Sadness in the Midst of Celebration

KEY VERSE: “As they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.” —Mark 14:22-24

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Mark 14:12-25

ON THE NIGHT before Jesus was crucified, he gathered with his apostles in the upper room to partake of the Passover supper with them. This was a yearly commemoration of the deliverance of the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage. (Exod. 12:17,18) The firstborn in Egypt died, while the firstborn of Israel were saved from death under the protection of the blood of the Passover lamb, which had been sprinkled on the doorposts and lintels of their houses. The blood of the lamb is a picture of the blood of Jesus, who was about to be slain as the antitypical Passover Lamb. (I Cor. 5:7) Through Jesus’ ransom sacrifice, deliverance will come to both his church and all mankind.

On the first day of unleavened bread, when the Passover lamb was killed, Jesus sent two of his disciples into the city to make arrangements for the supper. As they partook of the evening meal, Jesus said, “One of you which eateth with me shall betray me. And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? And another said, Is it I? And he answered and said unto them, It is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish. The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! Good were it for that man if he had never been born.”—Mark 14:18-21

Jesus then said, “He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. … He then having received the sop went immediately out.”—John 13:26-30

After the Passover meal Judas left and, as our Key Verse relates, Jesus took unleavened bread and wine and made them emblems of his perfect humanity and life. This was now to be the memorial of his death, or as Jesus said, “This do in remembrance of me.”—Luke 22:19

Thus, as Jesus and his disciples assembled on that night and partook of the emblems, so also do we. Jesus said, in conclusion, “Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.”—Mark 14:22-26

Our glorified Lord will drink of that new wine with his church, the faithful ones who will be with him and share his glory. Those who will take lightly and joyfully the trials and sacrifices of this present time, and are glad to suffer with the Master so that they also may be glorified together, have this hope of drinking the new wine in the kingdom.

They will participate with their Master in those glories and honors and blessed opportunities for uplifting the entire world of mankind to a perfect nature.

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