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.—Mark 14:12–16

Introduction

Remember last week we began Mark 14. We said that the theme of chapter 14 is all about the all out abandonment of Jesus. He will be rejected, betrayed, and abandoned until the point that he is all alone. Last week we saw that the rejection of Jesus served as the bread of the sandwich, but the worship of Jesus was the meat of the sandwich. 

Rejection Sandwich

1. The Plot Against Jesus (vv. 1–2)
2. The Worship of Jesus (vv. 3–9)
3. The Plot Against Jesus (vv. 10–11) 

This text follows sequentially, but it also will speak into the dynamic of the plots and plans against Jesus. This text has a simple setup:

1. Question (v. 12)
2. Answer (v. 13–15)
3. Fulfillment (v. 16)

1. Question (v. 12)

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?”

Notice that the question from the disciples is a preparation question. They assume that they will celebrate it together and so they want to know what his instructions will be. So it seems like this text is simply a preparatory text—setting us up for the Passover celebration in the next passage. Right? You are in for a surprise when Jesus answers their question. 

2. Answer (vv. 13–15)

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.”

On the surface, his answer consists of detailed instructions in the form of six steps:

1. Go into the city.
2. Make contact with a man carrying a jar of water.
3. Follow him to the house he enters
4. Ask the master of the house: “Where is my guest room?”
5. He will show you the room furnished and ready.
6. Then you can prepare the Passover for us.

The obvious question in our mind now is: Will it happen the way he said it would? 

3. Fulfillment (v. 16)

And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

Verse 16 highlights the complete fulfillment of Jesus’ words. They (1) set out and went into the city, (2) found it exactly as he told them, and (3) they prepared the Passover.

Transition: What Is Mark’s Meaning?

This text can seem so straightforward at one level: Mark is telling us about the Passover preparation (that is where we learn about the Lord’s Supper). Is this just a perfunctory, preparatory text? Why not just preach it as background context verses for what follows. Mark could have just moved from the story of Judas’ betrayal to the Passover where Jesus predicts Judas’ betrayal. But he inserts this story about how they got the room in which they celebrated the Passover. Why?

To answer the question, we have to back up a step and ask a different question: Did anything strike you as strangely familiar with respect to this passage? 

Mark 14:12–16

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.

Mark 11:1–6

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’ ” And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go.

Observation:

1. The Language Is Similar

The striking thing about these two stories is that they share a string of 11 consecutive words in common (11:1–2, 14:13). That is remarkable.

ἀποστέλλει δύο τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Ὑπάγετε εἰς τὴν κώμην (Mark 11:1–2)

ἀποστέλλει δύο τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Ὑπάγετε εἰς τὴν πόλιν (Mark 14:13)

Mark 14:13 – And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city”

Mark 11:1–2 – Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village” 

The only difference is the word “village” (11:2) or “city” (14:13).

2. The Pattern Is Similar

• Two disciples
• sent into the city or village
• the sending seems like some kind of covert operation preparing for the next event that will happen in the story (entry into Jerusalem/celebration of Passover)
• Both passages have seemingly random, chance encounters (they will see a colt tied up; a man with a water jar will meet them)
• In both cases, the disciples are told the exact words to say (“the Lord has need of it”; “the Teacher says, where is my guest room …”).
• In both cases, Jesus claims things as his own (the Lord of the colt, my guest room)
• In both cases, things happen exactly like Jesus said they would 

Mark’s Literary Meaning (i.e., What he is up to? the theology of the text and the theology behind the text—that which is driving the text)

But the question is still “why?” Why does Mark make these parallels? What is he trying to show? 

Mark closes a sheep gate of potential misunderstanding (to use C.S. Lewis’ metaphor). He does not want his readers to draw the wrong conclusion—as if Jesus is caught up in events beyond his control. The effect of both stories is that Jesus is in complete control of all that happens as his “hour” of death draws near.

There are plots to kill him swirling around him. He does not respond with fear, futility, or desperation. He does not lash out or anxiously try to manipulate and maneuver. He does not hide in fear or retreat from the dangerous plots surrounding him. He puts signs of deity on display. He walks through all these events with a sovereign freedom and a striking note of authority. It is his colt, his temple, his guest room. Jesus is submitting to the plan of the Father. No one outsmarts him, overpowers him, outmaneuvers him, catches him off guard, or takes his life from him. He will lay it down of his own accord, and he will raise it up as well. Mark is heralding something with this story: “Don’t you dare draw the conclusion that Jesus is out of his depth here! He remains in complete control.”

Main point: When darkness is closing in all around him, Jesus remains in complete control.

Application: The Meticulous Providence of God

God’s sovereign freedom is the best news in the world. Here I am, this little creature, walking through this world of time. How will I make it? How do I navigate all the complexities and possibilities? 

We live in a world that is ramped up with fear right now—gun violence, hate manifestos, wars and rumors of wars, economic uncertainty, health issues, rising costs.

We need to know the doctrine of God’s sovereignty and providence. This text testifies to the doctrine of God’s meticulous providence. God rules and reigns over this world in meticulous detail. He is not generally in control over some things or many things or most things, but meticulously in control of all things.

You will find a man carrying a water jar? At just that time—in just that way? A man will have a guest room already furnished? The master of the house will have expected this moment?

Now one text cannot make a comprehensive and clear doctrine. Was this true only in the case of Jesus? What was true in the case of Jesus is true in every case.

Text after text—what was true in the case of Jesus is also true in our case.

