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.