The Word - April 5, 2012 - ON THE WAY TO CALVARY

"As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, 'take at; this is my body.' Then He took the cup and when He had given thanks He gave it to them and they all drank from it. And He said to them, 'This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many." (Mark 14:22-24).

Let us consider together some of the experiences of our Lord just prior to His crucifixion: This morning, I have been carried back in spirit to days long gone when a group of believers met in simplicity to remember the Lord in His death. I remember my uncle George mentioning it in prayer....the solemnity of Christ when He gathered his disciples together to celebrate the Passover

I don't know if any of you have ever thought about this. The Lord intimately knew the symbolic meaning of the Passover. He not only looked back, but He looked forward into the immediate future and He understood Himself as the fulfillment of the Passover. Despite that knowledge, He still celebrated the Passover with His disciples.

Following that, or sometime a bit later, He took a loaf of bread from the table and said to them: "This bread is a symbol of my body." Now the Lord knew the Scriptures better than any living person and three times over He said to His disciples, and three times He said to them, "I will go to Jerusalem and I will suffer all that the prophets have spoken concerning me." And He took the bread, broke it, and gave it to His disciples saying, "this is My body."


Then He took the cup, in it was wine, and He said, "This is my blood, drink all of it." He could see Himself hanging on the Cross and His blood flowing from His veins, and He said: "This is my body and this is my blood."

Can you imagine the thoughts that were going through our Lord's mind when He did this? Even before Calvary, dear friends, the Lord was no stranger to Calvary. In fact, it may startle you to realize that Calvary was enacted in heaven long before the foundation of the world. The Lord knew exactly what was about to befall Him.

"O Christ, what burdens bowed Thy head! Thou stoodest in the sinners stead, bearing all my ill for me. A victim led, Thy blood was shed; Now there's no load for me. Death and the curse were in our cup, O Christ, was full for Thee! But You have drained the last dark drop, It is empty now for me. That bitter cup, love drank it up, Now blessings, all for me!"