Our journey through Mark's Gospel takes us to one of the most profound moments in Jesus's ministry – the Last Supper with his disciples. In this tender yet pivotal setting, Jesus establishes what Christians now celebrate as Communion, transforming ordinary bread and wine into powerful symbols of his sacrifice.
As we explore Mark 14:22-28, we unpack the rich theological significance behind Jesus's words: "This is my body" and "This is my blood of the covenant." We examine the various interpretations Christians hold about Communion – from Catholic transubstantiation to Protestant symbolism – while connecting Jesus's statements to his other symbolic "I am" declarations throughout scripture. This careful analysis helps us appreciate the memorial aspect of Communion as we remember Christ's sacrifice.
The conversation deepens as we discuss the covenant Jesus established that night, connecting his words to Jeremiah's prophecy of a new covenant and looking ahead to its future fulfillment in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Jesus's reference to drinking wine "new in the kingdom of God" points to the Millennial Kingdom where believers will celebrate with their risen Lord.
Perhaps most poignant is Jesus's prediction that all his disciples would abandon him, despite Peter's passionate insistence otherwise. This tension between sincere intention and human weakness mirrors our own spiritual journey. We find comfort knowing that Jesus loved his disciples despite foreseeing their failure, even promising to meet them in Galilee after his resurrection.
Through exploring the Last Supper, we gain fresh appreciation for Christ's sacrificial love, the covenant he established through his death, and his grace toward imperfect followers. This passage challenges us to examine our own commitment to Christ while resting in his faithfulness toward us.
Take time today to reflect on what it means to remember Christ through Communion, and how his covenant of grace transforms our relationship with God. How might acknowledgment of our weakness actually deepen our dependence on his strength?
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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Today, as we reason through the Gospel of Mark, we
have Jesus in the upper roomgiving very tender moment with
his 12 disciples.
He's also giving very importantinstructions to them.
At the same time, it's the lastfew moments that he has with
them before he goes and isarrested and dies on the cross.
(00:40):
So he knows this is the lastmoments that he'll have to teach
them before he dies.
So always, if we were to saywhat is someone's last words,
then we would write those downand remember them.
That's the same thing that'sgoing to happen here with the 12
.
And we have here one of themost profound things that we're
(01:02):
going to see in this chapter.
So let's go ahead and read.
If you have your Bible, open itto Mark, chapter 14, starting
in verse 22.
We have Jesus in the upper roomsays this While they were
eating, he took some bread andafter a blessing, he broke it
and gave it to them and saidTake it, this is my body.
And when he had taken a cup andgiven thanks, he gave it to
(01:26):
them and they all drank from it.
And he said to them this is myblood of the covenant, which is
poured out for many.
Truly, I say to you, I willnever again drink of the fruit
of the vine until that day whenI drink it new in the kingdom of
God.
This is again the upper roomwhere he is giving instructions
(01:48):
to the disciples.
They were celebrating thePassover meal and it would have
had all the elements of a JewishSeder service.
This is where the church getsthe Lord's Supper, or sometimes
called Communion or theEucharist.
We accept two ordinances in thechurch the Lord's Supper and
baptism.
(02:09):
This passage where he says herein verse 22, take it, this is my
body, we're automaticallyfairly deep into a church
controversy about what exactlythat means.
Over the centuries there's beendifferent church groups,
different Christians that havetaken this to mean different
things.
When Jesus says this is my body, people question exactly what
(02:34):
he means.
Catholic Church, a similar oneto that that I put in the same
category, is from the EasternOrthodox, which is called
metousiosis.
Those teach that the elementsthe bread and the fruit of the
vine actually transform into theliteral body and blood of Jesus
(02:58):
, although they have theaccidents, which is the
appearance of the bread and thewine.
Those views would say thesubstance changes, but the
appearance does not.
It still looks like a cracker,but the elements are changed
into the actual body and bloodof Christ.
The second main view held byChristians is called the real
(03:22):
presence view, which is held byLutherans, which tells that
Jesus' body is really present,but the substance of the
elements hasn't changed.
It's still bread, it's stillfruit of the vine, but Jesus is
really present, he's reallythere.
He is really there with hisbody and blood, but the
(03:44):
substance didn't change.
And then most of Protestantismwould hold to the third view,
which is a symbolic view.
So with this we have, of course, the controversy.
The comment that I would giveto respond to this is that when
he says this is my body, at thevery least the first time he
(04:05):
said it, this instance, that theelements were not his body,
simply because he was holding itat the time and his body was
still intact and had not yetbeen sacrificed.
So at a minimum, the very firsttime he says it here, in Mark
14, it had not changed intoanything.
It was just a plain bread andfruit of the vine.
(04:27):
But I think we can take in theGospel of John, where he has
similar statements, and we canmake a lesson here If we look
several places of what have beencalled the I Am statements of
Jesus.
Jesus said I am the light inJohn 8.12.
He said I am the door in John10.7.
(04:49):
I am the good shepherd in John10.11.
I am the vine in John 15.5.
And he again repeats I am thebread in John 6.35.
Well, when he says I am thelight, we don't conclude that
he's a photon and we don'tconclude that photons are Jesus.
He says I am the door, then wedon't conclude that he's made
(05:13):
out of wood and has hinges.
And when he says I am the goodshepherd, well, far as we know,
he never kept sheep.
The only reason shepherd todayhas the concepts of being
pastoral is simply because ofpassages like this one where
Jesus used it symbolically.
So he was not a literalshepherd, he was a carpenter.
When he says I am the vine, wedon't conclude that he's a plant
(05:37):
or that a plant is him.
My question is why is it when hesays this is my body or I am
the bread, we supposedly have totake this literally, my friend,
if we take I am the breadliterally, then we are, at the
very minimum, inconsistent withour hermeneutical interpretation
(05:58):
of all these other passages.
And if we take them as a whole.
It's pretty plain that this issymbolic and it says so in 1
Corinthians 11, verse 24 andfollowing Do this in remembrance
of me.
All these are symbolic.
We don't conclude that Jesus isa photon, a physical door, a
(06:18):
sheep herder or a plant or anyof these things.
These are symbolic, plant orany of these things.
These are symbolic and justgrammatically.
The verb is this is my body.
Grammatically can meanrepresents.
That's just plain dictionarydefinition, not my opinion.
With this we have thisstatement just take it this is
(06:38):
my body.
And of course, this is quiteprofound.
Steve, what do you think offirst when he says this, besides
all the technical definitionsthat theologians get us down,
what do you take it to be whenhe says this is my body?
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Well, first, we're both Gentiles, glenn, and I
don't know about you, but I havenever actually attended a
Jewish Passover Seder, or Pasach, I think is what they call it.
