1. Jesus prepares his disciples for hospitality, vv13-16Special occasions are often marked with special mealsJesus is not a victim. He is in control, the masterThe disciples lived by faith not by siteRoasting the lamb and providing unleavened biscuits, bitter herbs, sauce, water, and wine. The room itself would require special furnishings (such as couches and lamps).
ApplicationWhen you follow Jesus, you get more than you bargained for.When you invite Jesus into your life, you invite his...
1. Jesus prepares his disciples for hospitality, vv13-16
Special occasions are often marked with special meals
Jesus is not a victim. He is in control, the master
The disciples lived by faith not by site
Roasting the lamb and providing unleavened biscuits, bitter herbs, sauce, water, and wine. The room itself would require special furnishings (such as couches and lamps).
Application
When you follow Jesus, you get more than you bargained for.
When you invite Jesus into your life, you invite his friends, and not only that, but all the other people he loved to hang out with that we don’t.
2. Jesus prepares his disciples for understanding, vv22-26
This meal explains what happens the next day.
As the Passover is symbolic, so are these actions of Jesus.
All meals in this culture were to establish or perpetuate a relationship. The way Jesus uses the bread and wine (“this is my person) make it clear that “to partake of the bread meant to join oneself to Jesus and his fate.”
The cup is always connected with suffering, hence a symbolic joining with the suffering of Jesus, a symbolic participating in the restoration of Israel, instituting the new covenant (Acts 2).
Covenants sealed with blood, Exodus 24:1-8.
Blood poured out is symbolic of dying a violent death. Nothing to do with literal drinking a blood.
He will die as a sacrifice and sin offering: Isa 53:10
Application
Following Jesus means eating his bread and drinking his cup - participating in his life.
3. Jesus prepares his disciples for failure, vv17-21; 27-31
“To betray a friend after eating a meal with him was, and still is, regarded as the worst kind of treachery in the Middle East”
“Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me.” Psalm 41:9
If “one of the twelve” v20 can lose it, so can we.
Better for him if he had not been born: this man's fate will be worse than that of Jesus. That's saying something!
Heb 6:4-9
Judas - greed
Failure of faith (loyalty), not courage
Peter - boasting
Failure of courage, not faith
C. Application
Be sober about your strength
Make a plan to be stronger
Trust that God will bring you through
The apostles were stronger after this, and endured severe persecution. Your past failures do not define your future.
What is God preparing us to do?
What is God preparing you to do?
Jesus not caught off-guard. Always in control
“Rom. 5:6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
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“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)
God bless, Malcolm
