October 7, 2024: Monday Bible Study on the Gospel of Mark 14:22-26
Be joyful in Christ every day. It really does seem like we have a number of members who are in need of personal prayers this past week. Please pray for Liisa and Raul as they begin their journey raising the twin granddaughters, who are in middle school. They picked them up yesterday, and headed to western CA. Prayers for the church's good friends and hard worker Robert. He has just discovered that he has a number of illnesses which will require some life changes. Pray for his healing. Please also pray for Sharyn Burt's good friends Bobbie and Sharon who both have serious health issues. Pray to for Maggie's sister Pam who brain surgery on the 3rd to improve the effects of Parkinsons. Pray as well for Elody and Christian whose new twins have been in the NICU for 2 months. Here is one for us though, offer prayers of thanksgiving for Camille who was testing for cancer of the blood. She is clear and OK. And for some reason our member Carmelita and her friend Milton are on my mind this morning. Offer prayers for the LORD to be present in their lives, guiding them every day. And we must also pray for comfort and peace for Kandice, Lisa, and Alexis as the news of Kandice's cancer has begun to spread throughout her body. Prayers for a miracle of healing would be great too! We must also pray for peace in the Middle East conflicts.
Today we are in the passage in Mark which details the Words of Christ in the consecration of the Sacrament of Holy Communion. It is hard for me to believe that this December 30th I have been speaking these words of grace and love for all who accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. It is here that Jesus moves the remembrance which was present in the Passover meal to a status of the Holy and Living Presence of Himself in the bread and wine of this grace-filled meal. Note that it still contained the remembrance part but added to it His own Living Presence. This IS my body. This IS my blood.
We are called in this Meal to do more than remember. We are offered the opportunity to once again have Christ's gifts of Life, Forgiveness, and Salvation, just as we did at our Baptisms. Just a reminder - The only way that a person can come to this meal believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, is when they are drawn to its grace and love by the power of the Holy Spirit. So, Baptism may not be a pre requisite for belief to be present. Peter found this out when he traveled to the home of a Roman Soldier whose members, servants, and slaves had come to belief, but had never been Baptized. When we think about the Passover in Egypt its is important for us to remember that an important part of being saved from the Angel of Death as the eating of the Lamb whose blood had been given for them to use to mark their homes with the sign of its blood. In reality Christ is really renewing all of this. He too will lose His body to sacrifice, giving up His life's blood to save us from death. But in our meal of bread and wine it is Christ, who by the power of God, saves us from sin and death when we pass through the grave, the gate of death, and are welcomed into the LORD'S eternal kingdom, Heaven. We cannot fail to see all of the parallels between these two events, one given to free the SLAVES (us) and of Himself to become the Lamb of Life for all of us.
Let's take a few minutes to talk about the Passover Meal and its symbols:
The cup of the Kiddush. Kiddush is translated at sanctification. In other words, this cup was intended to make this meal more than the physical food and drink. It was to separate this meal from the other meals which people eat.
The first handwashing, implying that a person must be clean who is to preside over this celebration and remembrance.
A piece of parsley or lettuce was then taken to dip in the salt water, and then it was eaten. This leafy food was meant as a reminder of the hyssop with which was used to smear the blood of the lamb on the door frame, in order for the Angel of Death to move past this house.
The breaking of the bread, which was then offered with two blessings, both of which give praise and thanks to God for His provision in the world. At this time in the meal only a small amount of the bread was eaten, reminding the guests at the meal that this represented the Break of Affliction, reminding them too that as slaves they never had a whole loaf of bread to share.
Next comes the story of the deliverance from Egypt which the youngest at the table would read or recite. For the Jewish people this meal will always be just a meal of remembrance, never one of ritual in which the original story might be lost.
At this point in the meal, Psalms 113 and 114 are sung. These Psalms, along with others up to 118, are songs of the Praise of God.
At this time, the second cup of wine and water is drunk. Its name is the cup of Haggadah, the cup of explaining.
Now all the participants in the meal wash their hands, cleansed to receive the meal.
Grace is said. Blessed art thou O LORD, our God who brings forth fruit from the earth. Blessed art though O God, who has sanctified us with thy commandments and enjoined us to eat unleavened cakes. After this prayer of blessing, all are invited to receive another small piece of bread.
Next, some of the bitter herbs are placed between two pieces of the bread and dipped in the Charoset as a reminder of the bricks and mud that their ancestors has made as slaved in Egypt.
The meal is eaten including all of the whole lamb. There was to be none of the lamb left.
After eating the meal everyone's hands are to be washed again.
Any remaining unleavened bread is to be eaten after the main meal.
A prayer of thanksgiving is offered which contains a petition for the coming of the Messiah. After this prayer the third cup of wine is consumed. This cup is called the cup of thanksgiving and is accompanied by prayer. "Blessed are You O LORD our God, King of the universe who has created the fruit of the vine.
The second part of the Hallel is sung. Psalms 115-118.
The fourth cup is drunk as Psalm 136 is sung. This Psalm is known as the Great Hallel.
Short prayers are said as for the closure of the Passover Feast. All thy works shall praise thee ......, and the breath of all that lives shall praise You......
I hope that this gives you a little better understanding of the relationship between Christ's life, and the Passover meal. In Christ it is clear that Jesus is confident about His coming death, but He is also confident in the coming Glory which all people will know through His death on the cross.
I will be back with you tomorrow as we move into the next part of the text for study in Mark.
In Christ's Love, Pastor Kim
Comments