Jewish Passover Seder or Pasach, I think is what they call it.
But in studying for this, Iwent and researched for some of
(07:16):
the Messianic Jews, and theseare Jewish people that believe
that Jesus is the Messiah andwhen they celebrate the Passover
they see the symbology in this,through that description of
this unleavened bread.
The unleavened bread has holesin it, it's pierced.
We can even appreciate thatwhere, if we have store-bought
crackers, even the crackers thatwe buy at a store has little
(07:37):
holes on it.
It makes it bake more evenly.
And as the holes are pierced init, for this unleavened bread
and it's baked, it comes out andhas stripes on it.
We lose that through ourcommunion, as you mentioned
before, in that in many times,or all that I know of, we have a
(07:59):
little bitty piece of a crackeror in some other.
But think of it.
Here you have this piece ofunleavened bread that has these
holes that were pierced in itand has these stripes in it,
(08:20):
just like his body is going tohave stripes for whenever he's
going to be scourged in a fewhours and he's looking at the
disciples and he breaks it.
And again we lose it because wejust have a little bitty piece,
usually in our communions.
He breaks it and looks at themand says this is my body.
So you have the symbology therethat we lose because we're
(08:48):
Gentiles.
But the Messianic Jews can seethe picture there of Jesus's
pierced, scourged body beingbroken for us as he sacrificed
himself on the cross.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
It also says in here that he prayed before the meal.
He took the bread and blessedit, and then he took the cup and
gave thanks Always.
Jesus was in a position beforea meal to give thanks, and we
should as well.
We should follow his example asa great place to remember to
thank the Lord.
He also says here in verse 24that he brings in a covenant.
(09:23):
Now, that has a lot of meaningattached to it as well.
The covenants are greatpromises that God made in the
Old Testament.
Steve, this is one of theseplaces where I really wish he
would have, at least in the text, stopped and given a
theological treatise on exactlywhat he means by the covenant.
But what is a covenant?
(09:44):
What is this covenant?
What's all the things that wecould take with it with this new
covenant?
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Once again, glenn, preparing for this lesson.
There are four different cupsthat are called where the
participants drink.
The first cup that they drinkduring the procedure is called a
blessing, the cup of blessing.
And then the third cup thatthey drink from is called the
cup of redemption.
And in studying for this, thepeople that I researched said
(10:15):
that this was the cup, the cupof redemption, that he is
offering to the disciples atthis particular time, when he
says which is poured out for themany, it's also this blood of
the covenant.
Now you ask the question whichcovenant is it?
If you go back to Jeremiah 31,it tells us there that there's
going to be a new covenant andin one of the other gospels he
(10:38):
actually says this is the bloodof the new covenant.
That was a covenant that wassaid that they're going to take
our heart of stone and give it aheart of flesh, going to write
the laws on our heart so that weknow the Word of God on our
heart, so that we know the Wordof God.
So it's a new covenant thatJesus is establishing.
We find out through readingPaul and his letters.
(11:06):
We had a great study inGalatians that we went through,
where Paul talks about, thatwe're free from the law of Moses
.
We have this new covenant thatJesus has established through
his death, burial andresurrection.
The law is now written on ourheart and we now can have our
sins forgiven through thesacrifice that Jesus has made.
So this is the covenant thathe's talking about, a new
(11:28):
covenant that is established atthis drinking of the cup of
redemption during this Passovermeal.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
The other aspect of this that I find quite
interesting is the same word inGreek, for covenant is also the
word for last will and testament.
So we have here a covenant, ora last will and testament, last
statement that Jesus leaves themAgain.
Last time he's really with themso he can stop and teach.
(11:54):
He says this is what I'mleaving you with, this is my
covenant, my last will andtestament.
Do this in remembrance of me.
Remember my body and my bloodthat's poured out.
For many, that's again burnedthis into their minds because
that is the most important thingis that his body was broken for
(12:16):
us and his blood was poured outfor us to pay for our sins.
If we don't remember anythingabout Christ, we should remember
his covenant, his last will andtestament.
Which he did was to die andthen resurrect again.
A covenant we don't typicallyuse that word these days, but we
think contracts.
But contracts are usually onlyas good as the paper they're
(12:38):
written on and if you have abetter lawyer, you can break the
contract.
A covenant was unbreakable.
It was supposed to be bindingand permanently binding.
Jesus is leaving his discipleswith a message that says I'm
going to do something that willbe permanently binding.
There's other covenants, ofcourse, in the Bible.
(13:00):
There was the covenant withAbraham.
There was a covenant with Moseswith the Mosaic law.
God made a covenant with David.
There was a covenant with Noahwhen he made a promise about the
flood.
The covenants were made by Godwith specific people and some of
them were unconditional.
(13:20):
So the question here is whattype of covenant is this?
You mentioned Jeremiah 31, steve.
It speaks of making a newcovenant, but it's a covenant
that speaks things specific toIsrael.
We did a whole special topic onthis once where we went through
what is the new covenant and wewent through the passages in
Hebrew and pretty much the wholechapter of Jeremiah 31
(13:43):
explaining some of the issuesfor that I would just refer
people there.
But this new covenant is madewith Israel, but Hebrews makes
it clear that it's appropriatedby the church.
You'll find that in Hebrews 8.8and 10.16.
So that's the new covenant andhe's setting it up here based on
(14:04):
his death on the cross and hisresurrection.
That's what he's saying here.
The last thing I leave you withmy covenant, my last will, is to
remember what I did for you.
Then, in verse 25, he says heretruly, I say to you I will
never again drink of the fruitof the vine until that day when
(14:25):
I drink it new in the kingdom ofGod.
That leaves us with a veryinteresting question.
Okay, when is this kingdom?
It implies a future state ofthe kingdom.
We've said this several timesbefore.
This idea of the kingdom is verymultifaceted and it's not
always as simple.
In the book of Acts they preachthe kingdom in evangelistic
(14:48):
campaigns.
Here we have a sense that thekingdom is future.
The parable of the minas inLuke 19 has an idea of the
future of the kingdom.
Sometimes the kingdom ispresented as present, something
that we can join right now.
In other times he says herethat he will not drink of the
(15:09):
same cup until he comes again inthe kingdom.
I think of Steve Revelation,chapter 19, the marriage supper
of the lamb.
That's the one I think he'stalking about here when he
returns.
Then he'll be able to sit withus in the marriage supper of the
lamb and we will have anothergreat toast to his great work
(15:30):
and to what he's done on thecross, his body and blood.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
And that marriage supper, sufferer of the Lamb is
going to be at the beginning ofthe kingdom that he is coming to
set up.
