WEBVTT 00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:05.320 My name is Matthew Capone, and I'm the pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church, 00:00:05.320 --> 00:00:07.839 and it's my joy to bring God's Word to you today. 00:00:08.500 --> 00:00:11.120 A special welcome if you are new or visiting with us. 00:00:11.179 --> 00:00:15.860 We're glad that you're here, and we're glad that you're here not because we're trying to fill seats, 00:00:15.919 --> 00:00:19.320 but because we're following Jesus together as one community. 00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:23.500 And as we follow Jesus together, we become convinced there's no one so good, 00:00:23.960 --> 00:00:27.280 they don't need God's grace, and no one so bad that they can't have it, 00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:33.439 which is why we come back week after week to hear what God has to say to us in His Word. 00:00:34.359 --> 00:00:38.020 We're continuing our series in the Gospel of Mark. 00:00:38.260 --> 00:00:43.600 You'll remember we're in Jesus' last week here before His death on the cross. 00:00:44.260 --> 00:00:51.400 And last week, we took a look at what was going on with Jesus and Judas, 00:00:51.540 --> 00:00:54.460 and we saw the preparations that Jesus was making. 00:00:54.460 --> 00:00:58.299 He had to essentially sneak His way towards the Passover, 00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:03.020 and so we looked at Jesus' control in that situation as He made His way to the cross. 00:01:03.460 --> 00:01:10.159 And then we also looked at Judas' warning, the warning of being hard-hearted and complacent with sin. 00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:13.640 And so we just had the beauty of Jesus, the danger of sin. 00:01:13.719 --> 00:01:15.340 You'll remember it's some basic reminders. 00:01:15.939 --> 00:01:18.280 We're continuing that story this week, 00:01:18.280 --> 00:01:21.340 and we're once again just going to take a look at Jesus, 00:01:21.420 --> 00:01:24.599 take a look at Jesus in His beauty and His love, 00:01:24.820 --> 00:01:28.820 in one of the most famous passages in all of Scripture, 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:31.560 which is the institution of the Lord's Supper. 00:01:32.519 --> 00:01:34.040 And so our question is very simple, 00:01:34.180 --> 00:01:40.280 which is how does Jesus feeding His disciples continue to strengthen us now? 00:01:40.280 --> 00:01:46.700 How does Jesus feeding His disciples continue to strengthen us now? 00:01:47.320 --> 00:01:50.579 It's with that that I'm going to invite you to turn with me to God's Word. 00:01:50.719 --> 00:01:54.000 You can turn in your Bible, you can turn on your phone, 00:01:54.200 --> 00:01:55.780 you can turn in your worship guide. 00:01:56.200 --> 00:01:58.900 No matter where you turn, remember that this is God's Word, 00:01:58.960 --> 00:02:03.060 and God tells us that His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, 00:02:03.060 --> 00:02:07.480 which reminds us that He has not left us to stumble alone in the dark, 00:02:07.799 --> 00:02:10.979 but instead He's given us His Word to show us the way to go. 00:02:11.699 --> 00:02:15.979 And so that's why we read now Mark chapter 14, starting at verse 22. 00:02:17.199 --> 00:02:19.340 And as they were eating, He took bread, 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:22.960 and after blessing it, broke it and gave it to them, saying, 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:24.800 Take, this is my body. 00:02:25.640 --> 00:02:28.699 And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, 00:02:28.699 --> 00:02:30.680 He gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 00:02:30.680 --> 00:02:32.480 And He said to them, 00:02:33.140 --> 00:02:37.180 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:39.360 Truly I say to you, 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:42.900 I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine 00:02:42.900 --> 00:02:48.340 until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God. 