“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.” —Mark 14:22-25
The Passover Lamb is the one who becomes the Lamb slain for our sins. And Jesus is that lamb.
Here are three things that happen to the bread during this meal:
1. The Bread Is
Jesus first takes the bread and blesses it. He blesses the bread. When we pronounce a blessing on something, we are calling it fortunate or good.
2. The Bread Is
He takes the blessed, favored, fortunate bread and he breaks it. We are not sure exactly what this looked like, perhaps he broke it in half, perhaps he broke off a piece of it, but either way, it’s no longer whole, but broken.
“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” —Isaiah 53:4-5
3. The Bread Is
Because He was broken, He was given. Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it. If the bread isn’t broken, it only feeds one person, but because it was broken, it will feed many.
We Are Called To Be
Him
God blesses brokenness. If you are broken today, God will certainly bless you. He loves to restore people who are broken.
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;” —Isaiah 61:1
So God does indeed bless or heal the broken. But in our passage today, the order is reversed. In our passage…
God
, Then
Look at David as an example. David was anointed as King. He was blessed. God blesses David first. Then what happens? David is broken over the course of years by having to run for his life from Saul.
“Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.” —Psalm 69:20
“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.” —Psalm 51:7-9
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” —Psalm 51:17
We Are
To Be
“God will make us broken bread and poured out wine to feed and nourish others.” —Oswald Chambers
The amazing thing was my brokenness was a far greater bridge to others than my apparent wholeness had ever been.” —David Earley