Highlight of the year. After all it was, look at verse 12 of chapter 14, the first day of the Feast
of Unleavened Bread, or better known as the Passover. It was a week-long celebration of
eating and drinking to commemorate the rescue of God's people from Egypt almost 1,500 years
before. And every year without fail from that first time, that rescue was remembered with a special
meal. And for the disciples and for Jesus, it was no different. Look at the rest of verse 12. During
the Feast, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples asked him,
where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover? You see, central to this
amazing meal was what was called the Passover lamb. It was the tradition for each family or each
gathering to go and get a lamb, sacrifice that lamb, and then eat part of it later on that evening
in a celebratory meal. Now that might be strange to us, but thankfully the meaning of this meal is
explained for us in the book of Exodus. So put your finger there in Mark, or hold your place there in
Mark, and go to the book of Exodus, which is at the beginning of the Bible. Again, I'm sorry, I haven't
got a page number, so Exodus chapter 12 is what we're looking for. It's right at the beginning,
Genesis, and then Exodus. Has somebody got a page? It's page 68.
So just to give a bit of context, Exodus. It simply means exit or departure, and it's all about God's
people being rescued, having been enslaved for 400 years under the tyranny of Pharaoh, and God had
promised to free his people to rescue them, and this is how it happened. It all revolved around a meal.
So Exodus chapter 12 verse 3. So follow along, we're going to, well, up on the screen you'll see the
verses that we're going to be looking at. So I'll read them. Exodus 12 verse 3. He says,
Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month, each man is to take a lamb
for his family, one for each household. Verse 6. Take care of the lambs until the fourteenth day of
the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.
Then they are to take some of the blood from that lamb and put it on the sides and on the tops of the
door frames of the houses where they eat the lambs. Now what would they do that for? That sounds a bit
gruesome and a bit strange. Well, we're told in verse 12. Because on that same night, God says,
I will pass through Egypt and will strike down every firstborn, both men and animals.
And I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood, well, that will be a sign
for you on the house where you are. And when I see the blood on the door frames, I will pass over you.
And no destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.
So, verse 17. The command was given to celebrate this feast of unleavened bread or Passover because
it was on this very day that I brought your divisions, your people, out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a
lasting ordinance for the generations to come. Now look at verse 26.
So this is what they were to celebrate. And when your children ask you, so when they were all sitting
down having this meal and a child asks, what does this meal mean? Why are we celebrating it?
Verse 27. Then tell them it is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord who passed over the houses of the
Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians. Then the people bowed down
and worshipped.
Go back to Mark's Gospel, chapter 14.
So you see, every year, for the last 1500 years, this Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread
was celebrated. But this time, everything would change. They would never eat this meal in the same way
ever again. You see, this meal is not about the death and blood of a lamb. This meal is about the blood
and death of Jesus. The death of the lamb that we read about in Exodus was simply there to prepare us
for the coming death of Jesus Christ. So as Jesus shares in this meal with his disciples,
he tells us four things about his death. He uses this meal to teach us four things about his death.
First of all, the plan of Jesus' death, the reason for Jesus' death, the meaning of his death,
and the purpose. So the plan, the reason, the meaning, and the purpose.
So first of all, the plan.
This meal that Jesus celebrated with his disciples was all planned and prepared for in advance.
So look at the end of verse 12. They say,
where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?
So Jesus sent two of his disciples,
telling them,
go into the city,
and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.
Follow him.
And say to the owner of the house that he enters,
the teacher asks,
where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?
And he will show you a large upper room,
furnished and all ready.
Make preparations for us there.
You see, clearly Jesus has everything worked out.
This is no chance meal.
This has all been planned and prepared for in advance.
The man who they're going to meet,
carrying the water jar,
they're going to kind of just meet him.
Coincidentally,
not.
All part of God's plan.
The conversation with the owner who already has the room prepared.
So before they even sit down to eat with Jesus,
Jesus wants us to know
that he is in complete control
of everything that is going to happen to him
in the next 24 hours.
Verse 16.
The disciples left
and they went into the city
and found things
just as Jesus had told them.
So they prepared the Passover.
You see, this meal
that was so carefully planned
is reminding us and telling us
that the death of Jesus
is so carefully planned.
