The Passover, Lord's Supper and Covenants
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
The Passover, Lord’s Supper and Covenants
The Passover, Lord’s Supper and Covenants
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
Mark’s and the other accounts of the last few hours leading to Christ’s crucifixion provide some intimate insights into both what happened but also what was going to happen.
I use the word “insights” for a reason. For most of the events/Scripture truths that we consider this morning, when we will see a window or another indicator of a future event. And with each new event there is a very clear Scripture/Biblical truth connection emphasized and underscored with the event that foreshadowed or promised it.
In the midst of the passover Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper.
Taking the cup and the bread that had been used to remember the passover, Jesus explained that the elements would from now on be used as reminders of a not of the passover lamb and unleavened bread, but his shed blood and broken body. Instead of the blood of the passover lamb, Jesus blood would be shed. Instead of the passover lamb, Jesus body would be broken.
The passover was a reminder of the Covenant and God made with His people as He was about to bring them out of Egypt. This was a covenant marked with blood.
“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.
Ex
That blood set apart those who applied it and took shelter under it.
“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.
Ex
That blood saved them from the destroyer, the death angel when he passed over.
For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.
Ex 12:
The passover was not their’s - not Moses’ , not Israel’s, not the priests’. It was the Lord’s and was to be kept forever as areminder, a means of teaching each generation and encouraging reverence and worship.
And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’ ” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.
:25-
Fast forward - Jesus’ Passover with His disciples.
Commanded by Jesus - prepared by others - CONTROLLED BY JESUS - the passover had been commanded by God, prepared by others, controlled by God.
Two disciples - - Peter & John -
Master of the house - prepared before requested as explained by Jesus -
Large upper room - furnished and ready
Jesus had somehow prearranged this
Man carrying a water pot - task usually carried out by women or servants.
As they were eating - , .
From that first passover and thereafter, they had eaten looking to leave Egypt and looking back to that deliverance. So as they were eating they were to look ahead.
As they were eating Jesus reminded them to not only look ahead but to look at themselves - betray/denial.
One of you will betray me -
All eventually directing or indirectly denied Jesus - Peter - 14:66-72
As they were eating - Jesus explained another covenant.
Took bread - unleavened - blessing it broke it
Unleavened that had part of the passover now becomes integral
Take, this is my body - symbol - Jesus explained that.
Took the cup - took the cup - 3rd cup of wine in the ceremony - - cup of blessing - they ALL drank of it
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
Jn 6:
I am the bread of life.
Jn 6:4
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
Jn 6:52-
Paul understood that.
The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
1 Cor 10:16-
As an aside, first century believers who had been raised as Jews were repulsed by the symbolic reference to the bread and the cup representing the body and blood of Christ. For them and Gentile believers, they were to abstain from 3 things,
but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.
Acts 15:
moral and dietary restrictions.
My blood of the covenant
And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
Lk
Poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Matt
Many - literally for the benefit of many - those who will believe
Blood - shedding of blood was always God’s way of confirming a covenant - life and death commitment.
Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half.
And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
Christ’s blood had to be shed for remission of sins.
Blood of the new covenant - not that of an animal but Christ’s blood.
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
Christ’s introduction and explanation of the new covenant should not have surprised the disciples. They should seen this another promise fulfilled.
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Jer 31:31
- A new and better covenant
Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.
For he finds fault with them when he says:
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah,
not like the covenant that I made with their fathers
on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
For they did not continue in my covenant,
and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws into their minds,
and write them on their hearts,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
Once and for all sacrifice
And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
Heb
. TRULY, TRULY, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the day that I drink it NEW - anew - in the kingdom of God
When the kingdom of God is fully realized.
He would establish - God’s kingdom
NEW - Most suggest that by new, Jesus is looking beyond His resurrection and ascension. Most see this as referring to Christ’s return. That is supported by Christ’s soon to follow testimony.
But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Mk 14:61-
Probable meaning that Jesus would not gather this way with His disciples until God’s kingdom established.
There is one other aspect of the this first Lord’s Supper.
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Mk