Sermon Tone Analysis

*Mark 14:12… *On the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, Jesus’ disciples asked him where he wanted them to prepare the Passover meal.

*Commentary*

            Being Jewish means lots of celebrations.

First, there was the feast of Pentecost.

This one commemorated God’s merciful provisions at harvest time (Ex.

23:16).

It’s very same feast the Jews were commemorating when the Holy Spirit descended in Acts 2. Second, there was the feast of Tabernacles (Booths).

It reflected back on Israel’s 40-year wanderings in the wilderness following the exodus from Egypt.

They lived in tents, hence, the feast of tabernacles (a movable tent).

During that time they were fully dependent on God to provide for all their needs (Lev.

23:33-43).

Third, there was the Day of Atonement which was the most holy day of the year.

The high priest would offer a goat on behalf of the people to atone for their sins, and the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled on the altar  symbolizing God’s stipulation of atonement for the sins of His people (Lev.

23:27-32).

There were other feasts, but these were the principal ones.

The greatest feast of the Jews, however, was Passover, and it was closely associated with the feast of Unleavened Bread which followed Passover for seven days making an eight-day feast.

The Passover commemorated God’s deliverance of the Jews from Egyptian captivity in 1446 BC under Moses.

Passover began on Nisan 14 (April~/May) and was followed from the 15th to the 21st with the feast of Unleavened Bread – which was named after the bread the Jews ate the night they left Egypt.

This bread had no leaven (yeast) which would make it soft.

The Bible often uses leaven as a metaphor for evil because it influences the bread.

So bread without leaven symbolized leaving evil influences behind in Egypt which represented slavery and idolatry.

This is why unleavened bread was eaten during the seven days that followed the Passover feast.

Moses prescribed that the Jews select a lamb to be slaughtered on Nisan 10 (formerly called Abib) and keep it in the house until the 14th when the head of the household would kill the lamb and roast it (Ex.

12:2-6).

In the year Jesus was crucified (AD 33) the tenth of the month was a Monday.

Therefore the disciples would have selected a lamb on the Monday of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (cf.

Mark 11:1).

On Tuesday Jesus cleansed the temple, and on Wednesday he taught extensively there then gave his Olivet Discourse (Mark 13).

On Thursday, Nisan 14, he observed the Passover, and on that same Thursday, according to the Jewish day being sunset to sunset (our Friday), he was also offered as the Passover Lamb around 3:00 p.m.

After the slaughter of the lambs at Passover, there was an enormous amount of blood that flowed into the nearby Kidron valley from the altar.

It would flow into the river there, and for many days afterwards the blood made the water bright crimson red.

One commentator notes that this served as a reminder to the Jews of the necessity of shed blood to atone for sins – innocent animal blood.

But Hebrews 10:4 says, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

Therefore it is obvious that the OT sacrifices only served as pictures of the perfect sacrifice that Jesus Christ would make by giving his life as the sacrifice for many.

In His sinless perfection he offered himself as “one sacrifice for sins for all time” (Heb.

10:12).

*Food for Thought*

John 19:14 notes that it was about noon (sixth hour) on Friday when Jesus was condemned to die by crucifixion.

John noted the time in connection with that Friday being “the day of preparation for the Passover” because he shows how just hours later, when the Passover lambs were being slaughtered in the temple, THE Passover Lamb (Jesus) was being slaughtered on the cross.

Truly “Christ is our Passover” having been sacrificed (1 Corinthians 5:7).

*Mark 14:12-16…* The disciples asked Jesus, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?”

13 He sent two of them saying, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a water jar will meet you.

Follow him.

14 Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’

15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready.

Make preparations for us there.”

16 So the disciples left, went into the city, and found things just as he said; and they prepared the Passover.

*Commentary*

In Mark 14:12 the date is Nisan 14, the day of the Passover, on the Thursday night before Jesus’ death.

This is the night that he will celebrate the Passover meal and later be arrested by the Jews following Judas’ betrayal of him into the hands of the chief priests.

The disciples asked Jesus in v. 12 where they were going to eat the Passover.

This inquiry probably came on Thursday morning.

They had most certainly already selected a lamb to be slaughtered (though the Gospels never say this), and they likely had already purchased the bitter herbs, fruits, nuts, and unleavened bread that accompanied the Passover feast.

Now they just needed to know where they were going to eat.

The Passover meal was only to be eaten within the Jerusalem city limits.

Those city limits had to be expanded each year during Passover with all of the pilgrims coming into the city.

