The Lord's Supper (Mark 14:12-25)

Hello All,

Let us reflect on what the Bible has to tell us about the Lord’s Supper.

The Lord's Supper (Mark 14:12-25)

By Joanne Liaw Sook Ling (19^th February 2013)

Jesus sent two of his disciples to prepare

A large upper room to hold the Passover there

He came with his disciples when it was evening

They gathered at the table and started eating

'Truly, I say to you,' Jesus said solemnly

'One of you eating here with me will betray me'

In sadness they asked him one after another

'Is it I? Who among us is the betrayer?'

'The betrayer is one of the twelve' Jesus said

'One who's dipping, into the dish with me, the bread'

'For the Son of Man goes as prophecies forewarned'

'But woe to the betrayer who should've ne'er been born'

As they were eating together, Jesus took bread

Blessed, broke and gave it to his disciples and said

'Take; this is my body which is broken for you'

And then he took the cup and gave thanks for it too

They all drank from the cup of wine he offered them

‘This is my covenanted blood, shed for many’

He was to die on the cross as the perfect Lamb

To bring, into God’s Kingdom, men like you and me

Points for Reflection:

·         The Lord’s Supper was instituted during the Passover. The Passover was an annual Jewish celebration of the event when God unleashed the final plague (the death of every firstborn) on the Egyptians who oppressed the Israelites with cruel slavery. The angel of death was sent by God to kill all the firstborn of the Egyptians but passed over every Israelite house which had the blood of a lamb without blemish painted on the doorposts.

Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. (Exodus 12:5a)

“Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. (Exodus 12:7)

For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. 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 no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:12-13)

·         Jesus is the Passover Lamb who died on the cross for the sin of mankind so that he could save those who believe in him from spiritual death and judgment in hell.

For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. (1 Corinthians 5:7)

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, (1 Peter 3:18)

·         Has participating in the Lord’s Supper become just a mere tradition for you? Is it just part of a regular practice of your church service? Although it is true that Jesus’ once-and-for-all death on the cross (instead of the act of partaking in the Lord’s Supper) is what saves us from our sin, Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper as a regular reminder of how much it cost him to redeem sinners like you and me. It is also something that we participate in as a church community to remind each other that we have been brought into the family of God through the atoning death of Jesus Christ.   

Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them.  And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him. (Mark 14:10-11)

·         Jesus told his disciples that one of them would betray him although he did not openly reveal Judas Iscariot’s treachery.

·         Judas Iscariot sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Are you tempted to trade your faith in Christ for something temporal? Would you trade Christ to pursue worldly ambitions, wealth and success? Would you trade Christ to escape persecution from your non-Christian spouse, family, friends and community? Would you trade Christ for convenience and for the comforts of life? What is it that would make you turn your back on Christ?

·         My friends, no matter how tempting it may seem to forsake Christ, I pray that you will not trade what is eternal for something temporal. Although that ’30 pieces of silver’ may appear to benefit you more in the short run, it will only leave you empty and wanting more. Ultimately it would cause you to lose your eternal life in Christ. 

The Triumphal Entry (John 12:12-19)

Hello All,

Today’s poem is yet another composition from our anonymous fellow Christians.

Although Palm Sunday is about 3 weeks away, due to time constraint and other pivotal Biblical events to cover before we culminate to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we will be covering the Bible passage of this widely celebrated event today. 

The Triumphal Entry (John 12:12-19)

(Anonymous, Year 2012)

Lo, traveling for the feast,
Jews gathered all around;
And in their midst the whisper spread,
Jesus would there be found!

“O let us cut down palms,
And go out to the road”
Thus came they singing from the Psalms,
To greet him as he rode.

Crowds soon to curse in shame,
Exalt that Son Roÿal;
“Blessed he comes in our Lord's name,
O King of Israel!”

Upon a donkey rode,
The soon thorn-crownèd head;
Behold, your king comes on a colt,
As Zechariah said.

Fear not ye exiled band,
O daughter of Zion;
Your consolation is at hand,
Your freedom will be won.

Disciples unaware,
Of glory uncontrived,
They soon will know that this was where,
The King foretold arrived.

Lazarus left the grave!
Great witness filled the air!
That all might greet the King who Saves,
His royal way prepare.

