Blood, Bread & Betrayal

I don't remember when I first led Communion.

It was in my early 20s, but I do consider it as a pastor to be an immense privilege.

I don't know how many I've done in officiating at Communion services, at the Lord's Supper.

We have it on that table.

It would be many, many hundreds of times.

And I'll always remember my Bible College theology lecturer in my early 20s.

I was sitting under Ross Clifford and he said, he talked about the Communion, the Lord's Supper.

And he said, the Catholic Church believes in transubstantiation.

And that means they believe that when the priest prays the prayer and invokes the Spirit of God to come upon the elements, the bread and the wine, they actually become the body of Christ, the bread, and the blood of Christ, the wine.

And so it's very important that the priest eats the bread and makes sure that the wine is consumed because it's the body and blood of our Lord.

Now as Protestants, as Baptists, we don't believe that.

But as Ross Clifford, my theological, theology lecturer, suggested, as Protestants we believe in transignification.

Has anyone heard of that?

Transignification is the idea that the elements, bread and grape juice, for us we remember what they mean, what they signify, and they very much like the fabric of a flag.

It's just cotton, maybe wool, something synthetic, some fabric.

It's just fabric until you hoist that flag up a pole.

And people are likely to give their lives for that flag, for their country.

It's changed.

There's a transignification that's happened to the fabric.

And in the same way, we believe that these very simple elements, a little bit of bread, it's gluten-free, a little chopped up bread, and grape juice, they signify the most important thing on Earth.

The body of Christ, the life of Christ, and the blood of Christ.

Tonight's message is entitled Blood, Bread, and Betrayal.

Blood, bread, and betrayal.

And it's all about the Last Supper.

Jesus has been methodically, in Mark's Gospel from about Chapter 9, set his face towards Jerusalem, has been heading towards his death, towards the cross, towards Jerusalem.

And we mentioned this morning that there's a bit of zigzagging in the last months and the last week outside to Bethany, which is about three k's away, so it's like Hornsby to Orunga.

And he's coming back and forth from Bethany with some interesting things happening.

The Mount of Olives, where the triumphant entry happens, it's sort of a very big stone's throw, but it's not that far from Temple Mount.

So a lot of these things happen, he's talking in the temple.

Matthew has him denouncing the Pharisees in the temple.

But for Mark, there's this sense of him moving towards Jerusalem for the last time, and so as Alex read for us, it's the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread.

It's customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb.

And so Jesus' disciples ask him, Master, because it's sort of like his Passover, it's the Rabbi's Passover.

Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?

Which is just an interesting way to phrase it, but that's what they did.

It's like the Rabbi is celebrating Passover, and the disciples join the Rabbi.

So he sends two of his disciples ahead, saying, go into the city and find a man carrying a jar of water who will meet you.

What's interesting about that immediately?

Who would normally be carrying water in the first century?

It'd be a woman, a woman's typically carrying it.

So we sort of don't know, is this just something that he's set up as a sign?

I don't think so.

I think it's more interesting than that.

The teacher said, where is my guest room?

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.

And he will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready.

Make preparations for us there.

You guys know the upper room, don't you?

This is like the place, the upper room that Pentecost happens at.

The disciples left one into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them, so they prepared the Passover.

It reminds me of Jesus telling the disciples to go to the Mount of Olives and that they'll find a cult.

Because he knows things, right?

He knows the future, he's sovereign, he's God in human flesh.

It also reminds me of Matthew 17, where they're talking about paying taxes to Caesar, and that amazing, cool moment where Jesus says to Peter, throw your line in down in the water, and the first fish you catch open up its mouth and you'll find a four drachma coin.

Give that and pay my tax and yours.

So he knows stuff, Jesus.

Owners of homes in Jerusalem were obligated to provide space for pilgrims to eat their Passover lambs within the city.

I mentioned this morning, I've heard different things over the years, but my recent commentaries that I read said, Jerusalem would be about 80 to 100,000 people normally, and at Passover time, the big festival, it would swell to more like 350,000.

So it's incumbent upon the Jews to make their homes like an Airbnb for everybody.

So everyone is having Passover lambs at this time.

It's fully busy.

So he has found an upper room, and if you're familiar with the other Gospels, think of John 13.

What happens in John 13 in the upper room?

Yeah, Jesus washes the disciples' feet.

