A glorious deliverance by the mighty hand of God
Notes
Transcript
Great and Merciful Lord who dines with traitors and redeems sinners.
Great and Merciful Lord who dines with traitors and redeems sinners.
Recap of last week.
Pure Worship vs. the show. The pretense
Seeks to please the Lord
He is their sole possession and prize
knows no cost
There is nothing in their possession that the Lord is not worthy of.
Interesting to note the difference between the worship Mary and Judas.
She sought to please God
He south to please men. For he had everyone fooled.
She knew no cost for the Lord
He only knew the cost and what could be done with it.
She was not driven by money
Money was his prize
For coming into our story this morning we see Judas seeking opportunity to conveniently betray Jesus for the gain of 30 pieces of silver.
Read .
Pray.
Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?”
The first day of unleavened bread.
This was a 7 day feast that began with the passover meal.
I think it is important for us to go back to when the passover was instituted that we may understand more fully what is taking place here.
is where we would find this account.
Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.
‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.
Read 14.
Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.
‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you. So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’ ”
Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. It will come to pass when you come to the land which the Lord will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ that you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ ” So the people bowed their heads and worshiped. Then the children of Israel went away and did so; just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
There is over all theme that we would glean from this event that is meant in the passover meal observed in generations to come.
It is a memorial of deliverance from bondage by the mighty hand of God.
Remember this for it will be important in coming to where we are at in our story.
This we see in two ways
First in the deliverance from the death angel.
It will come to pass when you come to the land which the Lord will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ that you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ ” So the people bowed their heads and worshiped.
that you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ ” So the people bowed their heads and worshiped.
Exodus 12:25-
exodus 12
Second in the deliverance from the Egyptian bondage as a whole.
And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt.’
Exodus 13:8
So this would be not just a meal prepared to eat but a symbolic moment in which they would reflect and testify of the Lords mighty works. As we see in it was a moment to teach their children of the God in which they served. What a great lesson for us as well to take time with our children to testify of the wondrous works that He has performed in our lives and in history.
And you shall answer and say before the Lord your God: ‘My father was a Syrian, about to perish, and he went down to Egypt and dwelt there, few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. But the Egyptians mistreated us, afflicted us, and laid hard bondage on us. Then we cried out to the Lord God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and looked on our affliction and our labor and our oppression. So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, “a land flowing with milk and honey”;
Deuteronomy 26:
Before we move on we must note that there was more that God meant in this passover that what seen at that time. For it was a foreshadowing of what was to come in Christ.
Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb.
And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever.
There is something in which this signifies and points to that has eternal implications. This we see unveiled in Christ words.
Now we come back to our story in .
Jesus sends two of his disciples to go and prepare this meal that they are to observe.
. The disciples went and found it just as Jesus had said.
Very similar account to that of the triumphal entry from last week.
Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (p. 419). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos.
The effect of both stories is to show Jesus’ knowledge and complete governance of events as his “hour” (14:35) of death approaches. Jesus is not a tragic hero caught in events beyond his control. There is no hint of desperation, fear, anger, or futility on his part. Jesus does not cower or retreat as plots are hatched against him. He displays, as he has throughout the Gospel, a sovereign freedom and authority to follow a course he has freely chosen in accordance with God’s plan. Judas and others may act against him, but they do not act upon him.
Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (p. 419). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos.
This we see through the words of Jesus several times in the account of John, These things I tell you so that when they come to pass you will believe in me.
V.17 Now that the meal is prepared and it has come to the hour to partake of the passover with his disciples.
how the events transpire from here differ within the gospels as they do not necessarily give the events transpired in order. This for instance with mark. He sandwiches the institution of the Lords supper between the revealing of his betrayer.
So I will do my best to portray the evening as revealed in the gospels to the best of my knowledge.
The night would have naturally begun with the meal and its portrayal to the passover during Egyptian rule. Reflection of God miraculous hand
What we find are a series of events that transpire that we would miss be a mere reading through at a glance of the gospels.
