The Offerings of God
Text: Mark 14:12-26 Speaker: Pastor Matthew Ude Festival: Maundy Thursday Passages: Mark 14:12-26
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Mark 14:12-26
The Passover with the Disciples (Listen)
12 And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” 16 And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
17 And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” 20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. 21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”
Institution of the Lord’s Supper (Listen)
22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the1 covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial (Listen)
26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Footnotes
[1] 14:24
(ESV)
The words of institution to the Lord’s Supper are filled with the sacrificial language of the Old Testament. Words like body, blood, given, shed, poured out, and remission, call to mind the offerings and sacrifices of the Old Testament. Jesus makes it clear that his supper is to be an offering. Not an offering from men to God but from God to man.
The Lord’s Supper is not a sacrifice. Christ was sacrificed once for all when he died on the cross. The sacrifice is finished and complete. The Lord’s Supper is not a sacrifice, but it is an offering from God to us.
We are going to look at some of these Old Testament sacrifices and examine what they can teach us about the Lord’s Supper. In particular we are going to look at the three voluntary offerings.
The Burnt Offering
The first of these voluntary offerings was the burnt offering.
Leviticus 1:13 Then the priest shall bring it all and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.
Notice the use of the term all. The burnt offering was unique in that all the animal was to be burnt, except only the pelt. No part of the of the animal’s flesh was given to the priest. Thus, the burnt offering indicated dedication, devotion, and commitment to God. The meat and bone were burnt completely, everything was given to God.
When God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, he was supposed to be a burnt offering.
Genesis 22:2 2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
The point of the sacrifice was for Abraham to show his total commitment to God.
God even comments himself on this when he says to Abraham “now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son.”
This same dedication and commitment is present in the Lord’s Supper only reversed. We do not give dedication to God but receive it from Jesus in the Lord’s Supper. Jesus was not burnt, but the prophet Isaiah reminds us of his utter and complete commitment.
Isaiah 53:12 Because He poured out His soul unto death.
In the Lord’s supper he dedicates himself utterly to us.
As he himself says, “this is my body given for you, this is my blood shed for you.” Nothing is withheld from us. He has given himself completely even his body and his blood is poured out for you.
Just as the rainbow is a covenant that God will never again destroy the earth. So, his body and blood are a greater covenant. God has dedicated himself utterly to his people.
In Joshua 1:9 God declared his absolute commitment to his people and to Joshua.
Jos 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.“
Jesus has given you this same commitment in his supper as he promised us.
Matthew 28:20 lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
The Lord’s Supper is God’s burnt offering to his people. A covenant of his eternal commitment.
The Grain Offering
The second voluntary offering was the grain offering.
Leviticus 2:1 When anyone offers a grain offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour. And he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it.
The grain offering could be brought as fine flour mixed with oil, or it could be brought as a cake or loaf of bread. However, it was to be made without yeast.
The grain was not offered alone, it was usually accompanied by a drink offering of wine, which was poured out.
Grain and drink offerings expressed gratitude and thanksgiving. They were an offering of first fruits. They were a recognition of the Lord’s favor. They were a giving of thanks for his blessings. These offerings were given before his blessings had actually been received.
When God told Manoah and his wife they would have a son, Samson, they offered a grain offering to the Lord. They gave thanks for his blessing even though they had not yet received the child. They believed God’s word and gave thanks for the blessing as if they had already received it.
Our Psalm for the night refers to this grain offering:
Psalm 116:12-13 What shall I render to the LORD For all His benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the LORD.
Because of all that the Lord has done the psalmist offers up to the Lord the drink offering. It was not a drink offering which he brings to the Lord, but rather a drink offering which the Lord himself gives, the cup of salvation.
In the Lord’s supper we receive the bread as a grain offering from God. Christ’s blood is poured out for you as a drink offering. This drink offering is not the first fruit of the earthly harvest but of the heavenly one.
Jesus told his disciples:
Mark 14:24 “I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
With these words Jesus makes the Lords Supper an offering of the first fruits of his kingdom.
Just as Manoah and his wife by faith gave the grain offering before they had received the blessing of a son, trusting the word of God that Samson would be given to them. So also, we receive the bread and the wine, the grain offering God has given to us, as the first taste of the feast that is to come.
The Lord’s supper is a grain offering, the giving of the first fruits of his grace and kingdom.
The Peace Offering
The third voluntary offering was the peace offering.
Leviticus 7:15 The flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day it is offered.
The third voluntary offering was the peace offering. It involved the best and unblemished animal from the herd and various grain and bread offerings. This sacrifice expressed thanksgiving, but it also emphasized fellowship, as it was followed by a shared meal.
After David brought up the ark to Jerusalem, he offered both burnt offerings and peace offerings.
2 Samuel 6:18-19 18 And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts. 19 Then he distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both the women and the men, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, everyone to his house.
Of all the three the Lord’s supper is most closely associated with the peace offering. The peace offering had all three elements that we find in the Lord’s Supper: the Lamb, the bread and the wine. The Lord’s supper has the bread and the wine, and the lamb in the form of the very body and blood of Jesus which is received in the bread and wine.
The peace offering was not only to bring peace with God, but it also emphasized that because of the fellowship we have with God therefore we have peace and fellowship with one another. As we heard in our scripture reading.
1 Corinthians 10:16-17 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
The bible repeatedly emphasizes the communal nature of the Lord’s Supper. This is something which we are most likely to forget when we come to the Lord’s Supper. We know that it gives us peace and therefore fellowship with God, but we forget that it also gives us fellowship with one another.
1 John 1:3 that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
We cannot have fellowship with Jesus without fellowship with one another. We cannot have fellowship with one another without fellowship with Jesus. In the Lord Supper we are brought together with Jesus and with one another.
The Lord’s supper is God’s peace offering to his people, through it we receive peace with God and fellowship with one another.
Voluntary Offerings
These offerings were voluntary because there was no required time or condition to give them. Unlike other offerings which were specifically required in certain circumstances or at certain times. The voluntary nature of these offerings did not mean that they should be ignored but were a way for the people to worship, thank God, and be reminded of his grace at any time that they chose.
Whenever they doubted God’s commitment to fulfill his promises, they could bring a burnt offering.
Whenever they doubted that God’s grace and favor was with them, they could bring a grain offering.
Whenever they felt alone and doubted God’s fellowship, they could bring a peace offering.
Similarly, Jesus said “do this often.” He makes the Lord’s Supper a voluntary offering. Not a voluntary offering that we give but that we receive. Whenever we doubt God’s forgiveness, grace, commitment, or fellowship we come to receive his offering. We voluntarily come to receive full assurance in faith through his Holy Supper.
The Lord’s Supper is an offering from God to us to be received whenever and as often as we are in need. Amen