So they go to this upper room, and John tells the story that everyone's waiting for some servant to turn up.

So this very significant John 13, Jesus takes off his robes, puts on the towel of the servant, washes his disciples' feet, and then think John 14 about the Holy Spirit, John 15 abiding in the vine, John 16 more about the Holy Spirit, John 17, the high priestly prayer.

There's action aplenty in this upper room, but Mark doesn't tell us about it.

So read John 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, chapters, so much information about what happens in the upper room.

For Mark, he focuses in on a strange detail.

When evening came, Jesus arrived with the twelve, while they were reclining at the table, and he said, truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.

They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, surely you don't mean me.

They're so myopic, these fellows, aren't they?

It's just immediately thought, it's not me, is it?

They're not like, master, this is terrible.

Who would do it to you?

It's like, oh, it's not me.

Just classic humanity in the midst of it all.

Surely you don't mean me.

It is one of the twelve he replied.

One who dips bread into the bowl with me, 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.

There are so many aspects that Mark could focus on, so much that is said, but I wonder if Mark's Gospel is based on Peter's testimony, isn't it?

So he has his flavour of betrayal.

He has a vibe, like Peter knows all about feeling bad about being the betrayer.

And so maybe, maybe, you know, Peter's testimony rubs off on Mark.

We don't know, but he highlights the betrayal.

Most popular paintings of the Last Supper present what vibe would you say?

Serenity, would that be a word?

Like if you think of a lot of the art of the last couple of thousand years, it's this sort of serenity.

And of course, Judas looks a bit sneaky.

But really, this should be a sense of horror.

It should be like we've just heard that there's a traitor in our midst, a betrayer.

In Jewish culture, this is the fun part about writing sermons.

You get to read up a lot on the passage.

How's this?

Eating bread with someone, I didn't know this.

Eating bread with someone barred you from hostile acts against that person in Jewish culture.

Table fellowship and had more significance for Jews than simply a social gathering.

Eating together was evidence of peace, trust, forgiveness and brotherhood.

Table fellowship.

To betray the one who had given you his bread was unspeakable for a Jew.

But that's what's happening.

Table fellowship.

Everyone knows you don't betray someone at the table.

But Judas is the man.

Judas is the betrayer.

Judas whose name has never topped the most favourite baby names list.

Poor guy.

Yes, but Judas, not really.

The other Gospel say he was a thief.

He had his eye on the money.

But Mark doesn't.

And so you ask the question, why does Mark leave it open?

We don't know why Judas became the betrayer.

For Mark, he intentionally leaves it.

Why do you think?

Why would he purposefully leave it that we don't know why?

Doesn't it link to Romans 1-3?

Doesn't it link to what we know about the human condition?

Isn't Mark pointing towards, we are all betrayers?

Chapters 1, 2, 3 of Romans, Paul makes a very watertight case to say, the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the wickedness being displayed on this earth, and it's from all of you, because creation is shouting for day after day, as Psalm 19 said, there is a God you should worship him, but you're not, though you should, Romans 1-18 and the following says, you know better, but you're not worshipping the one who deserves it.

And then he says in chapter 2 of Romans, if you're a Jew and you think you're safe, you're no better at all.

And he wraps it all up in chapter 3 and says, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

There's no mouth that can be opened up.

Everybody, you are all sinners.

Judas betrayed Jesus, but in this moment, we look at Judas, and I think we should look at a mirror and think, yeah, I know more than Judas did.

If I'm a Christian, I literally have the Holy Spirit, yet I can choose easily the world, the flesh, and the devil over the way of the Master.

The reason there is a communion table, a Lord's Supper, which reminds us of this first Last Supper, the first Lord's Supper, is because there's a problem, a problem of sin.

There is a problem, and it needs to be fixed.

We have all fallen short of the glory of God.

Is it too much to say we are betrayers?

So I want to suggest to you that when you come to that communion table, you think of these three words starting with B.

The betrayal, the blood and the bread.

And the reason the table exists, which represents the cross and the work of Christ, is because humanity are a bunch of betrayers.

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.

Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many, he said to them.

Blood.

Can we focus on the blood for a minute?

On the eve of Passover, work normally ceased at 12 o'clock, and the ritual slaughter of the Passover lambs began around 3 p.m.

Anyone feel that spookiness of that?

