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Mark | 1 -7 | 8-12 | 13:1-13 | 13:14-27 | 13:28-37 | 14:1-9 | 14:10-21 | 14:22-31 | 14:32-52 | 14:53-72 | 15:1-20 | 15:21-41 | 15:42-47 | 16 | PDF |

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Mark 14:22-31 Bible Study – The Lord’s Supper and Peter’s Self-Confidence

Outline

I. Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper (22-26)
II. Jesus prophecies Peter’s denial (27-31)

I. Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper (22-26)

Discussion Questions

• What does Jesus mean that the bread is His body?
• What did Jesus do before eating the bread and drinking the cup? Why? What precedent is there for us?
• What does he mean that the cup is His blood, poured out for many?
• What is the meaning of the Lord’s Supper?
• Why should we partake of the Lord’s Supper today?
• What are the benefits of this ritual?
• How often should we do it?

Cross-References

Matthew 26:26-30 – Parallel passage in Matthew.

Luke 22:14-20 – Parallel passage in Luke.

Acts 2:42-47 – They devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, and breaking bread.

1 Corinthians 10:16-22 – One loaf demonstrates the unity of believers in the body.

1 Corinthians 11:17-34 – More in-depth discussion of the Lord’s Supper.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. The Lord’s Supper –

Mark 14:22-25 – 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.”

What is the Lord’s Supper?

It is an ordinance established by Jesus for His disciples and all future believers. As such, it is one of only two ordinances, including baptism, established for the church. It was established by Jesus at the Passover celebration meal. This is not a coincidence. The Jews celebrated God’s deliverance during the Passover yearly. It was a time when they remembered God’s mercy as His judgment had passed over them and they were spared. Jesus is our Passover Lamb. Because of His death on the cross, God’s judgment also passes over us, and we are spared if we place our faith in Him.

In the past, His people were to celebrate the Passover as they remembered God’s mercy. Now we look back on and remember His death and resurrection.

How often should we partake of the Lord’s Supper?

This is an oft-discussed point among believers. Various denominations hold different views. Some are steadfast in their belief that it should be held every week. Others prefer to celebrate it once a month. Still other denominations hold it quarterly, yearly, or for special events.

When faced with difficult questions, we should ask, “What does the Bible say?”

In this case, the Bible does not say. While the believers in Acts (20:7-11) appear to have held it once a week, there is no written command that we do likewise. If Jesus had a very specific timeline in mind that He wanted us to follow, I can only assume that He would have told us. Since He didn’t, believers and churches are free to decide how often to participate in the Lord’s Supper.

It is something which should unite us, not divide.

1 Corinthians 10:17 – Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

What is the Lord’s Supper?

This has also been a source of some debate and controversy in church history. Catholics believe in transubstantiation. This is a fancy word which means they believe that the bread literally and mystically turns into Jesus’ body and the wine literally and mystically turns into His blood (they will point to John 6:53-54 as evidence for this view).

Martin Luther dismissed this view and came up with the theory of consubstantiation. He argued that the bread and cup are spiritually Jesus’ body and blood. His body and blood coexist with the substance of the bread and cup so that they both exist simultaneously. He said that Jesus’ body and blood are “in, with, and under” the elements.

There are a couple of other views that are more commonly held today. These can be generally grouped under the symbolic view. This view holds that the bread and cup are not Jesus’ actual body and blood, but are meant to represent His body and blood.

Reformed groups would likely hold that this is a sacrament, which is a means of grace in the life of a believer, while Baptists believe it is completely symbolic and has no power to accomplish anything of itself in the life of a believer.

The symbolic view

Words in Scripture should be taken literally unless other considerations make it clear that it is figurative. Most of the time, we can easily understand figurative language. Jesus often employed it. He said, “I am the vine and you are the branches,” “I am the light of the world,” and “I am the bread of life. He described His followers as sheep, Herod as a fox, and false teachers as wolves. Herod did not have a bushy tail. You and I do not “baa,” and Jesus was not literally bread to consume. These were all figures of speech meant to teach us something deeper.

When Jesus said that this is “my body” and this is “my blood,” He was still present with them in the flesh and possessed His literal body, so He could not have meant it in a literal sense. He also said that it was the “fruit of the vine” (Matthew 26:29). Moreover, He said to do this in “remembrance” of Him (Luke 22:19), meaning He would not be there when they took the bread and cup.

The bread, which we break at communion, points us to the fact that Jesus’ body was broken for us. It reminds us that Jesus’ life sustains us and fills our spiritual hunger. It reminds us that we cannot live without Him. The cup reminds us of His blood, which was shed for us on the cross. Life is in the blood and His blood (which is the same color as wine) ran from His body to pay the penalty for our sins.

Reflect – What is your view of the Lord’s Supper and why?

What is the purpose of the Lord’s Supper?

Jesus instituted this on the very last night before His death. On this special night, He gave final instructions and reminders to His disciples. This was one of the most important commands He had for them, as evidenced by the priority given to it on the eve of His death.