I hope that you would read these for yourself and see the portrayal of this time throughout the gospels.
These accounts are found
Luke opens with the Lords anticipation for this meal. For rightly so. It was certainly going to be memorial hence why we still partake of this symbolism to this day.
When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
Luke 22:
The night would have naturally begun with the meal and its portrayal to the passover during Egyptian rule. Reflection of God miraculous hand. If only we could have been there to hear Christs words.
Which would naturally flow right into the institution of the Lords supper and its symbolism as Luke would portray it.
Jesus is unveiling the deeper meaning that was intended in the first passover meal.
Take eat this is my body.
Drink for this is my blood.
What great symbolism is portrayed in this sacred ordinance God gave to his church. This didn’t change into the body and blood of Christ but rather symbolizes it.
Jesus by pouring out his blood as a perfect sacrifice without blemis for the remission of sins.
For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
This fulfills the prophetic word of John the Baptist that proclaimed that Jesus is the spotless lamb who takes away the sins of the world.
how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
They were still unsure of what Jesus was talking about but certainly would remember when the Holy Spirit would bring it to their remembrance after the resurrection of christ.
Matthew 26:28-
And so Jesus says do this in remembrance of Me.
What are they to remember about Him specifically? that which is about to take place.
And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
Paul tells us
Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.
1 corinthi
1 Peter
1 Peter 1:17-
What Jesus instituted in the symbolism of the Lords supper is the same lesson but to greater impact of the passover lamb while in bondage in Egypt.
It is a memorial of deliverance from bondage by the mighty hand of God not just physically but spiritually. Not momentarily but for all of eternity.
This testifies of a deliverance from the bondage of Sin and death by the mighty hand of God who gave his son, the spotless lamb, a ransom for a world of lost sinners in rebellion against him.
We are all in this bondage to sin and we all need the sacrifice paid on our behalf that we may be spared in the day of visitation when the Lord will judge the earth.
What a mighty act of grace and mercy.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
They didn’t know at this time all that Jesus spoke but they soon would.
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
1 corinthians
What is amazing as God in flesh, creator of all that we see, testifying of his coming death by man, knowing all that he is about to endure and the desertion by his own friends, gets up from the table lays aside his garments and takes a towel and girds himself. Then taking a basin of water He begins to wash his disciples feet.
So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
John 13:12-
This continues to reaffirm and teach against the pride of the disciples and their constant disbute over who is going to be the greatest.
Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.
Luke
And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.
“But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Luke 22:25-30
Then the reality of the Betrayal by the hand of a friend.
“I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’ Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He.
John 13
And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, “Is it I?” And another said, “Is it I?”
Mark
Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke.
Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.
Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?”
Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him. For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.
Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.
John 13:22-
After the departure of Judas Jesus begins to pour out his heart. This discourse is comparable in length to that of the sermon on the mount. It is tremendous when you know all the circumstances around the discourse and the reality of the coming death of Jesus. These are his last words to the disciples before his death and Jesus knowing that they are going to be scattered.
Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:33-
Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?”
Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.”
Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.”
Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.
John
Mark 14:27-
Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:
‘I will strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep will be scattered.’
“But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”
Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.”
Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”
But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”
And they all said likewise.
The “all” echoes throughout the remainder of the chapter, recalling both the grace of Jesus and the failure of the disciples: they “all drank” (v. 23), they “all [swear allegiance to Jesus]” (v. 31); but they “all fall away” (v. 27), and they “all fled” (v. 50). The original Last Supper is attended by traitors (v. 18) and cowards (v. 50); it a table not of merit but of grace!
Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (p. 426). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos.
There may have been only one traitor in the formal sense, but by dawn all the disciples will betray Jesus, if not from greed (vv. 10–11), then from weakness (vv. 37–42), fear (vv. 50–52), or cowardice (vv. 66–72). “ ‘Surely not I?’ ” How that protest echoes down the centuries!
Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (p. 424). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
What this teaches us that none of us are removed from the need of this grace of God.
He lovingly laid down his life for sinners of whom i am chief.
We are all in need of a savior.
The spotless lamb laid down his life but didn’t remain in the grave, but rather had victory over it. So we do not believe in a dead man but a risen and reigning Savior.
Without him we cannot do anything.
It is in him we find our reason for existence and should be our sole possession and prize desiring to bring pure worship for He is worthy.
And this gives us great hope for one day we will eat of this meal with him again in the kingdom of God
Oh what a day that will be.
This is the context in which we come to the beautiful lesson in which Jesus gives his disciples
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
How Jesus was desiring to stir comfort in the hearts of those he knows is about to be scattered.
What a night we see unveil before our eyes. And a memorial portrayed relevant for all generations until the Lord returns.
The memorial behind the service
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
For in partaking we proclaim the death of the Lord till he returns.
What a reminder we constantly need.
betrayal of a friend:
Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke Matthew 26:21–25; Mark 14:18–21; Luke 22:15–16, 21–23
that they might employ themselves in contemplating the atrocity of the crime, it was afterwards followed by another advantage, when they perceived that the prediction of the psalm was fulfilled, He that ate pleasant food with me hath lifted up his heel against me, (Psalm 41:10.) Besides, in the person of Judas, our Lord intended to admonish his followers in all ages, not to be discouraged or faint on account of intimate friends proving to be traitors; because the same thing that was experienced by Him who is the Head of the whole Church, must happen to us who are members of it.
Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (p. 424). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos.
The “all” echoes throughout the remainder of the chapter, recalling both the grace of Jesus and the failure of the disciples: they “all drank” (v. 23), they “all [swear allegiance to Jesus]” (v. 31); but they “all fall away” (v. 27), and they “all fled” (v. 50). The original Last Supper is attended by traitors (v. 18) and cowards (v. 50); it a table not of merit but of grace!
Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (p. 426). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos.
There may have been only one traitor in the formal sense, but by dawn all the disciples will betray Jesus, if not from greed (vv. 10–11), then from weakness (vv. 37–42), fear (vv. 50–52), or cowardice (vv. 66–72). “ ‘Surely not I?’ ” How that protest echoes down the centuries!
Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (p. 424). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
What this teaches us that none of us are removed from the need of this grace of God.
He lovingly laid down his life for sinners of whom i am chief.
We are all in need of a savior.
The spotless lamb laid down his life but didn’t remain in the grave, but rather had victory over it. So we do not believe in a dead man but a risen and reigning Savior.
Without him we cannot do anything.
It is in him we find our reason for existence and should be our sole possession and prize desiring to bring pure worship for He is worthy.
And this gives us great hope for one day we will eat of this meal with him again in the kingdom of God
Oh what a day that will be.
Preaching the Word: Mark—Jesus, Servant and Savior The Demand of the Bread and the Cup (John 6:53-56)
Our sin—that apart from the redemptive blood of Christ we are eternally separated from God and lost. Our faith—that we believe in the death, resurrection, exaltation, and bodily return of Christ. Our dependence—that without him we cannot live and dare not die. Our hope—that Jesus’ words in verse 25 of our text are certainly true: “I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.” This expresses Jesus’ eager anticipation of the Messianic Banquet when the Passover fellowship with his children will be renewed in the Kingdom of God.
Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
John 16:31-33
You do not need to fear the corona virus friend, if the Lord is your refuge.
Let us remember who’s hands we rest in.
Not the God who is taken by surprise by events that transpire but rather is so intimately involved in his creation that no one took his life but rather laid it down upon His own accord as it was appointed before the foundation of the world.
There is certainly good that come out of the worst of evils. Let us keep our eyes on Christ and the victory that comes through him.
He Who has brought a glorious deliverance from bondage of sin and death by the mighty hand of God.