose. But before he’s arrested. Before he’s killed. Before it seems like all hope is lost. Jesus is going to present us with his plan. His plan to save us. His plan to redeem us and save us from certain spiritual death.

So, what’s the plan? Well, there are three parts to Jesus’s plan. We’re going to call those parts: The Preparation. The Prediction. And the Promise.

So, let’s begin with the preparation. Picking back up in , listen to what Mark tells us:

“And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” (ESV)

You may recall from a couple weeks ago that the Passover celebration was just a couple days away. An annual celebration meant to remind the Israelites of how God delivered them out of the bondage of Egypt. And now as we come to verse 12, Mark says as the passover celebration has begun, and the disciples are beginning to wonder where the meal will be eaten. So, they ask Jesus, “Where do you want us to go and prepare the passover dinner?”

In other words, “Jesus, what house, what restaurant, at what location do you want to have the meal together? Tell us and we’ll go make a reservation.”

To be honest, this would have been a legitimate and expected question for the disciples to ask. After all, it’s the eve of the passover celebration. So it would make sense that they ask him this question.

What’s interesting though is Jesus doesn’t respond like they expected. Because apparently, Jesus is already a step ahead of them. Apparently Jesus has already selected and prepared a place for them to eat together. Which would have been a little odd. Because that would have been their job, not Jesus’s. Jesus is the master. Jesus is the teacher. They are the ones there to serve him, not vice versa. And to make it even more mysterious, Jesus has apparently orchestrated a cryptic way for them to find it. Listen to what Mark tells us next:

13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” (ESV)

(ESV)

Jesus says, “I appreciate the forethought boys, but I’ve already taken care of it. All you need to do is go into the city, and as you’re walking you’re going to encounter a man carrying a jar, and when you see him, follow him. And whatever house he goes in, follow him into the house. And then ask the home owner to show you to the room that I already set up for you.”

To be honest, this is an odd set of instructions and may have even seemed a little crazy to the disciples. Find a man carrying a jar. Follow him. Go into the house he goes into. Tell the home owner you’re here for the room. Kind of odd.

Let me put this in modern terms so we can understand just how mysterious this is. This would be like Jesus saying to you or me, “I want you to go to Walmart. And when you get there you’re going to see a man carrying a Walmart bag out of the store. When you see him, get in your car and follow him to his house. When you get to his house, follow him inside and ask him to show you where we’re going to have dinner. He’ll take you to a room that’s already been furnished for the meal.”

Now, let me ask you something, “Does that seem like a crazy set of instructions to you?”

I’m sure it did to the disciples as well. But apparently, they trusted Jesus enough to do what he asked, and according to Mark, everything happened exactly as Jesus said it would. Mark says, “16 And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.” (ESV)

(ESV)

It happened exactly like Jesus said. Now, at this point, you might be thinking, “Wow pastor, that’s all very interesting. But how does that apply to us? What does Jesus mysteriously preparing a place for his disciples to eat with him mean for us today?”

I would suggest it applies in this sense:

When it comes to our sin problem, Jesus has already prepared a place to deal with our problem.

In other words, Jesus has already gone before us, and Jesus has prepared a place for you and I to interact with him in what will be the most important moment of our lives.

And if you’re a Christian, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Because at some point in the past, at a specific moment and in a specific place, Jesus showed up in your life.

A moment where you were just going about your normal life and normal routine. But then something happened. Something you could have never calculated or orchestrated. Something that led you to a moment Jesus had prepared for you.

Maybe it happened through a work situation that you didn’t see coming. Maybe it happened through a tragedy or a loss. Or maybe it happened through a friend, a family member, or maybe even a complete stranger. But something happened. At a specific and crucial moment in your life, in a way you could have never conceived or orchestrated, Jesus prepared a place for you to meet him in a supernatural way.

Maybe it even happened in this place. Maybe you’re a Christian today because somebody invited you to MCF. On a specific Sunday, circumstances somehow led you to the church out by Taco Bell. You’re not sure why you came. Maybe you saw somebody at work, there was something different about them. So you started following them. You started watching their life. And then one day you saw them come here. So you followed. Something said, “You need to go to that church.”

And It seemed crazy. Others might have even thought you were crazy, but you came anyway. And on that day, in this place, you met Jesus.

