Mark 14:22-25 Communion with Jesus
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: April 10, 2018, Mark 14:22-25
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and handed it to them, saying, “Take some. This is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He told them, “This is my blood of the covenant that is being poured out for many people. I tell you with certainty, I will never again drink this wine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
(Understanding the Text) The Cambridge Bible Commentary describes the Passover feast like this: “This preparation would include the provision of the unleavened cakes, of the bitter herbs, the four or five cups of red wine mixed with water, of everything, in short, necessary for the meal. At this point it may be well to try to realize the manner in which the Passover was celebrated amongst the Jews in the time of our Lord. (i) With the Passover, by Divine ordinance, there had always been eaten two or three flat cakes of unleavened bread (Exo_12:18), and the rites of the feast by immemorial usage had been regulated according to the succession of four cups of red wine always mixed with water (Psa_16:5; Psa_23:5; Psa_116:13). These were placed before the master of the house where the Paschal Feast was celebrated, or the most eminent guest, who was called the Celebrant, the President, or Proclaimer of the Feast. (ii) After those assembled had reclined, he took one of the Four Cups, known as the “Cup of Consecration,” in his right hand, and pronounced the benediction over the wine and the feast, saying, “Blessed be Thou, Jehovah, our God, Thou King of the universe, Who hast created the fruit of the vine,” He then tasted the Cup and passed it round. (iii) Water was then brought in, and he washed, followed by the rest, the hands being dipped in water. (iv) The table was then set out with the bitter herbs, such as lettuce, endive, succory, and horehound, the sauce called Charoseth, and the Passover lamb. (v) The Celebrant then once more blessed God for the fruits of the earth, and taking a portion of the bitter herbs, dipped it in the charoseth, and ate a piece of it of “the size of an olive,” and his example was followed by the rest. (vi) The Haggadah or “shewing forth” (1Co_11:26) now commenced, and the Celebrant declared the circumstances of the delivery from Egypt, as commanded by the Law (Exo_12:27; Exo_13:8). (vii) Then the second Cup of wine was filled, and a child or proselyte inquired, “What mean ye by this service?” (Exo_12:26), to which reply was made according to a prescribed formula or liturgy. The first part of the “Hallel,” Psalms 113, 114, was then sung, and the second Cup was solemnly drunk. (viii) The Celebrant now washed his hands again, and taking two of the unleavened cakes, broke one of them, and pronounced the thanksgiving in these words, “Blessed be Thou, O Lord our God, Thou King of the universe, Who bringest forth fruit out of the earth.” Then he distributed a portion to each, and all wrapping some bitter herbs round their portion dipped it in the charoseth and ate it. (ix) The flesh of the lamb was now eaten, and the Master of the house, lifting up his hands, gave thanks over the third Cup of wine, known as the “Cup of Blessing,” and handed it round to each person. (x) After thanking for the food of which they had partaken and for their redemption from Egypt, a fourth Cup, known as the “Cup of Joy,” was filled and drunk, and the remainder of the Hallel (Psalms 115-118) was sung. See Buxtorf, de Cœna Domini; Lightfoot, Temple Service; Edersheim, pp. 206–209.”
This is the sign of God’s new covenant with mankind. It is a continuation of the old Mosaic covenant with modification. The old Mosaic covenant had an external law written on stone but the new covenant was the law written on the hearts. More importantly the old covenant looked forward to the moment of salvation, but the new covenant looks back on the moment of salvation. Thus, Jesus took an old Jewish ceremony that looked forward to his death while commemorating a past delivery from slavery by God and transformed it into the last supper to commemorate His soon death on the cross. The bread was broken as He would soon be broken. The drink represented His blood which would flow from Him. Ultimately, His physical body would die from blood loss as He let His blood flow from His body without the hindrance of healing. (It was sin that killed Him, but the physical symptoms were blood loss.) The covenant that He was making with His disciples and ultimately all of humanity past and present was that He would be the sacrifice that ratified the covenant and that His death would resolve the judgment against all humanity because of sin.
Recently, I saw a diagram by David Asscherick where he divided up Jesus’ ministry into 3 parts and showed how each of the three parts were necessary to take care of the sin problem. The death of Jesus was only the first part where He took away the condemnation of sin, the judgment against us. Jesus took our punishment. The second phase is Jesus’ ministry as our high priest where He takes away the effects of sin in our lives. He transforms us into His character. The third phase is Jesus’ position as king when He comes to remove us from the environment, or presence, of sin so that we can live in sinless heaven.
What is the significance of Jesus saying that He would not drink the wine until He drank it new in the kingdom of God? Matthew adds the information that Jesus was waiting to drink it with the disciples. “I tell you, I will never again drink the product of the vine until that day when I drink it with you once again in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matthew 26:29). Why? Was Jesus promising another covenant to be ratified in heaven? Was He commenting on not drinking earthly fruit of the vine in heaven? Was Jesus just looking forward to a big celebration after He brought His brothers and sisters home with Him? I think it was the latter. Jesus was telling the disciples that this was their last time to sit and eat together but that a time would come in heaven when they would eat together again and Jesus would wait to celebrate when He could do it with them.
Jesus made a covenant with His disciples which symbolized His covenant with the whole human race. It is unclear whether Judas took part in the Last Supper, but it would be appropriate if He had simply because Jesus was making a covenant to die for all humans, not just the ones who followed Him.
(Application) We sing the words “It is finished. The battle is over. It is finished. There’ll be no more war.” But in reality the cross did not finish the battle. The cross won the war, but there is still not cause to celebrate because the battle rages on in human hearts. This supper was the beginning of a new phase of the war which would now actively go out to the world. We talk of how the Jewish nation failed to reach other nations. The disciples succeeded where the might of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah failed. The church has accomplished much more in reaching all nations, kindred, and tongues than the people of the old covenant ever did, yet the battles still rage on. The church was compromised during the dark ages and is still compromised today. The question is what should we focus on in the present-day battles? More specifically, what should I be doing? I get mixed messages–Just focus on my relation with Jesus by reading the scriptures and prayer, go out and tell people, go out and perform service for people, doing things is not enough, don’t be insulated in the church, etc. I get confused about where the balance is.
(Revelation of God) Jesus blessed the bread before breaking it and sharing it. He gave thanks for the drink before passing it around. It sounds like they all drank from the same cup, which we do not do today. The power was not in the bread or wine, but in the blessings pronounced upon it. This is called communion today because it is about our communion with Jesus. It is about Jesus’ communion with us also. Jesus identified Himself with us so much that His death on the cross was our death and His resurrection was ours also. The purpose of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us is to keep that identification true. We are in Him and He is in us. This is what communion represents. This is why Jesus chose food and drink to represent Himself and His sacrifice.
(Prayer) I need to remain in communion with You, Jesus. I want to be in You and have You in me so that I am so identified with You that people see You in me. I want to know You in the deepest possible way. Open my heart to receive communion with You on all levels.