Barry Metz 2/3/19

The Call on our Lives to ServeMatthew 20:17–34 (ESV)

As we pick up in Matthew 20 today, I think it’ll be helpful if we backtrack a bit and review some of what we’ve encountered in the preceding passages. Let’s use this slide to help us review.

In Matthew 19:16-21 we met the rich young ruler. You remember he came to Jesus asking a really good question, “What good deed must I do to have eternal life?” I call his question a good question because eternal life is an important subject. We could wish more people today would ask such a question, couldn’t we? But note his assumption. I could put words to his assumption like this: “Eternal life is something I can acquire if I do just the right thing, if I just do the right good deed, if I do just the right meritorious act.”

Jesus basically replied, “So you want to go with the commandments--Well do them!” “Don’t murder!” “Don’t commit adultery!” and so on.

And how did the young man reply? Essentially he said, “Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.” The young man was really confident in his own righteousness, wasn’t he? “I’m a good person and I’ve been a good person for a long time.” But he was blind to his idolatry. He loved his money. And Jesus--who could x-ray a heart in a nanosecond—said, “Ok, if you really want to be perfect, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come follow me.” Jesus spoke directly to the man’s idolatry.

Well the Bible says, verse 22, When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. He couldn’t follow Jesus because his heart was captivated by the treasures he had on earth.

And then Jesus said to his disciples, It’s hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. In fact it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. Well the disciples were bumfuzzled at Jesus’ words because it was commonly

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believed at that time that the rich were rich because of the blessing of God. “Who then can be saved?” they said. And you remember Jesus’ answer, “With God all things are possible.”

Well, Peter’s taking all this in, he’s listening to this, and he’s thinking to himself... Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell everything and follow him… hey that’s kind of what we’ve done... hmmm... and he says to Jesus, verse 27, “Hey Jesus, we’ve left everything and followed you… What then shall we have?” “What then shall we have? What’s in it for us?” “What’s our reward?” Now if you bring your Bible up real close, you can get a whiff of self-interest floating up from Peter’s question. What shall we get? What’s coming to us because we left everything and followed you? What’s our reward for faithfully following you? What’s our reward for being good disciples? Peter was preoccupied with the rewards he would receive. And that’s a problem in Jesus’ mind. Someone has said, “The Rewarder should fill our hearts not the rewards.”1

Now it’s not immediately clear in the text that Jesus had a problem with Peter’s attitude because if you continue reading the text Jesus goes on to tell Peter what he would receive….thrones and lots of family and stuff and eternal life.

But verse 30 gives us a hint, a cryptic hint, that all is not well. Look at verse 30… But many who are first… do you think Jesus made eye contact with Peter at that moment?… But many who are first… Peter aren’t you one of the first to leave everything and follow me?… Well many who are first (should be) last and the last first.

And then the next verse--pretend there’s not a chapter division here-- Matthew 20:1--For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Justin walked us through this parable last week and he called it “The Parable of the Good Employer and the Envious Workers.” Now the parable is not a parable about salvation or gaining eternal life or rewards for service. The parable is about God. The parable is about the way rewards-preoccupied-Peter (RPP--rewards preoccupied Peter) still doesn’t understand who God is. Won’t Peter (and the rest of us) see that God is faithful? Won’t Peter (and the rest of us) see that God is just, that He’s going to do what’s right? Won’t Peter (and the rest of us) see that God is generous and free to do what he wants?2 Won’t we feel free to take our eyes off the rewards and keep them on the rewarder?

Well as the slide behind me shows, Jesus then, in verses 17-19, foretells his death a third time.3

1 Wilkins, page 674 As I once heard an preacher say, “The Rewarder should fill our hearts, not the reward”2 From Justin’s sermon3 Morris makes the observation that, contrary to every other commentary, this is the fourth passion prediction: Matthew 16:21; Mattthew 17:12; Matthew 17:22-23; and this one.

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And then out of nowhere, verse 20, the mother of the sons of Zebedee, in one of the most egregious helicopter parenting4 moments of all time, swoops in on behalf of her sons. She requests that Jesus would give her two sons the top two places in the kingdom.

And once again if we hold our Bible up real close we can get another whiff of self-interest floating up from these verses.

Now the reason we’ve backtracked is to set up this next observation. Look at your Bibles. What story is after the story of the mother of James and John asking for places of honor for her sons? What story is next? That’s right, there’s a short story that takes place in Jericho about the healing of two blind men. And then what story? The Triumphal Entry. When is the triumphal entry? Palm Sunday, five days before the crucifixion. Now looking at the slide, looking at the questions in yellow from Peter and from James and John, isn’t it interesting that this self-interest (and all the other ugly attitudes that begin with self for that matter...

