Jesus Is In Command

Mark 14:12-25 November 14, 2021 Pastor Vince Corpus

Thesis Jesus was in sovereign command of his betrayal, death, and the entire trajectory toward the cross, and therefore we can trust him fully because his sacrifice was no accident but the deliberate execution of God's redemptive plan.

Series

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Type

Expository

Tone

pastoraldidacticcelebratory

Method

grammatical-historicalredemptive-historicalcanonical

What's in this sermon

The shape of the argument

34 units across exposition, application, illustration, theological claim, and conclusion. The pastor's argument is built from these moving parts.

Pastoral correction · unit #31

"Vince transitions to the communion instructions. He warns unbelievers not to partake—Paul says taking the elements without faith is to eat and drink judgment. Believers are invited to partake and trust again in Christ's sacrifice."

Doctrinal loci· 14 surfaced

Christology · 22 Soteriology · 14 Doxology / Worship · 4 Ecclesiology · 4 Providence / Sovereignty · 4 Eschatology · 3 Pneumatology · 3 Hamartiology · 2 Theology Proper · 2 Anthropology · 1 Bibliology · 1 Covenant Theology · 1 Pastoral Theology · 1 Spiritual Warfare · 1

Bible citations· 30

Illustrations· 1

personal story · unit #3 — Vince tells a personal story from his time working on an oil rig. After a near-fatal accident caused by his own mistake, his tool pusher—in complete command of the situation—saved both their lives by calmly reading the trajectory of falling iron and moving them to safety. The story establishes the concept of being 'in command' through lived experience before applying it to Jesus.

Theological claims· 11

Whether by supernatural foreknowledge or prearrangement, Jesus demonstrated sovereign command over historical circumstances. unit #8
Jesus' command to Judas to 'do quickly' was both a final offer of immediate repentance and permission to proceed with the betrayal if he refused. unit #11
Jesus was in full sovereign command of his betrayal—he foreknew Judas would betray him, chose him anyway, and even in the betrayal moment offered him one final choice. unit #12
Every Christian is like Judas in that every sin is a cosmic betrayal and rebellion against Jesus, choosing our kingdom over his. unit #13
Jesus, in full sovereign command even over our betrayals, continually offers us reconciliation and pursues our repentance. unit #14
By reinterpreting the Passover as pointing to his own body and blood, Jesus claimed that all of Scripture—all the covenants from Abraham through Moses—finds its fulfillment in him. unit #18
Jesus, being God incarnate, had the sovereign freedom to choose a different path, but his command deliberately took him toward the cross. unit #19
Jesus was in full sovereign command of his death—he could have summoned angelic rescue but chose instead to obey the Father's will and die for the sins of all believers. unit #20
Jesus deliberately went to the cross to die as a substitutionary sacrifice, taking the judgment his people deserved so they could receive his righteousness. unit #21
The Lord's Supper is a living picture of the gospel: Christ died and was raised so that death, having touched the immortal God, could never touch his mortal people. unit #22
Jesus' statement that he will not drink the fruit of the vine until the kingdom comes is a promise of a future eschatological Passover when he will drink the fourth cup with his people in the fully realized kingdom. unit #23

Quotations· 9

"With an outstretched arm and mighty acts of judgment." — God (Exodus 6) (unit #9)

"He who shares a meal with me has lifted his heel against me." — the Psalms (unit #10)

"That one of you is a devil." — Jesus (unit #12)

"Behold, the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words." — Moses (unit #18)

"Do you think I couldn't call and 12 legions of angels would be here?" — Jesus (unit #20)

"He has brought us out of slavery with outstretched arm and mighty acts of judgment." — God (Exodus 6) (unit #22)

"Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am with them there also." — Jesus (unit #26)

"Go therefore, making disciples— make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them. Surely I am with you to the end of the age." — Jesus (unit #26)

"By the Spirit Christ lifts us up to where he is." — Calvin (unit #27)

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0 · Vince opens with housekeeping announcements, reports on the Sovereign Grace Pastors Conference, and expresses pastoral affection for the home congregation

14. The 27th is Jen's birthday, so that would be a great birthday present to her if you showed up to help decorate. The only reason I know that is because we share the birthday and we're birthday buddies. So sorry, Jen, if you're watching. It's national news now. And, uh, and that would be a great help, uh, to her. And then the second thing, um, Alec mentioned the Sovereign Grace Pastors Conference. It was a great week, uh, in the word with brothers. We, we celebrated our partnership, uh, sat under some really, uh, good preaching and good singing, and it was a great week. But you know what the topper of the week is? Is here. This is the best place on earth. This is the best gathering on earth. It is home. It is our home church, and we are together singing praises to the Lord, sitting under some, you know, preaching. Maybe not as good as some of these guys that we had this week, but every week that I'm not here, I get to sit under the preaching of my favorite pastor. And so there's no better place to be than here, and it's good to be home. On that note, if you hear my voice and you're like, 'Whoa, he's sick,' it's okay. I haven't run fever all week. It was an allergy thing that like ended up— and at first I thought you'd have Barry White preaching this week. Now you just have like nasally plugged up Vince. So I apologize. I would have loved to have Barry White here this morning. It's just not going to work.

