Humility & Peace

His publishing house is called 1517 and their mission is to “declare and defend the Good news that we are forgiven and free on account of Christ alone.”

When we preached that, we used the words, “Proclaim and Protect.”

In his devotion book, Mr. Bird does a word study on one or two Old Testament Hebrew words for each day

And then he relates those ideas to Jesus.

By the way, you don’t have to know a word of Hebrew to use his devotion - he explains everything very, very well.

Anyway, the day I sat down to write today’s message, the Hebrew word was sh’lamim - which is the word for the peace offering.

And that’s where the nerding began.

Our text for today is Matthew 26:20-30.

It’s the passover meal - you might think we should have done this a few weeks ago.

And I would have agreed with you, except, today we join Jesus at His table.

And we want to answer the question, “Whatever are we doing there?”

While you are looking up Matthew 26, I’d like to talk to the kids and anyone who is not a Jesus follower.

There is nothing new for me to preach.

We’ve been studying the book of Hebrews - we’ll start back next week - and in that book we’ve learned that Jesus is the final revelation God is going to show us about Himself.

There is nothing new - and never will be until we meet Jesus face to face.

So what I do is preach reminders - because there is a lot to remember.

And every now and then I run across something that reminds me to feel really glad I follow Jesus.

Today is one of those days.

I want you to hear how we can live every day of our lives feeling calm in our hearts.

Calm for me is another word for peace.

Another word would be assurance meaning that I know that I know that I know that everything

EVERYTHING is going to be alright.

And I can say that, because I follow Jesus.

Please listen carefully.

I want you to know what I know and so many people in the room know

But we need to be reminded.

Kids, your three words you are listening for in your worship guide are Jesus, Know and Peace.

Everyone please take your Bibles, hear now the word of the Lord from Matthew 26:20-30

Matthew 26:20–30 ESV

When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 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.” Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.” 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.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 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.” And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Let us pray…. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Let me refresh us on what’s going on.

In Exodus 12, Yahweh is making His final preparations to rescue His people from slavery in Egypt.

He tells each family to take a lamb without blemish and to sacrifice it.

Exodus 12:7 is Yahweh speaking to Moses: ““Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.”

You remember the drill, the angel of death will go through the land of Egypt and if the house has no blood on the doorpost, the first born of everything in that house will die.

But if there is blood on the doorposts, the angel will “Passover” their house, hence the name “Passover.”

Yahweh tell them in verse 14 that this is to be a memorial that they are to do yearly forever.

So here Jesus and his disciples are on the day before Jesus is to be crucified, celebrating the Passover meal.

I told you we were nerding out today, stick with me.

The Passover meal over time came to be organized around God’s words in Exodus 6:6-7

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.

There were four parts of the meal with each part being built around a cup of wine and each cup representing one part of these verses.

Cup number one was “I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.”

Cup number two was, “I will deliver you from slavery to them.”

Cup number three was, “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgement.”

And cup four was, “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.”

In our story in Matthew, Jesus is about to share cup number three which says

“I will redeem you…”

It’s at this cup Jesus really breaks with tradition.

There are words He’s supposed to say and rituals to do.

He doesn’t do them.

Instead, look at verse 26 Matthew 26:26 “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.””

We think nothing of Jesus blessing the bread - but this wasn’t the place for a blessing.

The blessing at this meal came at the very beginning of the meal and bread would have been broken at the beginning of the meal.

But Jesus picked up a piece of bread that had yet to be broken, and He blessed it.

He pronounced a eulogesas - you hear it - eulogy - a good word over it.

He asks God to bestow His divine favor on this bread.

Then Jesus says, “Take, eat; this is my body.”

It’s like Jesus is asking the Father to bless what He is about to do.

Look at verses 27 & 28: Matthew 26:27–28 “And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

He took the cup that says, “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment,” and He gave thanks.

You may have noticed Matthew used a different word here than before - before Jesus blessed the bread - the asked God to bestow His divine favor on the bread.

But here he “gives thanks”

You’ve heard this Greek word too - eucharistesas - eucharist.

Baptists wig out because “that’s a Catholic thing.”

No - it’s a word that means to rejoice and be glad.

Be glad that you, disciples and Christ followers, can drink from the cup of redemption.

Now, I wanted to spend some real time on this verse but there’s much to do yet, so listen up.

Jesus said, “Drink it, all of you…”

But one of them was Judas Iscariot - the betrayer - the one Jesus said it would have been better for him had he not been born.”

Why does Judas drink?

Paul will write years later that “anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.”

Judas drank judgment on himself.

This is probably the place to mention this.

While the cross was the second greatest expression of God’s love for us - the first being the resurrection.

The cross was also the greatest expression of God’s judgment.

Remember the third cup - “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and great acts of judgment?”

Jesus arms were stretched wide on the cross - open for all who would come to come.

And great acts of judgment - you either come or you don’t

Either you follow Jesus into eternity - or you don’t.

Jesus said, “for this is the blood…”

Why is blood important at the Passover?

The death angel will only pass over those “washed in the blood.”

Jesus said, “which is poured out…”

Not spilled - many times preachers will say and songs will sing that Jesus blood was spilled

And that’s not wrong - it just has the wrong connotation.

Spilling sounds accidental and there was nothing accidental here.

Jesus poured out His blood - intentionally - on purpose - for a reason.

“Which is poured out…for many…”

Many.

Not all.

Everyone will not live forever in the new heaven and new earth.

Many will.

Most won’t.