Isn’t it interesting that all of this would bubble up at this time in Jesus’ ministry?

{And Luke tells us that in the Upper Room on the night before Jesus died, a dispute arose among Jesus’s disciples about who was the greatest.5} What’s the point? If I was reading this story of Jesus and his disciples for the first time, I’d be worried for Jesus. I’d be worried that Jesus’ desire to change the world through these men might just be a pipe dream. I’d be worried that three years of disciple making was for naught. How will these self-interested, self-absorbed, self-seeking men change the world?

But having read the story about Jesus and his disciples before, I’ve come to know that there’s a game changing event that will address all the ‘self’ words on the screen behind me. I’m sure

4 What is helicopter parenting? In school, helicopter parenting can be revealed through a parent ensuring a child has a certain teacher or coach, selecting the child's friends and activities, or providing disproportionate assistance for homework and school projects.5 Luke 22:24-27

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you have an idea what game changing event I’m talking about. But let’s save it for the end of the message. And let’s put aside our alarms that we’ve seen self-interest in Jesus’ three key disciples just days before his death on the cross.

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But that’s our topic this morning--consuming self-interest, that attitude that asks “What’s in it for me?” Don’t we all struggle with self-interest? Do we ever do anything that is not tainted by self-interest?” What’s the solution?

Let’s walk our way through Matthew 20:17-34 and we’ll return to these questions at the end of our message.

Follow along as I read Matthew 20, verses 17-19.

17 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death 19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

As I said earlier this is considered to be Jesus’ third passion prediction in the book of Matthew.

■ Listen to the first passion prediction in Matthew 16:21 : 21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

So what was in that first passion prediction? Jesus told his disciples that he was going to Jerusalem where he would suffer at the hands of the religious leaders, that he would be killed and on the third day be raised. Do you remember Peter’s response to Jesus’ prediction? Peter

took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord.” That can’t be right! Don’t even think it! “Far be it from you, Lord.”

■ Listen to Jesus’ second passion prediction in Matthew 17:22-23 22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they (the disciples) were greatly distressed.

So what did Jesus say this time? I’ll soon be delivered into the hands of men, they’ll kill me, and I’ll be raised on the third day. This second passion prediction is a little less specific than the

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first, isn’t it?... no mention of the involvement of the religious leaders… just anonymous men will kill me and I will be raised on the third day. But notice how the disciples responded? The disciples were greatly distressed.

{Now with those previous passion predictions in mind, look again at what we’re calling the third passion prediction that’s in our text this morning, verses 18-19. It’s the most specific and graphic prediction of all. And in my way of thinking it should have elicited the most caring and compassionate response from the disciples up to this point...}

Look at verse 18, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes--so first of all we hear a very clear prediction that Jesus would be handed over to the religious leaders and secondly they will condemn him to death … so for the first time we hear that “Jesus’ death would result from legal proceedings”…legal proceedings organized by the religious leaders. Now wouldn’t you think that would have stirred the disciples? Their Lord condemned to death by legal proceedings conducted by the religious leaders? 19 and then thirdly, we learn that the religious leaders would deliver (Jesus) over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and then crucified. Summarizing then, the religious leaders would condemn their Lord thru some legal proceedings! Gentiles would kill him! And they would kill him by crucifixion, a death that only criminals deserved… and (then he would be) be raised on the third day.”

A very specific, graphic prediction of Jesus’ future. (By the way, Jesus knows the future, right?) And how did the disciples respond? Look at verse 20.

20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.”

Isn’t the contrast profound? Jesus is pre-occupied with his cross; and the mother of James and John can’t get thrones out of her head. Or we could say it this way, Jesus is preoccupied with

thorns; and the mother of James and John is preoccupied with thrones.

What a stunning time to be self-interested!

Now what’s the mother of the sons of Zebedee doing in Jesus’ entourage anyway? Well Jesus has been traveling south from Galilee on the eastern side of the Jordan River.

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On Jesus’ final trip to Jerusalem to die, he probably crossed the Jordan and traveled south through Perea--you can see Perea on the east side of the Jordan-- and then he came back across the Jordan to go through Jericho before going up to Jerusalem.6

Now we learn from Luke 8:1-3 that Jesus was accompanied by a ‘fairly large contingent… including a few women disciples who ministered to his needs.’7 One of those women who traveled with Jesus apparently was the mother of the sons of Zebedee, the mother of James and John. Known as Salome, long story short, she is probably Mary’s sister, Mary the mother of Jesus’ sister. (And that means James and John are what to Jesus? First cousins.)

