Mark 14

After encountering the cross accounts of John and Matthew, we now move onto Mark's gospel.

Read Mark 14.

The Gospel of Mark is famous for its action language, and we see in quick succession many events that we've already seen in John and Matthew. Let us turn a microscope one of the events, the first Lord's Supper.

"Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He gave it to them, and so they all drank from it. He said to them, “This is My blood that establishes the covenant; it is shed for many." (14:23-24)

With this seemingly subtle allusion to the Old Testament, Jesus was actually letting the disciples in on a major divine secret that was to be revealed in mere hours - the coming of the new covenant.

The Old Covenant was founded on human regulations aimed at restoring the relationship between God and mankind. You can almost sense the author of Hebrews sighing at the drudgery of it all.

"Now the first covenant also had regulations for ministry and an earthly sanctuary…With these things set up this way, the priests enter the first room repeatedly, performing their ministry. But the high priest alone enters the second room, and he does that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance...This is a symbol for the present time, during which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the worshiper’s conscience." (Hebrews 9:1, 6-7, 9)

The New Covenant, on the other hand would be based, not on human work, but on Christ's work. And he would willingly credit that work to the account of anyone who would believe.


"But the Messiah has appeared, high priest of the good things that have come. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation), He entered the most holy place once for all, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of the Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to serve the living God?

Therefore, He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance, because a death has taken place for redemption from the transgressions committed under the first covenant." (Hebrews 9:11-15)

Starter Prayer:


Jesus,

Thank you for replacing the old covenant with the new.
In an act unlike any seen before, you actually sacrificed yourself to God.
It sounds morbid, but your blood really is the reason I can have hope
You covered all sins for all time, and won for us an eternal inheritance.
Thank you for including me. You didn't have to!
Help me to live my life today in remembrance of what you did on the cross.