And we call it the millennialkingdom because we get the time
frame from Revelation, chapter20, where a thousand years is
mentioned six or seven times inthose verses that are right
(15:53):
there in chapter 20.
But all throughout the OldTestament, through the prophets,
it's always spoke of a kingdomthat was going to come, that the
Messiah was going to be rulerover the son of David and he was
going to be in the order ofMelchizedek, when Melchizedek
was a king and a priest.
We have all of that of theactual physical kingdom where
(16:17):
Jesus is going to rule fromJerusalem.
We saw that when we wentthrough Zechariah, for instance.
So here I think we can takethat.
He says I am going to drink, Iwill not drink until that time.
I think you take that as beingphysical.
He's going to physically drinkfrom it.
Well, it's going to be aphysical kingdom that is going
(16:39):
to be initiated.
There.
I think you're exactly right.
It's, I think, at this marriagesupper of the Lamb that speaks
about in Revelation.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
And I would agree as well I think he's talking very
literal sitting down to a mealand having a cup.
What a great day that will bewhen we actually get to sit down
in a great banquet hall andhave a meal with the Lord Jesus.
What a great day that will be.
Well, they've finished in Mark,here with the upper room and
starting in verse 26, it talksabout they leave and go outside
(17:11):
the city.
So let's read there.
I'm starting in Mark 14, verse26.
After singing a hymn, they wentout to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus said to them you will allfall away because it is written
I will strike down the shepherdand the sheep shall be
scattered, but after I have beenraised I will go ahead of you
(17:32):
to Galilee.
But Peter said to him eventhough all may fall away yet, I
will not.
Jesus said to him truly, I sayto you that this very night
before a rooster crows twice,you yourself will deny me three
times.
But Peter kept sayinginsistently even if I have to
die with you, I will not denyyou.
(17:54):
They all were saying the samething, also With this.
It says they've left the upperroom where they had the Passover
meal and they go out.
It says they go out the city tothe Mount of Olives and as they
go they sing a hymn.
Music is very calming, veryemotional, very soothing.
I take it it was probably abeautiful hymn.
(18:15):
They probably sang one of thepsalms.
I think, steve, music is one ofthe great things that we can do
is to learn to sing with ourchildren and our families and
with our Christian friends.
Some of the most tender timesthat I remember is when people
have just been out doingsomething.
Maybe we're just out notnecessarily in church, but just
(18:36):
out with family and somebodybreaks out in song and sings a
hymn.
I find that music is a greatthing to help us in the
Christian life, don't you?
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Absolutely, and this was part of the Seder service,
the Pasach, the Passover service, was to sing a hymn or several
psalms, as you noted there atthe end of it.
So they're doing that and thisis still done today.
The same ritual, that's in thesame way of this Passover lamb.
Now, I'm sure you'll talk aboutthis here in just a second,
(19:08):
glenn, but at the very end ofthat you mentioned that Peter
says, vehemently, denied that hewould betray Jesus.
But just a few verses ago hewas one of the ones that are
saying when Jesus said one ofyou are going to betray me, he
was one of the ones.
Because, it says, all thedisciples were asking am I going
(19:30):
to be one of the ones to betrayyou?
Here, in just a few verses, wesee the exact opposite end of a
pendulum swing where Peter onone part says am I possibly one
that's going to betray you?
It's not me To now, I certainlywould never deny you, lord
Jesus.
Again, little things.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
as we slow down and look at these verses, Jesus here
was very clear, saying thatyou're going to betray me.
He yet again predicts futurefree acts of people and
accurately predicts them withcertainty.
Yet they are the ones that doit.
They are free to make humanchoice.
It's not fatalism, but yet hisprophecies are sure.
(20:12):
Jesus accurately predicts thesethings.
But, steve, what I think of hereis he knows.
Jesus knows that all 12 of themare going to abandon them and
when they do, he still lovesthem.
He still accepts them back.
He could have said look, when Ineeded you the most, you ran
(20:32):
off and left me.
You left me when I reallyneeded a friend, but yet he
doesn't.
He doesn't blame themafterwards, he forgives them.
Our Lord does not blame us whenwe fail.
He'll hold us accountable forsin.
We're not going to get awaywith sin, but when we're weak
he'll still love us and he'llstill accept us back.
Remember what he did with Peter.
(20:53):
Peter is going to deny him, buthe sat with him on the shore
and asked him three times do youlove me?
Peter was able to get back infellowship with him.
So I find here Jesus knows he'sgoing to be betrayed.
He knows they're all going tofall away, but yet he still is
there with them and he stillaccepts them back afterwards.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Glenn, isn't that great news for us?
Because there might be times inour lives where we have been
confronted by people that arenon-believers and maybe we
didn't speak up and defend ourChristian faith like we might
want to, and later we reflectback on it and say, why didn't I
(21:36):
do that, why didn't I stand upfor Jesus, and have a little bit
of remorse over it.
But we have the example thatyou were just talking about,
where he didn't hold thatagainst them and he won't hold
that against us.
If we fall away from thestandpoint of not defending
Jesus from time to time, westill have the redemption
(21:59):
through his blood, death, burialand resurrection.
We can take great comfort inthat.
I think it's a great story anda lesson here that we can, I
think, relate to and associatewith.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
You mentioned Peter and his denial Notice.
Here Peter more than once saysdenial Notice.
Here Peter more than once sayseven though all may fall away,
yet I will not.
He keeps saying I will not andhe repeats it in verse 30.
He kept on saying vehementlyand passionately I will not.
(22:32):
Yet we know that he doesactually deny him.
So here's a question, steve.
But he does actually deny him.
So here's a question, steve Doyou think Peter was sincere?
Was he truthful when he saysI'm not going to deny it?
Was he true here?
Speaker 2 (22:47):
I think he was absolutely sincere and I think
Mark gives us that flavor in thewords that he uses here.
That Peter is stating this withall of himself, of saying Lord,
I would never, ever deny you.
I think he absolutely issincere in what he's saying here
(23:10):
.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
And we find later in the chapter, he pulls out a
knife and tries to kill somebodyto defend Jesus.
I think here Peter is extremelysincere.
His flesh is as sincere as hecan be, yet he does indeed fall
away.
I find this to be such a greatexample of ourselves.
We, all that are followers ofChrist, want to follow him, yet
(23:33):
we find ourselves in moments ofweakness, not and we find
ourselves, our flesh is justweak.
What does this tell us aboutour own human strength and our
own intentions, and how much wecould trust ourselves to stay
faithful to Christ?
Speaker 2 (23:50):
Peter was a human being, just like we are.