His death comes
at the same time
as the Passover meal.
It's intentional.
It's deliberate.
It's all part of God's amazing design
because through this meal
celebrated every year,
he wants us to see
that he
is the Passover lamb.
That God has planned
and prepared
this event,
Jesus' death for us
from before time began
for you
and for me.
This is no mistake.
This is part of God's
amazing design
for us.
Second,
the reason
for Jesus' death.
this meal
was meant to be
a time of great celebration.
Lots of eating,
lots of drinking,
friends and family
all gathering together.
I guess the nearest for us
would be like Christmas Day.
Full of laughter,
lots of fun,
all the stories
going on around the table.
And then Jesus spoke up
and look what he said.
Verse 18.
While they were reclining
at the table eating,
he said,
I tell you the truth,
one of you
will betray me.
One who is eating
with me.
You can imagine
the atmosphere.
It changes
just like that.
The eating stops.
The laughter
dies away.
And as the reality
of what Jesus
has just said
begins to sink in,
they all begin
to shuffle uncomfortably,
not wanting
to make eye contact.
Verse 19.
They were saddened.
And one by one
they said to Jesus,
surely not I,
not me.
And we can see them
all there around
the table,
Matthew,
no,
wouldn't be me.
Peter,
not I.
Thomas,
no.
Judas,
never.
John,
no.
One by one,
not me,
not me.
But Jesus
is insistent.
Verse 20.
It is one of the twelve.
One of them
who dips bread
into the bowl
with me.
We can hear
their thoughts.
One of us
going to betray
Jesus?
It couldn't be possible.
He must be mistaken.
We would never
fail him.
You see,
as we've seen
as we've gone
through Mark's
gospel,
the disciples
have refused
to accept
that Jesus
must die.
They couldn't
see a reason
for him dying.
Why would he
have to?
But tonight,
at this meal,
Jesus makes
the reason
crystal clear.
You see,
we have a rather
high view
of ourselves.
We like to
think of ourselves
as actually
being more good
than bad.
In fact,
we would back
ourselves every time
when it comes
to issues of
loyalty and
faithfulness.
I would never
fail.
But Jesus
sees us
as we really
are.
He sees
our hearts.
He knows
our true nature.
He knows
that we came
into this world
born to fail.
That's the effect
that sin has
on our lives.
We are born
enslaved,
captured to sin.
We can't help
but fail.
And we fail
our wives.
And we fail
our husbands.
And as parents,
we fail
our children.
And we fail
our friends.
and we fail
each other.
The reality
is we're all
moral failures.
And just
as Jesus
predicted the
failure of
Judas,
in fact,
all the disciples
would deny him
and desert him
and run away
from him.
So he predicts
the failure
of each one
of us.
It's not
if we mess
up,
but when
we mess
up.
And it's
as if
Jesus is
saying to
us,
as we
share in
this meal
with him,
let me show
you the real
you.
Stop all
this pretending.
no more
hiding behind
masks.
I tell you
the truth.
You will
betray me.
And failure
is serious.
Verse 21.
The Son of
Man will
go,
this is Jesus,
will go just
as it is
written about
him.
But woe
to that
man who
betrays the
Son of
Man.
it would
be better
for him
if he
had not
been born.
You see,
the problem
with our
failure,
of our
rejection
and our
turning away
from God,
is it
leads to
judgment.
It's wrecked
our lives
and it's
wrecked the
world in
which we
live.
And yes,
we can read
this and
think,
well,
Jesus knew
who was
going to
betray
him,
but that
doesn't
excuse our
personal
responsibility.
We can't
be blaming
others all
the time
and pointing
fingers and
saying,
well,
it was my
background or
it was this
or it was
that or
it was that
person.
We must
take ownership
of our
own personal
failure.
And that's
the reason
why Jesus
must die.
Jesus must
die so
that he
can deal
with my
failure
and for
your
failure.
Third,
the meaning
of Jesus'
death.
This meal,
which was a
great meal,
had lots
of roast
lamb and
herbs,
bread and
wine,
bread and
all of
the elements
and all
of that
part of
the meal
was designed
to remember
that special
night from
1500 years
ago when
God had
passed over
the land
of Egypt.