Yet Pharisees observed,
And envious, did not sing;
Instead they said with bitter words,
“The world's gone out to him”

Points for Reflection:

“Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!” (John 12:15)

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)

·         Again we see another Old Testament prophecy from the prophet Zechariah being fulfilled by Jesus.  Jesus is depicted as the humble shepherd-king who comes to the Holy City, Jerusalem, to take his rightful place.

So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” (John 12:13)

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD. (Psalm 118:26)

·         By waving palm branches (a Jewish national symbol) the people hailed Jesus as the promised Messiah, the prophesied King descending from the line of King David. Most of the crowd probably understood the title King of Israel in a political and military sense, still hoping that Jesus would use his amazing powers to resist Roman rule and lead the nation to independence.

·         But Jesus’ Kingdom is not an earthly one as most of the Jews expected. He was not like other earthly kings who rode on their gallant horses with pomp and stride. The humble servant King was mounted on a donkey and awaiting his impending death on the cross. His Kingdom is a spiritual and eternal one and the people in this realm are sinners like you and me whom God has brought in through the cross.

For even the Son of Man [Jesus Christ] came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” (John 18:36)

The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. (Psalm 103:19)

How great are his [God’s] signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation. (Daniel 4:3)

·         The Jews perceived Jesus as a provider of political and military strength. Who do you perceive Jesus to be? Is he just your problem solver when things go wrong? Is he just your Santa Claus who gives you the goodies of life? Is he just part of the religious compartment of your life? Is he just a God you profess to worship as your parents have been doing all their lives? Or is he the Lord of your whole life? Who is Jesus to you?  

His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. (John 12:16)

·         At that point of time even when the signs were so obvious, the disciples’ eyes were not opened to Jesus’ true identity and his mission to save mankind through the cross.

·         Many of the things Jesus said and did were understood by the disciples only after the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” (John 12:17-19)

·         Jesus’ popularity with the crowd increased greatly after he performed the sign of raising Lazarus from the dead.  The urgency of the religious authorities, such as the Pharisees, to kill Jesus intensified following that sign.

·         After having witnessed Jesus’ authority demonstrated in his miracles and his teachings, instead of acknowledging him as God, the religious authorities felt threatened by him and sought to put him down.   

·         Have you known people who continually refuse to open their hearts to Jesus even though the gospel has been shared with them countless of times? Are you one of those people? If so, I pray with all my heart for God to soften those hardened hearts and open up those blind eyes to Jesus Christ.

Lazarus and the Plot (John 11:1-57)

Hello All,

The poems which I have been sharing with you since the start of WEMB were my compositions but today’s poem is written by some people who wish to remain anonymous.

With their permission and encouragement, I took their poem and added the Points of Reflection part to it.

I pray that you will enjoy reading today’s Bible passage written in a distinctively different poetry style.

Lazarus and the Plot (John 11:1-57)

(Anonymous, Year 2012)

Four days in a tomb, the body laid, still,
When Jesus came to the ones he held dear
Word had been sent that Lazarus was ill,
But he tarried 2 days and finally appeared.
 

Martha ran out, her Lord Jesus to meet,
"My brother would have lived, had you been here,"
She cried out in sorrow as she fell at His feet,
"But Lord, even now what you ask, God will hear."
 
"Your brother has died but will rise again,"
"Yes, my Lord in the resurrection on the last day,"
She understood not what Jesus had explained
But she trusted in what He had to say.
 
 "I am the resurrection and the life,"
"They will live, all those who believe in me,"
"They will live forever, never to die,"
"Dear Martha, do you believe this?" asked he.
 
"Yes my Lord, you're the Christ, the Son of God,"
She said this with certainty and in faith,
"The Son of God who has entered the world,"
She called Mary who'd stayed indoors to wait.
 
"The Teacher's here and is asking for you"
 Mary ran to the place where Jesus was,
And fell to her knees, her heart filled with woe,
"If you'd been here we'd still have Lazarus!"
 
The Lord Jesus saw Mary's flowing tears,
His spirit was greatly moved and troubled,
"Where have you laid him?" Jesus inquired
"Come and see, Lord," to the tomb was He led.

