Jesus Knows What He is Doing

Mark 14:12-31

 INTRO:

• If you had one last meal to eat, what would you eat?
  • We probably would choose our favorite food…
  • Jesus chose to obey God’s command and eat a Passover meal of roasted lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs, and wine.
• If you had one last meal, with whom would you eat?
  • We would want our family, close friends, people we loved, maybe someone famous.
  • Jesus chose his closest friends.  However, among those close friends were the same people that would disappoint him, deliver him over to his enemies, and deny him.
  • Not the exact people that would be first on my list.  However, I don’t have the knowledge that Jesus had.  I do not know everything.  There are lots of things that don’t make sense to me, but Jesus knows what He is doing.

     Jesus ate with lots of different people.  On several occasions, Jesus was found eating with tax collectors and sinners (Mark 2:15; Luke 15:1).  He also ate with religious leaders as well as the down and out.  On one occasion, He is eating at the home of Simon the Leper (Mark 14:3).

The meal that I would like to look at today is found in Mark 14:12-31.  This scene marks the beginning of series of events that I am calling, “From the Upper Room to the Empty Tomb.”  We are going to spend the next few weeks spending time with Jesus in his last 24 hours on earth on his way to the Calvary.

 In this text, we see three instances where Jesus know what he is doing.

 1.  JESUS KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING BY SEEING INTO THE FUTURE.

A.     Upper Room Preparations (13-16)

B.     Betrayal Predicted (17-21)

C.     Denial and Abandonment Predicted (27-31)

D.     I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God (25)

 In the ensuing drama that will soon be played out.  With mobs chanting crucify, guards beating, scourging, abusing Him, Jesus still knows how it will end.  Did He have second thoughts, yes, I believe He did.  However, He knew the end of the story.

 2.  JESUS KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING BY CHANGING A SPECIAL MEAL TO A LIFE GIVING MEAL.

A.     Passover to Lord’s Supper (12, 22-25)

B.     Symbolic Meaning of Passover: 

C.     Lord’s Supper = New Covenant

 Symbolism for Passover and Last Supper (Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, p. 447).

 When you were in college or the military or at camp, did you ever receive a care package?  These gifts served as powerful reminders that you were loved and that someone was thinking of you.  Maybe more importantly, they served as an encouragement that soon you will be reunited.  I believe that is what the Lord’s supper represents.  It reminds you that you are loved, but it also looks forward to a reunion.

 3.  JESUS KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING BY EATING WITH THOSE WHO WOULD DESERT HIM (17-21; 27-31).

A.     Jesus chose to eat his last meal with the one who would betray Him.

                                                               i.      Context of 14:1-2; 10-11

                                                             ii.      Better if he had never been born.  What if Jesus had never been born?  We would all be in trouble.

B.     Jesus chose to eat his last meal with those who would disappoint Him (verse 27).

C.     Jesus chose to eat his last meal with the one who would publicly deny Him (verses 29-31).

 “The thing that defines human personalities is that they are constantly comparing themselves to one another” (Donald Miller, Searching For God Knows What, p. 92).

            Think about the TV shows that are on right now:  Survivor, American Idol, Fear Factor, Bachelor, Bachelorette, on E! there is “Rank” where you rank the most eligible bachelor, best couple…  We are obsessed with comparing ourselves and seeing how good we are and how bad someone else is.  Admit it or not, we are in a ranking society.

            I look forward to looking in the paper every Tuesday to see the Illini as the #1 team in the nation.

            Aren’t you glad the Jesus did not go by this system?  It would be interesting to see who would win if you put the 12 disciples on “Survivor”.  You know who probably would win?  Probably not Peter, He would have been voted off real quick, probably after Simon the Zealot.  Probably not James and John, sons of Thunder.  You know who would probably win in survivor?  Judas Iscariot.  He had the trust of the group by being the money keeper.  Even when He left during the meal, the 11 other disciples did not believe he was going out to betray Jesus.

            If Jesus went with a ranking mentality, He would have been dining alone.  But instead, he shared with those who would desert, deny, and deliver him over to be killed.  That’s love.  Thankfully, we would never do that right?

            Let’s go back over the last week.  Was there a time when people asked you if you go to church?  Did you confidently say, Yes, I go to BCC?  Or did you say, oh, sometimes.  Or maybe someone was hurting on you visibly could tell that they just needed a friend, did you go help or walk on by?

 Application:

1. Since Jesus knows what He is doing, we can be comforted when things are not going as they should.  To be flat honest, Jesus was innocent and the leader.  He should not have been abandoned by His closest friends.  He should not have been betrayed or denied.  However, it was according to God’s plan and Jesus knew that.
2. Since Jesus knows what He is doing, we can be comforted that He chose to eat with those who would disappoint, deny, and deliver Him over to His enemies.  Again, aren’t you glad that Jesus ate with those who are unworthy?  In a moment, we are going to have the opportunity to dine with Jesus.  We are unworthy.  We have denied and disappointed Jesus, but thankfully He knows what He is doing and is willing to forgive us.
3. Since Jesus knows what He is doing, He has transformed a purely symbolic meal of remembrance from the Old Testament to a love feast where we celebrate His victory.  The Lord’s Supper, while it is sorrowful and sad to reflect upon the death of Christ, is a celebration of victory.  Let us not forget that when we reflect upon this communion meal.

 D.T.  Jesus knows what He is doing.  Aren’t you thankful He does?