1 · Vince reads the entire primary text aloud—Mark 14:12-25—covering the preparation for Passover, Jesus' announcement of his betrayal, and the institution of the Lord's Supper

Mark 14, starting in verse 12, we read this. Let's stand for the reading of God's Word. 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?' 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, 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? And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. There prepare for us. And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. And when it was evening, he came with the 12, 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." They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, "Is it I?" He said to them, "It is one of you." 'One of the 12, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. 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.' 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." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank of 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 not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God. This is God's holy and authoritative word.

2 · Brief prayer asking for illumination—specifically that the congregation would see Jesus clearly through the exposition to follow

Father, we ask, Lord, that you help us to see Jesus clearly through your word now. It's in his name that we pray. Amen. You may be seated.

3 · Vince tells a personal story from his time working on an oil rig

All right, so I had been working on the rig for, I don't know, probably 4 or 5 months, okay? The first truly dangerous situation that I experienced was of my own manufacture. So I'd moved up. I was no longer working on the floors. I was working derricks, and I was working for the guy who ended up training me to be a driller. And his boss, the guy who was over the entire rig, the entire operation, tool pusher, he's the guy that started me on the rig. And we had raised the rig, and then it had like a section that scopes up, right? And we were scoping this piece up, and there was a chain. There was a chain that I didn't take off. And as we're scoping it up, it rips a piece of metal out of the derrick, right? And man, I heard it, and I just like— I didn't even look. I just— like, I cut and run. Like, you got to have some rabbit in you out there. So that you can get out of the way. Now, my tool pusher is standing there. I'm like right here. And he sees what's happening. And like, I turn and run. And like, I'm surprised that I didn't run him over, OK? Because he's even shorter than me, smaller of stature. And like, I was in pretty decent shape back then, OK? Like, not as soft as I am now. And he literally catches me, and he yells at me. You know, kind of shakes me and yells at me like, 'Don't run! Don't ever run from that iron! You gotta look at it!' Or no, he says, 'That's how people die. You gotta watch. Know where it's going.' And I was like, 'Oh, okay.' And then he like takes one— he looks up and he takes one step back and grabs me. And the iron fell right where we were standing. All right, if you've ever seen Pirates of the Caribbean, it's much like when the mast falls and like Captain Barbossa like, steps forward and it's boom. Like, it was that close. Which if I would have knocked him over, if he wasn't like seeing everything, it would have landed on probably me because I would have been on top. But he was in such command, right? He had complete command of his faculties. He was observant. He knew everything that was going on. He had already seen— the trajectory of this piece of metal that was coming down at us. And he had enough command to get us out of the way. It was almost like he was in such command that he directed that piece of metal to fall right where we were. Of course he wasn't. He's not God. But as a 19-year-old kid, I was like, whoa, man, this guy's amazing. And it made me realize that I could trust him with my life and that he was aware and he knew enough to keep me safe out there.

4 · Vince pivots from the illustration to the sermon's thesis and structure

Our text today shows us how much more in command Jesus is than even my tool pusher was of the rig. Okay? Jesus is in command. It shows us that— we will see this in 3 ways. He's in command of history. He's in command of his betrayal. He's in command of his death. He is completely and totally, unashamedly, undoubtedly in command of everything that's happening around him. So let's jump in and see his command of history.

5 · Vince re-reads Mark 14:12-16 and situates it in the recent preaching series

Verse 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?" 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, 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?' And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. There prepare for us. And the disciples set out and went into the city and found it just as he had told them. And they prepared the Passover. Now, look, we've been looking at Jesus teaching about the last days. Then we get to his anointing, the anointing of the King, which has something to do with the last days as well. And that would have said something to the disciples, maybe helped them a little bit because in the speaking of the last days there was no talk about the kingdom coming. And they're thinking, "You're the Messiah. You're the guy. You're the one we've been waiting for." And there was no mention of the kingdom. And then he's anointed. And now we see the king. The king ruling. The king in command.

6 · Vince explains the historical and theological background of the Passover celebration: God's final plague on Egypt, the Israelites' deliverance through lamb's blood on doorposts, the command to eat unleavened bread, and the requirement to prepare both the meal and the house by removing leaven

And his command takes him to celebrate the Passover with his disciples. Now, the Passover celebration was a remembrance, a memorial of the Lord bringing them out of Egypt in the Exodus, right? And, and it was the final plague. It was the plague on the firstborn where, where God killed all of the firstborn of Egypt. And how were the Israelites saved? Well, they were slaved— saved. Did I say slave the first time? How were they saved? They were saved by sacrificing a lamb, taking a hyssop branch, dipping it in the blood, painting it over the doorposts and the lintel. And when God swept through, he would see the blood. And he would pass over that house. And part of that ceremony was that they were to eat no leavened bread, okay? So no bread that had been risen for a whole week starting on that day. So it required not only a preparation of a meal in a certain particular way, but also of the house. You were to remove all the leaven from the house. All right? And that's what the two disciples did when they went to prepare. As Jesus says, 'Hey, go and prepare, and you'll find a room. Here are the clues to lead you there.'

