TLC-Journey to the Cross: Preparation and Sacrifice

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This week in our Journey to the Cross Series, we look at an important moment in the life and ministry of Jesus: a Passover meal with the Disciples.

In the Jewish tradition, Passover has many parts that remind God’s people of their need for God, the way God has delivered them out of slavery, and to praise God for he deserves our praise. During the night of Passover, the Passover Lamb, a perfect, unblemeshed lamb, which is sacrificed, is eaten with bitter herbs and matzo

Today we will take a look into this tradition Jesus and the disciples have in the celebration of Passover.

We will look at how this moment in the Gospel of Luke leads to one of our most important liturgical exercises in the Christian church, Communion.

LET’S PRAY

Part 1: Equipping the Disciples

Today we will be reading from Luke 22:7-20, and I invite you to open you bibles and read along with me this morning. We will break it into a few different segments, as there is a lot of things to unpack in this passage. Let start with verses 7-13

Luke 22:7–13

ESV

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?” He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.” And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.



Just imagine the scene:

It is the day of the Unleavened Bread, which can mean the time of the eight-day celebration or the day before Passover as a day of preparation. Either way, on that day tens of thousands of Jews have descended upon Jerusalem to properly observe the feast.

Jesus in the midst of the buzz and excitement of this time gives the disciples a task. He calls them to something, and has prepared the way for them.

Isn’t that the way God moves in our lives? When He calls us, he prepares the way for us.

I am sure many of us here this morning, can recall a time where God called us to something in our lives, and through the process learned to see the many ways he prepared the way for us.

OUR PREPARATION MATTERS:

We see in this passage that with Jesus’ preparing the way, they are able to what they are called to do: prepare for Passover.

There are many examples that we can see in the Gospels where Jesus prepares the way for his disciples to accomplish tasks that in the middle of working in them, were surprised they were doing it.



SHARE MY STORY OF SEMINARY/SCHOOL - HOW GOD PREPARED THE WAY FOR ME TO FINISH THE TASK (3 Minutes)

It is through this time that we are able to not only see how God puts everything together for his plans and purposes, but also how he works through and in us as well.



We move on to the time of The Passover Jesus has with the disciples, and we start reading at verse 14:

Luke 22:14–20

ESV

And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

The account of the celebration of Jesus’ Passover meal with his disciples is coming in all three Synoptic Gospels

The verbal, syntactical and narrative parallels in their versions of the preparation and participation in the Passover meal, all except for what is recorded in the Gospel of Luke, saying of Jesus. “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”

NT Wright says of Jesus’s excitement for the Passover with his disciples:

Luke for Everyone The Last Supper (Luke 22:1–23)

Jesus had been passionately looking forward to this meal. It was, for him, the moment above all when he would explain to his followers, in deeds and words rich and heavy with meaning, what he was about to do and how they could profit from it

Why is the Passover Seder such an important occasion for the Jewish Faith?

The Seder is integral to Jewish faith and identity: as explained in the Haggadah, if not for divine intervention and the Exodus, the Jewish people would still be slaves in Egypt. Therefore, the Seder is an occasion for praise and thanksgiving and for re-dedication to the idea of liberation.

There are many parts and meanings that are experienced throughout the Passover Seder, and we could not possibly go through them all today, however, I do want to highlight a few of them this morning.

The Four Passover Cups:

In the Passover Seder, there are four cups or four separate times to drink from the cup, that have particular meaning. They represent the four expressions of deliverance promised by God. These four cups represent sanctification, deliverance, redemption, and praise.

These come from the promises that God gives his people in Exodus:

Exodus 6:6–7

ESV

Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

The Cup of Sanctification - When the Jewish people drink from the cup of sanctification, it is remembrance of God who brought them out of slavery.

The Cup of Plagues - and also the Cup of Deliverance - We remember that there where nine times that Pharoah hardens his heart, not letting his God’s people go, and because of it, judgement comes. nine different plagues come to the land of Egypt.

It is a reminder that we are under God’s judgement.

The Cup of Redemption: This is ceremonially drank from after the meal. The Jewish people look back and remember the redemption through the passover lamb.

For the Jewish people in Jesus’ time, it is a way to look forward to the redemption that will come through the Messiah.

The Cup of Praise: The big conclusion for the Passover Seder is a collection of songs of praise that the Jewish people sing out. These songs of worship and praise come from the Jewish National Hymnal, You all have a copy of them available to you: the Psalms.

BONUS CUP! Elijah’s Cup - This cup is not drunk, as it repesents the hope of the arrival of the Prophet Elijah, and the coming of the Messiah.



