The Last Supper

A Meal to Remember

Heavenly father as we gather here together then we open your word we thank you for the love that you showed in the Last Supper. And while we're not going to practice the remembrance of the Last Supper with communion today we pray that as we look at your word you would teach us what it means to follow and trust and remember you even when we don't understand. Please guide us please help us to understand as we remember this moment in the life of Jesus.

Introduction

Can you relate to how Peter spoke in this video. He said if I knew it was going to be the Last Supper I would have worn something different!

Isn't that just like us? Sometimes we don't know what's going to be a truly important moment. And sometimes we miss something important because we're focused on less important things. When we're young sometimes we get so caught up in what a sibling or friend is doing that we miss something truly important that's really happening. As at all three it caught up in what we're wearing or what we're eating or how we're being inconvenienced or what's next on the agenda call something important is happening right in front of us.

Sometimes we can be so caught up and worrying about all the things that happen in life that we missed opportunity to enjoy our spouse or treasure moments with our kids or capture moments with our parents. We get so focused on the business of life that we don't take time to connect with the giver of life.

But that night in that upper room Jesus gave his disciples and he gave to us a meal that they could remember. A meal that meant something. Meal that was far more significant than just the grapes the wine and the bread. So today let's take a walk through this story and we're going to discover 3 important things about the Last Supper.

The Last Supper Reminds us of Jesus’ Sacrifice

Luke 22:19 ESV

19 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.”

How confused would you have been it Jesus picked up a piece of bread broke it into you and said eat this this is my body?! And then he picks up the cup and said this is my blood drink it.

I wonder if Peter looked around the room wondering what Jesus meant. I wonder if he wondered what does Jesus mean?

And of course if Jesus says the bread is his body and the blood is the wine but Jesus seems to be in possession of all of his body and all of his blood then what does he mean?

But this is one of those moments where Jesus isn't just talking about the meal in front of them. He's talking about the cross. He's talking about something that would happen to himself. The bread and the wine were symbols of something else. Jesus body would be broken and jesus's blood would be spilled out and he was doing it for his disciples he was doing it for us.

Illustration

Imagine a soldier on the battlefield and he doesn't know for sure if he's gonna survive the next battle. So what soldiers have done throughout history is they've composed letters for their family for people they love. They leave something behind for others to remember them. And that's what Jesus is doing here. And that's why every time we take communion and we will take communion not this week but next week on Good Friday. That's why every time we take communion we remember that Jesus sacrificed his life so that we could have life. In the same way that families don't just speak love to one another we demonstrate love for one another period in the same way Jesus didn't just tell his disciples he loved them he demonstrated it with his sacrifice in what he would do on the cross. And he gave them a gift to remember what he did.

The Last Supper Reveals our weakness

Luke 22:34 ESV

34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

Do you ever have one of those moments where you say I would never do that... and then a short while later you do the thing you said you would never do and you surprised yourself? Peter had one of those moments. While sitting at the Last Supper Jesus looks across the table and tells him before the rooster crows you will deny me three times.

By the way for those of you who haven't lived on a farm a rooster crows every morning. It's the farmer's alarm clock. So Jesus is telling Peter you're gonna deny you even know me before the alarm clock goes off in the morning.

Peter was totally convinced and offended in this moment thinking he would never turn his back on Jesus. He was thinking to himself I would never deny you I would go to prison for you I would die for you.

Do you ever have one of those moments where you're absolutely sure about something and then you're proved wrong. Maybe you've got a challenge you've had to face then you fall flat on your face.?

We frequently even as adults thinks that we are stronger than we are. But what the Last Supper does is it reminds us that we are weak. And just like Peter it's really easy for us to overestimate our strength and underestimate how much grace we need.

It's easy for us to think that we are all that and a box of cracker jacks. We can handle anything and then we get beat down by our own weakness or by life. And it's easy for us to look at other people and think that I'm better than them I don't need to be shown the same grace than them because I'm just that disciplined we need God's grace.

Even when Peter failed Jesus did not give up on him. And he does not give up on us.

The Last Supper reminds us that Jesus did not just prepare a meal for the people that are most faithful to him that didn't fail. He prepares a table for failures for doubters for people who run when things get hard and he invites them back again and again and again to receive his grace.

The Last Supper Points Us to His Promise

John 14:3 ESV

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

The disciples were very confused. They wondered where Jesus was going. Just like any one of us would. They wondered what does he mean by a little while? But Jesus wasn't just leaving he was leaving to prepare a place. So the Last Supper wasn't just a meal looking back in remembrance.

Recently my wife and I finished watching a TV show that we've enjoyed that is about 11 seasons long. The last episode was a memory filled episode looking back and there was a bit of sadness with the ending of the show. It's always sad when you close the time of life when you say goodbye.

But when Jesus had this Last Supper it was a bit of a time of saying goodbye. But it was also looking forward with hope. Jesus wasn't just leaving them he was leaving them to make their lives better.

Imagine a parent leaving for a business trip and saying hey I need to leave for a little while and I'm doing this so that I can take you to a better place. In fact when I get back I'm going to take you to a better place where we can live.

The Last Supper reminds us that the world is not our home. Jesus is preparing something better and one day he'll return and take us there. The Last Supper is about a future worth looking forward to.

Conclusion

In his second letter to the church peter wrote:

2 Peter 1:12–15 ESV

12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. 13 I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

There's a story of a man who kept a photo of his wife on the desk. Every day he would look at it and smile. Someone wanted asked him why. He said it reminds me of her love and of the life we have built together. It reminds me no matter how far apart we are we will always be connected.

Peter wanted us to remember and never forget the love that Jesus has for us. And the life he has given us. And he wants us to remember no matter how far apart we feel he is always with us. That's why we regularly celebrate communion to remember what he has done for us period to remember that no matter how far away we are is always near.

Closing Community Prayer

Matthew 6:9–13 ESV

9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.