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:53.420 I invite you to pray with me as we come to this portion of God's Word. 00:02:55.400 --> 00:02:58.180 Our Father in heaven, we thank You 00:02:58.180 --> 00:03:03.780 that You have given us Your Word to guide us and instruct us and encourage us. 00:03:04.620 --> 00:03:06.780 We ask that You would do that this morning, 00:03:07.719 --> 00:03:10.159 that You would use this story, 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:12.760 this true story of Jesus and His disciples 00:03:12.760 --> 00:03:17.740 to capture our hearts and our minds and our imaginations and our affections, 00:03:18.140 --> 00:03:24.180 that we would see Jesus in His love and His care and His sacrifice, 00:03:24.180 --> 00:03:29.120 and that You would cause us more and more to want to follow Him, 00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:31.819 love Him, serve Him, obey Him. 00:03:32.420 --> 00:03:35.020 We ask these things in His mighty name. 00:03:35.719 --> 00:03:35.960 Amen. 00:03:36.640 --> 00:03:37.080 Amen. 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:46.620 In 2014, National Geographic magazine ran this article called The Joy of Food. 00:03:46.620 --> 00:03:50.599 And in that, they mentioned the story of a man named Robert Falcon Scott 00:03:50.599 --> 00:03:56.180 who helped lead the Discovery expedition to Antarctica in the early 1900s. 00:03:56.700 --> 00:03:59.520 And of course, this is a place of brutal conditions 00:03:59.520 --> 00:04:05.040 where it's easy for them to get beaten down with the challenges that they face. 00:04:05.140 --> 00:04:06.740 And so, Midwinter Day came, 00:04:06.819 --> 00:04:09.819 and Midwinter was the day where the day was the shortest 00:04:09.819 --> 00:04:11.219 and the night was the longest. 00:04:11.719 --> 00:04:14.319 And so, they decided what they were going to do to make it through. 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:15.420 That was to throw a feast. 00:04:15.419 --> 00:04:21.000 So, they slaughtered 45 sheep there on their adventure. 00:04:22.039 --> 00:04:23.819 And so, the article goes on to tell us this 00:04:23.819 --> 00:04:27.360 about this great feast that they had on what would be their hardest day. 00:04:28.259 --> 00:04:33.319 The cold, the darkness, and the isolation were forgotten for a while. 00:04:34.259 --> 00:04:36.019 And then they quote Robert Falcon Scott, 00:04:36.860 --> 00:04:44.500 With such a dinner, we agreed that life in the Antarctic regions was worth living. 00:04:45.420 --> 00:04:51.060 They needed a meal to strengthen them in a tough situation. 00:04:51.560 --> 00:04:55.240 And we can say the same thing about this story here with Jesus and his disciples. 00:04:55.580 --> 00:04:59.759 They also need to be heartened by a feast in dark circumstances. 00:05:00.100 --> 00:05:05.139 You'll remember from last week that Judas is actively at work to betray Jesus. 00:05:05.520 --> 00:05:08.720 There is a warrant out for Jesus' arrest. 00:05:08.720 --> 00:05:14.660 We saw the elaborate plan that Jesus had to put together so that he could make it to the upper room 00:05:14.660 --> 00:05:16.300 without being detected. 00:05:16.680 --> 00:05:21.760 He had to set up this safe house because there was a price on his head 00:05:21.760 --> 00:05:24.600 to allow them to celebrate the Passover together. 00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:31.100 So, it shouldn't surprise us at all that the disciples certainly needed strengthening in this situation. 00:05:31.100 --> 00:05:34.100 And in fact, that's the exact meaning of the Passover. 00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:36.220 That's the purpose of the Passover. 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:39.300 I told you this last week, and I'm going to tell you it again this week. 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:44.700 Passover is from Exodus chapter 12 when God's people are heading out of Egypt, 00:05:44.860 --> 00:05:48.020 and God, as his last punishment on the Egyptians, 00:05:48.620 --> 00:05:51.460 kills the firstborn of every Egyptian family. 00:05:52.180 --> 00:05:55.920 But he saves his own people from that curse. 00:05:56.320 --> 00:05:57.820 He tells them, here's what you need to do. 00:05:57.819 --> 00:06:00.920 And we read about this, Exodus chapter 12, already this morning. 