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Sermon
of 07-19-03 Is Your Heart Prepared for the Lord's Supper?
by Dr. D.A. Farmer, pastor
Mark Chapter 14: 12-16; "And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover? V:13
And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him.
V:14 And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?
V:15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us. V:16
And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover."
Here we find Mark's version of the Last Supper. In these verses, Mark reveals five important points that took place at the first Lord's Supper. I would like to look at these points in more detail this morning and see if they have any significance for us today.
First, we find someone had to prepare a lamb. In addition, we find Peter and John doing just that. Luke 22:8 tells us that they made their way to the Temple to purchase a lamb from the Priests and killed and prepared it for the Passover Meal.
Of course, you remember that the Passover Meal was to remind the Jews of their deliverance from bondage in Egypt that took place some 15 centuries before. It also was to remind them of the One that was to die as
"The Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world"
(John 1:29).
The second point is from verse 13. Here we find Jesus telling the Disciples to go find a man carrying a pitcher of water and follow him. Now we have to remember that thousands of people lived in Jerusalem during the days of Jesus. In addition, thousands more had flocked to Jerusalem for the Passover season. Yet here we find Jesus telling His Disciples to look for a man carrying a water pot. In the days of Jesus, women normally performed this task. In those days, a man would hesitate to do the work of a woman. However, here was a man who was willing to do so, and in doing so, he was serving God.
This is a good lesson for us today. You see we too may serve the Lord by doing work that at first may seem to be nothing more than a common task. Jesus had a special job assignment for this man and Jesus has a special job assignment for each of us today. Probably no other man would have done what this man had done. Nevertheless, God used this particular man to lead the Disciples to the right place.
The third point and it is found in verse 14. Scripture does not tell us the name of this homeowner. Some Bible Scholars suggest that this might have been Nicodemus' home. Others have thought it might have been Joseph of Arimathea or even the father of John Mark. Whoever he was, he was certainly a wealthy man because the house was large. Back then only, the wealthy could afford a home of any size in a city as crowed as Jerusalem was. Moreover, the cost of living was very expensive too. Verse 14 also says:
"The Master saith". This suggests that this homeowner apparently knew Jesus and loved Him. He probably also said that what belonged to him belonged to Jesus.
Verse 15 brings about the fourth point. Here we find a room had already been prepared. This room would become familiar to the Disciples. For this is the same room that the Disciples gathered in after the Crucifixion of Jesus and bared the doors shut
"For fear of the Jews" (John 20:19). It was also the same room, which the believers gathered on the Day of Pentecost. This room would become a second home to the Disciples. Now we find it "furnished and prepared".
This brings me to our 5th point. You see, although the room was prepared for the Lord's Supper, the Disciples, Jesus' closest and dearest friends and followers, were not prepared. And Jesus knew this. Under such circumstance as this, a servant would have been hired to wash the feet of everyone that entered the room. However, this time Jesus arranged everything to happen in such a way that the Disciples would have an opportunity to act as servants, to practice what they have been preaching. For no servant had been hired. Moreover, the Disciples were not about to wash each other's feet. Even though the Disciples had been setting at the feet of Jesus for some 3 and 1/2 years, their hearts were not prepared. Therefore, we find Jesus taking a basin, some water, a towel and washing the feet of each of the 12 Disciples. In Luke 22:24, we are told,
"There was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest".
They needed their hearts cleansed from sin. They needed unity. They needed reconciliation with one another and with God. Therefore, Jesus washed their feet to bring this about.
Now, this brings me to a question. Who washed the feet of Jesus? Who washed His feet? Listen to this from our SDA Comm. "As we wash the feet of Christ's followers, it is as though we were indeed touching the Son of God." Vol. 5 SDA Comm. Page 1139
Every time we wash each other's feet, it is as if we are washing Jesus' feet. That is how important the Ordinance of Humility is.
In Christ's death, we are reconciled. This is the message of the entire Communion Service. The Foot Washing reconciles us to each other.
The Bread and Wine symbolize our reconciliation to God. Listen to what the DA on pg. 650 says: "The ordinance preceding the Lord's Supper is to clear away these misunderstandings, to bring man out of his selfishness, down from his stilts of self-exaltation, to the humility of heart that will lead him to serve his brother. The Holy Watcher from heaven is present at this season to make it one of soul searching, of conviction of sin, and of the blessed assurance of sins forgiven."
Let me repeat the 5 points of this sacred story found in Mark 14.
1. The Lamb was prepared. 2. A water carrier was prepared. 3. A homeowner was prepared. 4. A room was prepared. 5. Only Jesus could prepare the Disciples' hearts.
As we come to Communion this morning, let us remember: 1. Someone prepared God's house to be ready. 2. Someone prepared the table to be ready. 3. Someone prepared the utensils to be ready. 4. Someone prepared the linen to be ready. 5. Someone prepared the Bread and Wine to be ready. 6. But only God can prepare our hearts to be ready.
Lets us each thank God that the wonderful Grace of Jesus makes us ready.
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