Maundy Thursday Devotional 2023

Last Supper, New Meaning

DaVinci’s Last Supper

Not accurate

Table not tall, long, or rectangular

Table was low and likely semi-circle

People would recline, leaning on left elbow and eat with right hand

Ever had a tradition you’ve done so often you know every step and you’d know anything that is different?

ILLUST??

By time of Jesus, this meal was already more than 1000 years old - eaten annually for more than 1000 years

John 13:1–17 (ESV)

1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

When Jesus wanted to tell the disciples one last time about why he came, he didn’t write it all down, he gave a meal - the seder meal

The seder meal we just celebrated travelled through 15 steps and is likely more complex than the one Jesus shared with his disciples.

The Passover Jesus celebrated centered around four cups:

1. The Cup of Sanctification

2. The Cup of Deliverance

3. The Cup of Redemption

4. The Cup of Restoration

Rabbi Gamaliel

Haven’t had Passover unless you’ve done three things:

1. Eat the bread

2. Bitter herbs

3. Lamb

Jesus’ Passover:

Matthew 26:17 (ESV)

17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?”

Matthew 26:19–20 (ESV)

19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. 20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve.

Every Jew was expected to celebrate Passover every year.

17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves.

This was likely the first cup of sanctification

CUP OF SANCTIFICATION

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה, אֶלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶך הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן.

ba·rukh at·tah Adonai E·lo·hei·nu me·lekh ha-o·lam bo·rei p'ri ha-ga·fen

“Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.”

URCHATZ

Ceremonial Hand Washing

It is likely that Yeshua washed His disciples feet during this step of the seder he had with the disciples. Imagine the disciples passing the urchatz pan from person to person for the ritual cleansing of hands. Then,

2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Jesus models humble service

Humility

How many of you washed your feet before the foot-washing?

It is awkward to wash someone’s feet, but sometimes it is even more awkward to have our feet washed. Why?

it’s exposing what is usually a ‘dirty’ part of us

Service

Jesus entered into our mess to clean us so we might enter into the mess of others.

What they should have done, but instead of complaining, he does it himself. He doesn’t consume - he produces. We wait until things are neat or pretty before we serve. How many times do we not want to know or want to know only to “pray.”

Lord’s Supper

So far the Passover meal with Jesus is pretty standard except for the washing

Cup of Sanctification

Washing

Breaking of Bread

Matthew 26:19–25 (ESV)

19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. 20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. 21 And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” 23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me.

Remember,

Haven’t had Passover unless you’ve done three things:

1. Eat the bread

2. Bitter herbs

3. Lamb

This would most likely have been during the maror

Jesus is saying that his betrayer is sharing in the bitter herbs with him

bitter herbs represented the bitterness of slavery for the Jews, even deeper, the bitter herbs represented the greater slavery of sin.

24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”

Matthew 26:26 (ESV)

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread,and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”

Jesus from here takes the meal that pointed backward and now redirects it forward

Seder meal was to give us a more full understanding of the Passover and the Passover meal, but here, Jesus fulfills, another words makes more full their understanding of what God wants to do in freeing his people. Jesus doesn’t redefine the Passover meal. He gives it its full definition. The Passover meal as had been celebrated by the Jews, for 1500 years, pointed back to God’s great moment of salvation in Israel’s past, but now Jesus doesn’t point backwards, but rather forwards to how God‘s even greater event of salvation will come through Jesus.

likely the

A Passover Haggadah for Jewish Believers (English) (Breaking of the Middle Matzah)

The matzah is unleavened [show that it is flat],

Leaven represents sin - it is a souring that spreads

1 Corinthians 5:6–8 (ESV)

6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1 John 3:5 (ESV)

5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

This bread is also known as the “bread of affliction” as it was made during the affliction of the Israelites in Egypt. But in referencing the Messiah, the prophet Isaiah wrote.

Isaiah 53:4 (ESV)

4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

and it is pierced [hold candle behind it to show holes]. Even so the Messiah was unleavened, that is, sinless. Even so the Messiah was striped, that is, by way of the Roman whip. Even so the Messiah was pierced, that is, by the nails in his hands and his feet and by the spear in his side.

Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Zechariah 12:10 (ESV)

10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced,

John 19:33–37 (ESV)

33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”

it is striped [show that it is striped],

Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

John 19:1 (ESV)

1 Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him.

Luke 22:20

20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Matthew 26:27–30 (ESV)

27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

The Next cup Jesus will drink with us is the fourth cup of the Passover, the Cup of Restoration - Sometimes known as the Cup of Praise

Revelation 19:9 (ESV)

9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

They finish the Passover meal like so many before them by singing the Hallel — usually one of the Psalms of praise

30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Do you remember what we said the Passover meal with structured around? Four cups.

1. The Cup of Sanctification

Jesus lived a perfect life.

2. The Cup of Deliverance

John 18:11 (ESV)

11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

3. The Cup of Redemption

Matthew 26:27–28 (ESV)

27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

4. The Cup of Restoration

We will drink with Christ at the Marriage supper of the Lamb

Do you member what Rabbi Gamaliel?

He said you haven’t had Passover without these three items. What were they? The matzo the bread, the Marar, the bitter herbs, and the lamb.

When Jesus gave us the Lord supper to remember his work on the cross, to remember the Passover in a new way, He gave us a cup of redemption, he gave us the bread, but where are the bitter herbs?

What did the bitter herbs represent bitterness and slavery for the Egyptian’s and slavery of sin for us all.

We no longer taste those bitter herbs, because Jesus tasted them them for us. Never again will we need to remember Jesus his sacrifice, and still have the bitter taste of sin and death in our mouth.

But it’s not just the bitter herbs that are missing. Where is the lamb? Why didn’t Jesus give us a lamb to eat? why didn’t the lamb show up in the last supper with his disciples?

Where is the Passover lamb? Well, that’s a discussion for tomorrow night.

but for now, let’s remember Jesus is sacrifice for us and let’s participate together in the body of Christ given for you and his blood shed for you.

When we participate in communion, or the Lord supper, we are actually participating in a 3000 year old meal, celebrating what God had done in the exodus, has done through Jesus Christ, and hints towards when we finally have this meal again with our Savior at the marriage, supper of the lamb.

Come and eat, take and drink.