26 

The New Passover
(Mark 14:17–26) 

When it was evening He came with the twelve. As they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me—one who is eating with Me.” They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, “Surely not I?” And He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl. For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (14:17–26)

Nearly fifteen hundred years after the first Passover was established by God on the night the Hebrew people were liberated from slavery in Egypt, Jesus and His disciples made their way to an upper room in Jerusalem where they celebrated the last divinely authorized Passover meal. In its place, the Lord instituted a new memorial that pointed to Himself and His work on the cross. While the old Passover commemorated Israel’s temporal deliverance from bondage in Egypt, the new Passover celebrated an infinitely greater eternal redemption from the power and penalty of sin. In a single Passover meal, on the night before His death, the Lord Jesus concluded the old celebration and instituted the new. He took components of that final Passover feast and redefined them as elements of His Communion table.

Over the centuries of Old Testament history, millions of lambs were slain as part of the annual Passover observance. Each of those sacrificial animals symbolized the reality that deliverance from divine wrath requires the death of an innocent substitute. But none of those sacrifices could actually atone for sin (cf. Heb. 10:4). This Passover would be different, because the final sacrifice would be slain—namely, the Lamb of God (1 Cor. 5:7; cf. John 1:29) to whom all of them pointed. He is the only sacrifice satisfactory to God as the offering for sin.

Earlier on Thursday, Jesus sent Peter and John into Jerusalem to make preparations for the Passover meal (cf. Luke 22:8). That evening, the rest of the Twelve along with Jesus joined them in an upper room to celebrate the final Passover and inaugurate the first Communion.

THE FINAL PASSOVER

When it was evening He came with the twelve. As they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me—one who is eating with Me.” They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, “Surely not I?” And He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl. For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” (14:17–21)

The Passover celebration began when it was evening, starting after sunset and ending sometime before midnight (cf. Ex. 12:8–14). Jesus and His disciples arrived in the evening, at a location known only to Jesus. Secrecy was required in order to prevent Judas from alerting the religious authorities to their location, so that Jesus could accomplish all that was necessary before His arrest and execution. As the Lord explained to the Twelve, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:15). Those words express the deep emotion the Lord attached to the final Passover with His disciples. In that one meal, He would bring to a completion an entire system and launch a new one, while also giving His followers the additional instruction they desperately needed to hear in the hours before the cross.

As noted above, Jesus had already sent Peter and John ahead of the rest, in order to prepare everything for the Passover meal. Mark’s comment that He came with the twelve is surely a general reference to the apostles, meaning simply that Jesus arrived along with the other ten to join Peter and John.

In keeping with first-century Jewish customs, Jesus and the disciples were reclining at the table and eating, resting on cushions with their heads toward the table and their feet extended away from it. The first Passover in Egypt was eaten in a hurry. As the Lord God instructed the Israelites, “You shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste—it is the Lord’s Passover” (Ex. 12:11). But through the centuries, Passover celebrations had become prolonged events, allowing the participants to linger during the meal as Jesus and the disciples did on this occasion. This final Passover lasted long enough for Jesus to wash the disciples’ feet, confront Judas Iscariot, eat the Passover meal, institute the Lord’s Table, and give the disciples a significant amount of additional instruction (cf. John 13–16).

The Passover consisted of several features. The feast began with a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s deliverance, protection, and goodness. The opening prayer was followed by the first of four cups of diluted red wine. A ceremonial washing of the hands came next, signifying the need for holiness and cleansing from sin. It was probably at this point in the meal, at the very moment they should have been recognizing their sinfulness, that the Twelve began debating who among them was the greatest (Luke 22:24). Jesus responded by washing their feet and teaching them an unforgettable lesson about humility (cf. John 13:3–20).

The hand-washing ceremony was followed by the eating of bitter herbs that symbolized the harsh bondage and affliction the Hebrew people endured while enslaved in Egypt. Along with the bitter herbs, loaves of flat bread would also be broken, distributed, and dipped into a thick paste made from ground fruit and nuts. The eating of bitter herbs was followed by the singing of the first two psalms of the Hallel, and the drinking of the second cup of wine. The Hallel (Pss. 113–18) consisted of hymns of praise and is the word from which the term “hallelujah” (meaning, “praise the Lord”) is derived. At this point, the head of the household would also explain the meaning of the Passover.

Next, the roasted lamb and unleavened bread would be served. After washing his hands again, the head of the household would distribute pieces of the bread to be eaten with the sacrificial lamb. When the main course was completed, a third cup of wine would be received. To complete the traditional ceremony, the participants would sing the rest of the Hallel (Pss. 115–18), and finally, they would drink the fourth cup of wine.

At some point in the celebration, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me—one who is eating with Me.” The word betray (a form of the Greek verb paradidōmi) means “to give over” and was often used to describe criminals being arrested or prisoners being delivered to punishment. Though, on several prior occasions, Jesus had predicted His death, He had not previously explained to the disciples that He would be betrayed by one of them.