The sky goes dark at 3 p.m.

on Friday.

The lamb of God that Revelation tells us about was sacrificed at 3 p.m.

This is when lambs, all these pilgrims have come, right?

They've poured into Jerusalem, finding everywhere they can find shelter, but they've come to sacrifice a lamb at the temple.

I don't know if you've spent much time in the country, maybe, where you've had to slaughter an animal.

I haven't here, but I have in Ethiopia, where you're staying with people, and they'll take a goat, and I don't want to go into too much detail.

I'm sure it sounds a bit graphic, but it's quite different to be in community, and there's a sense of thankfulness for the animal, that is once alive, and then it's not, and it's done all in front of you, and there's blood that comes out as this animal's life is taken, and then it's a great celebration amongst poor people to take that goat and eat it together, and so there's some of that happening here.

It's the Passover Festival, the Passover Gatherings, and the heads of households would take their animal, if you've got enough resources, it would be a lamb, and you take it to the priest in the temple, and they would kill the animal and sprinkle the blood against the base of the altar, and then offer the fat on the altar.

And the animals were then dressed with the legs unbroken and the heads still attached to the carcass and then returned to the worshippers.

Because of the great number of people, they couldn't slaughter the animal, the lamb in particular, and eat it all close by.

That's just way too many people.

So they've got to go out, but there's a stipulation on how far you can go on Passover with your lamb.

So it's just a little bit wider than Jerusalem, but there's a set amount of space, and you need to eat that lamb by that night.

So normally after sunset, strictly speaking, the day of unleavened bread has begun, and you basically spit the lamb, put it on a stick and eat it that night.

So Jesus says, knowing that this is all happening, this is my blood.

He holds a cup up.

And it's the strangest thing for a Jew to say, this is my blood.

Because in Genesis 9, verse 4, they are forbidden to consume blood.

But you must, verse 4, you must not eat meat that has its life blood still in it.

The law later on in Exodus, again, forbids the drinking of blood because it was the life and because it had been ordained by God as a means of atonement.

So it's like to drink blood is not only to break a universal commandment, but it's also to desecrate something that is holy.

It's completely unacceptable to drink blood.

And yet he says, this is my blood.

So what is he saying?

Well, it's a couple of things.

The first thing is wine was considered to be the blood of the grapes.

So for them to hear this is my blood, they're like, okay, there's a sense of an idea that the grapes, the blood of the grapes is the juice.

But the first part is simply Jesus is referring to no more blood of sacrificial animals.

I'm offering that.

I'm going to be the animal that is slaughtered, the lamb of God.

I think for most of us that's pretty familiar territory.

But they just didn't understand that very clearly back then.

He's saying my death, which is coming, is the new once and for all sacrifice offered to God.

No more victims, no more animals required.

And this is what Peter says in 1 Peter 1, you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

So that's number one.

But the second part is really important too.

Mark's Gospel makes it very clear that they drank from one cup.

They don't, like we do it, you know, for health.

We drink out of different cups.

But they didn't on this night.

Do you remember what Jesus once said to James and John, Can you drink the cup that I'm going to drink?

And what he means is, if you drink the cup, we are combined with our destinies.

We are joined.

So when he says to James and John, Can you drink my cup?

It is the cup of suffering that's coming.

Can you drink that?

And what does he say to James and John?

Yes, you will.

You will drink this cup.

So there's this sense on this night, when Jesus said, This is my blood, that he's saying, This is the blood that will be poured out as a sin offering, just like Old Testament times, but this is once and for all Jesus' blood.

But he also said, This is my blood that you need to drink from the one cup.

And the same way I'm going to die, if you follow me, you too will die.

There's no longer I that lives, but Christ who lives in me.

Josie got baptized this morning, which is great, and that baptism is the symbol of my life has gone.

I've drunk the cup.

I'm combined, united with the destiny of Jesus.

He went to a cross, so I have to die, but because I died with him, I also rise with him.

Right, so I get the resurrection.

So the cup of blood at that First Lord's Supper is a covering, a cleansing of sin.

It's a bond with Jesus' destiny.

And also, the third part is, it's a covenant that's been established in Exodus 24.

Moses takes the blood at that time of setting up the covenant, and he sprinkles the blood all over the people because blood represents promise, covenant, unbreakable covenant.

So that's what's happening with us.