When he arrived, it was told, Jesus wept,
"See how He loved him!" said those who stood by
"He healed the blind," others said with contempt,
  "So why did He leave Lazarus to die?"

Deeply moved, to the tomb Jesus came
To the cave where His beloved friend was,
To the entrance where a stone had been lain
To the entrance where the stone laid across
 
"Take away the stone," Jesus commanded,
"But Lord, he's been in there for four long days,"
There will be a foul smell" Martha added
She was surprised when she heard Jesus say,
 
"Did I not tell you that if you believed,"
"With your eyes God's glory you will perceive!"

And so the great tombstone was rolled away,
Jesus raised His eyes to heaven to pray,
 "Dear Father, You always hear what I say,"
"But I say this that those standing here may,"
 
"Believe that You've sent me," and so aloud,
"Lazarus come out!" he called with a shout.
 
 Lo, out he came wrapped in strips of linen
With his own death cloth still upon his face!
"Take off these grave clothes and then release him,"
Jesus said to a crowd greatly surprised and fazed!

What wonderous sign; our Christ has come;
 Once dead, now raised with power strong,
Lo, Jews believed in God's own Son!
As Lazarus walked back to his home.

 Yet others, fleeing from the Light,
Set in their hearts such evil shame;
And so the Pharisees were told,
Of threat to nation, honour, fame.
 
Out from the bubbling hideous crew,
Spake Caiaphas by God most high;
"Ye know not anything at all
T'is better one for all should die"

The scheming leaders understood,
To put the lamb of God to death;
Crouched at the door, they sought his blood:
He loved them till his dying breath.
 
The Holy Child, dear Jesus Christ,
Will go hence to the cross and sword;
Not for his nation alone, his price,
But every child of God abroad.

Points for Reflection:

 Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)

·         Jesus is the embodiment of life itself. He has the authority to take and give life which is something only God is able to do.

·         Because of sin, all men are spiritually dead and would inevitably come face to face with physical death.

·         But those who trust in Jesus Christ will become spiritually alive in him and although they would not escape physical death, they will inherit eternal life in heaven.

·         In today’s Bible passage we see Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. The resurrection of Lazarus points forward to the ultimate resurrection of Jesus Christ himself from the dead to save sinners like you and me.

·         Just as Jesus asked Martha if she believed in him, his question until this day echoes similarly in the heart of every men: ‘Do you believe this?’

Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.  And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.”  Jesus wept. (John 11:32-35)

·         Before Lazarus was raised from the dead, his sisters, Martha and Mary were in the depths of despair. Both of them said the similar phrase to Jesus, ‘If only you have been here earlier, our brother would not have died.’

·         I am sure there have been points in our lives where we have felt the same way as the distraught sisters and said to God ‘If only you have kept my loved one from dying’ or ‘If only you have prevented this great misfortune from befalling me’… ‘If only…’

·         Although Jesus knew that he will raise Lazarus from the dead, this foreknowledge did not keep him from sharing in the brokenness, sorrow and tears of Mary. He wept with her.

·         There are times when we are unable to understand why bad things happen. It is heart-wrenching to suffer those terrible losses but the most comforting fact is that we have a God who is not distant and indifferent to our tears but he weeps with us. And although we cannot see what good could come out from our misfortunes, God holds our lives in his hands and he knows all things.

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.  So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. (John 11:49-53)

·         There were religious leaders who were threatened by Jesus’ power and influence on the crowd so they sought to kill him. Their hearts were hardened and against him.

·         Caiaphas said better than he knew. What he meant to say was it is better for Jesus to die rather than allowing the whole nation of Israel to be completely surrendered into the hands of the Roman authorities who would view Jesus as a rebellion and threat. But what Caiaphas unknowingly foretold was the atoning death of one man, Jesus Christ, to save many who put their trust in him.

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned... For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:12,17)

·         Perhaps you would know of many who oppose Jesus and seek to do away with him. They are those persecute those who follow him and seek to disprove the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let us pray that God will soften the hearts of such people so that they will repent and turn away from their sins.  

I AM: Part 2 (Mark 6:30-52)

Hello All,

Previously in part 1, we saw how Jesus, as the good Shepherd, fed his sheep spiritual as well as physical food and in doing so demonstrated his authority as God.

Today we will be delving into the other part of the poem coloured in blue.