Each person had to find a place to eat their Passover meal, and they had to do so in groups of no less than ten people.

Hence, the disciples’ inquiry.

Jesus had a location already in mind, but it was unknown to the disciples and for good reason.

Mark says that he sent two disciples to find the place, and Luke 22:8 says that it was Peter and John who went.

They were to find a man that they did not know, for Jesus only told them that they would find a “certain man carrying a jar of water.”

This man would stand out to them, however, because it was highly unusual for a man to carry a jar of water – it was normally a task for women.

This unnamed man was the servant of another household, and Jesus told them that he would lead them to the place where the meal was to be eaten.

They would then go to the owner of the home, explain their mission, and they would then be shown a large upper room furnished and ready for their Passover feast with Jesus.

Clearly, Jesus wasn’t making things up as he went along.

He had already made arrangements for the Passover beforehand.

When one recalls that Judas “ was seeking how to betray Jesus at an opportune time” (Mark 14:11), it becomes clear why Jesus used this covert approach to reserving a room for the Passover.

This is why he only sent Peter and John on the mission to secure the house.

For if he had made all the disciples aware of the location then Judas would certainly have betrayed him by having him arrested at the Passover feast in that house since he was looking for an opportunity to betray him.

By only telling Peter and John, Judas would have no way of knowing where the meal was to be eaten, nor would the other eight disciples, until they arrived there that evening.

So Peter and John obeyed Jesus, found the “certain man carrying the jar of water,” and they made preparations there for the feast.

They were likely in charge of having the lamb slaughtered at 3:00 that day, roasting it, and bringing it to the upper room for the feast.

*Food for Thought*

            Peter and John were trusted friends of Jesus.

Judas, however, though trusted with the money bag (John 13:29), was only loyal to Jesus so long as he agreed with him.

In Mark 14:3-11 Judas found himself at odds with Jesus over money, and only then did his loyalty become clear.

Truly, genuine Christians take Jesus at his word, even when the Bible offends their sensibilities.

Let us be known as Peter and John were known – as faithful loyal friends of Jesus our Lord.

*Mark 14:17-21…* Then, when it was evening, he came to the house with the Twelve.

18 While they were at the table eating, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, one of you eating with me will betray me.” 19 They were distressed, and one by one said to him, “Surely not I?” 20 He said to them, “It is one of the Twelve, one who dips his hand with me into the bowl.

21 For the Son of Man will go as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!

It would be better for him if he had never been born.”

*Commentary*

By evening time when Jesus and his disciples came to the house to eat they had no doubt roasted their lamb and had everything they needed to have an orthodox Passover celebration.

The Passover meal Jesus would share with the disciples would be his last opportunity to instruct them and have fellowship with them prior to his death.

This was also the time that Jesus would alter the Passover feast of the Old Covenant, which was marked by the spilling of the lamb’s blood in the OT, into the Lord’s Supper of the New Covenant which would be marked by the spilling of His own blood (cf.

Luke 22:20).

This is why it was of utmost importance that Jesus not be arrested prior to this meal with his disciples.

In the same way that he had to be baptized to fulfill all righteousness (Matt.

3:15), he also had to partake of this final Passover.

After that event Jesus would allow himself fall into the hands of his betrayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.

While they were eating Jesus told them that a traitor was among them.

Perplexed, each man began to examine himself as opposed to pointing fingers toward the others.

They said, “Surely not I?” They had already begun to celebrate the feast which always began with an opening prayer followed by a cup of red wine.

Then there was the ceremonial washing of hands which signified moral and spiritual cleanliness and purity of heart.

Next, the Jews would eat bitter herbs which symbolized the cruel bondage the Jews endured while in Egypt for over 400 years.

Then they would take another cup of wine while the head of the household – in this case Jesus – would explain the meaning of Passover.

The ceremony would continue with the singing of a hymn – the Hallel Psalms of 113-118.

Finally, after the singing, the roasted lamb was brought out along with the unleavened bread, and they would all partake of the Passover feast.

Judas had been participating in this ceremony and had “dipped his hand with [Jesus] into the bowl.”

This is why Jesus said that his betrayer was one who had done such – it was one who lived with Jesus as one of his closet friends but who was really a devil.

So when Jesus said in v. 21, “the Son of Man will go as it is written about him” he was saying that his atoning death was ordained by God from the beginning.

This was “written about him” in Psalm 41:9 which says, “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has raised up his heel against me.”

*Food for Thought*

Was Judas all bad?