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April 01, 2010
“Treachery”
Luke 22: 1- 40
Maundy Thursday, April 1, 2010
It was the Fourth of July, sort of. Actually it was the Passover, which is the Jewish equivalent to our Independence Day. It was and still is an annual celebration among Jews. It is not celebrated with fireworks and hamburgers and ice cream, but it is celebrated with a meal. A big and unique meal.
Some of the foods served in the meal are symbolic of and reminders of certain things that happened when Moses led Israel out of Egypt. The main course is a Lamb, which is a reminder that back in Egypt, the Jewish families killed lambs and smeared the blood on the frames of the doors to their houses, so the angel of death would not enter and kill all of their firstborn males.
About 1500 years after the Exodus from Egypt, the Jews were still observing the Passover meal. The night before his death, Jesus gathered with his Apostles in an upstairs room in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover meal.
This was one of the most important meals Jesus ate. As he sat at the head of the table and officiated during the meal, he turned it into something else: A memorial of his upcoming death. He did not use the more exotic elements of the Passover meal for his new meal. He used two of the most simple and ordinary parts of the meal, some of the bread and some of the wine. The bread would have been unleavened because leavened bread was forbidden during Passover. Unleavened Bread or Matzo is a lot like a saltine cracker.
Jesus took that bread and then the wine that accompanied the dessert course of the Passover meal and made them symbols of his death. The bread became a symbol for his flesh that would soon be hanging on the cross. As Jesus gave them the bread he said “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” As the Jews had been annually eating the Passover meal in remembrance and celebration of the Exodus from Egypt, so now the followers of Jesus were to eat bread together to remember and celebrate the death of Jesus.
The wine became a symbol for his blood that would soon seep from holes in his hands and feet and from the wounds on his back that had been torn open by the whip. Perhaps a little blood would also seep from the wound in his side, inflicted after his death. As he gave them that cup of wine on the night before his death, he said “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood”.
The Passover meal had reminded the Jews of a covenant God had made with them so they could escape the deaths of their firstborn males. The blood of the Passover lambs was smeared on their doors and God had stated that the angel of Death would not enter those homes. The cup of wine or grape juice has now become a reminder to all Christians that through the death of Jesus, we have escaped from eternal death and we will have everlasting life.
But all was not well in that room at that meal. Treacherous persons were there. Luke wrote that sometime shortly before the day of the Last Supper, Judas had made an agreement with the Chief Priests and the Temple Police to betray Jesus and turn him over to them at an opportune time. We are also told that he did this partly because Satan entered into him. That does not mean that Judas was not responsible for his actions, but it does mean that Satan was involved. When Jesus offered the bread and the wine to his Apostles, there was one there who had made a deal with the devil.
Jesus knew this and announced that one of them would betray him. Well, that shocked the apostles and they discussed this for a little while but that topic of conversation seems to have been too depressing so they shifted to one of their favorite topics; which one of them was the greatest. Jesus told them once again that He who was their master came to serve them. If they were to be leaders in His kingdom they would have to serve each other and many others beyond that room
Luke also wrote that Judas was not the only one present through whom Satan was working. Jesus said to Peter; “Simon, Simon, Listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; And you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
Peter did not seem to mind too much the implication that the others in the room would fail Jesus. What he was upset about was the implication that he himself would disappoint Jesus and need to turn back to Jesus. Peter tried to protest to Jesus that he would stand by Him no matter what, even if it meant going to prison or being killed. Jesus then told Peter that before he heard a rooster crow before the next dawn, Peter would have already denied that he even knew Jesus not once, not twice, but three times.
The supper that Jesus celebrated with his apostles was of momentous importance. For them it portrayed his soon coming death. Because the Lord’s Supper came from the Passover meal, it also set Jesus forth as the new Passover Lamb, the one who caused God to Pass Over our deserved sentence of eternal death.
But I want you to remember that on that momentous occasion, Jesus was surrounded by people who had allowed Satan to have some influence in their lives. Only one would betray Jesus to his enemies, but another one would deny that he knew him and the others would all flee to save their lives.
I am not certain, but I would be willing to bet that there is some treachery in this room tonight. Some of us have allowed Satan to have some power over us. Some of us might not stand up for Jesus when we should. Some of us will be disappointed in ourselves and in some of the rest of us.
And when you are, Please remember what Jesus said to Peter. He told Him that He was praying for them. Jesus still prays for us, that we will remain true to Him and that we will return to him when we deny him.
And remember that Jesus instructed Peter to strengthen his brothers. We are not to judge the failings of our brothers or our selves, we are rather to gently call back and strengthen each other.
The Lords Supper is a supper for sinners, for those who have let Jesus down. In it we find His encouragement and his forgiveness. In it we find the strength to encourage and strengthen each other. Let us eat and be built up in Jesus.
Pastor David Horner
Faith Presbyterian Church
West Lafayette, IN 47906
Posted by faithpres at April 1, 2010 03:47 PM