Mark 14:12-26 Jesus sets the scene Small group questions

Transcription

1 Mark 14:12-26 Jesus sets the scene Small group questions Reminder to leaders: your task is not to get the group through all the questions, but to decide which questions will best help your group discuss the passage and its implications. 1. How could the families of the 21 Egyptian Christians react in the day they did (refer sermon)? We are heading the cross with Jesus. He knows what is ahead. He now sets the scene. Memorial meal 2. How does food come to be associated with remembering? What role in the Passover meal did the bitter herbs, the bread and the wine play? 3. What was Israel never to forget in this meal? (Refer sermon page 3) Memorial meal interupted 4. What do you think may have been the impact of the bombshell Jesus dropped at v18? 5. Mark said the sovereign plan of God and human responsibility sit comfortably right alongside each other see v21. Someone shares with you I feel very sorry for Judas it wasn t his fault if this is what he was destined to do. How do you respond? 6. Let we end up puffed up in self-congratulation, what did Mark suggest about when we rebel against God? Memorial meal transformed 7. How do you think the disciples reacted to Jesus changing the words and thereby the meaning of the Passover symbols of bread and wine? 8. What did Jesus mean by take it, this is my body? 9. What did Jesus mean by this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many? 10. How then did Jesus understand the significance of impending death? 11. What are we never to forget as we share in this meal? (Refer sermon page 6). Why did Mark suggest we are in fact quick to forget? 12. How does sharing communion help us in our relationship with God? 13. What are the wrong and right ways to come to communion?

2 Date: 1 st March 2015 Services: 730am and 930am Series: Scenes from the final hours Title: Jesus sets the scene Passage: Mark 14:12-26 Aim: To show how Jesus understood his own impending death in terms of a new covenant sealed with the pouring out of his own blood for many. To encourage us to have this clearly in mind as we move through the coming scenes. Outline: Memorial meal Memorial meal interrupted Memorial meal transformed We can t imagine what it s like facing imminent and certain death. Like those 21 Coptic Egyptian Christians who were beheaded on a beach. What was going through their minds in those moments? Walking along the beach. Then kneeling at the ready? By the way did you know that the brother of two of the men killed thanked ISIS for not editing out their last words from the video which were my Jesus Christ. And their mother said if she saw one of the men who killed her son, she would ask him to enter her house and ask God to open his eyes because he was the reason her son entered the kingdom of heaven. The uncle of one of the others killed said we thank Christ so much for they are absent from the body and present with Christ (See Or how is it for Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran? Waiting, contemplating. Thinking about the nature of the death and what awaits on the other side. / Jesus knew he was going to die. Knew he was heading for certain death. He d told his disciples clearly 3 times. And he even heads to Jerusalem knowing that he would be killed there. He s on death row. He s waiting for them to come and get him. In last week s passage he s even anointed for burial by the woman at Simon the Leper s place. Next week we ll see a little more about how Jesus felt as he contemplated his death but this morning/tonight - we ll see how Jesus understands the significance of his death. He clearly sets the scene for us. So let s have a look under three headings: Outline: Memorial meal Memorial meal interrupted Memorial meal transformed 2

3 1. MEMORIAL MEAL As Ray shared last week and many of you will know already the Passover Jewish Feast held annually recalls God s momentous rescue of his people from the slavery of the Egyptians some 1500 years before Jesus. Food associated with remembering birthdays, weddings, anniversaries... Anzac Day Australia Day Here Passover - Bitter herbs bitter life in Egypt Unleavened bread hurried exit Wine royal drink freedom! The importance of this meal needs to be noted Israel was never to forget...they were helpless to rescue themselves but God stepped in... a lamb died in their place, winning their rescue...it was nothing they deserved, it was all of God s grace... they were freed from slavery to worship God freely and totally It was his love, his doing... his power... his intervention alone... and all for his glory! And the meal would ensure they would never forget! So Jesus makes preparation in advance to share this very significant meal with his disciples.. Upper room guest house people in Jer for this and other feasts Man carrying water how would they find him? He would stand out because the women usually carried the water vv16 and 17 have a look (read) So settled all is ready together they would remember and give thanks for that historic rescue all those years ago... Or would they?? // Jesus threw a spanner in the works MEMORIAL MEAL INTERRUPTED Things were just getting underway... Jesus dropped a bombshell Have a look with me at v18 Can you imagine the impact? 19 one by one Surely not me?! Please don t let it be me All of them confused anxious... 3