When we come to the table, we're remembering the blood of Christ cleanses us by faith of all our sin.

We will drink a cup of suffering.

There's a cross to carry.

And the third part is, there's a promise that's been made, and I can rely on God's covenant faithfulness.

So there's amazing stuff, and it's encouraging.

So we can all relate with Judas the betrayer, but we can all equally receive the power of the blood of Jesus by faith.

Amen?

Blood of Christ is awesome.

It's amazing.

It cleanses and does all these things that I've just said.

The betrayer, the blood.

And we just read in verse 22, while they were eating, Jesus took the bread, and when he'd given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, take it, this is my body.

In the first century, the head of the family would take bread at a meal, and he'd lift the bread up, and he would say, praise be thou, O Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who causes bread to come from the earth.

And after the amen from the people around, he would break the bread, and there would be blessing.

The idea is that he is the bread, Father, our God, King of the Universe, thank you that this bread has come from your hand.

Bless it, and I will break it and share it with my family.

And the blessing comes from God through the head to the family, to the bread as well, through the bread.

That's a pretty cool picture, isn't it?

So can you see the power when Jesus holds the bread up and everyone's expecting him to say the same blessing?

The head of the house, the rabbi, and he goes, this is my body.

This is me.

I'm about to make available blessing that will flow through me to everyone.

Isn't that cool?

That's what the bread means.

And you've got to admit, Mark's made a big deal about bread.

There's 5,000 people and they don't have enough bread.

And so Jesus takes bread, a couple of loaves, five loaves.

He prays blessing on it and he multiplies it and everyone has enough and they're blessed with the bread and they have their tummies filled and there's 12 basketfuls left over.

And then he goes to a region around Galilee, which is mainly Gentile.

That was with the Jews.

Then he goes to the Gentiles, Mark 8, and he takes seven loaves, does the same thing, takes the bread, asks for blessing, gives it out and the symbolism is it's for the Gentiles too.

It's for the Jews, blessed bread, everyone eat.

For the Gentiles, blessed bread, everyone eat.

And then now he says, this bread is not just bread, it's my body.

It's for you.

My body will be lifted up.

And then, I will be blessed.

And through me, you will be blessed.

And he finished by saying, 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.

And then all the worship leaders loved this line.

You know, hymns are good.

They're right there.

They sung a hymn, but wasn't that a powerful song they sang?

I don't know what they sang, but like, man, that's a heart-wrenching song.

What?

Yeah, it's a bit spooky, isn't it, to think about being the one who is the Lamb of God, singing about the Lamb of God.

So I went to the Mount of Olives, where it all begins.

So Jesus would be betrayed this night and handed over to be unfairly tried and then crucified on a cross.

His perfect life, a worthy sacrifice in our place.

His blood shed for us to cover our sin, that the betrayers, and that's all of us, might be bought, literally bought back.

Mark 10 earlier says Jesus came to give his life as a ransom for many.

So when we come to the table, can I encourage you to remember the betrayer, and that's us, the bread which is lifted up and blessed, that we might be blessed.

But it's the life of Jesus and the blood once and for all shed for us, to cleanse us of sin, to unite us to the destiny of Jesus in Christ, we get what he got, even though we don't deserve it, because he took what we deserved, death on a cross.

And the blood reminds us that it's a promise we can bank on, it's a covenant.

When Paul deals with this, the Lord's Supper, there's a whole lot of challenging stuff going on in the church in the first century.

But he says in 1 Corinthians 11, 26, whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

So this betrayer, the bread, the blood, it's eschatological stuff.

It's what will continue to be celebrated again and again and again, because it's about the blessing of the Father through the Son and by the Spirit.

And that's why we do this.

That's why we keep on coming to this table, because the significance is awesome.

Hallelujah.

They're simple symbols.

There's that and there's that.

There's baptism and there's communion given to us, and we added an empty cross as well as Protestants.

What do these symbols mean for you?

I hope you can reflect as we worship.

Lord Jesus, we want to give you all the glory because you are the Lamb of God and you did what the Father asked you to do and we feel privileged to retell the story.

Lord, would you make the elements, the bread and the blood, given for those who are betrayers?

Would you make those elements even more significant in our hearts?

As you give us revelation about who you are and what you've done, and where you're leading us, in your name we pray.

Amen.

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