7 · Vince explains the cultural significance of the sign Jesus gave—a man carrying a water jar would be conspicuous since men normally carried water skins and women carried jars

It's almost like a mystery novel. Oh, so we go into the city, and we look for a man carrying water. Now, the man carrying water, you're thinking like, wow, what kind of sign is that? Well, men didn't carry water jars, okay? They just didn't. Women carried water jars because they would need the water. They would need a lot more water to prepare the house and to clean the house and to prepare the meals. Men carried water skins back then, okay? Because why? They had to just make it through. They were out, and it's harder to carry a jar, Easier to carry a skin. And so they're carrying water skins because they had to make it through the day's work. And so there was a difference in what people would be carrying. So this man carrying a jar of water would have really stuck out. Would have been an easy thing to spot. And they go and they find it just as Jesus said. They see this man with the water jar and they follow him. And they go into the house that he went into. They say to the master, the teacher says, 'Where's my guest room where I may have the Passover with my disciples?' And he showed him the room. And they prepared the Passover.

8 · Vince addresses the interpretive question of whether Jesus exercised supernatural foreknowledge or prearranged the meeting

Now here's the thing. Scripture is quiet about how this works. Did Jesus just know? Or did Jesus prearrange? Did Jesus secretly go to the man and he's like, 'Hey, on Thursday afternoon at about the third hour, I need you to carry a jar of water on this street.' headed this way, and two of my disciples are going to meet you there. And did he go talk to the master of the house? We don't know, okay? But either way, Jesus is in command. We see it. He says this is what's going to happen, and it happens just as he said. You could say he is in command of historical circumstances and events, and it's just as he said it would be. His disciples saw that. He's in command because everything worked out just how he said. And then they prepared the Passover as they had been commanded.

9 · Vince re-reads Mark 14:17-21 and provides detailed background on the Passover feast—its liturgical structure (four cups, symbolic foods), its celebratory tone as a remembrance of God's judgment on Egypt and deliverance of Israel, and the citation from Exodus 6 about God's outstretched arm and mighty acts of judgment

And this now brings us to Jesus' command of his betrayal. Verse 17, 'And when it was evening, he came with the 12, 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." They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, "Is it I?"' And he said to them, 'It is one of the 12, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. 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.' All right, so the meal's been prepared and now Jesus comes. With the rest of the 12. And the Passover feast would have been— like, part of the feast is a retelling of the events of the Passover, a retelling of God's mighty acts of judgment and of deliverance. Judgment over Israel, deliverance over his people. All right? And it's a celebration of this, of God delivering the Israelites from the Egyptians. During the meal, they would have drunk the first 2 cups of wine. Okay? There are 4 cups in this celebration. The first 2 are done with the meal. They are the cups of sanctification and of deliverance in typical telling of this. They would have eaten the bitter herbs symbolizing their harsh treatment by the Egyptians. They would have eaten the charoset symbolizing the mortar for the bricks that they would make while enslaved, the fruits symbolizing hope and renewal. They would have eaten the lamb as a reminder of the cost that saving their life came at, symbolizing the blood that covered and saved the people of God. This was a celebration of remembrance of God's triumph over both the gods and the government of Egypt and His deliverance of his people, as he says in Exodus 6, 'With an outstretched arm and mighty acts of judgment.' This is festive. This is remembering what God did.

10 · Vince expounds Jesus' announcement of betrayal, noting the Psalm allusion about sharing a meal

And then Jesus turns it somber and sorrowful. By saying, 'One of you will betray me.' One who is eating at the table with him, one who is dipping bread with him. The Psalms say, 'He who shares a meal with me has lifted his heel against me.' Jesus is likely alluding to that. They ask, 'Who is it? Who is it, Jesus? It's not me, is it? Tell me it's not me.' And there is no answer given in Mark's Gospel, only the warning, 'It would have been better for that man had he not been born.' And Mark records the disciples' sorrow. And in John's Gospel, we're told a little bit more, aren't we? In John's Gospel, we see that John is reclining next to Jesus, and on the other side of Jesus is who? Judas, the one who was to betray him. The arrangement of this meal would have put Jesus' head likely at Judas' feet. You see, when it says that John was reclined against his chest and he could lean back and talk with him, well, that means that Jesus' feet were closer to John's head, which means Jesus' head was closer to Judas' feet. Okay? This is a symbol, a place of intimacy. With the one who would betray him. Moreover, when John says, 'Who is it?' He says, 'It's the one whom I give this morsel to after I dip it.' And he dipped it and he gave it to who? Judas. Again, giving food to someone back then Handing it to them by person was a symbol of intimacy and of trust and of even love and acceptance.