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.— Ephesians 1:11–12 

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.—Matthew 10:29–31

“Remember this and stand firm,
     recall it to mind, you transgressors,
     remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
     I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning
     and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
     and I will accomplish all my purpose.’”—Isaiah 46:8–10

The LORD Almighty has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen.—Isaiah 14:24

All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?”—Daniel 4:35

“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.—Job 42:2

The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.—Psalm 135:6

So here is the choice. You can fixate on the scary unknown and focus on the shadowy uncertainties. Or, you can focus on what is surely known and gloriously certain. The revealed things belong to us, and the secret things belong to the Lord our God (Deuteronomy 29:29). He has not told us that he will tell us everything—in fact, he told us that he will not tell us everything. That means that we need to cling to what is known and, in the unknown, it is enough that God knows. 

If something is outside of our knowledge, it feels outside of our control. And when things feel out of control, it is sinfully natural for us to take control. The sin of self-control rears its ugly head when we feel out of control. Now hear me clearly. I am not saying that it is wrong to think about the future and plan for the future. It is wrong to trust in our plans and to trust in our preparation.

Will we trust how good our plan is or how good our God is? Instead of taking control we are supposed to surrender control. When we don’t know, we trust that God does. How do we surrender control? We know what to do when we don’t know what to do: pray and experience God’s peace.

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.—Philippians 4:5–7

Do you see what this text is saying? Everyone wants to have peace of mind and heart. But how do you get it? The worldly way to have peace of mind is to rest in how good our contingency plan is or how thorough our preparations are. Faith says, I can trust in how good God’s plan is and how sure it is that he is working for my good. Even when I don’t know, God does, and I know his goodness so I will not be shaken. When we care about something, the heart begins to focus and fixate. It begins to come up again and again. The overactive heart leads to an overactive mind. What the heart cares about, the mind will think about. And the mind will start making contingency plans. If this happens, what will I do? I will do this or that, or I will be prepared by doing this.

Again, it is not wrong to plan. It is wrong to trust our plan. We do a good job of forecasting trouble and trials, but we do a very poor job of forecasting God’s grace and mercy. The mercy will be there every morning. Just what we need and when we need it (not necessarily when we want it or when we think we need it). He is our peace and his peace guards us (our hearts and minds). Our peace has to be guarded in every circumstance, and God’s peace will guard us in every circumstance.

We can use our circumstances to interpret God’s love, or we can use God’s love to interpret our circumstances. It is not … he loves me (good circumstances); he loves me not (bad circumstances). No, we have a TULIP from God, and we don’t have to pull any petals off. He loves me. He is sovereignly working all things for my eternal good.

His sovereignty is our sanity. In the midst of his betrayal, Jesus walks forward with a settled sense of purpose and trust and hope. He knows the end of the story, and he even knows the details along the way. We also know the ultimate end of the story, and even though we don’t know all the details along the way, it is enough to know that God knows. We can walk with the same sense of confidence of God being in control that Jesus had.

Now please hear me. I am not saying that God’s sovereignty is a doctrine that is an end run around pain, grief, and lament. No way! That is a misuse of this doctrine. It is not meant to silence grief and lament but to empower and sustain it. The only way that you can keep lamenting without giving way to bitterness and cynical despair is this truth: God sees what you see, but he also sees more than you see. He is doing more than you know. Our hope is not the sum total of what we see, or it is not hope—for who hopes for what he or she sees? (Romans 8:24).

This is especially true in the face of sin and evil and plots all around us—when people are not working for our good. 

But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”—Genesis 50:19–20

The cross is the ultimate display of God’s sovereign ability to bring good out of evil—because he brought ultimate good out of ultimate evil. 

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.”—Acts 2:22–24

We can trust the sovereignty of God in suffering because of the suffering that the sovereign God experienced. He knows it; he does not merely know about it. He knows how to shepherd us through it because he went through it. 

We must bring together these great doctrines: the sovereignty of God and the suffering of God. The sovereignty of God says, “he knows what he is doing” and the suffering of God says, “he knows how it feels to go through it.”

It does not take away our sorrows—it gives us strength within the sorrow. He does not promise that he will take away the fire and the floods; He promises that he is with you and that he is working for you in the fire and the flood. You know his heart: his plans are still to prosper, he has not forgotten us. Even what the enemy means for evil, he turns it for our good. When people mean evil toward you, God takes it and turns it—he makes it work for your good.

Sermon Discussion Questions

Outline

1. Question (Mark 14:12)
2. Answer (Mark 14:13–15)
3. Fulfillment (Mark 14:16)

Main Point: When darkness seems to close in all around him, Jesus remains in control.

Discussion Questions

• What are the similarities between this passage and Mark 11:1–6? Why does Mark put this passage in between the plot to betray Jesus and Jesus’ prediction of the plot against him? In other words, does this text merely prepare us for the next passage?
• What doctrine does this passage declare?
• Is God’s sovereign control over all things true merely in the case of Jesus or in every case? What other Scriptures would you turn to in order to defend your answer?
• How does the sin of trying to take control over your life, over circumstances, etc., attempt to secure peace of mind?
• How does the incarnation and atonement of Jesus help us in our suffering?

Application Questions

• Where do you struggle with the sin of taking control over things that belong in God’s control?
• How can you fixate less on what is unknown and focus more on what is gloriously known?
• What part of this message do you need to share with someone else this week?

Prayer Focus
Pray for a grace to die to the sin of taking control, and pray for a grace to trust God more!