Mark 14:22-25 "And as they did eat,
Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take,
eat: this is my body. (23) And he took the cup, and when he had
given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. (24)
And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for
many. (25) Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit
of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Jesus has gathered in the upper room with the twelve men who had been with Him for the past three and a half years. They had observed His miracles, heard His message, and watched Him interact with people. The men were familiar with the Passover feast and no doubt had observed the feast all their lives. They knew the feast represented the release of their forefathers from the bondage of Egypt. They knew the reason for the Passover lamb that was to be slain each year and the meat was to be eaten by the family that night. They knew the purpose for the blood that had been placed on the door posts of the houses of the children of Israel. They knew that God had declared, "When I see the blood, I will pass over you." Hence the term Passover was used to signify the reason for the feast.
Now they are in the room with Jesus to remember the great deliverance that was given by the Lord. But this time, the deliverance will be greater than a lamb being slain. This time, the deliverance will be greater than being delivered from the bondage of man. This time, the deliverance will be from the bondage of sin that is the nature of mankind. This time, the lamb will be THE Lamb of God sent into the world to save from sin.
As Jesus breaks the bread, He teaches them that this bread represents His broken body. The scourge will be laid to His back. By His stripes, we are healed. Not a bone of His body will be broken, but His skin will be broken by the scourge. He will be bruised by the hands of Roman soldiers who hit Him and mocked Him. "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (5) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:4-5) "This is my body which is broken for you."
He then passes the cup of wine. The disciples knew the meaning for the wine. They knew the blood was the sign of the Passover; yet this Passover had greater significance. As Jesus passed the cup and they drank of it, He said "This is my blood of the new testament." The Old Testament was given to prove man could not perfectly keep the law of God and was in need of the Saviour. The new testament, which is the blood of Jesus, is the promise of God that He sent His Son to accomplish that which man could not do.
Jesus kept the old testament (covenant) to perfection. He is the only One to ever live on the earth who did not deserve to die; yet by the grace of our Lord, Jesus laid down His life and shed His righteous blood to take away our sin. There is only one thing that will gain our entrance into heaven. Heaven is not accomplished by our works, nor our decisions, nor any condition that we have met. Heaven's home is secured by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. God says, "When I see the blood." The blood is the releasing element that delivered us from the condemnation of our sin.
Now Jesus drinks with us in His kingdom. When we come together to observe the Lord's Supper, there is a sense in which Jesus drinks with us. Remember He said, "Where two or more are gathered together in my name, there will I be in their midst." When we come together to worship our Lord and Saviour, we can be certain that He is with us and will honor us with His presence.
Jesus has gathered in the upper room with the twelve men who had been with Him for the past three and a half years. They had observed His miracles, heard His message, and watched Him interact with people. The men were familiar with the Passover feast and no doubt had observed the feast all their lives. They knew the feast represented the release of their forefathers from the bondage of Egypt. They knew the reason for the Passover lamb that was to be slain each year and the meat was to be eaten by the family that night. They knew the purpose for the blood that had been placed on the door posts of the houses of the children of Israel. They knew that God had declared, "When I see the blood, I will pass over you." Hence the term Passover was used to signify the reason for the feast.
Now they are in the room with Jesus to remember the great deliverance that was given by the Lord. But this time, the deliverance will be greater than a lamb being slain. This time, the deliverance will be greater than being delivered from the bondage of man. This time, the deliverance will be from the bondage of sin that is the nature of mankind. This time, the lamb will be THE Lamb of God sent into the world to save from sin.
As Jesus breaks the bread, He teaches them that this bread represents His broken body. The scourge will be laid to His back. By His stripes, we are healed. Not a bone of His body will be broken, but His skin will be broken by the scourge. He will be bruised by the hands of Roman soldiers who hit Him and mocked Him. "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (5) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:4-5) "This is my body which is broken for you."
He then passes the cup of wine. The disciples knew the meaning for the wine. They knew the blood was the sign of the Passover; yet this Passover had greater significance. As Jesus passed the cup and they drank of it, He said "This is my blood of the new testament." The Old Testament was given to prove man could not perfectly keep the law of God and was in need of the Saviour. The new testament, which is the blood of Jesus, is the promise of God that He sent His Son to accomplish that which man could not do.
Jesus kept the old testament (covenant) to perfection. He is the only One to ever live on the earth who did not deserve to die; yet by the grace of our Lord, Jesus laid down His life and shed His righteous blood to take away our sin. There is only one thing that will gain our entrance into heaven. Heaven is not accomplished by our works, nor our decisions, nor any condition that we have met. Heaven's home is secured by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. God says, "When I see the blood." The blood is the releasing element that delivered us from the condemnation of our sin.
Now Jesus drinks with us in His kingdom. When we come together to observe the Lord's Supper, there is a sense in which Jesus drinks with us. Remember He said, "Where two or more are gathered together in my name, there will I be in their midst." When we come together to worship our Lord and Saviour, we can be certain that He is with us and will honor us with His presence.