11 · Vince interprets Jesus' actions and words to Judas—the morsel and the command to do quickly what he would do—as a final, urgent pastoral appeal for repentance

Why? This is the guy who would betray him. I can't help but think it's Jesus reaching out one last time. And he's saying, 'Man, I'm here. I'm here. Just repent. Come back to me.' And he gives him the bread and he says, 'What you are about to do, do quickly.' Again, if you're gonna repent, do it now. Right now. Time is short, Judas. 'And if you're gonna betray me, then go on and do it. Get on with it.' And John records what? That when he took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him, and he went outside, and it was night.

12 · Vince asserts that Jesus was in full command of his betrayal—he knew from the beginning that Judas was a devil (citing John 6) and deliberately chose him anyway

Jesus was not caught off guard by this betrayal. He knew it was coming. He chose Judas even knowing what John says in John 6, 'That one of you is a devil,' and he was talking about Judas. And he chose him. He was in full command. Even in the midst of his betrayal, telling him, 'You can come back or you can leave. Whatever you do, do quickly.' Quickly.

13 · Vince turns the lens from Judas to the congregation

And we can often think— I know I have— how can Jesus for 3 years stomach being around Judas? How for 3 years can He look at him knowing what's coming, knowing that he would be the one who comes and with a kiss who with a kiss betrays the Lord? How can he handle being in his presence? And the truth is, we're no different than Judas, are we? We are all betrayers. We are all rebels. We are all just as guilty of seeking our own kingdom, which is the same as Judas taking the 30 pieces of silver. Over. Every act of sin is a cosmic betrayal. Every act of sin is a rebellion. Every act of sin is us taking our way instead of Jesus' way. And how often do we do that? How often do we betray our Lord with our sin or with our grumbling? Or with our doubts and misgivings. See, every one of us is a Judas.

14 · Despite our universal status as betrayers, Jesus remains kind and patient—constantly offering us bread (reconciliation) just as he did to Judas

And the Lord is kind and patient with us, and He comes to us just like He did to Judas, offering— handing us bread, handing us bread. Offering us to come back. You see, Jesus is in command, totally, fully. Even in the midst of our betrayal, he's in command and he's seeking our repentance and reconciliation with him.

15 · Vince signals the transition from the second movement (Jesus' command of his betrayal) to the third and final movement (Jesus' command of his death)

And this brings us now to Jesus' command of his death.

16 · Vince re-reads Mark 14:22-25 and provides detailed liturgical explanation of the Passover's four cups, identifying this cup as the third (Cup of Redemption)

Verse 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.' And he took a cup and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them and they all drank of 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 not drink again of the fruit of the vine till that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God. Now again, the Passover has 4 cups. They would have drank— drunk— drunken? They would have consumed 2 by now. I hate that word. When you start going in past tense, it's like, 'I don't know, man. They had it.' I believe that this cup referred to here is the third cup. Why the third cup? Well, the fourth cup is what's called the Kingdom Cup or the Restoration Cup or the Cup of Praise. The third cup is the Cup of Redemption. And it signifies that God will redeem his people from sin and death. This cup would have also been eaten with a half piece of bread, right, that it's been broken in half at the beginning of the meal and then wrapped up in a cloth, most times buried. It's called the afikomen, which means that which comes after, okay? And look, I'm not Jewish, so I don't know all of the intricacies there. I'm not trying to convert us to Judaism. But when you look at this stuff, it's crazy. And this bread would have been buried in its cloth, and all the kids would go hunt for it and search for it. And those who found it would get a prize. They would get a reward for finding the bread which gives life that had been buried.

17 · Vince expounds Jesus' words over the bread and cup

And Jesus takes this bread and he breaks it and he gives it to them and he says, 'Take, this is my body.' It signifies how his body would be broken and marred beyond recognition through physical torture of torture. Scripture tells us that he would not even resemble a human being. He was so brutally beaten and badly scourged. 'Take. This is my body broken for you.' Then he took a cup and gave thanks, and he gave it to them, and they all drank. 'This is my blood of the covenant which is It is poured out for many.

18 · Vince argues that by remaking the Passover about himself, Jesus claims all the OT covenants point to him—since the Passover is rooted in the Mosaic covenant and all subsequent covenants build on it

And with that statement, Jesus not only remakes the Passover celebration about him, he makes all of the Old Testament, all of the covenants given about him. Why? Because all of the covenants are built upon the Mosaic covenant and the Passover was part of the Mosaic covenant. And when Jesus makes the Passover about him. He makes all things about him. Because he is before all things, he has made all things, and all things are for him. And his words here echo the first covenant that we see. Okay, second covenant. First one was Abraham. How can I forget that? I wrote a very long paper about that. It was tough. But at Mount Sinai, when the Lord was giving the law to Moses, he says, 'Bring up the 70 elders.' And he brought the elders up and they slaughtered an ox. And he took some of the blood and he sprinkled it over the elders and over the people. And what did he say? What did he say? Behold, the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words. Jesus was certainly retelling the Passover, and he was saying that the Passover pointed to him. He is the Lamb, his blood is the blood of the covenant God made in accordance with all these words. How can I say that? Because Jesus says, 'The Son of Man goes as it is written of him.'

