The First Lord’s Supper
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
You have just heard the transcript from the world's shortest wedding ceremony. It took place in a bar on a Friday PM at 8:00. The couple had met there the previous Friday PM. On Monday they decided to get married. Arranged for a JOP to meet them at the exact place and time and requested "the shortest ceremony legally possible." The JOP came up with these seven words ...Illust. "Take her?" "Yes." "Take him?" "Yes." "Took."
They devalued the wedding ceremony. It is one of the most important days of people’s lives.
Many have also devalued the Lord’s Supper and baptism.
They are ESSENTIALS to the church. They are the TWO ordinances that Jesus gave us.
And as we examine the first Lord’s supper let us see 3 truths that apply to us as we partake of this meal 2000 years later.
We must prepare ourselves for the Lord’s Table. (vv. 7-12)
7 Then the Day of Unleavened Bread came when the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”
9 “Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him.
10 “Listen,” he said to them, “when you’ve entered the city, a man carrying a water jug will meet you. Follow him into the house he enters. 11 Tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks you, “Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover with my disciples?” ’ 12 Then he will show you a large, furnished room upstairs. Make the preparations there.”
The Passover was a very important meal in the Jewish life. It was one of the 3 times a year that all males were to come to Jerusalem.
The Passover was remembering their bondage in Egypt, the miraculous plagues God struck on Egypt, and particularly the “Death Angel” that passed over the houses of the Israelites.
There were very specific regulations including 7 items that each family was to perform.
As the disciples (and Jesus) have returned to Jerusalem for this meal - Jesus gave very clear instructions of how they were to prepare for the meal.
Go to the city - Find a man with a water jug (which would have been uncommon) - Follow him - Whatever home he enters tell them the Master needs the upstairs room (it was Jewish tradition that anyone who had an upstairs room was to give it to any pilgrim that needed it during Passover) - Go and make preparation.
So Peter and John go and make the preparations. And they found everything exactly as Jesus had told them.
There is still preparation that must take place today to prepare for the Lord’s supper.
The Elements? Yes.
But what we are talking about is our heart.
1 Corinthians 11
Are their divisions in the church that need to be taken care of? (vv. 17-19)
Are you coming to the Lord’s Supper for the right reasons? (vv. 20-22)
Are you taking this in an unworthy manner? (vv. 27-28)
Not Saved
Unrepentant
Have you prepared yourself for this meal?
“Let a man examine himself. He need not be so particular to examine those that surround him…You are to hold the balance, and weigh your soul therein. You are not to be satisfied with a second-hand judgement, or with another man’s search! Take the candle yourself, Man! Go through every corner and every crevice. Sweep out the old leaven and so keep the feast in simplicity of heart.” - Charles Spurgeon
2. We must give thanks at the Lord’s table. (vv. 14-22)
14 When the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 Then he said to them, “I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
19 And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
20 In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 21 But look, the hand of the one betraying me is at the table with me. 22 For the Son of Man will go away as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!”
The most striking thing for me is that at this first Passover meal, Jesus gives thanks.
Some of the Gospels differ on the order of things that Passover night; but one thing is the same in each one - that Jesus gave thanks before He broke the bread.
He knew that that bread symbolized HIs body. He knew that He was given an illustration that He was getting ready to be broken. And yet, He gave thanks.
What a lesson for us.
1) No matter what horrors we have in life, they don’t even compete with the cross.
2) No matter what horrors we have in life, we can give thanks in all things.
3. We must stop focusing on our own “godliness” at the Lord’s table. (vv. 23-30)
23 So they began to argue among themselves which of them it could be who was going to do it.
24 Then a dispute also arose among them about who should be considered the greatest. 25 But he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who have authority over them have themselves called ‘Benefactors.’ 26 It is not to be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever is greatest among you should become like the youngest, and whoever leads, like the one serving. 27 For who is greater, the one at the table or the one serving? Isn’t it the one at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves. 28 You are those who stood by me in my trials. 29 I bestow on you a kingdom, just as my Father bestowed one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. And you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
We have to understand that Jesus’ heart is heavy at this meal. He knows what would await him in the coming hours.
He needs the disciples to support him. He needs the disciples to understand what is happening. And what happens? They have no clue.
They are arguing about two things:
1) Which one of them would betray Jesus?
2) Which one of them would be the greatest in the Kingdom?
And while this is happening Judas gets up and leaves the table.
How many times are we so consumed with ourselves that we miss the bigger picture?
We miss what God is doing because we are so consumed with our own “godliness” and our own “greatness.”
Our own godliness means NOTHING at the Lord’s table. This table is all about Jesus, it’s not about you.
Leonardo Da Vinci - Goblet (you can almost see your reflection); No the goblet is not what I want them to see, it’s Jesus; they must look at Jesus’ face.
This meal isn’t to promote you. This meal is to lift HIGH the name of Jesus. So stop making it about you.
Jesus could have stopped Judas. The disciples would have backed him. He could have skipped the agony and pain, but oh no, you were too valuable to Him.
Today, we partake of one of the most sacred and traditional elements of the Christian faith. The church throughout the course of history has partaken of this meal.
“The world drinks to forget; we drink to remember.”
So, let us take some time now, to prepare our hearts as Penny and Joanna sing.