We will come back to this in a moment…



Jesus Calls to Disciples to Communion

Let’s go back to this moment in Luke. Jesus tells them in v 19:

Luke 22:19

ESV

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Jesus says to them this is MY body, which is given to you.

The statement is a strong one and must not be watered down, but it must not be overpressed either. The addition, which is given for you, looks forward to Calvary. It speaks of Jesus’ death for his people. This is not something that springs from the Passover ritual. That spoke of deliverance but not of vicarious sacrifice. Jesus is interpreting his death in a Passover context and making it clear that it has saving significance.

After this Jesus says to them:

Luke 22:20

ESV

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

The pouring out points us to the death on the cross where a new covenant would be inaugurated. Israel was in covenant relationship with God, but now there would be a new covenant brought about by Christ’s blood (cf. Jer. 31:31). His death would establish a new way of approach to God.

In Jeremiah it says:

Jeremiah 31:31

ESV

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah,

Jesus, in taking the bread, and taking the cup, in his statements was saying to them:

That which was promised to you,

That which you have been waiting for

That new covenant is now here in my blood!



Let’s go back to the four cups, and let’s take a look at these four promises and what they mean to us today through the fulfillment of Jesus.

The Cup of Sanctification :

Just like God saved his people out of slavery in Egypt, Through Jesus, we can pray for those who are trapped in spiritual slavery. A slave to sin, slave to the world.

The Cup of Deliverance:

Everyone is going to be placed at the judgement seat of God, unless we accept the salvation we have in Jesus.

Romans 5:9

Romans 5:9

ESV

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. We are also atoned through Jesus, and only through Jesus

John 14:6

ESV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

3. The Cup of Redemption: Many believe this cup and section of the Passover Seder is where we Jesus performs communion with the disciples.

This cup traditionally signifies the slaying of the passover lamb. The cup now represents for us all remembrance of how the Lord redeems with an outstretched hand. His body broken, and his blood poured out for our sins.

4. The Cup of Praise: Because of Jesus, we come and give thanks, and to praise his Holy name.

Jewish people would sing Psalms, Halel Psalms, ususally Psalms 113-118. For example, at the end of Psalm 118 it says

Psalm 118

ESV

You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!



We all have songs of praise in our hearts. Some of the songs we love to sing come from Psalms, and some of our songs we sing of praise to the Lord are songs that a part of our faith story, and reminders of the things God has done. They remind us to give God the Praise and reverence he deserves.



One song I continually think about when I am reminded of my salvation and starting church was this one:

(LYRICS TO THE SCREEN)

Bless the Lord, O My Soul

and all that is within me,

Bless his Holy Name

(Invite them to sing)

Bless the Lord, O My Soul

and all that is within me,

Bless his Holy Name

He has done great things, he has done great things, he has done great things, bless his holy name!

Bless the Lord, O My Soul

and all that is within me,

Bless his Holy Name

Today we have songs like this as an act of praise, thanking God for what he has done for us:

(LYRICS TO THE SCREEN)

Cause all my life You have been faithful, And all my life You have been so, so good With every breath that I am able Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

(Invite to sing again)

Cause all my life You have been faithful, And all my life You have been so, so good With every breath that I am able Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God



There is one more cup, a symbolic cup we must mention. It is one of sacrifice. The Cup Jesus asks God, if he is willing to take away.

Luke 22:42

ESV

saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

This cup, which signified death on a cross, sacrifice and suffering is willingly done by Jesus.

When we come together for communion, we corporately come to remember the way he has pulled us out of sin, delivered us from it, and redeems us. By breaking the bread, by drinking of the cup, we take a moment to remember. Even if we are struggling. The act of coming back to God in communion helps us to draw closer and back towards God. As believers in Jesus, we know there is power in communion.

This morning, we will partake in Communion, and as the worship team and the communion services begin, I want us to take a moment to prepare our hearts for it.

(GIVE INSTRUCTIONS OF HOW WE TAKE COMMUNION).

With your eyes closed I want you to take a moment to reflect on the expressions of sanctification, deliverance, redemption and praise. Take a moment to thank the Lord, for the way that he has showed up in your personal life. Thank Jesus that he has fulfilled that New Covenant promise, which is through his blood (Take a moment to allow people to pray where they are).

Now take a moment, to thank him for the Cross. Thank him for his act that is only done through Jesus, the Son of God, our Messiah. That we can come to him, imperfect, broken, and sinful, and that we can lay it at his feet. We can partake in communion today as his children, his disciples, changed forever through the truth of God’s redeeming love through Jesus.



Luke 22:19–20

ESV

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

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