Devotional by Dr. Joe Rangel
Mark 14:12-26
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.”
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 the[a] 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.”
26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
For the Adults:
It’s Thursday of Holy Week. Jesus has had an interesting week so far. He has cleared the Temple, debated with Pharisees and Scribes and now comes a very important meal. The Passover is a special time for Jews both past and present and the focus is a special meal. The meal is packed with meaning. All of the Passover meal’s elements retell the story of Israel being in bondage in Egypt, and how Yahweh demonstrated His power to usher in their freedom. And yet, the freedom of every Israelite that night came with a price. A Passover lamb sacrificed its life and shed its blood to cover the doorposts of every Israelite family. Through this sacrifice, giving of the lamb’s body and blood, salvation and freedom came.
On this particular Thursday evening of Holy Week, Jesus has insured that all the preparations for this special meal were taken care of. This was going to be a memorable meal. Jesus was going to “connect the dots” for His disciples by revealing His mission as the Messiah to bring salvation and spiritual freedom not just for Israel, but for the whole world. During the meal, Jesus makes it very clear that He would be much like the Passover lamb; He would soon give His body and His blood as a sacrifice to liberate the world from the bondage of sin and death. It was a powerful moment, one that the disciples would never forget.
How can you appreciate today the sacrifice that Jesus made for you?
Although we are literally quarantined right now, what are you free from today because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross?
FOR SUNDAY: This Easter Sunday we will be taking communion together. You do not have to run to the store to get any supplies: any bread or cracker (cereal or tortillas included) and any kind of drink will do!
For the Kids:
Enter:
What do you feel when you find out that something is free?
Even though we are to stay in our houses right now, what makes you feel free?
Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross gave us salvation but is also gave us spiritual freedom. What do you think Jesus’ sacrifice gave us freedom over?
Hear:
Read the passage.
Pause:
Think about the price that Jesus paid for our salvation and spiritual freedom.
Wonder:
What do you think the disciples thought about when Jesus was talking about His body and blood given for them?
Have you ever wondered why we do Communion or the Lord’s Supper at church?
Hopefully now you can appreciate those moments of Communion even more!
Bless:
Revisit what was discussed in the story.
Discuss some “take aways” from the story. What can we apply from the story to our lives?
Pray together.
Example:
Yahweh, we thank you for Jesus who willingly sacrificed his body and blood so that we might be free from the bondage of sin and death and to be able to enter into a relationship with you. May we always remember the price for our salvation and our spiritual freedom every time we partake of Communion.
About the Author:
Dr. Joe Rangel is an Associate Professor of Christian Ministry at “the” Wayland Baptist University and formerly served on the pastoral staff at FBC Weslaco. He is married to Sara and they have one son David. His side job as an analyst for the Dallas Cowboys has yet to take off, but with the COVID-19 shelter in place, he may have time to work on his professional football prognostication.