It tells us that even though weat times are very sincere in
some of the commitments that wemake, that there are going to be
times whenever we'll falter andthat we shouldn't let that stop
us.
We have 1 John, 1, 9 to confessour sins so that they might be
(24:11):
faithfully forgiven.
We need to move on and not holdthat against us, not hold that
against us, but it also issomething to us to make sure
that whenever we make such astatement as what Peter said and
have the sincerity behind it,really think as to whether or
not we're really going to becommitted to carry it out.
(24:31):
I'm reminded of whenever Jamesand John came to him and said
Jesus, when you come into yourkingdom, will you let us sit on
your right hand and left hand?
And his question to him was canyou drink the cup that I'm
getting ready to drink?
Of course they said oh yes, wecan do it.
We talked about that in lengthin that session related to that
(24:54):
of being immersed.
He tells them you will beimmersed, just as I am, and
baptized as I am, in the type oftorture that I'm going to go
through.
But they didn't clearly andcompletely understand what he
meant by that.
The point I'm making here isthat when we make commitments
such strongly as what Petermakes here, is that we should
(25:16):
maybe reflect on it before we dothat and make sure that we're
fully understanding what it isthat we're committing to.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
In our own strength.
All of us are weak and we'redepraved, and our old flesh is
sinful and capable of doing anysin.
The only reason why we stayfaithful is because he is
faithful to us.
He does not leave us.
If it were up to me to maintainmy salvation, I would fall away
(25:44):
before the sun went down today.
But because he is faithful andhe has given me the Holy Spirit
and I have this desire to loveHim and please Him he is so
forgiving then he is responsiblefor keeping our salvation.
It's not in my own strength,because I would just be weak and
fall away and do things that Iknow I shouldn't, but because of
(26:08):
the Holy Spirit, I askforgiveness, I get back on track
and I always have this burningdesire, this passion to follow
him and stay in good graces withmy Lord.
A short time later, he's denyingJesus in front of a young
maiden girl, and a few daysafter that, he's standing up in
(26:28):
the midst of the temple on theday of Pentecost, giving a
rousing sermon.
Well, what changed?
What changed was the HolySpirit After the day of
Pentecost.
He now has the power of God inhim that will drive him towards
staying faithful.
It also says here, in verse 27,.
Jesus quotes an Old Testamentpassage from Zechariah 13, 7, I
(26:50):
will strike down the shepherdand the sheep will be scattered.
What happened, steve, to thedisciples when Jesus was
arrested and crucified?
Speaker 2 (26:59):
What happened, steve, to the disciples when Jesus was
arrested and crucified.
They did this that Wheneverthey came to arrest him and
we'll see it a little bit laterthey all did scatter when he was
taken into custody by the Romancohort that had come there, and
we did a study in ZechariahGlenn.
So I would encourage ourlisteners, if they want to find
out a little bit more about thisparticular verse, go listen to
(27:22):
our study in Zechariah.
This was told by the prophet100 years before the actual
happening here of Jesus.
There was a lot of good thingsthere in Zechariah.
Go listen to our study on thatto get a little bit more
background on this verse from13.7 that he quoted.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
In this passage, jesus says you're going to fall
away.
Peter repeatedly, passionately,says no, I will not.
And as soon as Jesus isarrested, then they all scatter.
What happens when Jesusscatters?
The shepherd leaves, then thesheep are scattered.
What happens today in ourchurches when a pastor leaves?
(28:03):
Well, the same thing, as thesheep start bumping into each
other and scattering off andgetting in places where the
wolves can get them.
I submit that in our churcheswe need pastors and we need good
pastors.
Churches need to be very awareof what happens when a pastor
leaves.
Because, steve, I've seen andyou've seen over the years,
(28:25):
pastor leaves.
The churches have all kinds ofproblems.
Not necessarily my place totell churches how to govern
themselves, but I would thinkthat it would be better to have
some kind of a succession planso that when the pastor leaves
not if the pastor leaves, butwhen then they would have
somebody in place that would beable to step in and not leave a
(28:49):
congregation without a pastor,because that's when the sheep
start to scatter and the wolvescome in.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
And that is something that we should take to heart,
in that the shepherds that wehave, the pastors that we have,
are susceptible to leaving, bereassigned or leaving to go to
another church at some point.
We should build our faith off ofthe scriptures so that,
whenever that does happen, thatwe don't have a letdown, so that
(29:17):
we don't get scattered.
If we're committed to thescriptures and have a regular
study group, that we're with asmall group, then when the
pastor leaves we can continuewith that studying of the
scriptures, studying with thesmall group and having the small
group support each otherthrough the various needs that
we have in our life.
(29:37):
And the leaving of the pastoris just something that is a
temporary, because we knowanother pastor will come in
Through that structure.
You're not at a loss.
You're not there and thinking,okay, what am I going to do now?
You already have a group thatyou're a part of and you already
have a regular study of theWord of God.
(29:58):
That's really.
Our anchor is the Word of Godand we shouldn't just depend on
a pastor or a figurehead asbeing our anchor, so that we
won't be scattered as sheep ifsomething like that happens.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
In verse 27,.
Jesus says I will strike downthe shepherd and the sheep will
be scattered the next verse butafter I have been raised, I will
go ahead of you into Galilee.
In one verse he's saying I'mgoing to be struck down and
you're going to scatter, whichis what happened.
Really, the disciples reallywent through a very trying time.
(30:34):
When Jesus was arrested anddied and during that period in
between, when he raised, thosefew days from there, the
disciples there, while Jesus wasdead, were really getting put
through the wringer.
They didn't know what wouldhappen to them.
They didn't know whether they'dbe killed too.
They had spent three years oftheir lives following someone,
(30:54):
and now he was gone.
This was a terribly stressfultime for them.
Jesus prepares them, though, bysaying after I've been raised,
I will go ahead of you intoGalilee.
Well, why Galilee?
When he rose again, it wasright there near Jerusalem.
Why not just go into Jerusalem?
He went to Galilee.
(31:14):
Well, where was Galilee?
It was their hometown.
After a period of several daysof very stressful time, he takes
them back home.
He takes them back home to aquiet spot in the country where
he could explain some of thethings to them after he'd been
raised.
It would calm them down andgive them some rest.
(31:35):
He knew their needs.
He took them home.
What a beautiful touch.
Right here, he says I'm goingto die, you're going to scatter
like sheep, but I'm going tocome back and I'll go before you
into Galilee.
There you'll hear more and I'llexplain some things to you.
Our Lord is very loving and heloved us so much that he gave
(31:56):
his life for you, for you andfor me.
Also, he'll go with us intoGalilee.