I AM: Part 2 (Mark 6:30-52)

By Joanne Liaw Sook Ling (1^st February 2013)

Jesus and his disciples went away

On a boat to a quiet place to stay

To rest from the pressing crowd for a while

And rejuvenate in the calming lull

But many in the crowd saw them leaving

They ran on foot in haste from their dwellings

And reached the place to where they were heading

For they were hungry for Jesus' teachings

When the boat finally sailed to the shore

Christ had compassion on the crowd he saw

For they were like sheep without a shepherd

So he taught them many things on God's Word

Jesus' disciples came to him and said

'This is a lonely place, it is now late

We all perceive that it is fair and good

To send them away to buy their own food'

'You give them something to eat' Jesus said

'How shall we buy them all sufficient bread?

Two hundred denarii needs to be paid'

They questioned as they wrinkled their foreheads

'How many loaves do you have? Go and see'

Jesus asked them who answered doubtfully

'We've five loaves of bread and two fish at hand

That will not fill the stomachs of grown men'

Christ grouped the crowd in hundreds and fifties

He looked to heaven, prayed and broke the loaves

Which were all distributed evenly

Jesus' disciples did as they were told

Christ divided the two fish among them

The loaves and fish were passed from hand to hand

Remaining were twelve full baskets at hand

More than sufficient for five thousand men

Christ then bade his disciples to journey

To Bethsaida on a boat before him

Dismissing the crowd accordingly he

Went up the mount to pray for strength within

At dusk, Jesus saw the boat on the sea

His disciples were sailing painfully

Scarcely making headway in their journey

For the winds were blowing so violently

Later on at night, Jesus came to them

Walking on the sea for this was his plan

They cried out ‘Ghost!' just like terrified men

Jesus said ’Take heart, fear not for I AM'

He got into the boat and the winds ceased

They were astounded but could not perceive

Him as God who provided bread for them

And calmed the storm for Jesus is I AM

Points for Reflection:

·         After feeding the crowd of 5,000 men with more than sufficient food, Jesus sends his disciples ahead to Bethsaida in order to retreat for personal prayer. The Bible tells us the great importance of prayer and even Jesus Christ who is God, prays to his Heavenly Father.

Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. (Mark 6:45-46)

·         Have you cultivated the habit of praying regularly to God? If not, why don’t you make it one of your New Year resolutions? If you have, do you find prayer a tiresome task which is just one of the items on your to-do list? Prayer should not be a dread and drudgery but it should be a refreshing time of having a heart-to-heart conversation with God, expressing your fears, sadness, problems, hopes, supplication, joy and thankfulness to him. And we can do that in confidence that he is always there to listen to our prayers.  

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (Matthew 6:7-13)

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. (Colossians 4:2)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

·         Jesus’ disciples were battling violent windstorms as they were sailing to Bethsaida. Do bear in mind that these were tough fishermen who were used to the sea so this must have been an extremely rough one for them. Jesus saw their desperate need, came to them and again demonstrated his power as God, over natural forces that mere humans have no control over, by walking on the rough and turbulent sea. He was again fulfilling Old Testament prophecies.

And he [Jesus] saw that they [Jesus’ disciples] were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he [Jesus] came to them [Jesus’ disciples], walking on the sea. (Mark 6:48)

God who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea; (Job 9:8)

·         When Jesus’ disciples saw him walking on the sea, they thought they saw a ghost and were terrified. But Jesus assured them that he is I AM which is a name that God calls himself by. For grammatical accuracy, most English Bibles would translate it as ‘Take heart, it is I’ instead of ‘Take heart, I AM’ in the original text.

But when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” (Mark 6:49-50)

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14)

·         Not only does Jesus walk on the sea but he sees his disciples’ helplessness and made the windstorms cease as he got into the boat with them. Even after the miracles that they have witnessed, they still did not recognize Jesus as I AM.

And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. (Mark 6:51-52)

·         Just like the disciples, we find that there are many storms of life which are out of our control. We would love very much to be in control of every sequence of events in our lives but that is just not possible.  There will be stormy times but no storms are greater than our Lord Jesus Christ who is I AM.

I [Jesus] have said these things to you, that in me [Jesus] you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I [Jesus] have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)