Jesus Introduces the New Covenant and the Communion Supper

Bible Study series: Mark 14:22-26. This may be the most important passage in all of Mark’s Gospel. He ended it with a hymn of praise.

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Mark 14

At that link, I also offer more commentary and a Summary and Conclusion, geared towards discipleship. Scroll down to the bottom and check it out!

Let’s begin.

Scripture: Mark 14:22-26

²² While they were eating, he, taking the bread and blessing it, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” ²³ Taking the cup, giving thanks, he gave it to them, and everyone drank from it. ²⁴ Then he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which has been poured out for many. ²⁵ I tell you the truth: I will no longer drink from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink this new wine in the kingdom of God. ²⁶ After they sang a hymn, they left for the Mount of Olives. (Mark 14:22-26)

Comments:

The exegesis of verses 22-25 have moved to this post:

The Lord’s Supper in Synoptic Gospels + Church Traditions

“Covenant” v. 24): At my post on the New Covenant, I defined a covenant in this way:

Out of his great love for his highest creation, people, God unilaterally reaches out to them and initiates an unalterable legal agreement, in which he stipulates the terms that reveal how he relates to people, and they to him.

More simply:

A covenant is an unalterable legal agreement, in which God stipulates the terms that reveal how he relates to people, and they to him.

Further, here are the differences between the Sinai Covenant and the New Covenant, in table form. The comparisons from the New Covenant’s point of view, looking back on the Old, in a fuller perspective.

Categories	Old Sinai Covenant	New Covenant
Duration	Temporal	Everlasting
Conditional	Yes	No
Grace and Faith	Yes	Yes
Moral Law	Yes	Yes
Written	In stone	On hearts and minds
Ratified	By blood of animals	By the blood of Christ
Number of Sacrifices	Countless numbers	One sacrifice forever
Mediator	Moses	Jesus
Holy Spirit	No permanent indwelling	Permanent indwelling
Being Born Again	No	Yes
Life in the Spirit	Intermittent or minimal or not at all	Permanent and powerful
Approach to God	Through Aaron the high priest and his successors	Through Christ our High Priest
Celebrated	By sacrifices (looking forward)	By communion (looking back to the cross)
Fulfilled and Replaced	Yes	Never
Adapted and much expanded from Geisler, p. 1393

The New Covenant is superior and better than the Old Sinai Covenant, as the epistle of Hebrews teaches. The main point is that life in the Spirit is the whole project and new way that God grants to people in the New Covenant (Luke 24:49; John 20:22; entire book of Acts; Rom. 8; Gal. 5). People of the Old Covenant did not have life in the Spirit, in the same way, both extensive and intensive, as do people of the New.

Please click on these posts for more details:

God’s New Covenant

The Sinai Covenant

One Decisive Difference Between Sinai Covenant and New Covenant

25:

“I tell you the truth”: see v. 9 for more comments.

Wine was seen generally as a symbol of joyful well being (e.g. Gen. 27:28; Deut. 33:28; Prov. 3:10; Amos 9:13). Jesus said it was a symbol of new life (Matt. 9:17). This entire meal, both the bread and wine, is a forerunner of the Messianic banquet (Matt. 8:11-12), when God has already won the victory, once and for all.

“kingdom of my Father”: Keener, in his commentary on Matthew’s Gospel, points out that “our Father” appears often in Jewish texts, but “my Father” is “quite rare” (A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, [Eerdmans, 1999], p. 638). Jesus had an extra-close relationship with his Father. John’s Gospel is especially clear about this.

Next, the question is—which stage of the kingdom? The very end when the kingdom of God will come on earth in full manifestation and power and glory? Or after his resurrection? It seems the best answer is the full manifestation, in which case he will partake of the Last Supper in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Big meals express final victory (Matt. 22:1-14) and the Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:12-24). However, he does eat meals with them after the resurrection, so he may mean this stage of the kingdom.

Iin this context, it speaks of the future kingdom.

3 The Kingdom Is in the Future

Here are some of my posts about the kingdom of God:

1 Introducing the Kingdom of God (begin a ten-part series)

Bible Basics about the Kingdom of God

Questions and Answers about Kingdom of God

Basic Definition of Kingdom of God

It is good to see that he proclaims that the kingdom belongs to his Father. In Matt. 6:9, he said “our Father.” Now he expresses intimacy with his Father. Now his disciples know that he has a divine connection between him and his Father. The Father is orchestrating the whole Gospel mission, culminating in the crucifixion, resurrection, ascension and enthronement.

26:

“sang”: Have you ever heard Jesus singing? No, of course not, but it is interesting to ponder. Traditionally they sang the last parts of the Hallel (Pss. 114-118 or 115-118). It was sung antiphonally. They chanted. Let’s not picture Jesus standing up like an opera singer performing an aria. Jesus the leader chanted the lines, and his followers chanted “Hallelujah.” It must have been very moving to be there, knowing that this was the last day or two before his death. (I’m moved right now, just thinking about it.)

Maybe they sang these relevant verses about not having fear and the LORD being by his side and triumphing over those who hate him:

⁵Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me free.
⁶The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
⁷The Lord is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. (Ps. 118:5-7, ESV)

And these verses, particularly v. 22, which is first about rejection and then leading the way, he had quoted before (Matt. 21:42):

²¹I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
²²The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
²³This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
²⁴This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Ps. 118:21-24)

Jesus is about to get his miracle of resurrection, after his rejection. It will be marvelous in everyone’s eyes.

Next, this verse about coming in the name of the Lord was also referenced before (Mark 11:9-10). Did the disciples catch on to its Messianic significance in Jesus’ life?

²⁶Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
We bless you from the house of the Lord. (Ps. 118:26)

Finally, right before the most horrific day of his life, during his suffering with a beating and crucifixion, he still gave thanks to the Lord:

²⁸You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God; I will extol you.
²⁹Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever! (Ps. 118:28-29, ESV)

France points out that Hallel hymns were sung antiphonically, that is, one person sung, and the others replied. When everyone was chanting it at around the same time, to our ears it would sound “strange,” “raucous,” and “loud.” Let’s not expect Handel’s Messiah.

To wrap up this pericope, please see my posts in the areas of biblical and systematic theology:

Why the Blood of Jesus?

Why the Cross?

What Is Penal Substitution?

What Is Redemption in the Bible?

GrowApp for Mark 14:22-26

1. How do you take communion at church? Is it significant or just something to get out of the way?

The Lord’s Supper in Synoptic Gospels + Church Traditions

Why Our Churches Must Consider Communion Elements and Baptismal Waters As Sacred

10. Eyewitness Testimony in Mark’s Gospel

2. Church Fathers and Mark’s Gospel

2. Archaeology and the Synoptic Gospels