Daily Devotions: Many, Not All - Mark 14 v 24

Mark 14:24     "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them.

Sometimes we need to read Bible passages very carefully, otherwise we assume them to mean something entirely different. For instance, did you notice the word at the end of today’s verse? When Jesus is talking about the table wine being symbolic of the blood of His covenant, He states that this is poured out for many. Many. He doesn’t  say all, everyone, everybody, or the entire world. He just says ‘many.’

This is one of those important sayings of Jesus that remind us of the fact that not everyone is going to be saved. We live in a cosmopolitan world with many different religious beliefs and philosophical ideas, which leads many to think that God will be all-forgiving, all-merciful, and all-tolerant no matter what faith people hold on to, practice or prefer. But this is not the Gospel Truth. Christ’s blood is poured out for many, but not for all.

I’ve known some people to get annoyed at me for stating these things and others believe that I’m narrow-minded and well past my theological sell-by-date. But before they cast me off as being a dogmatic dinosaur, I have to ask them this: did Jesus carefully mean what He was saying, or did He make a mistake and meant something else?

I may not be comfortable with all that Jesus says in the Gospels, but know this: I will not change what He says, so when He states that the covenant of His blood is poured out for many, I know through Him that salvation is not given to everyone.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, sometimes we don’t like or readily accept what You said or did long ago. Forgive us for not reading the text fully and for disregarding the true meaning of Your simple and very plain words. When we misquote or misinterpret Your teaching, steer us back on to the right path and show us Your True Way. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s Drawings in his feast of Easter series. It is called Easter Communion.