Did Jesus die so that anyone who believes could have eternal life?

Yes He did.

But His poured out blood only covers those who will drink from His cup with humility.

Knowing they have not lived up to the things God created them for.

Knowing they need a Savior.

Knowing that they’ve turned from their old lives to follow Jesus.

Knowing that their ultimate destination rests in God’s hands dependent on the Father’s mercy and grace.

Most people will not choose to know those things.

Jesus blood does not cover their sins.

Their ‘door posts’ as it were, have no blood on them.

But for those who drink from Jesus cup of redemption, there is a new covenant

A new way of God getting along with humanity - and it is represented in the type of sacrifice the passover represents.

Here’s the real nerd part so get ready.

There were a number of different types of sacrifices in the Old Testament.

There was a sin offering where the animal was totally incinerated.

It was burned until there was nothing left but ashes.

This is a picture of every person who carries their own sins into eternity.

The Passover had an element of that in there

Exodus 12:10 “And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn.”

So there is the element of the sin offering.

But there is another type of offering too called the peace offering.

You can find it in Leviticus 3.

In this offering, the sweetbreads and fatty parts of the animal are burned “as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.”

But the rest is roasted - like at the passover - for the family to eat in the presence of God.

Here is the symbolism - The family and God are sharing a meal together.

This is a “shalom” offering.

Shalom isn’t just peace, it is “wholeness, integrity, well being…salvation.” (Bird, p.107)

This meal isn’t somber - it’s celebratory - hence Jesus offering a “eucharist” prayer - a prayer of gladness.

Sins are forgiven.

Hard feelings are put away.

The family has gathered at a great meal to enjoy each other’s company again.

This makes some verses make sense:

Psalm 34:8 ESV

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Psalm 22:26 ESV

The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever!

Ephesians 2:14 ESV

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility

What are we saying here?

It’s not just forgiveness of sins that Jesus is doing what He is doing here.

Yes, His words say, “…for the forgiveness of sin.”

But His actions say, to have peace with God.

And there is the point of our salvation

It isn’t a simple transaction of “accepting Jesus into my heart” so I’ll go to heaven when I die.

In fact, it’s not a transaction at all.

It’s a … marriage.

It’s putting behind your past life of singleness - of running around here and there doing the things that make you happy in the moment.

And you put all of that behind you to make a commitment - to you and you alone will I run.

Forsaking all others, I will give my life only unto you.

To you I’ll reveal my warts and faults and flaws

And with you I’ll see all of your warts and faults and flaws

And we’ll be ok with that.

Together, we’ll experience, “wholeness, integrity, well-being.”

We will experience peace when we are sitting at our table together.

We will be family.

That is what is missing in many of our relationships with God.

We understand forgiveness.

We are like the disciples - when Jesus said, ‘one of you will betray me.’

Those who truly know Jesus will say with the disciples, ‘surely it’s not me.’

Not with emphatic bravado

But with complete understanding

I’ve done it before - I have failed you before Jesus.

I know I’m forgiven, but will I fail you again?

And Jesus says, “Yes, but sit down and eat with me anyway.

We’re family.

Peace with God.

And that’s what you want, isn’t it?

Your parenting guilt

Your parenting my parents guilt

Your helping your spouse guilt

Your facing old age and death guilt

Your “I didn’t do something right” in my life guilt

I know you - I think just like you.

I should be better than this guilt - “surely not me, Lord?”

Here’s the good news

Because Jesus was man enough for all of us.

By His death and resurrection our sins are forgiven

And by His own actions and words, we have peace with God.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, I beg you, I implore you to come clean with Jesus today.

Get away for a moment from everybody and everything

Mom - it might be in the bathroom

And lay it on the line with Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, He’s the spouse that will never leave.

He’s the spouse that will always understand.

He’s the spouse that will always console and cajole if needed.

But He will never, ever condemn you - ever.

You are the one He adores.

Listen, when you bare your soul to Jesus, I promise

I promise, He will understand and He will show you what you need to know.

And dear friends who need to trust Jesus.

You’ve very patiently sat through a reminder of what Jesus has done for us.

He will do it for you as well but it takes some action on your part.

You have to be humble enough to know that you have not lived up to everything God created you to be.

You need to be humble enough to admit you need someone to save you from yourself.

You need to be humble enough to be willing to turn from your old ways of thinking to follow Jesus however He leads you.

And you have to be humble enough to know that your ultimate destination rests in God’s hands.

If you will confess to Jesus that you need Him to save you, He will.

And then, you too, can learn how to have peace with God.

If today is the day you will follow Jesus, come see me after the service.

I’d love to hear your story - I want to help you get started down the road to following Jesus.

Let’s pray.

Communion

Would the brothers who are serving come forward?

I referred to Paul’s scripture earlier - let’s read it now.

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 ESV

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

We eat the peace offering that Jesus prepared for us at this table right now

But one day, sooner than we expect, we’ll be eating this meal at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

If you are a believer, baptized after your salvation, you are invited to join with us.

Please exit your pew to the left and proceed to the table in front of you.

You may eat the bread dipped in juice when you receive it

Or if you want to take it back to your seat for a moment of reflection, feel free to do that.

If you are unable to come to the front, please let someone who is coming forward know so they can tell us to come to you.

We have gluten free wafers at ______ table.

Let’s pray a eucharistic - a glad prayer together.

Father, simply, thank you that, through Jesus, we have peace with you.

Not can have

Not will have

But have, right this moment, right this very day.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Please stand and come forward.

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