19 · Vince asserts that everything in the Passover narrative points to Jesus going to the cross

Everything that we see is pointing to Jesus going to the cross. He says, 'This is the blood. This is my blood of the covenant.' And he's going to the cross. And the Passover is one step closer to the cross. Jesus is in command. And his command could have done something different. Why? Because he is God himself incarnate. He could have chosen a different route. His command could have done that.

20 · Vince cites Jesus' rebuke to Peter in Gethsemane—he could have summoned 12 legions of angels but chose not to

When Peter cuts off off Malchus's ear, what does he say? Do not do that! Do you think I couldn't call and 12 legions of angels would be here? His command takes him straight to the cross. His command of his death takes him to obedience to the Father's will, where he would walk the road up the hill of Calvary and hang between heaven and earth in a sacrificial death to pay for your sin, to pay for my sin, to pay for everyone's sin who would ever believe. He's in command. He's been sent on a mission and he is in full command of everything, including his death and his blood was poured out for the disciples, poured out for you, and poured out for me and countless others. Full command.

21 · Vince asserts that Jesus was not a victim but a willing substitute—he deliberately went to the cross to die in the place of covenant-breakers, taking their judgment so they could receive his righteousness

The cross is no surprise to Him. The shedding of His blood does not catch Him off guard. He went to die in the place of His people who broke the covenant, to take their place in judgment so that we could take His righteousness on ourselves.

22 · Vince synthesizes the entire movement: the Lord's Supper is the gospel in picture form—Christ came to save sinners by his death and resurrection

The Lord's Supper is a living picture of the gospel, that Christ came into the world to save sinners by his death. On the cross, then is raised showing that the penalty of death has been satisfied by his blood that has been poured out. Death touched the immortal God so that it could never touch his mortal people. Wow! What grace, what love, the sacrificial act of God the Son. In the person of Jesus. Exodus 6, 'He has brought us out of slavery with outstretched arm and mighty acts of judgment.' Wow. The Son of God. Had his arms outstretched, and the judgment fell on him.

23 · Vince interprets Jesus' statement about not drinking the fruit of the vine until the kingdom comes as a prophetic promise

And having poured out his blood unto death, having taken up his life again because he had authority to lay it down and to take it up, he awaits the day when he will bring the kingdom finally and fully to earth, and that day there will be another Passover celebrated in which the King will finally drink the fourth cup. I think that's what he means when he says, 'I will not drink the fruit of the vine until I drink it new in the kingdom of God.' On that day. On that day, the cup of praise and kingdom and restoration will be consumed in joy by the Lord himself and his people.

24 · Vince begins applying the theology of the Lord's Supper to the congregation

So what does this mean for us? What is the significance of Jesus not only being in command, but part of his command is instituting the Lord's this supper right before He goes to the garden and prays and then is betrayed and then is crucified by sinful men? What's the point? What's the significance of what we call communion? Well, first, it is a meal of remembrance. It commands us to remember Jesus and His life lived perfectly. Righteously, completely holy, and obedient to the Father's will and all of His law. It is a command to remember His death on the cross to pay for sins. It is a command to remember that death could not hold Him because death had no power over Him. Paul tells us that it is even more than a remembrance. It's a proclamation. It is a proclamation of our hope, not in ourselves, but in Christ. It is a proclamation that hope has come to a world twisted, broken, marred with sin that has been groaning ever since Genesis 3, and will continue to groan until he renews all things. It's a proclamation of the gospel. It's a proclamation of the future that Jesus will come and bring his kingdom. It's a proclamation that hope is alive for all who would trust in him.

25 · Vince identifies a third function of the Lord's Supper: participation

But it's more than a proclamation. It is a participation in the body and blood of Christ. Paul tells us that it is a participation in the blood of Christ when we take, what? The cup of blessing, which is another word for the cup of redemption, the third cup. Little clues that Paul is dropping for us. It's a participation. He says that the bread we take is a participation in the body of Christ, that we who are many are one body. For we all partake of the one bread.

26 · Vince identifies a fourth function: the Lord's Supper is a picture (and more than a picture) of Christ's real presence with his people

But it's more than a participation. It is a picture of the reality of Christ's presence with his people. In Matthew 18 and 28— 18, where the hardest thing that a church will do, church discipline, Jesus says what? 'Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am with them there also.' And then in Matthew 28, what does he say? 'Go therefore, making disciples— make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them. Surely I am with you to the end of the age.' And taking the bread and the cup is a reminder of his presence. But how is that— how is— how— it's more than a reminder though, I would say. It is his presence. How is it his presence though if he is on the throne?

27 · Vince answers his own question by quoting Calvin: Christ, by the Spirit, lifts believers up to where he is

Well, I think Calvin helps us to understand this when he says, by the Spirit Christ lifts us up to where he is. So there's something going on by the Spirit in our hearts conversing with us of the presence of God.

