Mark 14:12-26
12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 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?’ 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”
16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
17 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”
19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?”
20 “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me. 21 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.”
22 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.”
23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
24 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. 25 “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.”
26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
- Partake: In reenacting Jesus’ last meal with His disciples (which itself was a reenactment of the Passover), we are fellowshipping with Jesus, partaking in His table (1 Corinthians 10:14-17; Revelation 3:20).
- Thank: We thank God for both His material and spiritual blessings (1 Timothy 4:4; Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3; John 6:25-33).
- Remember: We thank God for His saving acts, especially the work of the cross. We must remember where we came from and what God has done to save us, lest we become “nearsighted and blind” and “unproductive in our faith” (Luke 22:19; 2 Peter 1:9).
- Proclaim: In Paul’s teaching on communion, he concludes “we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). We preach Jesus’ cross and sufferings as we look to His return and the wedding supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).
- Sing: It was customary to sing the Psalms (Psalm 113-118) after the Passover meal. Singing with family and friends with the church of God has always been act of worship and fellowship.
For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.