Divine Wisdom and Divine Mercy

About this sermon

Introduction: The gospel writers are always doing more than simply relating history. It is history, without question. In fact, it is inerrant history. But it is more than history. They are pointing us to Christ. They are PRESENTING US WITH CHRIST. They are telling the story in a way that demonstrates the theological significance of the story. We have talked before about Mark’s penchant for using a sandwiching technique. Throughout his gospel account you see him use this. He begins with a story, departs for a moment to introduce another scene, and then brings us back to the theme that he started with. In verses 1-2, we began our descent into the abandonment of Christ. Christ’s own people did not receive Him. The religious leaders of His people turned Him over. The Romans executed their desires. His own disciples will eventually distance themselves from Christ out of fear. And finally, as He hangs upon the cross, we will hear the words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.” To serve as our sin bearer, the Son of God experiences abandonment. But after beginning that descent by telling us of the desire of the council to find an opportune time to arrest Jesus and to kill Him, we were given the picture of Mary’s indelible act of worship. This was a contrast that Mark wanted us to see. The one who is to be rejected. The one who will be abandoned, even by those closest to Him, is the one of inestimable worth. If anyone DESERVED loyalty, it was Jesus. Though Mary is a true disciple, she is not one of the twelve. Christ is honored by someone outside the number of His apostles. He will be betrayed by someone who is right there in the midst of the apostles. It was immediately after her beautiful act of worship that Judas Iscariot makes his way to the apostate Jewish leaders and agrees to betray the Lord Jesus. And now we come to what follows. This scene that follows has more than one purpose, and it is given in more than one movement. We have the preparation for the Passover (vs.12-16). We have the announcement of the betrayal (vs.17-21). We have the institution of the Lord’s Supper (vs.22-25). We will examine the first two of these, and as we do, there are two things that stand out forcefully. We see an example of divine wisdom, and an example of divine mercy. THE DEMONSTRATION OF DIVINE WISDOM (vs.12-16) The very way that the Last Supper was arranged is a testimony to the wisdom of almighty God, the wisdom that was on display in God’s Son. THE SPECIFIC TIME IS IDENTIFIED (vs.12a) First, Mark tells us exactly where we are in terms of the time. It is the first day of Unleavened Bread. Now, as we have already explained, on Nisan 10 the Passover lamb was to be selected. On Nisan 14, the Passover lamb was slain and, in the evening, from sundown until midnight, the Passover meal was celebrated. On the next day, Nisan 15, and for the next 7 days, all leaven was removed from homes, and there was the feast of Unleavened Bread. All of this commemorated the Exodus. The people of God were to remember how God spared them, even as He killed the first born throughout Egypt, and how He delivered His people from Egyptian bondage. In this case, a double designation is given, letting us know that when Mark speaks of the first day of Unleavened Bread, he’s speaking according to popular usage. The entire thing, the Passover and the days of Unleavened Bread, were often spoken of using a single designation. That’s what he means here, since he specifies that it was when they were sacrificing the Passover lamb.

Topics

• Love & Compassion
• Wisdom