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.
      32.   And they come unto a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith unto his disciples, Sit ye here, while I pray.
      33   And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly amazed, and sore troubled.
      34   And he saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death: abide ye here, and watch.
      35   And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass away from him.
      36   And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; remove this cup from me: howbeit not what I will, but what thou wilt.

Questions and Brief Comments.

Verse 17. Where and when was this? (Jerusalem; the "Upper Room"; at time time of the Last Supper.)

Verse 18. What shocking announcement did Jesus make to the twelve?

Verse 19. What word describes their feeling? What anxious question did they ask?

Verse 20. Did He tell them then which one? Later He did point him out to John. See also what He said to Judas. (John 13:21-26; Matt. 26:25).

Verse 21. How was it written? (John 13:18; Ps. 41:9). Why did not that excuse Judas? (Although it had been foretold, Judas acted wholly upon his own free choice, and against the light and grace of God). What fate awaited this man?

Verses 22-24. What solemn memorial was instituted here? For what did the bread stand? Did Jesus mean that the bread had become His actual body? (No--His actual body was there, visibly, at the table). Did He mean that the "fruit of the vine" had become His actual blood? (No--His actual blood was all within Him). For what did He mean this? (For a memorial: "This do in remembrance of me." 1 Cor. 11:24, 25).

Verse 25. Was this "consecrated wine" still simply the "fruit of the vine"? (Therefore it had not been "turned into the blood of Christ," as by some falsely taught). When only would He drink it with them again. (For explanation see Notes).

Verses 32-34. To what place did they come? Who was with the Lord Jesus? What besides this scene of His distress had these

three witnessed? (His transfiguration). What request did He make of them?

Verses 35, 36. In what posture did He pray? What was His request? Did He believe it was possible to God to [185] do this? But did He want His own will in the matter?

NOTES AND TEACHING-POINTS.

"ON THE NIGHT IN WHICH HE WAS BETRAYED."

      "The Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed took bread." (1 Cor. 11:23). Why is that night and occasion marked by that feature? Why not "on the night when He ate the Passover with His disciples," or "on the night before He went to the Cross," or, simply, "on the last night of His sojourn with His disciples?" No--it is on the night in which He was betrayed. Why? Because in this we are given the deepest contrast between man's sin and God's grace. In the night in which he was treated worst He provides the feast of love. "It always is in a dark night of betrayal that grace finds its widest opportunity." The love of God shines out against the dark background of man's treachery and wickedness. When sin does its worst He does His best. With the hand of the betrayer dipping with Him in the same dish, He institutes the Supper, which, till He comes, shall be the memorial of our Lord's faithful, self-giving love.

THE LORD'S SUPPER.

      There is always need for teaching upon this sacred theme--both because there is much false teaching concerning it, and also because we are prone to forget its sweet and solemn significance.

      1. The Bread. This was one load--the oneness of the loaf having a significance, "seeing that we, who are many, are one bread, one body; for we are all partake of the one bread." (margin, "loaf." 1 Cor. 10:17).

      2. The Cup. Not the receptacle, but the contents, viz., the fruit of the vine. No significance is attached in the word of God to the one-ness of the cup or its contents; for though the body, being a whole, one and undivided, is signified by the one loaf, no such coherence pertains to the shed blood, of which the fruit of the vine is the emblem. Neither is anything said concerning such a point.

      3. "This is my body . . . this is my blood." It must not be understood that the bread became the actual body of the Lord Jesus, and the fruit of the vine His actual blood when He spake these words over it. The body of the Lord was sitting living in their midst, when Jesus spoke this, and His blood was in His veins, not as yet shed. He referred to the contents of the cup immediately afterward as "this fruit of the vine." In taking the Supper we do not take the body and blood of the Lord into ourselves by way of the mouth, but our communion of the Body and the Blood (1 Cor. 10:16) by virtue of the significance He placed upon this act, a spiritual communion which is by faith.

      4. The Purpose. The object of this participation is memorial. "This do in remembrance of me." (1 Cor. 11:24, 25). Now a memorial of anything is never the thing to be commemorated itself but something to remind us of it. In the Lord's Supper is not a repetition of the sacrifice of Christ's body and blood, but a participation of bread and wine in remembrance of Him.

      5. The Time. The only time specified in the New Testament is "on the first day of the week." This "breaking of bread" was observed regularly from the very beginning of the church. (Acts 2:42).

      6. How the Lord's Supper should be taken. It is of the greatest importance that the Lord's Supper should be observed in deep reverence, respecting the meaning and intent of this bread and this fruit of the vine; with heart-searchings, and in remembrance of Him who loved us and gave Himself up for us. To partake of it lightly, thoughtlessly, flippantly will bring certain and sure judgment on those who do so. This "judgment" takes the form of chastisement, so that they may not have to be condemned. To partake "unworthily" has reference to the manner in which we partake, not to our own personal worth and manner. The qualifications which fit a man for this as for all other forms of worship are given in Heb. 10:19-22.

DRINKING IT NEW IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

      On Matt. 26:29 ("I shall not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine [186] until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.") Alford quotes this:

      "The Lord's Supper points not only to the past but to the future also. It has not only a commemorative but also a prophetic meaning. In it we have not only to show forth the Lord's death until He come, but we have also to think of the time when He shall come to celebrate His holy Supper with His own, new, in the Kingdom of Glory. Every celebration of the Lord's Supper is a foretaste and prophetic anticipation of the great Marriage Supper which is prepared for the Church at the Coming of Christ."

      "In my Father's Kingdom: this expression decisively refers to its condition of future glory. See the plain parallel in Matt. 13:43." (Stier).

      Use Questions on Lesson Text for Class Use.

Source: First Lord's Day Lesson of June. Lesson 10. June 3, 1928. Jesus Facing Betrayal and Death (Mark