He'll go with us to the veryquiet spots where we can trust
him and we can learn from himand how great our Lord is.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
He also didn't leave them wondering.
He knew that after he would dieand be buried, that he was
going to be raised again.
He just said that he gives theminstructions.
He doesn't leave them wonderingwell, what are we going to do
now?
I think they can take peace inknowing that when he does die
and he is buried, that they cantake peace in saying he said he
(32:32):
was going to raise again.
He said for us to go to Galilee, we have some instructions that
we could do.
Now we see that they don'tactually do that right away, but
still he's thinking about them,even though at the time
whenever he's going to be gonefor a little bit, he's giving
them instructions on where tofind him once again.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
That's all for today because of time, but next time
we're going to see Jesus go intoan oil press.
You might not know about thestory of Jesus in an oil press,
but there is one and we'll findthat out next time.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
Thank you so much for watching and listening.
May God bless you.
Today, as we reason through the Gospel of Mark, we
have Jesus in the upper roomgiving very tender moment with
his 12 disciples.
He's also giving very importantinstructions to them.
At the same time, it's the lastfew moments that he has with
them before he goes and isarrested and dies on the cross.
(00:40):
So he knows this is the lastmoments that he'll have to teach
them before he dies.
So always, if we were to saywhat is someone's last words,
then we would write those downand remember them.
That's the same thing that'sgoing to happen here with the 12
.
And we have here one of themost profound things that we're
(01:02):
going to see in this chapter.
So let's go ahead and read.
If you have your Bible, open itto Mark, chapter 14, starting
in verse 22.
We have Jesus in the upper roomsays this While they were
eating, he took some bread andafter a blessing, he broke it
and gave it to them and saidTake it, this is my body.
And when he had taken a cup andgiven thanks, he gave it to
(01:26):
them and they all drank from it.
And he said to them this is myblood of the covenant, which is
poured out for many.
Truly, I say to you, I willnever again drink of the fruit
of the vine until that day whenI drink it new in the kingdom of
God.
This is again the upper roomwhere he is giving instructions
(01:48):
to the disciples.
They were celebrating thePassover meal and it would have
had all the elements of a JewishSeder service.
This is where the church getsthe Lord's Supper, or sometimes
called Communion or theEucharist.
We accept two ordinances in thechurch the Lord's Supper and
baptism.
(02:09):
This passage where he says herein verse 22, take it, this is my
body, we're automaticallyfairly deep into a church
controversy about what exactlythat means.
Over the centuries there's beendifferent church groups,
different Christians that havetaken this to mean different
things.
When Jesus says this is my body, people question exactly what
(02:34):
he means.
Catholic Church, a similar oneto that that I put in the same
category, is from the EasternOrthodox, which is called
metousiosis.
Those teach that the elementsthe bread and the fruit of the
vine actually transform into theliteral body and blood of Jesus
(02:58):
, although they have theaccidents, which is the
appearance of the bread and thewine.
Those views would say thesubstance changes, but the
appearance does not.
It still looks like a cracker,but the elements are changed
into the actual body and bloodof Christ.
The second main view held byChristians is called the real
(03:22):
presence view, which is held byLutherans, which tells that
Jesus' body is really present,but the substance of the
elements hasn't changed.
It's still bread, it's stillfruit of the vine, but Jesus is
really present, he's reallythere.
He is really there with hisbody and blood, but the
(03:44):
substance didn't change.
And then most of Protestantismwould hold to the third view,
which is a symbolic view.
So with this we have, of course, the controversy.
The comment that I would giveto respond to this is that when
he says this is my body, at thevery least the first time he
(04:05):
said it, this instance, that theelements were not his body,
simply because he was holding itat the time and his body was
still intact and had not yetbeen sacrificed.
So at a minimum, the very firsttime he says it here, in Mark
14, it had not changed intoanything.
It was just a plain bread andfruit of the vine.
(04:27):
But I think we can take in theGospel of John, where he has
similar statements, and we canmake a lesson here If we look
several places of what have beencalled the I Am statements of
Jesus.
Jesus said I am the light inJohn 8.12.
He said I am the door in John10.7.
(04:49):
I am the good shepherd in John10.11.
I am the vine in John 15.5.
And he again repeats I am thebread in John 6.35.
Well, when he says I am thelight, we don't conclude that
he's a photon and we don'tconclude that photons are Jesus.
He says I am the door, then wedon't conclude that he's made
(05:13):
out of wood and has hinges.
And when he says I am the goodshepherd, well, far as we know,
he never kept sheep.
The only reason shepherd todayhas the concepts of being
pastoral is simply because ofpassages like this one where
Jesus used it symbolically.
So he was not a literalshepherd, he was a carpenter.
When he says I am the vine, wedon't conclude that he's a plant
(05:37):
or that a plant is him.
My question is why is it when hesays this is my body or I am
the bread, we supposedly have totake this literally, my friend,
if we take I am the breadliterally, then we are, at the
very minimum, inconsistent withour hermeneutical interpretation
(05:58):
of all these other passages.
And if we take them as a whole.
It's pretty plain that this issymbolic and it says so in 1
Corinthians 11, verse 24 andfollowing Do this in remembrance
of me.
All these are symbolic.
We don't conclude that Jesus isa photon, a physical door, a
(06:18):
sheep herder or a plant or anyof these things.
These are symbolic, plant orany of these things.
These are symbolic and justgrammatically.
The verb is this is my body.
Grammatically can meanrepresents.
That's just plain dictionarydefinition, not my opinion.
With this we have thisstatement just take it this is
(06:38):
my body.
And of course, this is quiteprofound.
Steve, what do you think offirst when he says this, besides
all the technical definitionsthat theologians get us down,
what do you take it to be whenhe says this is my body?
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Well, first, we're both Gentiles, glenn, and I
don't know about you, but I havenever actually attended a
Jewish Passover Seder, or Pasach, I think is what they call it.
Jewish Passover Seder or Pasach, I think is what they call it.
But in studying for this, Iwent and researched for some of
(07:16):
the Messianic Jews, and theseare Jewish people that believe
that Jesus is the Messiah andwhen they celebrate the Passover
they see the symbology in this,through that description of
this unleavened bread.
The unleavened bread has holesin it, it's pierced.
We can even appreciate thatwhere, if we have store-bought
crackers, even the crackers thatwe buy at a store has little
(07:37):
holes on it.
It makes it bake more evenly.
And as the holes are pierced init, for this unleavened bread
and it's baked, it comes out andhas stripes on it.
We lose that through ourcommunion, as you mentioned
before, in that in many times,or all that I know of, we have a
(07:59):
little bitty piece of a crackeror in some other.
But think of it.