Luke 22:19 – And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Jesus commanded them to take the bread and the cup in remembrance of Him. Thus, the Lord’s Supper is to be celebrated with a very basic goal in mind: to remember. We remember His life, death, resurrection, and message. Jesus’ death and resurrection for sinners is the most important event in the history of the world.

He forfeited His own holy and blameless life to save, redeem, adopt, and reconcile us to Him. What kind of followers would we be if we didn’t strive our best to remember and memorialize what He did for us? Abraham Lincoln uttered the famous phrase “[the world] can never forget what you did here” during his Gettysburg address. If the world will never forget the sacrifices of those soldiers, how much more should we remember the sacrifice of its very Creator, the Son of God.

One article at https://www.gci.org/church/lordssup/qanda gives a good summary of the purpose of the Lord’s Supper.

We look back.

Luke 22:19 – And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Communion is a time to remember what Christ has done for us. Without His sacrifice, our lives would not be the same. He faced the whip, the mocking, the crown of thorns, the spit, the nails, the cross, all for you. Our lives have been forever changed because Jesus loved you enough to die for you. When we look back, we thank Him. When we look back, we praise Him. When we look back, we want to tell others what He has done for us.

We are to be somber and sorrowful at what Jesus had to suffer because of us. If you are driving a car and your mistake causes the suffering of an innocent bystander, you can’t help but feel responsible and sorrowful, even guilty, at what happened. It is healthy for us to have the same feelings of godly sorrow at what Jesus had to suffer because of our sins.

Reflect – Do you often thank Christ for what He has done for you or do you take it for granted?

At the same time, there is joy that Jesus was victorious over death (Hebrews 2:9, 14-15).

We look up.

1 Corinthians 10:16 – The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

It shows our willingness to share in Christ, to follow Him even to the point of persecution and death. It is a reminder that
Jesus is victorious, has conquered Satan, and currently sits on His throne, having already achieved our redemption.

Psalms 121:1-2 – I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

We look within.

1 Corinthians 11:28 – Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

Communion should not just be a ritual we do once a month. It is a serious thing. It is a time when we perform a regular spiritual checkup on ourselves. We are to use this time to think back over the actions of the past week and the past month. Did we lose our tempers? Did we react in anger? Were we selfish? Did we have lustful thoughts? Were we lazy?

If you go a long period of time without taking a shower, the dirt will get thicker and thicker. You need a regular shower to wash it off. The same is true of our sin. We confess. God washes it away and makes us clean. As we prepare for communion today, look within and ask God’s Spirit to bring to mind any sin and then confess it to Him.

Reflect – During the Lord’s Supper, do you examine within?

Psalms 139:23-24 – Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

We look around.

1 Corinthians 10:17 – Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

One loaf represents one body. Because of Christ’s sacrifice for us, we can have true unity with people of all ages, backgrounds, cultures, and positions. When taking communion, our color, career, and car don’t matter. The only thing that matters is that we have been cleansed through His blood and are part of His family. When you take communion, look at your neighbor on your left and your right. Do you treat them as family? Do you truly fellowship with them? Do you encourage them in their walks with the Lord?

One thing unites us, Christ’s sacrifice. He loved us without discrimination. He has forgiven us all without prejudice. The things which could divide us are nothing compared to He who unites us. We have one Lord, one faith, one baptism. We are one family. We are friends. As we consider this, let us consider how to encourage each other. Let us take the initiative to reach out and help our fellow family members in their own walks with Christ. The people next to you will face trials, temptations, and difficulties. They will need someone to pray with them, to listen to them, and maybe to correct them.

We look forward.

Jesus said that He would not drink from the fruit of the vine until that day… in the kingdom of God. This seems to indicate that Jesus would not drink wine until He returns and sets up His earthly kingdom. At the same time, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:26 that whenever we participate in the Lord’s Supper, we “proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” Are you looking forward?

Application – What lessons have you learned about communion that you need to apply? What changes will you make the next time you take communion?

2. Singing hymns –

Mark 14:26 – And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

After years of searching, I have now found the definitive verse that teaches us we should sing only hymns and not modern praise and worship songs! Well, actually not, since this is a narrative of what they did and not prescriptive. However, we can learn a few lessons from Jesus’ example.

• Singing is a good and acceptable way of worshiping God.
• You do not need to be in a temple or church to sing to the Lord.
• It is good to have a habit of singing hymns/songs to the Lord together with brothers and sisters in Christ in casual settings, not only in worship services.
• Singing is a productive and meaningful activity you can participate in with other believers, whether few or great in number.
• Anyone can sing, even if you haven’t been professionally trained.

II. Jesus prophecies Peter’s denial (27-31)

Discussion Questions

• What does it mean that they would all fall away?
• Did this happen? When?
• What else did He tell them about what was going to happen?
• How did Peter respond to this? What can we learn about Peter?
• What were the others saying? What can we learn about them?
• What should Peter and the other disciples have said?
• What lessons can we learn from this passage?