Jesus’ words echoed those of David who, after being betrayed by one he trusted, exclaimed,

In Psalm 41:9, David similarly lamented, “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” David’s pain was caused by the betrayal of his advisor Ahithophel, who joined Absalom’s rebellion against David (cf. 2 Sam. 16:15–17:3). In a culture where eating together was regarded as a sign of friendship, to betray someone while eating with them compounded the treachery, making it even more contemptible (John 13:18).

Jesus, of course, knew who it was that would betray Him since He knew what was in the hearts of everyone (John 2:24), including the wicked intentions of Judas (John 6:70–71; 13:11). But the other disciples suspected nothing. Judas was so skilled at hiding his hypocrisy that they trusted him as their treasurer, even while he was pilfering money from them (cf. John 12:6). They ignorantly considered him a man of integrity.

When the disciples heard the stunning claim that one of them would betray their Master, they began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, “Surely not I?” The word grieved (from the Greek verb lupeō) means to be distressed, sorrowful, and profoundly pained. Matthew 26:22 explains that they were “deeply grieved.” With the obvious exception of Judas (cf. Matt. 26:25), the disciples genuinely believed in Jesus and were incredulous when informed one of them was a traitor. Their question was genuine—both in the self-doubt and the sincere affection for Christ that it expressed. Perhaps, having just been rebuked by the Lord for their pride (cf. John 13:5–20), they were sensitized to the potential wickedness of their own hearts.

At the point when the disciples were eating the bitter herbs along with flat bread dipped in the paste of fruit and nuts, He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl.” Several dipping bowls were likely set around the table, with Judas apparently sitting near Jesus and sharing the same bowl with Him. The disciples apparently did not fully understand the Lord’s somewhat cryptic response. As the apostle John explains in his parallel account, they continued to be confused as to the identity of Jesus’ betrayer.

As wretched and foolish as Judas was, motivated by his own carnal desires, he could neither thwart nor alter the plan of God. In fact, the evil designs of Judas were strategically set by God into His redemptive purposes. As Jesus went on to explain, For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him. Everything about to happen to Jesus had been foreordained by God and foretold in Scripture (cf. Acts 2:23). Details about His suffering and crucifixion were predicted in Old Testament passages like Psalm 22; Isaiah 53; and Zechariah 12. Thus Paul could tell the Corinthians “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3). The plan had been determined in eternity past (cf. Rev. 13:8) and recorded in the Old Testament. Jesus did not go to the cross as a helpless victim but as the obedient Son fulfilling both the word and will of His Father (cf. Matt. 26:54; Luke 24:44; Phil. 2:8).

It is important to note that, although God used Judas to accomplish His purposes, Judas was still personally culpable for his evil actions. As Jesus went on to explain, Woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! In His sovereign providence, God constantly overrules people’s sinful choices, like those of Judas, for His own ends and glory (cf. Gen. 50:20; Rom. 8:28). But that reality does not exonerate them for their wickedness. The word woe is more than a warning; it is a pronouncement of divine judgment and condemnation. Through his willful rejection of Christ, choosing to betray Him rather than believe in Him, Judas doomed his soul to eternal hell (cf. John 17:12).

Jesus continued with a sobering declaration: It would have been good for that man if he had not been born. Like all who reject Christ, Judas would be damned forever. Having been given the ultimate privilege of being one of Jesus’ disciples, Judas would be punished accordingly with extreme measures (cf. Luke 12:47–48). The eternal retribution that awaited him and all unbelievers is so severe that to have never existed would be infinitely better. The author of Hebrews describes the dreadful consequences that await all who exhibit such obstinate unbelief.

THE FIRST COMMUNION

While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (14:22–26)

After Judas left (John 13:30–31), and only the faithful eleven remained, Jesus transformed the Passover into the Lord’s Table (also called the Lord’s Supper or Communion) and thereby signaled the transition from the old covenant to the new. Jesus’ words recorded in this passage marked the end of all Old Testament ceremonies, sacrifices and rituals (cf. Mark 15:38). All of the symbols of the old covenant pointed to Christ; in His death, they were perfectly fulfilled and replaced.