Here you have this piece ofunleavened bread that has these
holes that were pierced in itand has these stripes in it,
(08:20):
just like his body is going tohave stripes for whenever he's
going to be scourged in a fewhours and he's looking at the
disciples and he breaks it.
And again we lose it because wejust have a little bitty piece,
usually in our communions.
He breaks it and looks at themand says this is my body.
So you have the symbology therethat we lose because we're
(08:48):
Gentiles.
But the Messianic Jews can seethe picture there of Jesus's
pierced, scourged body beingbroken for us as he sacrificed
himself on the cross.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
It also says in here that he prayed before the meal.
He took the bread and blessedit, and then he took the cup and
gave thanks Always.
Jesus was in a position beforea meal to give thanks, and we
should as well.
We should follow his example asa great place to remember to
thank the Lord.
He also says here in verse 24that he brings in a covenant.
(09:23):
Now, that has a lot of meaningattached to it as well.
The covenants are greatpromises that God made in the
Old Testament.
Steve, this is one of theseplaces where I really wish he
would have, at least in the text, stopped and given a
theological treatise on exactlywhat he means by the covenant.
But what is a covenant?
(09:44):
What is this covenant?
What's all the things that wecould take with it with this new
covenant?
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Once again, glenn, preparing for this lesson.
There are four different cupsthat are called where the
participants drink.
The first cup that they drinkduring the procedure is called a
blessing, the cup of blessing.
And then the third cup thatthey drink from is called the
cup of redemption.
And in studying for this, thepeople that I researched said
(10:15):
that this was the cup, the cupof redemption, that he is
offering to the disciples atthis particular time, when he
says which is poured out for themany, it's also this blood of
the covenant.
Now you ask the question whichcovenant is it?
If you go back to Jeremiah 31,it tells us there that there's
going to be a new covenant andin one of the other gospels he
(10:38):
actually says this is the bloodof the new covenant.
That was a covenant that wassaid that they're going to take
our heart of stone and give it aheart of flesh, going to write
the laws on our heart so that weknow the Word of God on our
heart, so that we know the Wordof God.
So it's a new covenant thatJesus is establishing.
We find out through readingPaul and his letters.
(11:06):
We had a great study inGalatians that we went through,
where Paul talks about, thatwe're free from the law of Moses
.
We have this new covenant thatJesus has established through
his death, burial andresurrection.
The law is now written on ourheart and we now can have our
sins forgiven through thesacrifice that Jesus has made.
So this is the covenant thathe's talking about, a new
(11:28):
covenant that is established atthis drinking of the cup of
redemption during this Passovermeal.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
The other aspect of this that I find quite
interesting is the same word inGreek, for covenant is also the
word for last will and testament.
So we have here a covenant, ora last will and testament, last
statement that Jesus leaves themAgain.
Last time he's really with themso he can stop and teach.
(11:54):
He says this is what I'mleaving you with, this is my
covenant, my last will andtestament.
Do this in remembrance of me.
Remember my body and my bloodthat's poured out.
For many, that's again burnedthis into their minds because
that is the most important thingis that his body was broken for
(12:16):
us and his blood was poured outfor us to pay for our sins.
If we don't remember anythingabout Christ, we should remember
his covenant, his last will andtestament.
Which he did was to die andthen resurrect again.
A covenant we don't typicallyuse that word these days, but we
think contracts.
But contracts are usually onlyas good as the paper they're
(12:38):
written on and if you have abetter lawyer, you can break the
contract.
A covenant was unbreakable.
It was supposed to be bindingand permanently binding.
Jesus is leaving his discipleswith a message that says I'm
going to do something that willbe permanently binding.
There's other covenants, ofcourse, in the Bible.
(13:00):
There was the covenant withAbraham.
There was a covenant with Moseswith the Mosaic law.
God made a covenant with David.
There was a covenant with Noahwhen he made a promise about the
flood.
The covenants were made by Godwith specific people and some of
them were unconditional.
(13:20):
So the question here is whattype of covenant is this?
You mentioned Jeremiah 31, steve.
It speaks of making a newcovenant, but it's a covenant
that speaks things specific toIsrael.
We did a whole special topic onthis once where we went through
what is the new covenant and wewent through the passages in
Hebrew and pretty much the wholechapter of Jeremiah 31
(13:43):
explaining some of the issuesfor that I would just refer
people there.
But this new covenant is madewith Israel, but Hebrews makes
it clear that it's appropriatedby the church.
You'll find that in Hebrews 8.8and 10.16.
So that's the new covenant andhe's setting it up here based on
(14:04):
his death on the cross and hisresurrection.
That's what he's saying here.
The last thing I leave you withmy covenant, my last will, is to
remember what I did for you.
Then, in verse 25, he says heretruly, I say to you I will
never again drink of the fruitof the vine until that day when
(14:25):
I drink it new in the kingdom ofGod.
That leaves us with a veryinteresting question.
Okay, when is this kingdom?
It implies a future state ofthe kingdom.
We've said this several timesbefore.
This idea of the kingdom is verymultifaceted and it's not
always as simple.
In the book of Acts they preachthe kingdom in evangelistic
(14:48):
campaigns.
Here we have a sense that thekingdom is future.
The parable of the minas inLuke 19 has an idea of the
future of the kingdom.
Sometimes the kingdom ispresented as present, something
that we can join right now.
In other times he says herethat he will not drink of the
(15:09):
same cup until he comes again inthe kingdom.
I think of Steve Revelation,chapter 19, the marriage supper
of the lamb.
That's the one I think he'stalking about here when he
returns.
Then he'll be able to sit withus in the marriage supper of the
lamb and we will have anothergreat toast to his great work
(15:30):
and to what he's done on thecross, his body and blood.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
And that marriage supper, sufferer of the Lamb is
going to be at the beginning ofthe kingdom that he is coming to
set up.
And we call it the millennialkingdom because we get the time
frame from Revelation, chapter20, where a thousand years is
mentioned six or seven times inthose verses that are right
(15:53):
there in chapter 20.
But all throughout the OldTestament, through the prophets,
it's always spoke of a kingdomthat was going to come, that the
Messiah was going to be rulerover the son of David and he was
going to be in the order ofMelchizedek, when Melchizedek
was a king and a priest.
We have all of that of theactual physical kingdom where
(16:17):
Jesus is going to rule fromJerusalem.
We saw that when we wentthrough Zechariah, for instance.
So here I think we can takethat.
He says I am going to drink, Iwill not drink until that time.
I think you take that as beingphysical.
He's going to physically drinkfrom it.
Well, it's going to be aphysical kingdom that is going
(16:39):
to be initiated.
There.
