IT’S MY PARTY
Opening Prayer
Thank You, Jesus, for Your loving acceptance of me. I am truly overwhelmed by Your unfailing love.
Read Mark 14:12–26
The Last Supper
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[a] 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.
Footnotes:
a Mark 14:24 Some manuscripts the new
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Do I ever fear Jesus’ rejection?Eating, for most, is one of the great pleasures in life. It is a great way to share ourselves with someone else – not simply in providing nourishing food, but sharing ourselves in conversation and getting to know others.
Our verses note that the disciples were “reclining at the table eating” (18), when Jesus comes out with His extraordinary notice of betrayal. Pressed, Jesus says it will be the “one who dips bread into the bowl with me” (20). It is significant that Jesus does not name the betrayer. He has no need as He lays out the consequences before him, almost as a warning.
And yet, “While they were eating…” (22). The meal continues. Despite His betrayer being present Jesus turns no one away and everyone still eats at His table. All of them knew they fell short of Jesus’ godly standards. The betrayer could have been any one of them, and yet Jesus continues to allow them to eat with him.
What encouragement for us, asked to remember the Lord Jesus in broken bread and wine! Even sinners are welcome at the Lord’s table.
Apply
When was the last time you took part in communion? You may or may not have bread and grape juice today to have physical communion, but take this time to reflect on Christ’s loving sacrifice.
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, help me never to be afraid to come and share my life with You, as You share Yourself with me.
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