I know for me that moment took place in a field 9 miles East of Colby, KS on April 20th, 1996. On that day Jesus prepared a place for me to meet him as I sat out in a field, on a tractor, listening to the radio broadcast of a friends funeral. It was in that moment that I encountered Jesus in a way I never had. It was in that moment, in that place, that Jesus presented his plan of salvation to me.

Something happened at work

If you’re a Christian, you've been to that place. A place the Lord prepared in advance. A place He went before you and prepared for you. A place where he introduced himself and his plan for salvation to you.

Jesus went ahead of you and prepared this place and this moment for you. And the reason you’re here today is because Jesus loves you and he wants to present his plan of salvation to you. He wants to explain to you how you can take care of your sin problem.

That’s how this applies to you. And what a reminder it is of how amazing our God is. That he would go out of his way. That he would go ahead of us. That he would care so much about us that he prepared a place where we would have fellowship with him.

But maybe you’re not a Christian. Maybe you’ve never encountered Jesus. And maybe you’re even thinking, “How did I end up here this morning? What in the world am I doing in the church out by Taco Bell.”

Here’s how this applies to you. The fact of the matter is, you are not here by chance today. You’re here because Jesus planned for you to be here in this place at this moment. Everything you’ve experienced leading up to this moment was planned for you. How you got here, planned for you. The people who greeted you at the door, planned for you. The specific worship songs we sang, songs specifically planned for you. The chair you are sitting in, planned for you. The message being preached right now, planned for you. Nothing here today has happened by chance. Jesus went ahead of you. He prepared this moment and this place for you.

And the reason you’re here today is because Jesus loves you and he wants to present his plan of salvation to you. He wants to to know he can take care of your sin problem. He can take care of the hopelessness. He can take care of the pain. That’s how much he cares for you. That’s how much he loves you. In Paul writes, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (ESV)

Paul says, “Before you ever made a decision about Jesus, Jesus made a decision about you.” He made the decision to save you. And today, he wants to tell you about his plan. The question is, “Are you prepared to listen?” Are you open to listening to what He has to say? My hope is that you are. My hope is that you would at least be willing to listen.

This leads us to the next part of Jesus’s plan, the prediction. Listen to what Mark tells us next:

“And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18 And 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.” 19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” 20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me.” 0(ESV)

Mark says as they are sitting in the place Jesus had prepared, and as they are getting ready to eat, Jesus makes a startling statement. Jesus says, “One of you, who is eating with me, is going to betray me.” In other words, not everybody here at the table is on the team. Not everybody present is going to like my plan.

Now, you might be thinking, “So, what does that mean?”

What it means is, when it comes to Jesus and his plan for salvation, we have a choice. We can either choose to follow or not follow him. And from this passage we learn a couple important points about our decision.

First, it’s pretty clear that Jesus already knows what our decision is. In other words, he knows beforehand who is going to choose to follow him, and who is not. We know this because of what Jesus says. Because when the disciples want to know who the betrayer is, Jesus says, “It is one of you, one of you who is dipping bread into the dish with me.”

Now, you might be thinking, “Well, that’s general. It could have been any one of the 12.” That’s true. And while Mark doesn’t tell us who that person is, Matthew does. Listen to what Matthew says, “ Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.” (ESV)

More than likely, in a private conversation, Judas leans into Jesus and says, “Teacher, it’s me, right?” And apparently it comes as no surprise to Jesus. Because Jesus says, “Yup, it’s you.”

What that tells us is Jesus is fully aware that Judas isn’t bought in. Jesus knows Judas isn’t on board. Yes, he’s gone through the motions. Yes, he’s acted religious and shown up for church. Yes, he’s played the part. Yes, he’s fooled others. All the other disciples are oblivious to it. But Jesus knows. He already knows what Judas’s choice is going to be. In fact in , the Apostle John said Jesus new from the very start. John writes, “(For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)” (ESV)

Jesus knows who the betrayers are. Here’s what that means for you and I. In this room right now, in this place Jesus has prepared for you and I to fellowship with him, he knows who’s in and who’s out. He knows who the true followers are, and who the true followers are not. He knows who’s going through the motions, and who’s sincere. He knows who’s going to accept him as Lord and who is not. The truth is, there is no fooling Jesus.

And it goes without saying, if Jesus were physically in the room this morning, he would say to us, “Truly I say to you, some of you will betray me.”