00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:03.500 You're going to sacrifice a Passover lamb. 00:06:03.800 --> 00:06:07.399 You're going to take that blood, and you're going to paint it on the door frames. 00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:11.939 And so, when God moves through, when he passes through Egypt, 00:06:12.659 --> 00:06:15.639 he will pass over you. 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:19.100 Your firstborn is going to be saved. 00:06:19.779 --> 00:06:21.339 And that's what he actually uses that phrase. 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:23.100 You may remember it earlier from this service, 00:06:23.500 --> 00:06:25.459 that he will pass over them. 00:06:25.459 --> 00:06:27.779 And so, that's what they're celebrating in this meal. 00:06:27.839 --> 00:06:32.459 This meal is meant to remind them of God's mercy to them in the past. 00:06:33.000 --> 00:06:36.039 Look at how God has cared for you as a people. 00:06:36.479 --> 00:06:37.579 Take strength. 00:06:39.439 --> 00:06:44.879 It's been noted at this meal, there is no mention of a Passover lamb, though, 00:06:45.919 --> 00:06:50.620 because Jesus himself is the lamb of this meal. 00:06:50.620 --> 00:06:56.959 There was a lamb in the past that reminded them of their redemption from Egypt. 00:06:56.959 --> 00:06:59.860 There's going to be the blood of the ultimate lamb, Christ himself, 00:06:59.920 --> 00:07:02.899 who's going to defeat death once and for all. 00:07:02.939 --> 00:07:05.199 And so, we're going to see this even greater blood, 00:07:05.680 --> 00:07:09.899 greater than the blood of a lamb, that provides an even greater covering. 00:07:10.860 --> 00:07:13.620 God's judgment is going to pass over us as well, 00:07:13.620 --> 00:07:16.379 if we're covered by Jesus' blood. 00:07:16.379 --> 00:07:23.420 And so, Jesus takes this meal, this meal that was meant to strengthen God's people 00:07:23.420 --> 00:07:25.680 in the Old Testament, meant to strengthen Israel, 00:07:25.879 --> 00:07:29.199 and he uses it to strengthen his people, his disciples, 00:07:29.379 --> 00:07:33.000 in a greater and new way here in this passage. 00:07:33.100 --> 00:07:36.019 And so, we're going to jump right in and see what it is that Jesus does. 00:07:36.100 --> 00:07:41.259 We're going to look first at Christ's sacrifice, and then at Christ's feast. 00:07:41.259 --> 00:07:45.480 First at Christ's sacrifice, and then at Christ's feast. 00:07:45.579 --> 00:07:48.939 First is sacrifice in verses 22 through 24. 00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:52.800 When the Jews celebrated Passover, there would be this liturgy, 00:07:52.939 --> 00:07:56.099 this formula that they would follow each time. 00:07:56.180 --> 00:08:00.159 And the head of the household, the patriarch, would be the one who would lead that. 00:08:00.420 --> 00:08:04.060 He would ask certain questions, and they would respond with certain answers. 00:08:04.219 --> 00:08:07.459 He would give explanations of different pieces of the meal, 00:08:07.459 --> 00:08:11.959 and he would recount the history of God's faithfulness to his people 00:08:11.959 --> 00:08:13.939 as they were leaving Egypt. 00:08:14.500 --> 00:08:18.299 Jesus here serves as the patriarch of this meal. 00:08:18.739 --> 00:08:20.719 Jesus is the head of the household. 00:08:21.079 --> 00:08:24.919 You may remember from last week, the disciples asked this interesting question, 00:08:25.379 --> 00:08:29.199 where are we going to prepare for you, Jesus, to have the Passover? 00:08:30.159 --> 00:08:33.799 And so, Jesus is the one who is serving them and leading them here, 00:08:33.799 --> 00:08:36.699 which helps us understand what he does in this meal, 00:08:36.779 --> 00:08:42.679 because he either adds to that traditional question and explanation, 00:08:43.559 --> 00:08:44.799 or he replaces it. 00:08:45.079 --> 00:08:46.139 The passage actually doesn't tell us. 00:08:46.159 --> 00:08:48.679 It doesn't tell us whether Jesus is adding new things 00:08:48.679 --> 00:08:50.959 in addition to the explanation of the Passover, 00:08:51.099 --> 00:08:52.740 or if he's just replacing it entirely. 00:08:53.059 --> 00:08:57.919 But what Jesus says here helps us understand what he means this meal to do. 00:08:58.459 --> 00:09:01.679 He is putting new words into an old liturgy. 