{“By comparing the gospel accounts of the women who stood vigil near the cross, it becomes evident that the mother of James and John was named Salome and was a sister of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. (See Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40; John 19:25). This would make her Jesus’ aunt and James and John his first cousins.”8}

Salome is no minor figure. She was one of Jesus’ most devoted followers. She was one of the women who attended Jesus at the cross and she was one of the women who witnessed the empty tomb.9

So Aunt Salome kneels respectfully before Jesus, and her sons, Jesus’ first cousins, are with her.10 (In Mark’s telling of the story, Salome is absent.) It’s pretty clear therefore that it isn’t just Salome’s idea; James and John are behind it. And the way Jesus responds to them, verse 22, “‘Y’all 11 don’t know what Y’all are asking!” confirms that. James and John are squarely behind this request.

6 Map “Jesus Final Journey to Jerusalem” ESV Study Bible, page 18577 Wilkens, page 6678 MacArthur9 Wilkins, page 667 Matt. 27:55-56; Mark 15:40; Mark 16:110 Wilkins, page 66711 2nd person plural pronouns

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Aunt Salome’s request is forthright--“Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Salome’s request may have been inspired by what Jesus had said back in Matthew 19:28. There Jesus said, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne you also who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones.

The right hand side of an enthroned king was typically the place of highest honor12 whereas the left side was reserved for the second highest person of importance.

22 Jesus answered, “You… again it’s the second person plural… “Ya’ll do not know what “Y’all” are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” Jesus perceives that they have no idea about what lies ahead. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?

What is the cup? The cup almost always in the Old Testament symbolized suffering and even the outpouring of God’s wrath.

Quotes from scholars: “The cup symbolized suffering and even the outpouring of God’s wrath.”13 “The cup was a common Old Testament metaphor for suffering, especially (suffering) caused by

God’s wrath.”14

“The cup is used in the Old Testament with associations of suffering and sometimes the wrath of God.”15

But because there is at least one place in the Old Testament--Psalm 16:5--where cup is used positively, I wonder if it’s appropriate to give the “cup” a more inclusive definition...

“The cup throughout scripture refers figuratively to one’s divinely appointed destiny.”16

12 King David sitting at God’s right hand (Ps 16:11) or the Messiah sitting at the right hand of God (Psalm 110:1,5)13 Chouinard, Ps. 75:8; Is 51:17, 22; Jer 25:15-1614 Blomberg15 Morris; Psalm 75:8; Is. 51:17, 22; Jer. 25:15-1616 Wilkins, page 668 ‘….whether it was one of blessing and salvation (Ps. 16:5; 116:13) or of wrath and disaster (Is 51:17; Jer. 25:15-29

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Now clearly Jesus’ cup, his divinely appointed destiny, was the cup of suffering on the cross. No doubt about it! And so Jesus is essentially asking, “Are you prepared to experience the suffering and rejection that is coming my way?”17

How did the brothers respond? At the end of verse 22… We are able! We can!

No hesitation.No reflection.No seeking clarification for what the cup involved.

“We can” they said.

Surely James and John can’t fathom what is ahead for them. Surely they are looking through rose colored glasses. And perhaps they “hear in the metaphor of a cup.. .both blessing and adversity and declare that they are ready to endure any hardships for the reward of the glory that lies ahead.”18 They really don’t know themselves do they? They are like Peter... Lord I’m ready to go with you both to prison and to death.19 No Peter, and I’m paraphrasing, you’ll deny me three times….TODAY!

Verse 23 23 He said to them, “You will drink my cup… Jesus looks down the corridor of time and

confirms that yes the brothers will drink his cup of suffering… James will be the first martyr of

the church, Acts 12:2, and John will experience persecution and exile as recorded in the book of Revelation.

Jesus continues… but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” My Father, Jesus anticipates tremendous suffering ahead but he speaks intimately of his Father, My Father has already taken care of those arrangements. “(And) if it had already been prepared for certain people, then obviously Jesus could not give it to others, no matter how worthy (they were).”20

24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. Why were the other disciples indignant at the two brothers? Were they indignant that the two brothers beat them to the punch? In other words were they indignant that the two brothers tried to get the two places first? Or could they have been righteously indignant, “We can’t believe you two would play the ‘close relative’ card? We can’t be sure what caused the other disciples to be indignant. 17 Chouinard18 Wilkins, page 66819 Luke 22:3320 Morris

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25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

The Greek word beneath “lord it over” is a strong term carrying the idea of ruling down on people.21

The Greek word beneath “exercise authority over” is a strong word too and could be rendered ‘to play the tyrant.’22

26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,

In the kingdom, those who would be great must take the path of lowly service on behalf of others. How do we define service?