Because the truth is, there are three different types of people here today. First, there are those who are bought in. People who have made Jesus Lord and are following him. Second, there are those who haven’t made Him Lord. And third, there are those who are pretending to follow Jesus, but it’s only a facade. And Jesus knows who is who.

So, how should we respond to what Jesus already knows? I would suggest we respond just like the disciples did. Because when Jesus implies somebody isn’t on board, listen to what they say, “19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” (ESV)

The disciples one by one said, “Jesus is it me?” You see what the disciples are doing in this moment is checking their faith. Their making sure they haven’t go off track. Their asking Jesus to evaluate where they are with him.

And to be honest, that’s something we should all do on a consistent basis. Because the truth is, it’s easy to get off track. It’s easy to get deceived. It’s easy to lose sight of who Jesus is and what it means to follow him. The Apostle Paul puts it like this, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (ESV)

Judas failed to meet the test. He wasn’t a true believer. He was a fake, a fraud, a phony. At some point he’d lost sight of the truth.

And that’s what makes what Jesus is doing here even more amazing. Because even though he knows Judas is a betrayer, for three years he allowed him to follow him, and in the end, he still invited him to the dinner. He provided a final opportunity for Judas to know him. He still gave him the opportunity to hear about the plan.

Because at the end of the day, nobody is going to be able to say, “I didn’t know.” Nobody is going to be able to say, “Nobody told me!”. The fact of the matter is, Jesus gives all of us an opportunity to know and choose him. Concerning the revelation of God, Paul writes, “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Romans 1:23 (ESV)

Paul says, “There will be no excuse.” That’s why what Jesus says next about Judas’s decision is so alarming. Jesus goes on to say, “21 For 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)

(ESV)

Jesus says, because Judas choose betrayal, Judas’s fait will be so horrible, that it would have been better if he would had never been born. Think about that. Better he’d never been born. So, what does that mean?

Well, while nobody wants to hear it, rejecting Jesus comes at a great cost. Because the fact of the matter is, if you refuse Jesus, if you refuse to make Him Lord, if you refuse the gift of Salvation that he offers, then there is only one alternative. Death. In other words, since you can’t save yourself, and since you won’t let Jesus save you, then in the end, death is going to get the best of you. Jesus puts it like this, “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” (ESV)

Jesus says, the alternative to not putting your faith in him is the second death. John the Revelator describes that death like this, “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (ESV)

And what was true for Judas, is true for you and I as well. The fact of the matter is, while God has shown us amazing love by giving us his son, if we choose to reject him. If we choose to not put our faith in him. It would have been better that we were never born. In other words, nonexistence would have been better than suffering the fate of rejecting Jesus.

Jesus’s prediction is simply this. While everybody has been invited to know Him, not everybody will receive him. Not everybody will follow him. Not everybody will make Him Lord. But for those that do, Jesus offers his promise.

This leads us to the final part of Jesus’ plan. After predicting Judas’s betrayal, Mark tells us:

“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.” (ESV)

Mark tells us as the passover meal nears its end, Jesus again does something unexpected. Apparently as there sitting there eating the passover lamb, Jesus picks up a piece of bread, he prays over it, and then be begins handing out pieces of it to each of the disciples. And as he hands each disciple a piece of bread he says, “Take; this is my body.”

He then takes a cup, prays over it, and passes it out for all to drink from it. And as they drink from it he says, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.”

So, what’s going on here? Why is Jesus doing this? What is the significance?

What Jesus is doing here is symbolically presenting the solution to our sin problem. What Jesus is doing here is declaring a new covenant, a new promise, and new hope for mankind.

In other words, as the disciples are eating the passover lamb. The lamb that symbolizes how God rescued them from the bondage of Egypt. The lamb whose blood was put on the doorposts to protect them from the death angel. As they are eating this lamb, in this moment Jesus introduces them to a new Passover lamb. In this moment Jesus declares a new promise. In this moment Jesus echoes the prophet Jeremiah who writes:

31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (ESV)

You see, in this moment Jesus declares that he is the new passover lamb. It will be his body sacrificed. It will be his blood spilt. Through Jesus our sin will be atoned for. Through Jesus we can be free from the bondage of sin. Through Jesus we can be set free. He’s the solution to our sin problem. The writer of Hebrews puts it like this:

“For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; 6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. 7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” (ESV)

5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,

“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; 6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. 7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”

He also writes:

15 “Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.” (ESV)

That’s what makes

The New American Commentary: Mark 9. The Institution of the Lord’s Supper (14:12–26)

If it is correct, the last supper was a Passover-type meal a day before the official Passover.