00:09:01.679 --> 00:09:07.699 Verse 22, our understanding is that the bread here would normally be eaten in silence. 00:09:09.179 --> 00:09:13.219 Jesus then breaks the silence with this very simple explanation, 00:09:13.779 --> 00:09:16.379 take, this is my body. 00:09:17.500 --> 00:09:19.799 Now, he doesn't tell them anything more than that. 00:09:20.439 --> 00:09:23.120 Many folks think here, at the very least, 00:09:23.959 --> 00:09:27.399 the broken bread reminds them of Jesus' broken body. 00:09:28.719 --> 00:09:31.299 In fact, this sense, it doesn't remind them, it foreshadows it. 00:09:32.559 --> 00:09:34.579 This is my body that belongs to you. 00:09:34.699 --> 00:09:37.059 What's going to happen to it for your sake? 00:09:37.079 --> 00:09:37.799 It's going to be broken. 00:09:38.459 --> 00:09:40.620 I am going to die. 00:09:41.959 --> 00:09:43.719 So he's foreshadowing his death, 00:09:43.779 --> 00:09:45.279 but he's also telling them something else. 00:09:45.620 --> 00:09:47.059 It's not just that the bread is broken. 00:09:47.159 --> 00:09:49.719 He says, this bread is my body. 00:09:50.539 --> 00:09:54.120 There is a sense in which his presence is there with him. 00:09:54.120 --> 00:09:58.700 And so when we celebrate the Lord's Supper together as a church, 00:09:58.700 --> 00:10:03.639 we say there is a sense in which Christ is with us spiritually. 00:10:04.620 --> 00:10:06.179 It's his body, right? 00:10:06.440 --> 00:10:09.080 We're not saying that he literally becomes the bread 00:10:09.080 --> 00:10:10.519 or the bread literally becomes him, 00:10:10.600 --> 00:10:15.120 but what we are saying is that he associates himself so closely with that element, 00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:18.419 so closely with that bread that we know he is with us 00:10:18.419 --> 00:10:21.939 in a way that is greater than he's normally with us. 00:10:22.839 --> 00:10:26.139 He is giving them not just his body, but his presence. 00:10:26.599 --> 00:10:29.099 They're feeding on him in a sense. 00:10:30.039 --> 00:10:31.679 And so the bread speaks to a couple things. 00:10:31.799 --> 00:10:33.599 It speaks to Jesus' death for them. 00:10:33.600 --> 00:10:37.320 It speaks to his continuing presence with them. 00:10:38.940 --> 00:10:40.840 He doesn't just tell them about the bread, though. 00:10:40.940 --> 00:10:43.860 He also, verse 24, helps explain the wine. 00:10:43.980 --> 00:10:46.600 He says, this is my blood of the covenant, 00:10:46.899 --> 00:10:48.840 which is poured out for many. 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:51.420 Jesus is alluding here. 00:10:51.519 --> 00:10:54.759 He's quoting Exodus chapter 24, verse 8, 00:10:54.840 --> 00:10:57.420 when Moses takes blood from animal sacrifices 00:10:57.420 --> 00:10:59.779 and he sprinkles them on the people. 00:10:59.779 --> 00:11:06.399 He says, salvation was previously shown. 00:11:06.740 --> 00:11:10.360 It was previously imaged by the blood of animals. 00:11:11.579 --> 00:11:12.939 Jesus here is saying, 00:11:13.459 --> 00:11:17.519 everything those sacrifices pointed towards is now here. 00:11:19.419 --> 00:11:22.879 Salvation is now shown by my blood. 00:11:23.939 --> 00:11:26.259 It's no longer shown by the blood of animals. 00:11:26.259 --> 00:11:29.259 It is shown by the blood of Christ. 00:11:29.779 --> 00:11:31.319 He doesn't just tell them it's blood, though. 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:32.679 It's blood of the covenant. 00:11:33.159 --> 00:11:36.939 Now, even if you've been in Presbyterian circles for a while 00:11:36.939 --> 00:11:40.019 and you've heard the word covenant repeated over and over, 00:11:40.319 --> 00:11:42.419 if I asked you, if I put you on the spot and I said, 00:11:42.539 --> 00:11:43.799 tell me what a covenant is, 00:11:44.259 --> 00:11:47.459 I imagine a few of you would be able to give me this, like, 00:11:47.679 --> 00:11:50.100 great, precise theological answer, right? 00:11:50.799 --> 00:11:52.079 And most of us would probably think, 00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:53.579 ah, it's like a Bible word. 00:11:53.620 --> 00:11:54.559 I'm not sure what it means. 