28 · Vince identifies a fifth function: the Lord's Supper is a prophetic look forward to the eschatological wedding supper of the Lamb, when Jesus will drink the fourth Passover cup with all his people—including us and all believers

But it's more than a participation. I would say it's a prophetic look forward. It is a look forward to the great wedding supper of the Lamb when we will enjoy the Passover served by the bridegroom Jesus himself. What a day that will be. It is a look forward to when Jesus finally drinks the fourth cup of the Passover and drinks it new with his disciples. That includes us and everyone else who has believed in his name. What a look! What a picture!

29 · Vince identifies a sixth and final function: the Lord's Supper is a thanksgiving (Eucharist) for all God has done—redemption, forgiveness, new life, faith, transformation, and transfer from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light

It's more than a look forward. When does it end, Vince? I think this is the last one, okay? It's a thanksgiving. It is a thanksgiving of what the Lord has done. Redemption, forgiveness, new life, faith, a changed life, a changed way of thinking, a changed relationship with God, being brought out of the kingdom of darkness, transferred into his kingdom of marvelous light. Many things we have to be thankful for. And in many centuries, the church has called it the Eucharist. It's— it's— that comes from the Greek eucharisteo, meaning to be grateful, to feel thankful, or to give thanks. When we partake of the elements of the Lord's table, we are indeed giving thanks for all that he has done.

30 · Vince synthesizes all six functions of the Lord's Supper and ties them back to the sermon's thesis

And so as we take these elements that I forgot once again— as we partake of the elements, that is what we do. We It is a celebration of the Passover of the Lord as seen fully and truly in Christ, our Passover Lamb, having been sacrificed for his people. It is a celebration of all those things, a remembrance, a proclamation, a participation, a picture of his presence, a prophetic look, and a thanksgiving. Just as the Passover was a celebration of the night God passed over the houses marked with blood. We celebrate the true Passover of God in passing over his people, passing over their sins. Why? Because we've been marked by the blood. It's a reminder that there's nothing that I have added to my salvation except the sin that made it possible, and it's a celebration of the one who came to take it fully. It's a celebration that Jesus is in command, and his command took him to the cross. And since he was in command, We can trust him. It's a celebration of trust.

31 · Vince transitions to the communion instructions

So we will now celebrate, and by celebrating, we will trust again his sacrifice for our sins. Now, as we take communion, if you have not trusted in Christ to pay for your sins, I ask that you observe this meal. You know, Paul tells us that if we take the bread or the cup in a manner unworthy— and the manner unworthy is that without faith— he says what? That we eat and drink judgment upon ourselves. But if you have trusted in Christ to pay for your sins, church, let's open the bread.

32 · Vince leads the congregation through the communion liturgy—reflecting on Jesus' body broken and given, eating the bread, reflecting on his blood poured out for the forgiveness of sins, drinking the cup

Jesus says to his disciples, 'Take, this is my body.' Let us reflect on his body broken and given for us. Church, let's eat the bread. Now let's open the The Jews. Jesus says to his disciples today, 'This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.' Let's reflect on the Lord pouring out His blood for many for the forgiveness of their sins. Church, let us drink the cup.

33 · Vince closes with a prayer of thanksgiving and intercession

And then let's pray. Father, thank you, Lord, for your grace, for your mercy. Thank you for sending your Son. Who was not a helpless victim of the Roman government, who was not caught off guard by the events of his betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion. No, Lord, he was in command. He took each step with purpose. He took each step with conviction and with hope and with trust in the plan of God to redeem the people of God. Father, let us remember that, Lord. Let us walk in the hope of what he has accomplished for us. And Father, if someone is here today that is not— has not trusted in Christ, Lord, I pray that— I pray, Lord, that you would grant new life and that new life brings repentance No, Lord, that was wrong. I pray you would grant new life. New life does bring repentance, and that they would repent of their sins as they're being commanded to, and they would have faith that Jesus paid for their sins. Lord, I pray that now for your glory. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Let's stand together.

Where this fits

Recent preaching context

The three sermons immediately preceding this one in the preaching schedule.

Sep 5, 2021

Authority Revealed

Jesus is the ultimate authority who demands allegiance, demonstrated through his power over creation, stated in his teaching on prayer and forgiveness, and revealed in his confrontation with religious leaders who refuse to acknowledge the divine source of his authority.

Mark 11:20-33

Sep 19, 2021

God of the Living

God is the God of the living, not the dead, and this truth—revealed in Scripture and supremely demonstrated in Christ's resurrection—means that death for believers is merely a change of address, not cessation of existence.

Mark 12:18-27

Oct 3, 2021

Not Far, Not In

We must know Jesus personally through faith, not merely know things about him or believe certain doctrines, because only knowing Jesus himself—trusting in his perfect obedience and atoning sacrifice—brings us into the kingdom of God.

