INSTITUTION: THE KING’S ROUND TABLE

The First Supper

Mark 14:22-26

      In English legend, King Arthur gathered strong and brave knights to his round table before a mighty conquest. The evening before Christ’s victory on the cross, He gathered twelve men to His table.

      Jesus desired greatly to eat the Last Supper with His disciples (Lk. 22:15). On the day of preparation Jesus sent Peter and John to make ready for the meal (Lk. 22:8).

1. Room preparation

•          Furnished room (recline)

•          Upper room (Acts 1:13)

2. Supper preparation

•          Lamb (killed in the afternoon after the daily sacrifices)

            □          Presented in the temple

            □          Slain by the worshiper

            □          Blood offered at the altar

            □          Portion burned on the altar

            □          Roasted for meal

•          Unleavened bread (Ex. 12:8-15)

•          Bitter herbs (Ex. 12:8)

3. Heart preparation

•          “Lord, is it I?”(Mk. 14:19)

•          “Am I clean?”(Jn. 13:11)

      After Passover that night Jesus ended an old memorial and began a new meal. Jesus did away with the old and established the new based upon better blood.

Heb. 12:24 [NIV]. To Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

  I. Typology of the supper (14:22-23)

      The Old Testament taught in type the truths of the New Testament. Jesus instituted the first Lord’s Supper at the last Passover. That evening the disciples witnessed the last Passover lamb in type and the next morning witnessed the true Lamb of God on the cross.

      A. Exodus (Lk. 9:31)

          1. Unblemished Lamb (1 Pet. 1:19)

          2. Unleavened Bread (1 Cor. 5:7)

      B. Elements

      The elements of the Passover meal symbolized the Lamb that would come. The elements of the Lord’s Supper symbolized the Lamb that has come.

      Clearly, Jesus spoke in types or symbols when He said, “This is my body.” Jesus did not institute superstitions or deify objects when He spoke in symbols. Jesus did not authorize the adoration of the symbols.

      In church history this simple statement of Jesus took different interpretations.

•          Catholic view–transubstantiation. At the blessing of the priest , the bread ceases to be bread and each particle becomes the whole substance of His actual body. The mass is a sacrifice, and the cup is withdrawn from the laity.

•          Lutheran view–consubstantiation. The substance of His real body is present (omnipresent) in, with, and under the bread and wine in a supernatural union during the sacrament.

•          Calvinistic view–spiritual. By faith Christ is spiritually present in the bread through the agency of the Holy Spirit. Christ is not attached or enclosed in any way to the bread. Christ does not occupy a variety of places at the same time which would be inconsistent with His heavenly majesty and human nature.

•          Zwinglian view–commemoration. The bread symbolizes His broken body and blood. No material substance can convey the spiritual presence of Christ (Lo, I am with you always). The institution is a gift of God which seals the union between Christ and a believer.

•          Baptist view–symbolic. The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience. A symbolical sign does not mean an empty sign.

          1. Blessing (Mk. 6:41, 8:7, 14:22; 1 Cor. 10:16) for the broken (Mk. 8:6, 14:22) body

              a. Symbol of communion (1 Cor. 10:3-4)

                  (1) Shared in community (1 Cor. 10:17)

                  (2) Shared with Christ (Jn. 21:12)

Jesus has a table spread

Where the saints of God are fed,

He invites His chosen people, “Come and dine”;

With His manna He doth feed

And supplies our every need:

O ’tis sweet to sup with Jesus all the time!

“Come and dine,” the Master calleth, “Come and dine”;

You may feast at Jesus’ table all the time;

He Who fed the multitude, turned the water into wine,

To the hungry calleth now, “Come and dine.”

              b. Symbol of completeness (Jn. 6:51-58)

      The broken flesh of Jesus symbolized the rent veil in the Most Holy place (Heb. 10:20). Jesus ended the need of daily offerings by the sacrifice of Himself (Heb. 10:14).

