The Road to the Cross (3)

“The Last Supper”

Luke 22:7-20 “Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks,…”

I. Intro

Today, I want to talk to you about the Last Supper, one of the most significant events in the life of Jesus Christ. The Last Supper was the final meal that Jesus shared with His disciples before His arrest and crucifixion, and it has great significance for us as Christians today. In Luke 22, we read that Jesus and His disciples gathered together to celebrate the Passover feast. The Passover feast was a time for the Jews to remember how God had saved them from slavery in Egypt and brought them to the Promised Land. During the feast, the Jews would eat unleavened bread, drink wine, and remember God’s deliverance. During this particular Passover feast, Jesus took the bread and wine, and transformed it into a new and powerful symbol of remembrance. He told His disciples that the bread represented His body that would be broken for them, and the wine represented His blood that would be poured out for them. Jesus instructed His disciples to do this in remembrance of Him, knowing that His sacrifice would soon take place.

The Last Supper was a powerful moment of connection between Jesus and His disciples. In the midst of this meal, Jesus demonstrated His love for them by washing their feet, an act of service and humility that would have been performed by a servant in these times. Jesus also warned His disciples that one of them would betray Him, and that He would soon be taken away to be crucified. The Last Supper is a powerful reminder of the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Through the act of taking the bread and wine, we remember the incredible sacrifice that He made for us on the cross. We remember that He gave His body and His blood for the forgiveness of our sins, and that through His sacrifice, we have been reconciled to God.

II. The Importance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread

1. In Exodus 12 we read that God commanded the Israelites to eat unleavened bread for seven days as part of the celebration of the Passover. Exodus 12:15-20 “Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a s…” The reason for this was to remember how God had delivered them from slavery in Egypt. The leaven, or yeast in bread represents sin and corruption, and by removing it from their diet, the Israelites were symbolically removing sin from their lives.

2. In the NT, Jesus took this symbolism a step further. In Matthew 16, Jesus warned His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. He was not talking about literal bread, but rather the teachings and attitudes of these religious leaders which were corrupt and hypocritical. Matthew 16:6 “Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.” In other words, He was warning His disciples to be on guard against sin and corruption in their own lives.

III. The Relevance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread today

1. So what does all this have to do with us as Christians today? Well, just as the Israelites were commanded to eat unleavened bread to remember their deliverance from slavery and the importance of removing sin from their lives, we too are called to remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and the importance of removing sin from our hearts.

1 Corinthians 5:7-8 “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” Paul is drawing a direct connection between the Feast of the Unleavened Bread and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

IV. Conclusion

1. But it’s not just about remembering. We are also called to live lives of sincerity and truth, removing sin and corruption from our hearts just as the Israelites removed the leaven from their bread. As we partake in this Lord’s Supper, let us remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and rededicate ourselves to living lives that are pleasing to Him.