Sermon #64 Mark Sermons
Title: LESSONS FROM THE LAST SUPPER
Text: Mark
14:17-25
Subject: The
Institution of The Lord’s Supper
Date: Sunday
Morning - November 1, 1998
Tape # U-91a
Reading: Psalm
69:1-36
Introduction:
In the verses before us today we have
Mark’s inspired account of the last supper our Savior ate with his disciples
the night before he as crucified. Of course, we have all seen the idolatrous
painting of the supper. No doubt, we have all wondered what that last meal must
have been like.
·
What solemnity, what
anxiety, what fears must have filled the disciples’ hearts!
·
What love, what grace,
what compassion dropped from the Savior’s every word and gesture!
·
What demonic hypocrisy,
what cold hatred, what religious hardness possessed the betrayer!
As we read this brief description of
the last supper, let us do so with the reverence it demands, asking God the
Holy Spirit to teach us the things here revealed. The title of my message is - Lessons From The Last Supper.
Our text is Mark 14:17-25.
Mark 14:17-25 "And in the evening he
cometh with the twelve. {18} And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said,
Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me. {19}
And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it
I? and another said, Is it I? {20} And he answered and said unto
them, It is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish. {21}
The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man
by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never
been born. {22} And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and
brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.
{23} And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to
them: and they all drank of it. {24} And he said unto them, This is my
blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. {25} Verily I say
unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I
drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Divisions: I want to direct your thoughts to four things in this
paragraph
1. A Question To Face - (vv. 17-20)
2. A Conflict To Resolve - (v. 21)
3. A Picture Of Redemption - (vv. 22-24)
4. An Ordinance To Keep - (vv. 22-25)
I. A Question To Face - (vv. 17-20)
Mark 14:17-20 "And in the evening he
cometh with the twelve. 18 And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said,
Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me. 19 And
they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and
another said, Is it I? 20 And he answered and said unto them, It
is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish."
Matthew 26:21-25 "And as they did eat, he
said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22 And
they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him,
Lord, is it I? 23 And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand
with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. 24 The Son of man goeth
as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is
betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. 25 Then
Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto
him, Thou hast said."
A. We must never forget Judas.
Judas was a man whose heart was as
hard as it was hypocritical, as stony as it was sinful, and as proud as it was
base. His religion had given him a cloak for his wickedness. His barren
familiarity with the things of God had made him twofold more the child of hell
than he was before. But do not forget, this hellish man appeared most pious to
all who observed him. Even after he had agreed to betray the Son of God with a
kiss, he kept up the appearances of sincerity. I do not doubt that Judas
managed to convince himself, as well as others, to the very end that he was all
right. He knew he had done wrong. But he did not know he was a lost man, a
child of hell, the son of perdition. Listen to what the Scripture says, “Then
Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto
him, Thou hast said."
B. Let us each examine ourselves continually and
honestly.
I don’t know how to deal with the
matters of examination and assurance as they ought to be dealt with; but I do
know this…
·
Faith in Christ is
neither proud presumption nor dread despair.
·
Assurance is neither a
fleshly familiarity with God nor a slavish fear of God.
·
The believer’s hope lies
somewhere between that carnal security that says, “Once saved always saved,”
and that blind, stoic fatalism that says “If I’m one of the elect I’ll
be saved, if not I won’t.”
In the Word of God, we are constantly
hedged in on two sides. On the one side, we have the many promises of God, lest
we despair. But on the other side are countless warnings, lest we presume. On
the one side, we see sinful men and women kept by the power of grace, assuring
us of immutable grace. Then, on the other side, we see apostate after apostate,
warning us that we must endure to the end if we would be saved.
We would, therefore, be wise to ask
ourselves, “Lord, Is it I?” Let us examine ourselves and make our
calling and election sure.
2 Corinthians 13:5 "Examine
yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your
own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"
2 Peter 1:2-11 "Grace and peace be
multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According
as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life
and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and
virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious
promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having
escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And beside
this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience
godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly
kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make
you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things
is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from
his old sins. 10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to
make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never
fall: 11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly
into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."
II. A CONFLICT RESOLVED (v. 21)
Mark 14:21 "The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is
written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good
were it for that man if he had never been born."
Matthew 26:24 "The Son of man goeth as
it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!
it had been good for that man if he had not been born."
Luke 22:22 "And truly the Son of man goeth, as it
was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!"
The question is often asked, “Did
Judas have a choice in this matter?” The Scriptures clearly state that our
Lord Jesus died according to the purpose an decree of God. The Scriptures
manifestly prophesied Judas’ betrayal of the Lord Jesus. Surely, then, he
cannot be blamed and held accountable for what he did.
Such reasoning may suit our peanut
brains; but such reasoning is entirely wrong. Whether we can understand it or
not, we must bow to the Word of God. These are facts plainly revealed in Holy
Scripture.
