A strong appeal

On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (Mark 14: 12-16. 22-26)

It was at the Last Supper when Jesus first shared with His disciples His Body and then His Blood. This means that it will not be His adversaries who will capture Jesus and condemn Him to death, but rather He will freely offer Himself up as a sacrifice for the sake of mankind's eternal salvation. However, to be saved we must trust in Jesus and recognise Him as the Son of God and our Lord. That is why Jesus says that His Blood will be shed for many, because others, unfortunately, through their stubborn unbelief and evil ways, will not benefit from His sacrifice. Therefore, Christ strongly appeals to us not to make His dying on the cross a sacrifice that was made in vain.