That Jesus said these things while they were eating suggests that this occurred around the time the roasted lamb was served. In the midst of the Passover celebration, the one true Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7) took some of the flat, crisp, unleavened bread, and after a blessing in which He gave thanks to His Father (cf. Matt. 14:19; 15:36), He broke it, and gave it to them. As Jesus handed a piece of bread to each of the eleven, He said, “Take it; this is My body.” Eating bread without yeast not only symbolized the Israelites’ hasty departure from Egypt (Deut. 16:3), it also represented their separation from the corrupting influences of sin, idolatry, and worldliness (which were symbolized by leaven). In the Lord’s Table, that same bread was given new meaning. It served as a figure of His body, which He would soon offer as the sacrifice for sin to propitiate the Father. The breaking of the bread did not signify the nature of His death, since none of His bones were broken during His execution (John 19:36; cf. Ex. 12:46; Ps. 34:20). Rather, the fact that the disciples were each given a piece of the same loaf symbolized their unity in Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 12:12–27). According to the parallel passage in Luke 22:19, Jesus added, “given for you; do this in remembrance of Me” (cf. 1 Cor. 11:24). Those words indicate that the Lord intended His table to be observed by His followers as a perpetual memorial of His death.

As with many doctrines, the Roman Catholic Church has perverted the Lord’s Table into the bizarre practice of transubstantiation, in which the substance of the bread and the cup are supposedly transformed into the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ. But Jesus was not speaking literally when He said of the bread, this is My body. Similar misunderstandings of Jesus’ words incited the Jewish leaders to ridicule Him when He described His body as a temple (John 2:19–21), and caused many superficial disciples to abandon Him when He called Himself the Bread of Life (John 6:35, 48–66). In the same way that Jesus referred to Himself as a door (John 10:9) and a vine (John 15:1, 5), Jesus’ words in the upper room should be understood in a figurative sense.

After distributing the bread, the Lord Jesus instituted the second element of His table. When He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. The verb translated given thanks is a form of the Greek word eucharisteō, from which the English word “Eucharist” is derived. (“Eucharist” is a historical title for the Lord’s Table that has largely been commandeered and corrupted by the Roman Catholic Church.) This would have been the third cup of the Passover meal, following the main course. That they all drank from it demonstrates that Jesus intended all believers to participate in both elements of the Lord’s Supper (cf. 1 Cor. 10:16, 21; 11:28).

After drinking from the cup, He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Just as the bread symbolized His body, so the cup symbolized His blood. In order for a covenant to be established, there had to be the shedding of blood (a reference to death, cf. Heb. 9:16–20). But unlike the animal sacrifices required for the Noahic (Gen. 8:20), Abrahamic (Gen. 15:10), and Mosaic covenants (Ex. 24:5–8; Lev. 17:11), the new covenant (Luke 22:20) required the precious blood of the spotless Lamb of God to be spilled in death for the eternal benefit of the many whom He would redeem (cf. Isa. 53:12). Matthew 26:28 adds that the reason Christ’s blood had to be shed was “for forgiveness of sins” (cf. Heb. 9:22; 1 Peter 1:2).

On the cross, the Lord Jesus died as the perfect substitute, bearing the guilt of all who were chosen to believe in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). He endured the penalty of God’s wrath, satisfied divine justice, and ratified the new covenant of forgiveness and salvation (Jer. 31:34). (For a detailed discussion of the new covenant, see 2 Corinthians, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary [Chicago: Moody, 2003], chaps. 7 and 8.) Jesus’ death constituted final payment, so that there is no longer a need for ongoing animal sacrifices (cf. Heb. 10:4–12). That was clearly demonstrated by the tearing of the veil at the entrance of the Holy of Holies (Matt. 27:51), and the promise of the Lord regarding the complete destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 (cf. Mark 13:1–3).

Jesus concluded the inaugural celebration of the Lord’s Supper with a promise to His disciples, Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” The fruit of the vine was a Jewish colloquialism that referred to wine; in this context, it specifically referred to the diluted red wine of the Passover meal. Earlier that same evening, Jesus had also told them, “I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:16). Those words assured the disciples that He would return (cf. John 14:3), and that He would one day celebrate the Passover with them again in His millennial kingdom (cf. Ezek. 45:18–25). Until His return, believers are to continue to celebrate the memorial meal of His table (cf. 1 Cor. 11:23–24). Thus, the regular celebration of Communion not only looks back to Christ’s death but also looks forward with eager anticipation to His coming. The previous evening, Jesus had instructed His disciples about His return and the end of the age (cf. Mark 13:24–27). Now, on the night before His death, He reassured them that the cross did not represent the end of the story.

As the Passover celebration concluded, Jesus and the disciples sang a closing song, likely the final psalm of the traditional Hallel (Ps. 118). It is difficult to imagine a more fitting benediction, since the repeated refrain of Psalm 118 is that the loving-kindness of God is everlasting (vv. 1–3, 29). No refrain could have been more fitting in light of the imminence of the cross. Though the Messiah would be rejected and killed by Israel’s religious leaders (cf. v. 22), He would rise victorious on the third day.

Mark concludes his discussion of the upper room by noting simply that after singing that final hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. There, Jesus would pray fervently to His Father that the will of God would be accomplished. Soon the Lamb of God would be arrested and unjustly convicted (1 Peter 1:19; 2:21–24). The most significant moment in redemption history was but a few hours away.