Welcome to episode 91 of Grasp the Bible.  In this episode, we continue our study in the Book of Mark, covering chapter 14:1-31.  The series is called “Get in, buckle up, and hold on!”  Today, we conclude our discussion on Jesus’ Olivet Discourse and cover: 

• The plot [part 1] (vv. 1-2) 
• The preparation (vv. 3-9) 
• The plot [part 2] (vv. 10-11) 
• The Passover meal (vv. 12-26) 
• The predictions (vv. 27-31) 

Key takeaways: 

• If one theme holds the narrative together, it is the sovereign purpose of God, who is accomplishing His saving work through His servant, Jesus the Messiah. 
• Jesus came for a purpose far greater than feeding the poor, healing the sick, and raising the dead. He came to bring reconciliation between God and His creation. 
• Meals were rituals of social status in the Mediterranean world, and to share a meal indicated trust and friendship. Because Judas is at the meal with Jesus, this is the worst kind of betrayal, coming from a close friend and confidant. 
• Just as a blood sacrifice sealed the first covenant, so Christ’s death seals or ratifies the new covenant.  Jesus’ one sacrifice will provide atonement for all. 
• Since Jesus is bodily present, his disciples would not have thought that he was saying the bread had literally become his body. In the same way, since Judaism forbade the drinking of blood, the disciples would not have thought the blood was literal.  The bread and the cup signify, or represent, his body and blood. 
• Whether called the Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist, or Communion, the ritual Jesus inaugurated at his last Passover is the most significant worship experience for the church today. 

Quotable: 

• God is sovereignly at work, even through those who oppose or fail Him.  God’s purpose is accomplished despite and even through the evil intention of sinners. 

Application: 

• While both evangelism and social concerns are essential tasks for churches, this passage reminds us that our ultimate purpose in life is to worship God and give Him the glory. 

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