But at the
central part of
this meal,
when somebody
should get up
and start
rehearsing or
talking about
the events
of the past,
Jesus stands
up and he
begins to
tell the story,
but rather than
start talking
about a
lamb and
something that
happened in
the past,
Jesus begins
to talk about
himself and
the present.
Look at
verse 22.
While they
were all
eating,
Jesus took
bread,
gave thanks
and broke
it and gave
it to his
disciples saying,
take it,
this is my
body.
then he
took the
cup,
gave thanks
and offered
it to
them and
they all
drank from
it.
This is
my
blood.
You see,
Jesus is
wanting us
to make
the connections
that,
look,
that lamb,
that story
that we know
so well in
Exodus,
that lamb
that was
slaughtered
to protect
the people
and to
free the
people.
Can't you
see that
I'm that
lamb who
has come
to protect
you and
to free
you from
the judgment
that your
failure deserves?
Think back
again to
the story
in Exodus.
Remember
what we
read,
a lamb?
Each family
selected a
lamb and
then on a
particular night
that lamb
was slaughtered
and the
very act
of killing
that lamb
was symbolic
and significant
because the
people knew
that on that
same night
God was
going to
come and
he was
going to
pass over
Egypt in
judgment.
So when
that lamb
was killed
they knew
that this
was a
death in
place of
their death.
God's
judgment was
going to
come and
the firstborn
would die.
So God
was teaching
them that
look,
somebody
must die
for you.
Someone
must die
in place
of you.
And then
when they
took the
blood of
that lamb
and they
began to
paint it
on the
door frames
of the
door,
this is
what God
had said,
the blood
will be
a sign
for you
on the
houses
where you
are and
when I
see the
blood I
will pass
over you
and no
destructive
plague
will touch
you.
Now look
at what
Jesus does
and listen
to what
he says
at this
meal.
Look at
what he
does
and listen
to what
he says.
He takes
bread,
doesn't he,
in verse
22,
and he
breaks
that bread
and he
holds it
before his
disciples
and he
says,
this is
my body.
Just
as that
lamb
was broken
and ripped
apart,
torn apart,
slaughtered,
so I
will be
broken
and slaughtered
and torn
apart
for you.
And then
as Jesus
at the
meal,
he took
the cup,
a cup
of wine
and he
would have
poured
the wine
and he
passed
the cup
around
and as
he held
the cup,
what did
he say?
He says,
this is
my blood
which has
been poured
out for
you.
Just
as the
lamb's
blood
was put
on the
door frames
in faith
that when
God came
over,
they would
be protected
from judgment,
so he
is saying,
faith in
my blood,
faith in
my death
is going
to protect
you from
God's
eternal
judgment.
the
disciples
sit
thinking
about
their
failure
that's
to come
and
looking
at the
bread
and
looking
at the
wine
and
thinking
about
the
lamb
that
was
slaughtered
and
looking
at
Jesus
who
is
going
to
die
for
them
because
Jesus
knows
as he
eats
this
meal
his
death
is
only
hours
away
and
at
this
meal
this
last
meal
that
he
shares
with
them
he
wants
them
to
see
that
he
is
the
lamb
slaughtered
sacrificed
for
us
that
his
death
was
a
death
in
place
of
my
death
and
your
death
and
when
Jesus
died
on
the
cross
when
he
hung
there
pierced
as we
sang
earlier
for
our
transgressions
the
judgment
of
God
it
didn't
pass
over
the
judgment
of
God
fell
on
Jesus
the
sacrificed
lamb
Jesus
on
the
cross
took
the
wrath
of
God
for
you
and
for
me
as
Jesus
hung
on
the
cross
he
was
treated
as
a
failure
for
us
of
all
the
things
that
we
have
gotten
wrong
of
all
of
my
failures
everything
Jesus
took
them
all
he
was
the
innocent
one
the
perfect
one
but
he
takes
everything
all
my
failure
all
my
mess
ups
and
the
promise
for