A. God almighty is totally sovereign and always does
exactly what he will.
Isaiah 14:26-27 "This is the
purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that
is stretched out upon all the nations. 27 For the LORD of hosts hath
purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched
out, and who shall turn it back?"
Isaiah 46:9-10 "Remember the former
things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God,
and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the
beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done,
saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure."
Ephesians 1:11 "In whom also we have
obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him
who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will."
B. Every man is totally responsible for his own sin.
While the actions of wicked men and
women never thwart, but only fulfill the purposes of God, God does not compel,
coerce, entice, or tempt any man to evil.
James 1:13-18 "Let no man say when he
is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither
tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away
of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it
bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16 Do
not err, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift
is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18 Of his own will begat he us
with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his
creatures."
1. Reprobation and judgment are always presented to us in
the Word of God as God’s response to man’s sin.
2. Salvation, grace, and eternal life are always
presented as the sovereign prerogative and gift of God.
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death;
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
C. The Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to
will, decree, and Word of God.
1 Corinthians 15:1-3
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached
unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which
also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye
have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that
which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures."
·
According To The Purpose
Of God Revealed In The Word.
·
According To The
Promises Of God Throughout The Word.
·
According To The Prophecies
Of God In The Word.
·
According To The
Pictures Of Grace In The Word.
1. A Voluntary Death
2.
A Violent Death
3.
A Vicarious Death
4.
A Victorious Death
III. A Picture Of Redemption -
(vv. 22-24)
Mark 14:22-24 "22 And as they
did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them,
and said, Take, eat: this is my body. 23 And he took the cup, and when
he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. 24
And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed
for many."
The Lord Jesus did not bless the bread
and wine in the sense of consecrating them, making them holy, or changing their
substance. He blessed them in exactly the same way we bless them, or bless a
meal, in the sense of giving thanks to God for them.
A. The bread represented our Redeemer’s holy humanity,
his body, which was especially prepared by God the Holy Spirit in the womb of
the virgin Mary to put away our sins.
Hebrews 10:1-5 "For the law having a
shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can
never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make
the comers thereunto perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to
be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more
conscience of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a
remembrance again made of sins every year. 4 For it is not
possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. 5 Wherefore
when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest
not, but a body hast thou prepared me."
·
A Body Without Sin.
·
A Body In Which
Righteousness Was Established.
·
A Body Sacrificed For
Us!
B. The cup of wine represented the blood of the Lord
Jesus Christ by which we are redeemed.
Hebrews 9:22 "And almost all things
are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no
remission."
·
New Covenant Blood.
·
Justly Shed Blood.
·
Infinitely Meritorious
Blood.
·
Precious Blood.
·
Blood Shed For Many.
·
Effectual, Sin-remitting
Blood!
C. Eating the bread and drinking the wine is a picture of
that God given faith by which we personally receive Christ for ourselves.
John 6:51-58 "I am the living bread
which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for
ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the
life of the world. 52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves,
saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53 Then Jesus
said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the
Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth
my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at
the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink
indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in
me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by
the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is
that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and
are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever."
Come, eat and drink the flesh and
blood of the Son of God, and live forever! “Believe n the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved!”
IV. An Ordinance To Keep (vv.
22-25)
Mark 14:22-25 "And as they did eat,
Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said,
Take, eat: this is my body. 23 And he took the cup, and when he had
given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. 24 And
he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for
many. 25 Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the
vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
We are not left to guess about this.
The apostle Paul, writing by divine inspiration, tells us that our Savior here
established the blessed ordinance of the Lord’s Supper.
The Lord’s Supper is not a sacrament,
a means by which we obtain grace. It is an ordinance by which we celebrate
grace bestowed upon us through the precious blood of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:23-29 "For I
have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord
Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And
when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my
body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After
the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This
cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in
remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this
cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. 27 Wherefore whosoever
shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall
be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself,
and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For
he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to
himself, not discerning the Lord's body."
As often as we come together to
observe the Lord’s Supper, let every believer examine himself, and then eat the
bread and drink the wine…
A. In Faith - Discerning the Lord’s body!
B. In Humility
C. In Gratitude
D. In Love
E. In Hope - (v. 25).
There is a day coming when we shall
drink new wine with our Savior in the kingdom of God.
Mark 14:25 "Verily I say unto you, I will drink no
more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the
kingdom of God."
Application:
1. Examine yourself.
2. Let us ever declare with equal force both the total
sovereignty of our God and the responsibility of every man for his own sin.
3. Rejoice in the redemption accomplished for us by the
Son of God.
4. Bless God for the ordinances of divine worship by
which he draws us to himself and reveals himself to us.
AMEN.