Mark 12:28-34

November 14 · This sermon

Jesus Is In Command

Jesus was in sovereign command of his betrayal, death, and the entire trajectory toward the cross, and therefore we can trust him fully because his sacrifice was no accident but the deliberate execution of God's redemptive plan.

Mark 14:12-25

Take it further

Discuss · apply · pray

Small groups

6 discussion questions

In Mark 14:12-16, Jesus tells his disciples exactly how they will find the room for the Passover meal—down to specific details about a man c…

Daily readings

5-day reading plan

This week we trace Jesus' sovereign command through his Passion: from his mastery over circumstance, through his merciful pursuit of the betrayer, to his deliberate walk toward the cross as substitutionary sacrifice, and finally to the Lord's Supper as our living participation in that redemptive work.

Prayer

Prayer of Trust in Christ's Sovereign Command

Father, we come before you in awe of Jesus, who demonstrated sovereign command over his entire Passion—the room prepared, the betrayal known…

Family table

Jesus Knew What Would Happen

This prompt anchors in the stunning moment when Jesus told his disciples he would be betrayed—he knew it was coming and went forward anyway.…

Couples

Jesus Commands Our Trust

What did you hear about Jesus' sovereignty in his suffering that stirred or unsettled your heart—and how does that shift the way you see you…

Memorize

Mark 14:22-24

This passage is the interpretive key to the entire sermon's thesis: Jesus, in sovereign command of his own death, deliberately reinterpreted the Passover to declare that his body and blood constitute the fulfillment of all Scripture and the covenant sacrifice for sin. Memorizing this verse anchors the congregation's understanding that Christ's sacrifice was neither accident nor tragedy, but the deliberate execution of God's redemptive plan.

Small-group discussion

6 questions for your group this week

In Mark 14:12-16, Jesus tells his disciples exactly how they will find the room for the Passover meal—down to specific details about a man carrying a water jar. What does this display about Jesus' relationship to the events unfolding around him, and why would Mark include these details?

Mark 14:12-16

→ How does this differ from the way we typically experience uncertainty or helplessness in our own lives?
When Jesus says to Judas, 'Do quickly what you are going to do' (Mark 14:27), the sermon suggests this was simultaneously a final call to repentance and permission to proceed. What does this reveal about Jesus' sovereignty in the moment of betrayal?

Mark 14:21

→ How does this reshape the way we think about Jesus' power in moments when we ourselves are tempted to betray or abandon him?
The sermon claims that by reinterpreting the Passover meal—saying 'This is my body' and 'This is my blood'—Jesus was making a staggering claim about himself and all of Scripture. What is Jesus asserting about his relationship to the entire covenant history of Israel?

Mark 14:22-24
In Matthew 26:52-53, when Peter tries to defend Jesus with a sword, Jesus says he could have summoned twelve legions of angels. Given that Jesus clearly had the power to escape, what does his deliberate choice to go to the cross tell us about the nature of his command and his obedience to the Father?

→ What does it mean for us spiritually that Jesus' sacrifice was not forced upon him but deliberately chosen?
The sermon describes the Lord's Supper as a 'living picture of the gospel' where Christ died and was raised so that 'death, having touched the immortal God, could never touch his mortal people.' How does understanding Jesus' substitutionary sacrifice in this way change what we are actually proclaiming when we gather for Communion?

Mark 14:24

→ When you participate in the bread and wine this week, what specific gospel truths do you want to remember and celebrate?
The sermon notes that Jesus says he will not drink the fruit of the vine again until the kingdom comes—a promise of a future eschatological Passover. What does this forward-looking promise mean for how we should view the Lord's Supper we observe now, and how should it shape our hope and anticipation?

Mark 14:25

Draft · pending review

Daily readings · Monday–Friday

5-day reading plan

Monday Matthew 26:52-53

When Peter drew his sword, Jesus rebuked him and revealed the staggering truth: he could have called upon twelve legions of angels to defend him, yet he deliberately chose restraint. This passage strips away any illusion that Jesus was a victim swept along by events—his command was absolute, and his path to the cross was chosen with full knowledge and power. We rest in the assurance that our Savior went willingly to his death for us, not by compulsion but by sovereign love.

Tuesday Exodus 6

God's covenant promise to Abraham and his deliverance of Israel from Egypt formed the backbone of God's redemptive story for centuries. When Jesus took the Passover bread and wine and declared them to be his body and blood, he was not abandoning that history but consummating it—revealing that every covenant, every sacrifice, every plague and deliverance had pointed toward him. In the gospel we grasp that we are the true Israel, and our exodus from bondage to sin is accomplished through Christ's blood, the final Passover lamb.

Wednesday Isaiah 53

The Servant in Isaiah suffers as the sin-bearer, wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, and by his stripes we are healed. Jesus embodied that prophecy absolutely—not symbolically, but as the God-man who bore the full weight of divine judgment in our place. The gospel humbles us as we grasp that our forgiveness cost the death of the immortal Son; it exalts us as we receive the righteousness we could never earn, now credited to our account through faith in his finished work.

