The Last Supper

Today I read Mark 14 which is Mark's account of the Last Supper and the visit to the Garden of Gethsemane. Mark's record of what happens is almost the exact same as found in Matthew with a few differences. I had to wonder though about this chapter, when Jesus sends His two Apostles into the city to find the room where they eat the passover, He tells them that the person who they talk to will have the room prepared already for them. You have to wonder just why a person would have a room ready with 13 places upstairs to eat of the Passover. I know that there are plenty of stories where a person feels the urge to do something and doesn't know why until after the fact, but it is generally something kind of small. I can't imagine setting 13 places at a table and preparing food for people and not knowing what it was for. Although perhaps the person did in fact know that it was for the Savior. Maybe the Spirit told him. But it made me think and wonder about it.

Now, the common thought among the Christian world, although I don't know where it comes from, is that this house that Jesus and His Apostles eat at is actually the house of Mark's parents and his family. It is commonly thought that Mark and his family were disciples of Jesus before His death and so perhaps they somehow knew they were preparing spaces for Jesus and His Apostles, we just don't know. It is also a commonly held thought that the unnamed young man who followed after Jesus and was dressed only in a sheet was Mark. It makes sense seeing how Mark is the only one to mention it, but again I don't know where that thought comes from since the scriptures do not say.

The rest of the chapter is much the same as Matthew records. It covers the dinner the Apostles and Jesus had, although not as in depth as John does. It records the institution of the sacrament. I find it interesting that Joseph Smith adds a few thoughts to the sacrament that gives it a more personal touch for the Apostles. The JST adds that the sacrament is meant to remind them of that dinner that they had with the Savior and that every time they partake of the bread it is meant to remind them of that night that He brake bread with them. How sad the Savior must have been, knowing that He was leaving His friends here on the earth forever. While it is true that the sacrament is an ordinance meant to cleanse us from sin and to renew our covenants, I think that first night, He really was trying to give them something to remember Him by.

The JST also adds a different level of significance to the trip to the garden of Gethsemane for the Apostles. According to the JST, as they were going to the garden, the Apostles were heavy in their hearts and began to wonder if Jesus really was the Messiah. Remember that the Jews were looking for a military Messiah, not the Messiah to fulfill the Law of Moses and save them from their sins. Plus, I wonder what it must have looked like from the Apostles' point of view. They could feel the sadness radiating off the Savior I am sure but they had no idea why since they didn't know the scriptures prophesying this. They also had never understood what Jesus was talking about when He told them that He would be killed and resurrected. So this must have all been very confusing to them and very saddening since they did not know what was going on.

Just like with Matthew, we'll forgo talking about what Jesus did in the garden in depth until we get to Luke since I like his version the best and we'll talk more about the trial of Jesus when we get to John. I often wonder if someone should take the 4 Gospels and combine them into one big Gospel but that would never work since everyone has their favorite version of parables and stories. And that's really the reason we have 4 of them to begin with anyway. So that it can touch as many hearts as possible. Until tomorrow.