At first glance the definition seems a little bulky. But there are two steps. First we’ve got arrange our lives so that we have margin. And then we can pursue the goal of giving ourselves for the benefit of others.

Just a few quotes…

“It’s lowliness, not self-assertion, that is important in the kingdom.”23

And then this one… “Would- be leaders must become servants or slaves.”24

21 MacArthur22 MacArthur23 Morris24 Blomberg

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Another one… “Let every day be a day of humility; condescend to all the weaknesses and infirmities of your fellow creatures, cover their frailties, love their excellencies, encourage their virtues, relieve their wants, rejoice in their prosperities, overlook their unkindness, forgive their malice, be a servant of servants, and condescend to do the lowliest offices of the lowest of mankind.25

“The Christian who desires to be great and first in the kingdom is the one who is willing to serve in the hard place, the uncomfortable place, the lonely place, the demanding place, the place where he is not appreciated, and may even be persecuted. Knowing that time is short, and eternity long, he is willing to spend and be spent. He is willing to work for excellence without becoming proud, to withstand criticism without becoming bitter, to be misjudged without becoming defensive, and to withstand suffering without succumbing to self-pity.”26

“The servant has total commitment to the goals of the enterprise and could care less about the credit.”27 Lorne Sanny

And these two are from our own Mitchell Hancock: “I am to be a carpet-minded Christian. People can walk on me, get their dirt on me, wear me out, and not even take notice of me.”

And…

“A servant is the one who does the thing that no one else will do.”28

In verses 26-27, notice that Jesus called us to be servants and then he called us to be slaves. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,

A servant (it’s the Greek word diakonos) worked for hire to maintain the master’s home and property, while a slave (it’s the Greek word doulos) was forced into service.29 Notice Jesus urges us to adopt the role of both.

These were the two lowest positions in society’s scale in the first century, yet Jesus reverses their status in the community of his disciples to being ‘great and first.’30 James and John wanted the top two places of honor in the kingdom and Jesus challenged them instead to service and slavery instead, the bottom two places in society at that time. 25 William Law as quoted by MacArthur26 MacArthur27 Herb Jarrell’s remembrance28 Mitchell Hancock29 Wilkins, page 66930 Wilkins, page 669

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A servant was to some degree his own person. He often owned little more than the clothes on his back but he was free to go where he wanted and free to work or not work as he pleased.31

But a slave did not belong to himself but to his master and could go only where the master wanted him to go and do only what the master wanted him to do. He did not belong to himself but was the personal property of someone else.32 Assuming the position of a slave meant renouncing all individual rights, and living one’s life in service of the master.

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You know it’s compelling that the early disciples and authors of the New Testament book took these roles so seriously.

Paul, Romans 1:1, a doulos (slave) of Christ Jesus…Paul again, Eph. 3:7, Of this gospel I was made a diakonos (servant)Phoebe, a servant, Rom. 16:1Tychicus, a servant, Eph. 6:21Epaphras, a slave, Col. 4:12John, a slave of Jesus, Rev. 1:1Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, 2 Peter 1:1Jude, Jesus’ brother, a slave of Jesus Christ, Jude 1:1James, Jesus’ brother, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, James 1:1

Isn’t that compelling? The early disciples were “all in.” We’ve moved away from that haven’t we? Those believers seemed to really get it! There are really only two titles in the church of Jesus Christ--servant and slave. What will it be for you? What will it be for me?

Well in verse 28, Jesus holds himself up as the example of a life given over to service…28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

So Jesus himself provides the example of servant leadership. The shape of His life is to be the shape of our lives. He came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. The word ransom is an important word. “It was commonly used for the redemption price of a slave, the amount required to buy his freedom.”33 Jesus gave his life as a ransom (the price of release) in the place of many.31 MacArthur32 MacArthur33 MacArthur

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Well the chapter closes with the story of Bartimaeus the blind beggar. Let’s spend a few moments with it. Follow along as I read verses 29-34.

29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30 And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” Son of David was a Messianic title. It’s ironic that these blind men clearly ‘saw’ who Jesus was. 31 The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32 And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

Let me make three comments about this passage.

