17   And when it was evening he cometh with the twelve. 18   And as they sat and were eating, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you shall betray me, even he that eateth with me. 19   They began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? 20   And he said unto them, It is one of the twelve, he that dippeth with me in the dish. 21   For the Son of man goeth, even as it is written of him: but woe unto that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had not been born. 22   And as they were eating, he took bread, and when he had blessed, he brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take ye: this is my body. 23   And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave to them: and they all drank of it. 24   And he said unto them, This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25   Verily I say unto you, I shall no more drink of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God. 26   And when they had sung a hymn, they went out unto the mount of Olives.

Verse 17. Evening of what day? (Verse 12).

Verse 18. What sort of meal was this He was eating with them? See Luke 22:14-18. Was this a very astonishing announcement? How (aside from His divine foreknowledge, and insight into Judas' heart) did Jesus know that it must be so? (John 13:18).

Verse 19. How did this affect the disciples? What concerned them most?

Verse 20. Was this fact very humiliating to Jesus? For the details of identifying the traitor see John 13:21-30.

Verse 21. How was the Son of man to go? Did the fact that it was so written excuse Judas' guilt? Was Judas, or any special individual, compelled to do this evil deed? If he had been divinely compelled, would God have held him responsible? What was Judas? (Rom. 9:22; 2 Tim. 2:20). If he had been a vessel unto honor (2 Tim. 2:21) would he have been used for such work? What else did the Lord call him? John 17:12. Where did he

go in the end? Acts 1:25. What place is that? Matt. 25:41, 46. What would have been better for this man?

Verse 22. The Institution of the Lord's Supper. What did the Lord do first? Was His actual body as yet given for them? Was it not as yet intact, living and present with them? In what sense then was that bread His body? For what were they to do this? (Luke 22:19).

Verses 23, 24. What did the cup represent? (Matt. 26:28). How many of the disciples were to drink of it? (Matt. 26:27). Why did this Blood have to be shed? (Heb. 9:22). Was the cup (that is, its contents) the actual blood of Jesus? What did He call it when He passed it to them? (V. 25). For whom did Jesus pour out His blood? (1 John 2:2). What else did the Lord add to these words? (1 Cor. 11:25). In partaking of the Bread and cup what do we show forth? (1 Cor. 11:26). For how long? When only, therefore is the observance of "the Lord's Supper" to cease? On what day of the week did the disciples meet to do this? (Acts 20:7). When partaken of in faith, what does the Bread and Cup become to us in spiritual effect? (1 Cor. 10:16-21).

Verse 25. Did the Lord participate in the Passover with them? (Luke 22:14-18). But did He participate in the "Lord's Supper?" When would He drink of "the fruit of the vine" and with them again? Did He eat and drink with them after that? (Acts 10:41). But in what form will He drink the [224] fruit of the vine with them in "that day?" (Rev. 21:15. Comp. 2 Tim. 4:8, Luke 22:29, 30.)

THE LORD'S SUPPER.

      The institution of the Lord's Supper is given four times, with great plainness. (Matt. 26; Mark 14; Luke 22; 1 Cor. 11). There is no need of misunderstanding. Note the following matters: 1. The doctrine that the bread becomes the actual body, and the wine the actual blood of Jesus Christ is wrong on the face of it. At the very time when Jesus gave them the bread and said, "This is my body," His actual body was visibly present. After having said, "This is my blood," He still spoke of it as "this fruit of the vine." The false doctrine of "transubstantiation" led directly into idolatry, for the Roman church worships the "host"--a little dough-wafer which by the priest's magic formula has been changed into the very body of Jesus Christ. It also uses a large number of the little white wafers instead of the one loaf, which after blessing, is to be broken (1 Cor. 10:17); and denies the cup to the people, although Jesus expressly said, "Drink ye all of it."

      2. The apostolic church continued stedfastly--that is regularly and constantly--in "the breaking of bread;" and the regular occasion when they assembled for this celebration was "the first day of the week." (Acts 2:42; 20:7). The apostle admonishes them not to forsake the assembling (Heb. 10:25), and rebukes those who by their conduct frustrated the object of this solemn meeting. (1 Cor. 11:20, etc.).

      3. It must be noted that "the breaking of bread" in Acts 2:42, stands by the context distinguished from the ordinary meals (spoken of, for example, in Acts 2:46.). Note also that in Acts 20:7-11 they met to break bread, and broke "the" bread. The reason by the cup is not mentioned specially in each instance is obvious; we ourselves speak constantly of "eating lunch," even when it consists largely of beverage. In 1 Cor. 11:20 he says, "eat the Lord's supper," though the following words show that the drinking of the cup is expressly included. (1 Cor. 11:21, 26, 28, 33).

      4. The purpose of the Lord's Supper is twofold: first, "in remembrance of me." It is a memorial feast, resembling in this the Passover of the Old Testament. But, secondly, it becomes to us anew a communion (joint participation) in the body and blood of the Lord (1 Cor. 10:16)--not by way of the mouth and alimentary canal, but by faith. For just as in baptism our cleansing is not effected by the material substance of the water, but through the act of faith; so in taking the Lord's Supper the body and blood of our Lord are not communicated to us by the material wine and bread, but in the act of faith, by which we partake of the material wine and bread, according to His commandment, in remembrance of Him.

      5. The observance of this institution is to continue until the Coming of Jesus Christ. It spans the interval between His first and second coming. It is not said that by partaking of the Supper we show forth His Coming, but that therein we do show forth His death until He come. (1 Cor. 11:26). We are still sharing His reproach, and His rejection by a sinful world (Heb. 13:13); and ourselves also enter into the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed unto His death--but in the hope of that glorious Day. (Phil. 3:10, 20).

Mark 14:27-72.

1. The Announcement to His disciples, vs. 27-31.
2. Gethsemane, vs. 32-42.
3. The Arrest, vs. 43-52.
4. The Trial before the Sanhedrin, vs. 53-65.
5. Peter's Denial, vs. 66-72. [225]

Source: Second Lord's Day Lesson of June. Lesson 10. June 9, 1918. Jesus Faces Betrayal and Denial (Mark