us
is
that
if
we
apply
that
blood
the
death
of
Jesus
to
our
lives
not
literally
nobody's
asking
that
we
paint
ourselves
or
anything
like
that
it's
not
that
it's
faith
in
what
Jesus
has
done
and
if we
do
God's
judgment
will
pass
over
us
and
we
will
be
protected
we
will
be
protected
from
hell
itself
and
eternal
separation
from
him
that's
why
Jesus
must
die
he
has
to
and
the
good
news
is
he
has
he
became
the
sacrifice
for
you
and
for
me
and
then
fourth
the
purpose
of
Jesus
death
this
meal
was
simply
a
great
occasion
after
all
it
was
a
meal
to
celebrate
their
rescue
to
remember
their
freedom
from
slavery
from
Egypt
now
look
what
happens
after
the
disciples
share
this
meal
with
Jesus
look at
what
they
do
verse
26
when
they
had
sung
a hymn
so they
have
eaten
the
meal
and
when
they
had
sung
a hymn
of
praise
they
went
out
to
the
mount
of
olives
do
you
see
the
significance
there
they
went
out
that
little
phrase
they
went
out
the
word
that
is
being
used
there
is
the
same
word
exodus
it
means
departure
it
means
exit
and
Mark
the
author
is
wanting
us
to
get
the
connections
here
that
after
the
first
Passover
meal
back
in
Egypt
when
they
were
celebrating
together
it
was
the
departure
it
was
the
exit
to
go
into
a
new
life
a
brand
new
kind
of
life
to
go
into
the
promised
land
they
were
leaving
going
somewhere
new
they
departed
from
the
rule
of
Pharaoh
they
are
now
going
to
live
with
God
in
slavery
behind
and
that's
what
Jesus'
death
has
done
for
us
and
that's
what
he
wants
us
to
get
his
death
provides
the
exit
his
death
is
the
departure
door
to
free
us
from
our
slavery
to
sin
so
that
we
might
enter
into
a
new
kind
of
life
to
live
with
him
forever
you
see
this
meal
that
we're
looking
at
here
it
isn't
a
meal
belonging
to
another
culture
of
another
time
in
a
different
place
this
is
our
meal
this
is
our
exodus
story
and
through
our
trust
in
Jesus
and
his
death
for
us
we
have
been
set
free
we've
been
liberated
no
longer
bound
by our
failures
no
longer
bogged
down
and
swamped
by our
guilt
and
shame
instead
we've
been
set
free
living
in the
reality
of
God's
forgiveness
renewed
and
restored
people
children
of God
belonging
to him
never to
be
condemned
we've
been set
free
that's
why
Jesus
died
to
free
us
and to
give us
life
they
went
out
after
they
celebrated
the
meal
and
so
it
becomes
a meal
for
us
this
is a
meal
where
we
remember
Jesus
the
true
and
ultimate
Passover
lamb
the
one
who
sacrificed
his
life
for
us
this
is a
meal
the
invitation
goes out
to
all
people
that
they
would
all
share
in
this
meal
but
only
for
those
who
recognise
they
are
failures
and
need
forgiveness
only
for
those
who
put
their
trust
in
Jesus
the
invitation
is
out
there
for
all
but
he
says
only
share
in
this
meal
if
your
trust
is
in
me
if
you
know
that
I
died
for
you
and
let's
remember
as
we
come
together
now
to
share
in
this
meal
this
is
a
celebration
this
is
a
joyful
occasion
it's
to
be
a
good
time
a
happy
time
because
through
Jesus
we've
been
set
free
from
judgement
set
free
to
live
a
new
kind
of
life
this
is
our
meal
a
meal
to
celebrate
and
remember
so
before
we do
drink
and
before
we do
eat
of
this
meal
we're
going
to
sing
a
song
a
hymn
of
reflection
a
hymn
of
praise
behold
the
lamb
who
bears
our
sins
away
slain
for
us
and
we
remember
the
promise
made
that
all
who
come
in
faith
find
forgiveness
at
the
cross
we
share
in
this
bread
of
life
we
drink
of
his
sacrifice
as a
sign of
our
bonds
of
peace
around
the
table
of
the
king
this
isn't
made
up
this
is
the
meal
of
Jesus
to
remember
so
let's
stand
together
we'll
sing
and
we'll
reflect
on
the
meal
that
we
are
going
to
enjoy
eating
together