Thursday 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

Paul's language is striking: in drinking from one cup and eating from one loaf, we who are many are united into one body, one people, one fellowship with Christ and with one another. The Supper is not a private meditation but a corporate act that binds us together in radical interdependence around our common Lord. Every time we gather at the Table together, we proclaim afresh that our divisions are secondary to our union in Christ, and we are compelled by grace to live out that unity in how we treat one another.

Friday 1 Corinthians 11:27-29

Paul's warning to examine ourselves before partaking underscores that the Lord's Supper is not casual but consequential—we approach the Table as those who have been forgiven much, yet remain prone to ingratitude and betrayal. Every time we remember Christ's death through bread and wine, we stand in corporate solidarity with all believers past and future, we declare the gospel's power to every watching world, and we offer ourselves anew to the One who spared nothing for us. This is our so what: remembering Jesus' command over his own death compels us to examine our hearts and recommit ourselves to his lordship.

Draft · pending review

Pray together this week

Prayer of Trust in Christ's Sovereign Command

Father, we come before you in awe of Jesus, who demonstrated sovereign command over his entire Passion—the room prepared, the betrayal known, the cup appointed. We worship him as the God-man who, in full freedom and authority, moved deliberately toward the cross, executing your redemptive plan with perfect knowledge and willing obedience (Mark 14:12-25). In the gospel we see that nothing took Jesus by surprise; every circumstance bent to his purpose, and therefore we can trust him completely.

Yet we confess that we often live as though we were in command—of our choices, our futures, our kingdoms. Like Judas, we betray Jesus by choosing our own way over his. We forget that every sin is a cosmic rebellion, a refusal of his lordship. Forgive us for the times we doubt his sovereignty even as we sing of it, for the moments we fear that circumstances have spiraled beyond his control. None of us perfectly grasps the depth of Christ's command over all things, yet you call us to trust.

We thank you that Jesus, knowing our betrayals, offers us what he offered Judas: a final, perpetual invitation to repentance and reconciliation. He went to the cross in our place, taking the judgment we deserved, so that death itself—having touched the immortal God—can never touch those who are his (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). In the Lord's Supper we taste and see this reality: Christ's body broken, his blood poured out, all in sovereign command, all for us.

Grant us grace this week to remember, proclaim, and participate in Christ's sacrifice with grateful hearts. Help us to see in the breaking of bread the presence of our risen Lord, and to live in the light of his coming kingdom. As we gather around his table, bind us together as one body, united in his death and resurrection, trusting in his command over all things. To Jesus, who was in sovereign control of his cross and is sovereign over our lives, be all glory and dominion forever.

Draft · pending review

Sunday-evening family table

Jesus Knew What Would Happen

For the parent

This prompt anchors in the stunning moment when Jesus told his disciples he would be betrayed—he knew it was coming and went forward anyway. The goal is to help kids grasp that Jesus wasn't surprised or caught off guard; he was in command, and that's why we can trust him completely. Listen for their sense of wonder at Jesus' courage and control.

At dinner, Jesus told his friends that one of them would betray him. He already knew it was going to happen. If you knew something hard was coming, would you still go forward with your plan, or would you try to stop it? Why do you think Jesus went ahead anyway, even knowing he would be hurt?

works for ages 7+

Draft · pending review

Couples · three questions over coffee

Jesus Commands Our Trust

What did you hear about Jesus' sovereignty in his suffering that stirred or unsettled your heart—and how does that shift the way you see your own struggles?
Where do we as a couple struggle to trust that Jesus is in command—in our finances, our future, our conflicts—and what would it mean to surrender those areas to his sovereign care together?
How can we pray for each other this week to grow in the kind of trust that Jesus demonstrated: obedience to the Father's will even when the path is costly?

Draft · pending review

Memory verse this week

Mark 14:22-24

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.' And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, 'This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.'

Why this verse: This passage is the interpretive key to the entire sermon's thesis: Jesus, in sovereign command of his own death, deliberately reinterpreted the Passover to declare that his body and blood constitute the fulfillment of all Scripture and the covenant sacrifice for sin. Memorizing this verse anchors the congregation's understanding that Christ's sacrifice was neither accident nor tragedy, but the deliberate execution of God's redemptive plan.

Draft · pending review

Where this was preached

About the church

Cross of Grace Church

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# Cross of Grace Church

A church preaching expository sermons through the books of the Bible.

## Sermons
- [Authority Revealed (Mark 11:20-33, 2021-09-05)](/CoGElPaso/sermons/2021/09/authority-revealed)
- [God of the Living (Mark 12:18-27, 2021-09-19)](/CoGElPaso/sermons/2021/09/god-of-the-living)
- [Not Far, Not In (Mark 12:28-34, 2021-10-03)](/CoGElPaso/sermons/2021/10/not-far-not-in)
- [Jesus Is In Command (Mark 14:12-25, 2021-11-14)](/CoGElPaso/sermons/2021/11/jesus-is-in-command)

## About
- [About the church](/about)
- [Plan a visit](/visit)

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