Read Mark 14:22-25
Jesus shares the Passover meal with his disciples, including the disciple who would betray him. The Passover meal served as a reminder to the Israelite people of God’s deliverance from slavery to the Egyptians, but it also pointed forward to the one who would come who would take away the sin of the world.
In Jesus the Passover meal is fulfilled, so we as Christians do not regularly celebrate Passover because the point of Passover was to point forward to Jesus. Just as God had delivered his people from human slavery, from the oppression of the Egyptians, God had a greater plan for the freeing of all people from the oppression and slavery of sin.
In the same way, the taking of the bread and the juice in communion is a reminder to us of our deliverance from slavery, a reminder of the extent that God was willing to go to demonstrate his love for us, to answer that question that niggles away within us – does God love me? It’s a reminder that sin has been broken, the wages of sin is death and death has been paid. It a reminder that I am not my own, I have been bought with a price, paid in blood, saved by grace (1 Cor 6:19-20).
But it’s more than that – it points forward to a time when there will be no sickness, no death, to a time of peace in God’s Kingdom under God’s sovereign rule. It points forward to Jesus’ return and that’s an exciting thing.
Questions/Discussion;
What stood out for you in today’s story? Do you have any questions?
- What does it mean to you to know that Jesus has paid the price for you to have a relationship with God?
- How does that change (or how should it change) the way you live?
- Take time to listen for God’s promptings this week as you spend time in prayer, reading God’s word (the bible) and observing the world around you.
Pray For Each Other
We’ve skipped Mark 14:26-31. If you get a chance during the week, catch it up.