Christ, The Passover Lamb

Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed! We bow before you and say:

Great and amazing are your deeds,
O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations!
Who will not fear, O Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.

As we read your Word, may we take and eat and drink of the covenant and find nourishment for our souls. Amen. (1 Corinthians 5:7, Revelation 15:1-4)

Scripture Reading - Mark 14:12-25 (ESV)
     And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 
     And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” 
     And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
     And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 
     They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” 
     He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”
     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.”

Thank you, Lamb of God, for pouring out your blood so that we may receive forgiveness for our sins and be purified. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. With the new covenant, your Holy Spirit lives inside of us, putting your laws into our minds and writing them on our hearts. You have made your home in our hearts so that we may live for righteousness! (Matthew 26:28, Hebrews 8:10-11, 9:19-22)

Thank you, Father for rescuing us from Satan, sin, and death to show the mercy you promised so long ago, remembering your holy covenant. You swore to our father Abraham that we would be delivered from the hand of our enemies so that we might serve you without fear, in holiness and righteousness all our days. It is you who has raised up the Horn of Salvation for us! (Luke 1:68-75)

Father, we ask for your Spirit to convict us in the ways that we are not faithful to the covenant you have established with us. Please forgive us for our acts and attitudes of unfaithfulness. Help us to bear the fruit of faithfulness in our lives. We confess that you who has called us is faithful and you will do this for your name's sake. Amen. (Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.