00:11:55.159 --> 00:11:56.279 I just know we say it a lot. 00:11:56.279 --> 00:12:00.240 So, for your sake and for my sake, 00:12:00.299 --> 00:12:02.860 I've given you a definition on the back of your worship guide. 00:12:03.579 --> 00:12:04.819 What is a covenant? 00:12:05.579 --> 00:12:09.519 A covenant is a stunning blend of both law and love. 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:13.299 It is a relationship much more intimate and loving 00:12:13.299 --> 00:12:15.679 than a mere legal contract could create, 00:12:16.220 --> 00:12:18.620 yet one more enduring and binding 00:12:18.620 --> 00:12:21.240 than personal affection alone could make. 00:12:21.240 --> 00:12:25.120 It is a bond of love made more intimate and solid 00:12:25.120 --> 00:12:26.279 because it is legal. 00:12:27.180 --> 00:12:30.580 It is the very opposite of a consumer-vendor relationship 00:12:30.580 --> 00:12:32.539 in which the connection is maintained 00:12:32.539 --> 00:12:35.940 only if it serves both parties' self-interest. 00:12:36.659 --> 00:12:37.960 A covenant, by contrast, 00:12:38.200 --> 00:12:41.500 is a solemn, permanent, whole self-giving 00:12:41.500 --> 00:12:43.639 of two parties to each other. 00:12:43.639 --> 00:12:48.080 More intimate than a contract, 00:12:48.399 --> 00:12:51.279 more enduring and binding than personal affection. 00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:53.439 Now, if you got lost in this definition, 00:12:53.539 --> 00:12:54.240 the point is this. 00:12:55.360 --> 00:12:57.539 God's covenant with his people 00:12:57.539 --> 00:13:00.559 is his commitment to them, 00:13:00.600 --> 00:13:03.299 which is founded on his love. 00:13:04.779 --> 00:13:06.939 God is saying, look, my salvation, 00:13:07.139 --> 00:13:07.779 Jesus is saying, 00:13:07.860 --> 00:13:10.080 my salvation is imaged by this blood 00:13:10.080 --> 00:13:13.000 to which all the sacrifice is pointed forward. 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:18.000 And I am intimately and deeply connected 00:13:18.539 --> 00:13:20.740 and committed to you. 00:13:21.940 --> 00:13:25.220 And that is not founded on your behavior, 00:13:25.220 --> 00:13:28.039 but on my sacrifice. 00:13:28.360 --> 00:13:30.320 We have a relationship. 00:13:30.720 --> 00:13:32.179 In other words, it's not simply, 00:13:32.320 --> 00:13:35.159 not merely that Christ dies for our sins 00:13:35.159 --> 00:13:36.360 and we receive forgiveness, 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:40.200 but we also enter into a relationship with him 00:13:40.200 --> 00:13:42.900 that is an unbreakable covenant. 00:13:44.600 --> 00:13:46.560 Verse 24 then clarifies that, 00:13:46.660 --> 00:13:49.360 which is poured out for many. 00:13:50.920 --> 00:13:55.940 This blood pays the price of the sins of God's people. 00:13:56.580 --> 00:13:57.259 That's the many. 00:13:57.680 --> 00:13:59.320 The many are the ones who have faith 00:13:59.320 --> 00:14:02.040 and follow after Jesus Christ. 00:14:02.039 --> 00:14:04.860 That reminds us, by the way, 00:14:04.899 --> 00:14:06.379 of Jesus' words in Mark chapter 10, 00:14:06.480 --> 00:14:08.679 for even the son of man came not to be served, 00:14:08.740 --> 00:14:10.919 but to serve and to give his life 00:14:10.919 --> 00:14:12.939 as a ransom for many. 00:14:14.500 --> 00:14:17.319 Now, I've told you a little bit 00:14:17.319 --> 00:14:19.199 about what the bread and the wine mean. 00:14:20.219 --> 00:14:23.299 We could continue to talk for hours about this. 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:25.699 There have been books that have been written 00:14:25.699 --> 00:14:27.279 just on this topic. 00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:31.039 What I want you to know is this. 00:14:32.100 --> 00:14:33.360 Jesus is telling them 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:37.059 they will draw life from his death. 00:14:38.679 --> 00:14:40.959 Jesus says, take this as my body. 00:14:41.539 --> 00:14:43.559 This is my blood, which is poured out for many. 00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:47.919 He is saying, just as you receive life 00:14:47.919 --> 00:14:49.959 and nourishment from physical food, 00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:53.819 you are going to receive life 00:14:53.819 --> 00:14:55.980 and nourishment from me. 00:14:55.980 --> 00:15:01.980 That is what all the sacrifices pointed towards. 