Wow, we had a great discussion going last week! Thank you to all who participated. I might need to mention that I may be lifting some of this conversation and using it in our teaching time, I hope that’s OK. I think this is a great way to expand the exploration and make it interactive to some degree. This is putting the technology we have to good use, IMO.
OK…so our passage this week will be Mark 14:12-26.
As we read this passage, we can see the unifying theme to these verses. What is it? What is happening all through this section?
If you were to take this section, and break it into chunks, you would have v12-16, v17-21 and v 22-26. It’s interesting that each of these vignettes tell a different sub-story, yet all together, they describe the whole event.
In v12-16, Jesus sends His disciples to get a room prepared for them all to celebrate the Passover. Mark spends a lot of time on this detail. One thing that interests me is that they waited so long to get this room. Jerusalem is swollen with pilgrims from all over the country…it’s like spring break on the beach. I wonder how easy it is to come down to the beach the night before spring break starts and just get a room? As we read this…what is this sub-story telling us? How do we apply what we learn from this story to our own lives?
In v17-21 Jesus breaks the news that not all of the disciples are who they seem to be. There is a traitor in their midst. It’s a dire warning, and certainly not what the disciples were expecting for diner conversation. What is their reaction to this news? How do they feel, what do they say? How do we apply this to our own lives?
Finally, in v 22-26 Jesus takes the Passover meal in a whole new direction. Jesus took portions of the meal and applied them symbolically to Himself, and the events that were about to unfold. In v24-25, there is a word that gets repeated. What word is it? What does it tell us about the effect of Jesus’ death on us? What is the lesson we learn from the Lord’s Table?
Stuff to think about. Have a great week, see yer’ Sundee!
WONDERWHAT 
The disciples are sorrowful and question if they might be the one who betrays Jesus…Jon Courson points out that these are the same guys who argued a couple of days before about who would be the greatest. Jon comments that people are different when Jesus is in their midst. The same with Isaiah who preached, “Woe unto you…”until he saw Jesus, then he said, “Woe unto me.”
This portion of scripture brings back some memories of my childhood, some painful to my soul. My mother was a member of Worldwide Church of God, but has since converted to Methodist, Praise God!!! I have memories of observing the Old Testament Holy Days (which included Feast of Unleavened Bread and The Passover). I can relate to the preparation portion of the scriptures. My mother worked for a week cleaning “every tiny, little, minute bit of leaven” out of our kitchen and we ate unleavened bread for a week. (Leaven was concidered sin in the Old Covenant laws.) Then came the Passover meal which was celebrated with an extravagant dinner with all the decorations and fancy foods. A lot of time was spent on the preparation during these feast times each year. I was soooo confused because my grandparents were Baptist!
Thank you Lord for allowing me to see Your Truth: You are the Passover Lamb who freed me from the bondage of my sin. You have instituted the New Covenant of Your Love and Grace, called The Lord’s Supper, which is a “Memorial of Your Death” to strengthen my soul. Words can hardly describe how grateful I am for Your sacrifice. I will eat the bread (which reminds me of your body broken for me) and I will drink the juice or wine (which reminds me of your blood shed for me). I will be forever grateful and I will celebrate You and Your sacrifice forever!!!!
I like that a few of the disciples asked if it was them. I can totally relate to that. I think our enemy plants that seed in our lives that makes us constantly question whether or not we’re being good Christians. It’s almost like there’s two extremes. We’ve either fooled ourselves into thinking we’ve got this together and we’re asking God if we can sit on his right hand side. Or, we’re running around feeling like every thing we do is wrong in God’s sight, and while it breaks our heart to think that we might betray God, it also seems plausible because we see ourselves as being completely hopeless at this Christian thing. Thank goodness Jesus is bigger than all that. I’m sure he had love in his eyes when he looks at his disciples who were probably frantically running through their memories trying to figure out if they had betrayed him in some way earlier. Yes, Jesus is bigger than our two extremes. He holds our hands trying to keep us from leaving that wonderful middle ground. When we think we’ve got it together, he reminds us that he’s in control and he forgives us for trying to be bigger in our lives than him. And, when we think we must be his biggest loser of a child, he whispers loving words in our ears and reminds us that he’s in control and he forgives us for trying to be bigger in our lives than him.
Mary and Joseph didn’t call ahead for reservations either.
Hey Rob, Where is the preview of this Sunday’s message? I thought somebody said you always posted it on Tuesday? I thought I might like to hear the rest of the story. Mark 14:27-41, Peter’s denial, Gethsemane….Dude, I know you’re the busiest guy in PCB, but……
Wow intense last week, the video really hit home. Don’t know what my sign would read: maybe coward afraid of Jesus………Glad I started to come to the Fellowship ……………………….but I have a lot to accept in my life
I agree! I’ve missed the preview. I have read ahead and have been thinking alot about Jesus’ struggling in His soul in the garden. This has made me ask myself these questions: “Do I follow my Master’s lead in all areas of my life? Do I trust that He knows what’s best for me more than I know myself? Do I put the needs of others ahead of my own desires, the way Jesus did for me?”
Glad everyone enjoy’s the pre-study posts.
Keep looking for insights into that passage, and definately give this site a look on Tuesdays, because that’s when I normally post.
gdoyle: I’d be interested in hearing more about what you mean in the last part of your comment. Feel free to e-mail me about it if you’d prefer.
gdoyle… Welcome. We’re glad you decided to to come visit as well. I’ll look forward to meeting you. I think I’ll need the cardboard from the side of a refrigerator crate for my admission.
Thanks Rob for sharing the video. I shared the video with several at work and some of the ones I felt would watch ‘at’ it to humor me or delete it played it over and over! I got back many emails and you could feel the excitement in the words written back. Hope and Grace, what a combo!
I’m not sure what my sign would read either. I remember turning to my mother and telling her that there wasn’t enough cardboard to make one. But I suppose that’s the beauty of it all. God knows us better than we know ourselves. I can tell you what the other side of the cardboard would say; “forgiven, free to live life to the fullest.”