A Meal to Remember Mark 14:12-26 p. 938 A Meal to Remember Today is Mother’s Day When I think of my mom I think of food Pan-fried fresh fish and summer.

A Meal to RememberMark 14:12-26

p. 938

A Meal to Remember

Today is Mother’s Day When I think of my mom I think of food

Pan-fried fresh fish and summer salads

Remembering Jenny’s Aunt Gale Kafta recipe, one of our favourite meals

A woman who faithfully served God in Lebanon

A Meal to Remember

Eating together in our culture a level of intimacy with those we know well

a crossing over into new territory with others

Today’s message is about a meal to remember It involves mystery, treachery, and eulogy

foreknowledge, foretaste, and forthcoming kingdom

1. Foreknowledge

Passover preparations reminiscent of the preparations for the

entry into Jerusalem (Mark 11:2-3)

Mark is constantly revealing the predictive power of Jesus: Both missions involve two disciples Both include mysterious meetings Both happen exactly as Jesus predicts

1. Foreknowledge

Jerusalem at Passover Bustling with crowds of pilgrims

Most widely observed Jewish holiday

Celebration of Israel’s liberation from Egypt

Among the pilgrims were Jesus and his followers

Where do you want us to prepare Passover for you? (v 12) Singular pronoun ‘you’ establishes Jesus as

head

1. Foreknowledge Prearrangements of Jesus’ part?

Possible, but not probable

Would be done away with by the question, “Where is my guest room where I may eat with my disciples?”

Also, the man would meet them, not they him (v 13)

The large “Upper room” Custom to offer extra rooms to Passover pilgrims

Guest room requested by Jesus follows this custom

1. Foreknowledge

Stronnymi Greek word for furnished

means “spreading out” of rugs and carpets

thus, “a well laid out” banquet room

Predictions fulfilled Disciples find things just as Jesus had said

Peter and John obedient to Jesus’ commands

2. Foretaste

Mark’s Sandwich Construction Introduced last week in Geoff’s sermon (vv

1-11)

Today’s passage set in the context of another

Sourdough jam sandwichBetrayal of the disciples

The Last Supper

Desertion of the disciples

2. Foretaste

Top slice Women and children normally present at meal

Jesus was definitely there with Twelve

Meal traditionally divided into four parts: Blessing, historical recounting, benediction, singing

Disciples ‘Reclining at the table and eating’ (v 18)

Jesus solemnly announces the betrayal

Provokes soul-searching in each disciple

“Surely not I?” What a timeless question!

2. Foretaste

Middle (jam) Central part of both constructions are similar

Last week – woman anoints Jesus body for burial

This week – Jesus sacrifices his body for sinners

Words of Institution bring some relief to disciples

‘This is my blood of the covenant’, (v 24)

Luke and Paul add ‘new covenant’

Promise through the prophet Jeremiah

2. Foretaste

Jeremiah 31:31-3431 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD,“when I will make a new covenantwith the people of Israeland with the people of Judah.32 It will not be like the covenantI made with their ancestorswhen I took them by the handto lead them out of Egypt,because they broke my covenant,though I was a husband to them,”declares the LORD.

2. Foretaste33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israelafter that time,” declares the LORD.“I will put my law in their mindsand write it on their hearts.I will be their God,and they will be my people.34 No longer will they teach their neighbor,or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’because they will all know me,from the least of them to the greatest,”declares the LORD.“For I will forgive their wickednessand will remember their sins no more.”

2. Foretaste Bottom slice

Last week – two slices concern the betrayal of Judas

This week – concern the betrayal of all the disciples

Jesus says in verse 27, “You will all fall away…”

Jesus’ sacrifice – a contrast to the disciples failure

Jesus lays down his life for the unworthy, including the cowardly and unfaithful disciples

They “all drank” (v 23), they “all fall away” (v 27), they “all fled” (v 50)

3. Forthcoming kingdom

All things new “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from

the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” (v 25)

“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42)

The cry of the disciples heart? “Remember us.”

Quiet, saddened, wresting with Jesus’ words

3. Forthcoming kingdom

Remembering Jesus Communion, one of the earliest church

traditions

Established prior to the writing of Mark’s Gospel

We remember by sharing in the bread and cup

We will never cease communing as people of God

Our eternal life is rooted in the work of the Cross

3. Forthcoming kingdom

Dr. Hans Boersma

“The cross is always central…while the Eucharist is always secondary…The eucharist has no significance in itself that is not derived from the cross and grounded in it. Therefore the cross alone is the saving ‘content, reality and power’ of the eucharist.”

Bread and wine of the covenant unite us as Christians, but it’s the blood of Jesus that covers our sins.

3. Forthcoming kingdom

New creation New covenant requires a new creation

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor. 5:17)

The work of the Spirit of God in our lives

Conclusion

Foreknowledge Because of the evidence of Jesus’ predictive

power We can trust in his words as truth We can trust in his promises We can believe that he will come again

Conclusion

Foretaste Story of God (beginning, continuing drama,

end)

Sometimes beautiful sometime baffling life

We live in the tension of the present

Our faith, hope, and love lay in the reality of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ

Conclusion

Forthcoming Kingdom We not only anticipate, we also participate

The kingdom of God is here, but not yet in fullness

We strive to live faithful lives in obedience to God

Conclusion Psalm 116

16 Truly I am your servant, LORD;I serve you just as my mother did;you have freed me from my chains.

17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to youand call on the name of the LORD.18 I will fulfill my vows to the LORDin the presence of all his people,19 in the courts of the house of the LORD—in your midst, Jerusalem.

Praise the LORD.