00:15:02.759 --> 00:15:05.399 My body and my blood, it's going to feed you. 00:15:06.879 --> 00:15:08.220 It's going to cover you. 00:15:09.720 --> 00:15:12.779 It's going to account for the forgiveness of your sins. 00:15:13.680 --> 00:15:15.120 It's going to give you life. 00:15:16.500 --> 00:15:18.580 It's going to establish a relationship 00:15:18.580 --> 00:15:20.379 between you and me. 00:15:20.379 --> 00:15:24.939 That relationship is going to be more binding 00:15:24.939 --> 00:15:28.539 than a mere contract, 00:15:28.939 --> 00:15:32.059 more affectionate than a contract, 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:34.179 more binding than a mere relationship. 00:15:34.179 --> 00:15:42.439 And so the command that Jesus gives his disciples 00:15:42.439 --> 00:15:46.139 in verse 22 is also an invitation. 00:15:47.179 --> 00:15:48.839 As they were eating, he took bread, 00:15:48.919 --> 00:15:50.859 and after blessing it, he broke it and gave it to them 00:15:50.859 --> 00:15:53.259 and said, take, this is my body. 00:15:54.639 --> 00:15:57.419 That's the invitation of the Christian faith. 00:15:57.419 --> 00:16:01.620 Will you feed on Jesus Christ? 00:16:03.299 --> 00:16:08.000 Will you allow his death to bring you life? 00:16:09.139 --> 00:16:14.199 Will you allow his blood to cover your sins? 00:16:15.199 --> 00:16:20.299 Will you follow him as someone who's in a covenant relationship? 00:16:20.299 --> 00:16:24.759 Will you take and eat? 00:16:26.579 --> 00:16:29.599 Is Jesus' death your life? 00:16:31.399 --> 00:16:36.439 That is the question that Jesus asks everyone. 00:16:40.039 --> 00:16:41.439 So we see two things here. 00:16:41.519 --> 00:16:42.120 There's a ransom. 00:16:42.979 --> 00:16:46.079 The ransom of Jesus paying the penalty for his people's sin, 00:16:46.139 --> 00:16:49.000 and there's a presence that Christ is with us. 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:51.059 It's with his disciples in this meal. 00:16:51.799 --> 00:16:54.659 He associates himself so closely with that meal 00:16:54.659 --> 00:16:57.539 that we can say spiritually he's present there with us, 00:16:58.000 --> 00:16:59.899 and he's established a covenant with us. 00:17:01.379 --> 00:17:03.460 That's what's true, Christian, for you, 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:07.220 if you follow after him, if you have faith in him. 00:17:09.819 --> 00:17:13.940 There's a true story that's told of a nine-year-old boy 00:17:13.940 --> 00:17:16.240 whose name was Mark, and Mark was in the third grade, 00:17:16.240 --> 00:17:20.259 and he had this project, this creative writing project 00:17:20.259 --> 00:17:23.240 that his teacher gave him about the grasshopper and the ant. 00:17:24.220 --> 00:17:25.880 The teacher gave them this prompt, and they said, 00:17:25.960 --> 00:17:26.740 look, here's what happened. 00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:30.480 There was an ant, and the ant worked hard all summer 00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:31.559 storing up food. 00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:34.180 That was its main thing. 00:17:34.220 --> 00:17:35.339 It was just working, working, working. 00:17:35.839 --> 00:17:38.460 The grasshopper, on the other hand, just played all summer. 00:17:39.460 --> 00:17:40.839 Grasshopper stored up no food. 00:17:40.839 --> 00:17:46.299 And then the winter came, and the grasshopper has no food. 00:17:46.379 --> 00:17:47.099 The ant has food. 00:17:47.159 --> 00:17:49.259 The grasshopper goes to the ant to ask for food. 00:17:49.839 --> 00:17:52.559 Now, it's your job, third grader, to finish the story. 00:17:53.659 --> 00:17:56.099 Tell us what happened with the ant and the grasshopper. 00:17:57.379 --> 00:18:00.139 Well, this teacher had taught it many times 00:18:00.139 --> 00:18:02.559 and knew there's only two ways that these students 00:18:02.559 --> 00:18:04.159 would write the answer to this question. 