Cross-References

Zechariah 13:7-9 – Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me,” declares the Lord of hosts.
“Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones. In the whole land, declares the Lord,
two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’;
and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

Proverbs 16:18 – Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 11:2 – When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.

Galatians 6:3 – If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing he deceives himself.

Proverbs 26:12 – Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

James 4:6 – But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. The sin of self-confidence –

Jesus predicted that His disciples would scatter and that Peter would deny Him. Peter confidently asserted that this would never happen.

Mark 14:29-31 – Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.

While Judas planned to betray Jesus, Peter was a different story. He intended to follow Jesus to the end. He intended to even die for Jesus if necessary. He was earnest and sincere. He wasn’t a fake disciple. He was just an overconfident one.

Peter’s sin was pride. He believed that he was spiritual, faithful, and committed. Therefore, he boastfully declared his willingness to face any kind of punishment, even death, for his Lord.

The willingness to suffer with Jesus is commendable. Peter had great confidence and indeed seems to really love the Lord.

The problem is that his confidence is greatly misplaced. He had loads of confidence, but his confidence seemed to be in himself. Jesus made a statement that Peter was going to deny Jesus. In essence, Peter says, “You are lying. I won’t. I am strong enough to handle it.” It doesn’t get much more prideful than that.

Reflect – What should Peter have done? Should he have just resigned himself to the fact that denying Jesus was unavoidable?

I believe the correct response was for Peter to humble himself and throw himself on Jesus’ mercy. He should have realized that he was weak and his faith was frail. He should have realized that he could not avoid this temptation without God’s help. Instead of saying, “No problem, I can handle it,” he should have said something like “Lord, I desperately want to serve you until the end, but I am so weak and so afraid, help me!”

1 Corinthians 10:13 is a famous verse and says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Do you know what the verse before this says?

1 Corinthians 10:12 – Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

Pride goes before the fall. When we think we are doing well, when we are experiencing victory, we tend to let our guard down. That is often when temptation strikes. Don’t be overconfident. Don’t trust in yourself or your own spirituality. Thinking that you are immune to some sin and will never fall can be the quickest way to a devastating defeat.

Our confidence should be placed in the flesh. The “way of escape” in verse 13 is not anything in us. It is coming to the Lord, throwing ourselves upon His mercy, and asking for His help.

Self-confidence vs God-confidence

Self-confidence says, “Once you start to believe in yourself, magic can happen.”

God-confidence says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

Self-confidence says, “If you believe in yourself and feel confident in yourself, you can do anything.”

God-confidence says, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

How many times does the term “self-confidence” appear in the Bible? The answer is zero.

In all of Scripture, we are never told that we should have confidence in ourselves or our own ability. Actually, we are warned against this repeatedly. We are reminded about how weak our flesh is and how we need God.

Let’s not just think about Peter, but about ourselves. How often do you rely on your own flesh?

• Do we tell ourselves, “I won’t get angry with my family today,” and then lose it?
• Is there a temptation or addiction you are facing that you are sure you can just will away, and then it comes back again?
• Do you trust in your own ability to teach a class, ace an exam, or preach a great sermon?

If we are to be good disciples of Jesus, we need to put away our self-confidence.

What does that look like? That doesn’t mean you go into an interview with slumped shoulders and downcast eyes, answering questions with a mumbled “I don’t know.” It doesn’t mean we are timid or shirk back from opportunities to serve God.

We are to replace that self-confidence with God-confidence.

Proverbs 3:26 – For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.

That is the very essence of what it means to be a disciple. When we come to Christ, we stop believing in ourselves. We recognize our sins and our weaknesses. We acknowledge that we are lost and helpless to save ourselves. We don’t stop trusting in anything.

Instead, we transfer trust from ourselves to God.
Did Noah lack confidence when he built the ark? No, his confidence was in God to help him complete this monumental task.

Did David look like someone who was timid and lacked confidence when he faced Goliath? No, he was supremely confident that God would give him the victory.

Was Peter afraid to preach the name of Jesus when the Jewish leaders opposed him? No, he had learned his lesson. He preached boldly but relied on Christ. The Jewish leaders saw this bold confidence and realized he had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).
Christians do not lack confidence. We just place our confidence in the Lord.

Application – Depend on the Lord, not your own flesh.

What are you trying to accomplish by your own power?

• Improving your marriage?
• Getting a scholarship?
• Getting free of temptation?
• Preaching a sermon, teaching a study, or serving God?
• Or perhaps the Christian life? Trying so hard to read the Bible, pray, go to church, and obey God.

Humbly surrender to the Lord. Say what Peter should have said, “I can’t do this on my own. I need your help. Please give me the strength. I trust in you with the result.”

A true disciple relies on Him. In what area do you need to rely on the Lord today?

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