Heb. 10:14 [ESV]. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

          2. Thanksgiving (Mk. 8:6, 14:23; Jn. 6:11; Acts 27:35; 1 Cor. 11:24) for the shed (Mk. 14:24; Acts 2:17-33, 10:45; Rom. 5:5; Tit. 3:6) blood

              a. Symbol of the cup

                  (1) Single (Mt. 26:27)

                  (2) Suffering (Mk. 10:38, 14:36)

                  (3) Separation (1 Cor. 10:21)

                  (4) Salvation (Ps. 116:13)

      Alexander Maclaren said, “The outward rite with its symbol is the exhibition in visible form of that truth, that the blood of Jesus Christ seals to the world the infinite mercy of God.”

              b. Symbol of cleansing

                  (1) Forgiveness (Mt. 26:28)

                  (2) Final (Heb. 9:12)

      Josephus recorded that once during the days of Nero, priests slew 256,500 lambs at the Passover (Wars, vi. 9, 3; ii. 14, 3). Even while the Jewish Passover took place in the temple where priests sacrificed many lambs, Jesus instituted the New Covenant–One Lamb for many, once for all.

 II. Theology of the supper (14:24)

      A. Cross (1 Cor. 10:16)

          1. Substitute (Mk. 10:45)

          2. Sacrifice (Is. 53:12)

      John Owen wrote, “The ordinance is commemorative: “ Do this in remembrance of me.” And there is no greater joy to the heart of sinners, and a man knows not how to give greater glory to God, than to call the atonement of sin unto remembrance.”

      B. Covenant (Jer. 31:31; Mk. 14:24; 1 Cor. 11:25; 2 Cor. 3:6; Gal. 4:24; Heb. 7:22, 8:6-8-10, 9:15-20, 10:16, 12:24, 13:20)

      The Lord’s Supper symbolized the beginning of the New Covenant. Now, this supper memorializes the death of the One who made the New Covenant (Heb. 9:15).

2 Cor. 3:6. Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Heb. 9:15 [GNB]. For this reason Christ is the one who arranges a new covenant, so that those who have been called by God may receive the eternal blessings that God has promised. This can be done because there has been a death which sets people free from the wrongs they did while the first covenant was in effect.

III. Eschatology of the supper (14:25)

      A. Waiting for the King (1 Cor. 11:26)

      The untranslated Aramaic phrase Maranatha (cf. Phil. 4:5; Rev. 1:7, 22:20) meaning “Our Lord comes” (mara–Lord, Dan. 5:23; come, Dan. 3:26--impv.; Didache 10, 6) became a watchword of the waiting church (like Amen, Hallelujah). The church connected the phrase with the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.

      Edersheim wrote, “To this day, in every Jewish home, at a certain part of the Paschal service- after the ‘third cup,’ or the ‘cup of blessing,’ has been drunk- a door is opened to admit Elijah the prophet as forerunner of the Messiah, while appropriate passages are at the same time read. . . .”

      B. Wedding in the Kingdom (Rev. 19:9)

Lk. 22:30. That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

 IV. Doxology of the supper (14:26)

      A. Singing (Mk. 14:26; Acts 16:25; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16)

      That night in the Passover meal, Jesus and the disciples sang from the traditional passages of the Hallel (Ps. 113-118). Jesus went singing praise to God on the way to the cross.

Ps. 113:3. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name [is] to be praised.

Ps. 118:14. The LORD [is] my strength and song, and is become my salvation.

Ps. 118:22-24. The stone [which] the builders refused is become the head [stone] of the corner.

 23. This is the LORD'S doing; it [is] marvellous in our eyes.

 24. This [is] the day [which] the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

      While enemies plotted the crucifixion of Jesus, Jesus prepared a fellowship meal with His disciples. Jesus knew the betrayal in the heart of Judas, but the hatred of hell did not disturb His peace (Jn. 14:1, 27).

      B. Praying (Olives–2 Sam. 15:30; Zech. 14:4; Mk. 11:1, 13:3, 14:26; Lk. 21:37, 22:39; Acts 1:12)

Lk. 22:39. And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.

      Gethsemane meant “oil-press.” Jesus drank of the crushed grape from the garden at the Lord’s Supper and then went to the garden of crushing for prayer.

      Jesus walked through the valley of crushing that He might prepare a table of victory (Ps. 23:5).

Then He’ll call us home to Heaven, at His table we’ll sit down;
Christ will gird Himself and serve us with sweet manna all around.