00:18:04.939 --> 00:18:07.279 Some students would write it out this way. 00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:10.160 The ant said no, and the grasshopper died. 00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:16.559 And then the other set of students would write it out this way. 00:18:17.180 --> 00:18:20.339 The ant was kind and shared with the grasshopper, 00:18:20.500 --> 00:18:21.599 and they both lived. 00:18:23.519 --> 00:18:25.299 Mark did a different story, though, 00:18:25.379 --> 00:18:26.579 that she'd never seen before. 00:18:26.759 --> 00:18:30.799 Mark said, what I'm going to do is tell a story this way. 00:18:31.139 --> 00:18:34.460 The grasshopper said, yes, you can have all my food. 00:18:35.339 --> 00:18:36.599 Then the grasshopper died. 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:40.379 And at the bottom of his page, 00:18:41.039 --> 00:18:44.259 Mark decided to draw three crosses. 00:18:46.359 --> 00:18:48.839 The Lord's Supper says, 00:18:49.500 --> 00:18:52.279 we live because of Jesus' death. 00:18:53.220 --> 00:18:57.420 We feed on him because he died. 00:18:58.779 --> 00:19:03.119 His death is where we draw life. 00:19:03.119 --> 00:19:08.099 Is that true of you? 00:19:14.839 --> 00:19:17.859 We don't just see Christ's sacrifice, though, in this meal. 00:19:17.979 --> 00:19:20.039 We also see Christ's feast. 00:19:21.279 --> 00:19:23.659 Now, you might be thinking about the feast that he's having 00:19:23.659 --> 00:19:25.199 with the disciples here in this moment, 00:19:25.199 --> 00:19:28.619 but he actually talks about a different feast. 00:19:28.619 --> 00:19:32.519 Verse 25, after he's talked about the wine, 00:19:32.579 --> 00:19:33.119 he says this, 00:19:33.259 --> 00:19:34.419 truly I say to you, 00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:37.599 I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine 00:19:37.599 --> 00:19:40.379 until that day when I drink it new 00:19:40.379 --> 00:19:42.699 in the kingdom of God. 00:19:42.700 --> 00:19:48.580 And so it's not just that he meets our physical hunger 00:19:48.580 --> 00:19:50.580 as a sign of how he meets our spiritual hunger. 00:19:51.100 --> 00:19:53.340 It's not just that Jesus gives us new life. 00:19:53.400 --> 00:19:55.380 It's also that he presents us with a new future. 00:19:55.960 --> 00:19:57.620 I mentioned earlier the different things 00:19:57.620 --> 00:19:59.519 that would happen during the Passover meal. 00:19:59.640 --> 00:20:01.580 And our understanding is that there would be 00:20:01.580 --> 00:20:04.840 four glasses of wine that would happen throughout the meal. 00:20:04.980 --> 00:20:07.660 There would be two cups of wine before the bread, 00:20:08.039 --> 00:20:10.380 two cups of wine after the bread. 00:20:10.380 --> 00:20:12.840 So if you're keeping track here, 00:20:14.020 --> 00:20:16.180 Jesus, when he presents the cup to his disciples, 00:20:16.360 --> 00:20:17.520 it's the cup after the bread, 00:20:17.580 --> 00:20:20.140 which means we're on cup three out of four. 00:20:21.560 --> 00:20:23.160 After he served cup three, 00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:24.520 Jesus says, 00:20:25.140 --> 00:20:27.220 I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine 00:20:27.220 --> 00:20:29.860 until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God. 00:20:30.320 --> 00:20:31.180 In other words, 00:20:31.580 --> 00:20:34.360 Jesus ends the Passover meal early 00:20:34.360 --> 00:20:38.200 and he does not drink the last cup of wine. 00:20:38.200 --> 00:20:42.900 Each cup of wine meant something different. 00:20:43.220 --> 00:20:46.380 The last cup was the cup of consummation. 00:20:47.880 --> 00:20:51.480 Meaning that the last cup looked forward 00:20:51.480 --> 00:20:55.299 to when all things would be made right. 00:20:57.600 --> 00:20:59.360 There is a sense 00:20:59.359 --> 00:21:02.299 in which the Passover meal 00:21:02.299 --> 00:21:04.479 that Jesus had with his disciples 00:21:04.479 --> 00:21:06.599 has not ended yet 00:21:06.599 --> 00:21:10.799 because he never drank the fourth cup. 00:21:11.939 --> 00:21:13.039 In other words, 00:21:13.179 --> 00:21:14.179 Jesus is saying, 00:21:14.740 --> 00:21:18.659 there is an even greater feast that is coming. 