4 Did he know something about them they didn t even know about themselves? 11 had nothing to worry about... 1 knew He d already made arrangements look back at vv10-11 And even though this would all be played out under the sovereign hand of God Judas would still be held responsible v21 Yes the sovereign plan of God and human responsibility - sit comfortably right alongside each other...! That was quite an interruption to this memorial meal. This Passover would be like no other. How could Judas do this? Why would Judas do this? Money yes but not only about the money Frustration Ray touched on this last week Jesus wasn t the Messiah Judas wanted he wasn t going to overthrow the Romans that s what we need in a Messiah someone who can take of the Romans!! // He was blind. And he was evil. Just before you congratulate yourself for being nothing like Judas... there s a sense in which we re all capable of this... as shown by the fact that all the disciples ask surely not me! every time we go our own way act independently deliberately disobey Every time we turn our backs...and treat Jesus with contempt... we betray Jesus it s a betrayal of a friend... It s as if we want him off our back... // so we can do our own thing....and this goes to show our very great need before God... which Jesus death will meet! Memorial meal Memorial meal interrupted 3. MEMORIAL MEAL TRANSFORMED Ever been at a meeting where the person out the front has set words to say but gets them wrong? Someone singing the national anthem Or mucking up the words to Clancy of the Overflow or some other national treasurer... - Now people can forget words and we understand - But what if someone changes the words so significantly that their meaning is turned on its head?... imagine me getting up to pray the Lord s prayer and instead of hallowed be your name I made it hallowed by MY name? MY kingdom come MY will be done! You d be shocked, outraged... confused... 4

5 But that s how radically Jesus changed the set words to the Passover commemoration. v22 read No Jesus those are not the words! He took the bread the usual bread of the Passover at the usual point in the proceedings... and instead of it being about the hurried way they left Egypt... he makes it about him! This is my body? My body will be broken My body will be given And this bread symbolises my body It is a sign A reminder A token As I m breaking this bread, my body will be broken As I m giving this bread... I will give my body... Eat the bread... remember my body Then the cup vv23-24 read this is my blood This symbolises points to is to remind you of my blood poured out for many New covenant? Covenant Old Testament I will be your God and you will be my people... God s commitment to his people grace and mercy to a people undeserving After their rescue law giving covenant as all covenants sealed blood sprinkled...sealed with the blood of bulls sprinkled on God s people gathered Cf two young boys... we re blood brothers Jesus new covenant law on hearts where there is forgiveness... how?... by the blood of Jesus shed for his people for them - shed on their behalf Shed as their substitute /// So Jesus sets the scene here This is what his impending death in the coming hours would mean This is what this was all about And God s rescue of his people from slavery in Egypt was a shadow a sign an anticipation of that even greater rescue here now by Jesus. By Jesus broken body by his shed blood we are rescued from slavery to sin and death and the evil one 5

6 In fact the Passover as a feast as a celebration is superseded now by this beautiful commemoration in bread and wine of Jesus body given and very life poured out! And of course it directly parallels that ancient rescue -...we are helpless to rescue ourselves but God stepped in... a lamb died in our place Jesus the lamb of God winning our rescue...it was nothing we deserved, it was all of God s grace... we are freed from slavery to worship God freely and totally It was all entirely his love, his doing... his power... his intervention alone... and all for his glory alone... And this meal this meal we share this morning -...is to ensure we never forget! Is there any chance we would forget? Oh yes! Because we re still inclined to think it s all about us! There are still many people in the church who think Jesus death is a big waste of time. Why do I say that? As Simon said on Wednesday night he still speaks to people in church who ve heard his preaching week in, week out and when he asks what will you say to God when you stand before him at the gates of eternity...?...they ll say I ve tried hard to be good and never done anything major wrong. If that s the case Jesus death was a big waste of time! How quick we are to forget! To have a sneaking suspicion we do in fact deserve.. that we can t be that bad surely! So we must share communion regularly to remind us that without Jesus death we have no hope Without it we have to pay the price ourselves. Without it we have to be perfect which none of us can be As we put out our hand for the bread and for the cup we re saying there s nothing I bring to the table I come unworthy I come saying I m sorry I come undeserving I come in humility and gratitude... I come to be reminded Jesus died for me Gave his body, poured out his blood My ransom My rescue 6

7 In my place To pay a price I never could To wipe my slate clean To present me perfect to his Father Don t come to the table this morning if you think you re going to heaven because you ve tried to be good! Don t come without self examination Don t come unless you re making a decisive move to turn away from sin Don t come if you are not in fellowship with not talking to holding a grudge against someone else in the church Don t come if you re in the middle of an affair Don t come unless you come utterly dependent on God s grace to you in Christ... Unless you acknowledge your complete unworthiness Unless you re not only sorry for sin but repentant. If that is the case - come thankful come in humility and worship come in adoration and awe // Jesus has very clearly set the scene for him impending death And Jesus has very wonderfully set the scene for our communion with him! 7