The New American Commentary: Mark 9. The Institution of the Lord’s Supper (14:12–26)

Luke 22:8 identifies the disciples as Peter and John.

predicts the betrayal.

The New American Commentary: Mark 9. The Institution of the Lord’s Supper (14:12–26)

The psalm describes a righteous sufferer who calls upon God to vindicate him. Jesus was the fulfillment of the entire psalm. The statements here (“one who is eating with me”) and in v. 20 (“one who dips bread into the bowl with me”) are intended to show just how heinous was Judas’s crime. In ancient Semitic society eating together was one of the most meaningful indications of friendship, and few actions were more despicable than betraying a friend at or shortly after a meal.

points to the new covenant.

Blood of the covenant - and .

Because of Jesus, because of his sacrifice, because the perfect lamb of God was willing to spill his blood for us, we can be set free from sin. We can escape the second death. We can live with hope in knowing when we die, we won’t die.

In fact, Jesus say promises that one day we will all sit together in a place he has prepared, and we will eat together and celebrate the fulfillment of his promise. Listen to what he says as Mark closes out the dinner:

The New American Commentary: Mark 9. The Institution of the Lord’s Supper (14:12–26)

Those who eat the broken bread indicate their desire to have fellowship with Jesus and his other disciples. Those who consume the cup indicate their commitment to the new covenant. These things are made possible by the death of Jesus Christ

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.” (ESV)

The day Jesus is referring to is found in . Listen to what John the Revelator tells us about that day, “6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” (ESV)

“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—

Jesus will eat and drink again with us at the marriage supper of the lamb - .

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

John says, “For those who put their faith in Jesus. For those who did not betray him. For those who accepted his free gift of salvation, there awaits a day. A day where we will gather together with the Lord and we will eat and we will drink, and we will celebrate Him for all eternity.”

9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

In Jesus puts lit like this, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (ESV)

That’s his promise to us. That’s the solution to our sin problem. That’s the gift he offers. And all we have to do is put our faith in that promise, and by doing so, we can be saved. The question is, “Will you?”

As we close our service this morning, I think it’s only appropriate that we close in the same way Jesus ended the meal that night. That we too would take the bread, and take the cup, and remember what Jesus has done for us. The Apostle Paul puts it like this:

We are to partake in remembrance of what Jesus did for us - .

“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.” (ESV)

They hymn is probably Psalm 118.RR

At this time I’m going to ask the ushers to come and prepare to distribute communion, and as they do, I would ask you too consider your commitment to Jesus. Because that’s what communion is all about. It’s about your belief and commitment in Jesus. By taking communion you are declaring that Jesus is the Son of God and that he died for your sins. You are declaring that you believe one day he will return for you. What you are declaring is that Jesus is the solution to your sin problem. By taking communion you are symbolically declaring your faith in Jesus.

And, the reason I ask you to consider your commitment, is because if that’s not you, and you’re not bought in, and if you’re just going through the motions, then you shouldn’t take communion. Because communion is for those who believe. And to take communion without that commitment can be a dangerous decision. The Apostle Paul says this about it, “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.” (ESV)

Paul says this is serious business. Paul says the bread and wine symbolically represent what Jesus did for us. And to treat it with contempt. To treat it lightly. To view it as anything less is not only dishonoring, but it will bring judgment upon you. So, if you’re not bought in. If you’re not a believer. My encouragement to you is to let the cup pass.

But here’s my hope this morning. My hope is that you wouldn’t have to let the cup pass. My hope is, that everybody in the room this morning and everybody watching online, would come to that place today. To that place Jesus has brought you to today. To this moment. A moment where he offers you the solution. A moment where maybe you’d finally quit running. A moment where you’d finally surrender. A moment where you’d finally put your hope in Jesus.

However

Because as I said a few moments ago, you’re not here by chance this morning. Jesus orchestrated this moment just for you. He went ahead of you. And now it’s up to you. Will you accept his free gift? Will you put your faith in him? That once and for all, you would make Jesus Lord of your life?

Would you bow your heads with me. (Invite people to know Jesus)

Distribute Communion

Worship Song

Take Communion

Dismiss