00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:21.639 There is going to be a time 00:21:21.639 --> 00:21:24.699 when the kingdom of God is here in full, 00:21:24.699 --> 00:21:27.599 when God's people are fully in his presence, 00:21:27.599 --> 00:21:30.339 when we experience the wedding feast of the lamb 00:21:30.339 --> 00:21:32.500 that Revelation 19 talks about, 00:21:32.699 --> 00:21:35.439 that we look forward to and long for 00:21:35.439 --> 00:21:37.779 when every tear is wiped away 00:21:37.779 --> 00:21:40.439 and all wrongs are set right. 00:21:40.740 --> 00:21:41.980 Jesus is telling them 00:21:41.980 --> 00:21:44.659 not just that they draw life from his death, 00:21:44.679 --> 00:21:46.240 but that they have a future 00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:49.099 to long for and look forward to. 00:21:49.099 --> 00:21:53.240 He is going to feast with them again 00:21:53.240 --> 00:21:56.179 when they drink the fourth cup. 00:21:57.379 --> 00:21:59.480 When we are with him 00:21:59.480 --> 00:22:01.939 and the kingdom comes not in part, 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:03.219 but in full. 00:22:05.699 --> 00:22:08.199 Verse 25 clarifies what kind of wine. 00:22:08.279 --> 00:22:10.219 He says he's going to drink new wine. 00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:14.119 Meaning here that there's going to be 00:22:14.119 --> 00:22:17.879 an even greater quality to this meal, 00:22:18.679 --> 00:22:19.919 to this place, 00:22:20.099 --> 00:22:21.019 to this time 00:22:21.019 --> 00:22:23.819 than we can understand or imagine. 00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:29.919 And so as Jesus is in the last week of his life, 00:22:30.859 --> 00:22:33.439 as he's made incredible preparations 00:22:33.439 --> 00:22:36.759 to make sure his arrest doesn't happen yet, 00:22:37.599 --> 00:22:39.799 as he's arranging things 00:22:39.799 --> 00:22:41.839 so he can have this final time 00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:44.119 with his disciples to instruct them 00:22:44.119 --> 00:22:46.359 and encourage them and guide them. 00:22:47.500 --> 00:22:50.319 He makes sure they know two things. 00:22:51.599 --> 00:22:53.279 His life, his death, 00:22:53.319 --> 00:22:54.259 is going to be their life. 00:22:55.839 --> 00:22:58.419 And he's going to have a party with them 00:22:58.419 --> 00:22:59.539 in the future. 00:23:02.980 --> 00:23:05.339 How does Jesus feeding his disciples 00:23:05.339 --> 00:23:06.399 strengthen us? 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:09.339 Strengthens us in the same ways. 00:23:09.799 --> 00:23:11.500 We draw life from his death. 00:23:12.099 --> 00:23:14.019 We look forward to his return. 00:23:15.619 --> 00:23:16.960 That's what we're going to sing about 00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:18.099 in our closing hymn. 00:23:19.099 --> 00:23:20.220 We're going to say this. 00:23:20.299 --> 00:23:21.839 We will feast in the house of Zion. 00:23:21.960 --> 00:23:23.680 We will sing with our hearts restored. 00:23:24.379 --> 00:23:25.960 He has done great things. 00:23:26.059 --> 00:23:27.119 We will say together. 00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:30.599 We will feast and weep no more. 00:23:31.759 --> 00:23:32.399 Let's pray. 00:23:33.500 --> 00:23:34.599 Our Father in heaven, 00:23:34.599 --> 00:23:37.879 we thank you for your sacrifice 00:23:37.879 --> 00:23:39.399 and not just your sacrifice. 00:23:39.799 --> 00:23:41.579 but for your presence, 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:42.559 your reminder, 00:23:42.720 --> 00:23:43.200 your teaching. 00:23:43.339 --> 00:23:44.359 We ask that these things 00:23:44.359 --> 00:23:47.180 would become clearer and clearer 00:23:47.180 --> 00:23:48.339 not just to our minds 00:23:48.339 --> 00:23:49.159 but to our hearts. 00:23:49.240 --> 00:23:50.059 That we would know 00:23:50.059 --> 00:23:51.059 that we feed on you, 00:23:51.159 --> 00:23:52.500 that we draw life from you. 00:23:53.099 --> 00:23:54.180 We would look forward 00:23:54.180 --> 00:23:56.339 to the feast that is to come. 00:23:56.579 --> 00:23:57.759 And we ask these things 00:23:57.759 --> 00:23:58.579 in Jesus' name. 00:23:59.019 --> 00:23:59.319 Amen. 00:23:59.659 --> 00:24:00.480 Amen. 00:24:04.859 --> 00:24:05.259 Amen. 00:24:12.359 --> 00:24:12.379 Amen.