I think you're exactly right.
It's, I think, at this marriagesupper of the Lamb that speaks
about in Revelation.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
And I would agree as well I think he's talking very
literal sitting down to a mealand having a cup.
What a great day that will bewhen we actually get to sit down
in a great banquet hall andhave a meal with the Lord Jesus.
What a great day that will be.
Well, they've finished in Mark,here with the upper room and
starting in verse 26, it talksabout they leave and go outside
(17:11):
the city.
So let's read there.
I'm starting in Mark 14, verse26.
After singing a hymn, they wentout to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus said to them you will allfall away because it is written
I will strike down the shepherdand the sheep shall be
scattered, but after I have beenraised I will go ahead of you
(17:32):
to Galilee.
But Peter said to him eventhough all may fall away yet, I
will not.
Jesus said to him truly, I sayto you that this very night
before a rooster crows twice,you yourself will deny me three
times.
But Peter kept sayinginsistently even if I have to
die with you, I will not denyyou.
(17:54):
They all were saying the samething, also With this.
It says they've left the upperroom where they had the Passover
meal and they go out.
It says they go out the city tothe Mount of Olives and as they
go they sing a hymn.
Music is very calming, veryemotional, very soothing.
I take it it was probably abeautiful hymn.
(18:15):
They probably sang one of thepsalms.
I think, steve, music is one ofthe great things that we can do
is to learn to sing with ourchildren and our families and
with our Christian friends.
Some of the most tender timesthat I remember is when people
have just been out doingsomething.
Maybe we're just out notnecessarily in church, but just
(18:36):
out with family and somebodybreaks out in song and sings a
hymn.
I find that music is a greatthing to help us in the
Christian life, don't you?
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Absolutely, and this was part of the Seder service,
the Pasach, the Passover service, was to sing a hymn or several
psalms, as you noted there atthe end of it.
So they're doing that and thisis still done today.
The same ritual, that's in thesame way of this Passover lamb.
Now, I'm sure you'll talk aboutthis here in just a second,
(19:08):
glenn, but at the very end ofthat you mentioned that Peter
says, vehemently, denied that hewould betray Jesus.
But just a few verses ago hewas one of the ones that are
saying when Jesus said one ofyou are going to betray me, he
was one of the ones.
Because, it says, all thedisciples were asking am I going
(19:30):
to be one of the ones to betrayyou?
Here, in just a few verses, wesee the exact opposite end of a
pendulum swing where Peter onone part says am I possibly one
that's going to betray you?
It's not me To now, I certainlywould never deny you, lord
Jesus.
Again, little things.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
as we slow down and look at these verses, Jesus here
was very clear, saying thatyou're going to betray me.
He yet again predicts futurefree acts of people and
accurately predicts them withcertainty.
Yet they are the ones that doit.
They are free to make humanchoice.
It's not fatalism, but yet hisprophecies are sure.
(20:12):
Jesus accurately predicts thesethings.
But, steve, what I think of hereis he knows.
Jesus knows that all 12 of themare going to abandon them and
when they do, he still lovesthem.
He still accepts them back.
He could have said look, when Ineeded you the most, you ran
(20:32):
off and left me.
You left me when I reallyneeded a friend, but yet he
doesn't.
He doesn't blame themafterwards, he forgives them.
Our Lord does not blame us whenwe fail.
He'll hold us accountable forsin.
We're not going to get awaywith sin, but when we're weak
he'll still love us and he'llstill accept us back.
Remember what he did with Peter.
(20:53):
Peter is going to deny him, buthe sat with him on the shore
and asked him three times do youlove me?
Peter was able to get back infellowship with him.
So I find here Jesus knows he'sgoing to be betrayed.
He knows they're all going tofall away, but yet he still is
there with them and he stillaccepts them back afterwards.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Glenn, isn't that great news for us?
Because there might be times inour lives where we have been
confronted by people that arenon-believers and maybe we
didn't speak up and defend ourChristian faith like we might
want to, and later we reflectback on it and say, why didn't I
(21:36):
do that, why didn't I stand upfor Jesus, and have a little bit
of remorse over it.
But we have the example thatyou were just talking about,
where he didn't hold thatagainst them and he won't hold
that against us.
If we fall away from thestandpoint of not defending
Jesus from time to time, westill have the redemption
(21:59):
through his blood, death, burialand resurrection.
We can take great comfort inthat.
I think it's a great story anda lesson here that we can, I
think, relate to and associatewith.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
You mentioned Peter and his denial Notice.
Here Peter more than once saysdenial Notice.
Here Peter more than once sayseven though all may fall away,
yet I will not.
He keeps saying I will not andhe repeats it in verse 30.
He kept on saying vehementlyand passionately I will not.
(22:32):
Yet we know that he doesactually deny him.
So here's a question, steve.
But he does actually deny him.
So here's a question, steve Doyou think Peter was sincere?
Was he truthful when he saysI'm not going to deny it?
Was he true here?
Speaker 2 (22:47):
I think he was absolutely sincere and I think
Mark gives us that flavor in thewords that he uses here.
That Peter is stating this withall of himself, of saying Lord,
I would never, ever deny you.
I think he absolutely issincere in what he's saying here
(23:10):
.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
And we find later in the chapter, he pulls out a
knife and tries to kill somebodyto defend Jesus.
I think here Peter is extremelysincere.
His flesh is as sincere as hecan be, yet he does indeed fall
away.
I find this to be such a greatexample of ourselves.
We, all that are followers ofChrist, want to follow him, yet
(23:33):
we find ourselves in moments ofweakness, not and we find
ourselves, our flesh is justweak.
What does this tell us aboutour own human strength and our
own intentions, and how much wecould trust ourselves to stay
faithful to Christ?
Speaker 2 (23:50):
Peter was a human being, just like we are.
It tells us that even though weat times are very sincere in
some of the commitments that wemake, that there are going to be
times whenever we'll falter andthat we shouldn't let that stop
us.
We have 1 John, 1, 9 to confessour sins so that they might be
(24:11):
faithfully forgiven.
We need to move on and not holdthat against us, not hold that
against us, but it also issomething to us to make sure
that whenever we make such astatement as what Peter said and
have the sincerity behind it,really think as to whether or
not we're really going to becommitted to carry it out.
(24:31):
I'm reminded of whenever Jamesand John came to him and said
Jesus, when you come into yourkingdom, will you let us sit on
your right hand and left hand?
And his question to him was canyou drink the cup that I'm
getting ready to drink?
Of course they said oh yes, wecan do it.
We talked about that in lengthin that session related to that
(24:54):
of being immersed.
He tells them you will beimmersed, just as I am, and
baptized as I am, in the type oftorture that I'm going to go
through.
