Getting Ready
Opening Prayer
Heavenly Father, open my heart to Your Word as I remember Your sacrifice.
Read Mark 14:12–26
[12] On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” [13] So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. [14] Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ [15] He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” [16] The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. [17] When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. [18] While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me-one who is eating with me.” [19] They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?” [20] “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me. [21] The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” [22] While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” [23] Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. [24] “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. [25] “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” [26] When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What does Jesus’ sacrifice mean to you personally?Eating together played a vital role in Jesus’ ministry. Meals were times of deep spiritual significance—sharing the Gospel, offering forgiveness and being opportunities for worship. So it was essential that all was well-prepared. The disciples are now involved in the final stages of preparing for the feast of the Passover. Sadly, Judas is also prepared to betray his Master, and he is warned about this during the meal. Behind the scenes, God has been preparing something unique and life-changing. The disciples expected to eat the Passover lamb to mark the Jewish escape from Egypt, but God had planned to offer Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the world’s sin and brings spiritual freedom to all who believe. Jesus, therefore, takes the bread as a mark of his broken body, and the cup of wine symbolizing his blood poured out for many. Jesus died once for all. Every time we come to the Lord’s Table for Communion or the Lord’s Supper we need to come prepared to confess our sin and offer our praise and thanks to the Lord for his forgiveness, mercy and love.
Apply
Take this moment to prepare your heart before God. Quietly meditate on Jesus’ sacrifice.
Closing prayer
Lord, help me to confess my sins to You and to turn away from all that is wrong.
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