First there are a couple of difficulties comparing this story with the same story in the other gospels. Matthew, here in our text, mentions two blind men whereas Mark and Luke have one blind man and Mark names him Bartimaeus. How do we address such an apparent discrepancy? Well if there were two men, one of them may have been more prominent and could have attracted more attention.34 A second apparent discrepancy is that Matthew and Mark have the miracle as Jesus was leaving Jericho, but Luke has the miracle as he was arriving. What are we to do with that? Interestingly enough, the Jewish historian Josephus tells us there were two Jerichos--the site of Old Testament Jericho which was overthrown and the site nearby of the rebuilt Herodian Jericho. So it’s not impossible that the miracle was performed as Jesus was leaving one Jericho and approaching the other.35

Secondly, “Jesus has been teaching his followers about the importance of lowly service and this little story could be an example of it. For a moment he ignores the great crowds of people around him and concentrates on two insignificant people in need.”36

Thirdly, notice that the two men become followers. It seems that they got a physical healing and a spiritual one also.

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Let me return to a paragraph that I shared earlier in the message…

34 Morris35 Again Morris36 Morris

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What’s our topic this morning? The all-consuming self-interest that so often controls us, that attitude inside us that that continually asks “What’s in it for me?” Don’t we all struggle with it? Do we ever do anything that is not tainted by self-interest?”

I represented the problem with this slide…

Lot’s of self words! What was the game changing event that addressed these problems that the disciples had and that we have? It was Jesus’ death on the cross and “our being united with him in a death like his.” Listen to Romans 6:6 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

Paul is telling us that when we put our faith in Christ, the power of sin is broken in our lives. We don’t have to be selfish, self-interested, self-regarding, self-seeking, self-centered, self-obsessed. We can choose to serve others. We can instead choose to be slaves to others. We’re free to serve. We’re free to arrange our lives with the goal of giving ourselves for the benefit of others. And Jesus is our example.

Yes, selfishness and self-interest and self-centeredness will often intrude and when they do we must confess our sins. I think that too often we just live with it. “Well it’s just me.”

Look at Galatians 2:20 on the screen….

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That verse tells us that our former “self,” the person we were before we trusted Christ-- proud, self-exalting, self-seeking, selfish , self-absorbed, all those ‘selfs’ that we talked about-- that person came to a decisive end; that person ‘died.’ I have been crucified with Christ. And it is no longer (I) who live--our own personal interests and goals no longer direct our life, rather Christ who lives in us, now directs and empowers all that we do. The life we now live in the flesh we live by faith in the Son of God. As we trust Christ moment by moment, Christ works in and through us to help us to live a completely new life. You see we can serve others.

As we close, let’s ask and answer a few questions…

■Why do we struggle with serving?

We’re proud and selfish.37

We mistakenly think that if we don’t look out for ourselves, no one else will.

We mistakenly think that if we readily take the form of a servant, we’ll get taken advantage of, criticized, persecuted38, not appreciated.39 Some of those that we will serve are difficult and ungrateful.

We think (wrongly) that we deserve better.

It doesn’t come natural to us.

It can be costly.

■What does serving look like?

What does serving look like for a teacher? A mother? An employee? A husband? Arranging your life with the goal of giving yourself for the benefit of others.

What does serving look like for a business owner? One business owner says this: “I serve them by doing what it takes to help them be the best that they can be. I serve them by helping them grow. I serve them by coaching them. I serve them by creating an environment where they can prosper with their God given abilities.”40

■What are some obstacles to serving?

Sometimes we don’t know the people we are serving .

37 Mitchell Hancock, Tom Beets38 Dan Harding39 Joey deGraffenried40 Joey deGraffenried

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We don’t know what to do.41

■What is the real motivation for serving?

The smile on God’s face! Our Lord, and his journey, provide both the motivation and example of serving.

■Where is the blessing in serving?

We know that God is pleased.

In serving we sometimes feel closer to God and to others. There is a bond that forms.

And people’s curiosity is piqued and we can share the gospel. 42

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Jesus did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Every month we gather at the Lord’s Table and we pass out the elements representing Jesus’ broken body and shed blood, elements emblematic of his service to us.

He served us by offering himself to pay for our sins. And because when we put our trust in Jesus, the power of sin is broken in our lives, we are free to follow his example. You know his service was intended to call forth an avalanche, a landslide, a flood, a barrage of service in our lives. God intended that one servant would die and millions of servants would be called forth.

Would the men come forward?

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (ESV)

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

41 Lisa deGraffenried42 George Pendergast

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