But they didn't clearly andcompletely understand what he
meant by that.
The point I'm making here isthat when we make commitments
such strongly as what Petermakes here, is that we should
(25:16):
maybe reflect on it before we dothat and make sure that we're
fully understanding what it isthat we're committing to.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
In our own strength.
All of us are weak and we'redepraved, and our old flesh is
sinful and capable of doing anysin.
The only reason why we stayfaithful is because he is
faithful to us.
He does not leave us.
If it were up to me to maintainmy salvation, I would fall away
(25:44):
before the sun went down today.
But because he is faithful andhe has given me the Holy Spirit
and I have this desire to loveHim and please Him he is so
forgiving then he is responsiblefor keeping our salvation.
It's not in my own strength,because I would just be weak and
fall away and do things that Iknow I shouldn't, but because of
(26:08):
the Holy Spirit, I askforgiveness, I get back on track
and I always have this burningdesire, this passion to follow
him and stay in good graces withmy Lord.
A short time later, he's denyingJesus in front of a young
maiden girl, and a few daysafter that, he's standing up in
(26:28):
the midst of the temple on theday of Pentecost, giving a
rousing sermon.
Well, what changed?
What changed was the HolySpirit After the day of
Pentecost.
He now has the power of God inhim that will drive him towards
staying faithful.
It also says here, in verse 27,.
Jesus quotes an Old Testamentpassage from Zechariah 13, 7, I
(26:50):
will strike down the shepherdand the sheep will be scattered.
What happened, steve, to thedisciples when Jesus was
arrested and crucified?
Speaker 2 (26:59):
What happened, steve, to the disciples when Jesus was
arrested and crucified.
They did this that Wheneverthey came to arrest him and
we'll see it a little bit laterthey all did scatter when he was
taken into custody by the Romancohort that had come there, and
we did a study in ZechariahGlenn.
So I would encourage ourlisteners, if they want to find
out a little bit more about thisparticular verse, go listen to
(27:22):
our study in Zechariah.
This was told by the prophet100 years before the actual
happening here of Jesus.
There was a lot of good thingsthere in Zechariah.
Go listen to our study on thatto get a little bit more
background on this verse from13.7 that he quoted.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
In this passage, jesus says you're going to fall
away.
Peter repeatedly, passionately,says no, I will not.
And as soon as Jesus isarrested, then they all scatter.
What happens when Jesusscatters?
The shepherd leaves, then thesheep are scattered.
What happens today in ourchurches when a pastor leaves?
(28:03):
Well, the same thing, as thesheep start bumping into each
other and scattering off andgetting in places where the
wolves can get them.
I submit that in our churcheswe need pastors and we need good
pastors.
Churches need to be very awareof what happens when a pastor
leaves.
Because, steve, I've seen andyou've seen over the years,
(28:25):
pastor leaves.
The churches have all kinds ofproblems.
Not necessarily my place totell churches how to govern
themselves, but I would thinkthat it would be better to have
some kind of a succession planso that when the pastor leaves
not if the pastor leaves, butwhen then they would have
somebody in place that would beable to step in and not leave a
(28:49):
congregation without a pastor,because that's when the sheep
start to scatter and the wolvescome in.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
And that is something that we should take to heart,
in that the shepherds that wehave, the pastors that we have,
are susceptible to leaving, bereassigned or leaving to go to
another church at some point.
We should build our faith off ofthe scriptures so that,
whenever that does happen, thatwe don't have a letdown, so that
(29:17):
we don't get scattered.
If we're committed to thescriptures and have a regular
study group, that we're with asmall group, then when the
pastor leaves we can continuewith that studying of the
scriptures, studying with thesmall group and having the small
group support each otherthrough the various needs that
we have in our life.
(29:37):
And the leaving of the pastoris just something that is a
temporary, because we knowanother pastor will come in
Through that structure.
You're not at a loss.
You're not there and thinking,okay, what am I going to do now?
You already have a group thatyou're a part of and you already
have a regular study of theWord of God.
(29:58):
That's really.
Our anchor is the Word of Godand we shouldn't just depend on
a pastor or a figurehead asbeing our anchor, so that we
won't be scattered as sheep ifsomething like that happens.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
In verse 27,.
Jesus says I will strike downthe shepherd and the sheep will
be scattered the next verse butafter I have been raised, I will
go ahead of you into Galilee.
In one verse he's saying I'mgoing to be struck down and
you're going to scatter, whichis what happened.
Really, the disciples reallywent through a very trying time.
(30:34):
When Jesus was arrested anddied and during that period in
between, when he raised, thosefew days from there, the
disciples there, while Jesus wasdead, were really getting put
through the wringer.
They didn't know what wouldhappen to them.
They didn't know whether they'dbe killed too.
They had spent three years oftheir lives following someone,
(30:54):
and now he was gone.
This was a terribly stressfultime for them.
Jesus prepares them, though, bysaying after I've been raised,
I will go ahead of you intoGalilee.
Well, why Galilee?
When he rose again, it wasright there near Jerusalem.
Why not just go into Jerusalem?
He went to Galilee.
(31:14):
Well, where was Galilee?
It was their hometown.
After a period of several daysof very stressful time, he takes
them back home.
He takes them back home to aquiet spot in the country where
he could explain some of thethings to them after he'd been
raised.
It would calm them down andgive them some rest.
(31:35):
He knew their needs.
He took them home.
What a beautiful touch.
Right here, he says I'm goingto die, you're going to scatter
like sheep, but I'm going tocome back and I'll go before you
into Galilee.
There you'll hear more and I'llexplain some things to you.
Our Lord is very loving and heloved us so much that he gave
(31:56):
his life for you, for you andfor me.
Also, he'll go with us intoGalilee.
He'll go with us to the veryquiet spots where we can trust
him and we can learn from himand how great our Lord is.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
He also didn't leave them wondering.
He knew that after he would dieand be buried, that he was
going to be raised again.
He just said that he gives theminstructions.
He doesn't leave them wonderingwell, what are we going to do
now?
I think they can take peace inknowing that when he does die
and he is buried, that they cantake peace in saying he said he
(32:32):
was going to raise again.
He said for us to go to Galilee, we have some instructions that
we could do.
Now we see that they don'tactually do that right away, but
still he's thinking about them,even though at the time
whenever he's going to be gonefor a little bit, he's giving
them instructions on where tofind him once again.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
That's all for today because of time, but next time
we're going to see Jesus go intoan oil press.
You might not know about thestory of Jesus in an oil press,
but there is one and we'll findthat out next time.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
Thank you so much for watching and listening.
May God bless you.
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